Totally new to the mpc.

Hey guys,

I really like hip hop (soul, funk, jazz, blues, rock etc etc.) to dead, I just **** love it.

I want to make my own beats with a mpc, now my question is wich mpc is the best to start with? And how should I begin this? I know it isn't easy to use a mpc.. But I really want to learn it, but I don't know how/where.. Could you guys help me start out please?

thx,
Kelvin.

Well it depends on three things:

1)Your budget.

2)What features are important to you.

3)Your creative process.

For example, if you find sampling from vinyl to be appealing, and you aren't really feeling a bajillion features, and your budget is kind of low, then the 2000/2000xl would probably be the machine for you. (Except you'll have to buy a screen for it later, but for the sake of the example let's ignore that aspect.)

But if you really like having more features, and you want to download lots of kits, you might want to steer towards to 1000.

So yeah. These are important things to think about when you're looking around.

k_roc wrote:Well it depends on three things:

1)Your budget.

2)What features are important to you.

3)Your creative process.

For example, if you find sampling from vinyl to be appealing, and you aren't really feeling a bajillion features, and your budget is kind of low, then the 2000/2000xl would probably be the machine for you. (Except you'll have to buy a screen for it later, but for the sake of the example let's ignore that aspect.)

But if you really like having more features, and you want to download lots of kits, you might want to steer towards to 1000.

So yeah. These are important things to think about when you're looking around.

Thanx man . Well I don't want to spend very much in the beginning cause I might give up on it after some time, not saying I"m going to but I MIGHT ( there is a 0.1% chance). Basicly I want to sample music... ( maybe pretty obvious) I'm not thinking of any special features yet... so yea, the cheaper to better to begin with . (I don't kow if it helps but I listen to artists like: MF DOOM, madlib, J dilla etc etc...)

In all honesty, I'd say the 1000 is a great MPC to start with. It's got pretty much everything you'd probably need right from the jump. CF reader, multiple outs, and USB. Not only that, but you'll probably never outgrow it. I've seen them go for as little as 400, the only problem would be what I've heard about the pads. But I think the newer ones have different pad sensors and are less apt to break on you.

k_roc wrote:In all honesty, I'd say the 1000 is a great MPC to start with. It's got pretty much everything you'd probably need right from the jump. CF reader, multiple outs, and USB. Not only that, but you'll probably never outgrow it. I've seen them go for as little as 400, the only problem would be what I've heard about the pads. But I think the newer ones have different pad sensors and are less apt to break on you.

Hmm, 400 is a lot of cash for me lol, is there anything cheaper? And how/where is the best way to learn how to play the mpc?

thx

doinyourho wrote:

k_roc wrote:In all honesty, I'd say the 1000 is a great MPC to start with. It's got pretty much everything you'd probably need right from the jump. CF reader, multiple outs, and USB. Not only that, but you'll probably never outgrow it. I've seen them go for as little as 400, the only problem would be what I've heard about the pads. But I think the newer ones have different pad sensors and are less apt to break on you.

Hmm, 400 is a lot of cash for me lol, is there anything cheaper? And how/where is the best way to learn how to play the mpc?

thx

your not really going to get anything under $400 unless you stumble across a deal.

you could probably get a 500 for that, but that in my opinion is toyish, or maybe a better term would be scratchpad. i would go for the 1k.

as far as how to use it, get it and use it. when you run into a brick wall, read the manual then use it some more. do this until you absolutely cannot find the anwer in the manual (which will come down to personal techniques you develop), then come on a forum with question.

that is my suggestion

doinyourho wrote:Hmm, 400 is a lot of cash for me lol, is there anything cheaper?

Im going to be completely honest with you. If $400 is a hurdle that you are not willing to tackle then you may want to give this up. Anyone with a few years under their belt knows that this is a money pit. You can never buy just one thing, youll buy the MPC, then need cables, headphones, speakers and the list just keeps growing. If you are looking to seriously get involved with this be prepared to sacrifice, hustle and learn.

if $400 is to much you might want to look into a software alternative for now like FL studio or Reason. There are downloadable demos. I think the most important thing is to not get caught up in the "I need a MPC to make beats" hype. I rock a 2k classic to this day but its because I understand a great deal about midi and audio. I could make beats with just about anything. Research midi/audio sequencers not just the mpc. You might learn that you dont need one to make the type of music you want to. Hope that shed some light.

Peace

NaychaBoy wrote:if $400 is to much you might want to look into a software alternative for now like FL studio or Reason. There are downloadable demos. I think the most important thing is to not get caught up in the "I need a MPC to make beats" hype. I rock a 2k classic to this day but its because I understand a great deal about midi and audio. I could make beats with just about anything. Research midi/audio sequencers not just the mpc. You might learn that you dont need one to make the type of music you want to. Hope that shed some light.

Peace

Thx man

no problem fam

pound hit the nail on the head.. SACRIFICE.. tryna manage if you wanna be fly or buy a piece of equipment that can get your sound better..

ive spent a little over $300 just upgrading my mpc 1000 and on cables.. and that was finding bargains on the RAM, HDD, CF, HDM-10 Kit, and cables later on.. i discovered monoprice.com after spending a bill or so buying cables from Guitar Center(crooks)..

not to mention what else you will need. sound card/audio interface..

i promise i spent close to a couple hundred just getting wired up.. and thats just an mpc 1000 with 4 outs. i cant imagine an MP with 8 outs.. or folks with piles of gear mounted..

Check the "Hardware for Sale" thread on this forum!

k_roc wrote:In all honesty, I'd say the 1000 is a great MPC to start with.

Yep!

Even though the price may be tempting for the 500, even if you get a good deal it isn't the best MPC to start on. I've got the 500 and love it... it is in no way toyish and you can make excellent beats/tracks with it in no time once you get going. Unfortunately until you know what all the parameters mean, where they are supposed to go and what they do it is hard to find what you want with the small screen. Once you've cut your teeth on something like the 1k and really know your way around moving to the 500 really isn't so bad, but when you're looking for a new MPC most people won't downgrade and would rather step up to the 4k/5k or go for the 2k/3k/60 to get "that sound". So I dunno... a lot of people slag on the 500 and maybe it deserves some of it, but it is just as much an instrument as any other MPC.

My advice though would be save/save/save and keep your eyes on eBay/Craigslist and the for sale forum here for the 1k. If you keep at it you'll either save up enough to get the MPC or you'll find a good enough deal that will get you in. Personally if you're not so sure you're going to keep it for a long time and may sell it later then really... make sure you get a good deal so when you resell it you don't take the hit to your wallet. It might be worth posting in the Wanted section even, say what you're looking for and what you are willing to pay... explain your situation... there may be some good Samaritan who'd part with their 1k a bit cheaper than normally just to help you out.

Take it easy and good luck!

NearTao wrote:Even though the price may be tempting for the 500, even if you get a good deal it isn't the best MPC to start on. I've got the 500 and love it... it is in no way toyish and you can make excellent beats/tracks with it in no time once you get going. Unfortunately until you know what all the parameters mean, where they are supposed to go and what they do it is hard to find what you want with the small screen. Once you've cut your teeth on something like the 1k and really know your way around moving to the 500 really isn't so bad, but when you're looking for a new MPC most people won't downgrade and would rather step up to the 4k/5k or go for the 2k/3k/60 to get "that sound". So I dunno... a lot of people slag on the 500 and maybe it deserves some of it, but it is just as much an instrument as any other MPC.

My advice though would be save/save/save and keep your eyes on eBay/Craigslist and the for sale forum here for the 1k. If you keep at it you'll either save up enough to get the MPC or you'll find a good enough deal that will get you in. Personally if you're not so sure you're going to keep it for a long time and may sell it later then really... make sure you get a good deal so when you resell it you don't take the hit to your wallet. It might be worth posting in the Wanted section even, say what you're looking for and what you are willing to pay... explain your situation... there may be some good Samaritan who'd part with their 1k a bit cheaper than normally just to help you out.

Take it easy and good luck!

Alright, thanks for the advice! I'll just check out the software mentioned somewhere in this thread, while I'm using the software I can save money for the mpc, or make my mind up if either I want to buy it or not. Thx everyone! And I'm just a little bit scared that I'm gonna struggle with it... Like learning to play it... I really HATE to read, but sure I will do it... But after reading the manual I'm not sure if I'm ready yet.. Like are there any good video tutorials or stuff? And I have 1 more question: If I get this mpc: http://cgi.benl.ebay.be/Akai-MPC-1000-s ... 704wt_1137 What else do I need then?