I need help incorporating new iMac into my production set up

yo yo, So my old way of making beats was I had the mpc midi'd up to my Roland Fantom and I would sample vinyl and use the keyboard for just like bass and sometimes playing notes and stuff. I would then track out said beats into Reaper for mixing. How could I go about using my Mac to make beats??? Like I know I could use use Reason as a sound module and sequence that into the mpc but what are you guys doing? I hear some people make beats in protools.... Hows the sequencer on Protools and where do you get your sounds that your using in Protools?

Any help would be appreciated, I figure since its a new year I wanna have a new way to make beats.

The Mac has 8 gigs of Ram 2 TB Hard drive and its a quad core I think... 27 inch display too

I would say just replace Reaper with something comparable, or hell, just use Reaper again. You'll be open to some nice new plugins via the audio unit format, but it will also be familiar to you.

Logic is really great...the main reason I use a mac.

To answer your other questions, just my opinion, but I think software sequencers pale in comparison to an mpc. If anything, you can still 'fake' an mpc with your software, but for composition, I tend to keep it out of the computer, and just use the computer to record and tweak if i need to.
You could send a sync signal from Logic and then record your mpc and have the luxury of editing 'on the beats'. Logic has a great 'beat map' feature as well, so even if your recording is not 100% on time (it will be with an MPC), you can still lock the Logic session to the recorded beats.

nogginj wrote:I would say just replace Reaper with something comparable, or hell, just use Reaper again. You'll be open to some nice new plugins via the audio unit format, but it will also be familiar to you.

Logic is really great...the main reason I use a mac.

To answer your other questions, just my opinion, but I think software sequencers pale in comparison to an mpc. If anything, you can still 'fake' an mpc with your software, but for composition, I tend to keep it out of the computer, and just use the computer to record and tweak if i need to.
You could send a sync signal from Logic and then record your mpc and have the luxury of editing 'on the beats'. Logic has a great 'beat map' feature as well, so even if your recording is not 100% on time (it will be with an MPC), you can still lock the Logic session to the recorded beats.

yeah Ive got Protools LE as my Daw also but I can't seem to track my beats out yet. Midi is confusing as hell on protools so Ive been using Reaper to track out for the time being until I learn protools. What are you using Logic for?

I mainly use logic for just recording the audio. Is that what you mean by 'tracking out'? (that's what I would assume but terms get thrown around very loosely on this board).

You can send sync from PT or logic and record the audio tracks in time.

nogginj wrote:I mainly use logic for just recording the audio. Is that what you mean by 'tracking out'? (that's what I would assume but terms get thrown around very loosely on this board).

You can send sync from PT or logic and record the audio tracks in time.

Yeah recording audio is what I meant thanks for the input fam

Yea so usually I send a sync signal from Logic and then just track out my MPC 8-outs direct into Logic audio tracks.

Pretty simple, pretty powerful.

You can do this in any daw, PT, Reaper, or Logic.

There is a tutorial around this site that is pretty good which describes a more complex setup, using the MPC sequencer to sequence VSTs in Logic. While I have not tried it this way, it could get really fun, really fast. The tutorial is written for a 4000 so if you search MPC 4000 and Logic 8 (even in google) you'll find it.

now that's a mac!

i traded in my mpc for a more practical way to work, which is the computer. i use an mpd32 and recycle/reason/record as my sequencer/sampler. the samplers in record kinda trump an mpc (although there's no debate an mpc is a great way to work in its own right). then you can "rewire" your work out to pro tools, ableton, reaper, whatever, and hit it with plugins and do further sequencing/recording if you wish. it's all syncd so it's a breeze, really. the computer is great to work on once you find your groove. i do want an mpc again when i can afford it because there's nothing like using one.. but i haven't been complaining, that's for sure. i'd definitely look in to reason/record to as the foundation, and then think about how you can branch it from there. it just gets the job done. there's nothing worse than getting way too tech and in depth on the computer and you find yourself not making shtt! propellerhead record is straight plug and play. no bull. hope that helps.

oh yeah and check out the regroove mixer. they have "mpc 60" swing as a preset. i hear you guys talking about logic but for real... record all day. don't confuse the poor guy

goldslum wrote:now that's a mac!

i traded in my mpc for a more practical way to work, which is the computer. i use an mpd32 and recycle/reason/record as my sequencer/sampler. the samplers in record kinda trump an mpc (although there's no debate an mpc is a great way to work in its own right). then you can "rewire" your work out to pro tools, ableton, reaper, whatever, and hit it with plugins and do further sequencing/recording if you wish. it's all syncd so it's a breeze, really. the computer is great to work on once you find your groove. i do want an mpc again when i can afford it because there's nothing like using one.. but i haven't been complaining, that's for sure. i'd definitely look in to reason/record to as the foundation, and then think about how you can branch it from there. it just gets the job done. there's nothing worse than getting way too tech and in depth on the computer and you find yourself not making shtt! propellerhead record is straight plug and play. no bull. hope that helps.

Yo Thanks for the input fam!! Im still trying to find a way I can play these plugins that I got in Protools but for some reason PT wont recognise my midi keyboard... Shit I cant even get that thing to track out my beats. Shits wack. Ill get it though