Share your knowledge on these two classic MPCs
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By YumYumRolex Mon Mar 14, 2011 10:06 am
My old school hip hop heads! WHATS GOOD!?

Man, I used to have a 3000 but times had got hard and I hard to part with it, now I bounced back with the 5000 sold the 5000 and bought a 4000...I love the 4000 but man I miss that Roger Linn Sequencer...Got my eyes on the MPC 60...there is one for the L-O right now...

Should I use the 60 as the main sequencer and pull samples from the 4000? I would throw the 4000 on Midi Out C and it can control the 4000's drums right? So basically I dont need to load any sounds on the 60 to use it right? I dont have any floppies and I dont think the 60 Im looking at has SCSI...What should I do? I dont think that the 60 has any Ram installed either...I mean the condition of it is cool I guess, it looks decent, its not a mint one but for $500 You cant beat that!

I dont know...I really want the 60 but Im not sure if I should just wait and go for another 3000 or something? I mean I already had the 3000 and the 60 has the same swing as the 3k right? Roger Linn didnt change anything from machine to Machine did he?

Just my thoughts, if some of yall would chime in, I would love to be back apart of this area of the Forum...of course with Clint246Clint's blessings... :lol:
By Acid Mitch Mon Mar 14, 2011 2:12 pm
Why not just sync the 2 and run them side by side ?

Is the sequencer section of the 4k really that different ? I thought it was mostly the sampler section that changed.
By Clint Mon Mar 14, 2011 11:35 pm
I may be a Mod, but Im a member first and foremost.

It's really funny sometimes, but not always...
By Clint Mon Mar 14, 2011 11:49 pm
I have the 60 and the 4000, both have their strengths and weaknesses.

The fundamental differences are obvious to anyone who knows both.

1. They sound different because they use different components and analog to digital converters.

2. The overall 'feel' of the sequencer is different, due to the Roger Linn design.

3. The 60 is 12 bit, the 4000 is 16 or 24 bit, a combination that should cover most sampling requirements.

4. Finally theres the internal storage on the 4000 and the flexibilty of using Aksys. Beats floppies and SCSI.

I'd keep both and use what you need, when you need it.
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By YumYumRolex Tue Mar 15, 2011 11:36 am
So I can use the 60 to control the 4000 as my sampler right? I had it hooked up like that when I had my 3000 and my 5000. I just need that Roger Linn swing back in the arsenal.
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By YumYumRolex Tue Mar 15, 2011 11:47 am
Acid Mitch wrote:Why not just sync the 2 and run them side by side ?

Is the sequencer section of the 4k really that different ? I thought it was mostly the sampler section that changed.



No there is no substitute for that rolling swing that the 3000 is famous for. Im hoping that a 60 swings the exact same way, I dont want to get the 60 and then it not be able to sync up to Pro Tools and my Motif and 4000...I wasnt sure if the 60 was current enough for my setup.
By Acid Mitch Tue Mar 15, 2011 2:26 pm
YumYumRolex wrote:No there is no substitute for that rolling swing that the 3000 is famous for. Im hoping that a 60 swings the exact same way, I dont want to get the 60 and then it not be able to sync up to Pro Tools and my Motif and 4000...I wasnt sure if the 60 was current enough for my setup.


The 60 can sync to MIDI clock, MTC, SMPTE,FSK and quarter note clicks. The only thing I can think of that's it's missing is DIN sync. You should be able to fit it into any set up - new or old.
Last edited by Acid Mitch on Tue Mar 15, 2011 4:10 pm, edited 1 time in total.
By Clint Tue Mar 15, 2011 3:46 pm
YumYumRolex wrote:Clint how did you come to acquire so many MPC's?


Interst rates are at an all-time low for savers in the UK.

I don't just buy gear out of lust, I INVEST in gear that will appreciate in value.

When you consider interest rates as low as 0.5% for saving with the banks and the profit margins to be had by investing in gear of anywhere from 10%-100%, investing in gear become a VERY ATTRACTIVE proposition...

Thats my one of my investment strategies laid out bare, its simple. The key to this strategy is to acquire the hardware at the right price and knowing the market. Think old samplers. synths and drum machines, but specifically the ones you KNOW are in short supply and in high demand.

Obviously you will need some capital reserves (a fair amount of money) or a well paid job to play the game, but it is financially and creatively rewarding way to invest when a lot of people are being forced to sell their hardware.

Other pieces I buy are not really investments per se, but things that I want or need in the studio.

What I can say is this...When you can afford to buy all the things you want, suddenly you don't want those same things anymore. You become more selective about where to spend the money, because you realise you don't need everything. I think it's a psychological thing to do with money Vs power dynamics, a situation which is often self-defeating.
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By YumYumRolex Wed Mar 16, 2011 8:21 am
I have that same mentality, thats how I built my studio, For something that would have cost me 5 Thousand Plus if I would have went to the store I looked on my local craigslist and when I had the money to invest in my equipment I bought it for cheaper then what the store was charging so basically getting my shit for like 3 Grand out the door was the proper investment. But yeah I feel you though bro....That 3000 you have and that 60 are the 2 sexiest machines on this forum, period.
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By 64hz Wed Mar 16, 2011 1:35 pm
I probally would go for an 3k in combination with a s950. I have a 60 myself but tbh I wouldn't recommend it for extensive midisequencing, as far as I know it impossible to send midi cc for instance.
By Acid Mitch Wed Mar 16, 2011 2:24 pm
64hz wrote:I probally would go for an 3k in combination with a s950. I have a 60 myself but tbh I wouldn't recommend it for extensive midisequencing, as far as I know it impossible to send midi cc for instance.


You sure about that ?
My MPC60 can send/receive MIDI cc , SYSEX ,program change ,bank change , note on/off , pitch bend , poly aftertouch , mono aftertouch. Pretty much every MIDI message I can think of.

Go to step edit
Press "options"
Where it says "Event to insert" you can choose what CC or any other kind of midi event you want. It's set to notes by default.
Now press "step edit" again and you can insert your choosen MIDI message into your sequence.
You can also record CC's and stuff from an external source if you like.

I've never heard anyone mention differences ion the 3k/60 sequencer(except for timing). Only the audio engine is different as far as I know.
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By eastwood Sun Mar 20, 2011 1:33 am
YumYumRolex,

So why not just get another 3000!? I was wanting a 4000 for the added HD space and that i could access more drum sounds in a sequence but then i really started thinking about it and it wouldn't change much for me. Even having my 3000LE with an external ZIP with the OS 3.50 it kill's! Anyway my point is sometimes we get rid of stuff to realize its what we really needed! Most of us have gear lust syndrome but having a classic piece of MPC history is dope! Everyone who see's the 3K wants it! :mrgreen:
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By YumYumRolex Fri Mar 25, 2011 6:39 am
eastwood wrote:YumYumRolex,

So why not just get another 3000!? I was wanting a 4000 for the added HD space and that i could access more drum sounds in a sequence but then i really started thinking about it and it wouldn't change much for me. Even having my 3000LE with an external ZIP with the OS 3.50 it kill's! Anyway my point is sometimes we get rid of stuff to realize its what we really needed! Most of us have gear lust syndrome but having a classic piece of MPC history is dope! Everyone who see's the 3K wants it! :mrgreen:


Hell yeah, you should have seen the dudes face when I handed him the 3000...I still have my ZIP disks with my drums but I gave him the best ZIP disk but luckily I have all my 3000 kits on my G5...But yeah I want another 3000 but they are going for like a rack right now, nobody local has them on craigslist right now for under 1100...But I will get another classic MPC...Im just going to use it to control the 4000 I currently have. But if I was you I would get the 4000...thats what Im rocking, Ima tell you the biggest secret to the 4000...it swings just like the 3000....clean as ****. with updated features....You can load off USB drives crazy...