how to get your Mpc to sound like a SP1200

I know the newer mpcs have a bit grunger and other ways to make the mpc sound like a sp1200
what can I do with my mpc 2000xl to make it have that 12 bit sound

maybe you could scoop up an old 12 bit sampler to go with your mpc... okay sure it wont sound like an sp 1200 unless you get an sp 1200...

but look into some of these:

-akai s950 or the s900 (the s950 is better then the s900 because it has more ram and features however the s900 is cheaper and can be purchased for under 100 bucks. be prepared for something slightly harder to program then the 2000xl)

-mpc 60, you can find them for cheap these days. if you want the newer upgraded os 3.10 then be prepared to dish out more, because on that machine the OS change is done by changing the chip inside... however even if you find the older 2.12 OS, it still works and you get the sound. you can sometimes find those for dirt cheap.

- maybe look into the emax and those

-mirage, they are a pain to program compared to new gear, but you may like the grimey sound.


there are many 12 bit sampler, but they all sound different... i just dont know if there is a cheap hardware solution to mimicking the sp 1200...

Ensoniq EPS classic is also a bargain but with a slight learning curve. After you master it you cab use the variable sampling rates to build SP1200 likesounds if not more dirtier. It can be had for 170 or less

You can convert samples in your 2000XL to 12bit.

FX like bitcrushers and converting your sounds within the MPC are not going to make it sound like an sp1200. It's not only the '12 bit' thing that gives them that sound, it's more about the ad/da converters used on the machines.

Also, converting sounds in an mpc like that takes a LOOONG time and I would not recommend it unless you don't mind waiting 30 minutes to convert a sound and then it still won't sound like an sp.

I will throw in another recommendation for an external sampler, specifically the EPS...super cheap these days and REALLY grimy sound. Not to mention the sampler in that thing is pretty powerful already.

If you want that gritty SP sound on drums you can resample your chopped slices in a few minutes, note that
resampling to 12bit will not affect that much but the bitrate/samplerate combination does.

Try 12bit @ 26040KHz and be aware that a single one shot drum can take up to a minute for converting and there
is no chance to cancel the process.

Also try the SP sampling tricks like sampling from 45rpm with max. pitch and tune down afterwards, then convert, bla bla bla..

The XL cannot imitate an SP but it can sound real gritty and dirty.

If you want to apply this technique to longer samples, resampling can take hours for a few bars... not a good idea

Other than bit rate and sample rate, SP-1200's distintive sound is due to:

how sound file is compressed / processed on SP (file compression algorithm)
SP uses SSM2044 op-amp (analog low-pass filter)
(I think there should be other reasons, but I think those two are most important)

In short, lowering your sample rate and bit rate on XL won't make the sample sound like SP-1200. In my opinion, XL's re-sampling function is useless, certainly it won't make samples sound like SP-1200.
I would say applying effect units (bit of distortion, compressor, EQ) might work, apply it before sampling the sound to XL.

how to your Mpc sound like a SP1200

buy a sp1200!

jibber wrote:You can convert samples in your 2000XL to 12bit.

how do you do this???

I wonder how the XL resampling sound. I have the 2000 classic so no resample function. Can someone post a before/after sample please? I wouldn't set it to 26kHz tho but rather lower (something like 13kHz)

I also wonder why the MPC need that much time for this function. My s950 need only some seconds to half the samplerate of a loooong loop (just like my TX16W) and these two machines came up YEARS before the XL. Maybe the time relates to the bitdepth cause s950 and TX are both 12bit while XL is 16bit. To check that someone could measure the times the XL need to convert a sample to a lower samplerate with AND without converting the bitdepth.


peace

jrbeats555 wrote:

jibber wrote:You can convert samples in your 2000XL to 12bit.

how do you do this???

look in the book about how to work your MPC. It's called the 'Operators Manual', look on page 97 if you are unsure how to work the 'Table of Contents' feature

In my opinion, XL's re-sampling function is useless

I agree with this, but some do use it creatively.

look in the book about how to work your MPC. It's called the 'Operators Manual', look on page 97 if you are unsure how to work the 'Table of Contents' feature

thanks bro I cant read that well so i appreciate the tip

This is a quest that I have been on since I got my 1st SP in '99 and sold it and then the prices sky rocketed so I've been looking for alternatives .

As far as hardware, the re-sampling in an XL will never cut it . The EPS is good but another good sampler that comes really close is a Casio FZ-1 and the Emax's as well . You could try to hunt out an SP-12 for cheap . I know Kev Brown does a good job of low bit grittyness w/ a SP-505 .

And for software there are a couple emulators out there but most require a PC and I'm a Mac guy so I've never tried them . A good plug-in is one called de-grade (I don't know who makes it) that a friend of mine does a close emulation w/ . I am personally using Maschine software in SP-1200 mode as just a filter then re-sampling into my XL and doing all the rest in there and it's the closest thing I've heard as far as software .

But as Buddy Maxwell said, "buy a sp1200" if you want the real deal (or a SP-12 and run samples through it) .

thanks guys