Anyone do their entire mix inside the MPC?

I like to mix the track and make it everything I need it to be inside the mpc 5k and then i bounce to stereo wav and use that inside logic then I mix the vocals with it in logic. I will track in Daw if I I'm using more than the 5k like if i'm using sounds from the xv. but even then if i use the xv or the slim phatty or mopho i just resample those parts into the 5k and make it right in the box

Coz wrote:
but I personally just vibe off having a lot of processing options. Each to their own.

I feel you on that. You can't put 2 compressors on one track in the MPC.

psr wrote:I like to mix the track and make it everything I need it to be inside the mpc 5k and then i bounce to stereo wav and use that inside logic then I mix the vocals with it in logic.

That's probably the worst method you can use when working with vocals. Why did you buy Logic if that's all you're using it for?

Coz wrote:There's not enough 'real' tools in any MPC to convincingly 'mix in the box'... depending on your style of course. If you've got a raw edge to what you do then **** it, mix in the MP, but I track out at the first available opportunity.

I don't think me "mixing in the box" hurts my style to much, I can mix in cubase or record, and have but prefer the sound in mpc.

Also, you know I'm a fan of your work, but honestly I think you couldve mixed lets say "End Time" in the box and it still would sound great, maybe better, but def. just as good, The only problem would be that synth, i got a feeling that track was laid as an audio track in your DAW.

ArKyve-31 wrote:Also, you know I'm a fan of your work, but honestly I think you couldve mixed lets say "End Time" in the box and it still would sound great, maybe better, but def. just as good, The only problem would be that synth, i got a feeling that track was laid as an audio track in your DAW.

It was all hardware... MPC and my little VA. I just ran out of time with the mixing (in Cubase) and didn't get it anywhere close to what I know I could have. It's genuinely one of the last tracks I would play people if I wanted to show them what I do.

Pick almost any other track of mine and it would be impossible to create and mix it solely in the MPC.


I hear what you're saying about your own stuff... having loads of talent and a vast sample library will always help you if you're an MPC head. I just came up on not having many samples (literally one drum sample pack, no internet and no records), so I've learnt to create sounds out of virtually nothing using effects chains, my one finger keyboard playing technique and a bit of luck!

Coz wrote: I've learnt to create sounds out of virtually nothing using effects chains, my one finger keyboard playing technique and a bit of luck!

See I came up the exact opposite, Merv tried talking to me about side chaining once and I just got lost, and went back to digging for samples, the only sound creation I do is in reason, maybe mess around with different effects and CV's but thats the extent of it. I honestly dont know exactly what side chaining is, then again I have no technical vocabulary so I could be side chaining and not realize it, I just hook different things to different things knowing which each plug in of effect does and toy with em till it sounds good..... End time is still a dope track

ArKyve-31 wrote:
See I came up the exact opposite, Merv tried talking to me about side chaining once and I just got lost,..... I honestly dont know exactly what side chaining is

I was the same way concerning side chaining but in Reason/Record you'd honestly be surprised how simple it is to get a side chain going. You literally flip the rack around and run the dynamic out of (let's say) a kick drum to the input of a channel that you want the kick drum to compress and start adjusting the SSL compressor of the that channel until you can hear the kick drum working the compressor....it's that simple. When it comes to other DAW's I would struggle to set up a side chain and I actually didn't start using it until Reason/Record because I couldn't wrap my mind around it....at the same time it wasn't much of a priority of mine to learn side chaining either. In Reason/Record it's so simple to do it begs to be used. That being said I don't use side chain a lot but it's nice to have the option if I feel I need it.

dryad-66 wrote:Its never a dead end if it sounds good.....Sometimes recording everything through the stereo outs in one pass gels the audio together.Obviously a few overdubs and editing is gonna add some flavour.I try to get it right first time and keep a live vibe.Im also quite lazy.It has its benefits and creates some kind of energy i feel lacks from over produced stuff......Soundforge(pc) is your friend.Enjoi

I definitely know what you mean when you say it gels the audio together.


Holy shit, a lot of great informative reply's here to go through. I almost always use some type of compressor, and eq on my drums, whether it be something like Crunchessor, or Blockfish, or what ever, so that's the one thing I would really miss by not tracking out individually. I really don't do a whole ton of effects other than that though. On the other hand, I really like the idea of ITB mixing in the MPC. Sort of like either it's hot, or it's not type of thing. A get it right the first time around type of thing. I guess the nice thing is that there is always a choice, and your able to do it both ways, or whatever way you see fit. I am going to be experimenting on this tomorrow all day probably!

Coz wrote:

psr wrote:I like to mix the track and make it everything I need it to be inside the mpc 5k and then i bounce to stereo wav and use that inside logic then I mix the vocals with it in logic.

That's probably the worst method you can use when working with vocals. Why did you buy Logic if that's all you're using it for?

Gotta love the MPC-Forums Big Dawgs and all of their infinite judgement
Been using logic for years bro pre mac only logic (emagic thru to 9)... who says thats all i use it for? i'm simply saying as a point of relevance to this particular thread that thats my work flow at the moment. if needed i track individual tracks but that doesnt mean I have to. be easy.

psr wrote:Gotta love the MPC-Forums Big Dawgs and all of their infinite judgement
Been using logic for years bro pre mac only logic (emagic thru to 9)... who says thats all i use it for? i'm simply saying as a point of relevance to this particular thread that thats my work flow at the moment. if needed i track individual tracks but that doesnt mean I have to. be easy.

Just replying to what you wrote bro.

For all I know your results might be stellar, but in general, mixing a vocal 'into' a 2 track beat is the least flexible way of doing it.

ArKyve-31 wrote:See I came up the exact opposite, Merv tried talking to me about side chaining once and I just got lost, and went back to digging for samples, the only sound creation I do is in reason, maybe mess around with different effects and CV's but thats the extent of it. I honestly dont know exactly what side chaining is, then again I have no technical vocabulary so I could be side chaining and not realize it, I just hook different things to different things knowing which each plug in of effect does and toy with em till it sounds good..... End time is still a dope track

Cheers mate.

I've always maintained you can cut out loads of superfluous shit with instrumentals if you start with great samples. It's also way too easy to overcook the sounds with digital processing. Finding a balance is good though.

I just knew what direction I was heading in when I used to burn sounds from the XL onto cd, then process them in an early version of Soundforge, then burnt them back onto cd and resampled them back into the XL. It seems longwinded now, but I'm glad I put the hours in back then.

Most of the time, yes I do all my mixes within the sampler. It ends up being a two-track stereo track anyway on the final mix so why waste time.

The only time I look for assistance from a DAW is for when samples sound too low and normalizing them sounds too digital at times, so I toss them into the DAW to boost them via faders and EQ.

Coz wrote:

psr wrote:Gotta love the MPC-Forums Big Dawgs and all of their infinite judgement
Been using logic for years bro pre mac only logic (emagic thru to 9)... who says thats all i use it for? i'm simply saying as a point of relevance to this particular thread that thats my work flow at the moment. if needed i track individual tracks but that doesnt mean I have to. be easy.

Just replying to what you wrote bro.

For all I know your results might be stellar, but in general, mixing a vocal 'into' a 2 track beat is the least flexible way of doing it.

Word. Respect Coz. it works. not always but thats when i track out

I'm glad I revisited this approach of mixing inside the MPC. I decided to do some comparisons today on a beat I made that I had previously tracked out track by track into Reaper. The beat in it's entirety resides inside the MPC so I was able to experiment by remixing it entirely in the MPC. The only fx in the beat were with the kick drum, clap, and hats. Which all had a form of compression on them via Crunchessor. I think one had a little eq with IIEQ Pro, but I left that out. Before I started re-mixing the beat inside the MPC I took each drum sample from the beat and plopped them into Reaper and gave them the same compression they had previously, then rendered them, and through them back onto the MPC, so now the drums had the original compression they had when they were tracked out individually on the original mixdown. Then I got to work. I mixed, panned, and adjusted volume levels until I thought I had a good sound. Then I tracked it all at once to one stereo track.
Results? I was astonished. I felt the beat had a more lively, strong vibe to it. It sort of seemed like it had some extra malty cohesion for lack of a better description. I do not know if this is just placebo effect going on or what. At any rate, I am actually very pleased with how it ended up sounding. If I can go about mixing all of my beats in this fashion, I will be very happy. If it's one thing I hate doing it's tracking out every single track individually. I know some don't mind this task in the least bit, but to me it was becoming a real annoyance.
I think I may have gotten so caught up in the mind set of thinking that you have to track every instrument out for it to be pro over, and over again I just excepted it. Today is the day I get back to making raw meat music, and not worrying so much about whether or not I am getting the most absolute most perfect mix ever. I just want to make some music that's good enough for me and my folks to enjoy.

P.S. One more thing I forgot to mention is that by doing it this way I can totally throw syncing out the window. I never had a problem with syncing or anything, but just one more step I do not need to worry about is always nice! I am really excited about how I'm going to go about making my music. I have to go light some firecrackers now.

Happy early 4th Of July everyone!

Cicatrix wrote: Today is the day I get back to making raw meat music, and not worrying so much about whether or not I am getting the most absolute most perfect mix ever.

Sometimes the imperfections, and rawness of a sound or beat is what makes it great.