n00b ALERT! Zero Knowledge... Where to get started?

Hey guys. So I just saw an AraabMuzik video on Vimeo and was blown away. I did a little research and stumbled upon the MPC500 which looked oddly familiar. Turns out my brother has had one sitting on his desk unused for months. So I grabbed it and I don't know where to begin. I'm currently on a MBP btw. Questions...

What kind of software do I need?
What kind of hardware do I need? (cords, memory cards etc.)
Will I be able to start making beats quickly or is there a big learning curve?
Please tell me everything you wish you knew when you started your MPC "journeys"

Thanks, any and all help is greatly appreciated

-Amo

RTFM.

mr_debauch wrote:RTFM.

I've already downloaded it and I've started reading...

Yeah step 1 is knowing what the piece of gear does, can potentially do, and what it's limitations are. Then the next step is figuring out how you can use it for what you are doing. After that things like quick workflow and such come with experience on the machine.


Another thing you should think about is learning the mpc lingo and basics relating to different types of cables etc.

amopow wrote:Please tell me everything you wish you knew when you started your MPC "journeys"

I wish I knew that MPC's can ruin your sex life...

clint246clint wrote:

amopow wrote:Please tell me everything you wish you knew when you started your MPC "journeys"

I wish I knew that MPC's can ruin your sex life...

Clint, would you say it's exponentially worse if you have multiple MPC's?

To the OP, I lurked here for 2 years before I even had an MPC, the amount of resources here are ridiculous. It takes a lot of searching and bookmarking, but just treat it like a library. The tutorial books sold on this site are well worth it to.

amopow wrote:Hey guys. So I just saw an AraabMuzik video on Vimeo and was blown away. I did a little research and stumbled upon the MPC500 which looked oddly familiar. Turns out my brother has had one sitting on his desk unused for months. So I grabbed it and I don't know where to begin. I'm currently on a MBP btw. Questions...

What kind of software do I need?
What kind of hardware do I need? (cords, memory cards etc.)
Will I be able to start making beats quickly or is there a big learning curve?
Please tell me everything you wish you knew when you started your MPC "journeys"

Thanks, any and all help is greatly appreciated

-Amo

I wish I had known that there were two books that would really get me going. One you already have - the manual. And the second is for sale on this site! So buy it and dig in to that MPC.

Metatron72 wrote:Clint, would you say it's exponentially worse if you have multiple MPC's?

Hell yeah.

If she see's me working on the pads, that her answer right there...

To the OP: Get some decent headphones and a source you can sample from, that's all you need to learn about the MPC at first.

download the manual from akaipro.com

step one- how do you make a program
step two- how do you record a sequence
step three- how do you edit a sequence (its length, dudd events how do you erase them or move them)

download some samples from audioz.info

create a sample library with the free software audacity. load them to the 500 with a usb cable. you want a nice mix of drums guitars bass synths, fx etc. You don't really want loops you want short stabs and sections you can play with the 12 pads.

btw there are no limitations with the 500, sky is the limit.

buy some monitors for like 60$

software-wise, personally I would recommend some sort of entry level pro tools solution. Sound quality wise this is my recoomendation or you could be budget and download reaper.fm and asio4all.com

goo luck bruv

also make sure there's a nice amount of reverb and delay in your music... safe

haltwelve wrote:download the manual from akaipro.com

step one- how do you make a program
step two- how do you record a sequence
step three- how do you edit a sequence (its length, dudd events how do you erase them or move them)

download some samples from audioz.info

create a sample library with the free software audacity. load them to the 500 with a usb cable. you want a nice mix of drums guitars bass synths, fx etc. You don't really want loops you want short stabs and sections you can play with the 12 pads.

... or.... you could try sampling with it.... which is the reason it's called a sampler in the first place. You wont even need audacity to chop anything if you sample right into it... though it will help for recording your beats onto the computer.

mr_debauch wrote:

haltwelve wrote:download the manual from akaipro.com

step one- how do you make a program
step two- how do you record a sequence
step three- how do you edit a sequence (its length, dudd events how do you erase them or move them)

download some samples from audioz.info

create a sample library with the free software audacity. load them to the 500 with a usb cable. you want a nice mix of drums guitars bass synths, fx etc. You don't really want loops you want short stabs and sections you can play with the 12 pads.

... or.... you could try sampling with it.... which is the reason it's called a sampler in the first place. You wont even need audacity to chop anything if you sample right into it... though it will help for recording your beats onto the computer.

Now there is the best idea yet!!! I have to remind myself that the five samplers I have are "samplers".

... or.... you could try sampling with it.... which is the reason it's called a sampler in the first place. You wont even need audacity to chop anything if you sample right into it... though it will help for recording your beats onto the computer.[/quote]

Now there is the best idea yet!!! I have to remind myself that the five samplers I have are "samplers".[/quote]

it was a suggestion, like an idea, like an original idea I came up with , I was trying to help by giving an alternative perspective, I do agree with you though if you want to make the best music you possibly can with a 500 you should be sampling but that still mean you should build a sample library imho audacity can help with that.

It isn't all about breaks guy, when it comes to drums strings SYNTHS sometimes you want to be putting more effort into things

but it is mostly

WAY TO FLAME GUYS!

What are forums peoples problems. Just wanna flame I swear you're just scum, sarcasm of the highest magnitude, snarky ****s

get butthurt much?


wipe the sand outta your vag