Sampling Question

I'm just getting into making my own samples. I'm not so interested in sampling from records, as I am in sampling live sounds. Like drums, or random percussive noises.

In this scenario, would one record directly into the MPC with a mic (or multiple mics)? Or does it make more sense to record into the DAW of your choice, get the mic balances if using multiple mics, and then sample from the computer into the MPC?

How would this be done in the days of the MPC 3000? if you wanted to record a live snare, with a few mics. I assume you'd record them in to Pro Tools, but then how do you get them onto the MPC?

In all case the 3k doesn't have a mic input so you need a mic preamp between the mic and the 3k if you want to record straight into the MPC. If you record first in a DAW i suggest to sample it back to the MPC via SPDIF.

deepah84 wrote:In all case the 3k doesn't have a mic input so you need a mic preamp between the mic and the 3k if you want to record straight into the MPC. If you record first in a DAW i suggest to sample it back to the MPC via SPDIF.

Out of curiosity, why SPDIF as opposed to the analog inputs?

dtirer wrote:

deepah84 wrote:In all case the 3k doesn't have a mic input so you need a mic preamp between the mic and the 3k if you want to record straight into the MPC. If you record first in a DAW i suggest to sample it back to the MPC via SPDIF.

Out of curiosity, why SPDIF as opposed to the analog inputs?

Without opening again the debate of analog vs digital and even less talk about the mystic of the 3k's a/d converters that some believe in i would just say that to preserve the entire integrity of a digital signal when transferring it between two digital machine, i personally prefer to stay in the digital path.

I would argue that if you've spent all that money on an MPC3000, sample directly into it or at least transfer DAW samples into it using the analog inputs. The MPC3000 sound is largely a product of it's A/D - D/A conversion process. But maybe you didn't buy it to use as a sampler, so it's your decision. deepah84 takes the opposite view from myself with a valid reason, but there's no right or wrong way to go.

Just as an additional point (and I'd agree with the other lads that mic - > preamp works as good as anything else) if you have recorded them in pro tools already, or would prefer to do that - then there is software to turn the wav/mp3 files (I don't know PT that well) into the .SND format that the mpc 3000 uses.
Awave studio is an excellent bit of software if you choose to go this route. You import your wav files and it can even generate a program that allocates sounds to pads.
A life saver if you have an ASR-10/mpc 3000.
zip

thanks for all the info. Unfortunately, my Duet doesn't have S/PDIF so i'd have trouble sampling in digital anyhow from he computer.

I'll try the software as I am curious to see how that would say. But up until now, I've just been recording into pro tools and then sending out the the D/A into the MPCs analog inputs

because of specifically mics (especially if you are using several mics on a source) I'd personally record to DAW, then you can line those recordings up by eye not sound. I think with the type of recording you are doing you need to be more precise than regular MPC3000 by ear editing.

you can then have max control of all parts of the recording as source samples, which you can then EQ and process in different ways for different projects - if you are recording 1 drum sound with several mics straight into 1 input on the MPC you've just have all the mics summed to 1 sound, not so flexible.

then, convert to SND format, and transfer to MPC via Zip/CF - I personally don't like sampling from DAW straight to MPC, not sure why, personal thing. I'm strictly wax to MPC, all other sounds loaded via CF.

I've wondered too - when they built the 60 did they think people would mic up drums to it? does it mention anything in the 60 manual like that, or are they just pushing Akai sample libraries in the manual??

SEED78 wrote:
I've wondered too - when they built the 60 did they think people would mic up drums to it? does it mention anything in the 60 manual like that, or are they just pushing Akai sample libraries in the manual??

I dont know... but it has the feature that automatically starts the recording when sound meets the threshold point... so they certainly had the idea that you may not be next to the record button when trying to sample....

Most samplers created before the MPC (the later fairlightss, casio sampler etc...) were all about mic'ing and recording sounds so I surmise its the same for the 60. Considering it was just supposed to be accompaniment, I'm not surprised they don't have a ton of features directed at getting the highest quality/dynamic recording etc...

For the early mpc60 workflow, I imagined a guitarist buying a few library disks and sometimes bringing the 60 to his band practice and grabbing one shots from his drummer with 1 or 2 mics through a preamp/mixer.

I think if your hoping to get lossless quality drums through 1 or 2 mics directly into a 3000, you'll be dissapointed. But I've always had a romantic view of that retro workflow, and I think you could definitely yeild some cool results. Just be open to what you get, and how to use it. It's definitely something I've been wanting to try with my 2000 for a while. I'd be interested to see your results.

thanks for the info. Im not necessarily looking for anything too precise. I was just more curious how people had been using this piece of equipment for the peast 2--some years. Right now, I've just been doing recordings into a DAW with random mics, and then sending them out into the MPC analog ins. I'm not looking for pristine stuff. I'm mostly looking for weird roomy drums sounds and stuff that doesn't quite sound like drums (car doors slamming, stomping, etc).

Right now, I don't plan on sampling from vinyl much at all, but perhaps it'll be something I get into down the line

dtirer wrote:I'm mostly looking for weird roomy drums sounds and stuff that doesn't quite sound like drums (car doors slamming, stomping, etc).

that''s my thing right there... I have a few different zoom models (portable digital recorders that come with built in condenser mics) ... I go all over with those. I go to the scrap yard and slam truck doors... hoods.. I smash windows (usually windshields are already smashed.. but still intact enough to smash again) ... I record any type of sound like that...

I also sample vinyl... but most of my songs have recordings I took mixed and layered into the project.

So yeah... record what ever... fix it up in a daw if it needs it... then record that from there into the mpc to work with the sound even more.

mr_debauch wrote:that''s my thing right there... I have a few different zoom models (portable digital recorders that come with built in condenser mics) ... I go all over with those. I go to the scrap yard and slam truck doors... hoods.. I smash windows (usually windshields are already smashed.. but still intact enough to smash again) ... I record any type of sound like that....

Im having peter Gabriel x Fairlight flashbacks right now...

m56p87 wrote:
Im having peter Gabriel x Fairlight flashbacks right now...

Maybe, haha... I cant recall any specific songs by them though... one guy who is famous (therefore you might have heard it) who did a lot of field recording (though, later than we were doing it...) is amon tobin. He did an album called foley room... it's worth checking out... he has some great recording ideas that he used to create the sound for that album.