MPC2500 VS MPC3000

hey dudes, im sure the comparison has been made but i honestly stopped looking after 7 pages + my questions regarding the circumstance im in may be of its own nature

so basically,

i have been killing it on my 500 for about 3 or 4 years now. i feel that its time for something bigger and better.. i was fukkin around with my homies 5000 for a little bit and honestly hated it. bug central. maybe it needed updates but im not sure.
I also messed around with my other homies 2500 and it seemd a lot more comfortable and what im looking for. however! ..
ive been doing a lot of reading on the 3000/60, and i love what ive learned about them both, the 3000 would be my preferable choice to the 60. anyways

the thing is, i use the usb and cf card very much on the 500. all of my drums are saved as wav files on the cf card, and regarding usb, i get my beats TO my computer by recording the beat 'main', saving it, and usb'ing it back onto my computer as a wav file.

the main questions i have is, to get the beats onto my mac on a 3000, is the only way to do so by recording output through an interface?
i know the 2500 would be able to do it like my mpc500 via recording 'main', and usb'ing the saved beat as a wav file back onto my computer, BUT i would rather have the sound of the 3000 because i get the feeling it has a thicker, warmer sound overall.

what do you guys think?? it seems like i would be able to get to the beats faster on the 2500 as i wouldnt have to purchase an mbox/protools etc that i think i would need for the 3000.

peace!

Budget for a 3000 and get a cheap 1000 with JJOS2XL.

I'm more than half serious though. It sounds like you did the research already. I can't add a lot to it because you outlined precisely what the comparison is. One is modern, has way more features and is easier to get your sounds in and out, aside from sampling directly in the machines which is obviously the same.

The 60/3000/5000 are the 3 MPC's I don't have. I've always wanted to get a 3000 but mainly for the sound and the classic yet basic MPC control layout and OS's. But as you said there's a huge gap in so far as if you can bounce tracks internally, load to it and so on. You can mod a 3000 with a CF card reader which would be a big plus. Floppy or zip is tough at times, floppies are so small and zips aren't reliable overall and always die eventually.

I guess it comes down to how much the modern conveniences are going to relate to your personal workflow. But in most people's opinions if you leave the crunchier 3000 sound out of the decision, see a 2500 with JJOS2XL as a really good option. The 1000 with JJ is basically the same functionality as a 2500. 2500 wins for some due to tilt screen LCD full pads and a bigger surface. But I mention the 1000 w/JJ as it's the same power but cheaper.

It's is not uncommon to end up with 2 or 3 of these things as you probably already know.

hahaha would if i could man.

anyone want to comment on the renaissance's "mpc 60/3000" settings?

i mean, as i said, i would want both the 2500 and 3000 for pretty specific reasons.

and if i had to choose one,..this is the dilema.

do you think the renaissance's functionality to convert to the mpc60, or the 3000 settings is actually as good as it sounds? i hate the idea of having to incorporate my computer into the mix, but if i can work the way i was with the 500 on the renaissance, with the sound of a 3000/60 that would be pretty fukkn amazing.

anyone care to comment on this?

you sound pretty reliant on usb.. so you probably should get the 2500... there is no point in getting a 3000 and loading sounds from a computer with a memory card... if you get a 3000 you want to sample into the machine with the record inputs to get the full sound of the AD converters... and record out to the computer (or mpc500) as well.. but sampling into the machine is the most important part.

Also, get an EQ... or a free EQ pluggin for the pc and audacity. that will add the warmth you need.

yeah i agree man. thanks debauch.

what do you mean about getting the EQ? there is a pretty decent eq setting on the 500 itself but it still isnt good enough at all at the end of the day.

LarryB wrote:yeah i agree man. thanks debauch.

what do you mean about getting the EQ? there is a pretty decent eq setting on the 500 itself but it still isnt good enough at all at the end of the day.

well if you type in free vst pluggins on google.. maybe you can find some EQ vst pluggins for your computer for free... you can use those to amp up some of the frequencies and cut out others.. you know... for before you sample or load it into the mpc. My point is, there are millions of free vst pluggins to give your samples a great sound and will probably be better quality than the ones in the mpc. The reason I suggested it is because you were thinking about the 3000 for the good sound... where as an eq will do more for your sound than sampling it into a 3000... get some compressor pluggins and all sorts of stuff to shape the sound and make it sound good... forget about "that 3000 sound"

^I have to agree. I use lots of free VST's even having ones that cost $500 for just one. Even if I had a 3000 here I would still be using the 2500 or 4000 90% of the time and shaping sounds either before they hit the machine or on the way out with VST's. If I ever do get a 3000 it's more for the nostalgia and like my ASR just break it out to treat a bunch of samples for the sound, re-sample and go back to more modern gear for the time savings and ease of use.

Debauch is right you can get close to that sound and never actually own the machine or even need Maschine or the Ren's emulations. The 3000's sound is rooting in aspects of frequencies and what happens to them when sampling into and outputting out of the unit. I'm sure Debauch mentioned EQ first for that reason.

Metatron72 wrote:I'm sure Debauch mentioned EQ first for that reason.

exactly... also, try and aim for that larry b sound.. not some mystical thing the 3000 does.. I mean the machine is cool and all, but not as just a sound effect unit.

really appreciate it fellas. honestly.

the main problem im having is, not having enough bass and overall thickness in the 'finished' beat, because the 500 seems to not be able to handle it without it distorting, and if its not distorted, the beats going to have be quiet as shit. you know what i mean?

do you think i can run the beat through some of these vst's after its done in my mpc?

LarryB wrote:really appreciate it fellas. honestly.

the main problem im having is, not having enough bass and overall thickness in the 'finished' beat, because the 500 seems to not be able to handle it without it distorting, and if its not distorted, the beats going to have be quiet as shit. you know what i mean?

do you think i can run the beat through some of these vst's after its done in my mpc?

for sure... you know what might be a good idea though? EQ the bass like you need it to be.. and lower the master volume of the 500 down to a lower level so it does not distort and record it to the computer like that... then you can raise it up on the PC in a music program with a limiter pluggin and you wont have the clipping because the limiter will cut it off... however if it is cutting too much off it might sound not great... I suggest you try it out a bit... VST pluggins can be used for what ever you want... just try it out to see if you get anything good.

dumb question, literally fugging around with a vst in audacity as we speak

thanks a lot for the input guys. i'm definetly going to be messing around for the next few hours with this.

im messing around with this one right now : http://www.vescofx.com/vfxFreeQueue

and so far its working weirdly well.

you guys rule.

i still want a bigger and badder mpc though. ftw.

btw, if you guys wanna check out a beat i did, i have a couple on youtube, but heres one of them! hope you guys dig. peace!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EDwKB1A_aY

yeah for sure.. but use what you got... right? might as well instead of waiting on that new gear.

oh definetly man ^!.. im always telling people that, that might sound ironic judging by the desire for a new mpc, but people always ask what programs and shit i use.. and im always like dude just a turntable a shitty mixer and my 500 haha. you just gotta know what sounds good. good samples, good drums etc.

the whole reason i brought all of this up is because i used to record into protools at my friends, and everything was so easily boosted in that program, it was amazing. so now ive lately just been recording onto the mpc itself and trying to get the best sound out of it using the eq and mastering effects in the actual mpc. and im always trying to get it as bassy and loud as i can mainly because i dont have protools to do that anymore.

i should just work on getting an mbox protools setup as it was honestly a dream to work with. but i dont know, its hard not to see mpcs like my friends 2500 and just wanting to own it even if i dont NEED need it. you know? haha.

well pro tools is a program that has tools... why dont you download reaper from their site.. I believe the "demo" is fully featured with no limitations or differences from the paid version and if you feel like buying it you can and nothing changes (they just get the money if you like the company)

Many people on here say reaper trumps pro tools... and you can use those pluggins you just downloaded today in it too...