MPC 5000 questions before buying

I'm a sound designer by trade and know exactly what can be done with a single cycle sampled waveforms. However, like PSR says, subtractive synthesis is a very different and a lot more powerful synthesis method.

slicer wrote:I'm a sound designer by trade and know exactly what can be done with a single cycle sampled waveforms. However, like PSR says, subtractive synthesis is a very different and a lot more powerful synthesis method.

so how do you know the oscillator in the 5k isn't a sample?
or what if it is a single cycle sample for each pitch?
i'm not insinuating it is, this is an honest question i'd like to see explored.

or, what makes the synth different from a single cycle waveform if all the sound shaping tools are the same?

does the synth offer some sort of parameter that the sample engine in jj does not?

tapedeck wrote:

slicer wrote:I'm a sound designer by trade and know exactly what can be done with a single cycle sampled waveforms. However, like PSR says, subtractive synthesis is a very different and a lot more powerful synthesis method.

so how do you know the oscillator in the 5k isn't a sample?
or what if it is a single cycle sample for each pitch?
i'm not insinuating it is, this is an honest question i'd like to see explored.

or, what makes the synth different from a single cycle waveform if all the sound shaping tools are the same?

does the synth offer some sort of parameter that the sample engine in jj does not?

not familiar with jjos but
per the 5000 manual

New to the MPC5000 are virtual analog, or 'Synth' programs. These differ from sample programs in that rather than using pre recorded sounds, the sound is created by a method called 'subtractive synthesis'. From smooth, whistling leads, to huge, booming basses, to lush, spacious pads, this method of creating sound can be used to create a vast array of sounds.

slightly derailing here, but maybe a better question is what parameters does the 5k synth offer that it does not also offer on sample programs (like a pitched, keymapped sample program)?

i'm sure waveform type (sqr, saw, tri maybe?), maybe pwm?

Keygroup and sample pgm have most if not all the same params.

5k Synth offers
Sine, SawTri, Pulse, White Pink Red noise & PWM
adjust OSc in semitones, cross modulation, typical filter & adsr
there is a VCO page for "indepth controls of the osc" with all the typical controls
VCF page for "in-depth filter controls" with all the typical controls
VCA page for editing output volume and amp env

LFO section which is pretty much the same as sample lfo params

master edit sections with voice mode (mono/poly) trans, legato, glide, randome range, pitch bend and the typical stuff (someone pointed out that it doesnt have a master tune)

thanks for the info psr.

tapedeck wrote:thanks for the info psr.

no problem

the synth sounds good but i don't know why they've placed only 1 filter shared with 3 oscillators.. in my opinion it's a limitation anyway i love the 5K

yea true as I said its not the most full featured synth but its certainly not bad. and yes thats a limitation. What I think is cool is I run into a lot of cats that rock mpc's that dont have subtractive synth knowledge and the MPC 5000 coming with a subtractive synth (however limited) could be a really good place to begin to learn. if nothin else its convenient. but yea would be really cool if they added a master tune and a filter per osc.

The 5000 does have timing issues when layering.....

both the 1000(jjos) and 5000 have drifting when layering. you can overcome this by resampling. But more so with the 5000.. The drifting gets worse on both machines depending on how much is going on... (especially when the fx busses are being used) and the sample ram is almost maxed.... I maxed the 1000 and sequences where drifting all over the place.. it started to freak...

I'm not really sure what to reccomend slicer, but i think your selling it to your self to get the 5000...

dazastah wrote:both the 1000(jjos) and 5000 have drifting when layering. you can overcome this by resampling. But more so with the 5000.. The drifting gets worse on both machines depending on how much is going on... (especially when the fx busses are being used) and the sample ram is almost maxed.... I maxed the 1000 and sequences where drifting all over the place.. it started to freak...

I'm not really sure what to reccomend slicer, but i think your selling it to your self to get the 5000...

You sure you werent running out of polyphony ?

As for drifting and timing I have to say I have not experienced this. I know not why. My experience has been very different from others who use this machine. Some may say "you've not used it extensively or pushed it to it's limits" I'd say to that we all use it differently and I think I've pushed its limits. but I just have not seen these things. As I said before I've experienced things on the 5000 that I thought were issues only to find out that I may not have been using certain features correctly. other times there may be a bug but I work around it. I've not had anything stop me from making beats on it rather effortlessly. I sample, I play I incorporate iOS synths, softsynths, hardware synths, (all of which are simultaneously connected via midi) keygroups, hdd streaming, layering on and on. I know it cant hold more than something like 150 synth programs because I have purposefully loaded to the limited to test. I've only have to reset to factory once just a few months ago. I dont recall why but I've owned this 5000 for years now. never had drifting or timing issues.

konc3pt wrote:You sure you werent running out of polyphony ?

I think it mite of been a combination... too many triggered samples plus maxed out ram..plus all fxs used..

ive run out of poly before but the seq was not drifting really bad.. It was still tite.. This is because i was only making one beat instead of packing it with many programs for a set..



psr... The drifting i'm mainly talking about with the 5000 and 1000 is not a sequence drift, rather a layer drift.. you can notice it with kick drums and snare drums(more than one on each pad) Basically the phase of the drum either sings together or they start to phase cancel... I dont run a sequence to hear this.. I just hit the pad live and can hear the changes.. ITs a flaw that forces you to actually save your polyphony. As you are forced to resample it. I play it a couple of times and pick the phattest one.. DJYEAH!!!

@PSR. The sequence is tight, but It would be very weird if yours didn't drift when layering.