Where is the place for the MPC on music production in 2015?

First, sorry for my English... it's not my first language.

So, I'm producing hip hop and r&b instrumentals for some months now, and the interest on getting my hands on a MPC is growing on me, the 4000 to be more specific. I have just my FL Studio, some VSTs and an Yamaha MX61 for now. I can achieve some good results with it (check my Soundcloud), but I think that mouse/keyboard/DAW workflow (even using the MX as a controller) ties my hands a little bit and is not "human" enough. I feel like I def can make some good tracks on FL, but will never get close to that BRILLIANT Just Blaze or Timbaland type of vibe, for example. I believe that the same results you get full hardware you're still able to get full software, but I also believe that the workflow is the most important part of achieving the sound you get, and the MPC maybe can give me the inspiration my mouse can't.

BUT, back to the question on the thread title, is the MPC 4000 (or the 2000XL) capable of achieving tracks that are appealing to the public even in 2015? I mean, let's compare Jay Z's The Blueprint (2001) with Watch the Throne (2012). Both albums are excellent, but they sound very different one from another since Hov and Kanye modernized their sound without losing quality. They were cohesive with the time each one was released. That said, I'm sure that the MPC is a great machine, but can I still use one today to create my beats, standalone, and not sound dated? And if you own a MPC 4000, can you show me some tracks you made with it?

Peace

haidenx wrote:BUT, back to the question on the thread title, is the MPC 4000 (or the 2000XL) capable of achieving tracks that are appealing to the public even in 2015?

The 4K has aged better than the XL because it has the far superior feature set, but it's completely subjective and depends on what you want to do with it? If you want simple chopping and manipulation of drums, go with the XL or 2500. If you need synth-like capabilities in terms of modulation and high polyphony go with the 4K.

The problem with any standalone MPC is that the effects are mostly shite, and you can't mix and master internally to a decent modern standard with them. Pretty much everything else about them is brilliant and will probably be a huge asset to your setup.

Coz wrote:The 4K has aged better than the XL because it has the far superior feature set, but it's completely subjective and depends on what you want to do with it? If you want simple chopping and manipulation of drums, go with the XL or 2500. If you need synth-like capabilities in terms of modulation and high polyphony go with the 4K.

The problem with any standalone MPC is that the effects are mostly ****, and you can't mix and master internally to a decent modern standard with them. Pretty much everything else about them is brilliant and will probably be a huge asset to your setup.

If I buy a 4000, my intention will be to make all my creation process there and, when I have the instrumentals all sequenced, THEN send it to the PC for mixing. And on creative process I include filtering and modulation too. (My bad, I meant standalone just for the composing process)

I would say yes, there is a place for it in modern production, but it might be a slightly more limited one depending on what EXACTLY you're trying to achieve.

With a 2K / 4K you can most certainly get a modern sound (it ain't the instrument baby). At the end of the day these machines are just sequencers with built-in samplers, which makes them flexible in any music-making capacity. But there are much much easier ways to go about making modern-sounding music.

I mean, depending on what style of music exactly you're trying to make, you'll undoubtedly need some sort of sound module or maybe a rack sampler to cover some bases. Otherwise the MPCs are just too limited, given that their internal samplers aren't exactly fully-functioning.

The bottom line for me is, yes there is a place, but it's limited & there are MUCH better ways to make music in the modern sense.