Does the MPC X SE sound just as good as the Black Lion mod?

Peace, I'm seriously considering sending my O.G. MPC X to Black Lion for modification, but I was told that the MPC X SE sounds just as good. Is there any truth to this? Thanks in advance...

pretty sure the se sounds like the x sounds like the live sounds like the one

What is the point? You're working in digital anyways. Changing the sound of the output and input stages of the device wont change your renders.

All MPC Live/X/SE/Key/One should have the exact same converters. What the X/X SE have on top of that are pre-amps AFAIK. In fact MPC Software on PC through MPC converters sound exactly the same as standalone. I tested the MPC with various high-end and low-end audio interfaces: the difference is marginal.

The "black lion mod" is pure snake oil, but whoever sells it knows what makes his audience tick...

Ultros wrote:What is the point? You're working in digital anyways. Changing the sound of the output and input stages of the device wont change your renders.

That's quite a significant assumption, especially when you're nowhere near me to witness my sampling, beat-making, tracking, and mixing processes...

mpc_fan_2022 wrote:All MPC Live/X/SE/Key/One should have the exact same converters. What the X/X SE have on top of that are pre-amps AFAIK. In fact MPC Software on PC through MPC converters sound exactly the same as standalone. I tested the MPC with various high-end and low-end audio interfaces: the difference is marginal.

The "black lion mod" is pure snake oil, but whoever sells it knows what makes his audience tick...

Thank you for your sincere reply, I just watched Quckstrike's video twice, first with my Event Tuned Referenced 8 Monitors and then with my Beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro headphones. You can hear and feel a clear difference between his Black Lion modification and his other interfaces, and the Black Lion alongside the Apogee stood out the most so I'm curious as to why you call it snake oil.

personally I think assessing audio fidelity via youtube is not optimum for a purchase like that.

BKLYN wrote:That's quite a significant assumption, especially when you're nowhere near me to witness my sampling, beat-making, tracking, and mixing processes...

you clearly dont really understand the technology. its designed to give off a flat response for a reason. your beat making, tracking and mixing processes mean dick if you cant eq your shit properly... **** "how it sounds" freq sweep it with a sine wave and decible meter.

wouldn't it be a better idea to get a class compliant interface in that league? that way if the MPC dies, or if you get other models in the future... or if you want to use it on other gear, you can.

Ultros wrote:

BKLYN wrote:That's quite a significant assumption, especially when you're nowhere near me to witness my sampling, beat-making, tracking, and mixing processes...

you clearly dont really understand the technology. its designed to give off a flat response for a reason. your beat making, tracking and mixing processes mean dick if you cant eq your shit properly... **** "how it sounds" freq sweep it with a sine wave and decible meter.

Once again, you are making assumptions. Maybe you should leave your ego out of this and exit the discussion altogether since you lack basic human decency and manners...

mr_debauch wrote:wouldn't it be a better idea to get a class compliant interface in that league? that way if the MPC dies, or if you get other models in the future... or if you want to use it on other gear, you can.

Thank you for your positive reply.

I'm tracking to open reel tape utilizing the Neve 8048 console and various outboard gear and transferring from tape to digital using the studio's Burl B80 Mothership interfaces.

I'm just looking for that extra oomph from my MPC X, so if the Black Lion or the MPC X SE can provide that, then it will be worth the coin.

It's my personal mission to do right by my artists so that their supporters can have the highest-quality musical experience possible...

BKLYN wrote:I'm just looking for that extra oomph from my MPC X, so if the Black Lion or the MPC X SE can provide that, then it will be worth the coin.

It's my personal mission to do right by my artists so that their supporters can have the highest-quality musical experience possible...

Just to play devils advocate, these are the type of questions I would ask myself:

Did your artists supporters complain about the current quality lacking oomph?

If you did make the upgrade & does "improve" the sound, would it make a noticeable difference that's worthy of the price?

What else could you invest in that would w/o a doubt make a worthy difference?

i get the extra oomph, and the whole discussion on quality.. the X sounds fine as is... that is not what we are talking about here.. we are talking about the results you would get going a step higher in quality..

what i am saying is.. from what I understand plugging in my audient, or i have also tried focusrite USB interfaces on my OG live... you switch the I/O in the settings to the external audio and it gives you 32 in and 32 out (it is written there... have not plugged in anything with that many inputs or outputs myself) but wouldn't that allow you to track out even more channels than the stock 8 outs (or modded stock 8 outs) ??

Instead of 8 black lion outputs... couldn't you potentially have 32 black lion outputs? I personally would consider going that way myself... plus if you get the X-mkii when that drops you are still golden.

B-Wise wrote:

BKLYN wrote:I'm just looking for that extra oomph from my MPC X, so if the Black Lion or the MPC X SE can provide that, then it will be worth the coin.

It's my personal mission to do right by my artists so that their supporters can have the highest-quality musical experience possible...

Just to play devils advocate, these are the type of questions I would ask myself:

Did your artists supporters complain about the current quality lacking oomph?

If you did make the upgrade & does "improve" the sound, would it make a noticeable difference that's worthy of the price?

What else could you invest in that would w/o a doubt make a worthy difference?

According to my dude Brklyn he is putting his tracks through $20k+ of hardware when recording to tape...if he feels that the drop relative in the bucket of $795 to get the black lion Mod is worth it good on him.

It's never been confirmed but the Respected TONELAB on youtube did a test and he seems to believe the X-OG and the X Gold and X SE released after 2020 sound a little different.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1aHG4EF ... el=TONELAB

The X Black OG was made in 2017 and in 2020 is when the Gold X the live 2 and the One dropped. There is Discussion about Burr Brow converters?


I don't know..
I've heard some say the MPC 4000 original white version sounds better than the all Blue version....

Others have said the Roland MV8000 sounds better than the MV8800 because in 2006 europe forced manufactures' to have more efficient power supply's and banned certain metals in electronics that made roland change things on the motherboard?

True or False One can easily get lost in this comparison stuff and stop making music.

I wasn’t aware that the SE has any improvements in the audio department, surely it’s just the same as the mpc x but with more ram and different skin? Wouldn’t they be making a big deal out of this if that was the case? I don’t see any reference to audio improvements on the SE product page.

So any potential sonic differences may be down to mundane manufacturing changes, but likely completely subjective.

Don’t know about black lion stuff, I guess listen to the demos and if you think it sounds good, go for it, but I just don’t think the SE itself has anything over the x when it comes to sonics