this is how to get the SP1200 sound on an MPC

hey - i recently posted this on the mpc1k forum but realized it's more of a production technique post...sorry for the double post but i have gotten a lot of people interested in this and feel that it's my civic duty as a producer to spread the idea around a little more.

here is my mpc-sp1200 trick. some of you may already know it but here goes.

--> you can recognize it a mile off - the high end, sweet and sexy little distortion on basses, mids, drums - everything. the "SP sparkle" is one of the greatest sounding elements in the sampler world - which is funny, because it's actually a lower quality, bastardized version of the pure sound wave...but it's so SWEET.

for years i didn't know where it came from. i studied all the greats, listened to the sparkle and heard it again and again, from a variety of places. i used to be a computer producer (acid pro, then reason) and i went through several hundred DX plugin chains to try and find it.

then i bought my mpc1k, hoping that maybe there was a filter or something. no luck, but no problem anyway- i just constructed my **** around it.

then one fine afternoon it hit me. i accidently clicked the wrong dx plugin in acid while freaking a sample for my mpc by mistake and all the sudden the SP1200 sound was there.

this plugin is called the Hyperprism Sonic Decimator. you can control how sparkly you want it - from the point where the distortion overcomes the sound or to the other extreme, where it's just icing on a beat cake. i downloaded this program as an H20 try before you buy bootleg, and i plan to buy the next update.

for all of you who like the sound and taste of the sp1200 but want a bigger sample time, this is for you. you have 2 options - you can apply it to your samples in acid or cubase before you export them to your mpc, or you can put the effect on when you track out to mix in cubase/acid/whatever.

it makes basslines ring so nice!!! and the drums...oh the drums...

i'll put a screenshot of the sonic decimator up later. meanwhile, anyone got any questions or comments?

here's the screenshot:

yeah, that's cool stuff to fool with.

But there is nothing pure about digital, you never get a pure sound wave from digital, and it's hard and expensie to do so in analog.

when i say the pure sound wave i mean the sample before you tamper with it - straight off the vinyl, cd or mp3.

Truth B Told .....................................

And 2 Many this Will B Deemed As HERICY...........................


VINYL Sample + HYPERPRISM DECIMATOR = a Similar SP1200 Quality......

I Already Knew this But NEVER Would Have Said it.....................


and tho' U Could Use Mp3 or Wave/CDA..........................


Record Some VINYL U Will Get VERY....VERY......CLOSE................


Sonic Decimator (TM)


The Sonic Decimator allows you to reduce the apparent sample rate or bit-depth of your sound file. This is an excellent way to re-create the sound of the first generation of digital sampling devices. At moderate settings, it can create a "low-fi" effect, as though the sound was being processed by a low-budget sampler. At extreme settings, large amounts of hiss and distortion, as well as intense aliasing effects are added to the sound.



4 REAL

the same can be done in native instruments battery no? It also has a bit depth adjustment.

the decimator deals a little more than jsut changing the bit depth - it adds some real specific distortion you can't really get any other way. technically you could resample in sound forge and redefine the bit depth, but the S.D. does something sweet.

the second there's an update i'm pickin it up

Excuse my ignorance but can't you kind of get a grimey sound out of the sp-303 ?Not comparin' it to the 1200 but sort of similar?

If that sounds dumb just ignore me.I don't know much about gear like alot of you.I really only know what i have.Which is fine by me.

i honestly don't know. i've never touched an sp1200 or 300. i didn't plan on shelling out loot to do so either. i wanted the cake without paying for it.

eventually i'lll come across some of these. meanwhile i am the master of the workaround.

303 has it's own grime, it's different, but still nice and dirty.

the sonic decimator is cool but you didnt really tell us how to emulate the sp-1200 sound-

its like saying for pro crashes and hats use waves renaissance compressor (which is true) but not giving any idea of settings...

cool stuff though- i also like the quadrafuzz- not a bit converter but a multiband distortion- awesome!
g
greg

Antonym,
sorry to say that will get grimey but no where near a SP.
Don't believe me get a real SP and you'll understand.

The best way to sum it up would be that the plug-ins or things like SP202/303 are masturbation, the 1200 is sex.

Closest you will get to the 1200 sound is a E2 or EmaxI, still not exactly the SP sound but they are the closest thing to it.
Pretty cheap to.

i respect your opinion ntalec but believe me, i've done my searching. this is without a doubt the closest software alternative you can get. give me a wav file of each and i wouldn't be able to tell the difference.

this is not a theory, this is a workaround which is currently making people say "damn, how did that broke ass producer buy a sp1200????"

i'd be willing to put up a sample of both something from an SP and the HSD, wav files for people to try and pick which is which. i guarantee you the numbers would be pretty even.

oh and dubmonkey - i'm not gonna post any settings for hyperprism because they tend to be different for every sample due to their own unique wave shape. just throw the decimator on and take the bit depth to 12, then start messing around with the other options. you'll find it real easy, i promise.

nah i didnt mean it like that- as ive said ive used it and like it...its just something i hear a lot from peeps with no backup and always call them- its all good....if i was into that 12bit sound id go for it...

greg

Antonym,
your point of it being the closest has no real aspect against my statement.
It may be the closest but at the same time it's not close
that is the point of my statement.
I don't care what you use be it Decimator, DiFi, Bitcrusher ..........., they can give you grimey, lo-fi drums but it will not sound be the sound of the SP-12/1200.
It can give you some nice lo-Fi very usable sounds but the SP, that's a whole different matter.
I'm curious as to how you could post the two when you said you have never touched a SP?
I guess my question is what are you using for your point of reference.

A better statement maybe would be to say that it's sound is reminisce of the SP-12/1200.