newbie MPC questions~

hey guys

im seriously thinking of getting an MPC. after reading the manual, its still hard to determine how easy/hard it is to use.

a) is there a book/video like "MPC for dummies" to lay how exactly how to make tracks?

b) how easy do you guys find this machine?

c) can beats be done as a standalone, what else do i need?
i have a turntable and a PC for sampling...do i need software, midi stuff too?

thanks a lot for your help, the info would be dam helpful

ive had a mpc for about 3 weeks. it is definitley worth it. and this is coming form someone who knows barley any of the features... if your into music and you hungry enough to learn you can do whatever you want. one good thing is the people on the board arent dicks at all...so if you get it feel free to ask "stupid" questions, i do it all the time and veterans always reply with helpful advice.

oh nice!

how are you learning? by the manual, or just messing around? i love beats and djing, but im not the must tech savvy guy, so i have to learn all the terms...im wondering if the MPC will be too overwhelming, its a huge investment if i dont get the most out of it

if you decide on getting a MP based on the manual
i guess you can forget about buying one

the MP is one of those things you just gotta learn hands on style

between the MPC Tutor (working on a ebook on the MP),
this forum, your friends, and maybe even a little online
schooling http://www.samplekings.com

you'll be knocking out some beatz in no time

serious!

ok man, good advice
yes, definately agree with you, im not really one for manuals.

i know good music and have a good sense for beats. being a dj and all....but technically, i dont even know half the terms in the manual. thats why im asking.

but if you cats are saying it can be done, that helps me in my decision
thanks

oh mane, if you're a dj then you're gonna eat this machine up in no time....its definetly worth the investment and it will pay for itself in no time....thats the funny thing about it-its so deceptively easy to use yet once you start digging into it its gonna blow your mind all the thing s you can do.....its like you'll find mad workarounds in no time....I say, use the manual and this board as an occasional reference and just study up on the machine. you'll get it in no time...

Do it, do it, come on, do it, like prodijy said!!!

An MPC is all you need if you already have a turntable and some patience!

Personally, at the very beginning, I spent 2 days tryin to make a beat reading with the the manual on my lap. I was having nobody around to show me. Afterwards, I only had to check again a few times for specific problems, but globally, quickly, you come to know quite well all the functions you need for your style of producing. (The mpcs are actually quite basic machines.)
What takes a lot longer to get is the real feeling for music, overall if you haven't practiced any type of music before. For a while, it's so frustrating cause you know very well what you'd like to sound like, but just keep on sounding otherwise! Even puttin the right basse note on a sample can be a huge problem first. For that it's useful having people around able to point out in your (first) beats what's not workin.
peace

yo safe!

thanks for the first hand accouns, always helps.

thing is, the manual can be a bit daunting, i im curious as to how people actually learn to use this thing.

OK, swiching focus, what should i be looking for if im buying!?

i know 32mbs, but what about in terms of storage....is external zip/cd the way to go? what other cables do i need? (for pc hook up, turntables...)

thanks for helping out an ignnat bastard...

I'd say zip 250
Internal or external
Internal is better but I deal with an external one and it works perfectly.

Zip 100 is too short if you produce a lot. It depends on how you work. If you do quick beats and keep them all, you definitively need a 250. If you work on one song for months, 100 can be enough.

word. some peeps diss the efx card, but I find if I use it only for certain things (filter, flange mainly) and then do the rest of the efx on the tracks as I lay them down in my DAW its cool. Think on it, its a 2 reverb, 2 multi processor, for 150, a better one outboard will run you 200-300 dollars and that is a cheap one, so you get an ok one for 1/2 that and its integrated into the MPC, MAD CONVENIENT. the integration alone is worth it so you can mess with settings at least so when you move to the DAW you already got an idea of the efx u will wanna use.