Do I Get An MPC or Not???

ByKingOfSwing Wed Oct 01, 2003 3:28 am

Hi There...

My current setup consists of:

G4 Power Mac (Dual 1.25ghz & Audiophile 2496 Card)
Logic Audio Platinum 6.1
Exs 24 Sampler
EVP 88 Rhodes Soft Synth
Stylus Drums
Recycle 2
Fruityloops

Hardware:

Korg Triton Rack
Proteus 1000
Roland Midi Keyboard
Alesis RA 300 Amp
Alesis Mon 1's Mk2 speakers.
Yamaha DD-11 Drum Pad Machine

Here we go...

ime into Hip Hop and RnB...

been trying to programme beats with that nice smooth swing feel (and i aint no king of swing...but like to think i am...lol).

my fav producers:

Neptunes
Dre
Timbaland.

I use Logic with Exs to do my drums (using the MPC 2000XL Groove Templates found in Yahoo's members files). the logic swing sucks.

i.e. 56% MPC template swing is shifts a note slighty more foward than logics own 56% swing. i can see this difference clearly on screen.

Anyways...i use varying Swing percentages from the MPC Template (which has from 50% to 70% but in Even numbers though like 50, 52, 54...there are no odd percentages)

i apply for example 56% on some kicks and 54% on Snares (basically to shift notes forward to give a feel to the drums). Its Swings well, but its not as tight as the commercial tracks. Why???

But then i also dont know if the Groove templates have accurate recorded Swings. (some user has recorded them and submitted them) Afterall they are Grooves Templates of the MPC 2000XL and not the MPC itself.

My question is am i better off looking into the mpc route like the new mpc 1000, for doing my drum parts or not.

these templates give me doubts, like i could be missing that mpc touch...

i just want things to groove like 50 Cents 21 Questions track, Like Snoops Beautiful, etc.

i like things that have a kick and then a snare (slightly delayed), and a quick double kick (both being close together) and then a snare again.

ime confused...

I just want that tight punchy swingy beat...but dont know how to.

please can some of you users of mpcs and perhaps logic as well...give some advice.

KingOfSwing

Posts:

Joined:

By JusDaFied Wed Oct 01, 2003 6:48 am

Anything the MPC can do, all that other equipment can do. But there is the X-Factor that people that program and love the MPC know about. You kind of just have to have one to understand it. For all the years I've been making music, lots of gear has come and gone, but the only peice that will always remain is my MPC. I've gots to have it.

JusDaFied

Posts: 229

Joined: Mon Mar 24th, 2003

By max Wed Oct 01, 2003 11:45 am

[quote="JusDaFied"]Anything the MPC can do, all that other equipment can do.
That's right. So I'd say: buy an MPC and throw away most of your equipment!
The question is, how do you like to work. If you're already familiar and at ease with your equipment, you don't really need an MPC.
Maybe you could use an MPC 60 or an SP 1200 to get its special lofi sound, but regarding programming, yo don't "need" it.
peace

max

Posts: 363

Joined: Thu Sep 18th, 2003

Location: lausanne–zurich–paris–london