Is there something so special about the MPC's sound quality?

Is there something about the sound quality of the MPC's Z96 sampling engine that's so great, that no VST software sampler can match it in terms of sound quality?

People prefer the mpc over software because of the feel and the fact that you use your hands and ears not your eyes.There are older samplers that have a lower bit rate that give a grimier sound but it just boils down to ease of use and feel i would say.So basicly,no.

stryke wrote:People prefer the mpc over software because of the feel and the fact that you use your hands and ears not your eyes.There are older samplers that have a lower bit rate that give a grimier sound but it just boils down to ease of use and feel i would say.So basicly,no.

Co-Sizzle..

But if I use the MPD-16 to control a software sampler, there's no real difference in sound quality or latency, right?

mpd has no sound in it so your sound quality is your sound card.

MPD is midi driven so it is subject to midi latency isn't it?

max_planck735 wrote:But if I use the MPD-16 to control a software sampler, there's no real difference in sound quality or latency, right?

That's right, there is no point to getting an mpc. I don't want other people to buy em anyway, less competition.

Lampdog wrote:mpd has no sound in it so your sound quality is your sound card.

Right. So how does the MPC stack up to say a Motu 828 sound card? I know that the MPC can work at 96 Khz Sample Rate, but the Motu 828 can only work at 48 Khz max sample rate.

However, if I "track" (i.e. record) the output of my MPC into Cubase through my Motu 828 sound card, then the max resolution of the final product is going to be 48 Khz anyway, right? If so, then the 96 Khz Sample Rate on the MPC is pretty much wasted, and it would sound the same if I had used 48 Khz samples on the MPC, right?

(Unless you dithered the sample rate down to 48 Khz inside the MPC. However, I don't think that even the MPC 4000 has dithering capability.)

Lampdog wrote:MPD is midi driven so it is subject to midi latency isn't it?

The MPC is MIDI driven as well. The MPC's pads are connected to the MPC's internal sequencer through MIDI. Also, the MPC's internal sequencer controls the MPC's internal sampler through MIDI.

sleepersriddle wrote:That's right, there is no point to getting an mpc. I don't want other people to buy em anyway, less competition.

Don't worry, I'm not making pop music. You may be able to use some production technique that someone else developed to make yourself some big bucks in the pop music industry. Therefore, it's in your interest for us people who don't make pop music to understand what we're doing, and to use that understanding to push back the limits of what's been done. Then you can use those techniques to make money, or gain status, or whatever you're seeking through your desire to compete with other people.

max_planck735 wrote:Don't worry, I'm not making pop music. You may be able to use some production technique that someone else developed to make yourself some big bucks in the pop music industry. Therefore, it's in your interest for us people who don't make pop music to understand what we're doing, and to use that understanding to push back the limits of what's been done. Then you can use those techniques to make money, or gain status, or whatever you're seeking through your desire to compete with other people.

I deleted my reply; too much information that you don't need.
The only point I hope you do understand is, why come in and try to compare an mpc with other alternatives based on a few tech spec's- that has not much to do with it.

Right. So how does the MPC stack up to say a Motu 828 sound card? I know that the MPC can work at 96 Khz Sample Rate, but the Motu 828 can only work at 48 Khz max sample rate.
Which MPC are u talking about, I have the 2kxl and it's only 44analog/48digitalkhz. That's an unfair question but regarding the sample rates makes it fair game, only for that though cause they are completely different beasts.

However, if I "track" (i.e. record) the output of my MPC into Cubase through my Motu 828 sound card, then the max resolution of the final product is going to be 48 Khz anyway, right? If so, then the 96 Khz Sample Rate on the MPC is pretty much wasted, and it would sound the same if I had used 48 Khz samples on the MPC, right?

(Unless you dithered the sample rate down to 48 Khz inside the MPC. However, I don't think that even the MPC 4000 has dithering capability.)
Ah, the 4k, never tried that on a 4k. I do see the point your driving though

The MPC is MIDI driven as well. The MPC's pads are connected to the MPC's internal sequencer through MIDI. Also, the MPC's internal sequencer controls the MPC's internal sampler through MIDI.
But somehow, someway, MIDI inside the machine seems to be tighter than midi triggereing from mpd into PC.

Lampdog wrote:But somehow, someway, MIDI inside the machine seems to be tighter than midi triggereing from mpd into PC.

You know, I think I know why. They have probably determined exactly how much MIDI latency there is inside of the MPC, and have programmed the sequencer to automatically shift all recorded MIDI signals back by the amount of latency that exists.


When I play my software sampler using a MIDI controller, I don't sense any latency whatsoever. However, when I record a MIDI sequence in Cubase, I play on time, but the resultant recording is shifted off of time by a certain amount. However, I can do exactly what is probably happening in the MPC to correct this problem: I can play a MIDI sequence out of Cubase, and wire it so the MIDI output passes out of my MIDI router, and back into Cubase again to be recorded on another track.

I can then measure the amount of time that the recording on the second track is shifted off from the recording on the first track. If I then tell Cubase to shift all recorded MIDI data back by this amount of time, then the recording will be right in sync with the way that I played it, thus resulting in zero latency.

The only thing about this method that I find weird is that for it work, we have to assume that in the "feedback loop," the MIDI signal takes zero time to travel from its point of origin inside of Cubase to the input on the MIDI interface. However, this information transfer is fast enough that, for our purposes in this case, we can safely make the approximation that the information transfer between these two points takes zero seconds.

We also make the assumption that there is no latency when playing the sampler via a MIDI controller live.

Basically, we assume that the only latency in the system occurs in the process between where the MIDI data enters the MIDI interface to where Cubase records the MIDI data.


I have used this method to correct audio recording latency in Cubase successfully. I'm about to try it to correct the MIDI recording latency in Cubase. Hopefully it works, it helped me to wrap my head around the whole concept by thinking about what assumptions have to be true for the procedure to be successful.

As far as the sound quality, I was using software before I went to hardware and noticed that the hardware sound is fatter than the software sound. I tried compressers and all and I still couldnt get that fat sound that comes from using hardware.

TheFirstJimBo wrote:As far as the sound quality, I was using software before I went to hardware and noticed that the hardware sound is fatter than the software sound. I tried compressers and all and I still couldnt get that fat sound that comes from using hardware.

This will only come down to your individual setup, maybe your soundcard is lacking?. There is no reason why a hardware sampler will sound fatter than a software sampler. If anything, your could probably say the opposite.

Our MPCs are

- a bunch of software
- some very limited processing power
- some relatively low value DA converters.

Your average soft-sampler consists of:

- a bunch of software
- some extremely powerful processing power
- potential some DA converters that cost more than an MPC alone!

Many of use are using SoundCards that cost as much as, say, an MPC1000.

If you are comparing modern MPCs using the Z96 engine with modern soft samplers inside modern DAWs, there is no reason why the hardware MPCs will sound better/fatter/etc. But as Stryke says: with an MPCs you get a package/vibe/inspiration that you might not find in software..

yeah, it might be my soundcard, but I still love hardware more, I have more hardware than software now and I love the individual sound of each piece of hardware.

TheFirstJimBo wrote:but I still love hardware more, I have more hardware than software now and I love the individual sound of each piece of hardware.

Too right dude! I think most of us prefer hardware. There is nothing wrong with software but I get inspired by physical things..

punkdISCO wrote:

TheFirstJimBo wrote:but I still love hardware more, I have more hardware than software now and I love the individual sound of each piece of hardware.

Too right dude! I think most of us prefer hardware. There is nothing wrong with software but I get inspired by physical things..

That's why I use a MIDI controller An MPC is just a computer, software, and a MIDI controller all boxed into one unit.