Is the MPC1000 the right tool for my requirements?

Hey guy's

I am a traditional drummer who needs to look for an alternative way to make and record drum beats for my mates and myself. The reason is that I don't have the room anymore for a full size electronic drum kit (plus I don't want to have to carry all that gear around).

My query is this (and please ignore my lack of knowledge in this area as I am a complete newbie to samplers and beat creating machines):

I am interested in the MPC1000 as it is small and portable (and looks like it will give me what I want). I understand that the drum sounds will need to be put into the machine as it does not have any pre-loaded (and am quite looking forward to having a go at sampling some of my favourite drum kit sounds).

The snag comes in my taste in music, which is Rock and Metal!

Is it possible to use a machine like the MPC1000 to create drum beats for any style of music as I seem to get the impression that a lot of Hip-hop artists swear by the MPC range of units but don't really see many other areas of the musical world using this sort of machine?

If this is the case, and bearing in mind that I already know how to drum (I have been playing for about 26 years now) is it possible for me to transfer my knowledge over to the MPC1000 and create some cool drum beats and parts for my rock related friends? They all use PC based studio equipment and create demo songs that can be in .wav format so it seems logical to use a hardware tool (such as the MPC1000) to create the drum sounds/tracks.

I am struggling a little bit on knowing exactly how a drum part is built up on the MPC1000 and how I would play that part using the pads (once I had the correct sounds assigned to them) knowing that in traditional drumming you could break off at any point to do a fill, or stop playing, or even change the hi-hat rhythm at any given point.

Sorry for being so vague but I need to try and get some help before I part with my hard earned cash.

I am also interested in sampling some of my favourite tunes for a bit of fun as well, but my main goal is to be able to use a good reliable and quality product to create drum parts for my friends (this is how I got to reading about the MPC1000).

I don't believe that buying the 2000/xl or the new 2500 would be of major benefit for me as they could be a little complicated for my requirements? Also the MPC1000 is smaller and would be great for me to pack up in a bag to drive over to my mates houses (I have 3 different friends who all require drum parts creating for their music - 2 are rock based projects and 1 is a soul fan). I will also be creating drums for these guys going forward and not just as a one off so require something robust.

Are there any video tutorials (or performance videos) that will give me a better idea of what the MPC1000 is capable of (it can be in any style of music - not just rock)?

I hope I have made sense and apologies for my lack of knowledge in this area. I did look at the forums for a while to see if i was posting something that has already been answered but could not find anything.

Sorry for the long post and thanks for your time guy's.

I can think of 2 basic approaches to making a drumtrack on a sequencer/drummachine such as mpc. With both of these you can build up your beat by recording your pad-thumping, then overdubbing, then editing.

1. the pattern-based approach: basically record a few patterns for verse, chorus, bridge etc. Then make copies of the patterns and change them around to create a bunch of different fills, variations etc. Then the final step is to 'chain them all together' into a song.

2. the 'linear sequencing' approach. just use one or two really long patterns, then simply 'play' the song from start to finish, recording all the rhythm data. Maybe for a skilled drummer that would actually work... and then you can still go back afterward to edit errors, or change the sounds etc.


Do either of these methods sound like something that you could deal with?

ps. I don't know if I'm jumping in too fast for you- do you know what i mean by overdubbing tracks or editing notes? Lemme know.

Hi,

I am happy that I may need to use a combination of approaches to get the overall result that I require (and in some cases as a drummer it would be nice to step back and plan out the track almost note for note - this way I will be able to think about what fills/rhythms to play rather than just playing something that does not fit and repeating the process).

I understand what you mean about overdubbing and editing notes (and am also happy to have to edit and fine tune things after) but thanks for asking.

I guess what I really need is to be able to play some of the patterns as opposed to just programming them (like you would on a software package for instance). I understand drum music notation so am able to write drum patterns out as well.

I think the drummer in me still needs to be playing the rhythms With something like the MPC1000 I am sure that I will get the best of both worlds. Just needed somebody in the know to point me in the right direction.

The next step for me I think is to go to a retailer and try one out?

Thanks for your advice and time, I really appreciate it.

no matter what anyone tells you or advises you, you'll still have to
do it yourself and see if it fits your needs. only u will know what you specifically need.

fangouk wrote:Hi,

I am happy that I may need to use a combination of approaches to get the overall result that I require (and in some cases as a drummer it would be nice to step back and plan out the track almost note for note - this way I will be able to think about what fills/rhythms to play rather than just playing something that does not fit and repeating the process).

I understand what you mean about overdubbing and editing notes (and am also happy to have to edit and fine tune things after) but thanks for asking.

I guess what I really need is to be able to play some of the patterns as opposed to just programming them (like you would on a software package for instance). I understand drum music notation so am able to write drum patterns out as well.

I think the drummer in me still needs to be playing the rhythms With something like the MPC1000 I am sure that I will get the best of both worlds. Just needed somebody in the know to point me in the right direction.

The next step for me I think is to go to a retailer and try one out?

Thanks for your advice and time, I really appreciate it.

I agree with your next step-- also you can d/l the manual first and try to get a grip on it so you know what to do at the music store.

From what you said already, I think you might really like this machine. It can be as 'hands on' as you want it to be, that's pretty much what makes the mpc good.

Another piece of advice ive started adding:: you might want to try the 2500 or old 2kxl just in case you like the pads feeling way better than the 1k. The 1k pads work just fine for me but they do feel different.

good luck, have fun

I totally missed the drummer part.

@fangouk:

yeah, you wil like the pads cause it's actually a hands on feel as opposed to just using software and a mouse lick. You'll find that you'll be bobbing your head, tapping your toes ALOT in time with yout fingers doing the walking on the pads.

Same as when you sit at a table and bnag out drum rythms, use those pads the SAME way.

It REALLY sounds like you'll really enjoy an mpc.

Thanks for the tips guy's.

Gonna definately try and find somewhere that stocks one and spend a bit of time trying it out.

Cheers.

your gonna fall in love.

So give ur significant other fair notice, they now have competition.

Hey guy's,

Does anybody know much about the issue with the MPC1000 and the pads that seem to fail or wear down pretty quickly (it is mentioned in various other threads).

My question is this:

Is it worth spending the extra for a MPC2000 or MPC2500 or am I over reacting to this issue? Are the pads on the more expensive machines any better?

I don't really want to go off track with this thread but could do with a bit of reassurance from a senior member about the robustness of the MPC1000.

Cheers.

i'm not a senior member... i'm a drummer... i use the mpc1k (along with other gear) and it works just fine for me... i can't speak for everyone else, but i haven't had any issues with the pads... i don't smash the pads, i just keep the 'full level' on and tap my beats away... i mainly use the mpc1k to program my drums or sequence certain loops... in my opinion, it's one of the best investments i've made... with the new O/S 2 coming out soon (as well as the black kit) there's no need for me to worry about the 2500... just my two cents... hope this helps, peace...

Thanks for the advice. It is nice to know that other actual drummers find the MPC1000 useful.

If you keep the pads on 'full level' all the time does it make it more difficult to program things such as ghost notes? In this case would you just switch the 'full level' function off?