It seems that if people have already found this forum, they either own, or are planning to own an MPC. I recently purchased an MPC-1000 just to see if it lived up to the hype for producing loop based music. While it is not "better" or "worse" than a large Digital Audio Workstation, it is certainly a refreshing alternative/addition. This post is mainly to push those people teetering on the edge of purchase. The MPC is advertised as, and praised for offering many features that work for you instead of against you. While this statement may seem vague to those who have not touched the machine, it becomes clear as day once you turn the unit on. It just works. Do you need this unit if you are running Logic, Ableton, Acid, etc.? Maybe, maybe not. Sometimes less is more for making groove(y) music. I owned a Roland Sp-808 at one point, and thought that the MPC series would be similar. This could not have been further from the truth. While the 808 and other like samplers have their advantages, they never really feel like they are on your side. Similarly, gigantic DAW's have so many features and problems that they can feel more like your enemy than your partner. I write television/film music for a living, and I have often felt like liberating myself from the icy grasp of my computers. While difficult to explain, there is something "human" and endearing about the MPC-1000. I can't enter the 2000 vs. 2000xl vs. 3000 vs. 60 vs. 1000 debate, but I can say that the 1000 is one hell of a flexible instrument. Want to have FUN making music again, and feel confident with the final product? Get yourself one of these guys. We already spend a lot of time in front of our computers. Change your work environment a little bit, and good things will happen.
Peace,
M.
Peace,
M.
