Akai MPC1000 or Korg Electribe EMX2 etc...

Hi,

I'm relatively new to producing and especially by using hardware. The thing is I want to perform live with beats and samples, etc. (techno/deephouse/acid). What is the difference in what I can do with a MPC1000 or an EMX1 or EM-1 or RM1X or SX, because with the MPC they say it is also a drummachine besides a sampler and a sequencer??? And with the Korgs they also talk about drummachines, groovebox, samplers, modeling synths and sequencers. I'm quite confused here. Please help me out!!!

I want a good machine below 1000 dollars (was thinking about the MPC1000), but it is hard to figure out upfront on what the exact differences are between these machines.

Hope some of you have knowledge of this and can help me so I can buy the right machine.

Hullo MM.

Basically the main difference you're looking at (other than interface, which is mostly a preference or only important for the particulars of your requirements) is that of ROM samples versus empty machines. The MPC series is essentially a tool for constructing your own drumkits, basses, and whatever other samples you care to construct your songs from. EMX, EM, RM1X, and ESX and ES all come prepackaged with sounds. Now, since the RM1X and ES units are samplers, you can clear out that preset memory and load nothing but your own sounds. The MPC 1k also comes with a preset bunch of sounds. The downside of using a sampler (particular a non "pro" sampler that has no facilities for editing envelopes, LFOs and setting up keygroups or playing from a keyboard in general) is that you can not create completely original sounds very easily. You have to get creative, and you may end up resorting to jumping back and forth between your computer and the sampler of choice quite a bit. With a synthesis-based module, you can often create or tweak sounds to a point where they sound nothing like the original sound designer intended, and this is a simple thing.

The other main difference between the MPC series and the pieces you mention, is that the MPCs rely on a step/realtime sequencer entirely, whereas the other units all have a "matrix" sequencing capability in addition to their realtime mode. (they may actually refer to this matrix sequencer as a "step sequencer") This means there's a set of buttons or keys which actually represents, 1-to-1, the beats of your sequence. This also tends to mean that these devices have a lower PPQN. That means you can fit less notes and have less variance in your beats, unless you're really creative and find ways around the 16-beat per bar limit. (changing up to triplet modes or 32nd notes, double timing) The MPC has no easy access to beats like these matrix sequencers do, and their interface may prove easier to learn since most computer drum sequencers use a matrix interface as well. (FruityLoops, Reason, whatever) The beat matrix is sometimes referred to as x0x style, as all the Roland TRx0x (808, 909, etc) boxes used a sequencer similar to this.

As far as terminology goes, drum machine is a generic term. It just means a tone generator with a sequencer, sometimes with built in drum sounds. A groove box tends to be a drum machine plus synth tone generator, often with fun easy to learn interfaces and realtime effects recording, etc. A sampler is any device which is used to play back recorded sounds. Typically you'll hear talk of "rack samplers" versus those "non-pro samplers" such as the MPC (non 4K). Rack samplers (and software samplers), as mentioned before, tend to have vast sound editing and shaping capabilities that rival those of dedicated software editors. Sometimes they have built in effects and sometimes they don't.

Modeling synthes (or VA synths, or virtual analog, etc) are simply modern digital boxes which emulate the sound of vintage, all-analog gear by physically modelling the tubes and circuits of these old machines. These differ from ROMplers in that they can create sounds from base waveforms (sine, triangle, square wave typically, with more found in more recent units) A ROMpler can only playback pre-recorded sounds but may be able to tweak these sounds beyond recognition, and may even be able to "create" sounds as well as a VA synth.

Just remember that what gear you use, as much as what music you make, depends entirely on what's comfortable for you. Try out everything and decide!

-tank.

Thanks very much for your time and effort! You cleared up a lot of questions for me. Do you have any suggestions on where I can learn more about this technical stuff and differences, besides good forums like this? You seem to know a lot about it...
Many thanks again!!!

Peace

......i just used both the mpc1k and the korg electribe esx in a live set last night and in terms of sound quality, there is no comparison: the mpc blows the electribe away. i had many of the same wav files loaded up into both machines, i open with two tracks out of the mpc and then switch over to tracks out of the esx and the difference was easy to hear. the mpc was clean and present, very sweet sounding, and the korg was flat and muffled sounding in comparison.

altho i do have to say that korg has the right idea with all the dedicated knobs on the unit, its much more fun to play live with that control at your fingertips.

/pjay

Its hard to say whether the EMX2 is more productive or better suited than an MPC. The Korg Electribe EMX2 is not released yet.

Here's my thoughts:

* Depends how good the synth engine is in the Korg Electribe EMX2 (synth/sampler)
* mpc1000 (sampler) does not have a synth engine so everything is a sample
* mpc 5000 (synth/sampler) does have a synth engine, but not the best in the world
* EMX2 is limited to 1000 samples
* mpc1000 can have a hard drive and a thousands of samples
* Sometime having too many sounds is not always a good thing.
* Samples can sound just as good as a virtual synth, as its a recording of an actual synth
* Often people use their computers and DAW and plugins to create sounds for their MPC or sampler to overcome sound generation limitations.
* Certain genres of music are sample heavy and others use a lot of synths and fx
* EMX2 can export to Ableton Live for further work on the computer
* MPC Renaissance and MPC studio are options for working with a computer, and can also import projects from the MPC, but thats more expense if you want a stand alone mpc as well.
* EMX2 has a small screen, so wonder how good it is at visualising and editing waveforms?
* If you want EDM or Techno style music with great FX then Octatrack is a nice option also.

I currently have the MPC1000, MPC Renaissance, MPC Studio, Octatrack and I have had the MPC 5000 and the EMX2 looks rather appealing being a portable all-in-one and cheaply priced unit.

With practice, patience and skill they can all make good music!.

i say get both

**** Correction ****

I did say there Korg EMX2 was a sample/synth, but on further research its a synth with some preset samples (PCM as they are called)

There is another device called Electribe Sampler that has the sampling ability.

My mistake. Seems Korg are sticking to the old formula of electribe EMX and ESX separate devices.

Thats a bit of a shame, the two in one would have been better.

the guy started this thread 10 years ago lol i wonder if he still needs advice

313 studio tricks wrote:the guy started this thread 10 years ago lol i wonder if he still needs advice

LOL!
MPC and Electribe are very different type of sequencer / sampler combo units. Both are great, but I do feel that Electribes are underrated.
As far as I know Electribe sampler (ES-1 and ESX) are the only widely available 16-step sequencing sampling machine.
To me, it's often faster to create beats with Electribe ES-1, especially when I'm working on late 80s' type of hip hop beats.

I choose to use MPC when I work on beats that I'll need a lot of chopped samples. For Electribe ES-1, there are only 9 pads, however, on Electribe, each sequences have own program, so you can use more than 9 samples for a song. "Mute assign" (MPC term) can be mimicked on Electribe as well, using motion sequence.
Up 128 pattern can be stored on ES-1, which is more than enough for one beat.

Both MPC and Electribe are great, and they excel on different areas.

JVC wrote:MPC and Electribe are very different type of sequencer / sampler combo units.

Yes, and it seems that the new Electribes are going to be similarly limited in comparison to the sequencing/sampling capabilities of MPCs.

SimonInAustralia wrote:

JVC wrote:MPC and Electribe are very different type of sequencer / sampler combo units.

Yes, and it seems that the new Electribes are going to be similarly limited in comparison to the sequencing/sampling capabilities of MPCs.

Right, but Electribe is definitely a fun machine.
To me, trimming sample on Electribe is easier. You can reverse play sample anytime (there is "reverse" button on Electribe.) I with XL had a dedicated button for that.
But, I wish that Electibe could do triplet.
The new Electribes seem drastically different from previous ones. From ES-1 to ESX, I can see that ESX is a updated version of ES-1, but the new Electribes look so different...

For sure they are fun, and the new ones look a lot different to the old ones.

This sort of spec makes it seem to me that they are nowhere close to the MPC in terms of capability, but are more like the older Electribes...

Sequencer
Up to 64 steps for each part

I don't think these are going to be replacements for MPCs in terms of sequencer, and probably sampling, capabilities.

I am interested in them, but not as a replacement for an MPC in any way, more as an addition to.

Holding it on his arm is **** annoying, put the thing down, demo it properly, using both hands, FFS!

I think that Electribe is not even considerable for replacement for MPC. I don't think they are even in the same market.
I like 808 type sequencing. There is nothing quite like Electribes.
By the way, I'm glad that Korg dropped tubes on the new Electribes!