Is this a Good Rookie Set-up

I am going to buy a MPC1000 with a iMAC 2.GHz w/1GB RAM and Pro Tools M-Powered. I have never used an MPC so I backed off the 2500. I am seeing these tutorials on this site, are they useful tools?

i would have bought something else like a pair of monitors instead of that pro tools but thats only me, man. if the setup works for you then thats what matters. you will need some way to listen to your stuff though...i wouldnt try to mix anything with headphones on....

anyway i dont see why that setup wouldnt get you started...all a person really needs is a mpc, some speakers and some creativity

id say for sure if you got the money to drop on all that other stuff, might as well tack on the extra tiny bit to jump start your knowledge w/ some tutorial. probably keep you on track and prevent a lil frustration if this is your first use of the mpc. check some monitors in the future too, comfortable headphones would get you thru the learning tho.

yep the mp alone is all you really need. PT helps and so does a nice computer. Things to think about in the future would be monitors, speakers, something to play your joints off of. By the way are you going to be taking samples from records? cause you might need some turntables in your setup there. Congrats on the mp. whole new world

Thanks for the advice. I am going to look into the monitors. I have Sony Studio Monitor headphones already. The only reason I haven't looked at them yet is because I live in an apt so i can't go too loud. But for mixing I will need them.

I got a turntable with a USB port on it. I have a few old jazz records that belonged to my father that I am going to put to use.

I recommend you start off with just one tool.

To be honest. You would do just as well on an mpc500.

I have been making tracks for over ten years. House/hip hop. I am getting a track ready to put out at the moment.

To be honest if you are new to production, you should try to make some decisions before you start. What is it you want to do.

write tunes = 2-3 years hardcore practice.

skill at sampling = 2-3 years.

engineer = 5-7 years hardcore practice.

full monty = 10 years+

rap = 2 days.

Saying that you should not be put off. Just try to focus on what you want to do first.

Like if you want to write music which uses syths and keyboards. And has choruses.

Then you will need to buy a keyboard and a sound module. And practice writing intros, bridges and stuff.

Don't think you can cheat this. Everyone i have heard who tries to write music with a mouse is a joker.

Then you would need to learn how to program synths etc.


If you want to make music which is just drums and rap. Then you need to spend time developing an ear for a good sample. And how to tap them in so they play back cool.


If you want to make your music sound like the real stuff, and not tiny, when you play back a cd round a friends house. Then you need to learn how to engineer.


So for instance when i started many moons ago, I had an atari st and a cs1x.

This was a pretty basic setup. But i learned a lot about playing keyboards.
I am not a musician. But i know how to make chords and harmony's and all that stuff.

I then moved on and bought a su700 sampler to add to my setup. I then started to lean about how to make arrangements and how to capture a sample.

obviously i then developed all these skills all at once.

After that i got the whole computer and stuff. And spent ages working out how to mix.

I currently make housey hip hop for small releases.

I wish i could have 1 thing that did the whole lot. I currently have pro tools ,kompact, PadKontrol,K49,emax,korgms10 and a bunch of other stuff.

And i have had loads of stuff as well that i sold.

To be honest i am moving back over to an mpc. Decided on the 500. its cool. Small enought to carry around. And can sequence a keyboard.

To be honest its better to have as simple setup as possible. And use 1 bit of kit for 1 job.

Like i can write music, on pro tools and plugins. But its no where nearly as good as if i do it on all my real stuff.

Probably i can write better tunes on just an mpc and some vinyl.

But then i would not like to try to mix on an mpc. Thought it can be done if you choose your sounds carefully.

So my advice is. Go buy the smallest mpc and 1 keyboard. Practise using that.

If you come up with a good tune. Go to a studio and find someone who gets a good sound to mix it for you.

Don't bother with the mac/pro tools until you have developed your music skill for a couple of years.

Anything you record. like vocals etc at home. Will be crap and you will have to record again at a studio. and your mixes will sound trash. Unless you have spent years engineering.

Oh and get some speakers!

Smoove03 wrote:i would have bought something else like a pair of monitors instead of that pro tools but thats only me, man. if the setup works for you then thats what matters. you will need some way to listen to your stuff though...i wouldnt try to mix anything with headphones on....

anyway i dont see why that setup wouldnt get you started...all a person really needs is a mpc, some speakers and some creativity

I agree...if you're a rookie, you should just be focusing on learning the MPC. The computer comes later when you need to track the beat out and go more in-depth with your mixing. You don't wanna have to learn a whole bunch of shyt all at the same time. Besides, tracking out and mixing is typically for shopping beats to potential customers. You shouldn't expect to be selling your tracks anytime soon, but I guess anything's possible.

MPC, turntable, monitors...personally, I would want a sound module and a controller to add to that, but I go back and forth between sampling and doing original tracks so that's just me!

Every thing I read about the MPC500 is that it is designed to compliment a 2500 or 1000 and portability. I am not going to be on the go that much and if i do travel the 1000 is small enough to take with me. I already bought the MAC because I needed a computer for my home office and with that I am looking towards the future while fulfilling a current need. I think I have a good ear, but it will all come down to execution. I just want make beats, its something that I always wanted to do but never focused on it. If I get good enough to sell something then I have exceeded my wildest expectations. I haven't purchased pro tools or the mpc yet as i am still doing research. I also don't want to buy something that limits my growth to the point that I have to go buy a more advanced model just to keep growing. But I will look into the 500 and some monitors.

Sneakers wrote:Every thing I read about the MPC500 is that it is designed to compliment a 2500 or 1000 and portability. I am not going to be on the go that much and if i do travel the 1000 is small enough to take with me. I already bought the MAC because I needed a computer for my home office and with that I am looking towards the future while fulfilling a current need. I think I have a good ear, but it will all come down to execution. I just want make beats, its something that I always wanted to do but never focused on it. If I get good enough to sell something then I have exceeded my wildest expectations. I haven't purchased pro tools or the mpc yet as i am still doing research. I also don't want to buy something that limits my growth to the point that I have to go buy a more advanced model just to keep growing. But I will look into the 500 and some monitors.

One thing that has been shared with me and makes sense to me based on what I know about and my experience with computers, is that unless the financial burden is a bit much for you, your general purpose PC and your "music PC" should not be the same beast. Unless your one of those people that reinstalls everything all the way down to the OS every so often to keep a nice clean system build, most people have too much running in the background of their do-it-all PC for it to be a very efficient music PC. That may not be as true any more in this world of dual core and quad core CPUs and multi-gig of RAM PCs, but a whole lot of people aren't using that level of technology for music, AND its not really needed. BUT we are also talking about the grossly inefficient world of IBM-compatible (old term) PCs, and not Macs, which are much more efficient and have been for a long time, so you may be just fine doing what you're doing now.

Just do your research, get what you think is best for you, and have fun with it! If you buy anything that doesn't work for you, just sell it! You might lose a little of your investment, but there is somebody out there in this globally connected world that will be willing to buy anything you are willing to sell. As far as the MPC side goes, get what you think will cover your current and possibly future needs. The manuals area online. Compare features and go from there. Don't over think it though. If you get the wrong MPC, sell it! That fun piece is big for me though, because if you listen to some of the better music out there, you can tell the people that created it enjoyed doing so. And what's the point of doing something you don't enjoy? It can always become "work" (negative connotations apply here) for you whenever you want it to.

And remember, opinions are like a$$holes...everybody has one, they are all different, and some of them are full of $hyt.

Peace,
KM

K-Mello wrote:
And remember, opinions are like a$$holes...everybody has one, they are all different, and some of them are full of $hyt.

Peace,
KM

I hope that wasn't aimed at me. If so I don't have opinions. I am pro. I just have raw knowledge.

Maybe he doesn't want to make crap music on a pc like you. He might want to make good music that people admire like me.


So before you talk thru your ass, please pull down your trousers so we can hear you properly!

GritKitz wrote:

K-Mello wrote:
And remember, opinions are like a$$holes...everybody has one, they are all different, and some of them are full of $hyt.

Peace,
KM

I hope that wasn't aimed at me. If so I don't have opinions. I am pro. I just have raw knowledge.

Maybe he doesn't want to make **** music on a pc like you. He might want to make good music that people admire like me.


So before you talk thru your ass, please pull down your trousers so we can hear you properly!

wow, for 23 posts you have allot to say, huh?