Selling my MPC

Guys, im thinkin about selling my 4K and just useing protools like a digi 001 or 002 with the akai mp16(the pads that plug into your computer via USB)

Anyone have any reasons why i shouldent switch? im getting so fustrated trying to chop and edit samples, it seems like you can do it in 1\20 the time useing a mouse on a computer screen, im just feeling like the MPC is stone age!

what do you guys think?

Maybe you just don't know how to fully utilize your 4k

Mouse to chop samples... uhh

Your going to need more than just ptle and a mp16 to replace it though
Why even get a mp16, just get ya a reg midi controller

No real reasons really, you could use Ak. Sys and something like Recycle if you really needed a mouse to chop, but if you want to switch switch, its all personal preference anyway, I've been using my 4k for near a year and well into the years to come

Use the play all feature, I use it ALOT, nearly everytime, hit play all it plays then just set the start and end of trim as it plays back and the same applies if you loop as well in your sampler, works perfect long as you have some rhythm

I don't feel stone age, behind time, or anything else especially considering I've seen all sides of the pasture Other things may have 1 or 2 things that make a few things easier or a lil bit faster ie real time time stretching etc, but none of it really floats my boat .....

djhushd wrote:Guys, im thinkin about selling my 4K and just useing protools like a digi 001 or 002 with the akai mp16(the pads that plug into your computer via USB)

Anyone have any reasons why i shouldent switch? im getting so fustrated trying to chop and edit samples, it seems like you can do it in 1\20 the time useing a mouse on a computer screen, im just feeling like the MPC is stone age!

what do you guys think?

I've thought of that to, but that was before I laid my hands on a 60 and a 4000..
If youd like to mouse a lot, go for PT and sell your MPC.
I see an MPC like a (Mad)tracker-in-a-box with pads. The 4k has a pianoroll, wich I think is pretty easy to handle (maybe duration may need some improvement)
Some people just dont know.. If they have a pc they want all kind of MIDI controllers and joggle wheels etc. The 4k has this all! It IS a comp-in-a-box.

You could always sell your 4k and get a cheaper model, so you have cash to spend on other gear. This way youll get the pads, an MPC sequencer, Pro Tools and some extra cash.

Or! You could get a cheap laptop with USB 1 and use that to edit and chop your sounds. Its pretty easy with Aksys. Just record something in the MPC. Fire up Aksys, locate the memory from the 4k, then choose to edit the sample in a sample editor (Aksys preferences for choosing the right sample editor, I use Cooledit fro this). Then, when you're ready, save the sample in your sampleEditor. It (normally) saves to C:\Program Files\AKAIPRO\aksys\UploadCache. I have a shortcut on my desktop for that folder. Then, just drag 'n drop the sample to the memory of the 4k via Aksys again and the sample is automaticly been replaced. Voila, you're done in no time.

djhushd wrote:Guys, im thinkin about selling my 4K and just useing protools like a digi 001 or 002 with the akai mp16(the pads that plug into your computer via USB)

Anyone have any reasons why i shouldent switch? im getting so fustrated trying to chop and edit samples, it seems like you can do it in 1\20 the time useing a mouse on a computer screen, im just feeling like the MPC is stone age!

what do you guys think?

Learning something new is always frustrating until you gain understanding then it becomes easy like learning to ride a bicycle you will fall many times until you learn balance. I would recommend learn on a one bar loop which is four quarter notes. Set region for 4 that is kick on 1, snare on two, kick on three, and snare on four. Now if I set it for 8 regions and you can get Kick on 1, hi hat in 2, Snare in 3, and so on. Think what kind of notes you want to chop a 1/4, 1/8, 1/16 or 1/32. The longer the loop one bar, two bars, four bars the longer the regions. Quarter notes 4 beats, Eighth notes 8 beats, and so on. If you understand this is becomes really, really easy. The MPC is really, really, really good. If you prefer to use a mouse and a editor grab up Recycle which makes transfering back and forth easy.

It is your choice, but word of advice you are frustrated which means that you are really close to the answer you seek a little extra effort and you will overcome this temporary setback and master this tool. You control it, it doesn`t control you. Two months from now you will be happy that you didn`t sell it or quit i know I was in the beginning.

Bang on and yes I use Pro Tools too but to get drum patterns with double drums, swing grooves, and crazy note repeats Pro Tools can`t touch the MPC for me for the feel. For laying loops, timestretching, tempo changes, effects, ARRANGING and so on Pro Tools is as professional as you can get which is why it is in most major studio.

Lend it to a friend for a while let him or her use it and when they start getting good at it learn from them.

I have thought about it to, and i know lots of other poeple who have thought about it. The truth is that the MPC4k is not realy quite cutting it. There are just some functions that are not quite there yet. Some things are very inconvenient, just because the developpers were to ignorant to think about.
I mean the note duration, the scrolling true the samples stored in ram-memory, the slow screen redraw problems.

I personaly will stick to the mpc4k because of its sound, it sounds incredibly good, believe me, you wont get such a punchy high resolution sound from PT and a digi and especialy not for drums. ALthough like HAze said, its so easy to make a beat, you can learn to master the mpc4k like an instrument, and this is impossible with a pc. Because youll get more skills in using the mpc, you feel like you can express yourself more and more on the mpc, just like a guitarist on a guitar.

Stick with the mpc4k for a few months till the next os will be released, and post on this board with all your questions, and trie to gain more skills in using the mpc,. I believe that some of the inconveniences in os1.51 will be covered, and i think the mpc4k will get closer to being that hardwaremonster we silently hope for.

I'm on my way to PT land aswell, but I ain't parting with the 4k, I can't see a reason why, use it as a controller (mpd16) use it as an output expander to you extrenal hardware, use it when you go live! use it as a table for your breakfast plate if you like but man don't sell it =)

^ Ya I use my mpc to put togethor my ideas, cause I havent found anything else I can throw shit togethor as fast with for the way I work after I have loaded what I've needed or hooked up the proper sound modules

The mpc accepts all types of midi controllers though, guitar, breath, etc
Knobs, basically you can set up the mp just like anything else up with midi commands


But After I get done doing what I gotta do on the MPC I bounce it to PT to arrange, track VX, mix, and bounce to 2 tracks


I mean the note duration, the scrolling true the samples stored in ram-memory, the slow screen redraw problems.


None of these really even phased me sides the note duration till I learned pretty much the math you get used to it, faster as well, you pretty much just type the number for the type of note you want and fine tune, you begin to be able to relate the numbers to the sound

Scrolling thru the samplers, I just deload shit Im not really going to touch, which cuts back on that alot, but not really that big unless you prob have ALOT OF SAMPLES loaded at once, customizing your naming can help you can just scroll to particular letters

I never noticed the slow screen redraw, maybe like once or twice, but thats bout it, guess it depends on how much stress your putting on the machine

I always regret selling a piece of gear -

Although it's a huge chunk of change you could spend on something else, the 4K is one of a kind -

I'd bet there's not many people on this board (or producers period) who have fully realized the potential of this machine...and that's not a cut...this is a MF to completely wrap your brain around...anything else you buy will be the same thing -

Same probably goes for PT...but not in the same kinda way -

Bop

Go PT but keep the 4k!

Softsynth/softsamplers are just not as reliable as they should. I absolutely love mpc's and the workflow that they provide -- way faster than if i had to work with a softsampler/external pads!