Quality of FX

Hi all,
I'm also considering buying an MPC5000.
I'm especially intereted in the quality of the EFX for sounddesign. I'm not looking for an highend reverb but for effects for mangling samples. The reviews in magazines so far don't go in much detail about this section of the MPC5000.

So here is what I'm especially interested in:
- there seem to be some algorithms that are not documented in the manual like TRansient Shaper or Frequency Shifter. Are they any useful?
- what about the compressors? can they really make samples pump and punch?
- how is the tape delay? with high feed back, does is have that nice distorted but in-control sound?
- what other effects do you like/not like?
- how would you compare the overall quality of the effects section to other gear?

Thanks for your help

Real talk... I havent even really gotten around to playing with anything besides the Reverbs during production, but when I go into Pro Tools, I take it off and go dry, and use one of my plug ins. But havent really had the chance to play with anything else, although I would luv to play with the compressor when I can concentrate on production with the 5000 instead of being my own technical support person

thanks... I'll hope you'll find time to have a deeper look into the effects soon...

I'm disappointed about the EFX. Since I've installed the new OS (1.01) the Decimator and Resample effect sound even more lousy. Basically these are Lo Fi effects based on downsampling but the first sounds like a weak flanger now and resample just rings a bit.

Frequency Shifter is quite astounding. I can't stand hearing it for more than 2 minutes, it's like a ping pong frequency shifting thing...notch filter with heavy feedback or something like this. Makes cool effects. I didn't understand that transient thing. It sounds...strange. All phaser and flanger effects are garbitsch. Phaser is available in two modes and have only a "Rate" parameter (besides Dry/Wet control). No depth, no feedback, so it's nothing compared to classic Phasers like from Pioneer's DJM series or Zoom efx algorithms. Flanger has enough parameter but still sounds weak, compared to more dedicated efx machines.

Compressor and EQ effects as well as Reverbs and Delays are acceptable. If you take into consideration, that you mix 64 tracks of prepareable samples and 8 streams of readyly processed hard disk recorded audio there's enough room for creative efx usage.

I personally wouldn't recommend the MPC5000 as an efx processor but it provides enough outs and recording capabilities to adapt samples to the sound you're used to. (Maybe I'm too old and used too much gear to get excited 'bout the MPC's efx rounds.)

Aah, and I forgot to mention, that there's no Lo Fi effect ready to fire at your samples. I had to use some filters and distortion with resampling to make it sound like a walkie talkie. AND: you can't use all efx at the same time in full flavor. There's a CPU info bottom left and I used one efx bus with phaser and a reverb and it used 20% CPU power.

Fx are acceptable ...

They are better than the 4000

I v no problem with the CPU use.

I can use my 8 fx bus with reverb delay etc...

tomazzzi wrote:I v no problem with the CPU use.

I can use my 8 fx bus with reverb delay etc...

I also haven't had any problems yet and if you sum up 4 busses with 20% each it's 100%.

I've made some samples (2MB ZIP file containing 128kBit mp3 files) of various efx. If the file ends with MPC it's made by the MPC, if it's 505 it came out of my MC 505 (Roland). Files ending with 2200 came out of a Zoom Studio 2200. Decim is Decimator efx, resample either 505's LoFi efx or MPC's Resample. Shift is MPC's frequency shifter with two settings.

http://onkobutanaake.de/efx_demo_mp3.zip (re-upped 02.12.2008)

thanks a lot for your efforts.
could I also ask you for some examples of compressors, the transient thing and especially the tape delay?
I will mainly use the PC for drums and loops and need some proper pumping mangling efx...

I'm just reducing my gear to a couple of peaces and consider the MPC5000 as a replacement for a combination of E-mu MP7, Roland VP-9000, Focusrite compressor and an Ensoniq DP4. Though I probably won't get the same quality as with the different pieces I still love the advantge of just having ONE piece of gear.

cheers

I really advise you to keep the DP4

It s **** great with the MPC

You won t get better fx on the MPC trust me !

^^^^ I agree.

I also haven't had any problems yet and if you sum up 4 busses with 20% each it's 100%.

Erm... wouldn't that be 80%??