Trade mpc 4000 for 3000

I've also posted in the mp4k forum but If some of you 3k owners aren't going in the 4k forums....


I'm thinking about trading the mp 4k for a 3k

I love the 4k its my first mpc, and i dont want to trade it up because the 4k doesnt give me great beats, you know like a gearslut would do.

You make the best out of your equipment and the 4k sounds big so if you cant do **** that your prob
But the 3k seems interesting as im working with the mpc to get the mpc sound.

Everybody says the 3k got a sound of its own, and that you have to try it to see it. Also it got a different groove than the 4k.

The 4k shuffle sequencing and everything really sounds different than software I now believe the hype, which makes me think it must be true about the 3k too.

The only thing about the 3k is that, you cant load wav, no hard drive, no usb backup, which is great about the 4k.

I awlays take a long time building a few tracks, so speed is not an issue for me, I dont mind sampling everything.

People say it's build like a tank, more solid than any other mpcs, so about the reliabiltiy, is it good?

I could sell the 4k the same price as a would get a 3k.

I've only got a few beats in the 4k, and only one I want to keep, it would be easy to reconstruct it in the 3k as it's only wav loops I created.

So any advices guys? I'm looking for warm sound, that westcoast sound especially. Also You know when you shuffle your drums, those rolling kicks, it seems like the 4k is better than computer, but still not exactlty what I'm looking for, people say the 3k got that boom-bap, the 4k it still really really good though, better than reason and others.

yo I was in the same situation. I sold my mpc4k last summer and copped the 3k and added the valixi o.s. from Rohan. I honestly can tell you that even though you can easily rock with both machines, the 3k sounds way better to me. The 4k sounds too clean to me, almost thin if that makes since. I liked the fact that I could store and access my sounds in the box without having to go through a bunch of disks on the 4k but I can liive with that. The sound I now get is reminiscent of all my favorite albums from the late 80's and 90's that were made with what I now have. Now the question is are you willing to give up a bunch of options you may or may not need? I was and don't regret it for a second and in this case, less is definitely more..

peace

Hey supreme, less is definetely more I think I mean...

I went from software to hardware and prefer the sound.

I went from HR824 to NS10 and prefer the sound.

I went from a 2000$ fairly recent mic to a 400$ older-classic mic and prefer the sound.

I mean in last couple of years I ''downgraded'' my equipment to older stuff, and prefer the sound lol.

Is it me or nu stuff sound cheap?

You're tempting me my friend.

....i downgraded from a MPC-2000 XL to a 60 cause i prefer the sound

numanmpc wrote:I mean in last couple of years I ''downgraded'' my equipment to older stuff, and prefer the sound lol.

Exactly...To each his own, but that's how I feel...

numanmpc wrote:I went from HR824 to NS10 and prefer the sound.

If you mean they sound "better", then your ears are broken.

There is a reason why these monitors have been a studio standard for "nearfield" referencing in a multi-monitor setup. Its not because they sound good. The yammies have been a topic of discussion for yrs and yrs and yrs.

If you are saying that it is easier for you to get your mix to translate using them... thats a different story.

dude said he "prefers" the sound...can't front on that...

To each his own no?

numanmpc wrote:Everybody says the 3k got a sound of its own, and that you have to try it to see it. Also it got a different groove than the 4k.

I've only got a few beats in the 4k, and only one I want to keep, it would be easy to reconstruct it in the 3k as it's only wav loops I created.

Any advices guys?

Looking at point number 2, here is my answer to question one.
You aren't any good at the MPC yet. Sound is not an issue. Groove is not an issue. WACK is an issue at this point. Dig into the 4k until you are no longer wack. Then you can ask questions about trading. If your music is wack on the 4k it will be wacker on the 3k, and wackest on the 60. (No shiny efx or filters to attempt to mask the wackness)

Keep the 4k. You will not notice a difference between the MPC's for at least another 4 yrs. At that point you "may" still decide you prefer the 4k. I almost bought a 4k the other day... lol.

If you make "hot fiyah", (c) Dylan you can do it on anything.

Good day to you Sir or Madam.

galegatron wrote:....i downgraded from a MPC-2000 XL to a 60 cause i prefer the sound

Galegatron, Many might call that an "upgrade" BTW, I saw your 60 over in the pics thread. Beautiful - that backlight is the brightest I have seen on a 60!

numanmpc wrote:I went from a 2000$ fairly recent mic to a 400$ older-classic mic and prefer the sound.

Numanmpc, Do you mind elaborating on that? What mics and what type of vocals are you recording? Also what pre-amp did you use with each? I am not doubting you, I am genuinely interested.

numanmpc wrote:Is it me or nu stuff sound cheap?

Yeah, I think we are at a point where manufacturers HAVE to cut corners in order to stay competitive.
When the 60 was built, you either bought a 60, or an SP-1200 - that was it as far as competition in the sampling drum machine area, now every manufacturer has at least 3 machines that do the same stuff, so competition is stiffer. Good for features, good for low prices, bad for quality. It's gotten to the point where I don't really even like going into Guitar Center anymore (that and my wife tells me I have everything in there I leave there feeling depressed, when it used to be the highlight of my day/week/month/whatever.

I used an SP-12 and 3k back in the 90's. Sold them both to jump knee-deep into software. Hated it, held out with each promise only to be disappointed each time new upgrades and new computer hardware came out that was supposed to make good on the promises and eliminate the need for music hardware.
Spent a bunch of money on stuff that is essentially worthless. Finally realized that software has a place and a purpose, but for making music in real time it just didn't work for me. Bought more hardware, put software in use as a recording medium, moved forward, am much happier. I do look at the features of the newer MPC line and wonder if my workflow would improve if I moved into a newer MPC - the .wav support and USB are cool, but then the 4k is the only one that can act as a USB host. I did buy a 1k a couple years back. I really didn't like the way you have to use the pads to get around in the menus. Maybe that is something you get used to. I borrowed a friends 2500 for a while too. Honestly, I didn't really noticed a big difference in sound between it and my 3k (or my 60 for that matter - everyone says it is 12-bit and as a result - grimey, but it sounds pretty clean to me (I think it is the 40kHz sample rate that keeps it crispy and clean, cause my SP-1200 on the other hand...)) Anywho, it was alright, but it felt different. Also, the quantizing seemed different to me. Not sure why. I even did some tests with the exact same samples, chopped up in protools to ensure all other things were equal. It was just different "feeling" but sound wise I couldn't tell.

Oh, and some people do put hard drives inside their MPC3000's. You are just limited to laptop-sized SCSI drives which are a bit rare, but I still see them on eBay... I think the card reader option is better though because you eliminate the worry about mechanical drive failures.

I'd like to try out a 4k for the heck of it. Probably a long shot since I don't think ANYBODY lives close to me, but where are you located? (PM if you want.)

jrides wrote:

numanmpc wrote:Everybody says the 3k got a sound of its own, and that you have to try it to see it. Also it got a different groove than the 4k.

I've only got a few beats in the 4k, and only one I want to keep, it would be easy to reconstruct it in the 3k as it's only wav loops I created.

Any advices guys?

Looking at point number 2, here is my answer to question one.
You aren't any good at the MPC yet. Sound is not an issue. Groove is not an issue. WACK is an issue at this point. Dig into the 4k until you are no longer wack. Then you can ask questions about trading. If your music is wack on the 4k it will be wacker on the 3k, and wackest on the 60. (No shiny efx or filters to attempt to mask the wackness)

Keep the 4k. You will not notice a difference between the MPC's for at least another 4 yrs. At that point you "may" still decide you prefer the 4k. I almost bought a 4k the other day... lol.

If you make "hot fiyah", (c) Dylan you can do it on anything.

Good day to you Sir or Madam.

nail and head

JRIDES:

I said I prefer the sound, I did not say the sound was better. Mixing on Mackies is crap.

I produces music since 8 years and I got ''Fiyah'' beats, now I don't care about your comments really, they are completely irrelevant.

I want to know the benefits and or losses of switching to a 3k.


TVENT: I noticed too many times that a lower bitrate but a higher frequency rate isnt sounding that bad. If the 60 is 44.1 then it still sound crisp, a noticed that a lo-fi effect on kicks make them sound warmer.

Yeah software is extremely useful for complexes arrangements, but the sound will almost never be really good until you get it through analog stuff to beef it up.

I'm not talking about which mics

ReckOne wrote:dude said he "prefers" the sound...can't front on that...

To each his own no?

Depends. Its subjective..but. NS-10's sound like #%$@!!!
That being said... they serve a purpose and have been welcome in many a pro studio for that particular purpose. Kinda like the Auratones.

People make statements like that... and it may confuse others. I just wanted to clear up any misconceptions.

Now he may actually think they "sound" better or more pleasing... In that case. His ears are broken... lol. To each their own... but go them them suckas check out!

Critical mid frequencies are opened up on ns-10

numanmpc wrote:Critical mid frequencies are opened up on ns-10

Mid frequencies are the reason why people use those monitors. Pretty much the response I expected. I personally would use them in conjuntion with Mackie or or some other monitor with more low freq output. Do you do the tissue/tweeter thing to cut down on harshness/ear fatigue?

I got the model with the new tweeters, there is the first one with the round dome tweeters, kind of an half sphere,

and there is the new model, the ns-10 studio, with the grey tweeters, they are flat, and the tissue thing is not an issue anymore with these.

I never owned the previous model, I bought the studio ones after I did some researches.

I had to sell the mackies to get the yammies.

Do you own the mackies? The only thing I can say about them is that you can never learn those speakers.

They always sound different. You think you're mix is good, then later on it's not!! You keep mixing and mixing and mixing and most of the time you end up getting things worst.

I did better mixes on ns-10 in the first week I got them.

It's like the mackies never sound the same, everything sounds good on them. Mixes coming out of mackies always sounds too loud, I mean, too much highs and lows. I think you can make better mixes with 6X9 in wood boxes than on them lol.