MPC 1000 vs. Maschine mikro

[juul69]

hey guys,
I'm getting in to this producing thing a bit and I would like to buy a machine that serves the purpose to mainly create drum tracks. To do this I've been looking into the MPC 500, MPC 1000 and Maschine mikro! I don't completely which one to pick, keeping in mind that I'll most likely use to make drum tracks for future beats kinda stuff. Which one is best to use for kanye style sampling? Could you guys help me?
Thank you!

[Shift Gorden]

hey mate! you looking for a "controller" (like the Maschine) or a stand-alone sampling dealio like the MPC 500/100? Might make a difference to the recommendations you'll get

[juul69]

Hey man,
I don't completely know what I am looking for which is kinda my problem. I don't mind either a midi controller or a stand alone mpc, I just don't really know which would suit the purpose (drum tracks) best! Especially because i don't have vinyls to sample from or anything, most of the sampling would have to be through mp3 and then I don't even know if it would be worth with an MPC, unless the pre loaded sounds and kits you can get are good enough. But yeah, that's pretty much it! BTW I use ableton live 9 if it makes a difference

[yur2die4]

Maschine can store as many samples as your computer hard drive can handle.

It can be hosted as a vst within Live so that it'll sync perfectly with Live, or you can use the software as a desktop app.

It can also host vst etc and comes with loads of stuff. The pads feel great too.

If possible, I'd suggest at least getting a standard instead of a Mikro. Having a few extra knows will make cutting samples and adjusting parameters super fast.

[beats me]

I wouldn’t recommend the MPC 1000/500 if you are just getting started. I’ve been producing for longer than I care to admit and when I got a MPC 1000 a few years ago I just scratched my head in confusion. Past it on to a newer producer and they did the same thing. There’s a lot of nostalgia hype around it but that isn’t enough to make it stand up to today’s computer based options.

[Tarekith]

Maschine is a no brainer here for me, you get A LOT of great sounds in addition to the controller. Definitely some really nice samples to start making beats with, in a package that's a lot more flexible than the MPC.

[juul69]

Thanks guys! But how would i be able to use maschine the most effectively, seeing as I don't want to use Komplete, but rather Ableton live 9?

[jlgrimes]

hey guys,
I'm getting in to this producing thing a bit and I would like to buy a machine that serves the purpose to mainly create drum tracks. To do this I've been looking into the MPC 500, MPC 1000 and Maschine mikro! I don't completely which one to pick, keeping in mind that I'll most likely use to make drum tracks for future beats kinda stuff. Which one is best to use for kanye style sampling? Could you guys help me?
Thank you!

I will say that with Ableton alone you can do all of the Kayne style chopping and looping using Simplers and drum racks.


That said if you want modern features, "Maschine"

If you want a more classic workflow MPC. MPC/ASR is what Kanye made a lot of his classic beats with but that said IMO a more modern workflow can work as well it is just up to you learning the software.

[yur2die4]

Thanks guys! But how would i be able to use maschine the most effectively, seeing as I don't want to use Komplete, but rather Ableton live 9?

Maschine is not strictly Komplete. It can host a large number of vsts.
It is a performance controller with scene/pattern selection and various arpeggiation modes

And especially important is that it can function as a sampler. If you have an audio input, you can quickly and easily record into it and slice. It also comes with a huge selection of Maschine drum/instrument kits.

It can do all this outside of Live.

If you were to get an mpc, you would have to use the sampler built into the mpc (to record or use samples) with the amount of storage capacity it allows. And that's pretty much where it stops.

Neither will automatically create Ableton Live clips. They have ways to make midi or audio clips, and ways to synchronize.

Both have multi-channel midi and audio output. Maschine has an advantage where it is easy to quickly render an audio clip from it and drop it into Live.

Another option is to use Live and a midi controller (mpd, Maschine, triggerfinger, etc). As a midi controller, they would simply trigger things within Live. Again, Maschine has a lot of strength in that department, but it is not automatic. You can spend less on the triggerfinger, but its implement soo in Live is not stellar (and the step sequencer is not as tightly synced as Maschine's, since it relies on midi sync instead of the clock sync used by the Maschine vst).

Yet another option would be to use Push, which uses Live and can operate most of Live's features by default with no setup. If you want to use Strictly Live with no vst, this is probably your best choice.

It might help to describe how exactly you intend to use the hardware you want to get.

[juul69]

Thanks guys! But how would i be able to use maschine the most effectively, seeing as I don't want to use Komplete, but rather Ableton live 9?

Maschine is not strictly Komplete. It can host a large number of vsts.
It is a performance controller with scene/pattern selection and various arpeggiation modes

And especially important is that it can function as a sampler. If you have an audio input, you can quickly and easily record into it and slice. It also comes with a huge selection of Maschine drum/instrument kits.

It can do all this outside of Live.

If you were to get an mpc, you would have to use the sampler built into the mpc (to record or use samples) with the amount of storage capacity it allows. And that's pretty much where it stops.

Neither will automatically create Ableton Live clips. They have ways to make midi or audio clips, and ways to synchronize.

Both have multi-channel midi and audio output. Maschine has an advantage where it is easy to quickly render an audio clip from it and drop it into Live.

Another option is to use Live and a midi controller (mpd, Maschine, triggerfinger, etc). As a midi controller, they would simply trigger things within Live. Again, Maschine has a lot of strength in that department, but it is not automatic. You can spend less on the triggerfinger, but its implement soo in Live is not stellar (and the step sequencer is not as tightly synced as Maschine's, since it relies on midi sync instead of the clock sync used by the Maschine vst).

Yet another option would be to use Push, which uses Live and can operate most of Live's features by default with no setup. If you want to use Strictly Live with no vst, this is probably your best choice.

It might help to describe how exactly you intend to use the hardware you want to get.

Hey man, Thanks for the response! For clarification: I really only need the beatmachine for drum tracks for future beat type songs. Everything else will be done through midi keyboards and straight through live! In this case would the Maschine still be recommended?

[granted]

The MPC1K is awesome in so many ways. It's a sampler, it's a drum machine, it's a rocking sequencer with two MIDI ins and outs, it has a custom OS available -JJOS, it can be customized to look really cool, it's built like a tank, it's a drum pad controller.

The MPC1K has very good midi timing for very tight sequencing. If you have a lot of real synths and racks then you can sequence everything together.

What is bad about it? Unlike Maschine the MPC1K will not easily integrate into your computer/laptop setup. You will also have to learn how to use it which will not be easy.

Also if someone breaks into your studio and you are afraid then you can throw the MPC1K at them and knock them out. I don't think you can do that with a Mikro.

[starving student]

the mpc-1000 is the correct choice. the Maschine mikro on the other hand is the wrong choice.
with the mpc-1000 you will learn how to do things that the people recommending maschine don't do, which is probably why they didn't recommend the mpc-1000.

[Guillermo Barrancos]

If all you want to do is use Live, then why even going for any of these?

The best Controller for Live is Push. Push 2 is amazing for sampling, but if you budget won't allow it, you can get a very good deal on Push 1 these days.

MPC and Maschine are doing what they do in it's own right and do it well, but were not built with Ableton in mind. Ableton Push is.

Ableton Push (both 1 and 2) are very good in making beats. Step sequencing on Push is fantastic!

And if you want hardware that you can use "truly" standalone and be portable, I actually would rather consider Korg Electribe (Sampler), as it has a Direct export function specifically for Ableton Live.

[juul69]

Hey Guillermo,
I have already tried the push from a friend, and it really didn't suit me. I does way more than I need it do, and for what I need to do (solid drum tracks) I have heard it isn't necessarily the best at. Anything to do with melody I'll do through a midi keyboard. Which is why I am leaning towards something more drum machine-y. But of these I wouldn't know what to pick...

If all you want to do is use Live, then why even going for any of these?

The best Controller for Live is Push. Push 2 is amazing for sampling, but if you budget won't allow it, you can get a very good deal on Push 1 these days.

MPC and Maschine are doing what they do in it's own right and do it well, but were not built with Ableton in mind. Ableton Push is.

Ableton Push (both 1 and 2) are very good in making beats. Step sequencing on Push is fantastic!

And if you want hardware that you can use "truly" standalone and be portable, I actually would rather consider Korg Electribe (Sampler), as it has a Direct export function specifically for Ableton Live.

[Guillermo Barrancos]

Hey Guillermo,
I have already tried the push from a friend, and it really didn't suit me. I does way more than I need it do, and for what I need to do (solid drum tracks) I have heard it isn't necessarily the best at. Anything to do with melody I'll do through a midi keyboard. Which is why I am leaning towards something more drum machine-y. But of these I wouldn't know what to pick...

If all you want to do is use Live, then why even going for any of these?

The best Controller for Live is Push. Push 2 is amazing for sampling, but if you budget won't allow it, you can get a very good deal on Push 1 these days.

MPC and Maschine are doing what they do in it's own right and do it well, but were not built with Ableton in mind. Ableton Push is.

Ableton Push (both 1 and 2) are very good in making beats. Step sequencing on Push is fantastic!

And if you want hardware that you can use "truly" standalone and be portable, I actually would rather consider Korg Electribe (Sampler), as it has a Direct export function specifically for Ableton Live.

If these two are the only ones on your Radar and you are not willing to try something different, like Korg Electribe, then I would consider buy a second hand Maschine 2!
There are tons of second hand Maschine 2's for sale. Lot of People buy them and then find out it's not for them.
So you can easily buy as good as New Maschine 2 for the New price of Maschine 2 Mikro.

I would not go for the Mikro personally. A lot of People buy the Mikro as either an extension to Maschine / Maschine Studio or for use at live performance. Not so much for in studio.

Maschine comes with very good drum kits and now you can also download Komplete Select.
If you have Maschine, then the two displays are great (just like on Push 2) for easy browsing through your Library and/or adjusting/Slicing samples.
You can't do that on the Mikro.

I personally had the Maschine 2 and loved for what it was, but I didn't like the workflow in combination with Ableton Live. So I sold it again. The MPC 1000 will be even worse in that regard. It's old Legacy hardware from 2003.

I myself have the Push 2 now and love it. Incredibly quick and easy to make solid drum tracks. Next to that I have the Korg Electribe now, which I like as well.

PS. If the Push was too complex for you and you are satisfied with the drum kits you have, why not go for the Novation Launchpad (Pro) ?
There are custom Control scripts available (Launchpad95) to turn the Launchpad into a Step sequencer and currently it's being updated for compatibility of the new LaunchPad Pro.