I want an Akai MPC.

[freshdrumma]

so do you want to sell me you 1000?

i guess that if you feel like having an mpc(like i do) it's because you want to be able to make music away from the computer screen and mouse, you want to feel like you have a proper instrument and u are tired of using your laptop for playing, email, composing, internet, itunes ecc....

if your setup is only software getting a real instrument it's a refreshing joy, don't get me wrong, software is great!

[logic_user99]

1. you don't know what it does but you need it to make music.

yeah...

learn what you have, the mpc is a whole 'nother skill set and mentality to learn. nice idea with the mpd32. the look and feel of an Akai but you can use Live to do nearly the same stuff.

I know what the MPC does, and I know what Live does (and how to use it). The simple fact is that I don't want to be using a laptop live (or anywhere near a set of drums, for that matter!) and as I use a computer 24/7 for work, trying to compose at a screen is really 'doing my head in' so to speak.

As freshdrumma said, it's more the 'real instrument thing that I'm after. HOWEVER, Live is 'nuff easy to use (esp. with the 'slice to midi' feature), and if similar/the same results can be acheived with an MPD32 I'd be open to trying one of them instead... if only because it's about £100 cheaper than the MPC500!

Just out of interest; does anyone use the MPC500 as a MIDI controller for Live? If I were able to use it along-side Live as opposed to 'instead of', I think one would be laughing.

[Mazzo]

I have a q6600 overclocked to 3 ghz, so I run Live with a latency of exactly 1 millisecond which is nothing at all.

Not after loading a few 3rd party VST/AU's you don't.

can you load VSTs into your MPC?

[timothyallan]

I have a q6600 overclocked to 3 ghz, so I run Live with a latency of exactly 1 millisecond which is nothing at all.

Not after loading a few 3rd party VST/AU's you don't.

can you load VSTs into your MPC?

I think he explained this earlier??

[jlgrimes]

Not after loading a few 3rd party VST/AU's you don't.

can you load VSTs into your MPC?

I think he explained this earlier??

I wouldn't expect any performance increases from using a mpc.

I've been using softsynths since I had just a P4. Now I got a core 2 duo.

With all of them, I've been able to run at 2.9ms of latency which feels just like hardware (and better than my analog se1x which seems to have a lag to it).

Even with a few plug-ins inserted generally, I don't notice a latency increase (on some plug-ins I do though), but consider with the mpc, the effects are generally bland and you simpler has better filtering options than most mpcs.


The two reasons I would get an mpc,

1. Great sequencer. (The mpc sequencer still is a great sequencer and has a few advantages over computer sequencers).

2. Great vintage sound (on some units).


Performance wise though, you probably would be better off on a computer especially if you opt for an older MPC which might only be able to load 64-128 drum sounds at once and only have 16 to 32 mb of RAM at most.

[starving student]

don't even buy an mpc new, get a used mpc 1000,

http://youtube.com/profile_videos?user=bloomypetal

[Kirb]

Hey, logicuser:

I just wanted to advise you from personal experience - if you like to really play your drumsets/samples on the pads (like I do) rather than just trigger loops and do more simple midi input with the pads, I strongly recommend against the mpc 500. I've owned a 500 and a 1000, and now use a 2000xl, mostly with Drum Racks. I can definitely say that there's a night-and-day difference between the pad feel, sensitivity, and overall quality between the 2000's and the 500, and even a large difference between the 1000 and the 500. I could never get the 500's pads to respond the way I liked, even after adjusting the pad sensitivity and curve.

I'd look into a used 1000 or 2000xl, they're great tools, especially since they can easily be used to control drum racks as well as being used standalone.

Kirb

[starving student]

a kirb a little more about what youre doing, mpc/drumracks, , how are you syncing things up and method stuff like that?

[Mazzo]

Not after loading a few 3rd party VST/AU's you don't.

can you load VSTs into your MPC?

I think he explained this earlier??

he did in his opening post: "I don't want a 'complete music production' suite, just something for making beats and jamming along wi mi drumses! "

[Kirb]

starving student-
These days I use my 2000xl 100% as a Drumrack controller; I have a pgm in the mpc that sends out the right midi notes. I currently do not ever sync my mpc with Live (or vice versa), although I used to when I had my 1000 and was making beats primarily on the mpc, and recording audio into Live. Since then Live 7 came out and I found that Drumracks do everything that I was doing on the mpc, but save me time (because I was still chopping all my samples in Live, then transferring them to the mpc) and now I just drag samples to the drumrack. Now I get the same workflow (essentially) and great pad feel of the 2000xl, but it's all contained in Live, and still I have the mpc to use as standalone to play live. Or, as logicuser rightly points out, to get the hell away from the screen occasionally is priceless.

I personally do not use it so much for triggering loops or doing 'track mutes', mostly just to play drums and chopped samples to my liking whilst producing/building beats.

Also at logicuser: another argument, in my opinion, against the mpc500 as a midi controller (at least for drumracks) in Live is its 3x4 pad layout; it'd f- with my head to use with drumracks.

Alright, I've been long winded enough,
kirb

[starving student]

hey thanks kirb, and are you saying that you don't use the seq on the mp with the drumracks ?

[Kirb]

correct, not since live 7/drumracks came out, but it's nice to have.

[kb420]

Like I said before:

Live 7 and a MPD 32 is all you need.

[starving student]

don't know about that, thing is Live 8 will probably be a monster signaling a more complete drumrack/slicing/sequencing live experience with no parsing of drum sampling features but right now it's still easier, faster, and more enjoyable to get a groove going on an mpc than in Live. now if you're talking about just dumping in loops and coming up with something inspiring
i think lives got the edge but when it comes to real slicing, small chops and programming some nice grooves live is incomplete, in addition live is still a pain moving slices around and organizing pads the work flow could be alot better. last but not least
groove options
groove options
groove options!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

live 8 has got to have all of this covered!

the abes are great at the stuff that resides in the clouds and the esoterics but when it comes to the down to earth stuff they need to get some sampling laymen in their and work out a few things.
kind of like how native instruments battery 3 has no slicer, it kind of makes it easy to imagine what kind of peeps they got in there working on a drumsampler. i e: definitely not peeps who love to use drum samplers, any way i'm sure the abes will get it together.

[starving student]

oops
http://www.vimeo.com/347073