Any of you guys use an MPC?

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quest
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Re: Any of you guys use an MPC?

Post by quest »

WOLF! wrote:
I'm currently looking to make a SCSI2SD mod for the RS7000 to speed up things.
It's a old beast but I certainly like it... . As already mentioned the CPU is a bit slow so when U use a lot of automation the sequencer slows down.
Hey WOLF! Got any info on this mod? I am using an RS7000 with intention of maxing out the max RAM (a paltry 64mb) when producing with it and it takes a damn while to load that many samples. I am using SCSI with a SyQuest cartridge which I can load up with samples if connecting to PC instead but it's janky workflow for sure.

I'm using mainly a Roland MV8000 as main drumstation with the RS serving as a kind of floating percussion layer on top of the main drums which are done by the MV. It is a workflow which makes the most of the admittedly janky workflows and doesn't expect too much from the RS on its own, but takes advantage of the cool MIDI effects and other effects.

I don't like most of the internal sounds at all really so it's a pretty big stretch to load it up with external samples just to take advantage of the sequencer features, but it's hard to find the features anywhere else.

As for the MV8000, it is in an uncanny valley when you add the mouse and VGA monitor option, it's kind of like using a really oldschool DAW, but that's what I like about it. It doesn't have internet, you can focus on what you're doing, the timing is really tight, transients don't get squashed in the way Ableton seems to do (you can see Ableton doing it when you drag around waveform clip edges when really zoomed in).

The workflows are more tedious but rewards better. If things aren't locking up you can't massage clips like with Ableton, you have to fix the samples properly, but the results to me are more crisp.

Overall workflow-wise until I found the Innerclock Sync Gen, it was a pain for me working in two worlds, separate hardware world driven by the MV8000 clock, recording into Ableton and then continuing from there. Wanting to change something meant having to go back and re-record at least individual tracks which became a chore, kinda like mixing down stems for live performance and fucking one of them up (figured that one out too by arranging original tracks in stemmed groups and mixing them with Ableton Link until the last moment and then finally making stems just before a performance).

The Innerclock Sync Gen means you can have tight clock from your DAW bypassing the crappy MIDI implementation of Mac and Win, if you have two channels of audio to spare from your soundcard outputs. Runs clock over audio instead, it's like sequencing with an Atari everything is rock solid. It's a joy to have the hardware world and DAW world reunited, meaning I can keep tracks as hardware tracks until the very end of the production process and dub them into the DAW only when I'm sure they're how they need to be for the finished track.

You can get Song Position Pointer too by sending clock out from your regular MIDI interface, and then filtering out the clock (but not song position pointer messages) and then merging that to the input of your drum machines. You're going to want to do something like that anyway if you wanna put a controller keyboard in front of your drum machine, the clock filter is just one extra step.

Anyhow long post sorry about that, to make up for it here's a good article on the subject:

https://www.attackmagazine.com/features ... pc-timing/

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Re: Any of you guys use an MPC?

Post by WOLF! »

Hey Quest, I recently opened the RS7000 and had the idea to put a scsi2sd adapter inside it but I will be a lot of work and I really want to make some music now so it's currently on hold. It will be necessary to unsolder the scsi connector from the main board and make the connections inside of the RS via a flat cable adapter. Also the smartmedia card reader needs to be extracted and the SCSI2SD module needed to be built in. Could be a future project but like I already mentioned the solder iron is currently on a holiday and it's time to make some music (or at least noise :D). A much quicker way would be to put the scsi2sd adapter in a case and connect it to the RS via a scsi cable.

About your clock story; I use a expert sleepers Usamo for generating a solid midi clock a syncing my RS and Zaquencer to Ableton and it really works well.
I'm going to experiment in the near future to merge some midi notes and cc's (from my rme PCI card) together with the usamo's clock with a edirol um550 midi patcher.

I know what you mean with the RS midi tricks; that's one of the reasons why I like it so much.
Elektron Digitakt could be a nice midi sequencer but it has problems with midi so it's currently a no go.
They seam to have released a buggy machine when you use the midi tracks.
Hope that they can work things out with a firmware upgrade; in the meanwhile I keep using the RS7000.

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Re: Any of you guys use an MPC?

Post by nomadjames »

So what do you guys think about combining sequencing duties between two different sequencers? Like an MPC and something that can do XOX style programming? I still have barely scratched the surface with my MPC, but step sequencing, particularly on the fly, is something i need.
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Re: Any of you guys use an MPC?

Post by Mslwte »

Have any of you looked into swapping out the floppy drive on the RS, for a USB emulator? Its not the quickest method but does make things a bit easier and is cheap. It's what I have in the A3000.
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Re: Any of you guys use an MPC?

Post by WOLF! »

Hey Mslwte,

The Rm1x has a floppy drive but doesn't have the ability to load samples. The floppy drive is used to save rm1x songs (styles in Yamaha terminology) so there's lots of space on that 1,44 MB disk. A usb floppy emulator does work with the Rm1x and will be handy to backup rm1x to you computers but you can also use a second floppy for backup purposes.

The real gain would be to change to smartmedia cardreader from the RS7000 to something else.
SM cards have a slow loading speed but they do work okay so I've not been into changing it.

I still have my rm1x and my RS7000 and got back to the rm1x last week. I must say that I really prefer the rs7000 because it has more dedicated knobs (it's just better for my workflow) + all the other points I've already typed in a previous reaction.

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Re: Any of you guys use an MPC?

Post by Mslwte »

WOLF! wrote:Hey Mslwte,

The Rm1x has a floppy drive but doesn't have the ability to load samples. The floppy drive is used to save rm1x songs (styles in Yamaha terminology) so there's lots of space on that 1,44 MB disk. A usb floppy emulator does work with the Rm1x and will be handy to backup rm1x to you computers but you can also use a second floppy for backup purposes.

The real gain would be to change to smartmedia cardreader from the RS7000 to something else.
SM cards have a slow loading speed but they do work okay so I've not been into changing it.

I still have my rm1x and my RS7000 and got back to the rm1x last week. I must say that I really prefer the rs7000 because it has more dedicated knobs (it's just better for my workflow) + all the other points I've already typed in a previous reaction.
ah, i was referring to the RS. for some reason i thought it had a floppy drive at the front.
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Re: Any of you guys use an MPC?

Post by winston »

nomadjames wrote:So what do you guys think about combining sequencing duties between two different sequencers? Like an MPC and something that can do XOX style programming? I still have barely scratched the surface with my MPC, but step sequencing, particularly on the fly, is something i need.
i have just bought a roland W30 and had thought that once i get it set up i would use the new sample programming feature on the Tr-8 to trigger drums on the w30 live. i need to update the tr-8 to the latest firmware, so i don't know how easy it is for this to happen but in theory it is definitely possible if i can figure out the midi notes of the sample triggers.

but i think if you have the JJOS for the mpc you can have a step sequencer option depending on the version

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Re: Any of you guys use an MPC?

Post by Lost to the Void »

MPC Live does piano roll and xox sequencing.
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Re: Any of you guys use an MPC?

Post by speen »

Can someone please convince me not to buy an mpc1000?

I'm thinking of using it standalone, to limit myself and make some early 2000s style loopy tracks, but am unsure how far you can get without exporting stems to process them separately.

I've read that the fx are mediocre at best, but do they really sound shit or just limited?

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Re: Any of you guys use an MPC?

Post by frico »

If are serious about wanting to limit yourself, I think it's a good idea. The workflow is immediate and tactile, and forces you to use your ears more than looking at a daw screen, IME. With an MPC, I find myself paying more attention to the nuances of drums, especially velocity and tuning. The fx are mediocre but you can always make a bunch of processed variations of your samples ITB and then work with them on the MPC, or solo tracks and record them back into the computer.

And you can generally sell used gear like this for more or less what you paid for it, if it doesn't work for you.

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Re: Any of you guys use an MPC?

Post by Críoch »

The 500/1000/2500.. you will have a bit of maintenance to do. Tact switches regularly go & you will need to open, resolder & replace.

You need to made sure it hasn't been abused. By their nature.. they get walloped every time they are used. Pads can go. There are 2 versions of the 1000. One with individual cell pads (which die) and another with a 'whole board' of pad sensors (better).

I personally think the workflow is great. Midi & samples. Great grooves.. roll buttons.. midi synth sequencing (pads send more than note & velocity). The mute page is wicked for jamming an arrangement.

I found JJOS buggy. My 2500 was rock solid on the Akai OS.

I wouldn't agree on being able to sell mpcs these days. I was lucky to shift mine to a guy who wanted it to play crazy rhythms at Eastern European weddings. The 2500 is THE machine. I shit you not.

See lots of them up for sale for a lonnng time & these are ones with upgrades, for a fair price. I don't think these machines are worth it in 2020 & are a risky buy that will ultimately require occasional downtime & further investment

Mightn't have the same tactile functionality.. but think most people are getting rid , while they are still worth a few quid.. to buy a digitakt or new touchscreen MPC.
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Re: Any of you guys use an MPC?

Post by over9000 »

Dont do it.
I found hardware sequencing and drum machines a pain in the ass tbh.
Ableton is amazing and naybe you need to buy an age old box to find that out.
All the hassle just wouldent be worth it for me. And i was too lazy and used ableton for drum sequencing anyway, even when i had the drum machines.
I get the idea of self limitation, but then i wouldent go for an old piece of gear but for something like an mpc live..
I found out to have so much time spent on solving shitty little problems that should not be there, but hey its midi and its 30 years old..

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Re: Any of you guys use an MPC?

Post by yentz »

Bought a mpc one. It is really fun to use. Just using Ableton for tracking now.

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Re: Any of you guys use an MPC?

Post by kronk »

you wont know how it suits you until you try it... so if you can afford it, scratch the itch.

i used mpcs for a long time - asq10, mpc2000xl, mpc3000 . i never bothered with the 1000 as i felt that the 3000 was as good as it got. a friend of mine had the 2500 and later the 5000 which had more bells and whistles but were a completley different breed imho. havent tried the new mpcs at all, they look fine i suppose. the 3000 is still pricey and limited in a lot of ways but sounds great. the old chestnut of limitations leading to inspiration/creatavity is very true with it imho.

if youre looking for a box to mix up midi sequencing, pad drumming and audio looping which has a very simple workflow (vs elektron) and sounds really nice then the pioneer toraiz sp-16 is worth a look. i really it. its limited in ways and ableton can do everything it does but its much more enjoyable to jam out on. these are now going used for 500e..

a different beast but also with a great sound & joyful to use is the korg esx-1. i would be looking at those two machines instead of the mpc1000 or digitakt, they might be more limited but have wayyy more mojo and joy to use about them.

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Re: Any of you guys use an MPC?

Post by frico »

Críoch wrote:
Tue Jun 02, 2020 6:39 pm

I wouldn't agree on being able to sell mpcs these days. I was lucky to shift mine to a guy who wanted it to play crazy rhythms at Eastern European weddings. The 2500 is THE machine. I shit you not.

See lots of them up for sale for a lonnng time & these are ones with upgrades, for a fair price. I don't think these machines are worth it in 2020 & are a risky buy that will ultimately require occasional downtime & further investment

Mightn't have the same tactile functionality.. but think most people are getting rid , while they are still worth a few quid.. to buy a digitakt or new touchscreen MPC.
Yeah, you are probably right about the resale value dropping over the last few years since the live/one came out; I haven't been keeping track. And you might well have to budget for new pads as well. I had to replace the pads on mine last year –it's not hard to do but it's more money obvs.

All of this stuff is so personal and subjective – I find making beats on an MPC way more enjoyable than in software (and I prefer the sonics too), and I think it's totally worth the investment. But for a lot of people, it's not worth the hassle. You could look into buying a newer MPC from somewhere with a generous return policy, or maybe borrow one from someone if you happen to know anyone...

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Re: Any of you guys use an MPC?

Post by speen »

I appreciate all the replies! I guess I'll just have to try one if I find one listed in the area that has no obvious issues (new pads) and has a decent price.

I get the issue that over9000 points out, and maybe i will get super annoyed in no time since I'm so used to all the options ableton gives you but I would like something with a decent size that I can use on the couch and is not a laptop. My other hardware is currently not available since a 3 months-old is using my studio space as his bedroom now!

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Re: Any of you guys use an MPC?

Post by Plyphon »

I would like something with a decent size that I can use on the couch and is not a laptop

In my experience this total 'dream of convenience' never works out. It's either a bad back hunched over, rickety surface, uncomfortable sitting, cables everywhere, shit out of reach because you've piled up machines on your lap...

It's like when you have this dream of sitting in bed doing work on a laptop or something. It's quickly becomes too uncomfortable to bother.

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Re: Any of you guys use an MPC?

Post by speen »

Plyphon wrote:
Thu Jun 04, 2020 4:36 pm
I would like something with a decent size that I can use on the couch and is not a laptop

In my experience this total 'dream of convenience' never works out. It's either a bad back hunched over, rickety surface, uncomfortable sitting, cables everywhere, shit out of reach because you've piled up machines on your lap...

It's like when you have this dream of sitting in bed doing work on a laptop or something. It's quickly becomes too uncomfortable to bother.
I've been doing this since half March now :lol: the best thing is joining meetings without your webcam on so you can actually lie down.

but sure, you still need to connect to a power socket and have the flat screen so it will probably suck, but a laptop sucks too after a day of looking at it.

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Re: Any of you guys use an MPC?

Post by Plyphon »

Cor yeh I couldn't do that - I can do maybe 45 mins or an hour sat in bed but any more than that I get all sorts of back and neck pains! Luckily I had a PC gaming/music (and now a home office) set up so I've been just sitting here all day since March.

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Re: Any of you guys use an MPC?

Post by 2latuile »

speen wrote:
Tue Jun 02, 2020 9:10 am
Can someone please convince me not to buy an mpc1000?

I'm thinking of using it standalone, to limit myself and make some early 2000s style loopy tracks, but am unsure how far you can get without exporting stems to process them separately.

I've read that the fx are mediocre at best, but do they really sound shit or just limited?
Hey Speen... Well, I've been using a MPC1000 as my main sequencer for a couple years now for various reasons (I don't really like the sequencer-oriented daws available on Linux and am not willing to switch to Mac or Windows, and I actually don't really like being stuck on a computer screen when doing music, I prefer the more "immediate" feeling of working with hardware).

Now to answer your question: I'm not even trying to do finished tracks with the MPC only - I prepare my sequences with the MPC and synths, then record jams (audio only, separated outs thru a 16 channels mixer and soundcard) to my computer until I have a a good starting point, then edit, add overdubs, effects etc and do the final mix on the DAW (I use Ardour - the free DAW on which Harrison Mixbus is based on - which is really a "sound-engineer oriented" DAW, kind of an analogue studio but with much more powerful editing features of course).

IOW, "how far you can get without exporting stems" is (in my case at least) not much more than halfway to a finished track, at least by today's standards. I barely use the MPC's FX section (saying that it's "limited" is an understatement IMHO), and don't do much fancy sample looping / start point tricks etc either (I rather do this kind of things in Ardour and reimport the result in the MPC) so you could argue that I'm not using the MPC to it's full potential and you'd probably be right FWIW, and I can easily understand how something like Ableton could make some things much easier (and way much faster). But OTHO having learned the old way this workflow feels much more natural to me, and I found it also helps me focusing more on the basics and wasting much less time messing with minute details on something that's not worth it to start with.

About using the MPC totally standalone (ie without at least one small monosynth at hand to create the basic sounds / loops and sample them), I'm afraid this won't really work for the kind of tracks you're doing. It's probably fine for more sample-oriented styles (hip hop, DnB, possibly some old school house stuff), but the processing abilities (filters, enveloppes, FX etc) of the MPC are IMHO way too limited for more complex sound design work.

My 2 cents...
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