MPC 60 best sounding for sampling bass and samples?

[skiroy]

Research has told me that the MPC 60 is supposed to be considerd the best for full drums, not sure if the MPC 3000 is above or below in this cat. But are these classic MPCs just considered the best sounding for only drums or does it go for sampling loops,synths and basslines too?

Im just not feeling FL studio sound for drums. They always sound dead to me.

[elmolemon]

MPC 60 = 12Bit
MPC 3000 = 16Bit

Depending on the sound you're looking for the MPC 60 "might" be the right tool for you.

But if you're a software-producer you have to think about what it means to go outside the box. Converters, cables, floppy-disks for the mpc, little displays, midi..

But MPCs are great fun! So maybe just buy one and if you don't like it, sell it again.

I had an S900 for quite a few years! Amazing 12Bit drum-sound, but Battery is just so much more comfortable.. So i went ITB and sold it..

But wait..now i'm buying outboard-gear to give my ITB mixes more "sound"..

HEY! Give me my S900 back!

[Audio Child]

Best is very debateable!!!

The effort in what you put in is what you get out is what makes the machine best!
Remember the mpc is a slave and you are the master!! You will not get instant magic sounding samples or drums just by standardly using any of these machines!, its the creativity combined with such a machine is yet again whats the best.

[terrytee]

Originally Posted by elmolemon

d-gear to give my ITB mixes more "sound"..

HEY! Give me my S900 back!

LOL yo i sold my s950 about year ago yesterday got another 950 there great sounding samplers. I should say i would use my mpc3000 over a mpc60 but i would rather use the 950 via midi 2 the mpc3000 or 60. Plus the 950 has that filter that the 60 hasn't, better editing features.

[elmolemon]

Yeah the MPC3000/S950-combo would be nice!

Add a SP1200 and a TR-808 someday and you're good!

[terrytee]

Originally Posted by elmolemon

Yeah the MPC3000/S950-combo would be nice!

Add a SP1200 and a TR-808 someday and you're good!

Yeah man i feel like i have the best of both world right now. I wouldn't pass up on a sp or 808 either.

Originally Posted by skiroy

Research has told me that the MPC 60 is supposed to be considerd the best for full drums, not sure if the MPC 3000 is above or below in this cat. But are these classic MPCs just considered the best sounding for only drums or does it go for sampling loops,synths and basslines too?

Im just not feeling FL studio sound for drums. They always sound dead to me.

Basically the 60, 900 & 950 sound very gritty and it's most likely the only sampler your gonna find that sounds better when you push it over the peak. The 900 & 950 are the same sampler engine as the 60 but the S Series 900/50 have much better editing ferures plus a filter so buy one if you don't wanna seq with the MPC. The MPC3000 is the sample engine from the S3000 and yes it also sounds dope but is much cleaner than the 900's and has a sound which will be more relevant to todays music.

[rafa771]

If you're just looking for the "sound" of the MPC 60 or 3000, I would just pick up an S950 or S3000 as they have the same sound engines, respectively. Then you could just sequence them from FL. I do something similar with an Emax and an S950 sequence in Ableton. Someone brought up a good point about going from ITB to hardware samplers. Working with soft-samplers is a lot more luxurious than using hardware gear but I dig the sound of my hardware samplers so to me it's worth the sacrifice.

If I were you I would pick up an S950 for $200. It's a lot less than an MPC 60 and you can see if it does what you're looking for. If not, you can sell it for the same price you bought it for.

[elmolemon]

Originally Posted by rafa771

If I were you I would pick up an S950 for $200. It's a lot less than an MPC 60 and you can see if it does what you're looking for. If not, you can sell it for the same price you bought it for.

+1

If you're just looking for the SOUND, get a S950!

But a S3000 isn't worth going OTB...

[TonyBelmont]

The S950 and MPC60 sound different.

Same sampling engine... sound is different. Especially in the top end.

[cynic one]

I know this thread is AKAI-centric, but if you're just looking to add grit to your software based drums - get an Ensoniq DP/4.

You can pass drums through the AD/DA with no effect selected, and it gives you that ASR10 flavor. I've been doing that mostly from Cubase. You just add it as a hardware effect insert on your mixer channel.

I usually use it as a stereo effect on my drum bus. If you adjust the input knobs so the peak lights are hitting red every so often on the DP/4 it gives that nice SMACK and grit.

Here's a quick and dirty joint I did on the mpc1k/cubase/dp4/microX last night. Mighta squashed it a bit too hard with Izotope Ozone, but you'll get the picture.

cynic - Bluez - SoundCloud

PS: I'm still probably going to buy a s950 and a s3000 when I can find em cheap

[elmolemon]

Again i wouldn't buy a s3000.. i had a s3000XL and i was ok, but not that great.

If you want a nice non-12-bit-non-mpc-sampler i'd look into the high quality E-MU-samplers..

[orangeoctane]

Originally Posted by TonyBelmont

The S950 and MPC60 sound different.

Same sampling engine... sound is different. Especially in the top end.

I have an MPC60II and just picked up a 950 thinking I would get rid of the 60 since I don't sequence with it. I haven't even taken it out of the box yet to compare the two. Can you describe the differences off hand and do you think it's wise to have both or can the 950 just replace the 60?

[thefirehooligan]

Originally Posted by cynic

I know this thread is AKAI-centric, but if you're just looking to add grit to your software based drums - get an Ensoniq DP/4.

You can pass drums through the AD/DA with no effect selected, and it gives you that ASR10 flavor. I've been doing that mostly from Cubase. You just add it as a hardware effect insert on your mixer channel.

I usually use it as a stereo effect on my drum bus. If you adjust the input knobs so the peak lights are hitting red every so often on the DP/4 it gives that nice SMACK and grit.

Here's a quick and dirty joint I did on the mpc1k/cubase/dp4/microX last night. Mighta squashed it a bit too hard with Izotope Ozone, but you'll get the picture.

cynic - Bluez - SoundCloud

PS: I'm still probably going to buy a s950 and a s3000 when I can find em cheap

Ummm the DP/4 is a effects box based on the ASR-10s effects engine, its not a sampler. You must have it confused with something else.

[terrytee]

Originally Posted by orangeoctane

I have an MPC60II and just picked up a 950 thinking I would get rid of the 60 since I don't sequence with it. I haven't even taken it out of the box yet to compare the two. Can you describe the differences off hand and do you think it's wise to have both or can the 950 just replace the 60?

I second that request it could be interesting, which has more top end?

[cynic one]

Originally Posted by thefirehooligan

Ummm the DP/4 is a effects box based on the ASR-10s effects engine, its not a sampler. You must have it confused with something else.

Uhh. No shit it's not a sampler... I was trying to drop some knowledge on how to get that grit without jumping through the hoops of sampling with an external box.

You just don't get it. That's ok

[Studio507]

Yea the 950 has a better sound than the 60, also more versatile because you can change the sample rate. The main advantage to me though is the speed that you can chop samples on it. That and the asr/esp16 are the two quickest ways to chop a sample manually (recycle is fastest but I like changing with #s instead of visually, t helps you find little eccentricites that you wouldn't if you just did it visually...but I digress).

The built in bass tone is also real usable. On both the asr/eps and s950 actually.

[terrytee]

All this talk of s950's and mpc60's i can't help thinking of premo bangers. Sorry if it's off topic but i just found quite a good interview with Premier from Sound on Sound. Good read.

DJ Premier

[azwun25]

Originally Posted by thefirehooligan

Ummm the DP/4 is a effects box based on the ASR-10s effects engine, its not a sampler. You must have it confused with something else.

Pretty sure Cynic knows its an effects processor. he was referring to running stuff through the CONVERSION of the unit.

[orangeoctane]

Originally Posted by cynic

Uhh. No shit it's not a sampler... I was trying to drop some knowledge on how to get that grit without jumping through the hoops of sampling with an external box.

You just don't get it. That's ok

That brings up a good question... does anyone know if the S950 works like this? Can you monitor the 12-bit end result in real-time or does it have to sample and process to render the 12-bit sound?

[TonyBelmont]

Originally Posted by orangeoctane

That brings up a good question... does anyone know if the S950 works like this? Can you monitor the 12-bit end result in real-time or does it have to sample and process to render the 12-bit sound?

You have to sample it... Real time monitoring is of the analog signal...

As far as the top end... it's just different, try for yourself.

[Chris Lago]

Originally Posted by skiroy

Research has told me that the MPC 60 is supposed to be considerd the best for full drums, not sure if the MPC 3000 is above or below in this cat. But are these classic MPCs just considered the best sounding for only drums or does it go for sampling loops,synths and basslines too?

Im just not feeling FL studio sound for drums. They always sound dead to me.

Ok but have you actually tried sample Cds from sample companies?

[gussyg2007]

logic bit crusher!!!! +3 on the drive turn it down to 12 bit ,there you go

[KIKBAK1]

I have a mpc 60ii. I got it customized with a +4dBv output boost, mpc3000 upgrade and a scsi. I've had it since 1998. I really dont use it anymore, but I always loved the sound of it.I just used it to make a ReFill for Reason 4. You can check it out here

https://www.propellerheads.se/shop/i...10424&Cat=4200

Also, I have more videos on my myspace page KIKBAK ON A TRACK (MPC 60ii REFILL AVAILABLE NOW!) on MySpace Music - Free Streaming MP3s, Pictures & Music Videos of my Mpc 60 Refill. For more info, email me @ kikbak1@gmail.com

[elmolemon]

Originally Posted by gussyg2007

logic bit crusher!!!! +3 on the drive turn it down to 12 bit ,there you go

not quite the same...

[cynic one]

Also...some cats swear by this >

D16 Group Audio Software - Beyond Perfection - Decimort

I still need to try that out.

[TonyBelmont]

Originally Posted by cynic

Also...some cats swear by this >

D16 Group Audio Software - Beyond Perfection - Decimort

I still need to try that out.

Tried it... it's not quite the same thing.

[cynic one]

Originally Posted by TonyBelmont

Tried it... it's not quite the same thing.

True, but I doubt we're ever going to have an exact replica in software. I think you could probably get pretty close with that and some distortion/eq....

[TonyBelmont]

Originally Posted by cynic

True, but I doubt we're ever going to have an exact replica in software. I think you could probably get pretty close with that and some distortion/eq....

Not even close, really....

[JaeOne3345]

Originally Posted by TonyBelmont

Tried it... it's not quite the same thing.

None of those bit crushers are the same.

They can be used as an effect, coo, but beyond that, if you want a 12 bit sound so bad, get a 12 bit machine.

It's really not a necessity to make a good record with it anyway. I got favorites that were made on grimey ass gear, and favorites that sound pristine.

I'm not really big on the whole monitor thru an ensoniq piece to get a sound. I own a dp2 fx box and an eps16+. I can monitor through both. The EPS has variable rates and sometimes I sample at 22.1 or 17.9 for grit. Sometimes maybe even at a faster speed and pitch down for effect. Simply just monitoring through it isn't really drastic enough for me to be worth the time. It's not the same as the sampler actually capturing the sound with the onboard a/d.

There are beats on my page (see my sig) made with everything from Logic/Battery, mpc 1000, s950, sp-1200, eps16+, me playing live bass, me playing synth bass, etc. At the end of the day I am just a gear nerd and don't really need all that shit. Some folks collect shoes, baseball cards, etc. I just collect gear. Haha. At the end the day it's all down to the final product.

[elmolemon]

Originally Posted by TonyBelmont

Not even close, really....

Originally Posted by JaeOne3345

...if you want a 12 bit sound so bad, get a 12 bit machine.

WORD!