SP-FORUMS :: View topic - MPC500 review

yo cartesia, are you 'gav_stillnotcrazy'?

The MPC500 is what you what you get when Akai trys to be Roland and fails

Dj Frantic wrote:

The MPC500 is what you what you get when Akai trys to be Roland and fails

So MPC500 vs. Roland SP-555 ... Roland wins? I'm thinking of buying either the Mpc500 or the SP-555.

(Btw, hi everyone!! Very useful forums here. )

The MPC500 is what you what you get when Akai trys to be Roland and fails

PHeMoX wrote:

Dj Frantic wrote:

The MPC500 is what you what you get when Akai trys to be Roland and fails

So MPC500 vs. Roland SP-555 ... Roland wins? I'm thinking of buying either the Mpc500 or the SP-555.

(Btw, hi everyone!! Very useful forums here. )

hmm.. two very different devices, what do you plan on using it for?

the big draw for the MPCs is they can sequence external gear as well, and that they have separate sequencing tracks - ie you could mute the kick drum while the rest played, etc.. there are ways to fake this with the roland but basically everything is recorded on one sequence track, whereas the MPC has a separate track for each sample.

Dont buy the MPC500 though if you end up going with akai! get a second hand 1000 instead

How are the effects on the MPC1000? I hear a lot of people complain about it saying it's a little too complicated in normal use?

Author:	Lopar-XL [ Tue Sep 11, 2007 4:21 pm ]
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I have an idea about how to use the card from your BR600 directly into your SP-606 (or 404 or 555). I don't know if this will work, though. If I'm not mistaken, the BR600 could also be used as an ad hoc sampler/drum sequencer as well. What you would do is format a CF card in your groovebox, then load said card into a CF reader on your computer, copy the \Roland directory and everything in it to a temporary directory on your PC's hard disk, then copy that folder onto a card that was formatted for the BR600. If the BR600 also formats the card with a \Roland directory, then copy everything from the one for the SP into the one for the BR600. Now you should be able export samples from your SP or BR, take the card out and plug into the other machine, then import the .wav or .aif files without having to go through a PC first. I don't have a BR or any other hardware sampler or whatever that uses a CompactFlash card, so could someone please test this theory out for me?

Author:	iG9 [ Tue Sep 11, 2007 6:22 pm ]
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that's a neat idea.

Author:	kristoffer1989 [ Tue Sep 11, 2007 6:51 pm ]
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this will not work.. but it doesn't matter really. This will not wirk 'cos: the sp-404(cant talk for any of the other models) only load samples saved in the root folder.. if you export a sound on the br600 it will be saved in root--->roland-->usb It doesn't matter 'cos: you only hook up your output on the br600 to the input on you sp, put it on autorecord and press play on the br600. It works really great. The br600 is a real good tool to use with your sp! just think of it. I know many of you love the lofi mono drums but jjust thinkk of this.. you have some stereo drum samples, you program some patterns with kick, snare, hihat, crash. this can tak up to 8 voices.. now you plug your br to the output of your sp. press record on the br and play on the sp. then record it back to a pad using autorecord... now it only takes up 2 voices! it really works great! plus it has many cool fxs to, and if ou're about to record bassguitar, synth(i know a lot of you, like me have the microkorg without any sequenser) guitar or vocals, you can record with a metronome... It also has a "submixer" what this does is you can plug your sp in to the line in, and a mic to the mic in, now you can record your mic while you're listning to the sp at the same time thru the br but not reocrding th sp... sorry for the bad english but the br600 really kicks ass!

Author:	cartesia [ Tue Sep 11, 2007 11:15 pm ]
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Quote: yo cartesia, are you 'gav_stillnotcrazy'? yup and yeah listed the mpc500 on ebay

Author:	Dj Frantic [ Wed Sep 12, 2007 1:49 pm ]
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The MPC500 is what you what you get when Akai trys to be Roland and fails

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MPC500 review http://sp-forums.com/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=668	Page 2 of 5

Author:	PHeMoX [ Sat Oct 13, 2007 9:24 am ]
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Dj Frantic wrote: The MPC500 is what you what you get when Akai trys to be Roland and fails So MPC500 vs. Roland SP-555 ... Roland wins? I'm thinking of buying either the Mpc500 or the SP-555. (Btw, hi everyone!! Very useful forums here. )

Author:	cartesia [ Sat Oct 13, 2007 2:02 pm ]
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PHeMoX wrote: Dj Frantic wrote: The MPC500 is what you what you get when Akai trys to be Roland and fails So MPC500 vs. Roland SP-555 ... Roland wins? I'm thinking of buying either the Mpc500 or the SP-555. (Btw, hi everyone!! Very useful forums here. ) hmm.. two very different devices, what do you plan on using it for? the big draw for the MPCs is they can sequence external gear as well, and that they have separate sequencing tracks - ie you could mute the kick drum while the rest played, etc.. there are ways to fake this with the roland but basically everything is recorded on one sequence track, whereas the MPC has a separate track for each sample. Dont buy the MPC500 though if you end up going with akai! get a second hand 1000 instead

Author:	balazs [ Sat Oct 13, 2007 3:02 pm ]
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Dj Frantic wrote: The MPC500 is what you what you get when Akai trys to be Roland and fails and the MV-8000/8800 is what you get when roland tries to be akai and fails.

Author:	PHeMoX [ Sat Oct 13, 2007 5:46 pm ]
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cartesia wrote: PHeMoX wrote: Dj Frantic wrote: The MPC500 is what you what you get when Akai trys to be Roland and fails So MPC500 vs. Roland SP-555 ... Roland wins? I'm thinking of buying either the Mpc500 or the SP-555. (Btw, hi everyone!! Very useful forums here. ) hmm.. two very different devices, what do you plan on using it for? the big draw for the MPCs is they can sequence external gear as well, and that they have separate sequencing tracks - ie you could mute the kick drum while the rest played, etc.. there are ways to fake this with the roland but basically everything is recorded on one sequence track, whereas the MPC has a separate track for each sample. Dont buy the MPC500 though if you end up going with akai! get a second hand 1000 instead I plan to use it to make songs (hip-hop but also trance/techno perhaps), nothing live probably. It would be nice to be able to plug-in things like a microphone and/or bassguitar/normal guitar. Sampling should not be too difficult either and I need some effects. How are the effects on the MPC1000? I hear a lot of people complain about it saying it's a little too complicated in normal use?

Author:	balazs [ Sat Oct 13, 2007 7:26 pm ]
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PHeMoX wrote: How are the effects on the MPC1000? I hear a lot of people complain about it saying it's a little too complicated in normal use? some will disagree but i think the fx on the 1000 are ill.

Author:	Dj Frantic [ Sat Oct 13, 2007 7:26 pm ]
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The SP-555 can also sequence external gear...just not as nicely as the MPC If would stay away from the MPC500. Ne thing above an MPC1000 (and the 60) is nice but the 500 is not made to be a stand alone machine... u cant even adjust the friggin level of your samples on it ! you gotta adjust the velocity to lower the levels

Author:	PHeMoX [ Sat Oct 13, 2007 7:51 pm ]
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Thanks for the advice guys, much appreciated! I've done some more thinking and I think it's going to be a SP-555 then. Honestly because I'm not all that excited getting a second-hand MPC1000 from eBay. Prices are good and it's not that I don't trust eBay, but you know.. feels more comfortable buying in a regular store and money isn't thát much of an issue. (not willing to spend more than 1000$ though at the moment) Another question if I may, what are the limitations of the SP-555 or at least things that are more difficult to do with it or things that annoy because it's not possible or not as easy to do? Any things in particular that turned you of whilst working with it? I ám looking for something that can work stand-alone, but I don't need anything truly portable and will have it hooked up with a PC and software anyways.. Currently I'm leaning towards buying a SP-555, but I'd love to hear your thoughts on this. Thanks again!

Author:	balazs [ Sat Oct 13, 2007 7:59 pm ]
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One big limitation of the sp-555 is shitty timestretch/pitch shift. I think i remember someone on the site saying the timestretch/pitch shift sounded better than the 404, but i wouldnt trust it to be much better. As long as you dont mind using your ears and less eyes- And you dont mind getting grimy on the track mixing then you should be fine.

Author:	Dj Frantic [ Sun Oct 14, 2007 12:47 am ]
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The thing the average MPC junkie complains about is usually the sequencer. Its just 1 track sequencer with quantize, real time recording and real time editing (press the del. button and hold down the pads you want to delete from the seq.) Thats about it. But its all you really need unless your really into step editing. If you are looking for all in one I think the 555 is your machine. Its also a audio/midi interface and a card reader. The MPCs USB only works as a card reader so you would need to buy an audio interface + software to record your stuff (oh ya, the 555 also comes with recording and editing software) The fx on the MPC arent very good at all and work thru a send/return system. The effects on the 555 are SICK. Especially the lofi compressor... wow... that thing is insane.

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Author:	PHeMoX [ Sun Oct 14, 2007 10:46 am ]
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Thanks again As far as the sequencer limitation goes, that's probably not much of a problem because you can edit in software lateron I guess. Cool, can't wait to purchase the SP-555 now. Edit: Hehehehe, sorry for asking yet another question, but how does the SP-555 compare to the SP-606??