Ren and Maschine are both hiphop on life support. If the computer shuts down those controllers are dead. You hear me, DEAD! Fuck 'em where they breathe is what I say. Let them drop dead.

ive just realised that you can post your music on this forum

i kinda cant wait to finish this album im working on atm (i cant wait to finish anyway) because i want you lot to see what can be done. i dont think my stuff is the dopest or whatever but im proud as fuck of the stuff im doing right now because its the most intricate and technical shit ive ever done. its all 404 and maschine work but the whole thing wouldnt sound remotely like it does without maschine.

and to the people that thing making a beat with ableton equates to the same thing as making a beat on maschine cause its all just software... youre silly

Fact is when youre on Maschine you almost never look at the laptop screen... some people even close the lid/turn of the monitor. I dont think I ever looked at the screen or clicked with the mouse the entire time I used one.

If you say you never heard good beats come from a Maschine, then youve heard a bunch of new guys who just use the factory sounds... and there's TONS of kicks, snares etc. They are very clean sounding, Id almost say sterile, even the "vinyl" kits. But hell, if you sample from vinyl or record your own sources, you can make dope beats on ableton, Maschine, Reaper, whatever.

Id still say the biggest difference is that in the SP you have limited mixing capabilities... so while on the computer most DAWs will present you with a big ass mixer screen and its just sooo tempting to try and fix a bad kick with a compressor, EQ, distortion plugin... and sooo tempting to fix a bad tune by trying to get a perfect mix...

Its a dead end. Go back to your music and make a good TUNE, not a good mix. Give it SOUL, NOT A NICE OUTFIT!!!

Thats where the SP comes in.

Same here....I think this pretty much sums it up.


@hadizzle- Based on the kind of music you desire to make I'd say go with the SP...using Ableton and the SP you'll have all you need to express yourself with almost no limits. Where the SP and Maschine differ is that Maschine will do nothing for you sonically that can't be done with Ableton the SP however is a wealth of sonic possibilities waiting to be discovered.

Man,...I like this. Good point.

Coming from a user who has both...use what you want. If you really know what you're doing both work just fine. I had my Maschine for 2 years now and its pushed out amazing shit. Your beats are what you put into the sampler itself. If you're wack you'll be wack on every new piece of equipment you get

U can use both, if u starting out don't got vynil, or a laptop, and plan to make beats indoors use maschine.
404 is cool on the go and shit

I was at my local GC the other day, just looking around. I spotted a MPC2kXL, without a price. I asked what it was going for, he said $400 (average as far as I recall, so no biggee), but immediately he tries to sell me a Machine instead, since he claims everybody is using that more.....But I wasn't even interested in it, and probably never will be. I just don't like the fact there's no ins/outs on the thing, so you have to rely on your computer, and I'm not trying that way for quite some time. He then tries to just ask if I only need a drum machine. I told him I've got that covered (I told him I have electribes for just drums). But he was nice enough to see if he could find any 303's or 404's in his system. I'll think about it, because I'm trying for a ST-224 sampletrack to go along with my sp505, but if I were to see that MPC there in 2 weeks, I'd honestly look into that too. (I doubt it will be there though). At least MPC2k's don't need to be hooked up to a computer.

yeah but the MPC is a bag of shite as well... which is about 50 times more important to me. i live with a guy that has a 2kxl and we make beats together all the time. i like gear that limits you (hence the 404) but the mpc just limits you in a shitty and painstaking way

i couldnt make the music that i make... the music that i want to make... with the MPC. the maschine is amazing for chopping and sequencing.. i really dont understand the computer gripe at all...

Well yeah but that is what an interface is for. I don't think too many people use any DAW without some type of interface. I can sample from my turntables into maschine VERY easily with komplete audio. I can also sample any audio playing on the computer in real time without plugging and unplugging anything cus the audio runs from the OUTS on back of the interface right back to the IN's on the front of the interface. It's actually just as simple, if not much easier than sampling on a hardware sampler(which I personally prefer)

The less your tool can do, the more creative your output becomes.

Raw is the way.

Pretty much how I see it too. That's why I like the sp12(turbo). It only has 5 sec sample time but its limitations make more creativity. I can get by on 5 sec no prob usually with like 0.3 sec left. And thats sampling a kick, snare and a hat at regular speed on the record player.
Maschine is cool though. You can lay down beats in no time but in the end I like the hardware.

I can't speak for making music on SP404sx as I make beats on Maschine, and only use the 404 in my live sets for playing shorter beats while the Maschine is loading next track

BUT.. I just wanted to say..

Probably don't ask a forum of SP heads if you should get an SP or not