In several interviews people who visited him has said that he made beats on his MPC in the hospital, even his mother said she listened to his beats through a headset from his MPC in the hospital.

From what I can hear (who has both the 3000 and 404, wich is simal to the 303) there is not a lot of his stuff that is made one a 303. Maybe a few basic tracks.

And donuts don't sound very much like a 303 to me. Maybe you think so because of the heavy compression, but it's said that he used the compressor on the Electribe too, which got tubes in it. It's pictured in "Behind The Beat" from his later days with just a basic setup: Turntable MPC3000 sound card and a Electribe - not from the crazy Dilla studio you can see on You Tube with Frank and Dank talking a lot of bull. The 303 is not the only piece of gear that has a compressor...

If you're used to making drums and chops the 3000 for a lot of years, you must be crazy if you want to make some complicated stuff with the 303. The 303/404 is fun, and great for some stuff, but it's not anything like the 3000. Don't get me wrong, I have fun with both machines, and with the SP1200.

By the way, if you use a 303 or 404 you could use a 1200 easy. Then you are used with trimming samples by ear, a one track sequencer with quantize possibilities. You get a nice gritty sound too. I recommend everybody to try a 1200. It's a lovely machine!

By the way: Pharcyde's "Drop" (got mentioned earlier in this thread) is made on a SP1200. He and two other cats (Proof and DJ Head) had a beat battle: they sat in a room, used the same 5 records or so and had 20 minutes to make a beat. Dilla made Drop that day. The drums on the beats Dilla did on Labcabincalifornia is crazy!

Peace

na I do think Donuts is 303...you can just tell how some samples come in and overlap, since there is no pad cutoff or anything on the 303...it's def not mpc 3k and drum wise you can also tell


does anyone else wish that the second Quas album should have been made on the SP1200 and not the 303? I like the 303 but didn't really like that album at all

its all a lie! he used a Compaq computer with Audacity!

jp

I personally prefer the more animated and creative beats on the second album moreso then the standard sp1200 boom bap beats of the unseen. Also, all of madlibs sample sources are alot more diverse on further adventures....

yeah, i must admit i've come to love the more "out there" type of music than just strictly boom bap records

I know someone who spoke to karrem higgins(Dillas homie) and he said that donuts is all 303 excpet 2 beats!Remember also he had pro tools on his laptop so he probably used that as a sequncer and played all those joints live and did overdubs!

Donuts was done on a 303. No ones laying up on a hospital bed hunched over an mpc even if it is your preferred machine, the 303 sits nicely on your lap.

especially a big ass mpc3000!I just got my 303 and now Im even more amazed by DILLA and MADLIB!Those cats killed that machine!

I read that Dilla used the 303,a pt-01 and Pro Tools LE for Donuts.And some can tell because the beats are imperfect and simple but groovy.
But he was working on the Shining with Kareem Riggins and for that,his 3000 was used because he wanted a clean sound,basically an album that would be the opposite of Donuts.
Me too,I totally prefered the Lord Quas album compared to the Unseen.And Madlib loves the 303 because it can allow him to make beats that are outside the box.

i am amazed that Donuts was made on the 303
that says it all right there, no doubt can remain as to the simple power of the SP machines

RIP

It goes to prove that expensive gear doesn't matter,it's about having a good ear and open mindness.Yeah,the flips on Donuts were just too insane!!

I wish that. I loved the 1200 album more than the 303 one too. But I like all his earlier stuff more than the newer stuff anyways. The Lootpack and early Quas stuff is the best he has dropped in my opinion.

It's been said that he used his MPC at the hospital. It has been said that he used only a powerbook at the hospital. It has been said that he used the 303 too. Obviously we can't trust any of them. But he made Donuts that time, and that stuff is dope, and has some crazy chopping!

Yeah, it's hard to pin it down since he probably used a little of everything like we all do ourselves just to throw off other producers who study the beats.