Last night I started a new beat in a series of sp-404 dedicated beatmaking and while I was chopping a sample I noticed how I chopped in a different way than If I were to do it on my 2kxl, i don't mean the technique 'cause that is of course different , but as in what chops i ended up with. It's hard to explain but I seem to find more interesting chops with the 404 than with the 2kxl, might be because of the non visual editing.

visual editing is the devil.

because on the SP you chop by feeling. The MPC you chop by sight...our eyes(brains?) go for the wave peaks.

true dat!Once i started gettin deep into the 404 I realized how my chops were more musical!Also if u check all the classic producers,pete rock,rza,primo etc...the gear they had didnt have wave display.So I am a firm believer that not havin any visiuals on the 404 is really a blessing!

I chop both ways...and both work well. I tend to chop the same stuff no matter what I use... it's still using your ears.

Good old post

ex

Chopping by ear is way better. Having to load a wav and then manually select the chopping points and then loading it up sucks away the creative process. MARK all day.

I'd say that my chops probably sound the same, but its the workflow/creative process that makes me say [MARK] by ear is better than visual chopping. You don't see music when you listen to it, so wouldn't it be better to chop where it sounds like there should be one, instead of this looks like a good place to chop? Plus, if you dont truncate, you can always go back and chop it to taste instead of exiting your daw, going into recycle, etc (or similar).

For me, computer chopping is recording after selecting a record (or converting to wav), opening in ReCycle, adding chops, then opening file in Reason, then trying them out. Ive actually got this down pretty fast, but by the time I start actually making a beat the path my brain had to travel while doing this shit sucked all the immediacy of "gotta make this". With the SP, I can literally make the beginnings of something dope in under a minute. Ninja chopping MARK/resample skills equate to infinite more fun than that other shit.

Well... I bring back this old post because I found it interesting...
I know most of the people in here like the simplicity and limitations that almost all the SPs has but the way like people talk about how a display can ruin their chops it makes just non sense to me...
I personally owned the 303, 404, 505 and 808 and I sold the 303 after learning the machine and produce a beat tape, I used the 404 for just a week, after using the 303 and 505 IMO the pads of the 404 are like tapping rocks with the finger tips... I really loved my 303 but after using the 505 I found that having a display it is a PLUS, not because I can see the wave form but because I can see the menus, I always hated that on the 303/404, sometimes because work and lack of time I stopped using the sampler and when I come back to work I couldn't remember were it was saved my work, which bank? how to load? damn... read the manual again... with the 505 it is always more easy, if I can't remember where is the function/menu I just need to read what the display is showing me... then to sample I learned with the 303 to choose my chops by ear, something that I really appreciate... but I can chop by ear on the 505 too... the chopping function it is not precise, let's say like an MPC where you tell the machine to chop in 16 exact same parts and the MPC will calculate were to chop... so in the 505 you still need to mark your chops even when the 505 can chop for you it is not precise and of course you will need to reassign your mark points...
BUT in the other hand I also owned the MPC1000, 2000, 2000XL and 2500 and I really like the auto chop function, specially when you need to chop breaks, because honestly who like to be marking where to chop when you are chopping breaks? not me... it is really easy to tell this is a 16 beats loop and chop it in 16 parts, boom, if something that you can do it is maybe correct the points but the MPC it is very accurate most of the time...
But when it comes to samples, lets say a phrase that you want to chop you are not obligated to use the chopping function on the MPCs, thats only an option that you have but you also can manually pick your chops by hand, BTW the MPC2000 classic do not have the auto chop function, you need set where to chop but even when you have a display not necessary the peaks are the best place to chop, if you are making music you are listening what you are doing so you can see maybe a peak and can help you to identify a possible place to chop but after listening if you find it is not the right spot you just can move your cursor to other place and take a listen again until you find the right spot...
Sometimes I use my 2500 and before I start chopping I already know how many chops I would like to have so I tell the MPC I need 8, and it automatically set 8 mark points but not necessarily means I am going to use what the MPC set for me, I will listen first and then fix the points in case I need it, this is easier because you already have marked how many parts you need and then you just need to confirm or fix the parts you want...
My point is it is not the machine you choose to make your beats, not having or having a display it is the reason why your beats are dope or not, it is what it makes you feel comfortable to work with... I personally hate losing time remembering stuff... or chopping breaks when I already have a tool that can make the process faster and easier to me... it is true that music is for listening but music it is an art and like an art you can also see it, touch it, smell it, taste it, feel it!... so I can use my eyes too not only my ears
Don't get stuck with the idea because the MPCs/SPs have displays are going to ruin your workflow or because you have a SP without display you are going to make banging beats... most of the most greatest produces in this world used to use the SP1200 now rocking the MPCs and also use software and they still dropping bombs, even with old limited machines or with the most advanced user friendly software, they still doing what they know because they feel it, not because the machine make it for them...
also we already know a lot of the people in here just rocking an SP without display are making dope ish so it is not what the machine can do for you.. it is what you can do with your machine

Peace!

dead thread I guess but I use both and editor and my ears, dpeends on what I'm trying to do