Good news! aka the Look What I Just Got thread

[SP-USER]

Oh and by the way, you've messed-up all the quotes in your post

[SP-USER]

Had second thoughts about the MC-707, I keep reading and hearing stuff about the pads not being very good, too squishy, not always firing, not sensitive enough etc.

Apparently the MC-101 has much nicer pads although obviously smaller, and I prefer the form factor of the MC-101 anyway which is why I chose it above the MC-707 in the first place. There's exactly the same soundset and synthesizer on board the MC-101 as the MC-707, and although there is only basic sound editing on-board the MC-101, it can be programmed so that those four control knobs will change any synthesis parameter you wish (and you have all of the Zenology synth parameters at your disposal too, even the virtual modeling stuff). You can even assign multiple synthesis parameters to a single control knob, and the effects are already fully editable directly on the unit anyway, you have direct access to every detailed parameter for the FX directly on the unit, just as you do on the MC-707.

I kinda like that actually, the custom (per patch) four-knob thing, cause that would be a much more hands-on option than menu-diving on the MC-707. It's a bit like being able to design your own mini synthesizers and save them as patches on the SD card. You do have to buy the editor software, but at least it can be bought as a perpetual licence now, none of that 'Cloud Subscription' crap, and I even saw the perpetual licence on sale at half price about a month back, so it can even be picked up pretty cheap if you buy it at the right time.

Video about it here, pretty damn cool:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_c93vWSBrI

[ellaguru]

The best thing is to try one of those by your own hands, it's obvious to say it but in december i tried one mc-101 and until then i didn't knew it hadn't an acdc socket

[SP-USER]

The best thing is to try one of those by your own hands, it's obvious to say it but in december i tried one mc-101 and until then i didn't knew it hadn't an acdc socket

I believe it comes with the correct USB cable so that you can power it from the mains. It's better than a basic power adapter system because it means you can swap between powering it from the mains or USB.

I believe you need one of these (I think this is the correct one for France):
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/114179569503

You could even use an iPhone or iPad power supply if you wanted, it's just basic USB power.

That said, I have to admit that I keep looking at the MPC gear during my search and wait, and you know what, my heart keeps telling my to go for the MPC instead. The workflow isn't as hands-on as an SP, but at the end of the day, the SP isn't anywhere near as capable in a deep sense, and unlike the Roland stuff, I wouldn't need both an MC and an SP, because the MPC ONE for instance is both types of equipment all rolled into one, plus it has proper multi-track recording, plus it has a really nice orchestral synth library available for it, plus it has a proper 'Touch-Wah' built in etc.

And you know what else, the one thing I thought AKAI would do but they haven't (at least not yet anyway), is give the MPC standalone platform the ability to host VST and VSTi. The PC software of MPC is identical in features other than that ability, and I tell you what, if they were to announce right now that they added VST and VSTi support, I'd do a Danswift and consider buying an MPC X. It would be worth paying the extra just for the larger screen if it had that ability, and would make the difference in price a lot more viable.

That's what would be needed to tempt me away from the MPC ONE to the MPC X if I were planning to go for the MPC ONE, and to be honest it's not impossible I might still do that (go for the MPC I mean). Also, sounds crazy I know but the lack of a 'Touch-Wah' (especially on a Hip-Hop centric device like the SP-404MKII) is absolutely fucked-up and it really pisses me off, and if anything ultimately stops me from buying an SP-404MKII it can only be that.

Would have been awesome to be able to run beats through a Touch-Wah while resampling them!

[ellaguru]

I believe you need one of these (I think this is the correct one for France):
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/114179569503

yes i discovered that after, they didn't had one in that pawn shop

[TGN]

SP-USER, the strength of a mpc is sampling and midi, isn't it?
I haven't followed the developement of the mpcs, but what i read now a mpc is stuffed with efx now an has synthesis-capabilities. But i think when it comes to stand alone sound synthesis the roland MC-Groobebox-Line wins.

But yeah, when it's possible to use vsts in the more advanced mpcs, this would be an alternative, if these advanced mpcs have got enough ram to compute flawless when using vsts.

I think you have to decide how much complexicity
You want/need. I would buy a mpc, if i need a midi-sequencer for other gear. When i just need a soundmodul/groovebox i would go with other gear personally. Gear which have a good User Interface to Edit Synth-Sounds/Patches.

[Jaytreaze]

@spuser the longer u wait for the perfect machine to come out u might end up never making anything, mayb make do with what works best for now and sell it off if it doesn’t work out

[SP-USER]

Hey I hear you both, and what you're both saying makes perfect sense of course. Trouble is I'm sort of semi-misplaced. I shouldn't even be on a Hip-Hop forum, not really, I'm not even an Hip-Hop kinda bloke.

I've been drawn to it in recent years due to liking the chilled, laid-back feel along with the inevitable Lo-Fi vibe that often goes hand in hand with it. When I first came here it was due to the 404, but fact is I really need to be very careful because I really cannot afford to fuck-up in my equipment choices. For starters I can't afford to fuck-up, and secondly I have to be realistic and choose gear that is going to serve me well no matter what genre of music I feel like playing with.

I think this is why I keep getting sucked back into drooling over the MPC all the time, but it's not a simple matter of just buying it and selling it if I don't like it. In two more days I'd be able to buy a new MPC X and still be able to eat without rationing myself, but then when the SP-404MKII finally becomes readily available, I'd not have the cash for it.

And would I even want it if I already had an MPC X? To be honest I very much doubt it, I can't imagine an SP-404MKII, awesome as it is, dragging me away from an MPC X which by that time, I would have had at least a few months getting to know.

In a way that's good, but in another way it's a bit risky for me cause if it turns out I don't like the MPC X then I stand to lose cash by having to sell it. It's nice being in a position to buy a new MPC X, but nevertheless it will take all my cash and that cash took a serious amount of hardship to accumulate over many years.

The only other option is to just buy an MPC X and if I don't like it send it back. But honestly, I'm so fed up of having to return stuff and I absolutely hate returning stuff anyway. I feel bad enough when I have to return something cheap, but when it's something costly like an MPC X, that's something else entirely. I remember having to return that damned MODX8, I felt really sorry for the retailer to be honest cause it's really Yamaha's fault yet it was the retailer who footed the bill for delivering and having that thing collected - and that's just not right.

There's no way I'm returning an 'X' as well if it turns out I don't like it. If I bought an X and don't like it I'd have to sell it, and I'd lose cash by doing that. I can't afford to throw cash away like that, I don't even have furniture in my flat. I've got the shitty little swivel-chair I'm sitting at my kitchen counter on right now, and that's it - I mean literally.

If I were to buy an X and be happy with it (which is very likely I would be), then I can finally be happy, put music gear acquisition behind me, and start making some music while saving for a sofa and maybe some of that modular IKEA furniture to put in here.

I don't mean to bore people with that sort of stuff but I'm afraid that's what life is like for me at the moment. I give music-making a priority because I'm determined to produce an album, something I can release on cassette and vinyl. I don't have a partner though you see, so that means I can afford to do stupid things like prioritising gear over home comforts, and let's face it, I'd never get away with stuff like that if there was a woman in my life. I mean can you imagine spending the entire savings on an MPC or whatever if there was not even a sofa or bed in the flat?

I think anyone who tried pulling that one can thoroughly expect Hell to break loose

So anyway, like I said, I don't have to worry about that, but I do have to worry about cash and making my flat comfortably habitable. I have to be very careful and cannot afford to be hasty. That said, one very positive thing I can say about sleeping on the floor for so long is that I think I prefer it now to sleeping on a bed. I totally get why the Japanese prefer sleeping on the floor. Well not technically directly on the floor, I fold a king-size duvet in half and sleep on that, and use another duvet to sleep under on top of it.

Not bad at all, I honestly prefer it to a bed now

[Jaytreaze]

More than understandable. The time will soon be right. Best of luck

[SP-USER]

Yes please, could do with some luck for a change!

[pazword]

I mean can you imagine spending the entire savings on an MPC or whatever if there was not even a sofa or bed in the flat?

MPC X is big definitely big enough for two people to sleep on and the pads are probably pretty comfy!

I give music-making a priority because I'm determined to produce an album, something I can release on cassette and vinyl.

How long have you been working on this album/what kind are you looking to make?

[SP-USER]

To be fair to AKAI, I don't think they need to worry about the new Roland Phantom-0 too much when they decide to release their keyboard version of the MPC. Assuming the keyboard version does everything the ONE and X does, I'd say it's Roland who need to worry with the price tag they've slapped on the Phantom-0, cause I'm guessing the MPC keyboard version will be only be around £200 more than the MPC ONE at most, and if that's the case then we are comparing an £800 workstation from AKAI to a £1300 workstation from Roland, one that is no more capable (if not less capable) and presumably £500 cheper.

Regards my intentions for an album, I haven't decided the genre yet, but the hardware I eventually settle on will no doubt influence the type of album I try to make with it.

[pazword]

To be fair to AKAI, I don't think they need to worry about the new Roland Phantom-0 too much when they decide to release their keyboard version of the MPC.

Do you have any other information on this? I haven't been able to find anything except articles about leaks from July 2021.

Regards my intentions for an album, I haven't decided the genre yet, but the hardware I eventually settle on will no doubt influence the type of album I try to make with it.

If advice from randoms has any value to you, take your time and trust the process

I held on to my tracks for almost 4 years before I was finally able to find the true meaning in them and gained the desire to actually finish them (that part came rather quick after finding the meaning). But once I had all that, it made the whole struggle entirely worth it.

[SP-USER]

Do you have any other information on this? I haven't been able to find anything except articles about leaks from July 2021.

Nope, you know as much as I do and the only reason I know about it is due to that leak.

Comparing the AKAI MPC KEY61 to the Roland Phantom-0 61 though, I do think Roland are in for a bit of a shock, cause as far as I can tell, there is nothing the Phonatom-0 can do that the AKAI gear cannot already do for half the price. In fact, unless I'm missing something, there's a whole bunch of stuff the AKAI gear does that the Phantom-0 simply does not have, like proper multi-track audio recording and auto-sampling for example.

[mr.thraz]

Which is better?

well the 24 is a sampler and drum machine as well as a Digital Recorder so i like it more.