Why I like this forum

Nickp · Post by **Nickp** » Thu Dec 14, 2006 6:00 pm

Almost any other music forum with hip-hop is focused all about gear and more gear and which MPC should you buy before you buy a Fantom and a Motif. From what I've been reading this place is like "just make that shit bump". If your beats don't bang on what you have, they aren't bangin, pretty much. It's you, not the equipment. Now I'm not some super lo-fi "fuck quality" dude, but I like the limitations and workflow of minimal equipment.

Lately I've gone from being holed up in my "studio" in the attic using my computer, two controllers (keyboard and a padkontrol), audio in to my computer, turntable, mixer, etc to loading my samples in the sp-404, going downstairs to my livingroom, and rocking that shit with a microkorg through some headphones. My creative workflow's been amazing. It's also not having a huge screen in front of you with shitloads of distractions (the internet).

Hell, you guys are talking about tracking to cassettes! I was thinking of doing that to add a bit of analog to it for drums not sampled from vinyl. Basically the only thing I want is a portable turntable so I don't have to go upstairs to sample records or lug my turntable/mixer down here (it won't fit on my coffee table).

What I'm saying is, I come here to clear my mind whenever I get that feeling of "oh I need to go research gear" or whatever the hell else humans do.

soopa · Post by **soopa** » Thu Dec 14, 2006 7:00 pm

"but I like the limitations and workflow of minimal equipment. "

I think it brings out the creativity in someone's music

I feel you on bringing it away from the computer setup, because I work near a computer and it is quite distracting.. thats why I've been looking into one.. I don't even have any hardware anymore and i am trying to find something to work with.. want the mpc1000 but the pads scare me lol

Cheenergies · Post by **Cheenergies** » Thu Dec 14, 2006 10:04 pm

I feel ur every word there Nickp...i've got the same setup as you...sp404, a microkorg, tape deck-but i've got a mini-turntable which is really handy..cheap too..

yea i'm feelin these boards too...the only one I know of its kind for the sp 404

Post by **Chulukinat** » Fri Dec 15, 2006 11:51 am

soopa wrote:"but I like the limitations and workflow of minimal equipment. "

I think it brings out the creativity in someone's music

I feel you on bringing it away from the computer setup, because I work near a computer and it is quite distracting.. thats why I've been looking into one.. I don't even have any hardware anymore and i am trying to find something to work with.. want the mpc1000 but the pads scare me lol

if its the pads you'd better go for the mpc 1000 because the pads on the sp-404 suck way more ( well at least they didnt break yet, but they're pretty awful to play with to be honest )

pt3r · Post by **pt3r** » Fri Dec 15, 2006 1:43 pm

I don't mean to jinx it but another reason why I love these forums is the lack of :

"Hey I spent 2500$ or a shitload of studio gear of which I don't have the faintest clue what it's used for, how do I hook it all up and how can I sound like the Neptunes while still having my own sound?" type of questions.

blast1 · Post by **blast1** » Fri Dec 15, 2006 4:35 pm

pt3r wrote:I don't mean to jinx it but another reason why I love these forums is the lack of :

"Hey I spent 2500$ or a shitload of studio gear of which I don't have the faintest clue what it's used for, how do I hook it all up and how can I sound like the Neptunes while still having my own sound?" type of questions.

word! there's something about these little boxes that just pulls mad creativity out of you...

Nickp · Post by **Nickp** » Fri Dec 15, 2006 6:20 pm

I love it when dudes buy an MPC 2500, Triton w/boards, Mo'Phatt module, and then ask why the sound isn't going through the MIDI cables.

5_ELEMENT_NINJA · Post by **5_ELEMENT_NINJA** » Sat Dec 16, 2006 1:58 am

ya these boards are cool people seem really humble and all about the music!I agree with everyone about the 404 it just makes u flip your mind and use ya ears and feel more!

balazs · Post by **balazs** » Sat Dec 23, 2006 7:14 am

Nickp wrote:but I like the limitations and workflow of minimal equipment.

Thats why the pioneers of this shit were so ill. you have no choice except to use your mind working on the early machines with only a couple seconds sampling time, no time stretch, less precise editing, ect

soopa · Post by **soopa** » Sun Dec 24, 2006 6:44 am

theres something i truly love about this forum... i dont even own a SP but im on here all day lol

pt3r · Post by **pt3r** » Sun Dec 24, 2006 1:03 pm

Ooh traitor! Witch! Burn burn! :lol:

Roughian · Post by **Roughian** » Fri Dec 29, 2006 8:05 pm

I feel you on this so much...

Nickp wrote:From what I've been reading this place is like "just make that shit bump". If your beats don't bang on what you have, they aren't bangin, pretty much. It's you, not the equipment.

Mildly on the same note, way too many people don't learn their equipment! I don't know about you guys, but when I first bought my 404, I locked myself in my room for damn near 8 hours... and that shit was FUN. It was like Christmas to my creativity sensors inside my brain or something. Limitations can be a godsend. Next time you want to sample something, but you don't think it is quite up to snuff, force yourself to make a beat. Not only does it make you try different techniques, but it also diversifies you beat making repertoire, and is damn satisfying.

balazs · Post by **balazs** » Sat Dec 30, 2006 3:52 am

word, I actually gave up on my 404 when i first got it. i was pissed. I was just used to all the trimming and editing on the mpc. Now i realize how ill this machine is.

606man · Post by **606man** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 12:51 am

People on this board seem to want to have conversations rather than slinging matches, which is a win for the internet as well as the members!!

Secondly, now there actually is a haven for SP users - Groove Zone is all about the MC series and FP is just another MPC forum, really. This should have the effect of briging new users to the SP series (people are often just sheep after all), which will only benefit all of us in the long run.

Well Done.

kristoffer1989 · Post by **kristoffer1989** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 8:09 am

The Sp-404 is dope! The thing is, you use your musicallity in stead of just computerstuff... You are actually playing and recording, not just programming.
I am a musician i play instruments, and thats so mutch more satisfying than programming computer!

Now ill just have to work a little with developing sounds for my microkorg to..

Anyone got some cool microkorg patches to share?