People have to realize, all those classic albums The Chronic, Doggystyle, All Eyez On Me, etc., all those beats/Tracks were ran through SSL or NEVE boards, then through outboard gear, then to A TAPE MACHINE to get the Grit, Bump & Clarity. Then it was sent to a Mastering Engineer like Brian "Big Bass" Gardener. So don't let these people fool you by saying...we want that analog sound like The Chronic album or whatever HipHop classic they love, because those tracks went through all kinds analog circuitry to get that analog sound...., SSL BOARD, Compression, Equalizers & Tape Machines & then Mastering. The MPC is the beginning of making the track, nothing to do with that final sound you hear. They got yall fooled
@Don 2nd most definitely nowadays. Get u a good audio interface, a good DAW like Presonus Studio One, Logic or Protools. Great plugins like Slate Digital, Sonnox Inflator, Plugin Alliance, Ik Multimedia The One plugin & Izotope Ozone 10. If you have the ears 👂🏽 to mix, you can get it done right in the box.
I left the MPC behind these days. I think the best setup is going Hybrid esp if you are an OG like myself that either started out on hardware or want a mixture of hardware synths and soft synths the best of both worlds. I own about 5 hardware sound modules that I have connected to my MOTU MIDI interface that I sequence in Presonus Studio One Pro. Producer J.R Rotem setup is similar to mine as he doesn't sequence on hardware either that also has everything connected to two MOTU midi interfaces. He's been making beats in Protools for over 20+ years. My Presonus Drum Pad controller and my two Roland midi Controllers replaced my workstation keyboards and MPC 5000. Saved a lot of space down sizing from multiple keyboards to racks. My Argosy Console desk is loaded with racks of gear now. Left side most filled with analog outboard gear and the right side of my desk I call the digital side where all my hardware synths sit. My favorite sound module out of all of them is my Roland Integra-7. its basically a modern XV-5080 on steroids' plus Jupiter 80.
@Eman 08 Mane, I luv that Presonus Studio One Pro. I love the LISTEN BUS TRACK that you can put next to the Master Track. I put the Sound Reference(Sonarworks) plugin on there for my headphones 🎧 and the Ik Multimedia ARC 3 plugin for my speaker monitors. Amazing that you can do that, no other DAW can do that
It’s an amazing machine. It still an MPC X but the retro look is nice. When you take it out the box, you might see lights from heaven and hear angels singing “ahhhhhhh”. Make it sound how you want it to sound.
@@musictechworksceddmack8609 Angels would be nice. I should note that I am a 72 year old guy from Nebraska. After having concentrated my music production on pop and country for 16 years, I decided I should try hip hop. I have admired the excellence and intelligence and talent of the hip hop producers I have been watching on YT, including yourself. Thanks. Producing beats with an MPC is much more complex than producing songs on a DAW. It will keep my brain engaged and striving. A substantial challenge.
Yeah, I feel it too. I don't notice that percentage meter anymore when I change plug-ins, so I guess they Musta upgraded something besides memory, later.
I moved on from MPCs all together as I threw mine MPC 5000 out to the dumpster after it sat broke for three years. The new era of MPC's are basically an ipad with pads that's built on fixed hardware known as planned obsolescence, throw away units. No modern MPC would hold up like the ones built in the 90s that were built to last that used higher quality component's under the original AKAI company when they were made in Japan. In fact I stopped sequencing on hardware all together and went back to sequencing in the DAW. I no longer use workstation keyboards either. I think sequencing MIDI in a DAW is way more intuitive and faster to piece a whole track together than on hardware. Hardware you have to deal with a tedious process of menus and a small as screen. It was dread for many years. My Presonus Atom drum pad controller replaced my MPC which does exactly the same thing as the modern MPCs but way more flexible in a DAW. I switched out my workstation keyboards with rack mount sound module versions of them. I own the Yamaha MOTIF-Rack-ES, Roland Fantom-XR, Roland Integra-7, E-MU Proteus 2000 and the E-MU Mo Phatt module. Basically my legacy hardware sound module collection of sounds I still use to this day along with my modern soft synths making it a Hybrid setup. If I want to dirty up my sound, I can run the outputs of my interface or sound modules through my outboard analog gear to give it color like an SSL console. My old E-MU sound modules already have a warmer dirtier sound given that they are over 20+ years old that used older converters. Its not 12bit like the SP1200 but is has its own sound.
Yes, you’re sequence the vintage sound modules with your DAW. Still getting the sound and coloring your drums and those modules don’t sound like VSTs. Good to mix it up. I occasionally sequence with the computer only. When I decided to end a bad business deal, I was stuck without an MPC. My tracks were lacking using Reason only in 2004. Got better as I got better in sound selection and mixing. When I got my first good check from music, I bought the MPC own my own this time, 2000XL and other hardware. Mixing it up is good as you do. Since I’ve been on the MPC for so long, it’s a part of me. I use the modern and vintage models. Depends on what I’m working on. Most DAW tracks, I end up redoing the drums with a MPC. The Atom is great for hands on programming. Studio One might be my favorite DAW to produce in. I rarely have to redo my drums when using Studio One. I can go on and on but great post. I know your music “sounds” great with those hardware sound modules. I love all the ones you mentioned. Nice!
@@musictechworksceddmack8609 Same here. I use to use Reason 4 back in 2008. It was dope back then and then Cakewalk Sonar back then as well. Funny thing is I use fck with Fruity Loops 3 way back in the early 2000s long before it became a DAW. I haven't use it since 2008. My first Artist in 2008 taught me a lot of things about Vocal Production and song structuring that happened to be one of the original singers of this male R&B group called Dark Blu that was put together by Gerald Levert back in 1999. They were all signed to Capitol Records back in the early 2000s that worked with Babyface, Jermaine Dupri, Diddy and Mario Winans in the studio. You may have heard of them as they were all on Soul Train back in 2001 Season 30 Espsoide 25. They are all still around since they just recently reunited a few years back now that the group is back together. I'm working on a new project with them. I stll got a project with Royce da 5' 9 and Cam'ron as well that hasn't been released yet
Dope!! Oh, I know who they are!! Big G is a major influence of mines as a songwriter and producer. So you know what sound is to music. I like Mario Winans, too. One of Babyface’s producers put me on to Reason and I have been using it every since. Would love to hear what you got cooking. Keep me posted.
@@musictechworksceddmack8609 Oh for sure! I started working with G. Low back in 2008 before the group reunited back together. You probably remember all of them then Pretty Nick, Damon Parker, J.R, G.Low and Tommy.
@@musictechworksceddmack8609 Gerald Levert was a big mentor to them as they told me the stores of moment's they had when they use to chill at Gerald's crib back in th day. Sean Levert discovered Damon J. Parker in Virginia in a Gospel play he was in and Gerald discovered the other 4 locally in Ohio.
I like the tests that you have going on so far, but we all know that MPC X has a vintage mode, use the vintage mode to emulate the MPC 60/3000 in other words, match with the bit depths of the older MPC into the MPC X to see if you can emulate an older MPC that’s the video I would like to see.
That is in the next video premiering at 11am EST today . I cycle through the vintage modes to compare. It’s in 3 parts and should be in Part 1. But I will do it again with this same track. I think it’s close but not exact. Vintage Modes do dirty up the outputs. I think the SP1200 Ring is the best sounding emulation.
I dont have a New or old MPC however I have heard beats made from them and I cant really hear anything that cant be done in My DAW of choice Reason. I took a look at Dr Dre 2001 album track by track ripped straight of the actual CDwave form in high quality WAV. The wave forms actually look really bad, lots of spikes and significant areas of hard clipping and it's that imperfection thats the distinctive sound, its literally crunchy.
Would have been cool if Akai did what Black Lion MPC X XB mode is when releasing the MPC X SE. I feel like the MPC X SE is fester and just works better than my MPC ONE did. For me it feels like a big up grade. Personally sound and workflow are both important.
I will reach out to one person I know of who has a modified X. See if he wants to do a comparison. I am thinking about the Black Lion Audio modification if it makes a real difference.
@@musictechworksceddmack8609 I actually love the cleaness of the MPC X sound from vinyl samples, recording hardware analog synths and vocals. I also love that the MPC X (SE) has phantom power for mics buit in. I feel like I’m actually using the X SE for all of the extras it offers. I this a mod to improve sound input on it would be a great option for me.
I got my UFX RME modded years ago by black lion. I will never do something like that again. All they did was make it sound slightly different and I honestly didn't even like the way it sounded after the mod.
I think it's a little disingenuous to paint it as "sound vs workflow", it's more appropriately *sound vs OVERALL value.* Akai didn't trade sound quality JUST for improved workflow, it traded a LITTLE sound quality for increased OVERALL value. The MPC 3000 costed $3699 when first released in 94'. Adjusted for inflation it would cost more than $7k today and for that you get a 20lb machine that can do a fraction of what modern MPCs can and only a handful of drum sounds, so you weren't gonna just buy it and makes beats out of the box the same day, you'd have to buy some sounds as well to put into it, so that's more money on top of the $7k+ you paid just for the machine, just to get started making beats. By contrast, today you can buy an MPC for less than $1000 and you will get everything you need to start making beats as soon as you unbox it and power it up. You won't have to immediately buy additional sounds just to get started and on top of that, you get composition tools (pad perform mode) and other workflow improvements. Bottom line is, what Akai sacrificed in sound quality, it more than makes up for in added overall value.
They didn't sacrifice anything for anything. It sounds fine. Just because EA ski says it sounds bad doesn't mean you have to jump on that bandwagon. Use your ears and learn to mix properly.
The guys over at Akai are donkeys, cuz they could have done a better job with those vintage emulation plugins. This entire situation would be a non-issue if their vintage plugin actually did what they supposed to.
Man let hook the room up!!!
I’m with it!
People have to realize, all those classic albums The Chronic, Doggystyle, All Eyez On Me, etc., all those beats/Tracks were ran through SSL or NEVE boards, then through outboard gear, then to A TAPE MACHINE to get the Grit, Bump & Clarity. Then it was sent to a Mastering Engineer like Brian "Big Bass" Gardener. So don't let these people fool you by saying...we want that analog sound like The Chronic album or whatever HipHop classic they love, because those tracks went through all kinds analog circuitry to get that analog sound...., SSL BOARD, Compression, Equalizers & Tape Machines & then Mastering. The MPC is the beginning of making the track, nothing to do with that final sound you hear. They got yall fooled
Is there anyway to emulate that on computer daws
@Don 2nd most definitely nowadays. Get u a good audio interface, a good DAW like Presonus Studio One, Logic or Protools. Great plugins like Slate Digital, Sonnox Inflator, Plugin Alliance, Ik Multimedia The One plugin & Izotope Ozone 10. If you have the ears 👂🏽 to mix, you can get it done right in the box.
Facts.
I left the MPC behind these days. I think the best setup is going Hybrid esp if you are an OG like myself that either started out on hardware or want a mixture of hardware synths and soft synths the best of both worlds. I own about 5 hardware sound modules that I have connected to my MOTU MIDI interface that I sequence in Presonus Studio One Pro. Producer J.R Rotem setup is similar to mine as he doesn't sequence on hardware either that also has everything connected to two MOTU midi interfaces. He's been making beats in Protools for over 20+ years. My Presonus Drum Pad controller and my two Roland midi Controllers replaced my workstation keyboards and MPC 5000. Saved a lot of space down sizing from multiple keyboards to racks. My Argosy Console desk is loaded with racks of gear now. Left side most filled with analog outboard gear and the right side of my desk I call the digital side where all my hardware synths sit. My favorite sound module out of all of them is my Roland Integra-7. its basically a modern XV-5080 on steroids' plus Jupiter 80.
@Eman 08 Mane, I luv that Presonus Studio One Pro. I love the LISTEN BUS TRACK that you can put next to the Master Track. I put the Sound Reference(Sonarworks) plugin on there for my headphones 🎧 and the Ik Multimedia ARC 3 plugin for my speaker monitors. Amazing that you can do that, no other DAW can do that
May Yahweh bless you brother we love you
Good video and insights. My MPC X SE is scheduled to be delivered tomorrow. So, I will see, er hear........................ It does look good.
It’s an amazing machine. It still an MPC X but the retro look is nice. When you take it out the box, you might see lights from heaven and hear angels singing “ahhhhhhh”. Make it sound how you want it to sound.
@@musictechworksceddmack8609 Angels would be nice. I should note that I am a 72 year old guy from Nebraska. After having concentrated my music production on pop and country for 16 years, I decided I should try hip hop. I have admired the excellence and intelligence and talent of the hip hop producers I have been watching on YT, including yourself. Thanks. Producing beats with an MPC is much more complex than producing songs on a DAW. It will keep my brain engaged and striving. A substantial challenge.
@@teashea1 damn man when I’m 72 I still want to be making beats haha cool stuff🤘
Yeah, I feel it too. I don't notice that percentage meter anymore when I change plug-ins, so I guess they Musta upgraded something besides memory, later.
I moved on from MPCs all together as I threw mine MPC 5000 out to the dumpster after it sat broke for three years. The new era of MPC's are basically an ipad with pads that's built on fixed hardware known as planned obsolescence, throw away units. No modern MPC would hold up like the ones built in the 90s that were built to last that used higher quality component's under the original AKAI company when they were made in Japan. In fact I stopped sequencing on hardware all together and went back to sequencing in the DAW. I no longer use workstation keyboards either. I think sequencing MIDI in a DAW is way more intuitive and faster to piece a whole track together than on hardware. Hardware you have to deal with a tedious process of menus and a small as screen. It was dread for many years. My Presonus Atom drum pad controller replaced my MPC which does exactly the same thing as the modern MPCs but way more flexible in a DAW. I switched out my workstation keyboards with rack mount sound module versions of them. I own the Yamaha MOTIF-Rack-ES, Roland Fantom-XR, Roland Integra-7, E-MU Proteus 2000 and the E-MU Mo Phatt module. Basically my legacy hardware sound module collection of sounds I still use to this day along with my modern soft synths making it a Hybrid setup. If I want to dirty up my sound, I can run the outputs of my interface or sound modules through my outboard analog gear to give it color like an SSL console. My old E-MU sound modules already have a warmer dirtier sound given that they are over 20+ years old that used older converters. Its not 12bit like the SP1200 but is has its own sound.
Yes, you’re sequence the vintage sound modules with your DAW. Still getting the sound and coloring your drums and those modules don’t sound like VSTs. Good to mix it up. I occasionally sequence with the computer only. When I decided to end a bad business deal, I was stuck without an MPC. My tracks were lacking using Reason only in 2004. Got better as I got better in sound selection and mixing. When I got my first good check from music, I bought the MPC own my own this time, 2000XL and other hardware. Mixing it up is good as you do. Since I’ve been on the MPC for so long, it’s a part of me. I use the modern and vintage models. Depends on what I’m working on. Most DAW tracks, I end up redoing the drums with a MPC. The Atom is great for hands on programming. Studio One might be my favorite DAW to produce in. I rarely have to redo my drums when using Studio One. I can go on and on but great post. I know your music “sounds” great with those hardware sound modules. I love all the ones you mentioned. Nice!
@@musictechworksceddmack8609 Same here. I use to use Reason 4 back in 2008. It was dope back then and then Cakewalk Sonar back then as well. Funny thing is I use fck with Fruity Loops 3 way back in the early 2000s long before it became a DAW. I haven't use it since 2008. My first Artist in 2008 taught me a lot of things about Vocal Production and song structuring that happened to be one of the original singers of this male R&B group called Dark Blu that was put together by Gerald Levert back in 1999. They were all signed to Capitol Records back in the early 2000s that worked with Babyface, Jermaine Dupri, Diddy and Mario Winans in the studio. You may have heard of them as they were all on Soul Train back in 2001 Season 30 Espsoide 25. They are all still around since they just recently reunited a few years back now that the group is back together. I'm working on a new project with them. I stll got a project with Royce da 5' 9 and Cam'ron as well that hasn't been released yet
Dope!! Oh, I know who they are!! Big G is a major influence of mines as a songwriter and producer. So you know what sound is to music. I like Mario Winans, too. One of Babyface’s producers put me on to Reason and I have been using it every since. Would love to hear what you got cooking. Keep me posted.
@@musictechworksceddmack8609 Oh for sure! I started working with G. Low back in 2008 before the group reunited back together. You probably remember all of them then Pretty Nick, Damon Parker, J.R, G.Low and Tommy.
@@musictechworksceddmack8609 Gerald Levert was a big mentor to them as they told me the stores of moment's they had when they use to chill at Gerald's crib back in th day. Sean Levert discovered Damon J. Parker in Virginia in a Gospel play he was in and Gerald discovered the other 4 locally in Ohio.
I like the tests that you have going on so far, but we all know that MPC X has a vintage mode, use the vintage mode to emulate the MPC 60/3000 in other words, match with the bit depths of the older MPC into the MPC X to see if you can emulate an older MPC that’s the video I would like to see.
That is in the next video premiering at 11am EST today . I cycle through the vintage modes to compare. It’s in 3 parts and should be in Part 1. But I will do it again with this same track. I think it’s close but not exact. Vintage Modes do dirty up the outputs. I think the SP1200 Ring is the best sounding emulation.
Vintage mode does not live up to the hype
@@gsmith11172 True. It does effect the sound but not like the actual units.
@@musictechworksceddmack8609 very slight difference. The sp1200 ring vintage mode has the most pronounced effect
@@gsmith11172 mpc60 model is useable and I use it in the whole track after.
I like how the MPC X SE sounds. I don't really care how the old stuff sounds ----- that is pretty much irrelevant to me.
And that’s the feelings of many. Nothing wrong with that.
@@musictechworksceddmack8609 It is good that you discuss the issue. Props.
I dont have a New or old MPC however I have heard beats made from them and I cant really hear anything that cant be done in My DAW of choice Reason. I took a look at Dr Dre 2001 album track by track ripped straight of the actual CDwave form in high quality WAV. The wave forms actually look really bad, lots of spikes and significant areas of hard clipping and it's that imperfection thats the distinctive sound, its literally crunchy.
It will be titled “Akai MPC Battles PT MPC X SE vs MPC 3000.”
I want to see a sound comparison on a Maschine Plus vs MPC 3000
Will make it happen.
@@musictechworksceddmack8609 Bet bet 💪🏾💪🏾 🥁 gots to see this
Would have been cool if Akai did what Black Lion MPC X XB mode is when releasing the MPC X SE. I feel like the MPC X SE is fester and just works better than my MPC ONE did. For me it feels like a big up grade. Personally sound and workflow are both important.
I will reach out to one person I know of who has a modified X. See if he wants to do a comparison. I am thinking about the Black Lion Audio modification if it makes a real difference.
@@musictechworksceddmack8609 I actually love the cleaness of the MPC X sound from vinyl samples, recording hardware analog synths and vocals. I also love that the MPC X (SE) has phantom power for mics buit in. I feel like I’m actually using the X SE for all of the extras it offers. I this a mod to improve sound input on it would be a great option for me.
I got my UFX RME modded years ago by black lion. I will never do something like that again. All they did was make it sound slightly different and I honestly didn't even like the way it sounded after the mod.
@@voodoohex72 black lion modding an RME is like having Ford mod a Ferrari...
I think it's a little disingenuous to paint it as "sound vs workflow", it's more appropriately *sound vs OVERALL value.*
Akai didn't trade sound quality JUST for improved workflow, it traded a LITTLE sound quality for increased OVERALL value.
The MPC 3000 costed $3699 when first released in 94'. Adjusted for inflation it would cost more than $7k today and for that you get a 20lb machine that can do a fraction of what modern MPCs can and only a handful of drum sounds, so you weren't gonna just buy it and makes beats out of the box the same day, you'd have to buy some sounds as well to put into it, so that's more money on top of the $7k+ you paid just for the machine, just to get started making beats.
By contrast, today you can buy an MPC for less than $1000 and you will get everything you need to start making beats as soon as you unbox it and power it up. You won't have to immediately buy additional sounds just to get started and on top of that, you get composition tools (pad perform mode) and other workflow improvements.
Bottom line is, what Akai sacrificed in sound quality, it more than makes up for in added overall value.
Great point. The debate has been sound vs workflow. All of your points, however, are valid. Great insight.
They didn't sacrifice anything for anything. It sounds fine. Just because EA ski says it sounds bad doesn't mean you have to jump on that bandwagon. Use your ears and learn to mix properly.
@@voodoohex72
I'm just taking people's word on it, as I've never owned or used an MPC 3000 or any standalone MPC for that matter.
That’s fair.
The guys over at Akai are donkeys, cuz they could have done a better job with those vintage emulation plugins. This entire situation would be a non-issue if their vintage plugin actually did what they supposed to.
Great point.
Agreed
If you Have Dr Dre 2001 rip the audio off in high quality WAV the waves are terrible spikes and peaks and hard clipping all over.