Inside the E-mu SP-1200

[djdiggla]

[danswift]

Its a cool machine ,really dope

but the music hes making on it

sounds fucking horrible

 

its almost like hes sampled

the presets on a childs Casio keyboard or something

[DJ Rock Well]

I always preferred the MPC60

[danswift]

I always preferred the MPC60

You hipster

[DJ Rock Well]

I think you'll find it's the other way round these days

[danswift]

Every music student at my sons university wants to own an original mpc 60 so ive been informed

[DJ Rock Well]

Because they'll never be able to afford the SP!!!

 

Also, just to clarify, I don't own any hardware samplers anymore and I wouldn't spend the money on them if I had it.

[danswift]

What software are you using instead for sampling stuff ?

[DJ Rock Well]

I do everything in Maschine and have done for few years now. I've owned four different MPC models before and during that time, but the speed and convenience of a computer and plugins always wins out for me.

 

It did take me time to learn the software I use to get the sound I want out of it though. The revered sound of old samplers is a mix of the sound of their circuitry and the working practices they dictate. Plugins and understanding working practices you need to stick to or emulate can recreate most of the fabled old school sampler sound IMO.

[djdiggla]

@Dan He's definitely making some shit music on it.

 

 

I always preferred the MPC60

I'm a 2kXL guy myself.

 

 

I always preferred the MPC60

You hipster

 

 

I think you'll find it's the other way round these days

 

 

 

Sterhip you?

 

Every music student at my sons university wants to own an original mpc 60 so ive been informed

Why in gods name?

[danswift]

Search me.. I dont understand why anyone would pay the ridiculously inflated prices

for an MPC 60 either tbh

 

I think they probably believe its going to turn them into Dj Shadow overnight or something like that,my son tells me that these rich kids at his university are all on some bullshit lo-fi kick these days and are actually going out buying old 4 track tape machines in a desperate attempt at sounding authentic and relevant

[Guest petesasqwax]

MPC60 = Shadow = "the Jimmy Page of the sampler" (can we just take as a given that I'm referencing the other thread to mention the light-fingered guitarist & draw your conclusions from there?)

 

Personally I doubt I would ever use a hardware sampler again for the same reasons as Matt stated: as much as loved them, they're a total ballache. That said, I think that spending at least some time on a hardware sampler - even just borrowing one for a month or two - is beneficial to all hip-hop producers. I could elaborate, but the simple explanation is: without learning the limitations of a hardware sampler you don't learn the tricks of how to get around them and exploit them for your own good.

 

To an extent I'd suggest the same of the 4-track & for what it's worth I'd generally be more interested in a track made with a 4-track than one made entirely on computer if they're made by the same person. Lest we forget: the hiss, wow and flutter of shitty tapes is the 192746642th element of hip-hop

[DJ Rock Well]

Just for general reference, I do still lust after vintage samplers but I know I wouldn't use them if I had them. This doesn't mean I don't get excited by things like this though

 

[Guest petesasqwax]

I look at that picture and wonder how many power blocks I'd need to get in order to run all the guitar pedals I'd buy when I sold it all

[danswift]

I look at that picture and wonder how many power blocks I'd need to get in order to run all the guitar pedals I'd buy when I sold it all

I would Just buy vintage pedals instead

Pete they just run on batteries!

[waxdestroyer]

this guy can't make a proper beat or a bassline and yet he has one of the nicest machines ever made apart from the limited 10 secs of sampling but thats when a 78rpm turntable comes in handy pitch it back to normal speed in the SP and you got that tyical sound that you can't get out of an MPC60. Pete Rock was a master on the SP, when he switched to an MPC2KXL is when his beats started to sound cleaner and less smooth. I owned the 2KXL as well, you really needed the 8 outs board hooking it up to an eq mixer with reverb and a compressor to get that grimey sound. The EB-16 internal fx board was pretty rubbish but in terms of layout i loved that machine, the SP1200 i would still want over any MPC. Putting some 808 sounds into it and you can get that Maggotron vibe as he used the 1200 on a lot of his Miami Bass records.

 

But please not this guy

[d00ban]

I can related to what he's talking about when he says it's nice to have the sound you want "at source" and not have to fuck around with a million plug in s to try to bend a sound to how you want it.