Depends where you're at. I started out 2 years ago with a 505 groovebox, and it's the best fun in the world. Really easy to work with, lots of fat beats and the best thing is you can write trance in your lounge. I learnt alot about the basic structure + elements of trance in that time. I probably have about 12 songs from that year, all done on the 505. I love my MC-505!!

After a year of having fun with that, I started to realise the sound quality was never quite there (or even almost) - the reason? the 505 has reverb/delay per track but not eq, compression, phasing etc. etc. Professional trance has an awful lot of fx processing per-track and it's just not possible to get the same sound out of a single groovebox.

Now the 505 is relegated to the rainy-day synth when I just want to have fun, and as my only hardware synth source when I need an alternative to VSTi's. Cubase + VSTis were the way forward without a doubt. If you want to eventually have a hardware synth in your studio, then I'd buy a dedicated VA synth, not a groovebox.

Buy one, and enjoy! You'll love it! But in the end you'll only get a pro sound out of a fully-fledged software studio, or a massively expensive hardware one. Depends on where you want to end up!

Hope my little story helps

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Monsoon - Astrosurf

see Nu-Nrg they uses a MC-909 in yours live acts.
personally i dont know this machine

quote:

Originally posted by pho mo Depends where you're at. I started out 2 years ago with a 505 groovebox, and it's the best fun in the world. Really easy to work with, lots of fat beats and the best thing is you can write trance in your lounge. I learnt alot about the basic structure + elements of trance in that time. I probably have about 12 songs from that year, all done on the 505. I love my MC-505!! After a year of having fun with that, I started to realise the sound quality was never quite there (or even almost) - the reason? the 505 has reverb/delay per track but not eq, compression, phasing etc. etc. Professional trance has an awful lot of fx processing per-track and it's just not possible to get the same sound out of a single groovebox. Now the 505 is relegated to the rainy-day synth when I just want to have fun, and as my only hardware synth source when I need an alternative to VSTi's. Cubase + VSTis were the way forward without a doubt. If you want to eventually have a hardware synth in your studio, then I'd buy a dedicated VA synth, not a groovebox. Buy one, and enjoy! You'll love it! But in the end you'll only get a pro sound out of a fully-fledged software studio, or a massively expensive hardware one. Depends on where you want to end up! Hope my little story helps

straight on !!

you do have to realise the mc 909 has more efx tho and has 16 tracks to sequence. The 505 can make semi decent songs all by itself if you have even a bit skills, and I think the mc 909 can make really cool songs. If you ever think to go live, it's better to mute/unmute tracks than a mouse

Just remember it will never be wasted money, I sampled all the drums out of my mc (hi quality stuff !) and there is not one song I didn't use a sample of it, the classic instruments aren't that bad either. It sounds really good in the mix but for really pro leads you'll need a VA

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