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How many of you still use hardware gear? (pg. 4)
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| Chronosis |
| quote: | Originally posted by sr126
for sequencing, i'm all about the mpc4000.
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How does the MPC work with melodies? |
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| sr126 |
that depends on you... what did you have in mind?
there are many ways to make the mpc work w/a melody...
do you mean, playing the pads, or hooking up a keyboard to the mpc, and play melodies w/the keyboard using the sounds loaded into the mpc? you can do that.
you can also use the above method to play melodies on your soft synth. as long as the mpc is the go-between and recording the note data you play into it, you can apply that data to either play the sounds you load into the mpc, or any other peice of hardware, or software.
the mpc also records control changes, sysex, etc. so you can record youself doing filter sweeps via midi from you keyboard, or by using the knobs/sliders on the mpc, and apply that data to what ever you want.
you can also import midi files, and edit them to your hearts content.
not too long ago, i imported all the patterns i wrote on my mc-909 on the mpc. i can tweak arpeggio's or do what ever i want w/that data.
if i want to record an arpeggio or melody i have stored on my mc-303... then i just hook up the mc-303 to the midi in of the mpc, then edit it if i want, or use that data to play a melody or arpeggio in reaktor, or absynth.
what ever you want, you can do.
also, the mpc's timing is rock solid. not like the mc-909. i have tried to use it as a master w/kore slaved to it... not good. after moving everthing into the mpc, everything plays like it should.
one thing that is incredibly easy to do on the mpc that was a total nightmare to get working properly in a daw is the fact that you can write a beat, or melody, and spread it over several tracks and set several tracks to channel one, then a different set of tracks to channel two, and so on... then feed all that stuff into your vst host, and jam live to your hearts content just building things up, and breaking them back down, just experiment w/the arrangement, and see what comes out...
for example... i write all my beats from scratch, i don't use loops.
w/the mpc, i can open up emulator x, or open emulator x up in sonar. i load a drum kit on channel one of emulator x. i can record myself playing just the kick on track one, while the mpc is still loop recording, i can hop to track two, and punch in the clap, jump to track 3 and do some funky snare thing, jump to track 4 punch in the high hat on the upbeat, jump to track five and play some toms, if if happen to set up the mpc's knobs to control transmit CC's to control the filter and res... when the loop repeats, i can filter my toms... then if i want, i can hop back onto another track and filter that too.
now i just made my beat, and recorded the filter sweeps. in one shot, w/out having to hit stop. now i have 5 different drum tracks on the mpc feeding into channel one on the emulator x. this means i can cut out, or bring in any aspect of my beat when ever i want. i want to hear how the entire beat sounds, but w/out the snare... so i just hit a pad to mute the snare... bring back the snare, but cut the toms, and the high hat at the same time... hit three pads, and viola... if i like how that sounds, then i can edit that sort of thing into my sequence... (-several ways to do that too...)
i was never able to do stuff like this, this way w/a daw. for some reason, sonar used to freak out when i tried to feed more than one track into emulator x... i was able to do it finally, but what a pain in the ass. it's a zillion times easier to do on the mpc, or even the mc909.
so easy to jam on this thing... the same way you can just jam while you dj, you just do what ever you want, when ever you want and you don't have to deal w/any bs...
the level of control the mpc gives you over the songwriting process is insane. especially, if you're into building patterns then string them into songs... kinda like using loops in acid pro, but for people who actually know how to write their own music. |
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| djms |
i was software for 3 years - have a stack of releases coming out with using softwaer and I just bought a Virus B mwahh hahahaha
NO soft synth will ever emulate the depth that this synth offers - plain and simple. Hardware will always have a phatter sound although the best soft synth I've seen that comes close to it is probably the Z3ta+
Go hardware guys - at least one bit, you won;t want to turn back :) |
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| sr126 |
but the virus doesn't have a midi learn feature when i can click on a knob in the software, and then twiddle a knob on my $24.95 keyboard controller i bought from radio shack and link them together... wwwwwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh... *sniffle, sniffle*
so, does the virus like put out a 24/192k signal or what?
sike!
one of these days i will have to get a virus...
i will have to make the plunge sooner or later... i've always been afraid stuff like that. i mean, i love how you can make your own stuff with it... but i always felt that the more time i invest in exploring the depths of the virus, any virus... the less time i will have to enjoy making music, and dj'ing.
it's true, i work like an animal all day, everyday... so the time i have left for myself, is pretty limited. :( |
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| Chronosis |
| quote: | Originally posted by sr126
that depends on you... what did you have in mind?
there are many ways to make the mpc work w/a melody...
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What I was wondering, was about recording notes, moving them, quantizing... the normal stuff you do on a piano roll in a daw. Seems that MPC is capable of doing all this. :)
I don't like working with the mouse that much either, so this could be something to consider. |
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| Michael Dow |
| I like a good mix of the two, I'm using a JP8080, Virus C, MKS-50, and an A-Station, have just bought a TB-303 and always wanting more gear. But i also occasionally use VST synths, synth1, pro53 and occasionally a bit of vanguard. But only if theres a specific sound i know i can create on one of those. Also using hardware makes it easier on the cpu so i can use a lot more VST effects :) |
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| djms |
| quote: | Originally posted by sr126
but the virus doesn't have a midi learn feature when i can click on a knob in the software, and then twiddle a knob on my $24.95 keyboard controller i bought from radio shack and link them together... wwwwwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh... *sniffle, sniffle*
so, does the virus like put out a 24/192k signal or what?
sike!
one of these days i will have to get a virus...
i will have to make the plunge sooner or later... i've always been afraid stuff like that. i mean, i love how you can make your own stuff with it... but i always felt that the more time i invest in exploring the depths of the virus, any virus... the less time i will have to enjoy making music, and dj'ing.
it's true, i work like an animal all day, everyday... so the time i have left for myself, is pretty limited. :( |
i reckon you should only get the virus if you know your set up inside out and you know a bit about synthesis, so that when you do get one you'll know what to do with it pretty much straight away. |
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| Derivative |
Virus is only good for certain types of sounds. I don't get how anyone can say Hardware is just plain better than software. The Virus is software. It just runs on a DSP instead of a computer CPU. Which means they can add a tonne of extra features and oversampling/interpolating. Things which would crush the fastest computer CPU available today. As CPU speeds increase though this will become less of a problem.
Also there are softsynths which don't do as many oscillators and don't do as many modules. But each thing they do, they do brilliantly. I know I keep on saying this but have you heard ImpOSCar's square wave oscillator? Have you tried comparing it to a Virus square wave oscillator? I think you will be surprised at how *weak* the Virus square sounds compared to the OSCar square.
The Virus really sucks hard for doing monophonic square and PWM square leads. Its awesome for doing really complex evolving pads. ImpOSCar is awesome for monophonic square/PWM square leads. It sucks for doing complex evolving pads.
So basically its apples and oranges. Different synths for different purposes. I wouldn't say one is flat out better than the other. |
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| fr0st |
| I work on a computer all day long(Computer Engineer/Designer) last thing i want to do is tweak little GUIs of synths. I started out mainly software 5 years ago, but now i am mainly hardware except for effects and sequencing. |
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| Limit |
| software is great but its just so CPU dependant...its limiting...I mean yeah I would go and use some soft synths and stuff but it just takes away from the inspiration. As soon as I start to hear some pops and click or CPU stutters I start to get really pissed. I mean I dont intend to have the fastest computer on teh face of this earth every time a new synth comes out. I think The best software has to be the DSP based cards hands down. So for me its hardware all the way....not because software doesn't sound the same but just because its so confined to how much CPU power you have. |
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| sr126 |
| quote: | Originally posted by Chronosis
What I was wondering, was about recording notes, moving them, quantizing... the normal stuff you do on a piano roll in a daw. Seems that MPC is capable of doing all this. :)
I don't like working with the mouse that much either, so this could be something to consider. |
the mpc4k does have a piano roll view available. i haven't used it yet since i'm so used to just going into the event list and doing my dirty work there. i used to own the mpc2000, so working w/the event list is my thing.
look at this way... pretty much all the songwriting, and editing features/tools you would find in a daw in regards to midi, you will find in an mpc4000. but the main difference is the interface. the mpc4000 as the rest of the mpc line, is very deep and powerfull like a daw, but it's a lot easier to deal with the mpc. the mpc is simpler, and is not all intimidating as a daw, yet the mpc is just as powerful.
i definately recommend checking one out. if you're good w/a daw, the mpc4000 should be pretty easy to get a hang of. you will definately appreciate the power and simplicity. |
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| sr126 |
| quote: | Originally posted by djms
i reckon you should only get the virus if you know your set up inside out and you know a bit about synthesis, so that when you do get one you'll know what to do with it pretty much straight away. |
i have a good idea of what to do w/a virus. it's just stuff like that doesn't grab me the same way that it grabs others. right now, i'm more about laying things down, as opposed to exploring, and designing sounds w/a virus, or something similar.
but i will change, and start getting into designing more... |
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