What Next?

[DRR7]

This is my first post on this forum. If this topic has already been covered elsewhere then I apologize in advance (and if you can post a link or direct me to a relevant FAQ that would be great). This place has been a godsend thus far.

After years of building up a huge record collection, I decided I would finally like to join the ranks of my friends who all seem to dabble in sample based music in one form or another (My primary music of choice is Hip-Hop)

So I splurged and bought an MPC 4000 and have been learning how to use it for the last 2 months (somewhat). When I was confident enough, I recorded a couple of samples, chopped them up, laid down some bass & drums I got from soundsforsamplers.com, and wala I've strung together a couple of 4 bar sequences that I'm actually pretty proud of.

....Now what? Keep in mind that my equipment at this point consists of

MPC 4000
Technics 1200 turntable

Period. I don't even have proper monitors yet (I intend to get some). There are other components to making a track like mixing & mastering it that I'm completely baffled with at this point. If the actual beat is finished, does mixing it come next? Do I need to purchase a 16 channel analog mixer? Can I just mix the thing using a software program & skip on the analog mixer altogether? If so, which should I use? What about compression? Mastering?

Basically I've finished the beat on the MPC. Now I need to know what to do next step by step. Any input from other people who make Hip-Hop beats or any other MPC based form of music would be especially appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

 

[ssscientist]

I've been using MPC's for 10 years now, and if you've got the dosh to lay out for an MPC 4000 and you don't want to mess around with a computer, this would be my recommendation.

It's a one-stop CD production machine incorporating mastering tools.

You can already mix to a high degree on the MPC --- it's got better effects than most plugins for Sonar or Cubase --- so you have that part down already. Now you just need to move it into the 'anyone can hear it' arena...

But before you do, invest in some monitors to let you REALLY hear your tracks.

 

[DRR7]

Thanks for the response.

I've actually been looking at that thing on-line today earlier. I'm more of a Hardware guy, so this thing really looks good.

So in your opinion, the MPC already includes enough mixing features to make a separate mixing console unneccessary?

Thanks again, and I've already just purchased some monitors on line today.

 

[ssscientist]

So in your opinion, the MPC already includes enough mixing features to make a separate mixing console unneccessary?

Yes, but you've got to be willing to make mistakes.

By 'mistakes' I mean not only unbalanced mixes but poor effects choices and, if you're going to be recording vocals on the MPC, poor vocal quality. A good microphone doesn't need to be expensive --- a Shure SM58 is a good place to start and they go for around $100.

If you're willing to look at this as a whole new chapter in your musical education then you'll probably be sucessful. If you look at the CD recorder as a magic box that does all the work for you then you'll only get mediocre results and, I predict, will wind up selling the shit on Craig's List within the year.



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