The Buyers Guide for Beatmakers

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Ever since the inception of this site, we have received many questions on what to buy to make beats. Today you have many choices and most are affordable. We decided to put together a buying guide to help a person’s buying decision on what to get. This page will always receive updates so make sure to bookmark this page to check back to see anything new. This guide will cover old and new equipment to get you started. Over time I will add more machines and software to check out. The guide will help new and well-seasoned beatmakers to find the right solution.

Hip-Hop originated in Bronx NY. The origin of Hip Hop started in the Bronx and was originated from the Black Spades gang from the Bronxdale projects. The culture of Hip Hop developed before the music was ever thought of. All the forms of Hip Hop that we know today came out of Bronxdale projects. In those days, the gangs were dominate and the youths had to form gangs to protect themselves from rival gangs. As time went on the gang life faded with Dj Mario aka Disco King Mario, Dj Kool Herc, Afrika Bambaataa etc ushering in the music aspect to the culture.

By the 1980s sampling technology made it possible for DJ’s to sample records they’ve been playing for years and make their own compositions from them. The way the early pioneers used the samplers was not what was intended for them but the pioneers changed the rules. By the mid 80’s hip hop production evolved because sampling technology got more advanced and more affordable. Producers like DJ Marley Marl, Hank Shocklee, Ced Gee, Paul C etc. took the art-form to the next level taking pieces of samples from different records and making a song. All of this paved the way for the gear we use today.

In today’s era software is king but when I got started in the early 90’s computers were used for sequencing. Hard Drive space then was minimal compared to today. In the early 90’s samplers were not cheap and you had to spend a couple of grand to get one. Towards the late 90’s samplers became more affordable and powerful.

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MPC 2000XL was released in 1999 by Akai. It was supposed to be the new and improved MPC 2000 released two years previously. If you looking for hardware drum machine sampler that is kind of modern then get this. I suggest the MPC 2000XL for the person who wants hardware plus the ability to do what modern samplers do today. The MPC 2000XL is slow and it takes forever to load programs if you have lots of samples. The timing is rock solid and you can find one used for a decent price. Make sure you buy one with a compact flash drive. If you get a MPC 2000XL with zip drive or floppy just get a kit and do it yourself. Zip disks are old media and not as easy to find as compact flash. If you check Ebay I’m sure you can find zip disks.

What made MPCs famous was its sequencer plus you can make a whole song with it alone. It also has a wave form editor where you can see the wave. Many hardware samplers before this didn’t have wave form editors. Some producers still swear by the older MPCs like the MPC 60 and MPC 3000. Roger Linn was the designer of those older MPC’s and some purist refuse to let go. Roger Linn told me personally the 4X4 layout of pads was a mistake. He actually intended the MPC 60 to have pads laid out like the DSI Tempest of today. Well, his mistake has stuck around for decades and copied by every manufacturer attempting to make a drum machine.

MPC 4000 was released in 2002 and by far is the most advanced hardware sampler ever. This was the first hardware sampler to sample in 24bit @ 96 kHz. The rack mount versions were released with no sequencer. Many purists swear by this machine. At the time it had the highest sequencer quantize resolution of 960 ticks per measure. By today’s standard this machine is still powerful and worth grabbing if you can find one. They can go for anywhere from $700 to $1500 on the aftermarket. Check Ebay.

MPC 1000 and MPC 2500 were released in 2005 and these were the lack luster machines after the MPC 4000. Akai started making the extra outputs inside the MPCs compared to older MPCs where you had to buy outs separate. They also have compact flash drives built in. Many were disappointed with the lack of certain features that were on older MPCs like the MPC 2000XL. Some were surprised you could only sample in mono plus it did less midi events compared to MPC 2000XL. Akai had dropped the ball and many were angry.

If it wasn’t for the JJ OS, the MPC line might have faded away. The JJ OS added missing features plus added many more that was never thought of for MPCs ever. The person who created JJ OS use to work for Akai and some say he did it because he was a disgruntle employee. Who knows? These MPCs are worth getting if you install JJ OS on them. Also, if you plan on getting the MPC 1000 make sure it has the newer pads Akai made later. The older pads were crappy and died out fast. The sound quality from these machines sound like a tin can but some people love these machines.

I’ve seen the prices vary greatly between these machines. On the aftermarket the MPC 1000 can go from anywhere between $300 to $500 unless it was customized. If customized I’ve seen higher prices. I’ve been actually surprised to see how much MPC 2500 are on the aftermarket. I’ve seen prices anywhere between $700 to $1500. To me, if you going to spend that much you should get the MPC 4000. This is just my opinion.

MV 8000 and MV 8800 was Roland’s answer to Akai’s MPC dominance. The MV’s were similar to Akai’s because for one they had the same pad layout and did the same thing. The MV had its own unique way to make beats and highly emphasize resampling. In fact in order to use many effects on samples, you had to resample them because the MV only has three effect blocks and you could only use three at a time hence the use of resampling. Like older MPCs, you had to buy the outs separately. The MV’s have a really warm sound quality and sound very professional.

There has been a misconception of MV’s on the internet of not having good timing. Fortunately this is not true. There is nothing wrong with the timing at all. The thing that may throw some people off is the strength percentages. With MV’s you can have your own customized quantize settings making your timing completely unique. I think Roland made these MV’s too powerful for the average Joe. On the after Market the MV 8000 can be had between $300 and $600. The MV 8800 can be found between $500 and $1000. If you buy any MV used make sure your pads trigger ok. If they don’t you might need to replace the pad sensor board inside MV. The pad sensor board is not expensive and is an easy fix. I’ve notice I had to replace the board in mine because when I made a beat the timing was off. The pad sensor board was the culprit. Keep this in mind when grabbing a used MV.

MPC 5000 was the last hardware MPC to be released from Akai in late 2008. The MPC 5000 like previous MPCs before has the 4×4 pad layout, flip screen etc. Just like the MPC 4000 the MPC 5000 quantize resolution is 960 ticks per measure. Unlike the MPC 4000 the MPC 5000 lacks 24bit and 96 kHz which is kind of a letdown. The MPC 5000 does have a 3 oscillator synth which is quite usable. It also has a key map feature where you can sample a note and stretch it across keys just like the MPC 4000 and MPC 1000/MPC 2500 with the JJ OS. The MPC 5000 can be found on the aftermarket anywhere from $800 and up. It is definitely worth getting.

All the hardware drum-machine samplers I’ve listed above are discontinued but check out Ebay to see if you can find a good used machine. I tend to like hardware because you can get a sound from them you can’t get from software without the help of plugins.

We can’t forget BKE Beat Thang. The Beat Thang is the last hardware drum-machine sampler still available for purchase at most music retailers. I have very little knowledge of the device but I did have the opportunity to meet one of the co-inventors Reavis Mitchell. Maybe I should reach out to BKE to review the machine to give my 2 cents.

Akai MPC Software is the first MPC in software form. If you like software and want a MPC groove for your plugins, this is the MPC for you. The only way to get software is to purchase MPC Renaissance or MPC Studio. MPC Element comes with MPC Essentials software which is a striped down version of MPC Software. You do need a computer with the latest version of Mac or Windows. The MPC Software is like a MPC 4000 but with unlimited features and possibilities. One thing to remember is the MPC Renaissance, MPC Studio and Element are just controllers and you can’t unlock MPC Software without them. The MPC Renaissance functions as a sound card so it’s more than a basic controller. Vintage Mode only works for the Renaissance but now with the latest update users of Ren and Studio can now use vintage mode as plugins and assign them to any track. Just like previous MPC’s you can make beats, chop up samples and sequence notes. The MPC Renaissance, MPC Studio and MPC Element has everything you need to make beats.

The Macshine from Native Instruments was a game changer when it first came out. It was the first drum sampler software to be fully integrated to work with a controller. Native Instruments beat Akai to the punch and got ahead start in this arena. Akai is still trying to catch up but the Maschine is still a leader. The Maschine Studio was the answer to the Akai Renaissance because of the built-in audio interface and midi. Personally I haven’t played with the Maschine much and I prefer the MPC Renaissance because I’m a longtime MPC user since the MPC 2000XL. With the Maschine there is a slight learning curve but that should not stop an individual from using it.

BKE got a software beat making app for Mac or Windows that is a software version of the Beat Thang. Compared to the MPC Software and Maschine, the BTV is the cheapest. If you on a budget give BTV a try.

Price $27

Click Here!

More info coming soon..