A friend of mine is a hip hop DJ and wants to get into making his own tracks. I said id help get him some hardware. Saw an AKAI s2000 for sale for 90 dollars with 32 meg, 8 outs, zip drive etc.
My question is: My mate is not technical at all, barely knows how to use a computer - would an s2000 need to be hooked up to a sequencer or could you use it on it's own? Would he be better off just getting a cheap computer with fruity loops or something?
Hardware sampler
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- KVRer
- 18 posts since 29 Nov, 2003
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- KVRAF
- 1618 posts since 15 Aug, 2001 from montreal, canada
You can hook up a midi drumpad or midi keyboard to play it but to do tracks, you'll need a sequencer.
An S2000 for $90 is cheap though (if it's in working order).
An S2000 for $90 is cheap though (if it's in working order).
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- KVRAF
- 1597 posts since 15 Jan, 2005 from Vales Of Glamorgan, South Wales, UK
Hmmmm... depends what he wants to do with it. If it's beats and phrase/loop samplinng, etc., whilst the S2000 will do the job very well, I think he might be better off looking at an MPC1000 if he's not that technical.
You couldn't just use an S2000 on it's own - you'd need a keyboard or MIDI drumpad to play/trigger it and you'd need a sequencer of some form to record sequences, etc.. Editing as well wouldn't be that easy with the small 2 x 16 LCD so he'd need to use Akai's MESA software or Millenium. Also, the file format is proprietary so your friend couldn't be downloading noises off the net and dumping them into the S2000 (and he might have problems sharing his own samples with others unless they too have an S2000).
Best bet, I think, is the MPC1000 - you get the pads to trigger stuff, you have a sequencer to record songs, operation is easier and quicker (wouldn't even need a computer of any sort really), you'd have more memory, the file format is standard WAVs for samples (so there's one hell of a library out there for him!), storage is off-the-shelf memory cards, you'd have individual outputs and built in effects and all in one compact and portable unit.
It would, of course, cost more than $90 but....!!!
Fruity Loops and a PC is an option but you say he's not entirely "technical". Also, that would restrict him gigging (if that's part of the intention).
Dunno if that helps.
Steve
You couldn't just use an S2000 on it's own - you'd need a keyboard or MIDI drumpad to play/trigger it and you'd need a sequencer of some form to record sequences, etc.. Editing as well wouldn't be that easy with the small 2 x 16 LCD so he'd need to use Akai's MESA software or Millenium. Also, the file format is proprietary so your friend couldn't be downloading noises off the net and dumping them into the S2000 (and he might have problems sharing his own samples with others unless they too have an S2000).
Best bet, I think, is the MPC1000 - you get the pads to trigger stuff, you have a sequencer to record songs, operation is easier and quicker (wouldn't even need a computer of any sort really), you'd have more memory, the file format is standard WAVs for samples (so there's one hell of a library out there for him!), storage is off-the-shelf memory cards, you'd have individual outputs and built in effects and all in one compact and portable unit.
It would, of course, cost more than $90 but....!!!
Fruity Loops and a PC is an option but you say he's not entirely "technical". Also, that would restrict him gigging (if that's part of the intention).
Dunno if that helps.
Steve
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- KVRist
- 329 posts since 15 Jun, 2004
Totally agree. If the guy is not very 'technical' the mpc is really the tool for him, after all a lot of not really technical and not really musically versed hiphop djs started like that, and he could do a track from start to finish just with it.
The only problem is that an mpc is not a cheap way to start out, it would be easier to try out a fl studio demo, if he gets a feel for it then i say leave the sampler and go with fl, if not suggest to go to a store and demo the mpc 1000 there.
The only problem is that an mpc is not a cheap way to start out, it would be easier to try out a fl studio demo, if he gets a feel for it then i say leave the sampler and go with fl, if not suggest to go to a store and demo the mpc 1000 there.
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- KVRian
- 1121 posts since 4 Jun, 2003 from Skanky Manc
An s2000 will be pretty useless on its own. It has no internal sequencer.
Something like the Korg Electribe SX-1 might be worth looking at. They're a bit cheaper than an MPC1000 and loads of fun to play with. Less complicated than Fruity Loops too.
Something like the Korg Electribe SX-1 might be worth looking at. They're a bit cheaper than an MPC1000 and loads of fun to play with. Less complicated than Fruity Loops too.
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- KVRAF
- 1618 posts since 15 Aug, 2001 from montreal, canada
To rozzer,
I've actually been looking at getting an hardware sampler myself and the electribe seems good enough for drum trigger and other things.
I've read somewhere that you can load wavs via smartmedia. Do you know if it's possible to transfer from the pc directly to the electribe?
I've actually been looking at getting an hardware sampler myself and the electribe seems good enough for drum trigger and other things.
I've read somewhere that you can load wavs via smartmedia. Do you know if it's possible to transfer from the pc directly to the electribe?
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- KVRian
- 1121 posts since 4 Jun, 2003 from Skanky Manc
I think its SmartMedia only. This Sound on Sound review is worth a peruse, if you're thinking about buying one.
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- KVRAF
- 1618 posts since 15 Aug, 2001 from montreal, canada
Thanks man. I downloaded the manual from Korg and it's really packed with cool features. What really kills it a little is that they didn't bother putting an USB port.
I'm also checking also the SP-606 which is also quite interesting. Seems to be in the price range of the electribe.
I'm also checking also the SP-606 which is also quite interesting. Seems to be in the price range of the electribe.
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- KVRist
- 329 posts since 15 Jun, 2004
I got an electribe es 1, which is of course much limited when you put it up against the sx, but still i have to say that korg really did a brilliant job with this line, they're very powerful and really really easy to use. Plus they all got a kind of a 'live mode' which is very useful for gigs.
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- KVRist
- 380 posts since 26 Jul, 2004 from "Boogie Down " Bronx, NY
hardware sampler? why not get a rackmount ASR-10 on ebay.... Instant Alchemist or Mobb Deep or Kanye West or Timbaland or Neptunes or Tony Touch (they all use the ASR-10 or other Ensoniq products). The EPS-16 is a bit outdated, but Mobb Deep made "the infamous" with just an EPS-16. Sold my ASR-10 (i sold a keyboard version and a rackmount) and i feel like a complete fool for doing it. that is a proper all-in-one hip hop solution
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