Submitted by anonymous on Mon, 10/02/2000 - 21:32

ASRX-Pro vs MPC 2000XL

If anyone has used either one of these sampling drum machines or BOTH of them, your reply is very much appreciated.

Just looking for some positive feedback to push me over that last hurdle and make a purchase.
(Dead Link Removed)
Thanks!

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Dopamine Sound System

Comments

I've got an MPC2000 and I love it. Sequencing (whether in step or real time) is incredibly easy. Inserting controller info is only a button away. Nothing is hidden in an endless chasm of menus, so pretty much two button pushes and you're there. It's got two MIDI INs and OUTs, so hooking up my two synthesizers is easy. And you obviously get 16 part multitimbral for each OUT, so a total of 32 MIDI channels is possible.

Sampling is fairly intuitive, too. This was my first sampler, and I was building my own kits in minutes. Notice I said "kits". This thing will not act as a conventional sampler (meaning that you can not map a sound out across a keyboard). If you need this abiblity, you may want to go get a keyboard workstation like a Korg Triton or a Kurzweil 2500 that will let you sample and also provide an internal sequencer.

I use my MPC2000 for goth/industrial, and it works beautifully. The reason I say this is because I was trying to decide on this or a Roland SP-808. The Roland works wonders for break beat type stuff and phrases but I enjoyed the control of MIDI a lot more. If you're doing jungle, drum n' bass, or any other sample heavy music, I believe the Ensoniq ASR-X thing may be more up your alley. From what I've heard it does more on the sampling end of things than the AKAI. but if you're a MIDI control freak that MUST have complete control over sync and phrases staying in time, then the level of control that the MPC will give you is unreal.

If you'd like some more input on either of these machines, go to http://www.harmonycentral.com and check out the Synth Database. It's full of hundreds of product reviews from normal consumers and has helped me on more than one purchase.

Hope I was able to help. Send me an E if you have anymore questions.

Josh