MPC or EsX

jerseykorg · Post by **jerseykorg** » Tue Jan 27, 2009 12:38 pm

Yeah, I compare them because a used ESX and Fruity Loops cost the same...

TrondC · Post by **TrondC** » Tue Jan 27, 2009 1:02 pm

no I mean, comparing hardware to software makes little sense, as they are designed to do very different things. the ESX is an excellent performance sampler/sequencer, while FL is a studio tool. if you're saying there's no use of an ESX because FL exists, then there's no reason why any hardware synth/sampler/sequencer (exept real analogues) would be worth having since more capable software can be bought at the same price, which I dont find true at all, given the amount of hardware still being used and enjoyed worldwide

robosardine · Post by **robosardine** » Sat Feb 21, 2009 8:48 pm

Hold it! I've just bought a Boss SP 505- and it's great. Track muting. 16 pads. Big lcd screen showing the wave for editing. One hour sampling time at 44.1 hz on a 128mb card, good effects and a whole host of other juicy features. It was only £140 on E-Bay. Check them out!

Yatmandu · Post by **Yatmandu** » Sun Feb 22, 2009 2:09 am

There are so many models of these Boss/Roland SP X0X it's hard to keep track of them all. Never heard of Boss SP 505, but it sounds like it did the trick for you. Obviously, all of these spank the ESX when it comes to sample time. But the ESX is still better/more fun when it comes to sequencing, live tweaking, programming, etc. I'll give the SP series kudos on sound quality and effects, though. I've heard the SP 404, and it does sound good.

robosardine · Post by **robosardine** » Sun Feb 22, 2009 8:15 pm

Too right! The ESX is going nowhere- ever. I got the Boss mainly for long phrases, something that eats into the ESX's memory too much. But for overall drum pumping fun, chaos and adrenalin soaked sampling madness the ESX cannot be beaten.

TrondC · Post by **TrondC** » Sun Feb 22, 2009 10:15 pm

I must say I'm tempted to pick up an SP-404 at one point, so I can dedicate it to longer phrases, and clear a lot of memory fro the ESX (as I currently have 10+ 8sec or longer spoken word samples in there..)

how much should I pay for one? I was thinking max $300?

Yatmandu · Post by **Yatmandu** » Mon Feb 23, 2009 3:23 am

I saw a local one going for CDN$250 and was extremely temped to go for it. I think, as with a lot of digital boxes, the prices are coming down. I think you should be able to get one for ~US$250-275.

I would only consider one of these if you absolutely hate using a laptop for sampling though, as I do, ie if you're a hardware type. Otherwise a laptop can do the job.

TrondC · Post by **TrondC** » Mon Feb 23, 2009 6:13 am

yeah I'd get it for live use mostly, and I don't want to use my laptop for anything besides recording.. $250 sounds nice... hm....

Dj Pound · Post by **Dj Pound** » Tue Feb 24, 2009 1:03 am

LOL...yeah i remember right before i bought the old ES-1 back in 2001, i had the chance to buy an sp-202 for 150 dollars. I bought the 202 and had quite a bit of fun with it, or atleast as much fun as one could have using a sampler with no internal sequencer and 4 voice polyphony!

Keep in mind though that at the time that was a huge step up for me so to speak

because prior to that i was using a gemini ds224 that i copped from music factory. That gemini is like the lowest of the low on the sample ladder with what 3 seconds sample time, no midi, and like 1 voice polyphony!?!?!...HAHAHA, the good ol' days.

robosardine · Post by **robosardine** » Tue Feb 24, 2009 8:00 pm

Don't get the 404 until you have checked out the 505- it's cheaper and you can mute tracks on it- see earlier discussion on this thread. There is NO track muting facility on the 404- when playing back you are stuck with the pattern as you recorded it- you can't drop parts in and out like you can on the ESX- can you live with this?

Yatmandu · Post by **Yatmandu** » Tue Feb 24, 2009 8:38 pm

robosardine wrote:Don't get the 404 until you have checked out the 505- it's cheaper and you can mute tracks on it- see earlier discussion on this thread. There is NO track muting facility on the 404- when playing back you are stuck with the pattern as you recorded it- you can't drop parts in and out like you can on the ESX- can you live with this?

Wait a minute...where did you get this info? I thought the SP-404 had 12 pads on it. Each pad can have a sample of almost limitless size. You can set it to loop or 1 shot. You press the button to trigger it, and press it again to stop it from playing....not quite mute, as in you can't make the middle of the sample "disappear", but close enough. Anyway, you would mute to the end of a pattern and retrigger it, no?

EDIT: and also you can connect the output of the 404 as an input/part on the ESX and "mute" it on the ESX. Finally you can mute using the output level for that sample on the 404 (I think).

But if the 505 has a proper mute, I guess that's the way to go. Does it have the same kinds of effects as 404? There are some crazy effects on the 404.

robosardine · Post by **robosardine** » Thu Feb 26, 2009 10:04 pm

Where do I get it? Mmmm, I think you may need to take some of your own advice from earlier in this very thread on the same subject and have a scan of the downloadable manual. Or you could check out the reviews at Harmony Central. You cannot mute parts on the 404. You record a pattern using\ mixing any of the 12 pads- then thats your pattern- recorded on the single sequencer track, if you want to drop a part you would have to erase it. You can have a track playing and add to it by triggering pads, or you can play it 'live' from the off by triggering then not- performing this way may give the impression that you can mute........... but you can't. You can't mute parts on a pre-recorded pattern- they are all recorded onto a single track... it's either track or no track. I hope this saves someone from buying one only to be mortally deflated apon discovering this limitation. It is surprising and I was quite confused myself for a while. You couldn't mute parts by sending it through the ESX either- unless it was for all on/off. The 505 has 4 muteable tracks. It has a good range of standard effects (better than the Electribes) with 3 pots per effect. One at a time though- nothing to chain- and no motion sequencer- you can twiddle whilst sampling then resample with another effect. Take it easy.

Yatmandu · Post by **Yatmandu** » Thu Feb 26, 2009 10:52 pm

LOL, I have a short memory! The only reason I'd get a 404 is to play big fat ass samples anyway, and maybe put effects on them. I wouldn't use it like a tribe in terms of muting and parts. Anyway, it's good that you found a SP-X0X that at least gives you some flexibility on that front.

EDIT: by the way, I guess you could prerecord a few patterns with which ever samples you want muted ahead of time, and then play through these patterns to sort of achieve the same thing. Poor man's multi-track/part-muting on the 404. Say pattern 1 has samples A+B+C+D, pat 2: A+B+C, pat 3: A+B+D, etc...

Anyway enough of dat, the 404 has serious limitations...we all know that.