_-MPC2000XL-vs-EPS16PLUS-_

[Loose Cannon]

Ive used the 2KXL, and i know how to operate it pretty good (i know my way around the OS). But im thinkin of buying my own so that i dont hafto borrow nobody else's.

I know some of the pro's and con's. EPS dont have pads. MPC dont have built in sounds. EPS costs less. MPC costs more.

Could somebody that knows the specs of both these, tell me what the difference is?

Im going to buy one. I just need to know the differences first.


And please dont come on here and tell me to just save up for a fantom. Or a motif. I dont like Rolands feel. And Yamaha isnt my type.

I love the feel of the MPC and know it well. I like the EPS and i like the built-in sounds. I need the specs.please.thanks.

PEACE

[gram green]

i started on a 16+... i had some problems with it... there arent any "built in" sounds... you can buy disks (they may be harder to find since they dont make them no more) but i never got a hold of any that were very good.... having a key board was the main benefit... but i would stick with the mpc.... having used both pretty extensively... oh yeah... how much did you find the eps for?

[Loose Cannon]

Im seein loads of em on www.ebay.com/ (and those rare disks you were talkin about).
Im seein some from $300-$500. Ive seen the prices go up a lot higher then that, but $500 is the most im gonna pay for an EPS16+.

I got the idea that it had built in sounds from seein this on synthsite.com:

"sound qual 87.5%
interface 100%
keyboard 81.25%
ease of use 100%
build qual 100%
bass 100%
brass 100%
strings 100%
accoustic 50%
pads 100%
perc 100%
organ 100%
digital 100%
analog 75%
noises 100%"


The EPS is still a lot cheaper.

You really think that the EPS is a waste when i could save another $300 for the MPC2KXL?

[BROUSSARD BEATS]

i use a eps 16 and i have the disk with all the sounds but i don't use them i just payed for two sound modules but the disk i have have some great sounds on them
i would love to have a mpc
but then i would be like i need a workstation and thats what a eps is it can sample to
i would get a eps then add the mpc later

[Loose Cannon]

What does the 2KXL do that the EPS+ cant?

[BROUSSARD BEATS]

more sample time

[Loose Cannon]

Are the beats on http://www.soundclick.com/brucewayne made on an EPS?

(yo, sorry i keep askin questions. I just wanna get all the facts straight in my head)

[BROUSSARD BEATS]

yes they are eps 16 plus and planet phatt ,proteus 1 sound modules also the beats i have on illmuzik in the artist part

[Formant024]

MPC,
More sampling ( 2mb - 32mb) , dual midi ports ( very functional for a workstation ), drumpads not keys, but keys do the trick just as well.

but, the eps has a for more sophisticated voice layering and variation of effects n dynamics opposed to the mpc ( s2000 ).

My tip would be to buy some standalone sampler like a S5000 (= cheap ) and a mpc whatever ( preferably a 2kxl but the 1k has dual midi ports too. In this setup you have a good sampler and a good workstation. Get the best of both.

[Loose Cannon]

Thank You everybody for your help. Im most likely goin to get the EPS-16+. Just cuz my friend has the MPC, and i can use that when he lets me. I got a lot of time, so i just think id rather learn somethin new (ENSONIQ) and gain some more knowledge/experience instead of just stickin with stuff im comfortable with (AKAI).

THe other reason is that once im used to using only 2MB of sample time, i can sell the EPS on ebay, and get an ASR10 and be comfortable with it, and not hafto learn all over again.

THANKS.

[gram green]

yo... the eps is definately not a waste... one thing i would suggest is getting the asr.... it was the next model they made after the 16 + .. they fixed a couple glitches... one having to do with midi.. and the bpms were a little off on the eps... as far as eps vs mpc.... i loved my eps... im sure the specs are different on paper... but you can expand the memory to be several minutes .... the sound is good on the eps.... the mpc would definately be much better to use as a central peice of equipment that you can midi all other stuff up to.... like a keyboard or any other peice of equipment... i did run into alot of problems with midi on the eps... but like i said, the asr fixed some of those.... the first asr looked exactly like the eps... keyboard, not the red box thing they got now.... i would still go with the mpc, unless you really like the built in keyboard... i think that is the only advantage of the eps... which in some ways isnt an advantage... the mpc pads rule

[Formant024]

mpc should be mnp, midi note pad hehe. You cant play an instrument on the pads but it does record all the midi messages it gets.

[Loose Cannon]

Im biddin on it right now (ENSONIQ EPS16+), $270 is the most im gonna pay. It comes with OS disc and 1 thru 15,with # 8 missing. It comes with 4 extra disks and also comes with the Instruction Manual.

Ill be gettin most of my sounds from records, and the floppy drive will be replaced by my external zip soon, but i was lookin at banginbeats.com and they have a special section for EPS16 disks. Wuts up with that? Is it cuz the EPS only uses 2DD disks? And if thats true, does that mean i cant load up sounds from 2HD disks?

Another thing, does the EPS16+ need to load sounds in a certain format? Or can i just load .wav files into it?

Last Question. About the sequencer:
Is it just (i think its called step-sequencing) like you say:
1st sequence, then do 'kick.....kick.....'
2nd sequence, then do '......snare......snare'
3rd sequence, then do 'hat.hat.hat.hat.'

I think you get the idea. Is it just like you tap in the samples you want and it pretty much records that, and sets it as one?
I mean, is it like the sequencer you use in the MPC? If its not, how are those two sequencers different?


Thanks

[Loose Cannon]

DOes anybody know? Or are you sick of answering my questions?

[jaydub23510]

i have the eps 16 + with an MPC together that would be CRAZY!!!

[jaydub23510]

I hook my EPS 16 + straight to my turntables and sample into the EPS 16+ it has awesome effects built in, the MPC has no sounds either for it is a sampler, you don't buy a sampler for preprogrammed sounds you get a module for that, the only difference and it could be major depends on how you wanna make music is the MPC can timestrecth and chop better than the EPS 16 +, I use my EPS 16 to generate sounds, and for looping samples, hope this helps, I'm getting an MPC 1000 to go with what I already have so I can stop sequencing on the computer, Get which one you think you'll get the most use out of, but if you don't have a sequencer yet, get the MPC first,

[Loose Cannon]

I know that the MPC is better. I just dont have enough money for one yet.

But JayDub,
How good, in your opinion, is the sequencer for the EPS-16+? DO you ever use the sequencer on your EPS?

[Loose Cannon]

Ive been looking for used MPC's (2000XL mostly) for about a year. THe lowest price ive seen one go for was $650. And that was once. Ive been looking at EPS16+'s for two weeks and ive seen 'em go for under $300. I have about $300 dollars, thats why im doin this. Also, because the ALchemist is one of my favorite producers, and he uses the ASR-10 (which im pretty sure is a EPS16+ with a pretty face and more sample time). I wanna have the EPS16+ until i can sell it, and afford the ASR10 or a 2KXL.

[Loose Cannon]

PEOPLE,
Please help me out here. I might be gettin one within the next 2-3 Days. What i hear on illmuzik and what i find online are the only ways i can decide whether im spending my $300 on a piece of shit that i gotta get a stand for, so it can sit there and catch dust, or if im getting the piece of equipment ive been lookin for that ill be makin hot beats with for the next couple years.

My question to anyone:
Could you explain the sequencer for me? Im kinda slow. Can you walk me through it step by step, how you make a beat on it? Please. And just to let you know, it WILL be my one piece of equipment for makin beats with (for a while). I got a cheap PC for converting/editing samples (zip,cd, and/or floppy), and i got my Akai S20 that i dont know if it will have any use once/if i get the EPS. And my turntables and my cheap-ass monitors. Please giv me some help here.

PEACE

[Loose Cannon]

Thanks everybody that helped me out.

I just bought an Ensoniq EPS16+, im not sure what the newest OS is, but im pretty sure that the guy gave me newest one. Im gonna hafto upgrade the memory, but ill work with what i got for now.

Also, if anybody else is lookin into one of these, ill tell you what i think of it, and post some of my beats i made off it in the showcase in about 2 weeks.

PEACE

[jaydub23510]

don't use the sequencer on the Eps 16+ at all, too odd for me, plus I've gotten spoiled by the computer screen, so I use Cubase

[Loose Cannon]

Thats mostly the reason i got it. Inspecta Wu said this once but: For me, sitting in fron to of a screen, clicking the mouse, pressin on the keyboards is boring, its not really making beats to me. I feel the same way. Alchemist does all his beats on an ASR-10 and some turntables. The EPS16+ and the ASR-10 have the same sequencer. I think i can make this work. Im sick of sittin in a chair, burnin my eyes out, and just movin the ends of my fingertips. Ive had an S20 for a while, and its time consuming (and probly a pain in the ass for people who dont use hardware), but i love that shit. Its not easy. Computers are easy.

On a computer, you can make a hot beat with no speakers. Cuz you can see everything. You pretty much rely on your eyes to do the work of matchin time up and sounds.

On Hardware, you cant (dont try to prove me wrong). You have to use your ears. And thats how it should be. People dont usually buy music so they can WATCH the timer on there cd player. They listen to it. You forget that when your on a computer.

WHatever though. Im gonna use what i got (EPS16+, S20, and SL1200's), and im gonna work on that (til i get my ASR-10... hahahahahahah!!!!).


PEACE

[jaydub23510]

buying gear to me that is not made for your purpose is wasting time to me, if you have a lot going on like 2 to 3 instruments midi'd up and loading wavesamples into the eps16 +, and sequencing is a lot to ask of an over 10 yr piece of gear, the EPS series of samplers are known to crash, I've used Roland sequencers, Korg, ENsoniq, Cakewalk, and CUbase sequencers, and I must say ENsoniq is the worst, don't even think about using it as a midi controller too difficult, I got another Ensoniq keyboard that I use to sequence everthing with and it worked great, but since adding my computer I use Cubase to sequence, my ESQ1 is my midi controller cause it's easier to define a track, and I haven't looked back, the only clicking you have to do is, record, stop, play, it's not like fruity loops or anything, I couldn't mess with that all day either for all the clicking, I'd rather bang on something, I have a little countdown in Cubase when it's about to record, then I bang away, also what will you record on?

[Formant024]

buying gear to me that is not made for your purpose is wasting time to me, if you have a lot going on like 2 to 3 instruments midi'd up and loading wavesamples into the eps16 +, and sequencing is a lot to ask of an over 10 yr piece of gear, the EPS series of samplers are known to crash, I've used Roland sequencers, Korg, ENsoniq, Cakewalk, and CUbase sequencers, and I must say ENsoniq is the worst, don't even think about using it as a midi controller too difficult, I got another Ensoniq keyboard that I use to sequence everthing with and it worked great, but since adding my computer I use Cubase to sequence, my ESQ1 is my midi controller cause it's easier to define a track, and I haven't looked back, the only clicking you have to do is, record, stop, play, it's not like fruity loops or anything, I couldn't mess with that all day either for all the clicking, I'd rather bang on something, I have a little countdown in Cubase when it's about to record, then I bang away, also what will you record on?

Shit, I aint even have a monitor to watch and the 248x64 lcd on the mpc aint so much to bother with.

Anybody worked with a Korg xx/W or a Roland W30 ?

[Loose Cannon]

...but since adding my computer I use Cubase to sequence, my ESQ1 is my midi controller cause it's easier to define a track, and I haven't looked back, the only clicking you have to do is, record, stop, play, it's not like fruity loops or anything, I couldn't mess with that all day either for all the clicking, I'd rather bang on something, I have a little countdown in Cubase when it's about to record, then I bang away, also what will you record on?...

Word J-Dub,
I used a cubase demo once, but that was before i knew, or used, midi. I think ill try that again with midi now, as long as the only clickin i have to do is rec,stop,play. Like you said.

I got a cable that hooks SCSI(off the computers joystick port) up to a midi in and a midi out. Ill try that in a couple days.


What will i record on? I would have my mostly plain beats all on disks, the MC picks one, writes to it. I record my basic beat to a Tascam 424MKIII (multitrack-casette recorder), and then we record the rough draft for the track.
Once we decide the track is good enough to finish up, I finish the beat up, i record into my computer, I have a magix audio sequencer that i can use in my sleep, and i put each instrument on a different channel, i record the mc (verse,chorus,verse,chorus,etc.), then i mix and sometimes master it. Then put it on a cd (finished track, and finished instrumental), and the magix project gets saved to a zip100. Then i'm finished.


I really never knew that much about cubase. Ill look into that though. Thanks for the info.

PEACE

[Formant024]

1st. scsi ( small computer system interface ) needs a 2940 Ultra wide card by adaptec. Also check on you cable since they vary for 25 or 50 pins.

2. You can try, but it wont fit on the serial port of your soundblaster.

[Loose Cannon]

Formant,
Sorry, i didnt really mean SCSI. That just kinda slipped out. But i have used it before to get some sounds off my friend's Casio. I used the midi in cable, that hooks up to the joystick port on my comp, and i plugged that into the midi out on the Casio. I went into Wavelab (4.0), and went to "Sampling>Receive>Midi Input." And i played somethin. Then stopped. And it popped up in Wavelab. So i know it fits, and it works. But i just not sure if it works on cubase.

Thanks Anyway.

[2_nice]

Eps16+ Has Poor Scsi Implementation
Mpc Has Good Scsi Implementation
Mpc Has The Best Hardware Sequencer There Is
Get An Asr10 Or Mpc

[Loose Cannon]

You should read them 10 posts i put about how i cant afford the MPC or the ASR10 yet, and how ill just be usin the EPS16+ plus until i can afford the ASR10 with maxed-out memory. Also you should read how i said i didnt wanna be like every-single-mother-fucker-and there brother who uses the mpc.

peace
"hope yall ready for the next episode, heeeaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyy.........









.....smoke weed every day."
-Nate Dogg

[Roberto Male]

i think you can produce all your tracks with an EPS or the asr10 if you need stereo !

but it can be the best friend of your mpc too as the sound is really better i think