MPC 500 what do yall think of it??

[City Situation]

The only thing I ever used is Pro Tools and Cool Edit Pro. You're right Pro Tools isn't the best, and too many think just cuz it's pro tools, it'll be good. But I already do take my shit to different studios (but no I'm not on a professional level).

What things should you not skimp on? Of course the pre-amp. What do you think of audio interfaces with pre-amps?


Here are the things I'm looking to do:
Give beats a fuller sound by recording them through the pre-amp.
Record DJ mixes.
Use a drum machine and keyboard.
Record vocals.

I'm perfectly happy with only one input, as long as it can be stereo.

It's nice to have Pro Tools to easily bring it to other places, but I'm willing to try something new.

 

[50cal]

Well if you do not mind tracking 2 tracks at a time, get a nice channel strip APi..SSL NEVE etc etc there are alot of nice ones out there, some ven have a compressor on the channel as well. get a nice 2 channel A/D convertor. Now you are in the computer you should have top notch sound because you have top notch signal coming into the computer....Now you need a 2 channel D/A convertor unless your A/D also has D/A. run this final two track final mix through your D/A into the channel strip or another channel strip or EQ, and you can either run it back into a new track on pro-tools or like many they buy something like an ALESIS MASTERLINK which is a nice mastering C.D recorder with hard drive. If you do not see or should i say hear the change in quality then get your ears fixed..ahaha..It costs money, but this is alot cheaper then trying to go 16 channels in and out into a summing bus like the neve 8816 which my boy has....aint no joke.....

 

[City Situation]

Can you explain the whole idea of a channel strip and the D/A / A/D converters? I understand the converters transfer from analog to digital and vice versa, but I wanna see how it fits into the whole thing. And with all that you just mentioned, you still need an interface to record into right?

 

[50cal]

Well a channel strip something usually found on a mixer which comprises of the input, pre-amp trim knob to adjust the input volume, EQ, so here is an example ..there are many brands but this one includes a compressor....
http://www.mercenary.com/api76chst.html
So now you have basically one channel off a high end mixer now you have to get it into the computer. In order to do that you need it converted to digital...so this is your interface...an mbox is a interface with convertors same with a digi oo3..a high end convertor maybe a apogee or aurora or lavry..here is an example....
http://www.mercenary.com/apro2002chad.html
some interfaces have a mic-pre , but sometimes the company makes a great mic-pre and O.K. convertors, or dope convertors and so so mic pre....
So If you had this set-up you would have one of the best all around channel strips and will be put through a high end convertor which will help maintain the same quality that was put in.