This review came into us from Rocky, who recently got our MPC Live II mod:
So I’ve been making hip hop music for quite awhile, comparatively, since 1996. You se,e a good friend of
mine had gotten his hands on an MPC 3000 and I was fortunate enough to be let into this inner sanctum
to see this beast in action. No one, and I mean no one, had an MPC back in them days, and my mind
was blown. I had to have one, but I couldn’t afford one.
Luckily the MPC 2000 came out, and from what I can tell, most (if not all) of the features were there, but it
was a bit closer to my price point. I finally got it home and hooked up, invited my friend over to see my
version of the MPC in action. His look of bemusement eventually changed into one of borderline
confusion as if he couldn’t quite put his finger on it only to then say to me… it just don’t sound the same
as the 3000. This is when I started chasing the dragon, the one that sounded “right.”
I never did get a 3000, but I had an ASR10, an SP1200, an EPS, everything I deemed iconic in my quest
for “that sound.” Even with twenty years of engineering experience under my belt, I never was able to
shake the importance of a thick, present starting point despite the argument that a good engineer can
make anything sound like anything (within reason).
These days the Isla S2400 has “that sound” and so does my Black Lion-modded MPC Live II. I knew I wanted an MPC
with the Black Lion mod when it was first introduced to the X. Problem is, I couldn’t afford the X with the
mod. When the Live 2 was announced in the Black Lion catalog I had to have it, and I needed it right
away. I bought it and had it modded before I got my hands on it. I have an MPC One, which I never
warmed up to as I never could get the sound I wanted so I know what they are capable of. The difference
is night and day, I finally have the MPC I have always wanted with the tonality I find not only acceptable,
but desirable, and that’s before I decide to put my hands on the board.
Black Lion has knocked it out of the park, which I knew they would, that is what they do best. I have your
power conditioner, your interface, and now your insignia on the MPC Live 2 and every dollar was a steal.
Excellent work y’all!
Follow Rocky on SoundCloud
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