-
Ryan Roullard
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
Check out our mod options
-
Daniel
Michael Brauer – Mix Engineer
inOur friend Michael Brauer (Coldplay, John Mayer, Bon Jovi) stopped by the Black Lion Audio NY HQ to talk about…
-
Dec292020Black Lion Audio
“The first time I used the Black Lion Auteur Mic Pre was recording Peter Asher (Linda Ronstadt, James Taylor) playing his mid-sixties Gibson J200 acoustic. The tone was incredible, with crystal clear highs, and a nice defined bottom end that wasn’t muddy at all. The mid-range was smooth, and we didn’t need a bit of compression. I love my Auteur Mic Pre.”
Jay Ruston
Producer // Mixer
(The Donnas, Leonard Cohen, Steel Panther, Diana Ross, Brian Wilson, Anthrax, Jars of Clay, Morrissey, American Idol)in -
Nov212020Black Lion Audio
George Landress – Producer // Engineer // Mixer
in“No discerning studio owner should be without Black Lion Audio’s new line of pro audio tools. My external MICRO CLOCK, and SPARROW A/D stereo converter, stay on all the time in my studio rack. An upscale sound with a great price tag.”
George Landress
Producer // Engineer // Mixer
(No Doubt, Jane’s Addiction, The Killers, Jon B., Chaka Khan, Jimmy Cliff, Lil’ Kim) -
Black Lion Audio
Butch Walker – Singer // Songwriter // Producer
in“The Signature Series Mod that you guys packed into my 003R is unreal. Such a world of difference. I used to DREAD going from my HD rig to having to use the little 003 box, but now this thing gives my HD converters a run for their money. The mic pres are actually good now, as well! Good things always come out of Chicago.”
Butch Walker
Singer // Songwriter // Producer
(Katy Perry, Weezer, Pink, Panic! At The Disco, Avril Lavigne, Dashboard Confessional)