Debates about equipment have been a staple among hip-hop producers, especially with the advent of the internet. Sooner or later in these debates, classic hip-hop hardware such as the MPC by Akai or the SP-1200 will come up in the discussion. This article will focus on whether or not there is merit to the argument that equipment matters.
In one sense, equipment does matter. A producer really needs to be comfortable with a certain workflow and needs to be motivated by his music setup. If he/she is not, beat making will feel like a chore and will lessen the quality of the music.
On the flip side, certain pieces of equipment (such as an MPC) are not core to being a producer. You can be a great producer using any machine that you feel comfortable with and that you enjoy using. Furthermore, hip-hop was around before any piece of legendary equipment that you hear about today. The origin of hip-hop consists of manually looping a break by buying two copies of the same record and spinning them on a turn table. Certainly, the equipment that would later become legendary in hip-hop made this job easier, but hip-hop was around before these pieces of equipment came into existence.
Another thing to note is that these machines became legendary because they were best in a class at the time and as a result, a generation of producers came up on these classic machines. However, musicians and producers are extremely brand loyal, and so these producers of course recommended these machines to the following generation of producers. Having an entire generation of producers adopt certain machines certainly has an influence on the generation that comes after it.
The truth of the matter is that technology has evolved since hip-hop was birthed. There are plenty of alternatives to equipment that has become legendary in hip-hop, and at the end of the day, machines won't make you a better producer. Only knowledge of how to get the sound you want out of a machine will make you a better producer. The choice of the machine is up to you
Don't get too caught up in the battle between what piece of equipment is the best. There is no "best" piece of equipment. There is only what piece of equipment is best for you.
In one sense, equipment does matter. A producer really needs to be comfortable with a certain workflow and needs to be motivated by his music setup. If he/she is not, beat making will feel like a chore and will lessen the quality of the music.
On the flip side, certain pieces of equipment (such as an MPC) are not core to being a producer. You can be a great producer using any machine that you feel comfortable with and that you enjoy using. Furthermore, hip-hop was around before any piece of legendary equipment that you hear about today. The origin of hip-hop consists of manually looping a break by buying two copies of the same record and spinning them on a turn table. Certainly, the equipment that would later become legendary in hip-hop made this job easier, but hip-hop was around before these pieces of equipment came into existence.
Another thing to note is that these machines became legendary because they were best in a class at the time and as a result, a generation of producers came up on these classic machines. However, musicians and producers are extremely brand loyal, and so these producers of course recommended these machines to the following generation of producers. Having an entire generation of producers adopt certain machines certainly has an influence on the generation that comes after it.
The truth of the matter is that technology has evolved since hip-hop was birthed. There are plenty of alternatives to equipment that has become legendary in hip-hop, and at the end of the day, machines won't make you a better producer. Only knowledge of how to get the sound you want out of a machine will make you a better producer. The choice of the machine is up to you
Don't get too caught up in the battle between what piece of equipment is the best. There is no "best" piece of equipment. There is only what piece of equipment is best for you.
About the Author:
Frank Lubsey is a part of the Jam Sonic production squad and composes jingles for small companies and instrumentals for artists. Visit his site for hip-hop beats for sale and to purchase beats.
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