If you ever browse producer forums, sooner or later, you'll run into posts discussing equipment needed to be a hip-hop producer. Inevitably, the Akai MPC, ASR-10, and other famed pieces of hip-hop equipment will come up in the discussion. Some will say that these pieces of equipment are necessary to be a true hip-hop producer while others will come to the defense of software instruments and more modern machines. How important is equipment to becoming a hip-hop producer and does equipment truly matter? If so, what equipment is the best? In today's article, we will discuss this idea and more.
Equipment does matter to a producer in the sense that a producer needs equipment that he/she finds enjoyable. Equipment should inspire the producer and make the production process enjoyable. If a piece of equipment gets in the way of the musical process by not being compatible with the way a producer wants to work, the resulting music will not be inspiring or sound good at all.
On the other hand, do certain individual pieces of equipment make or break your chances of success? Does not having an MPC make you less of a hip-hop producer? My answer to this would be no. There is no one piece of equipment that makes one a "real" hip-hop producer. For starters, hip-hop predates the akai mpc and any other piece of sampling equipment for that matter. Hip-hop started by purchasing two copies of the same record, and then looping them manually by repeating the "break" of a song over and over again. The pieces of equipment that later became legendary in hip-hop certainly helped make the job easier, but to suggest that these pieces of machinery are mandatory to make hip-hop is ridiculous.
Secondly, few people understand why these pieces of machinery became legendary. When hip-hop was growing, instruments such as the MPC and SP-1200 were best-in-class for what they did at the time. The producers of yesteryear bought and used them for this reason. However, producers and musicians become very attached to their instruments and are reluctant to change them. After all, how many people really want to learn a new tool and production workflow after they've been using the same workflow for years? Of course, that generation of producers influenced the generation of producers after them and gave them the impression that they "needed" these pieces of equipment to produce hip-hop. Of course, when every producer in a generation has a piece of equipment, it certainly can appear like those pieces of equipment are must haves. However, at the end of the day, that's like saying you need to wear Nike shoes to be a good basketball player since Nike is so embedded in the world of basketball.
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 be fooled into thinking that you need a certain piece of equipment to be a producer. Find the equipment that is best for you, and learn how to use that.
Equipment does matter to a producer in the sense that a producer needs equipment that he/she finds enjoyable. Equipment should inspire the producer and make the production process enjoyable. If a piece of equipment gets in the way of the musical process by not being compatible with the way a producer wants to work, the resulting music will not be inspiring or sound good at all.
On the other hand, do certain individual pieces of equipment make or break your chances of success? Does not having an MPC make you less of a hip-hop producer? My answer to this would be no. There is no one piece of equipment that makes one a "real" hip-hop producer. For starters, hip-hop predates the akai mpc and any other piece of sampling equipment for that matter. Hip-hop started by purchasing two copies of the same record, and then looping them manually by repeating the "break" of a song over and over again. The pieces of equipment that later became legendary in hip-hop certainly helped make the job easier, but to suggest that these pieces of machinery are mandatory to make hip-hop is ridiculous.
Secondly, few people understand why these pieces of machinery became legendary. When hip-hop was growing, instruments such as the MPC and SP-1200 were best-in-class for what they did at the time. The producers of yesteryear bought and used them for this reason. However, producers and musicians become very attached to their instruments and are reluctant to change them. After all, how many people really want to learn a new tool and production workflow after they've been using the same workflow for years? Of course, that generation of producers influenced the generation of producers after them and gave them the impression that they "needed" these pieces of equipment to produce hip-hop. Of course, when every producer in a generation has a piece of equipment, it certainly can appear like those pieces of equipment are must haves. However, at the end of the day, that's like saying you need to wear Nike shoes to be a good basketball player since Nike is so embedded in the world of basketball.
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 be fooled into thinking that you need a certain piece of equipment to be a producer. Find the equipment that is best for you, and learn how to use that.
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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