Samples From Mars and Sonicstate are giving away a free MPC60 From Mars (normally $29) electronic drum sample pack to anyone who enters their competition.
Additional prizes are up for grabs for the competition winners, but everyone can get the free MPC60 From Mars pack by submitting an entry. The competition closes on November 17, 2024.
The first prize in the competition is all Samples From Mars, the second is all Drums From Mars, and the third is all Vinyl Drums From Mars.
Samples From Mars captured the MPC60 From Mars sample pack from the Akai MPC60 hardware sampler, which debuted in 1988.
The original MPC60 was designed by Roger Linn, and its gritty, punchy sound helped shape classic hip-hop, R&B and house music.
Samples From Mars calls the unit the “fattest and warmest” 12-bit drum sampler and explains that what you put in simply sounds better.
The MPC and its variants have quite the pedigree, with DJ Shadow using an MPC60 to make his classic 1996 album Endtroducing. Other users include Dr Dre and J Dilla.
Kanye West used an MPC2000 to make a number of his most popular tracks, including much of his four times Platinum debut album The College Dropout.
The Samples From Mars collection features 24-bit WAV MPC60 Samples, with the following covered: kick, snare, rim, clap, hi-hats, cabasa, percussion, toms, and cymbals.
There’s a large selection of different sounds, as Samples From Mars has included a modded 606, 707, 808, 909, CR78, Rhythm 700, SP1200, SH101, Vinyl, Arp 2600, and more.
The 208 MB unzipped pack also features 20 pre-made 16-hit kits to get stuck into work quickly and 26 MPC Groove MIDI files.
To pick up your freebie, you’ll need to provide a name and an email address, as well as answer one question on the competition form. To save you some time sleuthing, the answer to the question is at the bottom of this article.*
When I completed the form, I found that there’s one more requirement, which is to confirm your email address, and then you can get your hands on the samples.
The Samples From Mars team is quite the big fan of the MPC, as they also offer the Free MPC60 From Mars sample pack, which is the little brother of their MPC60 pack, as well as the deliciously free MPC2000 Snacks from Mars pack.
Check out the deal: Sonicstate (Get MPC60 From Mars + a chance to win Samples from Mars, Drums from Mars & Vinyl Drums from Mars – email required)
*SPOILER ALERT: The answer is 11 years.
More:
4 Comments
Lucas
onQuick Hardware Geek Note: Dilla may have used an MPC60 at some point for production, but his mainstay was the MPC3000 (easily recognized in tons of images from the Volume/Record-Level knobs in the upper left,) which lacks that signature MPC60 knock. For another example of someone who’s used the MPC60 extensively, look to Premier; he’s mentioned on more than one occasion that he has used other MPCs over the decades, but a lot of his most infamous beats (pun intended,) were made on the MPC60, which he always comes back to.
Karl W
on11 years? On the website I only see 10…
AMS
onit says 10 years but if you look, the article celebrating 10 years was from 2023, making it a total of 11 I believe
Karl W
onAh, you’re right! I totally forgot it was 2024 😅