Share your knowledge on these two classic MPCs
By deepah84 Wed Apr 04, 2012 9:22 am
Stoney79 wrote:
deepah84 wrote:Just in case, because this pad velocity sensitivity subject seems to be a recurrent one.
Do you guys set the amount of effect that velocity has on volume? I personally find that to let it at 100% isn't necessary, and to lower it a little bit gives better result when playing with the velocity. :)



Thanks for the advice. I'll try that, and see how that comes out. But I would think if your changing the volume on the velocity, it's not going to correct any issue you might have with the pad response. The amount of pressure you put down on the pads, there should be a equal amount of velocity that it effects. So lowering the volume, will only lower the volume. So now my medium hit to the pad will give me a lower sound, and vice, verse. But i'll check that out. thanks again.


Of course, if it is defective, this little tip won't change anything. But i'm afraid that some people feel like that if they have full level disengaged, they can't get full velocity, and then think "my pad is defective". But if you enter step edit, and play with a pad, it gives you how much pressure was perceived by the machine, and then you see that your mpc did receive like a 110-120 velocity pressure, but the volume was too much lower than a full level 127 pressure. This leads to 2 point: 1) the pad is perfectly working as the MPC perceive a proper velocity, so then why volume is that so much lower? 2) adjust the setting of amount velocity has on volume (and stop hit the pads like a punching ball...). To lower this setting doesn't lower the volume, it's the opposite, it just lower the amount of effect, so the result is that you get more volume. It changes the curve. Experiment>>>
with full level disengaged:
0% setting? just like if full level is engaged
20-30% settings? something between 2-3 db between soft and hard pressure
80% is a fave setting, it just take off that "why i can't get full volume when i hit hard the pad" feeling lol.

Pad sensitivity doesn't seem to be linear, to get a 127 you have to hit a lot harder than to get a 115/120, what is already a hard velocity. It is the curve response of the pad of the MPC, it doesn't react the same in the soft pressure area than in the hard.

While some synth gives a velocity curve adjustment function, the MPC gives a velocity on volume amount function.., what is really convenient as you can define a precise response to EACH pad independently.

This is a particular and key function of the MPC when it comes to play with velocity that definitely needs to be set to improve the MPC 3000 experience of its user! 8)

Believe me.., TRY IT!
By Stoney79 Wed Apr 04, 2012 11:48 pm
deepah84 wrote:
Stoney79 wrote:
deepah84 wrote:Just in case, because this pad velocity sensitivity subject seems to be a recurrent one.
Do you guys set the amount of effect that velocity has on volume? I personally find that to let it at 100% isn't necessary, and to lower it a little bit gives better result when playing with the velocity. :)



Thanks for the advice. I'll try that, and see how that comes out. But I would think if your changing the volume on the velocity, it's not going to correct any issue you might have with the pad response. The amount of pressure you put down on the pads, there should be a equal amount of velocity that it effects. So lowering the volume, will only lower the volume. So now my medium hit to the pad will give me a lower sound, and vice, verse. But i'll check that out. thanks again.


Of course, if it is defective, this little tip won't change anything. But i'm afraid that some people feel like that if they have full level disengaged, they can't get full velocity, and then think "my pad is defective". But if you enter step edit, and play with a pad, it gives you how much pressure was perceived by the machine, and then you see that your mpc did receive like a 110-120 velocity pressure, but the volume was too much lower than a full level 127 pressure. This leads to 2 point: 1) the pad is perfectly working as the MPC perceive a proper velocity, so then why volume is that so much lower? 2) adjust the setting of amount velocity has on volume (and stop hit the pads like a punching ball...). To lower this setting doesn't lower the volume, it's the opposite, it just lower the amount of effect, so the result is that you get more volume. It changes the curve. Experiment>>>
with full level disengaged:
0% setting? just like if full level is engaged
20-30% settings? something between 2-3 db between soft and hard pressure
80% is a fave setting, it just take off that "why i can't get full volume when i hit hard the pad" feeling lol.

Pad sensitivity doesn't seem to be linear, to get a 127 you have to hit a lot harder than to get a 115/120, what is already a hard velocity. It is the curve response of the pad of the MPC, it doesn't react the same in the soft pressure area than in the hard.

While some synth gives a velocity curve adjustment function, the MPC gives a velocity on volume amount function.., what is really convenient as you can define a precise response to EACH pad independently.

This is a particular and key function of the MPC when it comes to play with velocity that definitely needs to be set to improve the MPC 3000 experience of its user! 8)

Believe me.., TRY IT!



Thanks so much for that advice. I definitely own you one! You are completely right. It was one of those settings I never really messed with. I think coming from a Mpc 2000 classic that setting isn't available, or it was already pre-set to the correct velocity. So I never had a problem needing to adjust any velocity sensitivity. So I want to thank you for saving me money from not buying those sensor pads. I think anybody who has had this issue with older mpc's(60/ 3000), should really read this post. Especially if your coming from a 2000/ 2000xl.
By Stoney79 Fri Apr 06, 2012 6:56 pm
Thanks for the advice. I'll try that, and see how that comes out. But I would think if your changing the volume on the velocity, it's not going to correct any issue you might have with the pad response. The amount of pressure you put down on the pads, there should be a equal amount of velocity that it effects. So lowering the volume, will only lower the volume. So now my medium hit to the pad will give me a lower sound, and vice, verse. But i'll check that out. thanks again.[/quote]

Of course, if it is defective, this little tip won't change anything. But i'm afraid that some people feel like that if they have full level disengaged, they can't get full velocity, and then think "my pad is defective". But if you enter step edit, and play with a pad, it gives you how much pressure was perceived by the machine, and then you see that your mpc did receive like a 110-120 velocity pressure, but the volume was too much lower than a full level 127 pressure. This leads to 2 point: 1) the pad is perfectly working as the MPC perceive a proper velocity, so then why volume is that so much lower? 2) adjust the setting of amount velocity has on volume (and stop hit the pads like a punching ball...). To lower this setting doesn't lower the volume, it's the opposite, it just lower the amount of effect, so the result is that you get more volume. It changes the curve. Experiment>>>
with full level disengaged:
0% setting? just like if full level is engaged
20-30% settings? something between 2-3 db between soft and hard pressure
80% is a fave setting, it just take off that "why i can't get full volume when i hit hard the pad" feeling lol.

Pad sensitivity doesn't seem to be linear, to get a 127 you have to hit a lot harder than to get a 115/120, what is already a hard velocity. It is the curve response of the pad of the MPC, it doesn't react the same in the soft pressure area than in the hard.

While some synth gives a velocity curve adjustment function, the MPC gives a velocity on volume amount function.., what is really convenient as you can define a precise response to EACH pad independently.

This is a particular and key function of the MPC when it comes to play with velocity that definitely needs to be set to improve the MPC 3000 experience of its user! 8)

Believe me.., TRY IT![/quote]


Thanks so much for that advice. I definitely own you one! You are completely right. It was one of those settings I never really messed with. I think coming from a Mpc 2000 classic that setting isn't available, or it was already pre-set to the correct velocity. So I never had a problem needing to adjust any velocity sensitivity. So I want to thank you for saving me money from not buying those sensor pads. I think anybody who has had this issue with older mpc's(60/ 3000), should really read this post. Especially if your coming from a 2000/ 2000xl.[/quote]

Thanks to "deepah84" my 3000's velocity is working on point. However, the only other issue that we didn't resolve was the actual response time on the 3000. So I did some experimenting, and found out that the pads on the 3000 are a little bit thicker than the mpc 2000/ 2000xl. The pads on the 3000 has more cushion, which always sunk my fingers further down in order to connect to the sensor. I personally like my fingers to sort of bounce off the pads, rather than get swallowed by the pads. This gives me the ability to hit the notes much faster. So I ended up switching my 2000 pads with my 3000, and now my response time on the 3000 has drastically changed! The pads on the 2000/ 2000xl are a little thinner which gives you closer contact to the sensors. I guess the "pad corks" that they sell would kind of work the same way, but that's a little artificial to me and not natural and true to the engineering of the machine. Plus the corks might be overly responsive than they need to be, depending on the mpc series you have. So finally I can say that my Mpc 3000 has the same, if not better response than the 2000/ 2000xl. But that is just my preference in certain traits that I loved about certain mpc's, especially the pads on the mpc 2000/ 2000xl. So if anybody has had these issues, and has access to a "original" mpc 2000/ 2000xl pads. Switch them!, and use deepah84's advice on velocity. Your Mpc 3000 will be working like you always wanted it to. This is just my experience with mpc's that I have used and what I felt I was truly missing , so I can't speak for everybody. But try all these things that we have discussed on this post, before you go out and spend money on things you don't need. :D
By jazzroom Mon Apr 23, 2012 2:23 pm
i've got my 3000 LE second hand and had to change the sensor sheet ,
but it didn't improve the sensitivity at all, in fact there is also a
so called "double trigger " due to the pad bouncing off your finger s
when fingers are left on the pad after hit.
so i had to learn a new pad trigger technique ;)

do you think that cork layer would fix both of those probs?
By perilousselector Mon Oct 29, 2012 5:59 pm
I've just discovered this thread as i am having trouble with the pad response since in replaced the pads (which were leaning having had something resting on them) with MPC stuff fat pads (which hasn't done me any favours AT ALL!) So...I know you can play with the velocity / volume for each pad individually, (thanks for the tip deepah!) But i was wondering if there is a way to set the velocity / volume universally to all the pads at once - hopefully to keep them set like that forever to compensate for the lack of pad response? Just wondering if i am missing something - there's no mention of a universal control in the manual, but you never know with the 3000 :hmmm:
By jimmie Sat Apr 13, 2013 3:14 pm
I just installed brand new mpcstuff sensors into my MPC3000 and now I have to play very, very gently or everything is full level.
It's too easy to reach full level with very little force.

I hope they wear-in and get less sensitive.
I replaced my old sensors because the whole left-hand side didn't work (pads 1, 5, 9 & 13). The other pads' response felt good though. I tried re-seating the ribbon cable many times but that didn't change anything, so I got these new sensors.
By jimmie Wed May 01, 2013 11:07 am
After using these new pad sensors from mpcstuff for a while I'm still not happy. You have to hit them either very gently or very, very, very gently. Does anyone know of any better pad sensors out there or whether these will wear-in if I bang on them long enough?
By dumbeat Fri Aug 03, 2018 4:06 pm
I have a somewhat simillar issue on 3k.
AThe pads start triggering at a relatively hard finger hit and the dynamic range between low amd high velocity is very small. Nothing like my 2500le and live which are sensitive to almost any touch of the pad.
i also get double triggering and machine gun triggering too often.

I can feel the air gap between the rubber pad and the sensor underneath and it dont seem correct. Perhaps the rubber deformed in 25 years or so since it was built?
Ill try corx next week before ripping the old sensors off and stuff.
Then ill see if i need new pads and/or sensors.

Please report if you have similar experience/solutions.
By dumbeat Mon Aug 06, 2018 3:09 am
Installed the Corx. Improved a bit, but only a bit. Scared to install Sensors as i don't want it to go to full level that easily, however, now i still have a hard time getting soft ghost notes... the machine don't response to very soft hits, where the MPC Live easily does...
Advice?
By Flub Wed Aug 08, 2018 6:17 am
http://www.synfo.nl/servicemanuals/Akai ... MANUAL.pdf

Look on page 32 on the top you see the resisistor R710 of the drum pad electronic . This value decides how hard you have to hit the pads in order to get a good response. I think playing around with this value in the range of 2k to 4k can improve the response .