32mb

I really never realized how the extra RAM in the later model MPCs would be quite helpful.

I have 2 programs I made, each with piano samples maybe 10-15 seconds long each(16) and my XL can only have one program loaded. they are different and for different applications...

I guess it keeps it simple though... but I was suprized how quick that memory got eaten up by these samples.

for sure... it's nice having something like an s5000 or what have you... load up the samples on there and you got like 256 megs top it off.

A piano sample 10-15 sec
Why? I would understand 10 sec for really low piano notes but most notes have not much overtones after something like 4-6 sec and therefor are really easy to loop. But even if there are more overtones: as long as there is no modulation thing in it a piano sample should be relative easy to loop.

Most of the piano programs on hardware in the 90s (sampler, digital pianos) had just something like 8MB for a sound and it didn't sound that bad. But yes, if you want a really authentic piano the MPC and 32 MB is not the right thing (but even if it had 128MB you wouldn'd be able to play it authentic on the pads ) Gigasampler or something like that would be the better choice.


peace

yea i gotta agree with the rest - just consider changing your sample a bit.

if it's a melody, sample one note, and recreate the melody in the mpc. suddenly your 15 second piano sample is now 1 second, if you loop it right. even sampling each note if you dont want to pitch a sample will save you tons of memory. also, is it in stereo? do you really need that stereo or can you go mono and recreate some stereo fx later in mixing / fx? thats half the sample size right there if you can do mono.

lots of things you can do. and for a guy that rocks a QY as hard as you do, i know you got it in you ;].

i'd be interested in hearing the piano sample in question so we could give you specific ideas.

JDSY wrote:I really never realized how the extra RAM in the later model MPCs would be quite helpful.

I have 2 programs I made, each with piano samples maybe 10-15 seconds long each(16) and my XL can only have one program loaded. they are different and for different applications...

I guess it keeps it simple though... but I was suprized how quick that memory got eaten up by these samples.

Umm, 32MB is a lot of sample time, if you use it wisely. With 32MB, it is more than 5 minutes of sampling time in mono. And you should use MIDI out to control other MIDI device, if you want to use keyboard sound. It is Midi Production Center after all.

@ JVC , @pete Yeah, I don't remember if the samples said are in mono... I should look at that. I know one program was 8 piano chords, and the same 8 chords processed on audition that ended up sounding like distorted guitar. for the single note scale i should convert them to mono. I did end up makeing banks B and C a different scale by changing the pitches. so it's quite fun to just play it.

I have a really resonant piano and I made the samples as long as the actual tone was recorded for... I wasn't really thinking of sample time constricitons when I recorded it and decided afterwards to put them in the XL. then I saw that it was all filled up

@ debauch Yeah the s5000 is the best for huge multi samples. The thing is I disconnected the harddrive because it makes a really loud annoying sound. I just use the floppy... which is sort of like owning a 950 or something. that track I did 'da scale' was done on the QY and the s5, and a few other ones are that setup. Kinda fun to have the restrictions. I used to make like 20 drum samples and take a long time recording them into the s5000 but how the hell are you gonna use 20 drum samples. using floppies just makes me keep it really chilll. have a few drums, a few melodic pieces and we're good to go. The cool thing about the S5 is also it's good for recording live instruments with the 256 ram or anything else for that matter. and it runs completely silent which compared to my DAW it's better. plus I get some sort of coloration with the fancy converters

@tape thanks for the compliment.

I might make a quick recording of what I have if i get to it. gonna check the files and see if the ones that don't need to be stereo are in fact mono

@lamp YES!

actually, upon checking out the pgm the single piano notes definitely didn't take up all 32mb. I guess I was wrong, overlooked that. It was a good thing I mentioned it and you all responded because I ended up loading up drums and punching out a track today with the samples. I'm not finished yet though.

the other samples 16 different possibly stereo samples were probably what I saw taking up all the mem. I'll check that out soon.

I make a lot of stuff mono but sometimes stereo information is subtle and is good to keep in there. The thing with the MPC over my Korg is that stereo samples can be treated the same as mono. The Korg wont let you slice a stereo sample.

I usually only use the MP for one song at a time so 32mb is enough for lots of melodic and rhythmic parts. I really relish in it's simplicity. Record a sound, and it's there, maybe slightly better sounding too. My korg sounds sort of like mp3 compression a lot of the time. depends.

my problem today with the XL was polyphony. 32 notes.

its really cool you are learning the machine and even finding the silver lining in the limitations. once you get to that level, its gravy.

the sound is not so much unique as it is transparent - you really get out what you put in (though i have noticed it can cut out some bass).

the limitation that i hit a lot is max number of sounds in memory (256) and max number of programs (24). unlike you, i try to keep an entire set in memory at once and i have spent many nights drastically re-working things to allow this.

still, it feels good to push the machine to its limit.

props.

tapedeck wrote:t some bass).



props.

dude makes dope music too... check his soundcloud page