PGM File/software help

I'm buying a SCSI drive so I can load up wav.file samples from my computer. I've heard there is something called PGM file, which means the the cd is loaded up and your samples are automatically assigned to preset pads. This ideal for me, for gigs..

I was also told I can get some kind of computer software to do this..
Can somebody please tell me where I can find it.

The PGM file is a basic MPC program ....... as in a set of samples assigned to pads. It is what you are (probably?!?) already doing with your MPC. There are a couple of different computer programs that will make them up on your computer. The Mac one is called MpcPgmMaker. I cannot remember what the PC version is called. However, I don't think either of these do any of the really detailed work for making PGMs. I think they just assign sounds to pads & you need to work on envelopes, note types etc. in your MPC.

You can transfer PGMs from the MPC into a Mac to save to CD, even without the MpcPgmMaker software. The Mac won't know what the PGM is but will still save the data. However......make sure you save all the relevant samples too or your PGM will be useless.

I don't have much experience with Windows PCs for music, but I presume it is the same case with them.

This SCSI drive you mention....... is it a SCSI CD ROM or a hard drive?

featherboy wrote:The PGM file is a basic MPC program ....... as in a set of samples assigned to pads. It is what you are (probably?!?) already doing with your MPC. There are a couple of different computer programs that will make them up on your computer. The Mac one is called MpcPgmMaker. I cannot remember what the PC version is called. However, I don't think either of these do any of the really detailed work for making PGMs. I think they just assign sounds to pads & you need to work on envelopes, note types etc. in your MPC.

You can transfer PGMs from the MPC into a Mac to save to CD, even without the MpcPgmMaker software. The Mac won't know what the PGM is but will still save the data. However......make sure you save all the relevant samples too or your PGM will be useless.

I don't have much experience with Windows PCs for music, but I presume it is the same case with them.

This SCSI drive you mention....... is it a SCSI CD ROM or a hard drive?

Hey Geezer,
Thanks for the reply...Right its a SCSI CD-rom for the Akai MPC 2000XL.
Right basically I'm a guitarist in a band, but I like to make samples and hip-hop tunes on my computer,and I want to incorporate them into my bands live playing..

Whats the quickest way to be able to switch between PGM assignments ?

For example, I want to have 2 different beat loops on two different pads,
and a violin loop on another pad etc etc for one song and then have something similar for another song...but our bands DJ wont have much time to switch songs...

if this makes sense

It depends how you want these loops played.

If one or two loops are for one song & another couple are for another, just make one big program with all the samples. You then just need to switch to the sequence or sequences for each specific song. If someone is playing the MPC with the pads.....they just have to know which pad has the right sounds on.

If each song needs a lot of different samples, then make a program for each song & at the start of the first sequence for each song put a program change in so the MPC automatically changes to the right program. If the MPC is the only bit of midi gear your band are using, they really need to play along to it's tempo, so maybe give them a bar or two of a basic count-in & put your program change command there.