Technical questions for the MPC2000xl and the MPC2000
By Methlab Thu Nov 17, 2022 11:38 pm
Was wondering if any of you all run your MPC in mono. Meaning sampling in the L in and just sending the L out into a mixer channel. I figure this can free up some space since I will be sampling in quite a lot. I don't have the multiout expansion so I'd just treat it like output 1/8 if I had that.

From there I can send each channel through stereo FX on my mixer when I track in, as needed. I'll track in one sound at a time, I always have done it like that anyway.

Any of you do it this way? Curious of the pros and cons. I guess a con would be I would need to convert any stereo samples I import via SD card into mono on the MPC, but that's not a huge deal.

Figure I may try it and can always switch back to stereo but I like reading the experience of you all who have been using this machine longer than me.
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By Lampdog Fri Nov 18, 2022 2:14 am
Yep, it will save memory. Sample however you want and feel. In order to not miss any stereo movement I used to sample in stereo. I can choose later if I want that stereo movement, each sample.

You can connect both and choose in the sample screen left, right, stereo anyway

I actually connected my 2kxlse2 (orange) today and testing everything before a sale soon.
By Methlab Fri Nov 18, 2022 2:48 am
Lampdog wrote:Yep, it will save memory. Sample however you want and feel. In order to not miss any stereo movement I used to sample in stereo. I can choose later if I want that stereo movement, each sample.

You can connect both and choose in the sample screen left, right, stereo anyway

I actually connected my 2kxlse2 (orange) today and testing everything before a sale soon.


Awesome man, I just wired it up through the mixer and it sounds dope like this so I appreciate your info. I like all mono sounds and then panning/effecting them later in the mixer for stereo vibes, I guess I am old school, haha.
By Methlab Fri Nov 18, 2022 4:47 pm
Lampdog wrote:
Methlab wrote:I guess I am old school, haha.

Old school!? Who you tellin?!

I stay with One Way and Lakeside in the whip.


Ok you win there, I thought I was on to something cranking Troop "Attitude" while running errands, lol.

I don't know what it is about these old MPCs, it must be nostalgia because the new ones have all these bells and whistles but I can't get into them. Meanwhile this Xl, I just make a simple beat and let it play while I work on making samples for it or whatever and it feels so damn good. I feel like it's in my head, but none of my other boxes swing like this. I have the Sp16 and the Analog Rytm which are both great but they don't have this feel.

And yeah Telfunky that is good to hear because honestly the drums sounds really defined right now just being in mono. I did try playing and then sampling a monopoly stab with it's FX off in as mono and I'm kinda mehh on how that turned out, sometimes I think it is better to sample dry and mono and effect everything later but other times I think it sounds more like a record if you keep the Fx on like if you grabbing a sound off vinyl. So I think I'm going to sample in via stereo as Lampdog suggested and just keep my sample times short and then mess with folding to mono, not sure on that yet, its all an experiment .
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By Telefunky Fri Nov 18, 2022 11:33 pm
If you construct a drum kit from mono sources, it will be spot on with pan and ambience.
Stereo samples (in particular from multiple origins) carry a lot of (simplified) phase variation with them that may blur the mix.
But of course there‘s nothing wrong with stereo samples in general.
With one exception: a stereo grand piano in a band context mix is a total annoyance :shock:
These things are usually panned according to the player‘s position, low keys to the left, high keys to the right... mono to the rescue, please :mrgreen:
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By Lampdog Sat Nov 19, 2022 5:21 am
I keep mono when I don't need stereo info.
Folding (sum left+right to mono) some samples is a good idea is what I was getting at.
Some just need to be kept original depending on what they are.
By Methlab Sat Nov 19, 2022 7:29 pm
Lampdog wrote:I keep mono when I don't need stereo info.
Folding (sum left+right to mono) some samples is a good idea is what I was getting at.
Some just need to be kept original depending on what they are.


Ah ok so you do the stereo to mono function on the sample in the MPC and then have to combine them back together I guess? I wish it just did this in one step but you can't have it all. I was messing with this last night but wasn;t sure how to combine them back so I have a bunch of Kick..L and Kick ..R files floating around now. :lol:
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By Lampdog Sat Nov 19, 2022 8:45 pm
Inside DRUM, highlight your sample, OPEN WINDOW, F3 CONVRT, STEREO TO MONO shows up.

This is for stereo samples you want to convert to mono. It sums L & R into a mono sample.
By Methlab Sat Nov 19, 2022 10:32 pm
Lampdog wrote:Inside DRUM, highlight your sample, OPEN WINDOW, F3 CONVRT, STEREO TO MONO shows up.

This is for stereo samples you want to convert to mono. It sums L & R into a mono sample.


OH DAMN, thank you man. I missed that in the manual, that is gold right there. Appreciated!
By Methlab Mon Nov 28, 2022 11:53 pm
Lampdog wrote:No doubt! :-D

Use OPEN WINDOW on everything you highlight and watch the magic happen.
Especially if you have the efx card installed!


Been doing this and it works great in the MPC. My question now is if I don't pan anything in the MPC and just send an out from say the left stereo out into a mono channel in my mixer, will all the mono info go through or will it be missing some volume or anything? For example, my synths typically have a Left/mono out that sums the sound into one out and I use that into my mixer and it works great, just curious if the 200xl is wired up the same way. Manual doesn't really say anything there.

If that works then I could track out, treat each sound with some EQ and the different stereo effects I have on the mixer and then print each pass in the DAW as stereo.

I am basically sampling everything first into the s900 and then into the MPC so its all gonna be mono before it hits the 2k. Then in the 2k I convert it to mono again since I think it records in as dual mono (using both MPC inputs here). Then I pick like Kick L as the kick for example.
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By Lampdog Tue Nov 29, 2022 1:59 am
Start at the source. Is it truly mono or stereo?

Properly summed STEREO to MONO (left+right) translates perfectly into mono ins and mono outs, a single individual out is mono ON ALL MPC's as far I've seen. My ASR10, S2400, Kronos2, Subsequent-37, EMU Turbo Phatt (LOVE my TP, I need to give it more love), are the same, 1chnl is physically MONO.

Stereo NOT summed may be missing whatever RIGHT panned info is there IF you ONLY go LEFT channel.
Recording ONLY LEFT, IF, something that's panned HARD RIGHT in the OG stereo sample will just be silence on the LEFT side. If you properly SUM left & right will hear both in MONO and never get that silence. Depending on the OG recording you may/may not have these issues or not.

**in a low monotone voice**

These are my experiences.


By Methlab Tue Nov 29, 2022 4:43 am
Lampdog wrote:Start at the source. Is it truly mono or stereo?

Properly summed STEREO to MONO (left+right) translates perfectly into mono ins and mono outs, a single individual out is mono ON ALL MPC's as far I've seen. My ASR10, S2400, Kronos2, Subsequent-37, EMU Turbo Phatt (LOVE my TP, I need to give it more love), are the same, 1chnl is physically MONO.

Stereo NOT summed may be missing whatever RIGHT panned info is there IF you ONLY go LEFT channel.
Recording ONLY LEFT, IF, something that's panned HARD RIGHT in the OG stereo sample will just be silence on the LEFT side. If you properly SUM left & right will hear both in MONO and never get that silence. Depending on the OG recording you may/may not have these issues or not.

**in a low monotone voice**

These are my experiences.




Ok cool this makes sense, thanks. If I had that indi out expansion I would just use that but people are asking $300+ for those things. I would love to track them all 8 in to a mixer channel like I do with my Samplers, but for now ill work with one side of the stereo outs and see how it sounds.