step editor

This is the most confusing feature i have run into while using my mpc. i understand the basic that it puts the beats on beat, but im having trouble getting the beats where i want them and basically understanding the function as a whole.

it lets you look at every single increment of your sequence and allows you to do some very fine editing including be able to set the exact placement, velocity level, duration and att or dec or pitch for every single note in your sequence- i simply could not do with out it-


greg

I use it alot actually. I like to control my notes and see where hey are going, the decay and everthing else DUB mentioned. I couldn't do without it either.. It's a little tedious yeah but wouldn't you like to have COMPLETE control over your note placement/events rather than not?

I think that unless you have had ALOTTTT of practice, you wont be ble to fully make beats with just the step editor alone...I think this feature is jsut for fine tuning the placement of your notes and whatnot......What I do is first bang out a rhythm and then consult the step editor to tweak those errant notes......this has to be one of the most important features on the machine....I just turn on the auto increment feature when I wanna make some nice drum rolls....

i know itll be very hard but i cant explain how greatly appreciated itd be.... how do you use it....i study and study the section in the manual but it just fails to really explain how to use it at least in terms i understand.

You should make a basic easy seq then go into STEP and see where you placed your note. That's the easiest way to see where you actually hit the pads in the sequence. Play around with the volume, tune, decay, filter and everything in that same screen and you will get the hang of it when u do it enough. Place the cursor on everything in that screen and try to change stuff in there. It won't happen over night but you will get it..

Find out what BARS BEATS and CLOCKS are.

Your main screen has like:

001:02:96 running so that would be 1st bar, 2nd beat and 96th clock.

4 beats in a bar
96 clocks in a beat.

You can place a hit/event in any of the clocks in that bar. That's what
STEP is basically letting you control, WHERE your hits/events are placed, and more. Hope that clears things up a little.

Pg 64 in the 2kxl manual if you haven't seen it already..

"I think that unless you have had ALOTTTT of practice, you wont be ble to fully make beats with just the step editor alone..."

I disagree. There are non-Hiphop genres that use the MPC step-edit exclusively. There are even many `step-edit only` sequencers on the market. There people use them right out of the box without a lot of practice.

I personnally use the step-edit a LOT. I never write music in front of the MPC, but rather write it in my head when I out driving/shopping/walking. When I go into the studio and turn on the MPC, I already know exactly what bar.beat.tick every single sound is going to go. This never took any sort of practice.

mpc3000 wrote:"I think that unless you have had ALOTTTT of practice, you wont be ble to fully make beats with just the step editor alone..."

I disagree. There are non-Hiphop genres that use the MPC step-edit exclusively. There are even many `step-edit only` sequencers on the market. There people use them right out of the box without a lot of practice.

I personnally use the step-edit a LOT. I never write music in front of the MPC, but rather write it in my head when I out driving/shopping/walking. When I go into the studio and turn on the MPC, I already know exactly what bar.beat.tick every single sound is going to go. This never took any sort of practice.

I feel you....It just seems so overwhelming trying to sometimes I mean to get that feel I want.....

for funkier and looser styles like breakbeat and dnb ill bang the pads first then edit in step eidtor- but if im making house or techno i may use step editor first to set up my 4/4 bass drums (so they are uniform accross the rhythm) and then go back to pads to tap out a rhythm....

either way i always return to step edit to tweak- its essential for tight and flowing beats....

greg

"There are even many `step-edit only` sequencers on the market."

Thats right, so if that's the way you wanna work, get one of those, not an MPC. Step edit can be useful, but only for "details". It's not meant to be used as the main edition mode.
But first of all, it is important to understand well how the sequences are strucured in the MPC ti use the step edit efficiently.

use it to tweak my sequences, I normally don't start off with it. But like others said it depends on the music.

What auto increment feature do you speak of...are you referring to the quantize or note correct (timing) function? Just curious...

auto step increment pg 64 2kxl manual

"It's not meant to be used as the main edition mode"

So you say you know what is best for the rest of us? Probably so since you apparently could read the mind of the designer that put the step-edit in there in the first place.