Regarding the MPC's sequencer [pls see last post] thanks.

Thanks for the looks-

I just picked up my MPC yesterday. By and large I'm liking it, although I do in fact have some newbie questions:

* I upgraded to OS 2.1, but am unsure how to access some of the new functions. Is there a link to an addendum to the manual?

* Is there a way to set different loop lengths for individual tracks?? Since I have been unable to find a way to increase the volume of the click track, I've been forced to devote a track to reinforcing the metronome [with a hi hat]...Is my only option to record one measure of hihats on each beat, then copy the measure 80 times?

* I placed my 512MB CF card into my PC and loaded it full of samples [all in respective "category" folders, such as bass, brass, kicks, snares, etc...
When I try to load the sample into my MPC, it does not allow me to enter into the actual folders and select individual samples. My only option is to load the entire contents of the folder, which maxes out the memory. Did I go about loading the folders onto the CF card in the wrong manner?

Much respect, and thank you in advance for any replies.

ATLAS



www.myspace.com/atlasbeats

Manual is on akai's site.

No there is not induvidual track looping.

use the arrow keys to navigate through folders. Make sure you are in the actual folder you want to load sounds from before you hit load, otherwise it will try to load all of them.

* I upgraded to OS 2.1, but am unsure how to access some of the new functions. Is there a link to an addendum to the manual?

No, there are release notes, and an entire new manual on the AKAI site. Release notes are under the OS section, new manual is under the documents section.

* Is there a way to set different loop lengths for individual tracks?? Since I have been unable to find a way to increase the volume of the click track, I've been forced to devote a track to reinforcing the metronome [with a hi hat]...Is my only option to record one measure of hihats on each beat, then copy the measure 80 times?

No, sorry, individual tracks do not have individual loop lengths. You could turn everything else down, or you could build your song with individual sequences, then piece together in song mode instead of trying to sequence out an entire 80 measures from the get-go. Or, yes, substitute your own sound for the click, and turn it up or down as you like.

* I placed my 512MB CF card into my PC and loaded it full of samples [all in respective "category" folders, such as bass, brass, kicks, snares, etc...
When I try to load the sample into my MPC, it does not allow me to enter into the actual folders and select individual samples. My only option is to load the entire contents of the folder, which maxes out the memory. Did I go about loading the folders onto the CF card in the wrong manner?

I think that you did not realize that in the LOAD screen, you can move the cursor down to the LOAD: field (same field where you select the folder), the press the WINDOW button, this will bring you to a directory tree view, where you can the press the right arrow key to navigate through the individual files of whichever directory you are on. Once in this view it's all about the arrow keys for navigation.

**Thanks to both of you for your replies**

It is strange, it is as if the MPC is viewing all folders on my CF card as "root" level files...I followed what you wrote about using the arrow keys, etc. I'll try it again today. If it doesnt work, I'll try to take some pics of my load screen, so you can see what I'm talking about.


Atlas

yeah pics help a great deal also.

Man....................

I've grown very accustomed to my Triton's OS and sequencer. Using this MPC is not a fun thing. My gripes are the lack of individual track loop points, the horrendous interface under "Mixer mode" [the pan settings seems to force you to make extreme approximations], and the onboard ability to manipulate samples seems pretty thin. At this point I am looking at the 2500 or 4000, but for the money don't know if it is worth it. Essentially I was looking to compliment my Triton with this MPC, and let the MPC take care of the sampling and drum machine duties. My thought was I would use the MPC's sequencer [while still playing most if not all the melody parts with the Triton and MIDI'ing it up with the MPC]. I'm at a loss. Do other people find the sequencer extremely limiting? Also the tempo detect is pretty lame. It would make a lot more sense for you to simply have to punch in the numbers of beats in your sample, then the MPC would spit back the BPM...

Thanks--

Atlas

limiting? no. not in the least.

I hear you. I wrote that rant last night after being frustrated with the machine for a few hours. I probably just am not thinking creatively about how to achieve what I want. How do you other people sequence out your tracks? Suppose you have a song that progresses in 24 bar sections [16 bar verse, 8 bar hook= 24 bars total]. If the drums are going to be consistent throughout, would you play out the whole 24 bars on the pads, then for the hook [where you are going to add additional percussion] would you set the sequencer at bar 17 and record the additional parts through bar 24? [but having each track set at 24 bar loop length]

Or what if you had a breakdown that you only wanted to occur one time, say, during bars 9-12. Would you have to lay the part down, the mute all future occurances of it after the first time it plays?

Thanks for your feedback. I am not trying to bash the 1000, just trying to justify my purchase.

Peace

Give it some time. I was frustrated too (more about what I see as bugs in the OS). But now I'm actually giving up sequencing on SX3 in order to use the MPC sequencer.

Did you check out song mode? I would make a 16 bar patrtern and a 8 bar. And you can easily copy drums back and forth between them. You can chain patterns and then use the mute feature to create an arrangment. So copy your main pattern (seq) and then on each copy set different muttes in the mixer. Then you can go to song mode to arrange these including your breakdown part.

Anyways check out the song mode and see if that does what you need and then come back here.

I will do just that. Thanks.

medway wrote:Give it some time. I was frustrated too (more about what I see as bugs in the OS). But now I'm actually giving up sequencing on SX3 in order to use the MPC sequencer.

Did you check out song mode? I would make a 16 bar patrtern and a 8 bar. And you can easily copy drums back and forth between them. You can chain patterns and then use the mute feature to create an arrangment. So copy your main pattern (seq) and then on each copy set different muttes in the mixer. Then you can go to song mode to arrange these including your breakdown part.

Anyways check out the song mode and see if that does what you need and then come back here.

AtlasBeats wrote:Man....................

I've grown very accustomed to my Triton's OS and sequencer. Using this MPC is not a fun thing. My gripes are the lack of individual track loop points, the horrendous interface under "Mixer mode" [the pan settings seems to force you to make extreme approximations], and the onboard ability to manipulate samples seems pretty thin. At this point I am looking at the 2500 or 4000, but for the money don't know if it is worth it. Essentially I was looking to compliment my Triton with this MPC, and let the MPC take care of the sampling and drum machine duties. My thought was I would use the MPC's sequencer [while still playing most if not all the melody parts with the Triton and MIDI'ing it up with the MPC]. I'm at a loss. Do other people find the sequencer extremely limiting? Also the tempo detect is pretty lame. It would make a lot more sense for you to simply have to punch in the numbers of beats in your sample, then the MPC would spit back the BPM...

Thanks--

Atlas

Seems to me you would have been much happier with an RS7000 instead of the MPC.

AtlasBeats wrote: the horrendous interface under "Mixer mode" [the pan settings seems to force you to make extreme approximations],

If you are using the main knob to adjust then, yes, this makes drastic changes. The Q-Link slider allows to fine tune the settings, including chopping wav files.


But I feel you on some of the gripes you have.

I am coming from using Reason. The MPC has some advantages over Reason and vice versa. I mainly use the MPC for sampling/chopping because its more time efficiant than using a mouse and trying click this and that, and I use it for my drum programming, because the quantizing in Reason seems to stiff and you have to manually fix the drums to make them groove.

But I compose everything else in Reason.

Actually, I just read that Reason has put out a MPC quantize template that gives the same swing as an MPC would. If this is what it is, then the MPC might be on Ebay very soon.

its not going to be the same swing. people get that confused all the time. the mpc applies swing just like any other sequencer, using percentage. its the way it plays it back, the timing that gives it the groove. you can try to use "mpc" swing templates all you want, aint going to sound like an mpc cos reason will not groove or sound the same.

Does anyone care to share what their work flow is in laying out a sequence, including phrases that only get played once [don't loop repeatedly with the other parts of the the tracks]

That would shed some light on the real-world utility of the 1000


Thanks for all the feedback

AtlasBeats wrote:Does anyone care to share what their work flow is in laying out a sequence, including phrases that only get played once [don't loop repeatedly with the other parts of the the tracks]

That would shed some light on the real-world utility of the 1000


Thanks for all the feedback

The MPC is a pattern-based sequencer. The idea being that you create individual sequence patterns for each part of the song and then put them together in "Song Mode".

So the obvious answer is to create separate patterns for the phrases that only get played once. However, you can also create one long pattern containing the entire song (I think patterns can be up to 999 bars?). You'll just have to copy parts where needed, and work with a song map so that you can navigate easily to different parts of the song.