1k Tips

Since I've got a new 1k coming, and there hasn't been a tips n' tricks thread for a few months (i checked), i thought it would be good to start a new tips n' tricks thread now everyone's been messing with the new OS for more time.

So here's a couple of mine. You guys might wanna check me on this coz it's what I've put together from reading the manual.

1/ This one I mentioned back in another thread:
First create a program from a sliced loop (say 16 chops for a 1 measure loop). Then sequence these slices forward as they were sliced to have the loop running how it sounded originally, i.e one slice on every 16th note one after the other in correct order.
Now here's the fun bit. Experiment with reversing different slices in the chopped program. Try adding different fx to different slices, or some without fx. Experiment with different filter settings on each slice, and apply different Lfo rates to modulate the same parameter.

This slice option is a great feature which has the ability to manipulate a loop into something unrecognizable. Try extreme fast Amp Lfo on random slices.

2/ One cool thing with the Electribe samplers is there ability to gate external audio to the beat (i.e some random speech). These small sound bites can then be re-sampled or have fx applied to each hit. This sounds great with some filter modulation and a long delay line and will add an interesting dimension to a multi-track recording.

Now with the 1k we only have realtime control over external audio, which is a shame because it would have been a cynch to apply the LFO to LEVEL, to gate the audio to the beat. So unless you have fingers with extreme tight timing you aint gonna get good beat synced fx!!
However there is a workaround. It involves routing the external audio through the FX and creating 2 seperate FX Sets that will be step sequenced to the beat. Here's how:

The 1st FX SET will have an EQ in TYPE 1 with neutral settings.
The 2nd FX SET will have an EQ in TYPE 1 with the gain turned down on all the bands.
Now when you step sequence these different FX SETS, you will here the external audio cut in on the 1st FX SET, and then being turned down on the 2nd.

Now you can just setup a delay line to FX TYPE 2 in the 1st FX SET, and you will get gated hits with beat synced echoes.
Or you can resample a few bars of this gated audio then add filters, LFO modulation and delay as much as you want.

It all depends on how much the EQ will turn down the level for this to work right. Anyone know?

Jesus, man you know about all this and you don't even have an MPC yet. I don't know many tricks but if you sample vinyl sometimes its cool to hit the 45 button to speed up the pitch on vocals.

You and this vocal thing, you aint letting it go no time soon are you?

lol.

jmartone: You might say I'm a bit nerdy! (lol), but I do like to know exactly what a machine does before I buy it.

I've been buying different gear for a while now and once you understand how different pieces work, you can a general idea of what a machine can do just by reading up on the specs and manual. It's just time, that's all.

Go easy on that pitched up vocal thing!

jigginz wrote:...I do like to know exactly what a machine does before I buy it. I've been buying different gear for a while now and once you understand how different pieces work, you can a general idea of what a machine can do just by reading up on the specs and manual.

I wish SO MANY other people would think and DO this. It would help SO much. I don't know why cats ask everyone else except themselves. Glad you understand it though.

Ok, I'll calm down with the pitched vocals. I've been messing with that style for the last week, so I guess I've kind of beat it to death. Peace.

jigginz is killing it, without an mpc1000.

my favorite tip - slice your samples as much as you can. it's gruntwork for a while, but you'll thank me when you have the utmost control over them later. basically, it's using the mpc1000 like live5 in a more tedious way, but the results are great.

2nd - use ghost notes in drums. always chop breaks for layering with deeper more artificial drums - the result is a thick drum with an accoustic "Skin" and a great live feel.

3rd - learn to use shift timing in mode/pad 13. this is one of the biggest tricks to getting your drums to have a human quality. nudge your hats a little late, snares a little early...w/e.

4 - sample fills and experiment with choppping them up.

5 - don't use 16 levels for tune, only for velocity and attack. 16 levels is GREAT for percussive oneshots and hihats -- terrible for making melodies.

6 - sample silence and use it as a patch/blur in the holes of the chopped samples you're using. once you've got this trick down, experiment with different types of low volume sounds to fill the holes. you can get some really interesting stuff in this way.

7 - DO NOT be afraid to experiment.

Antonym wrote:2nd - use ghost notes in drums. always chop breaks for layering with deeper more artificial drums - the result is a thick drum with an accoustic "Skin" and a great live feel.

Good tip Antonym! I'm looking forward to trying this.
Sounds like something that will give your beats some character without them sounding like an abvious chopped break.

exactly. esp when you can tune either of the components in order to make them fit better. it's great for full sounding kicks, especially. plus, you can set up varients on different pads by adjusting the volume of the individual samples, so that one leans more toward the record kick and another leans more toward the commercial sample.

Antonym wrote:jigginz is killing it, without an mpc1000.

my favorite tip - slice your samples as much as you can. it's gruntwork for a while, but you'll thank me when you have the utmost control over them later. basically, it's using the mpc1000 like live5 in a more tedious way, but the results are great.

2nd - use ghost notes in drums. always chop breaks for layering with deeper more artificial drums - the result is a thick drum with an accoustic "Skin" and a great live feel.

3rd - learn to use shift timing in mode/pad 13. this is one of the biggest tricks to getting your drums to have a human quality. nudge your hats a little late, snares a little early...w/e.

4 - sample fills and experiment with choppping them up.

5 - don't use 16 levels for tune, only for velocity and attack. 16 levels is GREAT for percussive oneshots and hihats -- terrible for making melodies.

6 - sample silence and use it as a patch/blur in the holes of the chopped samples you're using. once you've got this trick down, experiment with different types of low volume sounds to fill the holes. you can get some really interesting stuff in this way.

7 - DO NOT be afraid to experiment.

not sure about #5, i've used 16 level tuning for basslines with excellent results. i agree with the rest of your points though.

i've used it for basslines too. however, it frustrates me when i can hear that it's the same file pitched to different notes...esp when it's my own music. if it's 90's hip hop, i don't really complain. but for some reason i cant stand to hear it in my own music, i would rather just multisample.

the reason i urge people from 16 noting tune stuff is because it pushes them to multisample - and will teach them new tricks in the process. relying too heavily on 16 level for tunes will come back to bite you in the ass.

however, i'm sure you can make it work in moderation.

Antonym wrote:the reason i urge people from 16 noting tune stuff is because it pushes them to multisample - and will teach them new tricks in the process. relying too heavily on 16 level for tunes will come back to bite you in the ass.

What exactly do you mean by multisample? You mean just record the original note, pitch the turntable and record the next note, etc, etc???
I've been trying to do this but it's tedious and I haven't got any result I'm satisfied with.

I agree with using 16 level tune for basslines only. But even with basslines, I would kill for auto chromatic tuning.

My tip for beginners is to buy the MPC1000 E-book. Well worth the money IMO

Autochromatic is great.

You mean just record the original note, pitch the turntable and record the next note, etc, etc???

no no no that has the exact same problem as the other.

look when you take 1 note, be it bass, piano, or crying child with leprosy, it has not only a pitch but a timbre. pitching this single file not only changes the pitch of the sound, but also of the timbre, room noise, everything. the result is mickey mousing. it sounds terrible unless you live in the 90s or if you're using it interestingly.

mutlisampling would be not only getting multiple takes at different timbres of each note, but it's also sampling many notes and laying them down on your program. the best multisampled pgm would have 4 velocities per pad, and notes ranging across the 64 pads. that's 256 different files. you can do it with less, for sure.

autochromatic is as overhyped as a toy in a cereal box. one you get it, you realize how small it is.

Antonym wrote:look when you take 1 note, be it bass, piano, or crying child with leprosy, it has not only a pitch but a timbre. pitching this single file not only changes the pitch of the sound, but also of the timbre, room noise, everything. the result is mickey mousing. it sounds terrible unless you live in the 90s or if you're using it interestingly.

Yeah, I know all this, but how then do you go about it with only turntable and MPC? Say I found this nice wahwah sound on a record, just one, that I'd wanna use in the background. The only way to make different notes out of that one sample would be to either pitch or pitch shift it, right? But as you stated, this also changes timbre (among other things) and makes it sound like My First Sony.

So I thought when reading your post you had some technique to avoid this and succesfully make several (good sounding) notes out of one sample, calling it multisampling. Am I wrong?