Can an MPC easily make a sequence the exact length of a wav?

hi,

I was thinking about getting an MPC as a replacement for my boss sampler in my live setup but I need some expert advice on a certain function I want to try to achieve. I play a lot of pre-produced loops that I make on a computer during live shows that I need to mesh seamlessly with a backing track that I play on an Ipod. The boss sampler is just fine for this as it automatically will loop the wav file I import at its exact length. However, it is a pain when I need to switch the loop that is playing as I have to, with perfect timing, hit two buttons on the sampler (often these are drum loops so if I'm off by even by a tiny bit it is obvious) to turn off the old loop and turn on the new one all while singing and having a guitar in my hands. From reading the MPC manual I see it has a feature that you can loop a sequence and then pick the next sequence to play with the pads and it will automatically switch at the end of the first sequence's current iteration. This would be ideal.

However, I need to know if I can easily make a sequence that is the exact length of an imported .wav file (such that when I play it, the MPC functions essentially as a boss sampler in loop mode)

sorry, TLDR, I know but I bolded the important point.

Thanks in advance,
Craig

An MPC cannot make sequences BASED on a wav file length, but it will, without fail, generate perfect sequences that are the correct length for the tempo setting and bar amount.

So a 4 bar loop at 120 will always be exactly 16 seconds.

I'd recommend changing your flow and instead of 'looping a wav' like you have been doing, you would TRIGGER the wave file at the correct time, and use the MPC sequencer to generate the 'loop', which is approximately the correct length.

So instead of PLAY->HOLD+LOOP forever... it would be like PLAY->PLAY->PLAY->PLAY at the correct time.

It's a much more flexible way of working. The benefit is you will completely eliminate drift, and you can now run all sorts of things in sync as well...other synths, other loopers, recording software...all in perfect sync.

If you have to rely on the length of the wave file every time, you're really closing a lot of doors (albeit while opening new, more arhythmic ones).

An MPC is NOT a live looper, but the sequencer is like everything you'd ever want in a looper plus more...you just can't sample 'on the fly'.

i dont know if this will work for you but its something to think about.

when a sample is playing in the mpc, it will play until it loops and keep playing, after that until you push stop, but if you want to, you could make a bunch of sequences wiht all your different loops, so all you would have to do is turn the jog wheel and when your first loop is done playing it will play your second one, and so on.

you will have to choose the drum loops before your set to make this work right though, because like the poster above me said, you cant loop it exactly to the .wav length on the fly, you have to figure out the .wav length then make the sequence that length after the fact.

to be more clear, when you are playing a sequenc ein your mpc and it is looping correctly, you can go to the next sequence, (it will look something like this seq1>seq2) to tell you what sequence is up next. now as soon as seq1 (or whatever sequence you are playing at the time) is done playing, it will seamlessly go into sequence 2.

so all you have to do is switch the jog wheel over while the loop it is playing, and it will play the next one for you.

hope this helps.

im pretty sure this will work with any mpc, but i know that the free version of jjos for the mpc 1000 wont work like this, you have to get the paid version for that.
im pretty sure the original akai os that comes with the mpc 1000 will do this though.

the free version of the jjos will switch sequences right when you move the jog wheel rather than waiting for the currently playing sequence to finish up.

hope this helps.

and i know for a fact that the mpc 500 does this right out of the box, i used to own one and i used this feature alot for auditioning how sequences would sound together while making a beat. i was dissapointed when i got a 1000 with the jjos and this didnt work, but i have been told that the paid for version of the jjos works fine for this.

keep in mind that you would have to plan you loops out before your gig for this to work correcly though; because of the way this feature works.

MPC makes wav files.

BPM =

number of beats of your sample x 2646000
---------------------------------------------------
number of samples of your sample

so for every sample you want looped, use the above to determine what your sequence bpm should be.

(above formula is for 44100khz samples in 16bit)

Ableton live would be perfect for you.