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By tonycass Wed Jan 25, 2023 3:34 pm
I’m somewhat new to MPC. I was getting frustrated with audio tracks. Specifically with the 8 track limit and the fact that audio tracks are not present in track mute.

I then noticed that any audio I record to an audio track is stored as a sample. Even if it is deleted. These can be assigned to a program and then launched. (I don’t like the clip launcher much either).

This begs the question … in what workflow are audio tracks actually helpful?
By tonycass Wed Jan 25, 2023 9:26 pm
mpckey61newbie wrote:errr...recording vocals in linear mode alongside music tracks? I guess I am missing your point, Tony.


Let’s say I have a project going with sequences for intro, verse, pre chorus, and chorus. I’d love to be able to record the vocal take, or in most cases many takes, straight through. How do I do that without merging all of my sequences? As I work with a vocalist to record the vocals I will often change the arrangement or the individual sections. This would be much easier if I can keep the sequences separate. The other issue is that 8 audio tracks evaporate pretty fast aaaaaan there is no ability to handle punch in recording.

I’m finding the looper a much more useful way to record. I just export the takes I like as samples. None of this is a knock on the MPC, I love it. I just don’t get the usefulness of the limited audio tracks.
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By Lampdog Wed Jan 25, 2023 9:55 pm
MPC's aren't dedicated time based recorders. It has been given the ability to do "some" other things outside of the legacy minded mpc world which actually make it a better machine than before. It's gonna be limited at those other things, it's even limited and messed up at some of it's own "mpc" things these days.

AND 2gb ram. Why expect fleshed out time-based recording anyway.

Image

Cars can actually go faster than speedometers show, limits are placed so as not to blow shit up. Same.
By Fess Sun Feb 26, 2023 4:33 pm
tonycass wrote:
mpckey61newbie wrote:errr...recording vocals in linear mode alongside music tracks? I guess I am missing your point, Tony.


Let’s say I have a project going with sequences for intro, verse, pre chorus, and chorus. I’d love to be able to record the vocal take, or in most cases many takes, straight through. How do I do that without merging all of my sequences?


Get an MPC 5000- 8 track hard-disk recording in song mode- no RAM used. Those 8 tracks play along side your RAM-based sequenced material.

I'm guessing it will be included in the next MPC box.
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By bitermc Mon Feb 27, 2023 11:04 am
tonycass wrote:
mpckey61newbie wrote:errr...recording vocals in linear mode alongside music tracks? I guess I am missing your point, Tony.


Let’s say I have a project going with sequences for intro, verse, pre chorus, and chorus. I’d love to be able to record the vocal take, or in most cases many takes, straight through. How do I do that without merging all of my sequences? As I work with a vocalist to record the vocals I will often change the arrangement or the individual sections. This would be much easier if I can keep the sequences separate. The other issue is that 8 audio tracks evaporate pretty fast aaaaaan there is no ability to handle punch in recording.

I’m finding the looper a much more useful way to record. I just export the takes I like as samples. None of this is a knock on the MPC, I love it. I just don’t get the usefulness of the limited audio tracks.


I asked exactly the same questions when I started using the One. I came to the conclusion that the audio tracks are not a substitute for a DAW or a dedicated multitrack recorder.

I think of them more as an extended sampler functionality than as real audio tracks. For real recording I still use my Zoom recorder.
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By Ill-Green Sun Mar 05, 2023 3:32 am
Akai should leave the classic MPC sequencer alone. The way they have the sequencer now with the latest MPCs, should be the Song mode. Then, audio tracks will make sense and maybe add virtual tracks for each track so we can make 99 takes.
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By Ill-Green Sun Mar 05, 2023 3:35 am
tonycass wrote:I’m somewhat new to MPC. I was getting frustrated with audio tracks. Specifically with the 8 track limit and the fact that audio tracks are not present in track mute.

I then noticed that any audio I record to an audio track is stored as a sample. Even if it is deleted. These can be assigned to a program and then launched. (I don’t like the clip launcher much either).

This begs the question … in what workflow are audio tracks actually helpful?


Only thing you can do is create a single sequence and jam it up for 50 bars.
By 6/8 Stanley Tue Mar 07, 2023 5:38 am
Zoom H6, small analog mixer and MPC or similar stuff will easily do what you want. Record outs on mixer go to H6. Stereo line out on H6 (with RCA adapter) go to playback in's on mixer. MPC audio outs go to a stereo channel on mixer. If you want to record audio into MPC use AUX outs from mixer to MPC line in so you don't have to swap any cables around. Monitor from mixer. I don't usually record audio into MPC unless it's to make samples but you can. You can listen to your MPC tracks while recording as many vocal takes as you want to the multitrack with no latency. When you have a keeper vocal you can listen to that while you record your MPC tracks with no latency and maybe freestyle some fills etc. while it's recording.

There's more professional ways to do it like bringing all your MPC tracks to DAW to align with audio but I don't have those skills yet so I use quick and dirty method.

Audio track = fun beat map workaround? Record unquantized audio into MPC, turn t.c. off, and freestyle some beat tracks over it. I might try it next time I don't have a project to do. Finger drumming skills would be necessary. Otherwise it might take a while to get a keeper.