Exchange tips and tricks for the Akai MPC4000
By ja-ki Sat Oct 12, 2013 7:03 pm
Hi there,

just getting my head around the MPC4000.
I messed with the swing a bit and unfortunately changed the whole tempo of a complex arpeggio I played in. This led me to the question how to stretch/shrink midi events per track, any ideas?

cheers
By jimfowler Sat Oct 12, 2013 10:16 pm
stretch/shrink as in duration? if that's the case, it's easy. in the MAIN screen, scroll to DURATION and hit "window". you can now change the midi note duration.
By ja-ki Sun Oct 13, 2013 12:57 pm
Ah no, sorry, didn't explain correctly.

I meant as if I wanted to double or half the tempo. So laying an arpeggio I played on 1/4th notes to 1/8th so it plays faster (and vice versa).
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By Ibunshi Tue Oct 15, 2013 3:33 pm
hey ja-ki!


not entirely sure of what it is you are trying to do with how you explain things here..

but, if you for example accidentally change the timing of all sounds or perhaps just a single note in your sequence, and that is what i guess you have done.. then on the main screen, you can select the timing field.. and hit open window.. from there you can change the timing on all notes or just a single one.. and change the timing of this sound over the full sequence of say 4 bars, or choose just bar 2-3 for example, as well as set swing and play around with before/later...

so if you have changed a pattern so that it plays 1/4ths, then you can go and change it into 8ths afterwards


buuuut, i don't think this will necessarily help, as if you have now a pattern that plays for example every 4th, then changing it to 8ths will not fill in the gaps you may want.. it will still just play the same notes.. so i guess it is not really waht yopu want here

however, if all you want to to is to play something faster.. then depending on what it is.. you might be able to solve it easily just by setting your timing to 1/8 and then use the note-repeat button, and press whatever pad you want and play 8ths and by doing this get a new pattern... and depending on how you have set things up, you might play this arp on a keyboard instead, but still having the notes locked into 8ths, so that you never play "wrong"
By ja-ki Tue Oct 15, 2013 4:17 pm
Hey Ibunshi ;)

Sorry for my bad explanation, my english is ****'d.

I've made two screenshots out of an ableton example, so you'll understand what I mean:

before:

Image

after:

Image
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By Ibunshi Tue Oct 15, 2013 5:16 pm
ahh then i get ya, and you explained it well the first time.. i just got confused and stuck with the whole timing thing, thinking it was something else..

and, well i have no solution to that.. personally i would have looked around in grid edit on the mpc, but then i really doubt what you look for is there
By ntalec Wed Oct 16, 2013 1:39 pm
Since it's the 4k I would guess you are actually playing the arp not letting something generate it?
At any rate what I do when I play things like that or complex things I really want to get right I just reduce the tempo in the first place.
Play it then bring the tempo back to where it belongs or sounds the way I want it to sound.

You can also do it in reverse to get that other aspect.

Thing to remember is you may have to create a click track to be able to get the proper mental association instead of using the 4k metronome.
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By tapedeck Wed Oct 16, 2013 3:49 pm
if you have another sequencer, transfer the sequence to it, double / halve the tempo, and re-record it back in.

otherwise logic can do this.

does the 4k have the 'second sequence' feature like the xl? can you run them at independent tempos? you could set yer 'second sequence' up to run at double/half tempo, plug a midi cable from the out to the in, set up yer midi routing properly, and do it that way?

i dont know im thinking hacks now :mrgreen:
By ntalec Wed Oct 16, 2013 3:53 pm
tapedeck wrote:if you have another sequencer, transfer the sequence to it, double / halve the tempo, and re-record it back in.

otherwise logic can do this.

does the 4k have the 'second sequence' feature like the xl? can you run them at independent tempos? you could set yer 'second sequence' up to run at double/half tempo, plug a midi cable from the out to the in, set up yer midi routing properly, and do it that way?

i dont know im thinking hacks now :mrgreen:


Can't separate the tempos the second sequence follows the main sequence
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By tapedeck Wed Oct 16, 2013 4:04 pm
ntalec wrote:Can't separate the tempos the second sequence follows the main sequence

good to know - i tried.

use logic. :mrgreen:
By ntalec Wed Oct 16, 2013 4:10 pm
Don't know just seems if I was willing to use Logic I would just use Maschine or the Ren instead of the 4k or hardware sequencer for that matter.

Back and forth just doesn't work for me, becomes annoying after a while and the vibe gets lost.
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By tapedeck Wed Oct 16, 2013 6:29 pm
ntalec wrote:Don't know just seems if I was willing to use Logic I would just use Maschine or the Ren instead of the 4k or hardware sequencer for that matter.

Back and forth just doesn't work for me, becomes annoying after a while and the vibe gets lost.

i agree, i would never do this, just answering ops question.