Exchange tips and tricks for the Akai MPC4000
By MPC 4 ME Fri Feb 29, 2008 3:31 am
If you create WAV regions in your software, you can see the regions in your mpc4k and then you can slice the WAV file, create a new program and create a new sequence. Now here's where it gets tricky.. The mpc doesnt sync the computer-loops to the tempo. The bounced loop is 92 BPM and Ive set the MPC' s tempo to 92 as well.. How do I give the MPC the correct information she needs to generate a proper synced MIDI sequence? Basically, I want to sync my Ableton Live grooves to the MPC4000 grooves in the MPC while having total control over all the slices, nicely layed out over the pads. I use Bias Peak Pro 5 on a Mac. Any help? Ive been messing about for an entire night now, and I can't seem to find the correct steps.. thxxx ;-)
By illiac Fri Feb 29, 2008 6:04 am
MPC 4 ME wrote:How do I give the MPC the correct information she needs to generate a proper synced MIDI sequence?


I can't figure out from your description what exactly you're trying to do. In particular, what does the sentence above mean?

The MPC has generated a sequence, which plays the regions you marked up in Peak one after another. Now, if you change the tempo of that generated sequence if will play the same regions back in the same order, but faster or slower. If you sync the tempo to an external source, then it will play them back according to the tempo of that source.

But I gather you're trying to do something quite different from this ... ?

-illiac
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By MPC 4 ME Fri Feb 29, 2008 2:48 pm
Hi Iliac. This is hard to explain. But the MPC doesnt have the correct information about the tempo of the WAV file. You see, the drum loop is 4 bars long and it is 92BPM. Now to make it simple, I have let Peak create a marker every bar (so Ive got 16 regions now) Then I hit the command markers into regions and save the file. But then when I slice the file on the MPC and create a MIDI file with it, the tempo is all messed up. The global tempo in the MPC is set to 92 BPM before I slice the 4 bar drum loop.

When I did this in ReCycle, I had to confirm the tempo first and then ReCycle creates the proper MIDI sequence. I think in Peak, I need to "code" the WAV file somehow, so the MPC can generate a proper MIDI file as well.. I dont know if Im making sense now or if this is possible in any way.
Last edited by MPC 4 ME on Fri Feb 29, 2008 4:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.

By illiac Fri Feb 29, 2008 4:05 pm
Oh, I just tried it and I see what you mean now. The question is, how can you set the tempo of the sequence that is generated? As it is, the MPC seems to generate a fixed-tempo sequence, regardless of the tempo setting of the sequence that is the target of the operation, and also regardless of the master tempo setting. And the result of this is that the samples are triggered at random-looking times, not aligned on bar or beat boundaries.

I've never used the slice-and-make-sequence feature before. This isn't what I would have expected, haha. I guess I won't be using it in the future either. :-)

Maybe someone who's used it before can tell the secret of setting the tempo of the destination sequence...

-illiac

By MPC 4 ME Fri Feb 29, 2008 4:23 pm
Well its definitely weird because when I bounce a drum loop inside the mpc and then slice and generate a sequence, the notes are all lined up.

By renegadebliss Fri Feb 29, 2008 8:41 pm
How about this. I don't use computer very much with music. I don't have Peak.
So I can't help you with the steps that you are doing. But how about that I give
you the steps needed to do it all on the 4000 without a computer. Once you have
that down, maybe you can figure out how to integrate Peak with it.


1. Either Load Loop Sample, or Record a Sample Loop.
2. Go to the "Sample" button
3. Select F2 "Trim/Loop"
4. Make loop is trimmed and looping fine (turn loop on)
5. If not, trim the sample
6. Turn off loop
7. Go up to the "End" field of the Trim section and Turn it to BPM
8. Move cursor to BPM value field and turn it until the correct number
of beats are showing. In my case 2.00 beats, 123.0 BPM's (please note if you
are using a 2.00 beat loop, when you are done with this, you will need to copy the
first 2 beats of sequences and paste it into beats 3 and 4, or your loop will only play
half of the 1 bar sequence. (1 bar = 4 beats)
9. Now press F3 for Region
10. Go to the "End" field and turn jogwheel until you see BPM
11. Verify that the correct number of beats and bpm's is set.
12. Move cursor down to Region field
13. Hit the "Window" button
14. Move to "Number of Regions" and select what you want... i'll keep with your 16
15. Hit "Do It' to get out of Region submenu
16. Hit the "Edit" button and move jogwheel until you see Slice
17. Tell it to "Generate a Sequence"
18. Hit "Do It"
19. Go to the "Main" button and you will see the new sequence that was created and it was at the BPM that you set in the Trim/Loop page and the Region Page already and the Program should already be assigned to the current Mulit and that Part should be assigned to the Track that was created.
20. Hit Play and Enjoy

Change the BPM of the main sequence and you'll here your loop slow down or speed up depending on which one you are doing.

For your peak troubleshooting. I think the Key here is to ensure that both the Trim/Loop page and the Region Page is set to BPM and is set to the correct BPM.

Once you get this down, you can then start messing with advanced features, like
going into the Region fields after you've created your regions and moving them about
to hit the beats/hits that you want. And also using the Shuffle Region Edit feature..

Now you guys are all going to pay for my 4000 book when I finally get it done, right? :)


Cheers,
Dave

By MPC 4 ME Fri Feb 29, 2008 9:38 pm
hey thanks renegade. I was just thinking about "preparing" the loop first in the mpc, then to Peak and back to the mpc. Ill test it in a few minutes. I have internet now in my studio :D thanks for those steps. Those are really helpful! I was just about to search the forum for this information. thx a lot again! Now its jus a matter of hoping that Peak will keep and save the information from the mPC

By MPC 4 ME Fri Feb 29, 2008 9:56 pm
IT WORKS!!!! :D :D


FANTASTICO :!: :!:





Big applause for the Renegade Master! Back once again
By MPC 4 ME Fri Feb 29, 2008 9:57 pm
So what you need to do is give the MPC the correct information about the tempo before you slice and create regions. You dont have to do anything in Peak, only create the regions, drag to aksys and slice!!!
Back once again for the Renegade Master

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FOR THE RENEGADE MASTER