Exchange tips and tricks for the Akai MPC4000

By misterv Sat Oct 16, 2004 11:49 pm
Posted by renegadebliss on this topic: http://www.mpc-forums.com/viewtopic.php?t=18882

"I think you are mixing up ZONE's and REGIONS. I'll see if I can explain both.

1) ZONES
In the MPC series (not just the 4000), one has 4 ZONES per pad (or keygroup).
You can set up these zones to trigger based off of Velocity (for one example,
you can press "Window" when on the Range section of Zone's to pick a different
modulation source trigger other then velocity). You can then setup 4 samples.
Each plays a different sample depending on how HARD you hit the Pad. This
way you can make a more realistic drum sound then with just 1 sample.

You can use the modulation source to make it so that an Random LFO controls
the Zone that is currently playing (of course this random LFO is synced to Midi )
and it will randomly pick a different one of the 4 samples to play when you hit that
pad. Can be quite nice for adding some spice to your mix.

This is a very basic rudimentary version of what can be done with this. You have
the ability to set it so that the zones crossfade into each other, or not. You can make
it so the pitch changes up or down depending on the zone you are in. You can make
it so that the filter cut off changes up or down depending what zone you are in. Different
pan settings per zone, DIfferent Start points per sample per zone...

2) REGIONS

You use the REGIONS filed to divide a sample up, which then can be later spliced
and added to seperate pads for each slice.

Once you have your sample loaded, go ahead and trim it, how you want. Then go to
REGION softkey in "SAMPLE" and then scroll down to where it says:
REGION: 1
and highlight the "1" and press the "Window" key. You will then get a pop up window.
Type 8, 16 , 24, 32 (up to 32)) and it will divide the sample into that many Regions.
Then after you have set the Regions, select "EDIT" softkey and scroll through listing
to "Slice Sample" and create program. (don't create sequence). Then go "PROGRAM"
and select your new program that was made (with the same name as the sample that was
sliced). And hit your different PADS, you will hear that the different regions have been divided up and placed on each pad.

The Slice with sequence feature, is basiclly a mini recylce. ,In the REGION page, You take a loop (let's say a 1 bar or 2 bar loop). You go up to the TIME section where it says "END" and change that to BPM. Change the "BEATS" to how many beats are in the loop and you'll see the BPM goes to the correct time. Then go to the :
REGION: !
and highlight the 1 and hit "WINDOW" and select let's say 16.

THen hit the "EDIT" softkey and scroll to "SLICE SAMPLE".

Have it make a new /Program and Sequence.

Create a new Multi and Add that Program.

Go to the MAIN and see the sequence that was created. Make sure it pointing
to the new Program and hit Play. You'll hear the loop that was sliced into different pads
playing back the loop.


I'm doing this from work, so dont' have the MPC in front of me, so some of info might
be slightly off, but it's pretty much correct.


Have fun with your new possibilities in the 4000"
User avatar
By Scheme Mon Nov 01, 2004 2:22 pm
The forum is great! and has been visited a few times by myself as well as a few others ive reffered. I am no newbie to any mpc other than the MPC4K... I am overwhelmed!!!
One sugesstion though... i did read through all of what was posted, But I somehow seem to slip into confusion with a lil of the jargon. Please remember to use laymans terms as much as possible when posting, some of us still are trying to understand this monster! :)

Ok... now on to my question, on my old MPC60II (3.0) there was a mono poly and note off option...

*the poly option is great for letting a sample overlap itself.
*the mono for cutting the sample off and starting from the beggining without overlap.
*the note off for stuttering or whatever use made of it. (I really dont use that much since stuttering sounds were created in mono option much easier for myself)

I've tried to make this happen on my MPC4k and have been unsuccessful, is there a way to have these option work and sound like my old MPC60?
Everytime i try to loop lets say a stereo sample 2 bars long, i have to hold down the pad, in order to get the whole loop to play...
I've switched it from loop to no loop and I still have to hold the pad down when recording it, but usually what happens is when it reaches the 1st bar again from the end of the 4th bar in a seq. it cuts off the sample! So i'm left with chopped up sounding sequences.

I've tried "one shot" but it lets the sample overlap itself.
I much rather have it cut off and restart from the top when I press the pad down again. ( this isnt actually stuttering but I use it the same way )

This has been making me nuts and I have taken my mpc 4k in and out of my closet a zillions times in attempt to get over the learing hump.
I always seem to go back to my trusted old MPC60, MPC2K and s950 due to time restrictions on projects, but I love my MPC4K and this one this has me stuck!

Again keep yhis forum rockin... I am learning .. just need to get through this part here... thanks
User avatar

By BeBop Mon Nov 01, 2004 3:53 pm
I think what you want to do is achieved by this:

Hit program
Find the sample your working on (hit the pad)
Hit > Kg Mix and then hit > zone
Under play mode you can set the sample to play in 4 different ways -as sample, one shot, loop, no loop

If you want samples to cut eachother off as you play the pads...you need to hit > pitch and then set mutes (1 - 64 available!) for the samples you want to control.

Haze I'm sure can correct me on this - hope this helps.
User avatar

By Scheme Mon Nov 01, 2004 4:17 pm
BeBop wrote:I think what you want to do is achieved by this:

Hit program
Find the sample your working on (hit the pad)
Hit > Kg Mix and then hit > zone
Under play mode you can set the sample to play in 4 different ways -as sample, one shot, loop, no loop

If you want samples to cut eachother off as you play the pads...you need to hit > pitch and then set mutes (1 - 64 available!) for the samples you want to control.

Haze I'm sure can correct me on this - hope this helps.



***If you want samples to cut eachother off as you play the pads...you need to hit > pitch and then set mutes (1 - 64 available!) for the samples you want to control.***

*That was it!!! Jumpin Jehosafats! wow a yr of this crud and finnaly an answer... lol
By renegadebliss Mon Nov 01, 2004 7:52 pm
Scheme wrote:Ok... now on to my question, on my old MPC60II (3.0) there was a mono poly and note off option...

*the poly option is great for letting a sample overlap itself.
*the mono for cutting the sample off and starting from the beggining without overlap.
*the note off for stuttering or whatever use made of it. (I really dont use that much since stuttering sounds were created in mono option much easier for myself)



Hi, Still have Mono/Poly mode, but it's been slightly expanded due to the implementation
of the Z8 engine and keygroups.

For per drum pad / keygroup settings go to:

"Program" --> "Keygroup" (soft key) --> "Pitch" (soft key) and you will see the "Poly"
colum.

Change this to "1" if you want a Mono Insturment and Change this to more then "1" fo get more polyphony.

To control how the Mono tracks react for the Program on a whole, go to

"Program" --> "Misc"


Then you can select the Mono Legato field (keygroup programs only),
which if set to "Pitch" will set the entire Keygroup Program into Mono mode.

Not sure if that's what you want or not, but the Poly section above is where you
now will select the polyphony of any given sample in the MPC.
User avatar

By Blue Haze Mon Nov 15, 2004 8:11 pm
Check out the Emu SP12 or SP1200 they are very informative and easy to understand for beatmaking. Definitively better than Akai`s info.
User avatar
By Scheme Sat Nov 20, 2004 4:48 am
yea the guy b4 you got it as well as u did... it was the polyphony " 1-64 option.. " it was making me nuts.. but now that i'm over than im workin on some other things... i just got my protools setup so im trying to impliment that in htere as well.. thanks yall... :D

renegadebliss wrote:
Scheme wrote:Ok... now on to my question, on my old MPC60II (3.0) there was a mono poly and note off option...

*the poly option is great for letting a sample overlap itself.
*the mono for cutting the sample off and starting from the beggining without overlap.
*the note off for stuttering or whatever use made of it. (I really dont use that much since stuttering sounds were created in mono option much easier for myself)



Hi, Still have Mono/Poly mode, but it's been slightly expanded due to the implementation
of the Z8 engine and keygroups.

For per drum pad / keygroup settings go to:

"Program" --> "Keygroup" (soft key) --> "Pitch" (soft key) and you will see the "Poly"
colum.

Change this to "1" if you want a Mono Insturment and Change this to more then "1" fo get more polyphony.

To control how the Mono tracks react for the Program on a whole, go to

"Program" --> "Misc"


Then you can select the Mono Legato field (keygroup programs only),
which if set to "Pitch" will set the entire Keygroup Program into Mono mode.

Not sure if that's what you want or not, but the Poly section above is where you
now will select the polyphony of any given sample in the MPC.
By renegadebliss Sun Nov 21, 2004 7:35 pm
Hi, I was replying to a post on the MPC-1000 forum and thought that I would post this
in the newbies bible here, as it is a very useful thing for archiving your songs, to make
sure that your external synths have the correct patches.

***


AlphaMale wrote: you could embed a specific patch or sound set to each track, as long as you sent it on its own MIDI channel..


Not sure if this is what you mean, but as others have said if you have "Patch/Instruement/Sound" on your synth and you want it to be selected automaticallly
when you bring up the MPC Sequence and run it, then Program Change is the corect
method.

On some synths, you also have the option to send the patch as a single sysex dump.
For example, The Synteno TeeBee, Waldorf Q, Waldorf Rack Attack, the Access
Virus. Most modern day synths.

What I do, is go into Step Edit on a seperate track (I'm on MPC 4000 but should be the same for the 1000), and select Insert and then go to my synth (making sure the OUT of the synth goes to the IN on the MPC) then tell the Synth to "Dump" the sysex patch. This will record the synths patch parameters for that single patch only into a Sysex file on the MPC. I can then use that Track to send to any Q and it will program the synth with my patch.

Their is a slight delay (about 1 -2 seconds for the synth to translate the sysex into
a patch and there you have your patch ready to go. So if you Synth dies you can
go buy a new one, and you patch was "embedded" into the sequence". I usually will
mute the tracks with the Synth Sysex dumps and then can unmute them if I want them
to dump from the MPC. Great for storing your files away and if you've changed the patches on your synth then you will always have the right ones there ready to go.

By godscent Fri Dec 03, 2004 10:06 pm
this is amazing for someone like myself, i´m a serious freshman!
i´ve copied down all info in this topic and made a wordfile out of it.

i´ve been in the musicbiz for about seven years but never used one single drummachine, always relying on protools, cutting and pasting and sampling.
i´m buying the 4000 now and it really feels like a fresh start.

what is the best solution to get the sound into protools?
buying the 8 out ADAT interface "IB4ADT"?
or getting 8 analog outputs and a mixer?
or is there a better solution?

and this ak.sys thing, does it work on mac(osx) as well?

thanks for this thread
User avatar

By Scheme Mon Dec 06, 2004 9:44 pm
godscent wrote:this is amazing for someone like myself, i´m a serious freshman!
i´ve copied down all info in this topic and made a wordfile out of it.

i´ve been in the musicbiz for about seven years but never used one single drummachine, always relying on protools, cutting and pasting and sampling.
i´m buying the 4000 now and it really feels like a fresh start.

what is the best solution to get the sound into protools?
buying the 8 out ADAT interface "IB4ADT"?
or getting 8 analog outputs and a mixer?
or is there a better solution?

and this ak.sys thing, does it work on mac(osx) as well?

thanks for this thread


I honestly think you should go adat , I did... I havent used it yet due to some configuration i have to get done on my mackie d8b but my boy hooked his up with a protools setup and its incredible. I have used the analog outs and man they suck on older machines ( mpc 60II ) hum etc so i'd assume with the 4k would eventually be the same into protools.. pure digital is the way to go, plus cableing is less expensive adat wise.. I got a great deal on ebay for those... 5 twleve ft 5 mm cables for under 25 bucks
Last edited by Scheme on Tue Dec 07, 2004 8:02 am, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
By Scheme Tue Dec 07, 2004 7:57 am
Before I smash my MPC with a crowbar, can anyone lend some insight on how to get this ADAT card to assign its 8 outs & work properly into Protools Digi 002

I know this has to be some sort of configuration step Im missing, but I cant seem to find anything in the manual to help me out. Can anyone offer some detailed insight?


By the way... thanks in advance for any help given... I have a love hate relationship with this place now... lol
:cry:
User avatar
By AWW_NAWW Wed Jan 12, 2005 10:13 pm
renegadebliss wrote:
jonespnice wrote:How do you change multis with control changes? I want to play a song and at a predetermined part of the song I want to use a different multi with different instruments, effects, ect. how do I implement this?
Thanks in advance.


To be honest, this isn't clearly written in the MPC manual

1. In "Multi" Page - give the Multi a Program number, but make sure it isn't a duplicate
of any others.

2. In a blank track, select for Int-A for your part (if that's what you setup Multi Program Change
to be made on)

3. In program change select "1" if that's the program number that you selected in step 1.

4. Now when you switch sequences, the sequence will send Program Change 1 on Int-A
which should change the Multi to 1 automatically.

Now do the same for your sequence 2 (which uses Multi 2 which is set for program change 2).

Now if you use "next sequence" or even "song" mode , when the sequence switches,
it will switch the Multi.

If you are using OS 1.7, then this switch will happen faster then before , and you won't hear
the audio glitches of the new sequence playing the Old Multi before the New Multi is switched.

Hope that gives you a rough draft of what you need to do, and the manual should be able
to help out for the more specifics.

Ask again if somethign doesn't work.



Hmmm... with out poorly written the Manual is, I do see a good 3rd party source taking this
on and earning some money :)


Especially if MPC Tutor's keeps their MPC 2000 XL focus.
User avatar
By cyrus Thu Jan 13, 2005 10:07 am
aprim wrote:Ok

To change the Banks and Patch selections works like this
Open the window on patch selection,

Turn on Bank select
Set The MSB
Set the LSB

How do you know what the midi module MSB or LSB is?
Check your manual of the bank you want to control
The EMU mods are like this
Bank Selet ON
MSB 0
LSB 1 THROUGH 4 (change in between all 4 banks ABC@D)
Exit out of the window and scroll through the sounds.
All EMU mod work the same

My Virus C works the same as The EMU
Banks Select ON
MSB 0
LSB 1 THROUGH 4 (ABCD)

My Roland works like This
Bank Select ON
MSB 80 through 85
LSB 1 through 5

I change expansions through the MSB
And Banks through the LSB

If your unit comes up with not installed its because your trying to
access a slot that has no expansion mod in it.
Like if you have a protuess and your trying to control but you pick
a expansion slot thats has no rom.

When you save your seq, it will call up all the right patchs next
time you load it. Works perfect and it really makes a diffrence.
Check out the manual of the unit you want to control it will give you
the correct MSB and LSB to work with.

Good luck and it works perfect.
Anthony


'you mean program change! not patch selection. :wink:

took me 10 minutes to realize this, as i was looking every where for it

By glide Sat Jan 15, 2005 10:59 pm
OK ladies and gentelmen, here are 3 very Cool creative features of the MPC4000 that no user of the MPC4000 should let be amiss, I took the liberty of pasting post from two members and for the record are now credited fro their efforts, so: Big Ups to SeanW,David Davis & Rob for their post

********Virtual CrossFading********

*in the same Program set up two sounds

*one with a HP filter the other with LP filter

(to get a very clean cross fading: it helps if one sample has emphasis on low frequencies and the other on high, like say" hihat pattern and a bassline", but anything goes really, as if you know how to set up filters anything is workable but for a clean cross fade two negatives (High/Low) work the best


*now apply the HP filter on the bass sample

*and the LP filter on the hihats

* setup a Qlink to control cutoff for that program (say Q1)


Now when you
twist the Q1 knob all the way to the RIGHT both filters are at maximum open cutoff

the HP is only letting highs pass through and no bass> thus your bass sample is in-audidable

the LP is all the way open and not blocking any highs> thus your Hihats will be auditable

Now when you
twist the Q1 knob all the way to the LEFT both filters are at closed to the maximum

the HP is cutting highs & only letting bass pass through> thus your bass sample is auditable

the LP is cutting all highs> thus your Hihats will be in-auditable

so turn:
Q1 Left = Bassline
Q1 right = Hig hatz

(Depending on the sample material play with the cutoff setting of both samples in program mode to make a smother cross fade)




********Note on + Note off trigger********


“this is a very cool trick, that lets you play a two sounds on virtually the same pad one being triggered on “note on” the other on “note off”, (one sounds plays while you press the pad the other plays when you release it & they cut each other off in process

In Program mode: you basically set up two sound on the same pad in two different programs one set to play on note off the other on note on, then you layer them via part1 and part2 in Main seq window so you can play them simultaneously,
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The Play Trigger option (per KG/Pad) gives you the following options:
* NOTE ON: the samples in the KG are triggered according to the Sample Play mode when the Pad/Key is pressed (as usual)
* NOTE OFF: the samples in the KG are triggered in One Shot mode when the Pad/Key is released.
This can be useful for effects, for instance on plucked instruments, such as acoustic guitar, or mandolin.
* TOGGLE: the samples in the KG are started with the first Note On and stopped with the next Note On.
For instance, if a sample is in Loop Play mode, the first hit on the Pad starts the loop, and the next hit on the same Pad stops the loop.

Sean
Not in the same KG.
Play Trigger mode is set for the whole KG (4 zones) and when NOTE OFF is selected, NOTE ON is ignored by this KG.
However, you can layer two KGs on the same note (in a Keygroup program), one with NOTE ON and the other one with NOTE OFF.
You can also layer two Drum programs with different settings on the same Track.

Just in case you were wondering, the Play Trigger window is accessed differently from Keygroup and Drum programs:
* Drum Program: in PROGRAM / KG MIX or PITCH page, move the cursor to the Note field (far left) and press the WINDOW key.
* Keygroup Program: in PROGRAM / PITCH page, move the cursor to the Low or High Span field and press the WINDOW key.


Loop Until Release is another way to get the sound to change after the note off, but obviously it only works if the first part (Note On sound) is looped.

Sean




******** Zone select trigger Mod********


Yet another very cool trick, that lets you play randomly different zones while holding down one pad, here’s a post from member Rob that shows how you can program one pad to play infinitive variation of the same beat….
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Here is a contribution from the Akai mail list, from a thread that I started last friday with David Davis, the guy that learned me the Zone Select trick for emulating analogs:

----------------
Thanks Jeremy, that was one of problems indeed. The other
one was that I hadn't assigned each of the zones its own
velocity range. Stupid me.

But works great now. As David originally suggested, using
and LFO with random waveform gives you a nice mechanism to
have the mpc select one of up to four samples to play at
note on, to simulate analog variation (using closely
matching, but not identical samples).

If you don't want the zones to be changed *during* the
playback, simply set the LFO rate to 0. The LFO output
level is also an important factor to get a good balance
between the various zones, as David already found out.

I also toyed with syncing the LFO to tempo. That's fun! You
can mix the zones in and out at a given rate, synced to
tempo. Very nice stuff. ))
---------------

I did some more experiments later on and it works great! Try this:

- Get two drum loops with identical BPM.
- Set the MPC's main tempo to the tempo of the drum loops.
- Puts each of the loops in a zone of the same voice.
- Give each of the samples their own velocity range,
like 0-64 for zone 1 and 65-128 for zone 2.
- Set the Zone Select field to realtime.
- Set LFO1 to random waveform.
- Set the LFO's Midi Sync field to ON.
- Set the LFO Beat Field to 1 or 2 (change as you like).
- Set the LFO Depth to 50 or so.
- And finally, make a Program Modulation setting in the modulation
matrix with LFO1 -> Zone Select

This will do a real-time and random fade between the two drum loops, but synced to tempo! If the two drum loops are similar, like variations of the same beat, you get a great live feal, because the drum pattern is never the same. Very, very, very cool!

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Byknox Fri Jan 21, 2005 1:24 am
please be a savior and go to the "how do i hook up my keyboard" thread y