keyboard mapping (midi mode)

hello mpcians

since a long while i wonder why the mpc default keymapping is as it is...
i never asked anybody cause i didnt use the mpc to trigger any chromatic instruments.
now that i played a (poly) synth from the mpcs keypads, i think its quite clever what they did here.

im not 100% certain yet how it works, but it must be a simplified chord system (i guess/hope its made for beatheads with not much knownledge of chords)

can you guys describe how you use the mpc for playing chords, i would like to understand what akai did here.

regards
trafo

It's not a clever chords system or anything like that, they've set it up so that General Midi Drum sounds are layout nicely on the pads.

In case you don't know GM specifies that each drum sound is always on a specific note (e.g. Bass Drum is always on note 36 (C-3) and and acoustic snare is always 38 (D-3) and the closed, pedal and open hi hats are always on 42, 44 & 46 (F#3, G#3 & A#3)). The reason for this is so that when you switch between drum machines and sound modules and the different kits on them, if they comply with general midi then your drums will still play the way they are meant to but with the different sounds.

hmmm i see, thank you for the reply

Is it possible to change these settings and save it?

Normally, when you hit a pad, the MPC2500 will output the
MIDI note data assigned to the pad in the program.
However, when the selected track does not have any pro-
gram assigned, hitting a pad sends out the default MIDI note
number, instead of the number set in the program. When
you create a new program, this setting will be used as the
default setting. You can change this default pad setting in
the MIDI/SYNC mode, which can be accessed by pressing
the [MODE] key and then the [PAD 9] (MIDI/SYNC).
01. Press the [MODE] key and then the [PAD 9] (MIDI/SYNC).
You can enter the MIDI/SYNC mode.
02. Press the [F3] (NOTE) key.
The NOTE page will be displayed.
03. Select the desired pad by hitting it.
The note number of the selected pad will be highlighted.
04. Select the note number with the DATA wheel.
In the upper right corner of the screen, the MIDI
GM standard name of the drum, which represents
the selected note number, is displayed.
To reset the setting to the default, press the [F6]
(RESET) key. All the notes assigned to the pads will
be reset to the default setting.

Peep game.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--GzodmsZtI

What does that video have to do with what's being talked about here??