weird filtering effect when i hit a pad multiple times

When I hit a pad mutliple times in resonably quick succession, sometimes the sample plays back sounding like some of the top end has been filtered out.

It seems to only happen on pads that are using the filter in the program menu (the problem is that the high end filtering doesn't occur all the time, so it's not because I'm using the low pass filter without realising it)

Is this a bug or is there a solution to it?

I searched the forums but couldn't find anything about this, so any help would be much appreciated!

you're having phase issues. it happens when two similar frequencies are played at the same time.

i'm sure you're familiar with what a waveform looks like. what happens is the wave of one sample is above the zero line, and the wave of the other sample is below the zero line, the waves combine and the two sounds cancel eachother out.

you're right it does sound like a phasing issue, but i have the pad on mono, not poly, so the sample should only be playing once, and so no phasing should occur.

or have i got confused?

nope, you're right. maybe you're hitting the pad too quickly and it's not cutting the sound off properly before playing the sample again?

jm031689 wrote:you're right it does sound like a phasing issue, but i have the pad on mono, not poly, so the sample should only be playing once, and so no phasing should occur.

maybe you somehow set that pad to simult trigger another pad that has the same sample on it?

i don't know, probalbly not, but i was just taking a wild guess cause this kinda doesn't make sense for it to happen...

mike, i don't think it's cause i'm, hitting the pad too quickly, because it happens when I have sample that is a couple of seconds long, and i only hit the pad at the end of the sample to make it sound like a loop (i.e. i'm only hitting the pad every couple of seconds)?

i just had a look, it's actually nothing to do with the filter, but when I layer two sounds!

I've only had the mpc a week, so i'm sure this is the wrong way to do it, but i had a couple if sounds that were too quiet even after they were normalized, so I just layered the same sound twice on one pad- this is what causes the problem, becuase when I take the second layer of the sound off the pad the problem disappears, so problem solved.

But it really shouldn't be a problem in the first place as both samples should be playing at exactly the same time, and phasing shouldn't occur.
Is this a bug I should report?

I think it does the same with the akai os, the mpc is not 100% sample accurate

rinseout wrote:I think it does the same with the akai os, the mpc is not 100% sample accurate

Yeah the 1k has phasing issues that I haven't heard on some of the more higher end MPC's, because of this main issue.

fair enough. at least i know the source of the problem now. thanks for tha advice!

jm031689 wrote:mike, i don't think it's cause i'm, hitting the pad too quickly, because it happens when I have sample that is a couple of seconds long, and i only hit the pad at the end of the sample to make it sound like a loop (i.e. i'm only hitting the pad every couple of seconds)?

i just had a look, it's actually nothing to do with the filter, but when I layer two sounds!

I've only had the mpc a week, so i'm sure this is the wrong way to do it, but i had a couple if sounds that were too quiet even after they were normalized, so I just layered the same sound twice on one pad- this is what causes the problem, becuase when I take the second layer of the sound off the pad the problem disappears, so problem solved.

But it really shouldn't be a problem in the first place as both samples should be playing at exactly the same time, and phasing shouldn't occur.
Is this a bug I should report?

yeah, if you're layering the same sound on top of itself it's phasing issues. i didn't realize you were layering, that woulda been a dead give away.

i used to have the same problem with my 2000xl, and now it happens on the 2500 as well. the two samples are not going to play in exactly the same time.

in your case since you're trying to make the sound louder, you should probably try normalizing the sample instead of layering it.

i sometimes get this problem when i put the same sample on two different pads and have one pad filtered down to just bass. to solve it, i either just shift the bass later one tick in the sequence, or i just make a copy of the sound, adjust it's start point a little bit and use that on the filtered down pad.

I just layered the same sound twice on one pad- this is what causes the problem

you're right that is the problem, nice work figuring it out on your own terms

Is this a bug I should report?

nah. it just goes to show that it's not really worth it to layer the exact same sound overtop itself. there are very few reasons why you would do this:

1 - by accident
2 - to get it louder (instead use NORMALIZE or since you said you tried that, you should just turn everything else down in relationship to the pad you want louder, then just boost your headphone output)
3 - to isolate certain frequencies in 1 of the simulted layers with a filter or something (try using a different drum sample where said frequency predominates)

mike feedback says:

sometimes get this problem when i put the same sample on two different pads and have one pad filtered down to just bass. to solve it, i either just shift the bass later one tick in the sequence, or i just make a copy of the sound, adjust it's start point a little bit and use that on the filtered down pad.

this works, especially shifting the filtered one. however, i find it easier just not to mess with the exact same sound overtop itself (unless i have detuned one an octave) and instead just find something SIMILAR but with the frequencies more suitable to my application

say i want to add a boomy sub bass to a kick drum i have that's got more midrange punch. instead of copying the same kick and filtering one, i just find another kick with all its force in the lower frequency range and layer then. this way you're not trying to fit 2 sounds in the exact same place, you're putting 1 on top of the other.

Antonym wrote:you should just turn everything else down in relationship to the pad you want louder

This is very important to do on any MPC. Peoples' first instinct is always to turn a sound up, but usually, it is better to turn everything else down and then turn up your master level, that way you avoid clipping and distortion. That rule applies to mixing outside the MPC too.

i have the same problem but without layering samples.

i cut a loop and hit, let´s say the snar. then it sounds like i´d trigger the snare multiple times, a flanging or very short delay effect occurs. it sounds nie but sucks becuase i dn´t wanna have it this way.

the pad is set to mono, the whole programm is set to mono but bothing helps ...

then, after a while it´s working again as it should, pretty strange.

i still didn´t find out why this happens.

sushiluv wrote:i have the same problem but without layering samples.

i cut a loop and hit, let´s say the snar. then it sounds like i´d trigger the snare multiple times, a flanging or very short delay effect occurs. it sounds nie but sucks becuase i dn´t wanna have it this way.

the pad is set to mono, the whole programm is set to mono but bothing helps ...

then, after a while it´s working again as it should, pretty strange.

i still didn´t find out why this happens.

you're hitting the pad twice. it happens to everyone when they first start using an mpc. when you strike the pad, your finger is bouncing up and then hitting the pad again. it's happening so quickly you're not even noticing it. it will take some time getting used to.

Mike Feedback wrote:

sushiluv wrote:i have the same problem but without layering samples.

i cut a loop and hit, let´s say the snar. then it sounds like i´d trigger the snare multiple times, a flanging or very short delay effect occurs. it sounds nie but sucks becuase i dn´t wanna have it this way.

the pad is set to mono, the whole programm is set to mono but bothing helps ...

then, after a while it´s working again as it should, pretty strange.

i still didn´t find out why this happens.

you're hitting the pad twice. it happens to everyone when they first start using an mpc. when you strike the pad, your finger is bouncing up and then hitting the pad again. it's happening so quickly you're not even noticing it. it will take some time getting used to.

but if its set to mono it shouldnt flange?