Simple questions about MPC500 operation

Hello to all of you! I had a new MPC 500 with the RAM and the CF Card Updates made for a few months ago and i've been using it sometimes following myself by the manual that comes with it, but I feel it becomes a little hard to understand what it means, and has a few tips that are in fault. So I thought to put here some little question hoping to have some guidance from the ones who already domains its potencials.

- Wich is the best sample chopping/slicing freeware? I have made some research and discovered some recommending ReCycle and Audacity. Should I go through any of those?

- Is there ant tutorial or guide about how to determine the best slice timing to get in a long sample?

- I've been having some problems to get my sequence bars in the right timing, I tried inserting, deleting, changing tap tempo and it never comes to the right recording loop. Can someone help about that?

- About this MPC's metronome, we have only the two options that came with it? Isn't any way to insert other ones?

- How can I assign notes to several samples so they beat right when played toghether?

- Is there any good free tutorial for the MPC 500 as good as that one from mpc tutor? I dunno if it worths the money, but even if it does I think i've spent enough in my equipment I would appreciate any help about this one too.


I think those are all my doubts for now, sorry for the inconvenience
Cheers

Recycle isn't freeware, in fact its almost as much as your 500.
http://www.propellerheads.se/products/recycle/

Audacity is freeware, and supposedly very good. Although Its more of a general audio editor and not a dedicated "chop shop" type program. Stll probably much quicker than cutting sounds inside the 500 though due to the waveform interface.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audacity

I've heard that the MPC-tutor booklet is very much worth the money. You can download a sample chapter that I believe discusses chopping samples on the 500.
Give it a try.
http://www.mpc-samples.com/demos/file-c ... torial.zip

- I've been having some problems to get my sequence bars in the right timing, I tried inserting, deleting, changing tap tempo and it never comes to the right recording loop. Can someone help about that?

The easiest way IMO is to set the number of bars you need first before recording the sequence.
Editing the bars afterwards is not one of the MPC's most intuitive functions and can get confusing.

There may be an easier way to do this, but what I do is select an empty sequence and press record. But then dont record any sample pads, just press stop.
Now go under the params button and scroll to "sequence length". It should say "now=2 new:2" change the "new:" field to your desired length and press enter.

As I said editing sequences on the MPC is very clumsy, but its all under the params button. You can try experimenting with the settings under that button, but that didn't help me either.
What I had to do was carefully read the chapter on it in the manual (pg. 20-24) and follow the directions 1 step at a time.
(And Its still so confusing that I prefer to just rerecord a sequence than attempt editing it afterwards!)

One thing that can save you a lot of time and headache is to figure out how many bars and what tempo you generally use and memorize that to your user default, which is also done under the params button.

- About this MPC's metronome, we have only the two options that came with it? Isn't any way to insert other ones?

I'm not sure what you mean? Can you rephrase the question.

- How can I assign notes to several samples so they beat right when played toghether?

Again, can you rephrase that more clearly. What exactly are you trying to do?

- About this MPC's metronome, we have only the two options that came with it? Isn't any way to insert other ones?

If its possible to change the metronome click otherwise than the two options that came in the MPC.

- How can I assign notes to several samples so they beat right when played toghether?

For example, you have two voice samples, a male and a female, and each one are singing in different tones. How do I put them right in the same tone so I can play them well together?

I'm very appreciated for your help, thanks!! I'm new here

cysano wrote:

- About this MPC's metronome, we have only the two options that came with it? Isn't any way to insert other ones?

If its possible to change the metronome click otherwise than the two options that came in the MPC.

- How can I assign notes to several samples so they beat right when played toghether?

For example, you have two voice samples, a male and a female, and each one are singing in different tones. How do I put them right in the same tone so I can play them well together?

I'm very appreciated for your help, thanks!! I'm new here

Hello new here.

No you just get the clicks that come with it, you cant insert custom clicks.
But why do you need a different click?

Sometimes I use the click just to put my snares down 2/4 and then turn the metronome off and sync to the snares.
Maybe that would be better for you.

As far as tuning you keys/vocals/etc to harmonize, just adjust the pitch until they sound right.

There are a few ways to adjust your pitch:

1. mode, program, sample tune.
This will adjust the pitch of the sample even after its been recorded in a sequence. IE: You can record the male and female vocals first, and then while they are looping in a sequence adjust either or both of them until you like what you hear.

2. Mode, Trim, Tune.
This is a sort of master tune that can be used as a "world setting" to place the "neutral" pitch of the sample for everywhere else. So if for example you've sampled something but intend to generally use it at a much higher pitch, you can set the master tune of the sample at the higher pitch so that you dont have to keep cranking it up under the program menu.

3. Mode, trim, edit, stretch.
You can use stretch if you have a sample that you want to keep synced to a bpm like a break loop, but you want to switch the key its in. For instance if your original break is 120bpm, and you want a lower pitch, you stretch the break faster, say to 140bpm, and then slow it back down to 120. And go the other direction for a higher pitch. Its a little confusing to explain with words, but quite apparent when you start to mess with it.

4. 12 levels button, press target sample pad to select it, type:tune, enter.
This temporarily turns the 12 pads into a rudimentary keyboard that steps between major keys 6 up and 6 down. You can also set where the center key is in the 12 levels menu next to "type:tune" where it says "T:+0". This can only be used for one sample at a time. To exit this temporary mode (the recorded effects stay) press the 12 levels button again.

These are all basic tools for making sample based and loop style beats, and they're all explained in the manual. I'm happy to help if I can, but you really should get a highlight marker and walk yourself through the basic modes of the machine. Its really not a very hard or long read.
And if you just highlight the area's that you need to get started like adjusting your pitch, velocity, trimming, filters, etc. and leave the advanced stuff for later, then its even shorter.
Also if its the beat making process that is confusing to you, you should really consider the tutorial. It covers the basics all the way to the advanced techniques on how to use samples to make music in general, and specifically with an MPC.

I hope that was helpful, and welcome to the board.

Metronome issue:

sequence in a hi-hat (or whatever you want) on timing correct and use that as your metronome.