Chromatic keygroup

So I want to know if mpc machines can treat a melodic sound like a keygroup in akai rack samplers... I know you can cause a sound to assign to the pads sort of like 12 levels... I want to be able to play polyphonic chords, treating the sample like any other keyboard part. Can an mpc be programmed for this...?

Yes, but you have to work for it a bit on the MPC 500... assign the same sample over a range of pads... and tune semitones up/down. Generally best results are to record a sample every 6'ish keys/pads.

You'll get some who say for a sample every sample 6 pads to do 2-3 semitones down and 2-3 semitones up, and some will say do the 6 up only... depends how you like the sound... but I don't think you'll find anybody who says to do them all down due to artifacts introduced.

I forgot to mention I would want to be using a midi keyboard and not use the pads at all on the MPC.

I know how to change the pitches on each pad... maybe for making multiple different 'synths' I would just have to make a template and then put the sample on each pad. Kind of tiresome probably. I really like sequencing sounds in a rack sampler but I don't know if I want one for the extra size of it.

I still don't know how the PGM would react taking MIDI from a keyboard or sequencer. . .

You definitely can play it from a midi keyboard, polyphonically as well. Pitch bend will not work though. Also doing the template thing is definitely a must. Good call.

I’m pretty sure the guy from “very sick beats” on YouTube has a book out on this,.. lemme look for the vid

Here y’all go.