Reviews and questions about the entry-level MPC500
By kamalsound Mon Jul 02, 2007 3:32 am
:(
Whenever I have a user program in Mpc 500. And I create a loop. If I layer drum programs on top of it on other tracks especially if I use the note repeat, the sample automatically mutes itself for part of the loop. Is this due to using up the capacity for polyphony or what? Please help!

ByErgg Wed Jul 04, 2007 10:47 am
It might be the polyphony, some samplers/software can asign priority's to samples to regulate the way the polyphony used.

As far as I know MPC's don't have this feature.

You could try putting the loop on a different pad or track, or splitting it in shorter samples and triggering them at a regular interval until it doesn't get interrupted.

Also you could use mutegroups for the other drumsounds and the mono setting to prevent them from using to much polyphony. Also I read somewhere that using effects cuts polyphony on the MPC500.

Snerg
User avatar

By Upright Wed Jul 04, 2007 3:45 pm
snerg wrote:It might be the polyphony, some samplers/software can asign priority's to samples to regulate the way the polyphony used.

As far as I know MPC's don't have this feature.

You could try putting the loop on a different pad or track, or splitting it in shorter samples and triggering them at a regular interval until it doesn't get interrupted.

Also you could use mutegroups for the other drumsounds and the mono setting to prevent them from using to much polyphony. Also I read somewhere that using effects cuts polyphony on the MPC500.

Snerg




Yes it is the polyphony. On the akai web site they state that the polyphony is effected by the effects in certain situations. :D

ByErgg Wed Jul 04, 2007 8:36 pm
I've sent an email to Akai to tell me what these "situations" might be and how it works.

I don't expect a reply, but at least I tried...

Snerg
User avatar

By Upright Wed Jul 04, 2007 8:44 pm
snerg wrote:I've sent an email to Akai to tell me what these "situations" might be and how it works.

I don't expect a reply, but at least I tried...

Snerg



Yeah i hear you. They're really vague on this polyphony thing. Hope you get some answers. :D

ByErgg Thu Jul 05, 2007 8:22 pm
I got the folowing reply from Akai:

Using the effects would not affect the polyphony. If you use all of your
fingers to press down 10 pads or keys on a midi keyboard, you are using 10
voices of monophonic polyphony. However, if the samples assigned to the MPC
pads are in stereo, then you are using 20 voices of stereo polyphony.

As for any new features, tech support is not privy to what is being worked
on by development. But I can forward these suggestions to the software
developers.


So apperently using effects doesn't effect polyphony?!!?

Snerg
User avatar

By Upright Thu Jul 05, 2007 8:39 pm
Maybe with the updated OS somethings have changed, and that's good to know. :D

By earwolf Fri Jul 06, 2007 5:16 am
i can just see akai marketing dept:

dude 1: err we're getting reports the 500 drops notes randomly
dude 2: and?
dude 1: well maybe we need to get it looked at?
dude 2: dude, the 500 development is over, its all about the 5000 now
dude 1: ok well how about we say its kinda related to the effects, and/or the wind direction
dude 2: we'll go with the effects thing
dude 1: i'll schedule a couple of OS point releases for a few months time, maybe by then someone on the mpc forum will have worked out a fix, you know how those kids are
dude 2: that jj guy ever return your mails?
dude 1: the guy that used to work here? yeah he did but the text was all funny like little squares or something
dude 2: OH WOW PARIS GOT PUT BACK IN THE SLAMMER!!!

ByErgg Fri Jul 06, 2007 7:21 am
LOL :lol:

I'm not sure what Akai are thinking, I guess they get a lot of emails like:

YO AKAI BRO'S!!!

5OO R0CKS THE B0MB Y0, BUT DA SH1T 1Z SOMETIME THE SOUND PLAY LIKE SH1T.

W0RD UP YO



Snerg

ByErgg Fri Jul 06, 2007 7:46 pm
I just ran into the polyphony problem too while working on a track I started at work today.

I use this long swooshy sound and it was clearly interrupted because of polyphony problems, I switched most of the other sounds like kick's hihats and other percusion to mono mode (so they will only trigger one at a time) which solved my problem for now...

Also I could resample some sounds in as monophonic samples, my kick doesn't realy need to take up two voices since you don't realy notice stereo imaging on bass sounds like kick drums.

Snerg
User avatar

By Avene Sun Jul 08, 2007 11:24 am
snerg wrote:I got the folowing reply from Akai:

Using the effects would not affect the polyphony. If you use all of your
fingers to press down 10 pads or keys on a midi keyboard, you are using 10
voices of monophonic polyphony. However, if the samples assigned to the MPC
pads are in stereo, then you are using 20 voices of stereo polyphony.

As for any new features, tech support is not privy to what is being worked
on by development. But I can forward these suggestions to the software
developers.


So apperently using effects doesn't effect polyphony?!!?

Snerg


Well that's common sense! Of course stereo samples are going to use up twice the polyphony. They must think all MPC500 users are total newbies.

The polyphony on this thing is probably around maybe 10 notes judging by tracks I've had where notes were being cut. Best to just use mono samples, set them to mono so each repeated strike cuts off the previous, and also set different sounds to cut off each other, like if you're using a chopped break.

ByErgg Sun Jul 08, 2007 7:37 pm
Same here, I use like 7 tracks with stereo samples in monoponic (non overlapping) mode and one of those tracks plays a 2 layered stereo samples.

That's like 16 (mono) voices, not 32 like Akai say on their site.

Snerg
User avatar

By distortedtekno Mon Jul 09, 2007 3:24 am
earwolf wrote:i can just see akai marketing dept:

dude 1: err we're getting reports the 500 drops notes randomly
dude 2: and?
dude 1: well maybe we need to get it looked at?
dude 2: dude, the 500 development is over, its all about the 5000 now
dude 1: ok well how about we say its kinda related to the effects, and/or the wind direction
dude 2: we'll go with the effects thing
dude 1: i'll schedule a couple of OS point releases for a few months time, maybe by then someone on the mpc forum will have worked out a fix, you know how those kids are
dude 2: that jj guy ever return your mails?
dude 1: the guy that used to work here? yeah he did but the text was all funny like little squares or something
dude 2: OH WOW PARIS GOT PUT BACK IN THE SLAMMER!!!

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: