MPC 5000, memory and samples… Some questions about it

Hello there,
I'm a future new comer in the MPC world.
I'm wondering, with the MPC 5000, if it was possible to read the samples directly from the HD (instead of charging it in the RAM) ? If not, is it possible to programm it threw the firmware (i'm dreaming… V 3.0)?

How about the Compact Flash ? Can we bypass the limitation of 64MB for this one ?
Is is possible to play sample threw the Compact Flash ?

Last but not least : Is the XM-3 extension memory necessary in order to make a "true & real song" only with the MPC ?

Best
Cremaster

you can not 'read samples' from anything then from Memory.
You can record/play tracks from the Harddisk though, and 'samples' on top of it

Wether or not you need the memory expansion is totally up to how you work with the MPC...I know of (techno) live acts that had more then enough with the 32 MB of an MPC2000 to give a non-stop 1 hour live set.

But if your tracks need 5 minutes of Vocals in the Sample Memory, the 64 MB will be consumed rather fast.
It really depends on how you work...but consuming more then 64 MB for only one song is allready a little bit extreme. Then again, you can record the vocal on the harddisk, and play samples on top of it.

Thanks Seiko,

I plan to use the MPC as an electronic music composition. So my needs are to use long samples (maybe 30 secondes each, or more).
I've read that the main drawbacks of the MPC 5000 is the impossibility to play "long samples", where as on the MPC 4000 you can do it. Can someone confirm ?
If i buy a MPC 4000, i will be able to play my samples threw the Memory (up to 512) and threw the Hard Drive, isn't it ?

In my opinion, if confirmed, the MPC 5000 is less versatile in terms of use.

How did the mpc 5000 users bypass this problem ? Is 192 mega of RAM enough to compose, play and create a song ?

Best
Cremaster

I don't understand why you would want to play samples longer then 30 seconds ??
Even if you make 'drone' music, clever use of samples and understanding how to loop them, can make noises that can play eternally.
Also with the synth you can make sounds that can play 'forever'.
If you need 192MB for one song then you are using the MPC in a very wrong way.

You can play samples of any length in MPC5000...if you want to record and play back a sample of 15 minutes, ther's no problem at all. I just would have no idea why you would do that.
Also as allready mentioned, you can play back from the harddisk.

What is 'electronic music composition' ? I make electronic music, and for some tracks I only use 2-3 MB for a complete song !

I'm not sure you understand the MPC concept completely, might be interesting to explain some more how you want to use it, how you make your music, why you use 30 seconds samples (what kind of samples are this ?), etc etc
You might be looking at a completely wrong machine for your needs...

Well Seiko, thanks again for your help.
I own an elektron MD UW and a Monomachine. I want to sample some patterns of these two gears and arrange them into a track with the MPC, including some other samples made with the Nord Rack.

So, i'm wondering, if 192 mo of Memory would be enough, compared to gears that have now 4 gigabytes of storing threw Compact Flash (Elektron Octatrack for example).

Don't be so rude with me, i'm just searching the right way to have a more intuitive way to create music, because i don't want to use again Ableton Live and Computers

Best
Cremaster

I do exactly the same thing : I also sample my Machinedrum and Monomachine (as well as my TR909/808/MS20/Acidlab etc etc).

I do techno/electro.
Meaning : I record a stereo loop of 1 measure from one of my machines at 120 BPM , this takes up 2 seconds of your sampletime...
64 MB = about 6 minutes of sampletime so you can record 180 loops 1 bar ...more then enough for 1 track !
or 360 1 bar Mono loops (because why would you samle kicks for examplein stereo)
or 22 8 bar loops
or ...

anyway, more then enough for one track ! And when the tempo is higher (I usually use 135 BPM) you have even shorter loops...

or with the 192 MB installed you can record 520 14 bar stereo loops

I don't know, I am building a techno liveset of which now about 25 minutes is done, and I have only 15 MB of samples !
A complete percussion kit with 4 samples under each pad =64 *4 samples is enough for a +1 hour live set and will take maybe 2 MB. Then some bass and melodic loops on top of it and you're done.
Also note that for example one kick can be used with completely different settings in different programs, meaning taht from out of 1 kick, you can make 256 different ones because you change filter/tuning/FX/ADSR etc etc ...
So instead of 'recording' an 8 bar kickloop which takes quite some memory, just sample 1 kick and you can make thousands of variations of the kick and play any pattern that suits you.


You can not compare to Octatrack which seems to have the possibility to stream directly from CF.
You can stream from Harddisk on MPC but then you can not change the Tempo !

But why would you stream 5 minutes from CF, this means you just 'play' a complete track then I don't see what the 'live' feel about it is anymore.
In the MPC you can make patterns by muting/unmuting/using q-links 'on the fly' which makes it such a lovely tool to use 'live' (and even when working in my studio I want to have the feeling I am doing things 'live' and not playing back a 5 minute sample/track)

Octatrack is the one and only device that can playback from disk and adjust the tempo...if you want anything same as Ableton, it might be the only option.


BTW I am NOT rude, but if you want to be well informed, then give as much information on what you do, what you expect etc

If you just want to make complete songs (and not -like I do- make 'live sets' to perform) the you can record to the harddisk of the MPC to free up memory, also via the Inputs you can record your Monomachine etc straight to the harddisk, no need to sample it, right ?

Wow.. Huge thanks Seiko !
I must admit that you convinced me to buy the MPC 5000 !
Thank you again for your help. I know it's not even easy to explain how a new gear can change the way to make music or to do a live act.

Your explainations about samples duration and memory is clear now.
You might be right, the octratrack will not be a solution for my use. And the possibility of recording with the MPC is endless, even more i don't want to use any computer or software to produce my tracks. I want to do all the arrangements and settings threw the MPC. Hope it will works !

Best
Cremaster

I also come from Ableton background but have a lot of hardware.
I bought the MPC 2 years ago, did not use it much because Ableton is so much faster and you can do anything with it BUT
having far too many possibilities sometimes using Ableton is more like 'experimenting' then actually 'making' tracks...and I could go on forever automating parameters...unto such a level that I wanted to go back to basics (and leave the computer off).
So a couple of weeks ago I decided to give my MPC a second chance...allthough you quickly feel it's limitations opposed to what you can do in Ableton, you also feel that you can do quite a lot when you master al of it's functionalities...and you feel more like 'making music' then when looking at computer screen.
You can also make loops with your software , export 1 (or more) measure of it, put it on the CF and load it in MPC.
I have a 'send' on my mixer that is connected to the input of MPC, so I can record whatever I have going through my mixer in a second, then put it under a pad of the MPC,program notes for it and done. Once you get the hang of it, it really goes fast.
But be prepared, you will work slower the in ableton, you need to take very good care how to name your samples etc ...let's say you have to be far more focussed then on a pc, because (for example) saveing a project with two samples having the same name accidently might completely ruin the project ! So enough saving, taking bacups etc is part of the game.

Note that you can easily connect all your gear via midi, with the stup that you have you don't even need to sample it all..just connect it and you can
1) sync monomachine/machinedrum via Midiclock and change their patterns by sending Program Changes from MPC (or Sysex commands)
2) 'play' your Nordlead by programming notes in MPC. Recall the correct 'patch' on nordlead can be done by sending Program Change Message
3) with the MPC Q-links send Controller Messages to any of the above to change any parameter of it.

Unless you want to play live with only one box, I would suggest you use MPC as Midi clock and midi sequencer and some samples here and there instead of sampling everything in MPC.
If you connect the midi out of the nordlead into the MPC, you can also record all the knobs you move on the Nordlead.
Unless you have a specific reason for it, with your setup I would not sample anything...just do everything with midi and then record it in 8 different tracks on the MPC's harddisk to have a complete song. Then do a mixdown of these tracks and you're done.