Assigning VST & Multiple Notes to a single pad

So instead of choosing snip-bits and pieces of .wav files (from the cheesy sample packs that are labeled like: "east coast hip hop drums" , "808 drum kit collection" , "R & B Pack" which come with loads of gigs of .wav samples with only a few good ones)..

1. I want to learn how to assign a custom-designed sound from a software synthesizer (eg. multi-oscillator synths) to a single pad. Of course, the note (pitch) would have to be pre-selected so that the synthesized sound hits that note, or else it would be ambiguous what note it would hit when the pad is hit.. since this isn't a sound clip anymore, but it's now a live-triggered synthesis.

2. While we're at it, I also want to know if we can assign a on-the-fly melody to a single pad. For example, if I made up: C D E F.. I want to hit a single pad that would play that exact recording C D E F.

In other words, can the beatpad function as a midi within a midi?

Hitting 1 Pad = triggers 4 (C D E F) notes that I've drawn
Hitting 1 Pad = triggers 4 (C D E F) synthesized notes that I've designed & drawn.

(4 is just a random # of notes I chose to write about here.. I'm just saying that whatever little melody we write, can we assign it to a single pad. & how about with a VST?)

Is it possible yet with the MPC software?
Or is the software still limited to just chopping and using samples that are already a sound clip format (.wav, flac, mp3.. etc)

Because if assigning VST to a single pad is not possible, I would have to:
1. draw the desired melody I've designed with a synthesizer
2. save it as a .wav file
3. load it onto the pad
4. if there are any adjustments I want to make, I'd have to tweak the synth (which makes me repeat #1 - #3 as many times of adjustments I have to make)

In short... No it can't do this. You have to record the audio and assign it to a pad manually.

Just an idea though, you could create a multitude of tracks assigned to the same synth each with a different midi notes and then use the pads to mute and unmute the different tracks which would kind of allow you do do what you are looking for.

Honestly it's probably just best to record all the different parts as audio

All they gotta do is make:
1. additional screen to select the key with the keyboard layout to insert melody or just one note.
Then the user can pull up whichever VST he wants & assign to a single pad. He/She can now hit the pad, and adjust the modulations on the fly.

All this would be accessible under 1 sample pad.

Why not using a MIDI track to control the synth ?
And Resampling your VSTi phrase is possible to.
Or just get a launchpad or a Push and/or AbletonLive9. Then you can triggers audio and midi clips...

comtox wrote:Why not using a MIDI track to control the synth ?
And Resampling your VSTi phrase is possible to.
Or just get a launchpad or a Push and/or AbletonLive9. Then you can triggers audio and midi clips...

1. because that would still count as recording on a separate track just for a 0.4 second sound that hits every other half step. what fun is that. i want to finger drum, not wait for the whole loop to come around so i can tap in some single notes. I just want one track with 16 pads of sounds to finger drum with, with a couple of the pads being a VST designed sound.
2. that would take forever. every design adjustment i'd want to make, i'd have to rephrase it and save it as a wav over and over again.
3. same reason as #1.

i know that alot of people out there want to produce with their drum machines by first recording the kick, snares, and cymbals first. And then goto another track to record a short sampled vocal loop. Re-play it to record another sample on top of that.

I want to do this all at once on 1 single track, with 16 pads containing all the samples i want, a couple of them being VST synths ready to be triggered live.

FOR EXAMPLE:
say you sliced a sample of a piano playing 3 notes. it's a wav file, so you assigned it to one of the 16 pads.

what i want to do is: create that piano sound myself (with a vst synthesizer), have it play 3 notes (either by programming it in the synth), and assign it to one of the 16 pads.

ANY sound that you assign to any of your pads on your own MPC, i want it to be an active synth making that sound on those same pads, waiting to be triggered live.

In other words, in general, whatever sound you sample, I can make it with a synthesizer and assign it to a pad. Only difference is, if I want to alter that sound a bit, I can do so right away on the fly.

mikecevaz wrote:Only difference is, if I want to alter that sound a bit, I can do so right away on the fly.

OK, I got it now Actually you need to switch between Program Edit and your tracks to achieve these tweaks.

You don´t want a frozen wav sample on a pad but a complete Midi phrase , then you can freely change LFO rate, Cutoff, Waveform or any parameters of a VSTi plugin.

Good Idea to have a MIDI clip instead a waveform assigned on a PAD ! I can´t understand how AKAI dev´s and product manager missed that.

That´s exactly why Ableton live rocks ! You can loop anything and trigger it with a PAD Midi, samples, midi CC and VST parameters automation, etc...

AKAI PLEASE ENABLE THIS!

we need this!!!

any sound designers here that agree with this??
or do you all use sounds that are already made?

this is a really important element in creating your own custom sounds and triggering it (the live-synthesized VST sound) on one pad, instead of selecting a separate track and recording separately on a piano roll..

like a little blip sound
or a chirp sound
or a custom 808 synthesized sound..

assigned to a single pad so that it becomes part of your 4x4 drum kit.