Sharing/Selling Keygroups with factory presets.

Hi Guys,

Firstly a first post hello. Secondly apologies I’m late to the MPC party, but joining you guys by ordering an MPC One+ on payday for me 23rd Aug. I already have the MPC PC software and currently working on creating some Keygroups I can load up on the MPC One, when it arrives.

Back in the day I moved from trackers in my teens to a new Roland CM32L and midi interface which got me more into sequencing with Ballade. Roll on 30 years, and a big gap where I’ve not touched music gear I’m now getting back into it. I sold my CM32 around 2000 and kinda miss the sound although by todays standards granted not that great. Call it a nostalgia thing.

So I’m using MPC Auto Sampler on a CM32/MT32 Emulator (Munt) to create a Keygroup of the factory presets. It’s going quite well. If I were to offer an expansion for free or $5, would I be in some measure of trouble with Roland on this? I see websites like Cubilas doing the same. I might do the Sound Cavass Sc-55, and my Minilogue XD next.

Generally speaking, you can't 'sample samples', but multisampling patches you've generated in a synth from a bunch of pure oscillators is fine (IMO). This is why I would stay away from sample based romplers, but sampling a Juno 60 is clearly not going to be a problem. The minilog XD is fine as it's pure synthesis, but TBH if you're charging $$ then it's a bit lame just sampling the factory presets, try to create your own patches and combine them with MPC filters, FX and LFO etc, this is what I do with my own expansions.

You also have to be careful how you market these products to ensure you don't come across as suggesting some kind of relationship with Roland/Korg/ etc .

The CM32/MT32 was a pure synthesizer, so on that basis if the Minilogue is fine then I should be ok. TBH I’m happy giving them away as I’m sure demand for these is not right up there.

As for creating new patches, I don’t think the munt emulator will supports this. Even back in the early 1990’s with the actual hardware ,creating new patches was a really difficult task and I don’t remember any software which gave you good access to the oscillators. It’s more of a synthesized rompler.

Yes the demand aspect is the bigger issue as the MPC market itself is tiny, so offering an MPC expansion for a very niche synth with a limited sound palette is going to be a tough one to generate interest for! But regardless is still a nice project to work on for your own satisfaction. Maybe look at offering it on multiple platforms, such as Decent sampler (and offer it via pianobook), kontakt etc.