MPC X, MPC Live, MPC One & MPC Key 61 Forum: Support and discussion for the MPC X, MPC Live, MPC Live II, MPC One & MPC Key 61; Akai's current generation of standalone MPCs.
By gumbo23 Sun Dec 05, 2021 10:24 am
I have created a drum track (1), then used the same kit on the next track (2) for percussion - but when I try to dial back the volume on 2 it also drops the volume on track 1.

Is there some way they can be delinked? How do I work around this? Thanks
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By hyena Sun Dec 05, 2021 10:30 am
of course it does, because you are dealing with the same instrument. tracks are midi information that goes to the instrument (the program, in your case the drum kit). the volume of the drum kit is the same for all tracks because its always the same instrument.
workarounds:
1)automate your volume (either manually or writing the automation in GRID MODE, step sequencer or list edit)
2)set MIDI volume of tracks instead of audio volume of program
3)use velocity to lower or raise the volume of INDIVIDUAL NOTES (i suggest you don't do this because velocity is a composition tool to give dynamics and accents not a mixing
tool)
4)duplicate your drum program and use one for one track and the other on the other track. you'll see in the mixer that you'll have two independent programs each with its own level. (remember that samples aren't duplicated so this trick doesn't eat up additional RAM, it only clutters your mixer).

i suggest workaround 1 for simplicity
By gumbo23 Sun Dec 05, 2021 12:27 pm
hyena wrote:of course it does, because you are dealing with the same instrument. tracks are midi information that goes to the instrument (the program, in your case the drum kit). the volume of the drum kit is the same for all tracks because its always the same instrument.
workarounds:
1)automate your volume (either manually or writing the automation in GRID MODE, step sequencer or list edit)
2)set MIDI volume of tracks instead of audio volume of program
3)use velocity to lower or raise the volume of INDIVIDUAL NOTES (i suggest you don't do this because velocity is a composition tool to give dynamics and accents not a mixing
tool)
4)duplicate your drum program and use one for one track and the other on the other track. you'll see in the mixer that you'll have two independent programs each with its own level. (remember that samples aren't duplicated so this trick doesn't eat up additional RAM, it only clutters your mixer).

i suggest workaround 1 for simplicity


Thanks Hyena, but I accidentally found a simple solution. I was thinking about the approaches you list, and happened to wipe dust from the machine, which had the effect of taking me to the mixer screen. I found the track and dropped back the volume. Problem solved :)

I'm so new to MPC that I had not even seen the mixer screen before. It's my new best friend.
By SuperKonquer Sun Dec 05, 2021 4:49 pm
Im not sure if you read Hyenas post thoroughly or not but you did not solve your problem by finding the mixer page. You just turned the volume back up that you turned down.

1 drum program can be loaded across multiple tracks. Any edit to that program on one track will affect the same program across all tracks.

In order to have a different track with the same program but not linked you need to duplicate that program, creating a new copy of that program. Then select the duplicated program on another track.
User avatar
By hyena Mon Dec 06, 2021 10:59 am
gumbo23 wrote:
hyena wrote:of course it does, because you are dealing with the same instrument. tracks are midi information that goes to the instrument (the program, in your case the drum kit). the volume of the drum kit is the same for all tracks because its always the same instrument.
workarounds:
1)automate your volume (either manually or writing the automation in GRID MODE, step sequencer or list edit)
2)set MIDI volume of tracks instead of audio volume of program
3)use velocity to lower or raise the volume of INDIVIDUAL NOTES (i suggest you don't do this because velocity is a composition tool to give dynamics and accents not a mixing
tool)
4)duplicate your drum program and use one for one track and the other on the other track. you'll see in the mixer that you'll have two independent programs each with its own level. (remember that samples aren't duplicated so this trick doesn't eat up additional RAM, it only clutters your mixer).

i suggest workaround 1 for simplicity


Thanks Hyena, but I accidentally found a simple solution. I was thinking about the approaches you list, and happened to wipe dust from the machine, which had the effect of taking me to the mixer screen. I found the track and dropped back the volume. Problem solved :)

I'm so new to MPC that I had not even seen the mixer screen before. It's my new best friend.


ah sorry, i supposed you knew the mixer. yes, a lot to explore! you can do a lot of stuff with routing and effects! you'll have fun exploring it!
By misterflibble Thu Dec 09, 2021 5:44 pm
gumbo23 wrote:I have created a drum track (1), then used the same kit on the next track (2) for percussion - but when I try to dial back the volume on 2 it also drops the volume on track 1.

Is there some way they can be delinked? How do I work around this? Thanks


You need to think of Programs as if they are a standalone physical device. You can reuse the same Program across tracks. But if you make changes to the Program (i.e. the preset, channel strip, or other settings) it’ll apply to all the tracks that use it.
By Hoekschop Fri Dec 10, 2021 8:20 pm
You can vary the level of different tracks that use the same program without changing the level of the other track.

Each MIDI-track has its own level (0-127), then the program has its own level (measured in dB's), finally the pads also have their own level (except for midi and plugin programs). In Main mode, open the channel strip (tap the eye icon) to change the program level or track level.

Search the manual for "program channel strip" or "track channel strip" for more info.
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By Ibunshi Mon Dec 13, 2021 9:59 am
I tend to just lower the velocity, right on the main screen in such cases.. because that's more the effect I'm actually after, rather than just a volume change.
By Netdog Fri Nov 04, 2022 10:21 am
Hoekschop wrote:You can vary the level of different tracks that use the same program without changing the level of the other track.

Each MIDI-track has its own level (0-127), then the program has its own level (measured in dB's), finally the pads also have their own level (except for midi and plugin programs). In Main mode, open the channel strip (tap the eye icon) to change the program level or track level.

Search the manual for "program channel strip" or "track channel strip" for more info.


Sorry, i have to reopen that discussion because i'm facing the same discussed problem.
The difference between program level and track level within "program channel strip" is clear to me.

BUT:
It only works for Keygroup programs, not for plugin programs.

From my point of view, changing the track volume of one track should never apply to a different track - even if the same instrument is used.
It's clear, that changing the PLUGIN volume in one track affects all tracks using this plugin.

Setting a track to MUTE is also an attribute specified per track - and here it works: setting a part of a track to mute, does not automatically mute all other tracks using the same instrument.

So why does it work with MUTE, but not with VOLUME?
Every attribute found in Track->mixer should only affect the track, not the instrumen plugin:
- Volume
- Pan
- Mute
- Solo

For me this seems to be a bug?!

In my song with two tracks having the same "fabric piano" plugin instrument, i can not change the volume for one of the piano tracks without affecting the other one - this is a massive drawback since the workaround (duplicating the plugin) is not possible for me since i have already reached the max number of possible plugins.

Updating from 2.11.4 to 2.11.6 did not help.
By Planemo Sat Nov 05, 2022 12:43 am
So why does it work with MUTE, but not with VOLUME?


I suspect that it's because the MPC treats mute as an automation.

In the same way that you can use automation to set the volume on each track using the same program (as already advised).
By mpc_fan_2022 Sat Nov 05, 2022 11:19 am
There are 2 level of mutes: MIDI MUTE and AUDIO MUTE. Obviously a track that is connected to a program can be muted independently because only the note events are muted, that's MIDI MUTE. If the Program itself is muted, its sound is muted, that's AUDIO MUTE.

MPC Software makes the distinction more obvious, while the Standalone UI is confusing.

And yes, it works the exact same way for a plugin or a keygroup There is no difference when it comes to track MUTES (*). In the MPC memory there is the program, plugin or not, and the tracks that point to program, whatever the type of program is.

(*) Now there is indeed a difference between keygroup/drum programs and plugins for mixer parameters. Some settings can be relative to a track when the program is a keygroup/drum because of the way the sample player is coded, so it's easy to make some basic settings like volume or pan relative to tracks. That's obviously not possible with plugins, since they are limited to 8 instances with a certain polyphony. This isn't a bug, This is a hack that exists in order for the MPC Live to stay consistent with how older MPC used to work.