Function similar as Ableton's simpler on MPC

Hey all!

Last couple of days/weeks I found myself increasingly interested in buying a MPC. I am a extensive Ableton user and love the simpler functionality to be able to map a sample to keys and in a sense create an instrument.

Is this possible on the MPC and how would this work?

You can do it now with multiple samples and a keygroup.

Or you can do it with one sample, but pitch has to be adjusted manually for each key which is a pain in the **&^.

The Force can automatically make a single sample into a keygroup.

The upcoming update on June 23 for the MPC will include this feature according to Akai.

In MPC terminology a "drum program" is the samples/chops player and a"keygroup" is your DIY rompler/instrument.

There are keygroup and 16 level tuning for playing samples in a scale.

Elijah wrote:There are keygroup and 16 level tuning for playing samples in a scale.

Is this because of there being 16 pads and is it possible to switch to another bank?

SuperKonquer wrote:You can do it now with multiple samples and a keygroup.

Or you can do it with one sample, but pitch has to be adjusted manually for each key which is a pain in the **&^.

The Force can automatically make a single sample into a keygroup.

The upcoming update on June 23 for the MPC will include this feature according to Akai.

In MPC terminology a "drum program" is the samples/chops player and a"keygroup" is your DIY rompler/instrument.

Hey! So keygrouping is currently not working untill the update of june 23?

Keygroups work already, have done since the first release many years ago. The new update is going to include a new 'shortcut' that makes single sample instruments with one click (currently takes a few clicks). 16 levels is a different way of spreading a sample, but only works across 16 pads rather than 128 like keygroups.

Anyway, the answer to your original question is yes, you can quickly make instruments very easily in a number of ways, no worries at all. All will become more clear once you have the MPC in your hands, it's difficult to explain how something works when you don't actually have an MPC yet.

Yea it appears it just makes Assigning a Sample to a Keygroup in One Move.

MPC-Tutor wrote:Keygroups work already, have done since the first release many years ago. The new update is going to include a new 'shortcut' that makes single sample instruments with one click (currently takes a few clicks). 16 levels is a different way of spreading a sample, but only works across 16 pads rather than 128 like keygroups.

Anyway, the answer to your original question is yes, you can quickly make instruments very easily in a number of ways, no worries at all. All will become more clear once you have the MPC in your hands, it's difficult to explain how something works when you don't actually have an MPC yet.

Haha yeah I understand. One more question. So assigning a sample to a pad with pitching works with keygroups.

What if I connect a midi keyboard to a MPC? Is it possible to key map the sample? So I actually will be able to play chords and such

It works. You have to create x amount of groups, then assign sample/s to a group, then set key range for each group. You can make chords by assigning multiple sample groups to the same range or layering samples across the 4 layers per group. You ll not be able to create midi chords per key in case you are asking that. You have to use pad performance mode for midi chords with a keygroup as destination.

You can do some very interesting things with keygroups but imo it can get tedious because of the clunky gui. When you are making keygroups it's better as a sound design session as opposed to try doing it when you are creating music because it can be a creativity killer. Although doing smaller keygroups with a sample or 3 isn't that bad. But in that case it's usually easier and quicker to use a drum program.

It be aces to have the 3 sample playback modes of the bitwig(abelton /?) sampler in the mpc..

Patrick Decaf wrote:Hey all!

Last couple of days/weeks I found myself increasingly interested in buying a MPC. I am a extensive Ableton user and love the simpler functionality to be able to map a sample to keys and in a sense create an instrument.

Is this possible on the MPC and how would this work?

I own Ableton Live Suite 11, use Simpler, and also have an MPC Live II. The answer is: yes. It's very easy and quite powerful in the MPC. If this is your only defining quality to get an MPC, it has you covered easily - in spades.

EnochLight wrote:I own Ableton Live Suite 11, use Simpler, and also have an MPC Live II. The answer is: yes. It's very easy and quite powerful in the MPC. If this is your only defining quality to get an MPC, it has you covered easily - in spades.

Same here, Simpler (or even Sampler) is not much different than the MPC's sampler at all. Its just got a mouse you can use to configure it and its laid out in Ableton's weird way instead of the more straight forward page layout in the MPC.

Allright! Thanks all for the info, I appreciate it a lot. Seems like I’m gonna buy a MPC Live 2 Also the upcoming update with the implementation of an amp sim is really dope. Looking forward to get my hands on it!

SuperKonquer wrote:You can do it now with multiple samples and a keygroup.
Or you can do it with one sample, but pitch has to be adjusted manually for each key which is a pain in the **&^.
In MPC terminology a "drum program" is the samples/chops player and a"keygroup" is your DIY rompler/instrument.

Mister Konquer I'm sorry but sure you can make very easily on MPC a keygroup with one single sample/
Standalone. Duration : 20s
As other great users and tutor here explained it , sorry to repeat .

Create New Keygroup Program
PGM EDIT : Number of Keygroup 1 . Edit Keygroup 1
Assign a sample into this keygroup, more if you want to go until 4 layers if you wish ( 4 max per keygroup)
It's automatically mapped to the 128 midi notes;

So no use to wait for the "new" feature Akai announced.

I'd liked a lot Simpler to do this before.. But it is way faster on the mpc

Very useful are the One keygroup only program can make good use of their filters and enveloppe, for automation or tweaking purpose. Because there is no "glbal " filtering in a keygroup program, it's some times good to make One keygroup only programs, if it's sound at your taste of course ( too much high pitch = ugly aliasing)