Finding Sounds?

Hi. New user here with the MPC-X. I've figured out how to pull up sounds with a new project by going to "browse" and under drums/instruments I can hit "load," select my track, double click on "keygroup program" and find the loaded sound there.

However, I've got a lot of the expansion packs. When I'm browsing for a sound and hit the expansions section, I can see all of them. I click on a .wave file I like, hit load, but then when I go back to my program and double click on "keygroup program," it's not listed. So, there's evidently a difference between .xpm and .wav routing, no? Where do I find the loaded .wav files to bring into a track?

Thanks for any help!

You need to understand the terminology. Loading a keygroup program (or DRUM program) is not loading a 'sound', it's loading a program. A program is a configuration file that when loaded will simultaneously load the associated samples and map them to your pads. You then assign that program to a track and play the pads.

Loading a sound is when you load an individual sample, e.g. a wav file. When this is loaded it just gets held in memory, but to use it in a sequence you have to assign it to a program and then assign the program to a track. YOu cannot load a sample and then have it appear on a track, it must form part of a program. You build programs in PROGRAM EDIT.

Can I suggest you take a look at my MPC Bible course? https://www.mpc-samples.com/product.php/268/mpc-bible/

Thanks for the response and clarifying. This raises another question, though. If I already have all these wav files stored on my system via expansion packs and already in my system's memory, then why do I have to load and build them elsewhere before I can use them? I'm not sure I follow the logic behind this. And I'll check out the course!

rleischner wrote: This raises another question, though. If I already have all these wav files stored on my system via expansion packs and already in my system's memory, then why do I have to load and build them elsewhere before I can use them?

They are stored on your disk, they are not already in system memory. This is why you have to load everything from the browser, to load them from disk into active memory.

A program is a a file that points to your samples, place them in pads and loads whatever program settings(envelops, pad layers, mute groups, velocity etc etc). Those files that you're seeing are the raw samples that the programs in the expansion will point to when you load the program.

If your expansion has no programs then you'll have to build your own programs. It's very unlikely that a expansion doesn't have programs that use those samples unless it was a diy expansion. I have bought some "expansions" that were just wav files but all the official Akai expansions will contain programs.

When you are in the browser, be sure to have the correct filter selected. If you have the program filter selected(4 square icon) you'll see only programs, if the wav icon is selected then you will only see audio files.