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 Buzzard Fri Mar 24, 2023 1:50 pm
I need advice for my band in regards to using the MPC Live. We currently have a stereo mix of our backing tracks(drums, synth, occasional vocals) and it's coming out flat at shows and I'd like to give the house the ability to carve it out a bit.

I'm going to breakout the kick from every song as well as synths and percussion. Currently I hit a pad and the song engages. Is there a way to launch several samples at the same time? I fear if I'm hitting 3 pads they'll be slightly off.

I might be overlooking something or overthinking but most my experience with my MPC has started with it and is loop based, not taking tracks from something else and putting them in the MPC.

I suppose I could make a really long sequence length and have each pad trigger when I push play, but that seems silly.
By kazakore Fri Mar 24, 2023 3:16 pm
In Drum Program Edit you can set any pad to trigger up to four additional pads at the same time. For basic functionality this may suit you. Otherwise as said above there's Clip Programs to look into...
By eLuSiVeMiTe Fri Mar 24, 2023 4:56 pm
Buzzard wrote:I need advice for my band in regards to using the MPC Live. We currently have a stereo mix of our backing tracks(drums, synth, occasional vocals) and it's coming out flat at shows and I'd like to give the house the ability to carve it out a bit.

I'm going to breakout the kick from every song as well as synths and percussion. Currently I hit a pad and the song engages. Is there a way to launch several samples at the same time? I fear if I'm hitting 3 pads they'll be slightly off.

I might be overlooking something or overthinking but most my experience with my MPC has started with it and is loop based, not taking tracks from something else and putting them in the MPC.

I suppose I could make a really long sequence length and have each pad trigger when I push play, but that seems silly.

You could layer 4 samples on one pad
By eLuSiVeMiTe Fri Mar 24, 2023 4:57 pm
Alternatively you could leave the loop running and mute/unmute the samples rather than triggering.
With instant track mutes disabled they won't retrigger until the start of the loop/sample
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By hyena Sat Mar 25, 2023 7:31 pm
eLuSiVeMiTe wrote:You could layer 4 samples on one pad

but then the 4 layers all will go out from the same output so in this case its no good.
you can place the stems on different pads of a single drum program and then from program edit, first page, you can activate simultaneous play for up to 4 pads triggered by one pad, for a total of 5 perfectly synced stems.
By eLuSiVeMiTe Sat Mar 25, 2023 9:01 pm
hyena wrote:
eLuSiVeMiTe wrote:You could layer 4 samples on one pad

but then the 4 layers all will go out from the same output so in this case its no good.
you can place the stems on different pads of a single drum program and then from program edit, first page, you can activate simultaneous play for up to 4 pads triggered by one pad, for a total of 5 perfectly synced stems.

I wouldn't go that way either.
I'd have the samples looping and use track mute groups. I disable instant track mutes so they will start at the beginning of loop everytime. Rather than triggering samples.
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By hyena Sun Mar 26, 2023 12:48 pm
eLuSiVeMiTe wrote:I wouldn't go that way either.
I'd have the samples looping and use track mute groups. I disable instant track mutes so they will start at the beginning of loop everytime. Rather than triggering samples.


from what i understand, the o.p. needs to just shoot full background tracks at the beginning of each of the band's songs so he's prolly not interested in having them loop.
By eLuSiVeMiTe Sun Mar 26, 2023 1:54 pm
hyena wrote:
eLuSiVeMiTe wrote:I wouldn't go that way either.
I'd have the samples looping and use track mute groups. I disable instant track mutes so they will start at the beginning of loop everytime. Rather than triggering samples.


from what i understand, the o.p. needs to just shoot full background tracks at the beginning of each of the band's songs so he's prolly not interested in having them loop.


Why would you trigger them

Seq 1 song 1 hit play.

Seq 2 song 2 hit play.

Though Id use an old HDD multitracker for that particular task over an mpc. Synced to an mpc project if I needed it.
By Buzzard Sun Mar 26, 2023 3:17 pm
Thanks for the answers people.


To the one above: Because the songs are just backing tracks in my mpc. Nothing created in there so it’s just 4 minute long audio clips. Not all of them start at the same time.
By Buzzard Sun Mar 26, 2023 3:19 pm
mpc_fan_2022 wrote:MPC guide ==> look up Clip Program.

Clip programs are for loops I thought. I use them for one song that’s a bit more repetitive but it truncated the audio files.