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 BobOD Mon Jun 05, 2023 2:37 am
Hello all. I've been enjoying my new MPC One and am super impressed with the level of flexibility it offers.

However, there are many times where I just want to use it like an old school drum machine that's preloaded with various drum samples and preset patterns that I can use just to jam along with or for songwriting purposes.

I believe I can create a template that essentially does this, but am even finding this a bit confusing. FYI, I have already purchased the MPC Drummer 2 bundle from this site with multiple great sounding sets and lots of nice preset patterns in the 1977 Session Kit, so I know I have the raw materials.

Any pointers/tutorials to how to set up a preset template that I can start with when I turn the machine on with this kind of basic drum machine capability (and maybe a synth bass track/set of sounds) would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.
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By bitermc Mon Jun 05, 2023 6:59 am
Just set a project with the basics you like and save it as template. It will load when you choose a new empty project.

Other thing you can do is to have several projects with the basics you want (i.e: bass + a drumset + reverb + chorus) and add them to the Sounds menu.
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By Ibunshi Mon Jun 05, 2023 10:04 am
Here's what I do to save a lot of time for certain kinds of music projects..

I have different project folders..

One of them is called prototypes, which is full of work in progress stuff that has not gotten far enough to have a song title.. So melo 1, melo 72 and so on..

These can be just beginnings with selected sounds and some recorded sequences.. And they can be full tracks ready to be recorded in Cubase and finished up.

I can load up anyone of these and either continue, OR save as yet another prototype and use those sounds and take it in a different direction by tweaking the sounds, use different plugins, play different melodies..

If I end up finishing and naming it, I go back to the mpc and load up the project, and then save it in a different project folder perhaps named melodic, and then in a folder named after the song itself.. If I need to go back, I have that one.

As well as a copy still remaining in the prototypes folder.. And you can use that one to start a new track..

If you like the drum programming and overall structure of the track you can just swap out the synths and practically just record new melodies.


I do this a lot for certain kinds of music, and change the synths, the drum sounds and drum patterns a bit so it's not exactly the same.. But it saves a lot of time because you're not starting entirely from scratch every time..

So I jam to some drum patterns I've already created, and if it works it works..

Or I may record a new kick/snare pattern for example.

If you're making an album, this is also an easy way to keep an overall, consistent vision as far as sound goes, compared to when you use different sources for each track of said album..


So if you want to try this, is pretty easy.


You simply start a project and save it in a specific work-in-progress folder, and save it to dedicated folders for more certain projects once you have developed it to such a point..

This way you'll have a prototype folder with a bunch of projects that keep stacking up, where you have already put in the work, and can just take it from there to make something new..

I get a lot of those simply from playing around with different chords, and I want to finish a track with those chords and melodies, but without saving over what I've already made, because I see potential there too.
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By Lampdog Mon Jun 05, 2023 10:32 am
bitermc wrote:Just set a project with the basics you like and save it as template. It will load when you choose a new empty project.

Other thing you can do is to have several projects with the basics you want (i.e: bass + a drumset + reverb + chorus) and add them to the Sounds menu.

All of this is exactly me.
By 40Beatz Mon Jun 05, 2023 2:26 pm
Just load multiple Drum Program, assign them to different Banks. Boom!!