NEWBIE BIBLE-Info for New MPC Producers on how to produce

layering.

some people like to take multiple snares or a clap or snap or any cracking noise and place it behind snares. You can also use kicks layered. It beefs up sounds and can make snares really crack.

You can make the MPC play simuitlanous notes at a time in programs down in the lower left where it says Mode:Normal. Change that to simult and go over and pselect what pads you want to play with the controller pad.

Note Variation Slider
Hit
SHIFT + Note Varition AFTER. then press a pad with a cool sample or drum or whatever noise tickles your fancy.
While hitting the pad move the slider. Hear that ish? Play a sample to the beat. You can also adjust filters, velocity, attack decay, all that good stuff. You can record the movements from the slider. Play melodys with a sample. You can change notes params (tuning is my favorite) of samples that are already sequenced just assign the pad you want. Dont sleep. Its a nice feature.

think the most important part of it is the AFTER button. This means that it will effect sounds AFTER they are sequenced. So you can play lay down an 1/8 hhat pattern with NOTE REPEAT. Then press (shift+AFTER) selcet the hat then press after. I like to use the ATTACK setting for hats. Then make them open and close. Just the Sec you are done recording turn off the AFTER button. So one more time. This means that instead of wile playing the slider and a sample at the same time, you can use the slider AFTER its recorded (seqeunced) on the MPC. So say you do a 2 bar loop with kick snares and hi hat. You can use the AFTER button to reocrd little TUNE (pitch) changes on ex. the snare. So you can have the snare hit a little high then a little off, like a drummer would. It also is good on high hat patterns. The details are in the Manual.

Timing
Count to the click, 1-2-3-4 = 1 bar
1-2-3-4-1-2-3-4-1-2-3-4-1-2-3-4 = 4 bars Quarter Notes. You kinda always want to start on the 1 and end on a 4. Whether 2 bars or 16 bars.

there is also 8th note timing
1-and-2-and-3-and-4-and = 1 bar 8th notes
1-e-and-a-2-e-and-a-3-e-and-a-4-e-and-a = 1 bar 16th notes

the numbers represent the clicks on the mpc, 1 2 3 4 or quarter notes. The 8th notes are usally the time that the hats follow, the MPC only plays quarter notes on the metronome (clicks). The kick and snare might be in quarter notes. Your sample might play in 16th notes.

Just count along all the time and nod your head or tap your feet to the beat. It just takes time to get good timing. Just allways tie it up at the 4 and start on the downbeat (the 1).

MIDI setup for sound mods i used a proteus as an example, but can be any device that you are trying to have a MIDI keyboard, computer, the MPC, and the gear (like an MP-7, rack synths, samplers, etc, anything that you want the MPC to control and have the keyboard control the MPC and the gear) that you want to hook up MID wise.

basic keyboard :midi: out = MPC's MIDI IN (1 or 2)
Proteus 2000 Sound Module :midi: in = from MPC's Out (a or b)
Proteus 2000 Thru (i dont know if it has a thru) = Computers Midi in
Midi Out Computer = to the MPC's MIDI IN

Like this the Proteus would be on 1a and the computer would be on 2a
The keyboard can control the MPC and the computer can control the MPC

You can do it like this
basic keyboard :midi: out = MPC's MIDI IN (1 or 2)
Proteus 2000 Sound Module :midi: in = from MPC's Out (a or b)
Computers MIDI In = from MPC's out (whatever (a or b) your not usin
Midi Out Computer = to the MPC's MIDI IN

Like this
the MPC is controling the computer on B while it is controlling the synth (sound module) on A. The Keyboard is control the MPC and also the synth and the computer.

Crazy loud problems when sampling?



In the top right corner in sample mode (shift + 4) it says monitor L/R if you set that to off. the buzzing with go away.

Threshold.
This is where the signal has to hit before the MPC reocrds. I set this to zero, because you can edit better in trim mode. Sometimes its good say if you arcross the room, but I would just turn it off.

Time
Set that to max that your mem allows. You can check mem by pressin the open window in sample mode

I also sample in MONO, because I have the 8-0uts and it also saves space on the MPC. Stereo has to make two copies of the same sample hence more storage. I dont really worry about recording in stereo. You can just turn that to l or r.

I dont mess with prerecord at all.

How to assign pads to the 8-Outs

You gotta go to MIXER (shift + 7) and go to what program u want (1-4), then go to INDIV (F2). Press a pad then assign a pad to an out. 1-8. Stereo sample will take up two pads so you might want to convert them in prog or trim mode or use analog xs auto tune. http://www.ruggedbeats.com/audiomidsof.html
to convert the sample to mono. When you convert it to mono it makes it into 2 sounds in the MPC you gotta select which one.
To make this easier I always sample in MONO so I can track it quickly.
Also the you might want to throw the clic (metronome) to an out too. Or you wont hear the mutha*****. Just goto count and press open window.
Peace

binger0, i do not know what to say man but damn. good job man.

binger0 wrote:How to assign pads to the 8-Outs

You gotta go to MIXER (shift + 7) and go to what program u want (1-4), then go to INDIV (F2). Press a pad then assign a pad to an out. 1-8. Stereo sample will take up two pads so you might want to convert them in prog or trim mode or use analog xs auto tune. http://www.ruggedbeats.com/audiomidsof.html
to convert the sample to mono. When you convert it to mono it makes it into 2 sounds in the MPC you gotta select which one.
To make this easier I always sample in MONO so I can track it quickly.
Also the you might want to throw the clic (metronome) to an out too. Or you wont hear the mutha*****. Just goto count and press open window.
Peace

real quick question binger, i have some sounds sampled in stereo already. so when i go to record through the 8-outs will that one sound take up two outs, one for left and one for right, if i don't convert to mono?

yup

binger0 wrote:Also RECORD ALL YOUR SOUNDS ON INDIVIDUAL TRACKS FROM ONE ANOTHER.
alright first thing is to put all your sounds on seperate tracks on the MPC. Makes everything easier than just doing a whole beat on S:Track 01

I hate recording on individual tracks because I can't get the groove of what I played down if I'm recording the kicks .. then then snares .. then the hats .. etc. I agree completely that samples should be separated into tracks for each manipulation when playing back, and to make it easier to edit a certain element of your beat.

What I like to do is record it on 1 track, then move each instrument to its own track afterwards to preserve the way I intended it to sound I usually wind up doing Snares, Kicks and Hats in 1 record, then overdubbing cymbals and misc sounds after ... then just moving things to a new track based on their note value.

Props on all this though - definitley.

BK

yo
yeah I like to record my kicks and snares on track 2, hats on track 1, then hit erase and press the snare in that track. Then relay the snares down on track 3.

binger0 wrote::wink: wadadang

The Theory of Drum Programming
By Alan D. Moore
http://go.to/lykwydchykyn

Admin Edit:

Go to this URL:

http://www.alandmoore.com/ramblings/TheoryOfDP.htm

Sorry, can't have entire works reproduced on this site - copyright issues etc.Just go to the link above for the entire article.

oh thats cool. good lookin.

anyone else got some knowledge to drop?

just a side note, Proteus 2000 and most other Sound Modules got a Midi THRU that will allow you to daisy chain midi devices

If your looking at buying a Hardware Sound Module Midi Thru will be a neccessity for your studio environment. You may not understand it now, but you will be better prepared for your growth stages as a producer

I use the Midi Thru on 1 of my Keyboards to go to my Midi Sport 4X4
thats connected to my computer by USB.

With the MPC acting as a MASTER i could control Cubase Transports remotely (record play rewind) and use the other MPC midi port (channel b) for other Midi instruments.

Different ways to skin a cat, just one way you can use Midi Thru.

whatever happened to mpctutors book?

shelved it?