sync seq tempo with nondistructive choppage..

I just got an mpc1000 with os2xl, so please forgive the noob question. I like to sample a break and set up chops that start on interesting drumhits and play out to the end of the sample. I then bash around on the pads until I get some rhythm that I like. My problem is that I don't know how to sync the tempo in my sequencer with this performance, so it's recordable and will loop properly. I can't get the tempo tap accurate enough. Any suggestions?

Do you set the tempo before you record?

cant you just highlight the bpm and scroll to lower or raise the bpm until it fits? you can do very subtle changes that way and you can use different bpm's for different sequences..

also, how do you trigger the slices? with timing off, or on and set to something specific? because if it is on and you bash away then the mpc will correct you and it can make things a bit problematic if you dont get it exatly right...

if i ever want to trigger slices i find that an easy way is to set the timing to 1/8 and use noterepeat and basically just squeeze/push the pads and string them together that way.. and then the play mode for the slices set to one shot and with the program set to a polyphony of 1 or use mute groups to have them cut eachother off each time a new slice is triggered, then you dont get any overlaps that might clash and sound bad... and then all you have to care about is the start points of the slices, do you want it to start with a kick, or a snare or something else, etc.. so when you want it to play out you just hit it once and it will play for as long as it is or until you hit another pad... and a good basic set up there is to have atleast one pad starting with a kick, and another starting with a snare and then you build a main kick + snare pattern that way and depending on how you play you can easily alternate and make some nice stuff with lots of variation

When I play the chops, I have the timing correct turned off, and I am triggering the chops in time with the samples themselves, so it sounds good. I'm mostly just jamming way in the Trim mode actually. Some chops are triggered early or late, depending on the groove of the sample. So if I enter in, say, straight 8th notes into the sequencer, they are slightly off, and I get flams or little gaps and it sounds bad.

I see where you are going with entering the 8th notes and adjusting the startpoints, but at the moment it seems more intuitive to me to just play the pads, adjust the start points, and keep playing until I find the order that I want... then I want to record.

I haven't tried adjusting the sequencer tempo up and down after recording, so I'll try that and see if I can get it to fit. I guess I am used to a looper pedal style, where you hit record start, perform, and hit play and it will immediately loop around at the recorded length. I guess I am after something similiar. Or maybe I have it all backwards, it's still early days yet

hmm ok.. have you tried recording without having the sequences set to loop? because that is often when things start to clash, when it doesnt fit.. but its possible to turn off loop and just record it all in one go, or continue to build from where the sample ends.. so that might take away some trouble if you are fine working that way

you where the guy that didnt want to use a computer to record with right? from doa?

personally i would have just recorded it and quickly cut and adjust afterwards in cubase, i still have to do that sometimes because it is not always things fit when recording new patter i might want to add... but is there any way you can do something similar on whatever it is you will record it all when finished? just to take out the space and bring the pieces together again? or maybe it would be too troublesome..

yeah it might help to adjust the bpm that way.. but would suck if you do a lot of work and then find out that it doesnt, so best to test it quickly each time you recorded what you want..

oh and talking about pedals, i think you can set up a midi pedal to trigger a sample, so i think it could be used to get atleats a little drummer feel if set up for a kick and triggered with a foot (not sure that is possible on all mpc's though).. i also remember someone on here saying he used drum sticks on his mpc pads... i wouldnt dare do that myself though, lol

Yes its me from doa I got the MPC to work with some breaks, expand my drumkit sounds, and general pissing about. I have been trying to record with the loop on, and the problems occur at the loop point which I havent managed to get synced with what I'm hearing. I'll be trying out the mentioned suggestions, cheers. Playing it out without the metronome or loop set might be a good idea but I can't go more than a few bars without making some errors. Hopefully I can record the master out in the mpc itself, and then cut the best loops from that. I wouldnt try playing with drumsticks, but i have a midi drumkit so I think I'll be triggering chops and slices from there. Might be a really fun way to cut up breaks

yeah man, just use the mpc as a sound module and trigger it with a drum kit.. and probably also a good idea since there are so many ready to go drum programs too, so should be easy to get a complete new set of drum sounds to bang on, then just mix it up with other stuff

Forgive what is probably a very noob question, but where do you find premade drum programs with samples? Even if I dont use them for tunes I can probably learn a lot by deconstructing other peoples programs.

you usually get a sample cd along with the mpc, and they have programs with drums and sounds already layed out so all you have to do is to load the program and you are ready to go.. Maybe with a jazz kit, or various percussion, maybe some moog bass or a piano multisampled etc.. There are lots of programs like this around, big archives for various purposes.. Sure you can deconstruct them, but i find more fun in tweaking them on the mpc, or just use them like they are if maybe im just out for a specific drum kit.. There are also converter programs that transform other sampler formats into something you can use on the mpc ous purposes.. Sure you can deconstruct them, but i find more fun in tweaking them on the mpc, or just use them like they are if maybe im just out for a specific drum kit.. There are also converter programs that transform other sampler formats into something you can use on the mpc

innovine wrote:Forgive what is probably a very noob question, but where do you find premade drum programs with samples? Even if I dont use them for tunes I can probably learn a lot by deconstructing other peoples programs.

you can download mpc stock sounds and programs from akai's website

Thanks for the tip. My MPC was a store example. I didn't get the CD or stock memory card with it, but I got a good reduction in the price instead