Beat arranging on the MPC. How do YOU do it?

Hi, so a lot of people including me are more or less using a DAW to produce the music we make. Which is cool, the versatility is huge, but I also want to be a mofo on the MPC! At the moment I'm learning on how to come across with my ideas on the MPC as much as possible since I am pretty new with the workflow, but I feel the need forsome inspiration from yall! =)

So what I wanna know is how do you make beats? And for what purpose, are you mostly making instrumentals or a beat for someone to put down vocals over? What do you strive for when you make a beat, like what should be in it for you to be satisfied with it in the end? And most of all how do you arrange the beats on your MPC, are you making your segments on different sequences or do you make the whole beat in a long and continuous sequence? Do you think in terms of Verse-Bridge-Hook etc. or A-B versions or do you have a more abstract mind to it?

In short I want to know what you see in your MPC, and how does it fit into your idea of how YOU want to create your music?

I make beats for mc's to rhyme over. Most of the time I like to sample music with some drama in it. The drums must bang, cause it's hiphop. And there must be enough room for the MC.

Usually I make different sequences and string them together in song mode. Then I record some track mutes in the track mute screen.

Beat should have head nodding effect on the listener...since I started making beats oi always strived to build strong drums foundation, bass is important, melody is not so important IMO when you got the drums and bass right...beat should have few variations to change up the flavor a bit but nothing too drastic unless you makn movie scores tracks

I been makn beats on and off for 6+ plus years and never had MC record on my beat or been in beat battle. I think Im alright but still got long way to go, I do this for for pleasure and kill time so never really stressed the issue of goin public with my music...my belief is that if you're good you'll be discovered sooner or later...too many cats out there pushing shitty music on the forefront

this will be an interesting thread. I'd like to see more replies.

I've never really made a good track in my life but I'm completely addicted to the MPC. Lately for me it's: A) the aftertouch effects you get with velocity assignments and note repeater and B) velocity---> tune for melodies, since the velocity can be edited as a % later, it's like having a keyboard that you can stretch distance between keys. I wouldn't know an easy way to get this effect but it's so easy on the MPC.

Menco wrote:And there must be enough room for the MC.

that is always my issue... I never think of them when making tracks...

I feel the whole idea with "keep it funky", that's what really brought me into music drums and bass in a sweet combo, tight or wonky but still banging, separate but still in unison. If you nail that down you have a solid foundation to develop the track.

I also wanna know how you do when you record your patterns, for example how many bars do you record before looping the pattern? I heard some guys even record a whole beats in one long pattern, don't remember but I think it referred to Dilla. And also how do you correct mistakes, do you erase and redo or edit/deletes specific notes with the tools in the MPC?

Menco wrote:
Usually I make different sequences and string them together in song mode. Then I record some track mutes in the track mute screen.

So you actually produce your whole beats in your MPC? =) that's good to hear! How many sequences do you work with? Do you make any variations with the sequences you've already recorded?

I make songs. Before I got the MPC I would record each instrument straight thru from beginning to end and just layer on different tracks.

I create melody, however I do not record that first. The first things i record are the drums then I make the bass go with the melody, then I record the melody. Then I add the other stuff vocals rhythm guitar, bells etc. Then I record the mix live. I usually create three or four mixes of a song: a dance version long intro so DJ's can get the bpm matched, a vocal edit(more vocal less other stuff), radio edit (3:00 - 3:45 minutes), a version that is completely different with less vocals and lots of effects(in Jamaica this is called a dub mix)

Once I got the MPC I started to segment and piece a song together. It is a marvelous sequencer.

I know the song is done when nothing else can be cut from it. I tend to go minimal so I start with say 24 tracks and end up using way less in the final stereo mix. The fun for me is in the live mix at the end. I can spend days just playing with the mix. Then usually I will take a break and come back to it in a day or two because of the old adage "never eat your porridge while its hot."

Then I beg my Pro DJ friends to play the tracks when they gig (lucky if it gets a chance to play) as my shows were never big crowded affairs. Ask what the reaction was like, unless I am at the show. Learn from watching the crowd, and listen to the DJ's critique.

Video of me mixing a track below...the final version was played at a fashion show. This track ended up being very long and was just looped to death with four other songs like it. I was not there to see the reaction, my sister got me the hook up as she used to work at Elle magazine so three times a year I make a moody house track for a designer and get some cash. I enjoy musical art.




Cheers,
Ian

PS "8 bar loops usually with the drum for me"

I usually start with either a sample or a chord progression I come up with, and then just build on top of that with whatever comes to mind. I have no general workflow. I like trying new things. It's more fun that way, I think.

Ian Canefire wrote:
Cheers,
Ian

Thanks for sharing!

i used to make all my beats on a DAW too (logic then i was using my mpc 500 as a sound module and still sequencing in logic. i never really liked that workflow becuase i was used to visual chopping, so i would chop my sample in soundforge or recycle and then import it to mpc via usb, then open a logic project and sequence on there. then i sold my 500 and got a 2500 because i wanted to make beats more in the mpc,
when i got my 2500, i still didnt like the mpc workflow, and had been making beats mostly with drag and drop audio files in logic then point and click drums under them with software instruments.

i was hooked on doing it this way, so my mpc didnt get that much use.

but little by litte i would have a sample in logic, put it on the battery 3 pads and make "sketchpads" in logic, to see how my sample sounded, then i would take the midi file and export it, then import it to my mpc and set it as a track, and assign the same chopped samples to pads. for the rest of my drums i would do the grid edit because i liked the visual feel that reminded me of a daw.

then after awhile it became no midi dragging, and just looping 1 bar at a time and feeling my melody out, while still using the grid edit for guidance, and hitting the pads until it sounded good.

thats how i make my beats now.

but everything has a formula

tr 1. sample
tr 2. snare
tr 3. kick
tr 4. hihat
tr 5 bass
tr 6 through whatever, layers layers layers usually

i start out with 8 bars, and play the sample in first always, then the drums come after. usually this is the verse. i name it verse pt 1. then i copy this over, to a new sequence and name it verse pt 2. with that new sequence i change some stuff/ add some stuff/ drop some stuff ect. then i copy the sequence over, and name it hook v1, when doing this i usually erase all my tr 1 data and put in all new melody stuff, i keep my drums the same until i like how the hook sounds, then i either leave it, or i make some variations to the drums in the hook.

after this i copy that and usually make an outro and and intro.

i also usually copy my verse part 1 over again and cahnge up the first few bars to make a "breakdown" verse, then alot of times i drop stuff, add more stuff, or build it over the course of the sequence. and when it gets to bar 4 or 8 i change it back to the original verse.

this way i can have my verse 1 and 2 have two different sequences, but when i want to do my braekdown i can just substitute my verse 1 for my verse breakdown and link the verse pt 2 sequence to the end of it. that way i dont have to build 2 different 16 bar sequences, i just build 3 different 8 bar ones.

i always make my beats structured for an emcee to spit on, and this way it keeps it in that formula.

sometimes i also add a bridge and stuff like that too. also, sometimes 24 bar verses instead o 16 bar verses are cool, but i usually make them 2 verses if i do that.

just keep playing with it, after awhile the mpc will become second nature to your process as once the DAW was. i get bored easily of making beats on the computer now that i have trained myself to visualize the process differently.

in the end i sold my 2500 and now work on the 1k, i like it cause its more compact than the 2500 and i can have it in my lap when im sitting on my couch a little easier.

hope this helps!

What I do is turn off Time Correct, set bars to 99, and make the beat in a pass or two. Record it like a **** cassette tape is what the **** I say, but these little scarecrow bitches wanna act like its all bobby digital so I sample the cowards and chop them up, stretch their ligaments, and stomp them with kicks until I spit out their remains out the D/A converters. Then I'll be smoking a cigar laughing.

wellfunk wrote:

Menco wrote:
Usually I make different sequences and string them together in song mode. Then I record some track mutes in the track mute screen.

So you actually produce your whole beats in your MPC? =) that's good to hear! How many sequences do you work with? Do you make any variations with the sequences you've already recorded?

Yup. I sequence everything with the npc. Also my daws and rack sampler when I use them. Usually I start with a basic loop as the foundation. Once that one is set I copy it and reprogram the chops and adjust something in the drumpattern. Or just simply put something on top of the basic loop. Wherever the music takes me.