FINDING THE TEMPO OF A BREAK........PLEASE HELP

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FINDING THE TEMPO OF A BREAK........PLEASE HELP

By holythurzday Mon May 25, 2009 7:50 pm
Hi there,

I recently purchased a MPC2500 and I am having problems trying to work out the tempo of loops before I put the loop into a sequence. I have checked out some pass posts on this board and this topic has been mentioned before.

I used to have a MPC 2000XL and from my understanding and what I can remeber, there was a function which allow you a loop a beat, (say a 2 bar loop with 4 beats per bar...)then the MPC200xl would show you the tempo of the loop. Please note that I do not want to time stretch...I do not want to change pitch.....I just want to find out the tempo of a loop or break once you have set the start and end points correctly.

I have looked at the manual and noticed that it mentions this topic. It is states if you go into the 'sample edit' page and then entering the orignal tempo. As I am not sampling from a sample cd...I do not have the tempo at hand as I' am sure you can understand. I am sampling from old records. I have used the 'detect tempo feature, but it does not provide the tempo of my sample, even if the start and end points have been entered correctly. I have also tried to loop a 4 bar sample to 1 bar as stated in the manual, but again this does not work.......

I am aware that you could find the tempo of a loop by firstly putting the loop to a pad in the program page and then stopping and starting the machine manually until the sample fits the tempo, but I don't want to do this. I brought a MPC250 for update features...not to go back to 1986.......

Also I was wondering about the OS for the MPC. I am not sure which OS I have. I have notcied from this forum that there is JJ OS. Would this help if I uploaded the new JJ OS? Also If I upload the JJ OS.... would I lose anything from the MPC 2500 like the chop shop etc....?

Any help on this matter would be helpful.....I hope there is a feature to find the simple tempo of loops as there are thousands of other sampler which can carry out this very simple task. If I knew the MPC2500 could not do this, then I would have brought another 2000XL which is cheaper.


Thanks again and I hope that I'm making some sense.

Peace. :(

Re: FINDING THE TEMPO OF A BREAK........PLEASE HELP

By markmorgan10 Mon May 25, 2009 11:25 pm
Perfect sense. I'm still trying to get this down pat after having an mpg 2500 for a while
You could try the tap tempo button. Basically you play the sample and tap the "tap tempo" button on the beat and you should get a rough idea of the tempo.
But I'm intrigued about this method of looping the sample and changing the tempo so that the loop fits the sample.
I don't have my 2500 with me. But if any of you mpg 2500 experienced users can get this to work I'd really like to hear it. I've not had a 2000xl so if this does work it would be superb
There's also some feature where the 2500 apparently works out the tempo of a sample. I've used it once, and that was once too often. It's as if the unit picks a random number out of nowhere...
M
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Re: FINDING THE TEMPO OF A BREAK........PLEASE HELP

By That-1-DJ Wed May 27, 2009 12:05 am
I just did this the other night, In TRIM MODE Take your sample and make sure that the START and END points are good. And LOOP it in TRIM MODE to make sure that you have a seamless loop. Now take your sample, assign it to a pad. In the MAIN SCREEN Set a ruff TEMPO (Preferably to a value that you know is less than the sample itself) and also set your number of BARS. In GRID EDIT mode start a recording, tap the pad once to record the sample. Tap the STOP BUTTON and go back to the MAIN SCREEN and hit play. Adjust your TEMPO until you have a perfect LOOP and that shall give you your EXACT TEMPO.

I just realized that this is sort of what you said that you already tried, I think! :lol: But it might help someone else. Peace and good luck.
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Re: FINDING THE TEMPO OF A BREAK........PLEASE HELP

By Explicit- Wed May 27, 2009 6:12 pm
That-1-DJ wrote:I just did this the other night, In TRIM MODE Take your sample and make sure that the START and END points are good. And LOOP it in TRIM MODE to make sure that you have a seamless loop. Now take your sample, assign it to a pad. In the MAIN SCREEN Set a ruff TEMPO (Preferably to a value that you know is less than the sample itself) and also set your number of BARS. In GRID EDIT mode start a recording, tap the pad once to record the sample. Tap the STOP BUTTON and go back to the MAIN SCREEN and hit play. Adjust your TEMPO until you have a perfect LOOP and that shall give you your EXACT TEMPO.

I just realized that this is sort of what you said that you already tried, I think! :lol: But it might help someone else. Peace and good luck.

Thats exactly how I do it...
Its easy and fast.

Just make sure you got the perfect loop and that you set the bar count in the MPC to the exact amount of the sample.

Re: FINDING THE TEMPO OF A BREAK........PLEASE HELP

By markmorgan10 Thu May 28, 2009 11:02 am
That-1-DJ wrote:I just did this the other night, In TRIM MODE Take your sample and make sure that the START and END points are good. And LOOP it in TRIM MODE to make sure that you have a seamless loop. Now take your sample, assign it to a pad. In the MAIN SCREEN Set a ruff TEMPO (Preferably to a value that you know is less than the sample itself) and also set your number of BARS. In GRID EDIT mode start a recording, tap the pad once to record the sample. Tap the STOP BUTTON and go back to the MAIN SCREEN and hit play. Adjust your TEMPO until you have a perfect LOOP and that shall give you your EXACT TEMPO.

I just realized that this is sort of what you said that you already tried, I think! :lol: But it might help someone else. Peace and good luck.


You've just provided the answer to probably the biggest question I had about my 2500.

Thanks very much,
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Re: FINDING THE TEMPO OF A BREAK........PLEASE HELP

By That-1-DJ Thu May 28, 2009 12:33 pm
Another cool little trick is to put a sample in a sequence using the method shown above and then go to PROGRAM MODE, MODE + PAD 7 and hit F1(SAMPLE). Then choose a sample buy tapping a pad, using your cursor buttons goto the TUNE +00 field, and adjust the parameters + or - until you find an adjustment of the sound that you like. Once you have found that newly tuned sound that you like go back to SEQUENCE MODE and hit play, you will be able to hear that the sample is not on point as far as timing. Once again, just adjust the TEMPO, and then lay down your new beat.

Another little trick is to tap your WINDOW button while in the TUNE field and EXPERIENCE WITH IT (Can't give up all of my secrets LOL :lol: ). If you have your MPC hooked up to some keys thru midi you will enjoy it. Once again hope this helps someone out Peace!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Re: FINDING THE TEMPO OF A BREAK........PLEASE HELP

By Upright Sun May 31, 2009 12:54 am
If you have the start and end points correct you can always use the deepsound calculator to figure out the tempo....you'll want to use the sample calculator called "To find the bpm of a loop when its length in samples is known" I believe it is the eighth calculator in the list,....just scroll down, you'll see it. :D




http://mp3.deepsound.net/eng/samples_calculs.php


Edited: You can get the number of samples in your loop in the trim screen,....it's the large number in the upper right hand corner. :D

Re: FINDING THE TEMPO OF A BREAK........PLEASE HELP

By Jabbar Tue Jun 02, 2009 10:17 am
So you have a sample and you just want to know the tempo?

It's easy. Go to trim and select the sample. Make sure that the start and end are good, so it can go into a steady loop. Go to Edit, there's a function there i think it is time stretch, where you can auto-detect the tempo. Use the auto-detect button and voila.

I think that's easier than playing the actual sample and messin around with the tempo.

Hope this helps.
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Re: FINDING THE TEMPO OF A BREAK........PLEASE HELP

By That-1-DJ Tue Jun 02, 2009 12:28 pm
Jabbar wrote:So you have a sample and you just want to know the tempo?

It's easy. Go to trim and select the sample. Make sure that the start and end are good, so it can go into a steady loop. Go to Edit, there's a function there i think it is time stretch, where you can auto-detect the tempo. Use the auto-detect button and voila.

I think that's easier than playing the actual sample and messin around with the tempo.

Hope this helps.


I've tried that before and I still always had to do some adjusting to my tempo, But I was not as critical with my Start and End points, But lately I have been. I actually forgot about it, I will definitely keep it in mind now that my loops are on point.

Would you say that that process is 100% accurate for you, assuming that your sample is on point. (Thanks for reminding me about that feature) :D The MPC's are a beast they are capable of so much. If utilized to the fullest one would definitely get their moneys worth out of it. I definitely need to dig deeper into mine!!!!!!!!!!!!! I think a lot of times people are so happy with the basics and happy with the fact that they made a descent beat, that we do not try and use the machine to it's full potential. A few months ago I got rid of some equipment to help pay for some classes. Many of times I thought about getting rid of the MPC but the Wifey always talked me out of it. D@mn I love that Woman!!!!!!!!!!

Re: FINDING THE TEMPO OF A BREAK........PLEASE HELP

By holythurzday Tue Jun 02, 2009 8:47 pm
Hi peeps, thanks again for taking the the time out to drop some tips.....I need to look deeper into the grid edit which I didn't have on the MPC2000xl......Some of the tips are really helpful and have got me thinking about my approach....

I notice that some of the above mention the detect feature, I have found that it hasn't hit the spot for me yet. I'm still looking into it anyway....and I am also thinking about contacting Akai through email on this detect tempo feature.....I haven't tried break beats in with the detect feature, but I would expect the MPC to deal with that quickly......most of the stuff which I have been sample is full loops with drums, bass piano, etc.....I still learning the machine and it early days so it's all good.

I got a Roland VP 9000 variphase which I have not really used......It has the old feature found in MPC2000xl for find the tempo. I hoping to hook it up with the mpc over the next few weeks.

I will check out all of the above and feed back....

once again thanks.....

Peace.

ps....nice for the link to for the above tempo finder.

Re: FINDING THE TEMPO OF A BREAK........PLEASE HELP

By danson Fri Jan 29, 2010 2:55 pm
if your hooked up to a pc get logic audio or acid pro they have brilliant loop tempo detection built in acid may be the easiest for you you just drag the sample into acid and tell it to use loops orignal tempo bang!!! its done the tempo tap button on the mpc is simple though for rough tempo.... set 4 tap on the mpc then hit the loop on the 1 and tempo tap 2..3....4....then last tap with imaginary last beat in your head just groove it!!! thats if its a 1 bar it works with whatever!! but you get my drift!! i used to use acid just for finding tempos!!

Re: FINDING THE TEMPO OF A BREAK........PLEASE HELP

By BGBEATS Fri Jan 29, 2010 3:04 pm
look at your watch and snap your fingers to the beat for 30 seconds counting each snap then double that number for the beats per minute



old skool deejay way

right up there with plugging your headphones into the mic jack and using left cup as mic if your mic dies or walks off
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Re: FINDING THE TEMPO OF A BREAK........PLEASE HELP

By Lampdog Fri Jan 29, 2010 3:35 pm
That-1-DJ wrote:......TUNE +00 field............ and adjust the parameters + or - until you find an adjustment of the sound that you like...............Once again, just adjust the TEMPO, and then lay down your new beat.

Been doing this for years and have never once had to "find a tempo".

I just use my ears.
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Re: FINDING THE TEMPO OF A BREAK........PLEASE HELP

By nod records Sat Jan 30, 2010 12:44 am
this is how i do it. it work super fast for me.

1 make sure you chop your break to start on the downbeat.
2 assign the break to a pad and make sure it is set to mono
3 make sure you tap tempo is set to 4 beats. it more accurate that way
4 hit the the pad and use the tap tempo button. tap at least 4 time, i usually do 8 just to get it real close
5 hit the pad and record the break into a sequence

now your tempo should be real close. just fine tune adjust the tempo field until the break is looping smooth.

once you get this down, you can do it in your sleep and it's really fast.

i prefer doing it this way, instead of going in and trying to loop it and adjust loop points, etc...

this way is much faster in my opinion. that's why akai put that tap tempo button on there. it def works nice
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