I must be tripping!! Does it swing??

I'm trying to figure out the correct way of using the swing function on the MPC 2000xl. I have a dope beat that I recorded with a BPM of around 85 to 90. I first used the Quantize function to push all of my notes to the nearest 1/16(3) or 1/16 depending on the drum pattern. I then used the Shift timing feature on my Hi hats to make it sound more realistic. Used an amount of about 3(Earlier).

Here are my questions:

1) Before you push OPEN WINDOW, is there any swing already added to the track? Or does it add a 50% swing once you press DO IT?

2) Once you've changed the swing amount (several times) and pressed DO IT (several times), how would you get the track back to having no swing at all, to its original setting? Would I just set the screen to 1/16, Swing%:50, Earlier, Amount:0 and press DO IT?

I know that I just need to trust my ears, but I swear I hear a difference. I'm probably just tripping!

Now I'm extra paranoid. Every time I press DO IT, if I don't like it, I press the Undo Button before I change the swing amount again. Is this the correct way of using it?

I apologize in advance if this is a waste of time thread for any of ya people. I would appreciate the help. It would put me at ease.

Swing @ 50% is actually no swing.
Any setting over 50% moves every 3rd note, emulating a drummer's swing.

Example: a beat @50% swing will sound like: boom bap boom boom bap
66% swing will sound like: boom bap boomboom bap
Notice the 3rd note?

"2) Once you've changed the swing amount (several times) and pressed DO IT (several times), how would you get the track back to having no swing at all, to its original setting? Would I just set the screen to 1/16, Swing%:50, Earlier, Amount:0 and press DO IT?"

You just answered your own question dude .
Hope this helps.

Thanks! Just needed to be reassured. I can stop buggin now

I just realized something else. I don't know if I have a defective MPC2000xl, but I changed the swing of one of my tracks to read: 1/8, 52%, and earlier. Once I pressed DO IT, I checked my STEP EDIT screen and realized that the notes were pushed to a later setting. So originally where the note sat on 48, it now sits on 49. This doesn't make sense to me. Any thoughts? I ended up manually putting the note on 47.

I'm just trying to understand this correctly. I know that this function is one of the most important reasons why people get the MPC in the first place. That swing...

Much appreciated

I'm not sitting in front of my mpc right now, but the swing setting and that "earlier" setting are 2 different settings.
If I'm not mistaken, the "earlier" setting is for manual note shift.
Sadly, I can't check this because my mpc is down until I get a new MOBO

You're right. Makes sense. I appreciate all the help.

Has anyone used swing on double time? Not sure if I'm using the term correctly but let’s say you recorded a beat on 160bpm instead of 80bpm. I'm assuming it will give you a finer, more precise adjustment with your swing.

I'm just curious of how people creatively use this function. Any thoughts?

How are ppl applying swing to their tracks? Like if you want to put swing on the kick, hat and snare you apply the swing settings first then record the drums track by track? or record drums then apply swing. Can you have different swing settings on different tracks in the same seq? It seems like applied after the tracks are recorded you either have to swing every note or one note? I have messed with the swing settings but never quite fully get it.

lightsleeper wrote:How are ppl applying swing to their tracks? Like if you want to put swing on the kick, hat and snare you apply the swing settings first then record the drums track by track? or record drums then apply swing. Can you have different swing settings on different tracks in the same seq? It seems like applied after the tracks are recorded you either have to swing every note or one note? I have messed with the swing settings but never quite fully get it.

Jesus Christ man, why don't you just scroll up and read???
Dude above you even mentioned what pages to look in the manual.

I'm not going to front. I read the manual before I posted anything on the forum. I was still confused, because I didn't know that swing only shifted notes later. I guess that's implied if you're familiar with music theory, right? I don't come from a music background, so most of this is trial and error for me.

But yeah man, record your instruments first on different tracks (Track 1:Kick, Track 2: Snare...etc), then add Swing or use the Time Shift function on the desired track.

I like to use the Time Shift on the Hi Hat to make the drums sound more realistic. Typically a drummer doesn't hit the Kick or Snare directly in sync with the Hi Hat.

You could also use the Time Shift on the Snare to add punctuation to your track or make it lazy.

I personally like using the Swing on the Kick Drum and/or the Hi Hat. But experiment with the Step Edit to either push the Swing forward or leave it so it Swings naturally (later).

I'm not in front of my MPC right now, so I can't help but come up with a few more questions. I would normally use the Step Edit to answer my own question. But anyways...

1) Can you add swing and time shift at the same time? Meaning every note gets shifted accordingly but you also see a difference on the even beats?

2) Does the function still work even if you record a track without using Quantization? I'm pretty sure it would, right?

Again, I could have answered my own questions. But I’m bored at work and it makes a good conversation piece. Just saying…

2) Does the function still work even if you record a track without using Quantization? I'm pretty sure it would, right?

Since you have to choose a quantisation value before you apply swing, it will quantise the notes for you.
I tend to save a copy of my unquantised track since this is a destructive process past one step of undo.

nogginj wrote:

Since you have to choose a quantisation value before you apply swing, it will quantise the notes for you.
I tend to save a copy of my unquantised track since this is a destructive process past one step of undo.

That sucks. I guess I just figured it could still Time Shift the notes without applying quantization. Good looking though makes sense.

I wish I learned how use this function with my older beats. I literally just began learning and experimenting with it. It's mad important to make those drums sound realistic. Brings the beat life. I guess I only cared about learning how to chop samples...hahaha so typical.

nogginj wrote:

2) Does the function still work even if you record a track without using Quantization? I'm pretty sure it would, right?

Since you have to choose a quantisation value before you apply swing, it will quantise the notes for you.
I tend to save a copy of my unquantised track since this is a destructive process past one step of undo.

Well, I am not confident it works the same for note shift as it does for swing...but i was not confident which you were asking about either.
I know that the entire swing function just disappears if you don't have a proper quantisation set...not sure if note shift does the same.

Try it out, let us know.

nogginj wrote:

nogginj wrote:

Well, I am not confident it works the same for note shift as it does for swing...but i was not confident which you were asking about either.
I know that the entire swing function just disappears if you don't have a proper quantisation set...not sure if note shift does the same.

Try it out, let us know.

Fair enough... I'll check to see what happens when I get to the crib. I'm assuming now, that it only adds swing or note shift to quantized tracks. I think either way you're right.