Technical questions for the MPC2000xl and the MPC2000
By el tripps Wed May 21, 2003 2:47 pm
just wondering if any of you have some tips on programming flam notes through step editing. Looking for details on tic placement as well as velocity. Just having a hard time with it. Also what's a good idea on velocity for ghost hits?

By brainwashcloth Wed May 21, 2003 2:52 pm
where to place flams is going to depend on your tempo, so there isnt like a easy formula for that.

ghost notes, make them really really quiet compared to the real beat. almost to the point that you cant distingush them. they need to be really subtle.

By el tripps Wed May 21, 2003 3:00 pm
well, if the bpm is 90, and a snare falls on 1.2.00, is 1.2.02 to soon to hit the snare again? I know it is suppose to be a split second difference, but when i try this it doesn't sound right, i've messed around with tic position and haven't been to successful, maybe volume plays a part, i just want that added feel.

By brainwashcloth Wed May 21, 2003 3:56 pm
i would try somewhere around 1.2.06 - .08 and make it at most half the velocity if not less.

By brainwashcloth Wed May 21, 2003 3:59 pm
oh and another thing i have always found helpful (assuming you are going to a realistic sound, not a drum machine flam sound) is to have another copy of the same snare sound on the next pad over. change its attack to around 4-8 to take some of the initial hit off of it. it should make it sound more like a roll (or a hit with the snares open). use that for your flams and ghost notes. when a drummer hits the snare and lets the stick bounce (creating a flam) only the first hit is really distinct with a good snappy attack. the second/third bounce hit has more of a drum roll sound. the above technique should help.
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By MPC-Tutor Wed May 21, 2003 7:49 pm
turn off quantise and tun off full level and do it by hand in real time - I find that's the best way for realism.

By Mouse Thu May 22, 2003 12:59 am
can someone tell me what a flam note is?
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By MPC-Tutor Thu May 22, 2003 6:55 am
it's a very quick little roll that's normally performed using a single drum stick