pgm change help please !!!

2000xl

ok say u have 5 plus pgms loaded into the mp .... drums 1 - 4 are assigned seperate pgms already ... how do i get to use the 5th one or the 6th one ?? im thinking pgm change is the anwser to my q's.....i read the manual and it wasnt very clear to me....im hoping sombody can explain to me how this is done


extra example ( might confuse you lol )

say i made a beat with 3 pgms ...drum 1 2 and 3.... and now i wanna use the auto chromatic feature.. it makes another pg for me to use i assigned that to 4 ......now i wanna use the auto chromatic featue a second time for another sample and finish the rest of my loop... but it makes a 5th pg and i cant figuer out how to get the mp to switch when its needed with out chaging one of the exsisting pgms


n e help would b much apriciated!!! thanx

Basically, you can only use 4 at a time. So, get used to that.

One way to use more programs in diff sequences, is to go into Program Edit mode before you start each sequence, and manually replace the pgm in one of the DRUM settings with the new pgm. This is how I used to do it.

The other way is indeed via the pgm change command. However, this can be TRICKY because the MPC seems to randomly assign pgm change numbers to pgms. You have to get your program change numbers in order FIRST.

Step 1) Go into program edit, and hit drum 1. Now go the top of the screen, and set the program to the first pgm in memory.
2) Hit OPEN WINDOW on the program name. You will see in this screen the set program change number.
3) Change the program change number to the same number you see next to the program name. For instance, if this is the first pgm in memory, set the program change to 1. You have to do this carefully, because otherwise, if any programs share the same number, things start to get really crazy and don't work right.

Now you can choose this program in the main screen by setting a track with the proper DRUM setting (1-4), to have a PGM CHANGE that relates to the program you want to use. You only need to set it ONCE per DRUM slot, and if you try to set two different numbers to the same DRUM slot, you will again cause many problems.

As an example, what I do, is on track 61, I set it to DRUM 1, then I set the PGM to the correct number. Then track 62, I set to DRUM 2, and set that to the correct number...etc etc for tracks 63 and 64. This way, I don't screw it up and mismatch or assign multiple programs later on. Also, I dont have to worry about the track being muted (it wont call the pgm change if it is), I just keep tracks 61-64 as program set up tracks.

good looks on the reply noggin!!


one more quick question tho so theres no way to record a pgm change

so say i have a 4 bar loop ... for the first 2 bars i wanna use pgm 5..... for the next 2 i wanna use pgm 6..... is there a way i can record the pgm change so i dont have to do it manually

I imagine there is a way. If you go into step edit mode, you can probably change the 'insert' setting (i can't remember the exact name) to something besides notes, maybe program change, maybe exclusive, and insert the pgm change that way. Somebody around here knows this I'm sure, but I don't know for sure.

However, my advice would be to just rearrange your sounds to work more smoothly in the same programs. Are you really using all 64 sounds in the first two bars and then 64 more in the next 2 bars? If so that's some Aphex shit and I want to hear it.

A little elbow grease converting your programs to be more efficient goes a long way. And I'm talking bout getting GREASY, reassigning notes in sequence and everything.

My opinion still stands, trying to change pgms mid sequence on the same track is not a good idea, I'd find another way to make it work.

Oh also to clarify, when you set the PGM field to a number, it is like recording the pgm change...it sends it out at the beginning of the sequence.