Akai S950 - Tune (Scale)

Hi all,

I recently got an Akai S950. I figured out how it works pretty quickly, but with two things I still struggling.
Maybe someone is out there who can help me.

To the problem(s) I have: In the MPC you got the full level option to assign the same sample with different notes (tunes).
Like -10 tune is giving you a note in the scale. Does anybody know what the setup is in the S950 or S900?
I know there is something to adjust the tune, but I can't figure out what the setup for a nice sounding scale is.
I tried several setups in the program of the sample where you can fine tune. But somehow can't figure this thing out.

The second problem is the following:
How can I layer samples? I mean you got 8 or 9 outs, but how do you layer? When you got a Kick, Snare and Hihat and you
want to layer all of them with a second sound, you run out of outs for Bass and samples... As you need to assign all 6 each to one out.
Anyone knows how I can layer those?

Thanks a lot for your help in advance

i dunno if u can layer on a s950 but u can always do it the hard way

RTFM dude
Different tunes? Make a keygroup and read the post I just wrote here

viewtopic.php?f=25&t=159650&p=1502356#p1502356

Layering? Set the keygroup of the samples you wanna layer to the same keyrange. Thats it. Has nothing to do with outs. You can't play more than one sample thru one out. The outs are monophonic


peace

you can only have one sample at a time through the individual outs. just treat each output like a mute group.
Overlapping keygroups works for layering as already mentioned, OR you can have the two samples mixed together as one the EDIT SAMPLE screens:

screen 01- select the first sample,
screen 11- choose your second sample and make a name for your new sample,
screen 12- set crossfade time to 0
screen 13- enter 3 to mix together.

that should save limited polyphony,

peterpiper wrote:RTFM dude

But for real, the s950 manual is a solid block of text with hundreds of typos. I've turned in better papers for classes that I ended up failing.

I think you were the one who pointed out the japanese manual has better diagrams, http://www.akai-pro.jp/pgs/right/suppor ... .html#s950 OP you should have a look at this to get a better mental picture of how its arranged

Thanks guys for that quick reply.

The layering worked fine, thanks for that!

Regarding the different tunes: I think we are talking on the same thing, but I did not described properly what my question is.

For example: I have a single bass sample, which I want to play in different notes on the scale. I have it as C3 60 (that's the one I recorded). So I set a keygroup for example from 50 to 70. Which I have done now. So the recorded one (C3 60) in my MPC 2000XL is now on pad C5. Which is ok. Playing the bass on C6 is ok as the note is one higher than on my C5 pad. But Pad C7 isn't, as it is much higher on the scale. For a keyboard I can see this is working, but who is this working on the MPC?


Before, I only used the MPC without the S950, So I got a bass sample, put it on pad C5 and pressed 16 levels on my MPC. Then I just selected Note Var and gave the original key pad and everything was in scale. So it automatically set the note and pad below as tune -10 the next -20,... and the other direction. So that's why I ended trying something similar on my S950, which hasn't worked, as the transition steps (page 5 on edit program) are semitones.

Is there a way to get the notes in line on my MPC?

Faru12 wrote:Is there a way to get the notes in line on my MPC?

create an auto-chromatic program from any sample, then go through and remove the sample from each pad.
use that program but also turn on midi.

this will put your midi note numbers in order.

or you could go through pgm edit and assign each pad to the correct note in the first place.

http://www.mpc2000xl.com/pads.htm

ps. there is something that happens that sets a default midi track to either be autochromatic for note layout or not, but i have not figured out what that is. maybe it is the first program you load?

also i could be totally crazy - but i hope this helps.

Harmoncj wrote:you can only have one sample at a time through the individual outs. just treat each output like a mute group.

wtf do you mean by this? i cant wrap my head around using the outputs as mute groups ala mpc 1000.

tapedeck wrote:

Faru12 wrote:Is there a way to get the notes in line on my MPC?

create an auto-chromatic program from any sample, then go through and remove the sample from each pad.
use that program but also turn on midi.

this will put your midi note numbers in order.

Sorry but I don't get that. I never heard of an auto-chromatic program within the S950. What do you mean by that?

damien907 wrote:

Harmoncj wrote:you can only have one sample at a time through the individual outs. just treat each output like a mute group.

wtf do you mean by this? i cant wrap my head around using the outputs as mute groups ala mpc 1000.

An output can only play 1 sample at a time. Routing a few chops to the same output will give you the effect that every chop will cut any other chop. Just like a mute group does.


peace

Make a template program. Assign a keygroup program to every single note starting by note #36, all the way up till note #99. (64 keygroups, 64 pads) Save this template to a floppydisk.

Then make one for the mpc as well. Set the midi notes in chromatic order so the pads will correspond with the notes which will trigger the keygroups. Save this one as your template program.

Faru12 wrote:

tapedeck wrote:

Faru12 wrote:Is there a way to get the notes in line on my MPC?

create an auto-chromatic program from any sample, then go through and remove the sample from each pad.
use that program but also turn on midi.

this will put your midi note numbers in order.

Sorry but I don't get that. I never heard of an auto-chromatic program within the S950. What do you mean by that?

you asked about how to do it in the mpc. i was explaining how to do it in the mpc.
since your mpc is triggering the 950, the notes assigned to the mpc pads are what determine the 'pitch' of the sample you are hearing on the 950.
your samples arent out of tune, the pads are just out of order.

peterpiper wrote:

damien907 wrote:

Harmoncj wrote:you can only have one sample at a time through the individual outs. just treat each output like a mute group.

wtf do you mean by this? i cant wrap my head around using the outputs as mute groups ala mpc 1000.

An output can only play 1 sample at a time. Routing a few chops to the same output will give you the effect that every chop will cut any other chop. Just like a mute group does.


peace

this is awesome a real eye opener. thats one thing that i love about newer samplers, and to have this option with the classic 12 bit sound is groundbreaking for me. i assume that the s900 works the same way? do you know?

Pretty sure the S900 is working the same way.

SP1200 does the same thing...
It also has an option to assign samples/buttons (pads) to an output group...
For example, if you have two samples routed to the output 7 and don't want them to cut each other off, you can assign them to an output group (lets say output 7 and 8 )... now if sample 1 is already playing and you trigger sample 2, it will switch the output for sample 2 from output 7 to output 8... so now both can play at the same time.

since your mpc is triggering the 950, the notes assigned to the mpc pads are what determine the 'pitch' of the sample you are hearing on the 950.
your samples arent out of tune, the pads are just out of order.

Yes that is absolutely true. They are not in the correct order for that. But how the hell I can get them in the correct order? I can't believe that people who are using a S950 or S900 always switching pad banks to get the scale...