Live MPC playing techniques.

Hey all!

In this video:



at the 2:00 mark, I don't understand how he switches beats. Some of the pads he's using are the same ones as he used on the previous beat. So it can't be a matter of hitting different pads.

Same thing at the 3:49 and 04:51 marks. I don't see any pad bank switch or jog wheel turn... It baffles me!

I mean... At the 2:47, 2:50 and 05:49 marks, you can clearly see him switch pad banks, though... That I get!

Thanks!

He appears to be touching the Q links each time - is this a nervous tick, or is he utilising them?

In JJOS you can assign the Q slider to 'LAYER'. Then on the program in question, assign one sound to layer 1 with a velocity range of (say) 120-127, and a different sound to layer 2 with a velocity range of 0-119. This can be done on any pad he wants, for as many layers as is available.

In MAIN, assign the program to track 1 and he can switch the active layer using the Q link.

A possibility...

Right all I see is different ways to look at an MPC instead of actual techniques that I've seen cats use from all around. A technique to me is like turning the MPC around and playing a program backwards or something like that lol.

Something like that one video of Aphex Twin on the MPC 500, those are bonafide techniques that cats should know if they want to take it to that level.

I didn't ever experience all the switching programs when I had my MPC, but I know a lot can be done on them that may not have been done yet.

Look listen and learn, lots of people on here know all about that stuff.

Sm0keydaBear wrote:Something like that one video of Aphex Twin on the MPC 500

link?

Thanks MPC-Tutor!

But seems to me he's playing at full level, thus eliminating the Q-Link layer change theory (via velocity settings), therefore making his constant Q-Link touching a tick indeed...

No?

On top of it, he always touches the Q-Links after the beat change...

Sm0keydaBear wrote:Something like that one video of Aphex Twin on the MPC 500, those are bonafide techniques that cats should know if they want to take it to that level.

If you are referring to this:



it isn't Aphex in the video. But it's really impressive nonetheless.

Speaking of which... I need to know about the Q-Link effect this guy is doing! Damn!

krissserz wrote:it isn't Aphex in the video. But it's really impressive nonetheless.

Speaking of which... I need to know about the Q-Link effect this guy is doing! Damn!

that's all i could find and you are correct.
as for the effect, its just qlink tied to pitch isnt it?

krissserz wrote:But seems to me he's playing at full level, thus eliminating the Q-Link layer change theory (via velocity settings), therefore making his constant Q-Link touching a tick indeed... No? On top of it, he always touches the Q-Links after the beat change...

Yes, it works with full level on, in fact it actually would work more reliably with FULL LEVEL:ON.

In this mode, you don't want to trigger different layers via the actual velocity you hit the pad, you want to control the layer played via the Q link. With the Q link set to LAYER, the value of the slider sends a message to the pad to play the layer associated with the velocity range that value relates to. Sounds confusing....?

So for example, even though you are playing the pad at a velocity of 127, the slider may be sending a value of 50 to the pad. The pad will look for the layer (or layers) whose velocity range covers a value of 50 and plays only that layer. But the output, I believe, would still be 127.

So basically the slider value controls the layer played, but the actual velocity the layer is played at is still dependant on how hard the pad is hit (i.e. 127 at full level).

It's easier explained by actually trying it out in JJOS

As for when he touches the Q links, at 2.00 he plays pad A9 for what I believe is the first time, then touches the Q links, and then starts hitting pads with new sounds on them. He seems to be moving both, and I think I can also hear a tuning drop, so maybe one is assigned to tuning.

At 4.51, he's definitely utilizing the Q links at the change. And at 3.51 although there is a new sample introduced, this pad appears to have not been played for a while previously before that, but there is plenty of Q link touching around 3.35 which is where he could have made the initial layer switch.

Great stuff! Much appreciated! Thanks for taking the time to figure this one out with me! You rock!

On the MPC4000, Q-Link Zone Select can be set up to choose which layer (sample) plays on a pad. Up to four layers per pad, regardless of velocity. Manual slider switching rather than using a true modulator to control the effect. So effectively gives you 16 x 4 = 64 'layers' per pad bank. I reckon the use of patched phrases may be involved to keep timing in check, but who knows...

I don't remember seeing a video of AM actually sampling, chopping and sequencing, if anyone has any links...

Lampdog wrote:Clint you posted a tutorial a while back about this and I actually followed it a few days ago, worked perfectly. I had a feeling it could be done but never actually did it.

It's a cool trick, but I don't think a lot of MPC4000 owners really get beneath the surface of what the Z8 engine can do. MPC2500 w/JJOS seems to be the machine of choice for these live finger drumming techniques.

It's possible that Araab is using a footswitch to change banks, programs and sequences. If you want to be playing live I would recommend you to invest in a footswitch. You will be a lot more agile with your equipment for a relatively low price.