I'm Embarrassed....(MPC 4000 Filters)

As the title states, I'm embarrassed. I constantly talk about how the the MPC 4000 is the best thing since sliced bread, and it is, but after 10 years of owning it, I took an 8 year "break" so let's say two years to make myself feel better, I only just started messing with the non-obvious filters (the obvious being LPF, BPF, HPF) and all I can say is DAMN! Where the hell have I been? IMO, the filters are amazing (and there are a ton of them) and you can layer the same sound with different filters to really achieve any sound you want. Add in the effects (both universal and sample specific) and honestly, there is no limit. It's crazy. If you've been doing this already, you are a king, if not, try it. You'll be amazed. 10 years after its release and I am still amazed by the 4K every time I turn it on.

You can coax some pretty good results from them. It's like everything else with the 4K, you just have to play around with it and you quickly end up with something useable.

What kind of filters are we talking here?

There's all manner of peaks, notches, phasers, and a voweliser and triple filter. 35 different types.

Coz wrote:There's all manner of peaks, notches, phasers, and a voweliser and triple filter. 35 different types.

And several poles on the LPF, BPF, and HPF. There's also an EQ and EQ+ in the triple section. And in the triple you can use any three combination of LPF, BPF, HPF, EQ and EQ+.

Yep, it's a pretty versatile selection.

THis is a good topic. If you read old synth books they talk about notch filters helping to take the 50 or 60 hum out of a sound. However it seems like it is also a blatant misdirection. The NOTCH filter is very cool and the MPC has 5 the fifth one being the real trick.

Make sure a qlink is controlling the cutoff and another the resonance. Use the mod matrix. I use it on synth, pads and brass sounds. It becomes cool very quickly.

The filters make the synth. The waveforms are the foundation but it's all about the filters and the connectivity or routing within. This is why forums like this are better when people show or explain what they do. It moves people in leaps and bounds. I am glad you have gotten into the filters.

When I first got the vsynth I started watching analog synth vids on youtube and that is when I noticed the NOTCH. Just look up any analog video like the Analog solution telemark...and watch the lovely sound once tweaked.

Back in the day people used to be secretive about their sound creation. Especially the professional programmers. Nowadays people seem to have lifted the veil, so to speak. Which is great, no doubt its because of the amount of easy access to sharing info.

Which leads me to this point...we all might want to think about linking the akai mpc forum to Google Hangout. That way people can easily explain and teach each other things visually in one big conference video chat. It is brilliant. Once finished you can upload the recorded session unto youtube or whatever. Check it out if you don't know about it yet.

Cheers,
Ian

so far, the triple filter option worked out best for me I think you can get pretty good results working with this one

OFF
2-POLE BP
1-POLE HP+
LO<>HI
WIDE NOTCH
BI-PEAK
2-POLE LP
2-POLE BP+
2-POLE HP
LO<>BAND
BI-NOTCH
PHASER 1
2-POLE LP+
4-POLE BP
2-POLE HP+
BAND<>HI
PEAK 1
PHASER 2
4-POLE LP
4-POLE BP+
4-POLE HP
NOTCH 1
PEAK 2
BI-PHASE
4-POLE LP+
6-POLE
4-POLE HP+
NOTCH 2
PEAK 3
VOWELISER
6-POLE LP
1-POLE HP
6-POLE HP
NOTCH 3
WIDE PEAK
TRIPLE

SimonInAustralia wrote:OFF
2-POLE BP
1-POLE HP+
LO<>HI
WIDE NOTCH
BI-PEAK
2-POLE LP
2-POLE BP+
2-POLE HP
LO<>BAND
BI-NOTCH
PHASER 1
2-POLE LP+
4-POLE BP
2-POLE HP+
BAND<>HI
PEAK 1
PHASER 2
4-POLE LP
4-POLE BP+
4-POLE HP
NOTCH 1
PEAK 2
BI-PHASE
4-POLE LP+
6-POLE
4-POLE HP+
NOTCH 2
PEAK 3
VOWELISER
6-POLE LP
1-POLE HP
6-POLE HP
NOTCH 3
WIDE PEAK
TRIPLE

EQ
EQ+
(both are in the triple)

Mp4ks filters have had a hard time around here but ive always stood up for them due to the fact when compared with the maschine and 4k side by side the 4k absolutely demolished it!!!!!!done......the filters just blew it out the door.Beware low frequency rumble shame about the squeaky whistle high resonance tho.Oh well glad to see this feature being appreciated fam.FX underestimated to imo........

dryad-66 wrote:Mp4ks filters have had a hard time around here but ive always stood up for them due to the fact when compared with the maschine and 4k side by side the 4k absolutely demolished it!!!!!!done......the filters just blew it out the door.Beware low frequency rumble shame about the squeaky whistle high resonance tho.Oh well glad to see this feature being appreciated fam.FX underestimated to imo........

Funny thing is, the reason I made this thread, is basically because of what you said. I've been messing with digital filters (i.e. in the mac) like the filters in Mashine/Logic and I said to myself, let me see how these filters in the 4K sound and as you said, the 4K blows them away. Now I'm sure there are plugins out there, like Waves, which I haven't used like that, that sound great too but the 4Ks filters sound very good to me. Now, they aren't the super warm analog filters of golden age equipment (MPC 60/3000, s950, SP, etc.) but they sure as hell kill a lot of the "toy filters" people are playing with nowadays. And even though I haven't messed with the effects that much, although I plan to mess with them a lot to see what they are talking about, what I have done, sounds great to me too. Again, they aren't outboard dedicated efx units but they are better than these "toy effects" people are playing with nowadays. IMO, of course.

I would be embarrassed if I praised the sound result of the wovelizer filter

flowdesigner wrote:I would be embarrassed if I praised the sound result of the wovelizer filter

yeah well you're an idiot

flowdesigner wrote:I would be embarrassed if I praised the sound result of the wovelizer filter

Voweliser?