Using mpc4k for live gigs

I want to use the mpc4k for live stuff but im not quite sure on how to use it.

For starters, how do load all you songs programs sequences etc at once, so i can play it live without interupting the music??

Do i load the programs in different multi's??? Switching the multis will cause a slight pauze in sound. How do you guys do this????

OS 1.70 has fixed the pause in sound when changing multis!
Hurrah!
So you no longer need to worry about that.


What I've been doing for the past 3 years:

- construct each song in the studio from lots of patterns (sequences),
then when making a set for a gig,
"bounce" each song down into a single sequence ("Convert Song to Sequence" function)

At the start of that sequence, I'll put a bank select command, which chooses the right multi for that song (multi contains the right programs and FX)

Each Song in my set then ends up as being a single sequence.
I save a .ALL file for the set, which contains each song in the right order (just one sequence in each songs' list)

This .ALL file and all the multis, programs and samples for the get saved in AUTOLOAD.

At the gig, you switch on the MPC4000, everything loads up (assuming all you need fits into 512MB, or however much RAM you have...)

All you have to do is select SONG mode, and for each Song, press PLAY START, then jog through to the next Song in the list for the next one....
everything else selects itself.

(Mind you, make sure you have the latest OS.
There were quite a few bugs in earlier OSs which stopped .ALL files working (you couldn't change the order of songs, changed the name of the .ALL file, save your Multis, there were tons of awkward bugs with Program changes .......)

With OS 1.70, you should even be able to use Bank Select commands in your sequences to change Multis during a song! so you can change FX during the song

Depends on your style ill assign say guitar and bass chorus riffs to one pad as a oneshot and play the drum part live on the pads and for the verse i might program the drums and play the bass line with my fingers,
Just let your imagination run wild and experement.
A good DVD to get inspiration from is Is Shadow, Cut chemist, and somone else (sorry cant remember now) doin a routine called pushin buttons, Its on a shadow dvd that I also cant rember the name of.

feline1 wrote:OS 1.70 has fixed the pause in sound when changing multis!
Hurrah!
So you no longer need to worry about that.


What I've been doing for the past 3 years:

- construct each song in the studio from lots of patterns (sequences),
then when making a set for a gig,
"bounce" each song down into a single sequence ("Convert Song to Sequence" function)

At the start of that sequence, I'll put a bank select command, which chooses the right multi for that song (multi contains the right programs and FX)

Each Song in my set then ends up as being a single sequence.
I save a .ALL file for the set, which contains each song in the right order (just one sequence in each songs' list)

This .ALL file and all the multis, programs and samples for the get saved in AUTOLOAD.

At the gig, you switch on the MPC4000, everything loads up (assuming all you need fits into 512MB, or however much RAM you have...)

All you have to do is select SONG mode, and for each Song, press PLAY START, then jog through to the next Song in the list for the next one....
everything else selects itself.

(Mind you, make sure you have the latest OS.
There were quite a few bugs in earlier OSs which stopped .ALL files working (you couldn't change the order of songs, changed the name of the .ALL file, save your Multis, there were tons of awkward bugs with Program changes .......)

With OS 1.70, you should even be able to use Bank Select commands in your sequences to change Multis during a song! so you can change FX during the song

I dont want to use the convert to sequence function because it doesnt work for me(the function messes the sequence up when you have tracks muted or in another order). I also would like to have more control, when using preloaded songs i might aswell just burn a cd of my tracks and play it.

Aint there a way to use the next sequence function???

Mohammed wrote:

feline1 wrote:OS 1.70 has fixed the pause in sound when changing multis!
Hurrah!
So you no longer need to worry about that.


What I've been doing for the past 3 years:

- construct each song in the studio from lots of patterns (sequences),
then when making a set for a gig,
"bounce" each song down into a single sequence ("Convert Song to Sequence" function)

At the start of that sequence, I'll put a bank select command, which chooses the right multi for that song (multi contains the right programs and FX)

Each Song in my set then ends up as being a single sequence.
I save a .ALL file for the set, which contains each song in the right order (just one sequence in each songs' list)

This .ALL file and all the multis, programs and samples for the get saved in AUTOLOAD.

At the gig, you switch on the MPC4000, everything loads up (assuming all you need fits into 512MB, or however much RAM you have...)

All you have to do is select SONG mode, and for each Song, press PLAY START, then jog through to the next Song in the list for the next one....
everything else selects itself.

(Mind you, make sure you have the latest OS.
There were quite a few bugs in earlier OSs which stopped .ALL files working (you couldn't change the order of songs, changed the name of the .ALL file, save your Multis, there were tons of awkward bugs with Program changes .......)

With OS 1.70, you should even be able to use Bank Select commands in your sequences to change Multis during a song! so you can change FX during the song

I dont want to use the convert to sequence function because it doesnt work for me(the function messes the sequence up when you have tracks muted or in another order). I also would like to have more control, when using preloaded songs i might aswell just burn a cd of my tracks and play it.

Aint there a way to use the next sequence function???

Yeah Mo it just like a jukebox it plays the next sequence you have selected with the pads. From the main page select next seq button and each pad has all of your sequences arranged by pad. At the bottom seq block is whats playing currently and Next block is what you select with the pad. Sudden play the selected pad immediately. Hold loops the current sequence and clears clears out the next if you hit the wrong pad (seq). Also you do the same on the main page by turning the sequence number and the next sequence will show down in the Simul page set to off but it is tricky.

Lastly to play a live arrangement like back in the days aka live 4 style layout all of your record all of your parts as 4 to 8 bars of no loops on different pads with 1 note polphony and the same mute group settings. Using the pads or midi keyboard like I do and jam. No loop setting give you control of the duration of the loop it only plays as long as you hold it. Everyone has different styles have at it Mo. Good luck.

P.S. if this isn`t what you`re looking for maybe someone wonderful will give it to ya.

Mohammed wrote:

feline1 wrote:OS 1.70 has fixed the pause in sound when changing multis!
Hurrah!
So you no longer need to worry about that.


What I've been doing for the past 3 years:

- construct each song in the studio from lots of patterns (sequences),
then when making a set for a gig,
"bounce" each song down into a single sequence ("Convert Song to Sequence" function)

At the start of that sequence, I'll put a bank select command, which chooses the right multi for that song (multi contains the right programs and FX)

Each Song in my set then ends up as being a single sequence.
I save a .ALL file for the set, which contains each song in the right order (just one sequence in each songs' list)

This .ALL file and all the multis, programs and samples for the get saved in AUTOLOAD.

At the gig, you switch on the MPC4000, everything loads up (assuming all you need fits into 512MB, or however much RAM you have...)

All you have to do is select SONG mode, and for each Song, press PLAY START, then jog through to the next Song in the list for the next one....
everything else selects itself.

(Mind you, make sure you have the latest OS.
There were quite a few bugs in earlier OSs which stopped .ALL files working (you couldn't change the order of songs, changed the name of the .ALL file, save your Multis, there were tons of awkward bugs with Program changes .......)

With OS 1.70, you should even be able to use Bank Select commands in your sequences to change Multis during a song! so you can change FX during the song

I dont want to use the convert to sequence function because it doesnt work for me(the function messes the sequence up when you have tracks muted or in another order). I also would like to have more control, when using preloaded songs i might aswell just burn a cd of my tracks and play it.

Aint there a way to use the next sequence function???

Have you tried the "Off tracks ignored" option when converting to a sequence. This works for me. I think thats what its called.

"convert song to sequence" will work if you RFM re: track mutes.


The reason I suggested using that is because if you use Song mode live to play your sequences in a particular order, then it tends to 'hiccup' the timing as the sequences change.

If you really wanna change sequences live on the fly, then use the "next sequence" functionality.

(When I take my MPC4000 out live, I tend to use it as a master sequencer to play a load of analogue stuff via MIDI > CV/gate, and as a live sampler, played from other keyboard controllers.....
....but of course there's plenty of other different ways to use it -
in particular, playing the pads and using 'Next Sequences' and "track Mutes' on the fly...... )

it really does depend on the style of music your playing - in a live situation memory isn't really an issue for me (very short samples, and not too many loops).... i don't even get close to using 20% of the available memory...

thus, until 0S 1.70, i've been playing live by just having a big multi with all the programs i require and then copying the necessary sequences into a master .ALL, and sometimes create "intermediate" sequences to smoothly go from one track to the next - this gives you total control of everything if that's what you want in a live situation... only problem is you can't really change fx/q-link without screwing around...

with the new os i'll probably just use multiple multi's and program change between them when i need to so the q-links etc. are set when i need them to be...