New MPC User - Workflow Help

Hello! first post , first time MPC User!
Just received my unit yesterday and as with all things new, its exciting & also challenging.
I am coming from an ableton 'background' - although the MPC has a screen , for various reasons such as spending time in front of a computer after work hours tired me after all the years spent with this software.

Now as i expected (did some research beforehand on the product) , the workflow is entirely different, and while i am reading carefully the manual (MPC live one - some reasons i cant find MPC 1 one) i am hoping for the more experienced users here to speed up my learning curve with the O.S if thats ok?
Instinctively i am trying to look for an approach to a workflow as i would with ableton and have some questions on how to reproduce some elements.

FYI my unit doesn't have yet an SD so i am mucking around with the pre installed bank while its received

so here there are :
1: whats the best way to organize a sample library so i can audition on the fly a sampled kick, snare with minimal browsing ?

2:how can i route 2 tracks or more to a specific one where i only have a compressor EQ or other effects?

3: IS there a way to adjust a note length on the grid or to move said note around without using the screen? (using piano roll)

4: when layering snares for instance, using ableton i can move samples slight so there are not on top of each other (I.E. preserve attack of one, but keep body of the other) how does this work on MPC, is it accomplished using envelope? , then when sequencing the note manually on the piano roll , can i use a button rather than the screen to input it slightly off a beat marker or do i have to set my grid to 32/64 and zoom in using the screen?

5 can i create something similar to ableton chain effect and another chain effect within it (in ableton i would do something like this to 'split' frequencies and apply to say high freq a disto, reverb , while leaving the low end untouched )

i thinks thats all for now! , i am still reading the manual, practicing and all and intend to know my unit on the back of my hand, but would appreciate your inputs/help if you know how to address above questions!

Thanks a lot

welcome to the mpc world
i came from old samplers and daws untill MPC LIVE

it took a while to get used to the mpc workflow sample/program/sequence/song without the timeline thing.
But once u get it you'll see its really fast to put down ideas
i like the fact i can leave the mouse alone most of the time and do all on screen.

never messed with ableton its looks so 1970 but heard much good about it...

1 as you would normaly do in a PC
i suggest u add external hdd via usb since u on the ONE
u will make two folders, one for PROJECTS and one for sounds : BANK for example and then inside DRUMS / SAMPLES / ect
inside DRUMS u can have a snare folder / hh / kicks ect u can browse through them with audio preview while your song is playing
for browsing i had trouble finding the go to parent folder on the screen my first couple days..(its a little arrow going up , left to the path u are in:)
(Lampdog will really think im blind now:)

2 there are submixes but cant help much as i dont really mix in mpc besides adding some inserts here or there.. i heard it was buggy when the feature came out and never bothered to learn it

3 in grid edit mode i like using the screen and the big knob for most editing but u can use mouse on pc too
make sure u go in TC and select the setting u like 16/32/64 or off
then u can nudge or edit start / end with big knob on the selected note(s)

4 i guess enveloppe of the sample in the layer in question or starting point of that sound in EDIT SAMPLE mode

5 no id

check out TUBEDIGGA on Youtube you'll learn a lot i think there is a beginner video and many in depth on many subjects and ofc u can also buy the MPC bible

good luck

Thank you for all information shared.
Tubedigga has some VG videos - thanks!
I also found MPC Head which is helpful too.

Yeah workflow is something to get used to. Only got my unit Friday..
Definitely want to remove myself from computer environment and be able to progress a project up to mastering stage done elsewhere..

Can i edit grid notes on grid without relying too much on the screen touch?

I need to figure out best way to minimise samples browsing find my own shortcuts etc

If anybody else can share views on my questions that ll be cool!

Spend an evening organising your samples into sub folders.
Did mine recently and gets me what im looking for quickly.

Still need to go through my one shots one more level. Eg Break kicks and snares down into sub folders to save browsing so many.

Also look at the step sequencer.
Useful for deleting notes changing velocities etc as well as sequencing

1: whats the best way to organize a sample library so i can audition on the fly a sampled kick, snare with minimal browsing ?
Best file renamer I’ve used!
Figure out your own structure, just make sure to rename appropriately.
https://www.bulkrenameutility.co.uk/


2:how can i route 2 tracks or more to a specific one where i only have a compressor EQ or other effects?
Use submixes (pg 103) and/or returns (pg 105). Learn how to route.
MPC One manual.
https://www.akaipro.com/amfile/file/download/file/1009/product/8366/

3: IS there a way to adjust a note length on the grid or to move said note around without using the screen? (using piano roll)
50/50
It’s in your best interest to use the screen, get a capacitive stylus, makes life much easier.

4: when layering snares for instance, using ableton i can move samples slight so there are not on top of each other (I.E. preserve attack of one, but keep body of the other) how does this work on MPC, is it accomplished using envelope? , then when sequencing the note manually on the piano roll , can i use a button rather than the screen to input it slightly off a beat marker or do i have to set my grid to 32/64 and zoom in using the screen?
Get to know grid view (pg 143). Get to know filter/env (pg 210). Get to know your TC and how it affects your grid editing.

5 can i create something similar to ableton chain effect and another chain effect within it (in ableton i would do something like this to 'split' frequencies and apply to say high freq a disto, reverb , while leaving the low end untouched )
Get creative and know your gear. Know what it can do.

You can answer MANY of your own questions when you experiment, try.

wookieewookiee wrote:Hello! first post , first time MPC User!
Just received my unit yesterday and as with all things new, its exciting & also challenging.
I am coming from an ableton 'background' - although the MPC has a screen , for various reasons such as spending time in front of a computer after work hours tired me after all the years spent with this software.

Now as i expected (did some research beforehand on the product) , the workflow is entirely different, and while i am reading carefully the manual (MPC live one - some reasons i cant find MPC 1 one) i am hoping for the more experienced users here to speed up my learning curve with the O.S if thats ok?
Instinctively i am trying to look for an approach to a workflow as i would with ableton and have some questions on how to reproduce some elements.

FYI my unit doesn't have yet an SD so i am mucking around with the pre installed bank while its received

so here there are :
1: whats the best way to organize a sample library so i can audition on the fly a sampled kick, snare with minimal browsing ?

2:how can i route 2 tracks or more to a specific one where i only have a compressor EQ or other effects?

3: IS there a way to adjust a note length on the grid or to move said note around without using the screen? (using piano roll)

4: when layering snares for instance, using ableton i can move samples slight so there are not on top of each other (I.E. preserve attack of one, but keep body of the other) how does this work on MPC, is it accomplished using envelope? , then when sequencing the note manually on the piano roll , can i use a button rather than the screen to input it slightly off a beat marker or do i have to set my grid to 32/64 and zoom in using the screen?

5 can i create something similar to ableton chain effect and another chain effect within it (in ableton i would do something like this to 'split' frequencies and apply to say high freq a disto, reverb , while leaving the low end untouched )

i thinks thats all for now! , i am still reading the manual, practicing and all and intend to know my unit on the back of my hand, but would appreciate your inputs/help if you know how to address above questions!

Thanks a lot

Slightly off topic but hopefully useful info: I strongly suggest you watch the MPC Beats Academy series on the MPC One and follow along, creating the demo song in the tutorial. This will be the easiest and quickest way to understand producing on the MPC.

I also suggest you pick up an SD Card or USB stick ASAP, as you have VERY limited space on the built-in storage. Do NOT save your samples on the built-in storage, and I wouldn’t even save your projects there. Just treat it as a “read only” drive.

Finally, make certain you are ejecting your SD Card/USB stick before removing them from your MPC One (or computer), or you will corrupt the file structure and have issues down the road.

MPC Beats Academy series on the MPC One:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=P ... D8YjHtqgBW

And be sure to watch the 2.8 improvements here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PcXXI21DJpA

Don't forget to check out the MPC Bible:

https://www.mpc-samples.com/product.php/268/mpc-bible/

With regards to reorganising folders, file names etc.
Does this massively break your Projects post clean up, or is it just a simple case of re-linking media?

FlemChandango wrote:With regards to reorganising folders, file names etc.
Does this massively break your Projects post clean up, or is it just a simple case of re-linking media?

Sure mpc copies all media into the project directory so reorganizing sample library's should have no effect.
Worth checking.

eLuSiVeMiTe wrote:

FlemChandango wrote:With regards to reorganising folders, file names etc.
Does this massively break your Projects post clean up, or is it just a simple case of re-linking media?

Sure mpc copies all media into the project directory so reorganizing sample library's should have no effect.
Worth checking.

Thanks this puts me more at ease!

Thank you all for the replies! Much appreciated.
I found the mpc live manual but not the one strangely enough..

Regarding Organization of samples , i found this link.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvVIFeT5QM8

That’s exactly what i want! But with this technic, do you need to utilise the purge function to remove the files not in use?

Is there a software out there that can edit file name as a bulk .. e.g. adding a letter/number to all existing files

Thanks