Mohammed wrote:I dont think yall fully understand my question. I know how to overwrite a sample, and listen it and stuff and ive read the manual. But what i want to know is,,, can i trim a loop in sample edit,,,, and hear it in the sequence before having to save or overwriite it????
Because now,, when i trim a sample, and go back to the sequence,,, all trim data is lost,,,,, in all other akai samplers, that doesnt happen, in my old s950 i can trim a sample and go back to program menu and keep all the trim data. I dont see any point in having to overwrite a sample everytime you change a menu,,,,
I also know that i can change monitor to multi to listen,, but for reasons i cant explane now, its very inconvenient for me.
This is for you Mo first the S950
ABOUT LOOPING
Because any sample you take on the S950 only lasts a finite amount of time,
there will be occasions where you want to sustain that sound longer than the
actual sample - this is especially true if the sample is only a second or so I
ong as will often be the case. This is further compounded by the fact that a
one second sample played en octave up will only lest half a second and, an
octave up from that, It will only lest a quarter of a second. To get round this
problem, a sampler uses a process known as looping. This is a technique where
part of the sample is played over end over again for as long as you keep your
finger on the keyboard. For example, say you have a one second sample of a
flute. Using looping, you can instruct the S950 to play the sample through to
the end and then, while you keep your finger on the keyboard, It can repeatedly
play the last half second of the sample. In this way, you would get the breathy
attack of the flute followed by a smooth sustained tone. Well, that's the
theory - In practice, it can be more difficult.
You see, many sounds, especially acoustic sounds, can have quite varying
amplitude levels and these can be difficult to loop because the loop will be
,dumping abrubtly from one level to another giving rise to unpleasant clicks or
'glitches' as they are called in sampling terminology (see Fig. 1). The length
of this loop is set using, not surprisingly, a parameter called LOOP LENGTH.
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The art of looping is to find two points in the sample which ere of a similar
level so that the end of the loop and the start of the loop are matched (see
Fig. 2) - this 1s called a ZERO CROSSING POINT. Sometimes, this can be easy
to achieve, sometimes it is impossible. To help you with this sometimes
tedious task, the S950 has an AUTOLOOP function where the S950's computer
will automatically look for a good zero crossing point and loop the sound for
you. Sadly, there is only so much a computer can do in the case of a
difficult sound end so the S950 has two looping modes which we looked at
above on Page 4 of EDIT SAMPLE. Mode 2 - LOOPING - will loop the sound as
described immediately above - i.e. the sound will play from start to finish
and then ,lump beck to the point in the sound defined by the LOOP LENGTH
parameters. Made 3 - ALTERNATING - rill cause the sound to play beck to the
end and then, instead of ,lumping beck to the start of the loop, It will play
the loop backwards and then it will play it the right way round then
backwards then forwards then backwards, etc., for as long as you keep your
finger on the keyboard. This is also known as a BACXWARDS/FORWARDS loop and
can certainly help in looping sounds that would otherwise be difficult to
loop using ,lust the normal looping mode. Figs. I and 2 show the difference
between the two modes and you can see how the alternating loop has smoothed
out the loop portion of the sound. In conjunction with the AUTOLOOP function
described above, good loops ere often easy to ttain. But even this is
sometimes not enough to loop certain sounds, especially harmonically rich and
varying sounds so the S950 has one further old in the search for the perfect
loop celled CROSSFADE LOOPING.
FIG. 1 - Normal looping. Note the abrupt level changes giving rise to
'glitches'
FIG. 2 - Alternating or back wards/ forwards looping of the same sound. Note how the
level changes are smoothed out gluing a glitchless loop.
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CROSSFADE LOOPING allows you to fade out the glitches that may be present In
a loop. Basically, when you employ crossfade looping, the sound plays to the
end of the sample and then, instead of the sample jumping back to the start
of the loop, the sound begins to fade away as the start of the loop fades in.
At the end of the loop, the loop again fades away whilst the start fades in
(see Fig. 4) - In this way, the nasty clicks end thumps caused by abrupt
amplitude changes at the loop points are faded out enabling a much smoother
loop to be created. This mode is certainly the best for attaining a perfect
loop end even difficult sounds such as thick strings, brass end vocals,
amongst others, can easily be looped and you won't spot the join!
FIG. 3 - Crossfade looping where the start of the loop crossfades with the end
of the loop eliminating glitching.
Utilizing all the various looping modes such as AUTOLOOP, ALTERNATING LOOP and
CROSSFADE LOOPING, the otherwise arduous task of looping a sound is made a lot
easier for you. having said that, some sounds will still be difficult to loop
but this Is not a falling of the S950 or yourself but the sound. On occasions,
even the wealth of technological assistance That the S950's looping functions
offer can encounter sounds that remain stubborn but, as we shall see 1n the
ADVANCED APPLICATIONS GUIDE, there are ways to mask the effect of an awkward
loop.
Bearing ell this In mind, then, we can now move to the next group of pages
which deal with the looping functions on the S950.
Page 08 will display:
>08 LOOP LENGTH #Coarse #Fine #AUTO
<# - #,###) ^,^^^ (ENT)
where '#' is the maximum loop length possible and '^' are the current loop
length setting (default on a new sample is 2,000).
Note: To loop a sound, we must first go back to Page 04 of EDIT SAMPLE using
the 'page up' button and select either 2 (LOOPING) or 3 (ALTERNATING). You can
now return to Page 08 using the 'page down' button.
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The various functions in Page 08 are as follows:
'Coarse' allows you to set a rough loop length and 'Fine' allows you to set a
finer resolution of loop length. The autoloop function is selected using the
ENT button when the cursor is in the AUTO field.
To set a loop, first move the cursor to the Coarse field by pressing the
'cursor >' button once - the cursor will flash on the first number underneath
Coarse. You can now set a loop length as long as the figures displayed
underneath LOOP LENGTH using either the keypad or the CONTROL knob. To set a
finer resolution of loop length, move the cursor one position to the right
using the 'cursor >' button and, again using the keypad or CONTROL knob, you
can change the data displayed. You might now like to try and play the keyboard
to see how it sounds. You should find that the sound will play through to the
end and will sustain for as long as you keep your finger on the keyboard but
the sustain portion is possibly clicking or thumping or generally glitching.
You can now move the cursor to the AUTO field using the 'cursor >' button and
by pressing the ENT button, the S950 will search for a better loop. You will
note that the loop length you set gets smaller. Try playing the keyboard again
and see if the loop has improved. If it hasn't, hit ENT again and the loop
length will get smaller as the 950 looks for a better loop. Keep repeating this
process until you end up with a satisfactory loop.
Note: It is a good idea to make either a mental or written note of loop lengths
that the autoloop may select as the next choice it makes might not be as good
as the last and you will be able to return to that loop length 1ater.
It could be, as mentioned. above in 'ABOUT LOOPING', that the autoloop function
may not be able to find a smooth loop due to the nature of the sound so it
might be wise to try using the ALTERNATING mode instead. If all else fails, you
can try using CROSSFADE LOOPING described below.
Let us now move to the next page using the 'page down' button. The display will
read:
>09 CROSSFADE LOOP. #Name NEW SAMPLE
X-fade length 32000 #Execute Mem 0%
In this page you can execute a crossfade loop.
To do this you must first make a copy of the sample to be crossfade looped so,
using the LETTER button, create a new sample name and press ENT. You can now
move the cursor to the X-fade length field using the 'cursor >' button. Data
can be input using the keypad or the CONTROL knob. Once you have set the
crossfade loop length, move the cursor one position right using the 'cursor >'
button and hit ENT. There will be a pause while the 5950 calculates the
crossfade loop. To hear the fruits of your labours, hit EDIT SAMPLE to take you
Page 01 and select the new sample with the crossfade loop. By playing a note on
the keyboard or by pressing the PB button, you should find that your loop has
been smoothed out considerably. If it hasn't, delete this sample, go back to
the original and then repeat the crossfade loop procedure selecting a different
loop length.
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Note: Because the crossfade loop function requires that you create a new
sample, if the S950 already has a memory full of samples, this may not always
be possible and the display will tell you that memory space is full. If this
occurs, delete some samples (ensuring that they hove first been saved to
disk, If necessary! so that you make room for the new crossfade loop sample.
The field marked MEM on Page 09 will tell you how much memory the S950 has
available for the creation of a new sample.
The next page displays:
>10 #Resample at half bandwidth (ENT)
#Discard before start, after end (ENT)
This page allows you to make economical use of the S950 memory. The top line
allows you to resample the sound at half the original bandwidth and this will
free up more memory although the tonal qualities of the sound may suffer. To
use this function, simply move the cursor to the ENT field using 'cursor >'
and hit ENT - after a short pause, the sample will be available but at half
its original bandwidth.
The discard function is similarly executed. Move the cursor to its ENT field
using the 'cursor >' button and hit ENT. Anything you have edited out of the
sound in Pages 06 and 07 will be erased from memory, thereby freeing up more
memory space.
Note: Both of these are destructive functions end there is no way of
retrieving the original sample after they have been carried out so it would
be wise to save that sample to disk before using this function in case the
results are not satisfactory.
Next the MPC 4000
Loop block
Here you can switch loop playback on/off, and specify the points at which the loop will
start and end.
A Lp Start field
Specifies the point at which loop playback will start (loop start point), in units of one
sample.
B Lp end field
Specifies the point at which loop playback will end (loop end point). By moving the cursor
to END and turning the [JOG] dial, you can select how the loop end point is displayed.
• END.............................Number of samples from the beginning of the sample
• LENGTH.....................Number of samples from the start point
• TIME ...........................Time from the start point
C Play mode field
Selects whether the sample will be looped, and how the sample will play. If you move the
cursor to this field and press the [WINDOW] key, the Play Mode popup window will
appear, allowing you to set the sample playback method in greater detail.
• Play mode field
This is the same parameter as the Play mode field of the Loop block.
• Repeat field
Specifies the number of repeats. If this is set to HOLD, repeats will continue indefi-
nitely.
• Loop type field
Selects how playback will occur if the key is released while the loop region is playing.
You can select LOOP IN RELEASE (decay while playing the loop region) or LOOP
UNTIL RELEASE (decay while playing the sample following the loop end point).
• Direction field
Selects the direction of loop playback. You can select FORWARDS (play repeatedly
in the forward direction from the loop start point to the loop end point) or ALTERNATING
(play between the loop start point and loop end point, alternating between
forward and backward playback).
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Trim/Loop page
169
Waveform display field (lower)
According to the field in which the cursor is located, this area displays the waveform
before and after the start point, before and after the end point, or before and after the loop
start/loop end points.
A Display field
Indicates the point that is shown in the waveform display field (lower).
By holding down the [SHIFT] key and using the BLOCK CURSOR [?]/[†] keys, you
can zoom-in/zoom-out on the waveform display field (lower).
Making various settings for a sample
Here’s how to select a sample, and set its start/end points and loop start/loop end points.
1. In the Trim/Loop page, move the cursor to the sample field and turn the [JOG]
dial to select the sample that you want to edit.
2. Move the cursor to the Monitor field and turn the [JOG] dial to select “SAMPLE.”
3. Move the cursor to the Play mode field, and select one of the following to
specify how the sample will play.
NO LOOP ..............Looping will not be used. The sample will play from the start point
to the end point. If you release the pad (note) during this time, the
playback will stop there.
LOOP .....................When you press the pad (note), the sample will begin playing from
the start point. As long as you holding down the pad (note), the sample
will play back repeatedly from the loop start to the loop end.
ONE SHOT ............When you press the pad (note) once, the sample will play from the
start point to the end point.
4. Move the cursor to the Start field, and specify the start point of the sample.
You can edit the value of the start point by turning the [JOG] dial or by using the numeric
keys to directly input a number of samples and then pressing the [ENTER] key.
5. Strike a pad (or play a MIDI keyboard connected to the [MIDI IN] connector)
to check the start point that you specified.
When you strike pads 1–12 or 16, the sample will begin playing from the start point. In
the Trim/Loop page, the function of pads 13–15 will change as follows.
Pad 13 (PLAY LOOP)...... The loop region will play while you hold down the pad. If you
hold down the [SHIFT] key and press pad 13, playback will
continue even after you release the pad. (To stop playback,
press the pad once again or press the [SHIFT] key.)
Pad 14 (PLAY TO) ........... The sample will play from slightly earlier than the currently
selected location, and stop at the currently selected location.
Pad 15 (PLAY FROM)..... The sample will play from the currently selected location, and
stop slightly later.
6. Move the cursor to the numerical value of the END field, and specify the end
point of the sample in the same way.
Hint: By holding down the [SHIFT] key and pressing the BLOCK CURSOR [†] key, you can magnify
the waveform display (lower) near the start point.
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Sample mode
170
7. If you selected LOOP as the playback method, set the loop start/loop end points
in the same way.
Setting various points while the sample plays
Here’s how you can set the start/end points or loop start/loop end points manually while
you listen to the sample.
1. In the Trim/Loop page, press the [F6] key (P®ALL).
The sample will begin playing from the beginning. During playback, the function key
display will change as follows.
A [F2] key (START)
Press this key during playback to set that location as the start point.
B [F3] key (END)
Press this key during playback to set that location as the end point.
C [F4] key (LP START)
Press this key during playback to set that location as the loop start point.
D [F5] key (LP END)
Press this key during playback to set that location at the loop end point.
E [F6] key (P®STOP)
Stops playback.
2. While the sample plays, press a function key to set the desired point.
The corresponding point will be set.
3. If necessary, return to the Trim/Loop page and make fine adjustments to the
locations of each point.
Automatically detecting the start/end points
The locations at which the waveform exceeds a specified level (threshold) can automatically
be detected as the start/end points. For example, this function provides a convenient
way to quickly find the attack portion of a drum or percussion sound that you have sampled.
1. In the Trim/Loop page, move the cursor to the Start field or END field, and
press the [WINDOW] key.
Depending on the location of the cursor, either the Find Start popup window or the Find
END popup window will appear.
Hint: By holding down the [SHIFT] key and using the CURSOR [?]/[®] keys, you can change the
place (digit) that is modified by the [JOG] dial.
It is also possible to set the start/end points or loop start/loop end points simply by pressing a key while
you listen to the sample play. For details, refer to the section that follows.
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Trim/Loop page
171
2. Move the cursor to the Threshold field, and turn the [JOG] dial to specify the
threshold value.
The value you specify here will be used as the reference for automatic detection.
3. Press the [F6] key (FIND).
The waveform will be searched to find the point at which the threshold is exceeded; starting
from the beginning of the sample when searching for the start point, or starting from
the end of the sample when searching for the end point. When the point is found, it will
be set as the start or end point. Play a pad or your MIDI keyboard to check the results.
4. If necessary, return to the Trim/Loop page and make fine adjustments to the
location of the point.
Automatically detecting the loop points
Appropriate locations for the loop points can be automatically detected in the same way
as for the start/end points.
1. In the Trim/Loop page, make approximate settings for the loop points.
2. With the cursor located at the LP start or LP END field, press the [WINDOW]
key.
The Find Loop popup window will appear.
A LP start field
Specifies the loop start point of the sample, in units of one sample.
B LP END field
Specifies the loop end point of the sample, in units of one sample.
C X-fade length field
Specifies the length of the crossfade.
D Curve field
Selects the crossfade curve.
E [F1] key (CLOSE)
Closes the popup window.
F [F4] key (X-FADE)
Executes the crossfade.
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Sample mode
172
G [F6] key (FIND)
Executes automatic detection of the loop points.
3. Press the [F6] key (FIND).
The sample will be searched from the beginning to find an appropriate loop start point, and
this will be set as the loop start point. Play a pad or your MIDI keyboard to check the result.
4. Make fine adjustments to the detected loop point as necessary.
Applying crossfading
Crossfade looping is a function that rewrites the waveform before and after the loop
start/end points so that the loop will be connected smoothly. This is a convenient way to
minimize the noise that can occur where the loop is joined.
1. In the Trim/Loop page, enable looping and set the loop start/loop end points to
the approximate locations you want.
2. Move the cursor to the LP start or LP END field, and press the [WINDOW] key.
The Find Loop popup window will appear.
3. Move the cursor to the X-fade length field, and specify the length of the crossfade.
The setting of this field specifies the length over which the waveform will be rewritten
before and after the loop point. If this is too short or too long, the loop will not sound
natural.
4. Move the cursor to the Curve field, and select one of the following as the
crossfade curve.
• LINEAR ......................Apply linear crossfading before and after the loop point.
• LOG .............................Apply logarithmic crossfading before and after the loop point.
• SINE ............................Apply sine curve crossfading before and after the loop point.
5. To execute crossfade looping, press the [F4] key (X-FADE).
The Keep or Retry popup window will appear.
6. Use the [F3] key (P®ORIGIN) and [F4] key (P®NEW) to compare the original
data with the results of the crossfade.
7. If you are satisfied with the edited result, assign a new name to the sample as
desired, and press either the [F2] key, [F5] key, or [F6] key to save it as a new
sample.
Hint: If you press the [F2] key (OVER WR), the new sample name will be ignored, and the data will
be overwritten onto the previous file.
This operation (crossfading) is destructive editing. Be aware that if you execute overwriting, you will
not be able to recover the original file.
Trim/Loop page
173
Resampling with Q-FX
The MPC4000 lets you apply effects to an already-recorded sample and re-record (resample)
it. This function gives you an easy way to create new samples.
1. In the Trim/Loop page, select the sample that you want to resample, and press
the [F4] key (Q-FX).
The Quick FX popup window will appear, allowing you to specify the effects that will be
applied to the sample.
A Mode field
Select one of the following Q-FX modes to specify how effects will be applied.
COMMAND ..........Use the commands provided by the Q-FX function to process the
sample. You can use up to two commands simultaneously.
FX...........................Use the same effect types and parameters as in effect mode to process
the sample. You can use up to four effects simultaneously.
2. Move the cursor to the Mode field, and select Q-FX mode.
The display will change as follows, depending on the item you select.
If you select COMMAND
A Command field
Selects up to two commands that will process the sample.
B Parameter field
Sets two parameters for each command you selected.
C [F1] key (CANCEL)
Cancels the operation and returns to the previous page.
D [F3] key (®EFFECT)
Auditions the sound processed by the effect.
E [F4] key (®ORIGINAL)
Auditions the original sample.
F [F6] key (DO IT)
Executes resampling with Q-FX applied, and returns to the previous page.
The commands and parameters that you can select are the same as in the Q-FX popup
window of Recode mode (?p.161).
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The same with the added resampling on the 4000 Mo Are you looping a note to extend it or looping a phrase Mo in a sequence?
They sould change the view of the manual.. 
.. to get things straight.. Is it possible to save the end and start point of a region/ trim section of a sample? 
This thread is more than half a year old..