Track length by ticks

Hello guys,

Im breaking my head trying to configure non standart lengths for tracks, I mean, define them by ticks and not by bars

1 bar = 4 ticks

Can I set tracks of 5,6,7 ticks instead of múltiple of 4 ticks?

Thanks for the help

Sorry just that

Looking to créate track lenghts as the elektron machines can...where you can configure the extensión of the track in any númber of secuencer ticks as you wish and not exactly múltiples of 4 ticks configuring 1 beat.


Isnt posible?

You must be confusing „beats“ with „ticks“. Most samplers allow 96 ppq while sequencers usually allow 240 ticks per sub beat.

Take a look on this video. Elektron cycles can configure adhoc track length setting the númber of step secuencers. Mpc can always múltiple of 4.
Its posible to do as elektron? To créate this kind of polyrythm?

A tick in MPCs refers to the smallest sub-division of sequencer time, there are 960 ticks per quarter note. The next sub division is beats, then bars. e.g.

01:02:439 is bar 1, beat 2, tick 439.

A track can be set to a length independent of the sequence length, this is measured in beats, not ticks. So you can, for example, have a track looping every 3 beats while the rest of the sequence loops every 8 beats (2 bars in 4/4).

I'm not personally familiar with the Elektron sequencer, but I believe it perhaps handles this differently to the MPC. There are various youtube videos out there discussing polyrythms with an MPC sequencer, I'm not sure it can achieve the same results as Elektron devices though.

Thanks for your answer MPCTutor.
Its true you can configure a 3 beat length track. But in the secuencer view each beat is formed of 4 ticks.
what I want its to créate the length based on the secuencer number of Steps/thicks or whatever is the formal name of that.

Not based on beats due every beat is a 4 secuencers steps and I want to have different number of steps for each track to have a TRUE polyrythm..

Sorry abouto to confuse some terms and many thanks for the time on the answers

Searching this on the forum, seems that an user asked just the same some time ago...

viewtopic.php?t=183026&p=1725339

Seems its not possible to do what Im asking and its really a pity due its a funcionality I Often use on my techno tracks

MPC-Tutor wrote:A tick in MPCs refers to the smallest sub-division of sequencer time, there are 960 ticks per quarter note. The next sub division is beats, then bars. e.g.

01:02:439 is bar 1, beat 2, tick 439.

A track can be set to a length independent of the sequence length, this is measured in beats, not ticks. So you can, for example, have a track looping every 3 beats while the rest of the sequence loops every 8 beats (2 bars in 4/4).

I'm not personally familiar with the Elektron sequencer, but I believe it perhaps handles this differently to the MPC. There are various youtube videos out there discussing polyrythms with an MPC sequencer, I'm not sure it can achieve the same results as Elektron devices though.

Should not it be set to 960 resolution in preferences for that division? I recall changing it from 96 to 960 in the past.

Yes, the default is a 'display' of 96 PPQN. However, from what I recall, this doesn't seem to change the underlying resolution, which remains at 960. So if you record a sequence with the display of 96 PPQN, you might have events at '1:1:73' but then switch back to 960 PPQN, it will show something like 1:1:734, rather than 1:1:730', so the 96 option is still recording at the 960 res, it just doesn't display it.

MPC-Tutor wrote:Yes, the default is a 'display' of 96 PPQN. However, from what I recall, this doesn't seem to change the underlying resolution, which remains at 960. So if you record a sequence with the display of 96 PPQN, you might have events at '1:1:73' but then switch back to 960 PPQN, it will show something like 1:1:734, rather than 1:1:730', so the 96 option is still recording at the 960 res, it just doesn't display it.

Thanks Tutor, didn't know that.

@mcplata

You can do as elektron , but its far less flexible on mpc. You need to set a sequence length that is a common multiple of each track Length you need. The most common is mixing multiple of 2 and 3 steps , its suite easy ( sequence of 12 steps/ 3 measures for exemple)

Starting from scratch

Define a sequence length that will fit your polyrhythm...

For example 15 measures with 4 steps/ beats by measure ( known as classic 4/4) = 60 steps , multiple of 4, 3,6 and 5 steps.... Antway Each step/ beats can be divided in 960 ticks , so you can record or write notes anywhere "in between " your grid. OK ?

Caution : what you call ticks in your post is called beats or step in mpc .

We imagine 140 BPM "techno compatible" tempo.
- tracks length :
In Main window, set track1 length to 1,2, 4 , 8 or 16 or ..60steps ( in this case 60 would be the same as default SEQ length)...
For our example , set length to 1 step
Put a kick each beat, giving you the basic "techno" pulse looping each step, 60 times in the sequence length

Set track 2 to 3 step/ beats length.
First polythmic effect ... Your track 2 looops 20 times ( 120 steps)while the track 1 loops on every beats
Put a sound on it anywhere you start polyrhythm


Set track 3 to 5 steps / beats length

It will loop 12 times before return to sequence start.. Put something on it its already strong polyrhythm on 1,3 and 5 basis

For fun, put track 4 length to 15 steps , looping 4 times , a cymbal or pad on this track will really mess around with others

So you see you can have in this example 4 differents rhythm in a simple sequence.... It needs to find a common multiple to the length you need.

In elektron and lot of others sequencers, track length is independent of sequence length so it can loop anywhere following the tempo, on any track ... But in mpc you need to find common multiple if you want your tracks to loop correctly on each length. So your sequence must be as long as the common multiple of each subdivision you need.




Please let me know if it helps when you try it... Less flexible , but with a sequence length of 999 bars maximum, you have strictly no limit to your polyrhythm.

Here is a link to a 60 steps polrythmic I made.

Its using 4 , 6 ,5 steps subdivisions
Not cool to listen or to dance anyway..

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