Technical questions for the MPC2000xl and the MPC2000
By Madness Mon Feb 28, 2005 10:23 pm
Im trying to put together a basic beats set to do live, so I can add some reverb, delay, distortion to my drums and some seperate EQ for loops...but its a bit crazy to figure out. I hope someone can impart their experiences on me.

Quote from manual:
"Each Drum program can have its own effect setting, but only one effect setting can be used"

Now this confusses the jeebers out of me...does this mean I can set the effects per DRUM which is then saved in the .all file.

Now in the manual its pretty clear that you assign the programs to the DRUM in the effects section, which indicates to me that tthe effects are dependant on the DRUM being used by the program to which effects your program will have access to.

But, what if I want to use 2 x DRUM programs in a song for example and want to use EFX on both, surely its not limited to one DRUM? I can easily from the MIXER menu go and assign a output to any effect. In which case how do I tell the MPC which DRUM effect setting to use one to use? See Im confussing myself and you aswell no doubt.

Ultimately, I wish to be able to load up multiple programs (more than 4) then change between them as songs and sequences change, using Program Changes through my set. I would like to use a single DRUM for each song to keep the pads easily accessable without swapping tracks etc,.perhaps a couple of DRUMs holding percusion sounds familiar to all my songs. However, It appears I cannot load up a associated Effects preset with that program I will be limited to the Effects defined for the DRUM or for DRUM 1-4 (if I ever figure out how to set that)

If I change from Program 5 to say Program 15 in DRUM 1 will I then get the effects settings set for Program 15 or does it depend on the .all and will they stay the same?

If its true that I can only have a maximum of 4 x Effects Settings loaded in memory at once (related to the DRUM) how do I activate them and\or change between them???

Correct me if I am on the wrong path here? Please, any one with any experience doing something simular please respond?

Peace,
jake
User avatar

By McSmooth Wed Mar 02, 2005 12:39 am
I'm pretty sure I know what you're asking. Only one drum (of 4) can have the effects active. Usually this would be set to drum1 which where most of your sequences are programmed to anyway unless you have your sequences set up for multiple programs at once. I have stopped doing that for this main reason and keep single kits for each sequence unless I know I'll never use effects and its seperate.

You can have multiple programs loaded up and then switch the program on the next sequence. So you can have a program change on each sequence to change drum1 to a different program (you have to specify the number for each in the program settings). This will effectively make the new program in the drum1 slot which will have the FX on it. Then if you want to blend two programs, be sure that the one that needs effects is in drum1 and one where it isn't so important is in drum2... otherwise, time to start combining sounds into the same program.

Effects settings are saved within each program, so when you make the program switch, the new effects settings will load up as well. Make sure you have your global settings set to Program (which should be the default anyway) and not Drum. This means that you can have effects settings saved in all 24 program slots, 4 program slots are active, but only the drum with the active FX (usually drum1) will be active.

That whole drum/program concept took me forever to learn. Its never explained well in the manual and damn confusing.

By nanoloop Wed Mar 02, 2005 10:29 am
i just leave my fx on 'program' so i can access the 4 modules global style. the mixer settings are saved in the all file. i have one all file and pgm file per beat, the mixer automation is saved into the sequences. i use a sync2 (http://home.netspeed.com.au/aistorm/sync2.html) to jump between devices when loadin and not loose sync.

By Madness Thu Mar 03, 2005 12:20 am
Thanks for all the tips guys....

Im gonna stick with the Single DRUM PROGRAM option.

Another Question???

Thing is...as Nanoloop says...Mixer settings are set in .all so does that mean for the sounds comming into DRUM 1 all the kicks, snares, hits...will have to occupy the same PAD positions so that the SEND amounts defined in the Mixer will be the same...???

What if I wanted more Snare Reverb on a Drum PROGRAM for a sequence which I load using a program change...the SEND amount will remain the same....

Does anyone know where the SEND amount is saved? by Program or by MIXER .all???

By mpc3000 Thu Mar 03, 2005 5:15 am
"Program or by MIXER .all"

I am pretty sure it is stored in PGM and APS, and that is why there is the mixer setting for MASTER or PROGRAM so you can specify which has priority. See pp 135 of the manual

By Madness Thu Mar 03, 2005 5:31 am
AWESOME....THANKS HEAPS.....

Its weird I must have read the manual 10x but things always slip my mind!!!

By nanoloop Thu Mar 03, 2005 5:32 am
you can enter send levels via the step seqeuncer. there heaps of handy functions in there for automation. plus i can edit all the params for my microwave.

By Madness Thu Mar 03, 2005 6:47 am
nanoloop wrote:you can enter send levels via the step seqeuncer. there heaps of handy functions in there for automation. plus i can edit all the params for my microwave.


AWESOME....

gonna get busy with some dubish delay reverb send's tonight...!!!! This will really spice up the set!!!

By nanoloop Fri Mar 04, 2005 6:10 am
i try to keep as many of the sets parameters in the step sequencer, incase i ever want to go over to a computer. i will still be able to recall all the pathes for my XT cause i have inserted the CC into my sequences. and same with fx as it will give me an outline to were i sued and bypass'd certain fx.s