MPC Workflow...

I've only just left software and bought an MPC1k. So far pretty good, but I find it a lil hard to get started. *Just really don't know where to start.*
At the moment i'm just taking it everywhere getting samples from record and cd's and iPods and everything so I can get something phat.
When it comes to making a beat i'll load up some decent drum sounds and phuk around a bit but when it comes to instrumentation i'm kinda stuck. I dont just wanna;
a) Take a whole bar from some old track and just blatently loop that sh*t with a low/high pass filter
b) Flick between two/three slightly differently pitched pads in time with the beat (to make some weird and monotonous tune that sounds just like every other newbie messing around on an mpc! i.e. like the tune on http://www.hiphopproduction.com/video/chopping01.rm !!)

I guess its just time and experience. Any tips you find help you make original beats?

make a program of multisamples and hook up a midi keyboard? Make a bunch of them and you'll have enough sounds to make music.

benie;
There's some MPC 1000 tutorials up on www.futureproducers.com

That may help you out.

Peace.

Wassup Ben, I came from nowt before the MPC, except messing in my mates studio years ago, but didnt know what the hell was going on!.. You hit the nail on the head when you said takes time.. But it is straight forward in the end just gotta spend bout 1 month with ya manual then it starts to click into place... Digging and samples are good to hunt down, but personally I havent looked back since getting a sound module.. Combined with an MPC and PC you got all the sounds you could really want..

Good luck fella

i know my style, and my style hasn't changed since i left software and bought
a 1k. the workflow is the same, sometimes i have a beat in my head which i
try to bring out, or sometimes i just phuk around with the sounds. the most
basic thing i do when laying down drums is, i beatbox it aloud, so i get the
the picture of what im trying to accomplish. even thou the one i make
changes and dont sound like the original, it's still a good way to start. also,
spend time on the beat, get the layers, compressors and eq's correct cause
once you got a phat beat going it ispires you do finish the track in a proper
way. this works also vice versa, i.e. sample first, but whatever you do,
don't leave things half-way, cause a halfdecent beat can turn great if you just
dont mind playing with it. so play around with the machine, its a music tool
like everything else.

you might want to buy some multisample cds

or buy a rompler/keyboard with sounds on it and control it from the mpc.

Or you might want to practice chopping samples from vinyl. Although it might seem impossible or difficult to be creative chopping samples from vinyl, you can create your own multisamples from vinyl samples, and rearrange, combine, twist and flip those samples and get past that "looping" you are talking about. Actually, you probably dont like sampling from vinyl because you are not experienced enough with it. If you practice and give it time youll begin to realize you can be just as original with sampling vinyl as you can be with composing with a keyboard or multisamples.

You gotta look at vinyl as just another sound source. You dont have to gank melodies. Instead of sampling loops, train your ear to hear single notes & stabs, single chords, etc. that you can use to create new sounds, spread them out like a multisample, and actually play shit, this is what samplers are for. Whats the differance if you sample a C note from a guitar to play it on the sampler, or a C note from some old 70s record? chances are, the c note from the record will sound better. But that doesnt mean you are stealing melodies, all you are doing is capturing a sound then using it as an instrument.

Here is an example of creative sampling: sample the sustaining part of a vocal sample, like someone singing aaaaaah. Spread it out using 16 levels, play it like a synth..............apply some filter on it to give it differant character. trim the sample shorter if you want to. Adjust the decay and attack levels on it so it fades just how you like it, maybe layer another sound over it if it sounds good. apply some delay to it. Maybe resmaple it, then timestrech it. Apply some more filters to it, tune it and put a piano sample along side it, etc............generally speaking, this is pretty much what synthesis is on a keyboard, but except of sampling vinyl, you are using preset rom sounds already built in the keyboard. Those rom sounds are samples! You can do the same thing with your mpc and vinyl! Something like a korg triton has a sampler built in so you can also do this with it. Essential you are creating your own sounds, you just happen to use vinyl as a starting point-sound source.

First thing i would do is build up a drum kit, then load a bass multisample (there are some good ones on this site actually that you can buy) that way you can play your bass sounds like a keyboard. Then look for pieces from vinyl, or use multisample cds, or a keyboard/synth with built in sounds. Make your own sounds.

Whos your favorite producer, or person you sort of wanna sound similar too? What kind of beats do you want to make? if you answer that, i can maybe help you on what you might need to do.......to accomplish that sort of sound, ya know? Cuase there are lots of ways in going about it, and finding the way you like to work.

Lots of producers use samples, even if you dont think they do, they just do it in differant ways. Good producers know how to do both, sample, and use sound modules/keyboards/synths. Basically, you are creating your own sounds whether its with samples or a keyboard. If you combine both youll have sounds no one else does.

peace

^^^ Very good post.

Wow.

Respect given where respect due; elmacaco, homershines, splinter, hecto, and especially cyrus, thank you guys great advice, just printing that s**t to take some time to read over!

glad i asked.

(just thinking, you ever thought of doing like a sampling 101 sticky? I think some of the ideas would be useful for people just starting like me)

Oh, and my favourite produce has got to be... hmm RJD2 i guess. Although most recently i've been making more commercial/club style beats, quite processed, think pharrell style i guess (but a bit more full). But if i ever make stuff like RJD2 i'd be happy . -I've been using reason for about 4 years so i'm pretty competent with synths, etc.