understanding memory...

I am about to buy an mpc1000- I am moving on from my electribe esx (which is a **** to write in) the mpc1000 seems to have a really nice work flow, I am stepping away from my computer set up to a live set up, the mpc seems to be the quickest and most fun hardware sequencer in this price range.

and I am doing some research on memory expansion
I am glad to see there are cheaper options to the akai ram:)

so far this is how it seems to work, let me know if I am wrong. you take what's on your memory card and load it into the 128mb of ram and then write songs... then save it back onto your memory card. if this is true then why bother having more then 128mb card? -is it so you don't have to go back to your computer to get more samples?
I don't understand the whole ram thing - are no sounds saved permanently internally?

Can shed some light on this?

Thanks
-Matt

i used to have the esx also but raded it in for my 1k. the extra ram is helpful in many ways. i like it because it gives you the option to resample a whole song. that way while my broke ass can't afford an interface i can still get by with layin shit down on cd. but just being able to have so many samples at your fingertips during a session is nice too. you mentioned something about not using computers which you can get away with but i would recommend using software for editing.

............

Iirc, the ESX (and other Electribes) DO remember stuff when you turn them off. They have what's called "non-volatile" memory. It's more expensive than normal RAM so there's often less of it.

The MPC1000 doesn't remember jack! It's like a computer, it forgets everything when you hit the power button. Therefore when you turn it on it's just a dumb numbnut waiting for info like a computer. So that's where the CF card comes in. From it you load your samples, programs, sequences, songs, midi files etc etc. You have 128Mb maximum to play with, so you can't exceed that. Obviously if you don't save your work back to the CF card you'll loose it. In the past the cf card has instead been a floppy drive, a zip drive, a hard drive etc you get the picture.

The advantage of having a big CF card is as you say, so you don't have to keep going back to the computer and, I use to use it to keep drum samples close at hand; so I had about 0.75 gig of drum hits organised on my main cf card (1gig)

jim

allright, I get it now.

so since you have to load it from the card to the ram and then back to the card every time you work with it I have to ask, how are the load times?

also, once you make patterns and songs what does the mpc remember in that case? it must automaticly load them from the memory card right?

-matt

hey mang,
load times are very speedy from the cf (and quiet too).
it seems to load a 30 mb piano sample set in 15 seconds or so.
drum kits practically load instantly. Coming from using a yammy a3000 this is really nice!
You can set folders to autoload when you powerup, so it will load up your samples and sequences (loops) automatically up when you power on... but you have to save any changes to your sequences/programs/samples before you turn it off if you want the changes to autoload next time you power it up.
The saving and loading is a little more work than the groove boxes with the non-volatile memory, but with the fast loading from the cf media, and the autoload folders, it's not too bad once you get use to that step before turning it off. and with 128 megs of ram to load up it's worth it.
I'm pretty new to the mpc, so I'm still figuring out some of this stuff. but it seems like the best way to work with an ongoing project is to "Save Entire Memory to Disk" as an auto load file. One thing that I'm not so sure about is how things work when you have multiple project files stored in a folder. Maybe one of the more seasoned vets here can shed some light on that. Like I say, I'm still figuring things out with it, but hopefully that helps..

melton wrote:hey mang,
load times are very speedy from the cf (and quiet too).
it seems to load a 30 mb piano sample set in 15 seconds or so.
drum kits practically load instantly. Coming from using a yammy a3000 this is really nice!
You can set folders to autoload when you powerup, so it will load up your samples and sequences (loops) automatically up when you power on... but you have to save any changes to your sequences/programs/samples before you turn it off if you want the changes to autoload next time you power it up.
The saving and loading is a little more work than the groove boxes with the non-volatile memory, but with the fast loading from the cf media, and the autoload folders, it's not too bad once you get use to that step before turning it off. and with 128 megs of ram to load up it's worth it.
I'm pretty new to the mpc, so I'm still figuring out some of this stuff. but it seems like the best way to work with an ongoing project is to "Save Entire Memory to Disk" as an auto load file. One thing that I'm not so sure about is how things work when you have multiple project files stored in a folder. Maybe one of the more seasoned vets here can shed some light on that. Like I say, I'm still figuring things out with it, but hopefully that helps..

i think its better to have a seperate folder for each beat. i have a folder called projects and then subfolders called beat01, beat02,.... keeps things organized and makes for easy access. just a lil trick i learned form futureproducers.com heres a link to the video: working with projects

http://www.futureproducers.com/tutorial.php/id/41

you might have to register but if so its quick and easy.

That’s great, it doesn't seem to hard at all, and I love the depth of organization
That’s one of my biggest problems with the electribe is everything is so sloppy.

Can you organize your samples on your memory card in folders before you put them in your beats?
I hate scrolling though random unorganized samples trying to find something, most of them are organized by kits on my computer and I would like to carry that over to the mpc as well.


By the way where does everyone get their samples? (Besides sampling them themselves)
I am not going to be making hip hop, I am going to be backing dance (not techno), electro, and new wave plus I need some pop drums and realistic drums. I have a bunch of random samples from future music mag, synthetic drums from NI and a ton from just looking around online but I need to find some better ones.(non-loops just one shot drums I feel like I am cheating when I use someone elses loops) Any suggestions?


Thanks for the help I can't wait to get my mpc now.

-Matt

yes you can organize your samples pre load. i hear you man, trading in my esx was the best decision i have ever made. about anything.

just do a search here and on google, you'll find plenty of samples.

jellyjim wrote:The MPC1000 doesn't remember jack! It's like a computer, it forgets everything when you hit the power button.

Unless you save to the 5MB of internal Flash memory.

MPC-Tutor wrote:

jellyjim wrote:The MPC1000 doesn't remember jack! It's like a computer, it forgets everything when you hit the power button.

Unless you save to the 5MB of internal Flash memory.

yes indeed, i meant to get on to that bit but forgot

i didn't know it was 5mb

On the subject of the electribes i used to have the first sampler one, es1? the new one is esx right? anyway ... i *LOVED* it apart from 2 things that just killed it for me and it just wasn't a keeper

1. no sample naming (2 digit led only)
2. very little sample organisation

BLEURGH!

but thought they'd sorted this on the newer model?

Jim