Anyone Got Timing Tips For The 1K??

I started making beats on the 1k when it 1st came out. I had the 4k for almost a year. I made some beats on a friends MPC 60, and now I'm back to the 1k.

I have noticed that the different MPC's, at least the one's I"ve tried, all have different sounds and timing from one another even when using the exact same files.

Lately, I've been getting pretty frustrated with the 1k, not for the sound issue, but for the timing issue. When I would do patterns on the other MPC's they generally came out how I wanted them to, but I'm having trouble doing that with the 1k, and I cannot wrap my head around this enough to be able to figure out how I can get the timing to sound the way I want it to.

I'm terrible with taking off Timing correct and playing free hand, so I have no choice but to really on TC and swing settings. I can make beats on the 1k that sound pretty decent, but it's not quite how it is in my head like when I would lay stuff down on the other mpc's.

I'm not sure what to do. I've tried doubling the bars and tempo to get double resolution out of the sequencer, and a few other things, but it's not quite coming out how it should.

For those that don't belive how BIG the difference is in timing between the machines...take em all...load em up with the same hi hat, put them on the same TC and swing settings and record a track while holding down the pad with the hat and note repeat. The patterns of the hats sound a lot different. Trust me on this.

I'm considering selling my 1k and upgrading to a 2xl by the end of this year or early next year if I can't figure out how to make the timing sound better. Even if I can make it sound better.... if it's too laborious and painstaking I will probably upgrade anyway, cause all that does is just disturb the whole creative process.

What little things do ya'll do to get nice patterns on the 1k?

alot of the time i turn off the tc and free hand it too. then to tighten things up ill tc like hihats or other things and leave the rest un tc'd

flowers It. I think I'll upgrade to the 2xl when I get my doe up. My main concern was filters (losing the band and High) since this was going to be the only sampler I used in my set up, but my mixer has 3 band kills which is basically the same thing as filters, and a lot of the 2xl's I'm seeing on E-bay have Multi-card drives, and regardless, they are pretty easy to install if it doesn't.

I'm really frustated with the timing of the 1k. I want something where I can bang out my beats and bam they are done, not sit for hours just perfecting the timing on ish. I don't have the patience anymore.

wierd cuz ive never had any timing problems at all. and im rockin out some pretty joe prestonish THRONES kinda stuff with mine (among other things) i think its timing is really tight. that may well be the cause for your grief.. a little to mechanical sounding. it is that , for sure but all samplers are mechanical sounding to me. i just roll with it. tell me how the swap goes ive never used any other akai samplers so i really would like to know the difference. im sure there is one.

Yeah, there is a difference for sure between all the MPC's. They all got their own character. I just don't know if the 1k's character (when it comes to timing) fits with me personally. Don't get me wrong it's a great machine. There are so many things I love about it, it's just the timing issue has been irking me for quite awhile. I'm going to stick around with it until the next os. If the next OS doesn't have anything worthwhile for me to keep it...it's going on E-bay and I'm copping a 2xl.

edit: if they at least incorporate some kinda note shift function...I'm keeping it. I have the DPS which takes care of a lot of other weaknesses the 1k has, but timing is something that's CRITICAL.

theres no set way of drumming down a pattern obviously its variable depending on the beat, but usually i leave it on a swing of 55% or so, and that usually gives it more of a humanised feel, i record kicks and snares on 1/16 and ma hats on 1/32 , but thats not to say thats the right way its just one way in which i work, try it out tell me what you get from it.
hope that helped

please give me an example of a timing issue. i don't understand what this could be.

my drum programming is notoriously complicated. a lot of rappers refuse my beats because of this (wack ones who can't carry a beat other than boom bap). i have never had a problem with the 1k's timing, but then again i may be confused as to what you mean.

i've never played with anything other than a 1k, so enlighten me.

I having more of a timing issue with my 4k than my 1k, because I started with a 1k. I use 16(3) and I have never had any issue with timing, maybe you should address this with akai and if enough people complain it can be fixed in an upgrade

ONE wrote:I'm going to stick around with it until the next os. If the next OS doesn't have anything worthwhile for me to keep it...it's going on E-bay and I'm copping a 2xl.

do you at least have the latest OS for the 1k? v1.07?

at this point in time i have not one problem with the 1000, i havent chopped anything on the computer in like 5 months,all 1k, i love this ish

I think I'm having the same problem. I'll bang out a beat then go back and listen to it, and it's sounds like it's off beat. i'll try to go and step edit, and that's when i screw everything up. I'm still new with the mpc 1k, and i don't plan on giving it up, but i know what you're going through ONE. Just when i think i've hit the perfect beat the timing sounds way off, and ends up sounding like a dj that can't beat match.

I'm going to search the forums for techniques and see what other people are doing.

peace

Yup I've been through it too. The timing was mad shitty.

dj j fresh wrote:I think I'm having the same problem. I'll bang out a beat then go back and listen to it, and it's sounds like it's off beat. i'll try to go and step edit, and that's when i screw everything up. I'm still new with the mpc 1k, and i don't plan on giving it up, but i know what you're going through ONE. Just when i think i've hit the perfect beat the timing sounds way off, and ends up sounding like a dj that can't beat match.

I'm going to search the forums for techniques and see what other people are doing.

peace

i know exactly what you are talking about.

when i record myself playing my mpc live into nuendo and just record a basic drum track it sounds in the pocket.
BUT when i do the exact same thing but as a seq on the 1000 stuff sounds off.

and all of this is unquantized so its not like the 1000 should be moving stuff around. but i'll play stuff in and when i listen to the seq half the time stuff will be off.

doubling the tempo has helped a bit, but its still noticeable.

sigh....

punchdrunk wrote:

dj j fresh wrote:I think I'm having the same problem. I'll bang out a beat then go back and listen to it, and it's sounds like it's off beat. i'll try to go and step edit, and that's when i screw everything up. I'm still new with the mpc 1k, and i don't plan on giving it up, but i know what you're going through ONE. Just when i think i've hit the perfect beat the timing sounds way off, and ends up sounding like a dj that can't beat match.

I'm going to search the forums for techniques and see what other people are doing.

peace

i know exactly what you are talking about.

when i record myself playing my mpc live into nuendo and just record a basic drum track it sounds in the pocket.
BUT when i do the exact same thing but as a seq on the 1000 stuff sounds off.

and all of this is unquantized so its not like the 1000 should be moving stuff around. but i'll play stuff in and when i listen to the seq half the time stuff will be off.

doubling the tempo has helped a bit, but its still noticeable.

sigh....

Yeah...that describes the whole thing exactly. I think the 1000's timing would be more suited for people doing electronica or house or something, but for Hip Hop...naw. No matter how you lay the drums down it just sounds slightly unnatural.

I will cop a 2xl in the next little while though. I think I'm going to wait and see if I can get one without selling the 1k 1st so I can compare them head to head. The 3000 and the 2xl are the only MPC's I haven't gotten to work on yet.

i don't think buying a 2kxl will solve your problem, they are both 96ppq so i don't see how there would be a timing difference. but whatever floats your boat.