Anyone Got Timing Tips For The 1K??

pad-ophiliac wrote: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.

so is the SP 303..different timing?? yes. Why you think the Sp 303 isn't the industry standard? It's more than just the fact it doesn't have a midi out you know.

The timing in all the mpc's IS different and so is the sound. and feel. Is the 1k the only MPC you've used? If you used more than one MPC you would know.

so what component of an mpc controls the timing? and how does that component differ from one model to the next. just wondering b/c i always thought it was ppq, i guess i could be wrong about this and if so please inform me. i can accept them sounding different due to diff a/d converters but what makes the timing diff? please explain.

thanks

pad-ophiliac wrote:so what component of an mpc controls the timing? and how does that component differ from one model to the next. just wondering b/c i always thought it was ppq, i guess i could be wrong about this and if so please inform me. i can accept them sounding different due to diff a/d converters but what makes the timing diff? please explain.

thanks

I have no idea what component controls it. I'm not a very techinical type of person. I'm more hands on. The only reason I know of the differences is from 1st hand experience.

Actually I did do a beat tonight on the 1k. It's very basic, but it's closer to how I want my drums to sound. It's a very basic pattern, but I spent a lot of time messing with this and that to get it to sound a bit more natural. It's some boom bap ish though. No drum variations.

http://www.soundclick.com/util/Streamm3 ... 24253&q=lo

http://www.soundclick.com/util/Streamm3 ... 24253&q=hi

It's called "Bad Day For A B-Boy."

The drums still sound a lil stiff though.

Why not get a 60 rather than the 2KXL, they're availiable for around the same kinda price?

Definition wrote:Why not get a 60 rather than the 2KXL, they're availiable for around the same kinda price?

I was thinking about getting a 60 to control the 1k, but I dunno...I just can't justify having two MPC's. Having the 60 by itself is too bare bones for me. That means I gotta get more gear and it's something I'm not willing to do for $ reasons and space. I think the 2xl would probaby be the best thing. I really want one with a MCD installed though. Save me some hassle.

is there a way you can post link to 2 similar loops so we can hear for ourself?

im assumign you played with timing correction, swing, and dead silence at beginning of samples.

i want to hear a comparison

i have no problem with timing at all on the mpc.
the first time i was surprised that i couldnt remove the swing stuff , but it doesnt matter at all, it give some humanised timing for the beat.
then when the MPC is not accurate, or because i didnt hit the pad at the right time, you can always fix the timing by moving the events on the right place...as u do it in any software sequencer.

what about the resolution of the sequencer :

on the mk1 documention we found 96 parts per 1/4 notes
on the mK2xl it 96 division per 1/4 notes
on the mk4xl its 960 ppq so mpc2000 and 1000 should have the same accurate in timing, only the 4000 is 10x more accurate

btw no sure, but the 2000 should have the same SH3-dsp ( the cpu) than the MPC 1000

guys,

the ppq number they give ya is only part of the story.

ppq refers to how the information is stored inside the machine, and is kind of the theoretical best performance it can give. But machines with the same ppq can still be different for sure, because its possible to have timing problems and 'skip a tick', and its possible to have different amount of tightness on how consistent those ticks are.

PPQ is more of a 'design' measurement than 'performance' measurement, its not really a spec u can compare like say signal to noise ratio (tho of course manufactureres fudge that too)

A computer is the perfect example:: most of that software can set a really high ppq value, but then you got the sloppy midi output of windows and it f***s it all up by the time it leaves the computer.

if this is true whould you say its a hardware or software issue that could be corrected with a OS update cause if its hardware i would be a bit dissapointed

But still upload some audio examples so everyone that disagrees can hear what you saying

Personally the timing on MPC1k works great for me.

However, I should add that most of the stuff I do is more tekno-styles and so I usually quantize stuff, whereas the thread-starter guy is trying to do more "human feel" sounding stuff, non-quantized.

Here is the problem. The MPC has a very WEAK clock. The reason that I know this is because I have a machine that has a very good clock. The Machinedrum SPS-1 from Electron. I get some really weird timing issues as well. It is really apparent when I am sequencing tracks on my andromeda. Alot of times the midi sequences will sequence off time or not trigger at all. My work around for this is to use the Machinedrum as the master clock. When I do this everything becomes ROCK solid. No more issues. I don't know what's up with Akai, but they really need to do something about this.

Peace

i think you're fingers timing is off when you hit the pads because you have know rhythm

grandpricks wrote:i think you're fingers timing is off when you hit the pads because you have know rhythm

I think your reading comprehension is off cause you don't know when to use the right words. Look up Malapropism in a dictionairy. Get hooked on phonics and re-read the thread. thanks. Appreciate it.

sleepersriddle wrote:Personally the timing on MPC1k works great for me.

However, I should add that most of the stuff I do is more tekno-styles and so I usually quantize stuff, whereas the thread-starter guy is trying to do more "human feel" sounding stuff, non-quantized.

Yeah exactly. That's the point. The 1k's timing is too dead on. It would be nice if it was a little looser to have a more human feel. That's why I think it's perfect for dance/trance anything that needs spot on timing. The DJ's in dance and trance (or electronic ish..not my cup of tea so I may get the names wrong or they may be out dated) need the timing to be that rigid cause it's madd easier to beat mix that ish, and a constant kick drum hitting at the exact same time is what these cats like cause it can be hypnotic. But that ain't what I'm going for.

I want a more loose feel. When I do things on the 1k to get that loose feel (doubling sequencer resolution by doubling BPM and bars, re-entering notes in step edit, Swing, quantize off, etc.) it doesn't sound right. It's either so loose that it's blatantly off or it's still rigid sounding. Someone else said something that recording with TC off it still has a way of placing the notes not exactly how you tapped them out. I noticed this too.