4k Keygroup Program Advantages over Drum Programs

Well I have a small mode of working on the 4k.

Seems I and alot of others steered clear of keygroup programs cuz the previous mpcs only had drums programs.

It`s seems at first the drum programs are the easiest to work with at first including myself; but, I was missing on alot of the potential of the 4k.

Sure we got 16 tuning but using the keygroups gives you several advantages.

First start with a 1 keygroup program either one keyspan or a high and low you can create a keyboard of pitchs or just for drums with a individual note.


Second assign to a part or iNT A or B using a part each drum can be layered with its on filters, envelopes, and tuning along with the 4 zones each. Using INT A or B you can play all the programs in a combination of 20 programs if you wish.

Third now using the part Qlink page makes a little more sense because you can set the parameter just for the part cutoff, volume, env ADR, and modulation just for the part. Use EXT controller to controller INT A- B programs at the same time from one controller to the destination and if you if you still need the drum programs setting just head into send pad control.

But with the part parameter it is easier to set the parameter by ear.

Four tweaking in realtime you can shape a sound how you want also the mono legato and portamento for the glissando or monophonic basslines.

Keygroups takes up less space on the mix page too.



Sometimes a reviewing a basic drum machines like a Korg electribe can simplify alot of things on using a sampler.

That is it for now remember when using the 4k think a little different from the previous mpc models to use your head.

I use kg programs a lot too. But about the mixer -- you save space but that's because the mixer doesn't really support keygroups the way it does drums -- with a drum program you can pull up a fader for each pad. There's no equivalent for a keygroup ...

-illiac

illiac wrote:I use kg programs a lot too. But about the mixer -- you save space but that's because the mixer doesn't really support keygroups the way it does drums -- with a drum program you can pull up a fader for each pad. There's no equivalent for a keygroup ...

-illiac

I see what you`re saying but I use use one drum for one keyspan for one keygroup for one part. That way I don`t have to use the drum program.

I can layer each drum over the other and tweak within part qlink to how I want it. All I need to do is set the same kicks for example on the same midi note. It takes a little time to set up up give it a try.

That`s the purpose for all the parts layer and play. The drum program is a carryover from the previous mpcs for us drum program diehards like "ME" of the 2xl and others. I remember people asking for 16 tuning put didn`t understand how to set up keygroups.


Image a basic drum machine with 16 parts 8 parts are drums thats one part per drums oppose to the 2XL one program with the whole kit layout which is how I learned too. However I can tweak each part easier,effect send, and modulation just using the parts. I pick this up from a basic electribe the other days and blam did the same on the 4k.

nice tips

I don't really use KGs other than with multisampled instruments

It´s the same way like on a previous S sampler, like the S 3200.

Keith More, who programed the Akai Drumkit from Hell, also took advantage of keygroups for drums as well. Suprised the hell outta me. Instead of 4 layers of velocity switching, it's possible to use up to 128 layers per drum. Of course, 128 is just not necessary. The DKFH uses about 6-9 layers for the snares and kicks.

Hey

Ok, to clear this up, you can have a maximum of 4 zones on each note
number (key or pad doesnt matter)

using the internal sequencer in the mpc 4k you can trick the mpc4k to
have a maximum of 8 velocity zones, this is what you do:

make two programs (DRUM...) and put these in a multi wherever you like

the zone values in the two different programs should look like this:

program 1 : sample 1 : 0-15
program 1 : sample 2 : 16-31
program 1 : sample 3 : 32-47
program 1 : sample 4 : 48-63
program 2 : sample 5 : 64-79
program 2 : sample 6 : 80-95
program 2 : sample 7 : 96-111
program 2 : sample 8 : 112-127

make sure you turn the modulation "velocity - zone select" to 100 on
both programs

in the main window, choose the track where you would like to sequence
this program, go to OUT1 and choose program 1 and go to OUT2 and
choose program 2 ... voilá


velocity to amplitude is a bit tricky but you can get it to act ok if
you choose the correct values. I would maybe record the volume with a
qlink or cc instead...


If you control it (or a Z4 / Z8) you could of course use the
wonderful ( yeah right. ... ) world of soft sequencers to make one
track to send to more channels , theoretically speaking you could
have 2x16x4 = 128 zones maximum (using the two midiins, using all
sixteen midichannels and using all four zones of a note number
simultaneously)


**KEYGROUP**


and instead of using a DRUM program, using a KEYGROUP program you can achieve up to 128 velocity switching zones if using 32 keygroups. 32x4 = 128 ..

Make 4 KG and use the SPAN parameter to isolate the sound to one pad (well of course you can have it span over the whole octave if you wish..just as long as you have it spanning the same note numbers) and put the tracking in the zone window to CONST (or to track if you wish ....) . Divide the zone levels equally and there you go. One tip here is to set edit to ALL, makes some of the general edits quicker, remember to put it back to ONE after you done..

Both of these methods work flawlessly.

thanks

d



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toydarian,

I'm not trying to plug any company but you might want to check out "Pure Drums" by Yellow Tools. 16 velocity levels and left/right hits on all snares, kicks, and toms. Between 4-6 levels on hats and cymbals.
The CD is also AKAI format.

Ken

Check out the S5000/6000 manuals they explain alot.

erase wrote:Hey

Ok, to clear this up, you can have a maximum of 4 zones on each note
number (key or pad doesnt matter)

using the internal sequencer in the mpc 4k you can trick the mpc4k to
have a maximum of 8 velocity zones, this is what you do:

make two programs (DRUM...) and put these in a multi wherever you like

the zone values in the two different programs should look like this:

program 1 : sample 1 : 0-15
program 1 : sample 2 : 16-31
program 1 : sample 3 : 32-47
program 1 : sample 4 : 48-63
program 2 : sample 5 : 64-79
program 2 : sample 6 : 80-95
program 2 : sample 7 : 96-111
program 2 : sample 8 : 112-127

make sure you turn the modulation "velocity - zone select" to 100 on
both programs

in the main window, choose the track where you would like to sequence
this program, go to OUT1 and choose program 1 and go to OUT2 and
choose program 2 ... voilá


velocity to amplitude is a bit tricky but you can get it to act ok if
you choose the correct values. I would maybe record the volume with a
qlink or cc instead...


If you control it (or a Z4 / Z8) you could of course use the
wonderful ( yeah right. ... ) world of soft sequencers to make one
track to send to more channels , theoretically speaking you could
have 2x16x4 = 128 zones maximum (using the two midiins, using all
sixteen midichannels and using all four zones of a note number
simultaneously)


**KEYGROUP**


and instead of using a DRUM program, using a KEYGROUP program you can achieve up to 128 velocity switching zones if using 32 keygroups. 32x4 = 128 ..

Make 4 KG and use the SPAN parameter to isolate the sound to one pad (well of course you can have it span over the whole octave if you wish..just as long as you have it spanning the same note numbers) and put the tracking in the zone window to CONST (or to track if you wish ....) . Divide the zone levels equally and there you go. One tip here is to set edit to ALL, makes some of the general edits quicker, remember to put it back to ONE after you done..

Both of these methods work flawlessly.

thanks

d



***********************************

www.myspace.com/djerase

email: [email protected]
msn: [email protected]
aim: [email protected]
icq: 344917989
yahoo: [email protected]
skype: erasemusic

***********************************

also remember that you can double stack programs of this kind by setting the output b of one of these programs to be a midi channel, and have the input of the second program be slaved to that corisponding midi input. connect a cable from a midi output of your mpc to and input so its trigering itself to make the connection between the two programs. theoreticly you could do 32 midi worth channels of stacking..

get random


ps. use the program window as a mixer to adjust individual levels of sounds if you are partial to the pad mixer..

Bump