Technical questions for the MPC2000xl and the MPC2000
Byh19enp Wed Feb 25, 2004 4:18 pm
hey all, still wondering whether to get an mpc yet or not.

i'll almost definately gonna go for the 2000xl, but i want to know if you can say press a button/press a pedal in the middle of a bar, and it will start playing another beat from that same beat.

in other words i want to know if i can do the same kind of thing that the fill-in buttons on the boss dr range do.

help appreciated
HITS

Byh19enp Wed Feb 25, 2004 4:30 pm
sorry to be a bit slow,
but how would u trigger off another sequence in the middle of another 1?

By superflysnuka Wed Feb 25, 2004 4:36 pm
you would go to the sequence window and scroll to whatever sequence you wanted to play next and it would break to that sequence

Byh19enp Wed Feb 25, 2004 4:37 pm
ok, is there no way i cud just press a button to do it? problem is-i play keyboards at the same time so scrolling through menus are a problem

By thynctank Wed Feb 25, 2004 5:14 pm
If I understand your line of questioning, you want to be able to program sequences and then trigger them as fills. This is not possible as such on the MPC series. You would need to record the sequenced fill to a wav file on a computer, (or resample it on the MPC 1000 or MPC 4000) and assign that fill wav to a pad, as Tutor was suggesting earlier.

At that point, you'll be able to easily trigger fills and such from a keyboard, provided you map the pad to the proper MIDI Note Number. Starting and stopping the entire sequence and changing sequences should be dealable if your keyboard/controller has transport controls, and I think you could even change drum programs (on the XL) via the number keys for program change on a standard MIDI controller. Of course if you're fine with taking the time to hit the start/stop buttons on the MPC this shouldn't be a problem.

Another thing: The DR range of drum machines has pre-fab drum roll samples and so on available for fills. The MPC does not. You'd have to program your own fills using the Note Repeat and manual programming, in realtime and step. Once you've created yourself a set of "fill sequences" you could easily swap out, say the original snare of a roll you've created for another snare in a new kit, record or resample the fill to wav, and load it to the appropriate pad for the snare roll.

(Funny, I hadn't thought of using my mpc1k like that before, but it's a smart way for reusing fills! Saves programming!)

A lot of people like this "blank canvas" approach that the MPC engenders. Some people are looking for premade schtuff. If that's the case you'll need something more along the lines of the DR series or other drum machine/synth workstation with fill samples.

Hope this was helpful.
-tank.

By thynctank Wed Feb 25, 2004 5:15 pm
h19enp wrote:ok, is there no way i cud just press a button to do it? problem is-i play keyboards at the same time so scrolling through menus are a problem


I don't believe there is an easy way to "hit a button" to interrupt a currently playing sequence, the simplest thing is to set up your "next program" and hit Immediate or whatever the button is called.

Of course, seeing as how I think you were talking about playing fills rather than changing your backbeat, this question may not be irrelevant to you.

-tank.

By Madness Wed Feb 25, 2004 5:32 pm
Yep you can...

Im not sure what you guys above are on... But, my answer is a definate YES YES YES you can.... This is the main reason why I got an MPC...

Its simple you would use multiple sequences, of any length. The thing is you don't have to use the next sequence key you can assign your SEQ's to the pads of the MPC !!!! this is how I compose my songs and experiment with what fills, bridges, chorus sections, makup my song. You can tell the MPC to start the next sequence at the Bar, 1/2, 1/4, or 1/8th of a bar when you press the corresponding pad.... Or you can start that SEQ immediately by pressing the pad then the NOW key which is a Function key....

For me this is the best feature of the MPC as I use it in this kind of live way, and makes it awesome for remixing etc.,

J.

Byh19enp Wed Feb 25, 2004 5:36 pm
cheers for your replys all! i left my comp for 20 mins and all these replys!

the last post has assured me that i can do it. its mainly indian folk music that i play, and my dr770 is doing exactly the job i want...i just want REAL sounds now. looks like i best get searching thru the adds now! ne1 selling a 2000xl?

Byh19enp Wed Feb 25, 2004 5:37 pm
oo one other thing, cud u set the "now" key to be triggered via a pedal...ie i press the pedal then a key on a controller which changed the sequence?

By Madness Wed Feb 25, 2004 5:41 pm
Not sure if you can change the next sequence with a pedal.. I know you can start - stop - record...

Download the MPC manual, It tells you what you can do, may answer some of your other questions, If your a technical person or have MIDI experience the manual is a good reference.

Check for links on this site mpc-tutor.com
User avatar

By Lampdog Wed Feb 25, 2004 5:48 pm
Madness wrote:Yep you can...

Im not sure what you guys above are on... But, my answer is a definate YES YES YES you can.... This is the main reason why I got an MPC...

Its simple you would use multiple sequences, of any length. The thing is you don't have to use the next sequence key you can assign your SEQ's to the pads of the MPC !!!! this is how I compose my songs and experiment with what fills, bridges, chorus sections, makup my song. You can tell the MPC to start the next sequence at the Bar, 1/2, 1/4, or 1/8th of a bar when you press the corresponding pad.... Or you can start that SEQ immediately by pressing the pad then the NOW key which is a Function key....

For me this is the best feature of the MPC as I use it in this kind of live way, and makes it awesome for remixing etc.,

J.


You have a 4k?
User avatar

By Lampdog Wed Feb 25, 2004 6:55 pm
That's what I thought, so it doesn't help out H19ENP with his 2k/2kxl question at all now does it. I'm familiar with that function that's why I asked.

Byh19enp Wed Feb 25, 2004 6:59 pm
:cry: