MPC newbie, few quiestions..

Hi there, ill start by saying im TOTALLY new to mpc's.. Though ive been making beats (hiphop/experimental/drumnbass etc) for a good few years.

you can hear some of my recent work here http://www.myspace.com/requiembeats

sutn real different 4 y'all
i use cubase and reason as my main kit with some hardware synths etc


Anyways, i was thinking about getting the mpc500, because id like to be able to produce on the move etc and ive also herd great things about the mpc sound and the timing.

Ive done various reading and research but i have a few questions for the users. any resposes/thoughts are most welcome so here goes:

1)Does the mpc read samples from RAM only (eg limited to max 128Mb of samples per song) or will it read from the CF card directly?

2)What is the resolution of the sequncer? is it possible to nudge recorded hits back and forth by minute amounts in a sequnce/loop? (if im reading the akai blurb correctly the sequencer goes down to 1/96th of a quater note? is this what it means?)

3)Can you use an amp envelope/filter/effects on every sample used? does this affect polyphony?

4)How easy is it to creat variations in a beat over time e.g dropping out the odd snare or a drum fill at the end of every 32bars?

5)is there a pitch bend function? can you alter other parameters over time e.g half way through a sample?

6)ive read that the pads on the mpc500 are less sensitive. could you play in a roll type thing fast using the tips or your fingers?

7)How does it deal with files? can you just drop various folders onto the CF? can you audition new samples while a beat is running?

what is a program in mpc speak ? apparently the mpc500 has 24 of these.

9)What is QFX and Qlink?



phew, sorry for all the questions, im really quite excited if this thing does what i need it to. ideally id like to loan one from a shop..

well, many thanks for your time, and thanks for this very informative forum

ok ive found the answer to question1)..

thanks

Ok, I'm going to try to answer most of these for you, as I've had an MPC500 for about three weeks now, and have been using Akai gear for a while. Here goes:

2) Um... yes. What you said.

3) Yes, you can. That's what a program is, a collection of samples grouped together, assigned to pads and note #s, and tweaked with the envelopes, filters, tuning, etc. Each track in the sequencer can be assigned a different program. As for polyphony, Akai says it's 32 "depending on processing". Nobody seems to know what that means, so adding filters and all may have an effect on polyphony. We just don't know yet.

4) Easy! Just play it once and it's recorded. You don't have to play everything at once though. Once the pattern reaches its end in record mode, it loops so you can keep overdubbing until you've got every thing you need. For example, just play the kicks and snares to lay down a basic grooves, the put in the hi hats on the next pass, then fills, percussion, hits, whatever. Done. If you want to delete something, just press delete and hit the appropriate pad when the sound plays. Or use step edit.

5) Yes, via the slider. It can be assigned to modulate pitch, filter cutoff, or volume.

6) You can definately play fast rolls with the pads. In fact, I think that's what they excel at! You can adjust the sensitivity of the pads, but compared to the MPC2500 that I tried in the store, the 500's aren't as responsive. Best to try for your self and see how you like them.

7) You just drag and drop files and folders onto the CF on your computer desktop. When there's a sequence playing, you can tap the pads to play additional sounds, or press mode+trim to go through all the samples that are in memory. I think you can also load more sounds from CF while the beat is playing.

8 ) I already kind of answered that, but it's like a patch on a synth. The samplea are just raw waveform data. To play them, they must be put into a program with a key/pad assignments. Then the waveforms can be further shaped with filters and so on.

9) Don't know, never used it.

WOW man, thank you very much!

ima obviously have to try one out but it sounds like this is the one! (also considering an sp 404 which ill also have to try first)

thanks again, if anyone else has any thoughts/ ideas feel free

MPC users help each other out, plain and simple. I will also be needing a place to stay in London some time in the future, so don't be surprised if I show up at your door someday soon. Anyways, I've been enjoying the 500 more and more since I've started using it and I recommend it to anyone who likes portable gear. I also have an SP-404, so feel free to ask anything about that in comparison with the MPC500.

haha no problem! i get strangers knocking at my door daily

ok man, many thanks, i do have one or two more.

ive lately been reading of the MIDI syncing problems with the mpc1000, (eg midi time code doesnt sync properly, and midi clock changes the timing of your beats, fixed in the jj OS). Is this issue apparent with the 500? I find that obsurd that midi clock will actually interfere with the timing of your beats. I definately need this thing to be able to sync up with my DAW perfectly, so i can record tracks tracks individualy and keep their relative timings.

As far as the differences between the mpc500 and the sp 404, it would seem from my reading that teh sp404 would be great for making short loops, but it is not possible to develop them over time like you can on an mpc. is this correct? If so, what sort of flexibility does the sp404's sequencer/pattern editor offer?

thanks again man