Using a midi keyboard with the mpc500

So I'm considering buying an MPC500 but I was wondering how a midi keyboard works with it. I want to be able to play a lot of string and piano samples like I do in Reason, but with the MPC500. In essence, I don't want to just make beats, I want to record a melody as well with a midi keyboard. Is this possible, and if so how would I go about doing this? Would I have to assign each individual sample to each key on the keyboard every time I wanted to play a piano on the mpc500?

Thanks in advance!

If you want to play chromatically sampled instruments, the MPC500 is not for you. The only one that can do this properly is the MPC4000.

Yes, you can assign chromatic samples, and yes you can trigger these from an external MIDI keybaord, but it won't be very good and you would need to apply settings to each sample and you probably won't have the memory or CPU capacity to do this.

The MPC range are essentially sampling drum machines with sequencers. If you want to play chromatic instruments, you need to look at proper samplers like the Akai S or Z Series.

ah ok, so what about plugging in a synth such as a microKorg and recording to the mpc500? Is that feasible or just tedious?

you perform chromatic tuning just fine on the MPC500. In fact, thats what the 12 levels button is for, it creates this at the touch of a button.

here's a hint:

find out which pads your midi keyboard triggers. make a program that scales these up and down the pads A1, A2, A3 etc. etc. then input a sample, and simply tune it up and down to your liking. The beauty of midi mapping is that you can tune in odd tunings, like -1, -1.34, -1.56, -2 and so on and so forth. if you fiddle with the POLY and MONO settings, the decay, attack, etc. you can actually get pretty 'realistic' sounding piano, voilin, etc.

but really, IMHO, doing midi mapping and using an external keyboard is a loooooooot easier on the MPC1000. Spend the extra 300 bucks man, get a real MPC.

Lithion wrote:you perform chromatic tuning just fine on the MPC500. In fact, thats what the 12 levels button is for, it creates this at the touch of a button.

here's a hint:

find out which pads your midi keyboard triggers. make a program that scales these up and down the pads A1, A2, A3 etc. etc. then input a sample, and simply tune it up and down to your liking. The beauty of midi mapping is that you can tune in odd tunings, like -1, -1.34, -1.56, -2 and so on and so forth. if you fiddle with the POLY and MONO settings, the decay, attack, etc. you can actually get pretty 'realistic' sounding piano, voilin, etc.

but really, IMHO, doing midi mapping and using an external keyboard is a loooooooot easier on the MPC1000. Spend the extra 300 bucks man, get a real MPC.

I've had this discussion SOOOOOOOOOOO many times before and the fact remains, bar the MPC4000 (which uses a Z Series engine), the MPC range is not designed to play chromatic samples in the same manner as a sampler such as Akai's S or Z Series.

Yes, you can assign chromatic samples to the pads. Yes, you can "tune" them, but these will be a million miles away from a properly sampled, multi layered, properly keygrouped instrument on a PROPER sampler. Also consider the limited memory and processing power of the MPC's in comparison to proper samplers. This greatly affects your results.

Chromatic sampling on an MPC is best reserved for simple bass tones as these usually only cover an octave or two and the lower frequencies mask any aliasing or artefacts left over from pitch shifting. You also have to bear in mind the extremely limited filters and processing on the MPC compared to proper samplers and how that limits it's chromatic abilities.

You will be doing yourself and your music a diservice if you were to use the MPC for making any instruments other than drum hits and loops. It just wasn't designed for it.

As for hooking up a microKorg, yes, you can hook it up via MIDI, record the MIDI data into the MPC sequencer and the MPC will trigger the microKorg along with your beats. This is a superb way of creating decent tunes

There are some commercial packs of "instrument" samples available but compared to "the real deal" that you get with a purpose made sample library on a proper sampler, these are very limited and not very flexible.

Good luck

ugh

sample purists = boring music

pitch shifting 'artifacts' = sound that has defined a generation of great music

regardless of the fantabulous Z series engine, you can still create awsomes sounds one way or another, even if you have to sample every single key on a keyboard and map them each to a pad. point is, it can be done, it has been done, and so many people have made really really awsome music this way.

gotta stay away from that box man, it will trap your brain every time

Lithion wrote:ugh

sample purists = boring music

gotta stay away from that box man, it will trap your brain every time

That's as maybe, but it's provided most of the sounds you play with. It's how we create successful libraries.

So can you sample a sine wav, and play it chromatically over several octaves by plugging in a midi keyboard?

I don't use multi samples pianos etc just basic waveforms.

I just want to sample a waveform and play it all all over the keyboard.

Is this possible?

Also is it possible to to set the filter or other effects to use sliders and nobs on the midi keyboard (microkontrol).

stuart64 wrote:So can you sample a sine wav, and play it chromatically over several octaves by plugging in a midi keyboard?

I don't use multi samples pianos etc just basic waveforms.

I just want to sample a waveform and play it all all over the keyboard.

Is this possible?

Also is it possible to to set the filter or other effects to use sliders and nobs on the midi keyboard (microkontrol).

Yes you can take a single sample and with a little programming, assign it across all the notes of a keyboard, but you'll be pitch shifting a single sample over several octaves. Go beyond it by a few semitones either way and you will notice the sound changes, the note length changes and it will not sound very good at all. Use several samples so the pitch shifting is less, and you will get better results. Not great, just better.

As for controllong the MPC's filters with the microKorg, you will have to make sure both use CC number and assign them accordingly.

Chromatic sampling on an MPC is a workaround. The design of the MPC was NOT for it to be used in this way. Anything you do will not be accurate. Musically, it might be "interesting", and cool even. Remember, that legendary sampler, the Fairlight, only ever used a single sample stretched over an 88 note keyboard. This gave many sounds an unusual and unique flavour & character which was loved by many. But it also had a raft of memory and processing power to make things sound good.