PRoS 'n CoNS oF ouR JJ SeQUeNCiNG oPTioNS--a review by nym

FUK capitalizing vowels.

in this post i will detail my pros and cons of each sequencing window in the current jj os. each one will have its own post for the sake of keeping things clear.

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step edit: original "classic" sequencing tool.

DISPLAY: 4 consecutive notes. 5 columns: from left to right, it goes TIME , PAD NUMBER (note number), note ON qlink data, duration, velocity.

(note: when set to MIDI, note-on qlink column is not displayed)
(note2: qreal data takes its own row)

across the top: current time, as well as viewing options
across the bottom: TC, TRACK, EDIT (move, copy, etc), delete, insert, play.

PROs:
*can view all of a note's characteristics at one time.
*"view" option allows you to select which data you want to view
*quick access to 4 notes' characteristics

CONs:
*only can view 4 notes at a time, INCLUDING QREAL DATA. visibility is horrible.
*when you have a sequence with lots of different notes/qreal, navigating between them is a major hassle
*this results in the tendency to put each drum on a separate track
*moving notes in relation to other notes is a PAIN because when moving notes, you can only view the timing of the current note.

CONCLUSION: outdated. i enter step edit rarely, only for the "VIEW function" if i want to view say only my kicks on A01 across my sequence. i do not recommend it for programming compared to its big brothers. useful for that VIEW option, though.
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moving on...

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16 PAD GRID EDIT: the next step toward greatness

display: all 16 pads. time/tempo/sequence/loop at the top, track and info on the left, grid, notes as black dots, etc.

PROs:
*grid edit allows you to see all pad note info at one time on a scale of TIME CORRECT values as ZOOM
*quick and visual way to step-edit (views FAR more notes)
*good for velocity layers
*functions well with QLINk to SWING/SHIFT
*easy copying/pasting using the TAP TEMPO+cursor keys/data wheel/step keys

CONS
*ZOOM in and out is directly connected to TC - ie you can't turn TC off without zooming all the way in.
*besides using shift/swing via qlink, it's clunky to move your notes around.

CONCLUSIOn:
i used to swear by 16 pad grid edit but it is quickly being replaced by its even bigger brother, MIDI grid edit (more on that later). it's handy and fast, but suffers horribly from the lack of a disconnected ZOOM.
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6 pad grid edit: close, but only 37.5% of the cigar

display: grid edit -10 pads. option of overdub+f5 EDIT which displays note's characteristics ala step edit.

PROs
*almost ideal for drum editing (most drum kits can be fit into 6 pads if using velocity layers, etc)
*the F5 edit push/pull timing is really nice for groove creation
*the 6 pads are assignable

CONs
*only 6 pads can be viewed, making it only good for drum programming.
*assigning them can be clunky/accidents happen
*again, ZOOM and TC are inherently linked, which is a MAJOR bummer.

conclusion: tied with step edit for my least used "X edit." it's good in some ways - better for making grooves and getting off the tc grid than 16 pad grid edit, but severely limited by only being able to see 6 pads and that whole ZOOM thing. however, it shows progress, leading to the fourth and final chapter.
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MIDI GRID EDIT - my favorite option

display:


NOTE: when you hit ALL, you cannot hit EDIT.
IMPORTANT NOTE2: hit SHIFT to see ZOOM IN/ZOOM OUT.

PROs: almost too many to mention
*combines 90% good aspects of all previous edit screens
*ability to see a vast majority of your notes - more than 16, even! ideal for a midi keyboard, but also ideal for just a 6 pad drum pattern!
*ability to ZOOM IN/OUT without effecting TIME CORRECT!!!! ie, ability to turn TC OFF but still zoom all the way out. this is good because you see everything but play in unfettered realtime!
*incredibly handy f5 EDIT option to change duration, time, and velocity!
*changing time/duration is displayed graphically, ie when you move your note's time, you see the note move. also when you change the note's duration, you see the DURATION move. HIGHLY useful for A, creating complicated grooves and B, sequencing a chopped sample smoothly.
*workflow is easier than anything i've experienced yet.
*copying bars/beats etc is made very easy with the TC+datawheel/cursor keys ala grid edit, but better.

CON
*upon changing your track to MIDI mode, you cannot view your NOTE ON qlink values (BUT you can still record them!!! just turn on a qlink or 16 levels to the qlink value of your choice and record as usual). however, to view them as before, you have to turn it back from MIDI to DRUM.

CONCLUSION: the midi grid edit gives you the most control and visibility over your patterns with the greatest ease. i see this going further in the future.

to be quite honest, we could benefit from LOSING 16 PAD GRID EDIT and 6 PAD GRID EDIT COMPLETELY and replacing it with a "DRUM" version of MIDI GRID EDIT. whether or not that happens is not my call, but i would not be disappointed! Midi grid edit is THAT GOOD, it is nearly an all in 1 package. in combination with the old school step edit, we'd have 2 very different and very reliable ways of looking at the same thing.

give midi grid edit a try! it deserves it, and you'll be thrilled.
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thus ends my review and analysis of each editing screen.

how about the fifth option - tapping it out live, and when you hit a bum note, hold down erase,hold down pad/key, replay til it's right?
It seems to be the fastest and best way to me...

that's an option from within step edit and i think any of the other edits as well.

however, i don't see how this is in any way fast. by doing this you're basically bypassing the sequencer completely and operating it blind - for this purpose, you might as well use an sp404 because it operates in that exact fashion.

what i dislike about that is that you have to wait for your sequence to loop around again - and when you're dealing with even just a 4 bar loop, that's a long wait. it's so much faster to stop, jump back, and nudge it.

not to mention if you're dealing with consecutive hits of the same pad at different velocity layers and you want to delete one in the middle of three sixteenth note triplets, i absolutely dread trying to delete just the right one without mangling the rest.

recording is one thing, but the actual sequencing power here is deeper than just hitting the pads from the main screen.

holy sh*t, antonym.....

serious suggestion: LOOK FOR A GIRLFRIEND!

my response:

look for a job at which you sit and answer the phone, surf the internet, and spend hours in your mpc.

a girlfriend, i have. meaningful employment, i make for myself.

I tap my beats out live and finetune it with step edit.
If it's totally wrong i just re-record it.
I have my mpc2500 for a year and a half and hardly ever used grid edit.
Not saying that it's bad though.

Antonym wrote:_____________________________________________

MIDI GRID EDIT - my favorite option

display:


NOTE: when you hit ALL, you cannot hit EDIT.
IMPORTANT NOTE2: hit SHIFT to see ZOOM IN/ZOOM OUT.

PROs: almost too many to mention
*combines 90% good aspects of all previous edit screens
*ability to see a vast majority of your notes - more than 16, even! ideal for a midi keyboard, but also ideal for just a 6 pad drum pattern!
*ability to ZOOM IN/OUT without effecting TIME CORRECT!!!! ie, ability to turn TC OFF but still zoom all the way out. this is good because you see everything but play in unfettered realtime!
*incredibly handy f5 EDIT option to change duration, time, and velocity!
*changing time/duration is displayed graphically, ie when you move your note's time, you see the note move. also when you change the note's duration, you see the DURATION move. HIGHLY useful for A, creating complicated grooves and B, sequencing a chopped sample smoothly.
*workflow is easier than anything i've experienced yet.
*copying bars/beats etc is made very easy with the TC+datawheel/cursor keys ala grid edit, but better.

CON
*upon changing your track to MIDI mode, you cannot view your NOTE ON qlink values (BUT you can still record them!!! just turn on a qlink or 16 levels to the qlink value of your choice and record as usual). however, to view them as before, you have to turn it back from MIDI to DRUM.

CONCLUSION: the midi grid edit gives you the most control and visibility over your patterns with the greatest ease. i see this going further in the future.

to be quite honest, we could benefit from LOSING 16 PAD GRID EDIT and 6 PAD GRID EDIT COMPLETELY and replacing it with a "DRUM" version of MIDI GRID EDIT. whether or not that happens is not my call, but i would not be disappointed! Midi grid edit is THAT GOOD, it is nearly an all in 1 package. in combination with the old school step edit, we'd have 2 very different and very reliable ways of looking at the same thing.

give midi grid edit a try! it deserves it, and you'll be thrilled.
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thus ends my review and analysis of each editing screen.

Midi grid edit is definately useful, best way by far to record and edit shit u laydown fro ma midi keyboard, or a synth synced up to the mp, i used to do it all the time.

but never once di i think to convert my drum patterns to midi to use that feature. good look

Great tip re: use of MIDI Grid Edit Nym. Like it a lot.

Good work fella.

G4s

Antonym wrote:my response:

look for a job at which you sit and answer the phone, surf the internet, and spend hours in your mpc.

a girlfriend, i have. meaningful employment, i make for myself.

Damn, that's a good reply to someone who is trying to knock you cause your intelligence intimidates them...good stuff. hahaha


Good well thought out topic BTW. Good work.

i prefer step edit myself. i just wish there was an option for "View:Current Step" so it didn't list every note on the track all the time, just the ones that are triggered on the step in the Now field.

also, you should be able to step edit from the main screen. THAT needs to be added. if you're in the main screen and you press overdub and a pad, it should write the note event to the current track like it did on the 2000xl.

funny thing is i just discovered how to hook up vsti's to every midi channel the mpc in cubase so im very excited to mess with this stuff.. but usually i like it better to just play my beat on the pads.. actually, i hardly edit notes with TC.. maybe i should do that, sometimes i'm just too stoned to get it right

thanks for the new ideas, and say hello to your girlfriend