Post your views and questions about the Akai MPC2500
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By dume41 Fri Sep 14, 2007 7:35 pm
I’ve been making beats for about 15 years. I’m embarrassed to say this but I can not find a simple function on the MPC2500 which exists everywhere else.

On the 2000xl, If you want to match some phrases up (WITHOUT time stretching), you simply go to the parameters page of your sample after setting it to loop perfectly. On that page there is a calculated BPM for the phrase. You can turn the tune up or down and the BPM is recalculated instantly. In this way you can adjust the sample to perfectly match the tempo of your sequence. This takes all of 3 seconds to do. I have poured overt the 2500 manual. Although I’ve never posted here, I’ve read thousands of posts on the forum. Is this function just gone?
Before I start getting the standard answers, there are some ‘work arounds’ that are not the same:

1. Time stretching

I am not interested in keeping the same pitch. I WANT the pitch to get screwed. My favorite albums of all times had production done this way. A lot of Organized Konfusion, 4th Disciple, and Bomb Squad Stuff is done this way. And it’s how I prefer to make my beats. And I really dislike the idea of: determining the tempo, doing a time stretch to make the phrase fit, and then subsequently pitch shifting to detune it. All to replace a 3 second operation from the XL.

2. Patched Phrase

Same as time stretching. I don’t need the mpc to chop the pieces and play them back on beat for me. I can do that by hand. And very quickly.

3. Change my track tempo

The whole point is I don’t want to raise my tempo to 120 or lower it to 80. I don’t let samples dictate my tempo. My tempo controls what I do with the samples. If I want my track at 92, or 98 for these rhymes I got then that’s just where I want it.

4. Chop the phrase into slices and put each slice on beat, then adjust each note’s pitch until the phrase doesn’t sound off. Really.... really... I just want the same function as my old cheap $600 XL in my $2000 box. Is this too much to ask?

This is disturbing me because I copped my 2500 at full retail and blew it out with 80 G HD, 2G CF card and 128M ram. It bothers me that I could have bought an SP606, 404, or just kept my 2000XL and all of those “lesser” samplers would do what I want (I have personally used this function on all of them and they were quick and effective). I mean in sonar you just right click and select “groove clip” and it’s done. But... I HATE using the computer to compose because it messes up my workflow.. all the clicking and dragging. Don't get me wrong.. the ten outs , the CF reader, HD, and drum grid editing (whatup my Boss DR old schoolers!!) make the machine worth it. But if I need to buy another machine to sit along side phrase matching.. it would be disappointing.

If anyone at all knows where this function is or can conclude definitely that it does not exist, It would be GREATLY appreciated.

dume41 the scientist
Several Active Minds
myspace.com/severalactiveminds
Last edited by dume41 on Sun Sep 16, 2007 4:59 pm, edited 3 times in total.
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By Antonym Fri Sep 14, 2007 8:02 pm
correct me if i'm wrong, but aren't you just looking to detune your sample and by doing so fitting it to the project tempo?

if so...tune is in program.

I am not interested in keeping the same pitch. I WANT the pitch to get screwed.


this is what makes me think you're just looking for "tune"

By Mike Feedback Fri Sep 14, 2007 8:26 pm
Antonym wrote:correct me if i'm wrong, but aren't you just looking to detune your sample and by doing so fitting it to the project tempo?

if so...tune is in program.

I am not interested in keeping the same pitch. I WANT the pitch to get screwed.


this is what makes me think you're just looking for "tune"


he is looking for tune in the sample window which is on page 65 of the manual.

but his gripe is this...

the equivilent of the sample window on the 2500 was the param page within trim mode on the 2000xl. the difference between the two is that on the 2000xl, not only did it allow you to adjust the tune of your sample, it also allowed you to choose the amount of beats in that sample and based on the amount of beats inputted along with the length of the sample it would display a calculated bpm of the sample. if you detuned the sample, there was also another display of the new calculated bpm of the sample.

so the answer is no, you're not going to find what you're looking for.

to be honest, i never used the params page in trim mode anyway. i always tuned my samples within the program and just changed them until they fit the tempo, or adjusted the tempo until they fit the sample. same thing i now do on the 2500
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By Antonym Fri Sep 14, 2007 8:33 pm
if you detuned the sample, there was also another display of the new calculated bpm of the sample.


oh. weird. no wonder so many mpc people put massive clumsy chunks on 1 pad instead of slicing them to manageable pieces...

By Mike Feedback Fri Sep 14, 2007 8:39 pm
here's what the screens look like...


2000xl Trim Mode Params Page
Image

2500 Sample Window
Image


like i said, i never used the params page. i always chopped my sounds up and tuned them in the program.
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By dume41 Sat Sep 15, 2007 1:43 am
Antonym wrote:
if you detuned the sample, there was also another display of the new calculated bpm of the sample.


oh. weird. no wonder so many mpc people put massive clumsy chunks on 1 pad instead of slicing them to manageable pieces...


For the record I really appreciate the swift responses.

You know, I was hoping and praying that if I ever actually needed to post a question on here, it would be intelligent, well thought out and something not asked before. I feel it was all those things.. yet still... the condescension is hilarious. I am not a new booty by a long shot.. I run a studio. Option #4 clearly displayed that I knew how to use tune and was just hoping the classic functionality was still intact somewhere.

I mean what can you say to someone’s opinion about how to make beats? I personally never used the zone function that so many others are fond of. I preferred to copy my samples by hand and set start and stop points for my slices.. that way they did not all have to synch up perfectly (and I didn’t have to go and re-edit the slices after the split just to disconnect the ends and beginnings of each slice). But I would never tell someone else that their methodology was “clunky”... or even cheating. All that matters is can you make dope beats. That’s really too bad. My body of work speaks for itself, but when some mc who thinks he has the next great idea brings me 8 loops and says sync these up, it was nice to be able to do it super fast on the XL. Of course I know how to use the tune function for a sample. I am of the philosophy, however, that once you know how to do something.. and a faster way comes along, there is nothing wrong with using the faster way. People who critique this are the same people that said we were cheating back in the days for using samplers.. “ahhh you youngsters.. don’t you know how to keep your breaks on backspin.. what’s with the SP-1200?”
For my money, replacing the excellent tempo matching screen with “auto” in the chop shop was not worth it. For me.. I would never use auto chop, not even on a drum loop. I just don’t prefer it. I would not knock those who do though.

Well at least I feel pretty confident that Mike knows what I am talking about, because he at least knows what screen I’m referring to. So I believe you when you say the function has been cut. Thanks I appreciate it.

dume41
Several Active Minds
http://myspace.com/severalactiveminds
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By THE ADVERSARY Sat Sep 15, 2007 2:55 pm
dume41,
you should check out the JJ OS, it allows you to go into the Time Stretch window from TRIM but instead of doing Time Stretch you can do a Beat Match and tell it how many beats are in the sample and pick a new tempo etc instead of doing the Time Stretch.

By fur*q Sun Sep 16, 2007 3:54 am
Ah hello everbody (first post, but a long time reader)

This topic has really got me interested. I don't have an mpc or any other beat machine...yet. I was going to take the plunge and get 2500 until i read Dumi41's post. This issue he has with retuning of samples is a real make or break for me, i am totally old skool (last sampler i had was casio fz-1, oh the dirt oh the joy) and the way the mpc2k worked with current bpm-tune-new bpm sounds like the way i would of hoped all sample based machines did it. I have had a search about the jjos beat match thingy but can't find anything relating to this problem. So basicaly, is it solved now with the jj os? The idea of working with a machine that allows me to do things like this super fast and simply is a must, i would use the pc but the programs are to full of waffle and the screen makes my eyes bleed. I would like to make stuff a bit like b boys revenge (zeb roc ski) lots of loops and other one-shots all over the shop. Am i even looking at the right machines?? Sorry longwinded and going way off topic, it's late....: )
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By dume41 Sun Sep 16, 2007 4:29 pm
THE ADVERSARY wrote:dume41,
you should check out the JJ OS, it allows you to go into the Time Stretch window from TRIM but instead of doing Time Stretch you can do a Beat Match and tell it how many beats are in the sample and pick a new tempo etc instead of doing the Time Stretch.


Adversary Thank you so much!! I did mad searches on the 2500 version of JJ OS but did not get any answer about tempo matching or beat matching. This piece of knowledge is a nugget.

Thanks for the Jewel

dume41
Several Active Minds
myspace.com/severalactiveminds
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By Zukan Sun Sep 16, 2007 4:34 pm
Antonym wrote:
if you detuned the sample, there was also another display of the new calculated bpm of the sample.


oh. weird. no wonder so many mpc people put massive clumsy chunks on 1 pad instead of slicing them to manageable pieces...


Interesting.
How did you screen capture the menu options, or are you using blue box, mpc editor or similar?

BTW, you DO have this option but you need to hit mode/pad 7 (program edit) click on sample then press EDIT and you will see the page you want.
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By dume41 Sun Sep 16, 2007 4:44 pm
fur*q wrote:Ah hello everbody (first post, but a long time reader)

I was going to take the plunge and get 2500 until i read Dumi41's post. This issue he has with retuning of samples is a real make or break for me, i am totally old skool...


I don't want to be mistaken here. It is VERY easy to detune samples with any MPC. My issue was a super quick detune to a specific bpm. As far as the MPC2500.. it is the best sampler I've ever owned... and I've been all over the place, Yamaha, roland and many akai's including the S series (950 and 20) and MPC series (1000, 2000, 2000XL). However... and I know some people are going to get upset with me for this... If you do not record your music in a studio with multiple inputs on the soundcard, or you only use the stereo out when recording...I would consider the Roland SP606. It has vast sound mangling options and BPM matching is a breeze. Even has a dedicated BPM nob you just turn to change the BPM's of any phrase sample. It has the same USB connectivity and saves to Cf cards just like the newest mpc's. Plus sampling is one simple dedicated button you push once to initiate. On top of all that you can buy one for around $400 used from a guitar center. Better prices on ebay. Personally, I need the outs.. because industry quality recording really requires you to track out all your sounds to the DAW. Plus there's just nothing like MPC pads.

Each piece has it's own place which is why many hip hop producers own several. They serve different purposes. I'll give you an example.. I'm going to grab another old school S series with ten outs and I'll strictly have drums triggered there from the MPC. This way I can record the ten outs of the S series for drums, simultaneously with the the outs of the 2500 so that I can record most songs in the DAW in one pass.

Hope this helps a little.

dume41
Several Active Minds
myspace.com/severalactiveminds
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By dume41 Sun Sep 16, 2007 4:51 pm
Zukan wrote:
BTW, you DO have this option but you need to hit mode/pad 7 (program edit) click on sample then press EDIT and you will see the page you want.


To the best of my knowledge there is no BPM indicator anywhere in any sub menu of the program mode of the 2500. There isn't even an 'edit' section on the program page. Maybe you're referring to the 'window' button, which still does not include any BPM indicators for your sample.

I think Mike had it right when he said it doesn't exist for the 2500. If the JJ OS has it though, I'm all in.

By Mike Feedback Sun Sep 16, 2007 5:30 pm
Zukan wrote:BTW, you DO have this option but you need to hit mode/pad 7 (program edit) click on sample then press EDIT and you will see the page you want.


i don't think that's what he's looking for. i think that does time stretch (keeping pitch) or pitch shift (keeping length), but correct me if i'm wrong on that.

he wants to be able to change the pitch while affecting the length, but have it display the tempo of the newly pitched sample based on the tempo of the sample at pitch 0.
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By djray182 Sun Sep 16, 2007 5:39 pm
ok i had a mpc1k with jj os and you could do this in the trim page. you had to know the original tempo though, then you could pick what ever new tempo you wanted. i dont have the jj on my 2500 because i like my auto chop feature to work properly :roll: but i assume the 2500 jjos has it aswell .

hope i could help.

By fur*q Sun Sep 16, 2007 5:41 pm
Thanks man,

Yea i just want a machine thats fast (i know most can be to a degree) as the computer is just click/window/click/think/search/click/hit/hope/nope/distraction/6am/0% done/help/"i'm tellen ya honey,its the pc or me!!!" (thats just me tho :-)
sensory overload. Does the 606 just retune samples to fit? i ask these silly questions because they only seem to come up after using one of the said machines for a while, sod all on youboob either.