MPC not sounding right!!! And pads not feeling right!!!!

OK, so like many people here told me to I have been plugging away on the MPC 1000 tutorial and first off, let me say that who ever wrote it...AMAZING. For all the noobs like me out there...this is a must have. This manual makes things very easy to understand!

So here is my problem. Whenever I go to my LOAD screen and press PLAY to preview a sounds it sounds loud and crisp. So I then assign it to a pad and it sound so low and quiet...why is this? No matter how hard I hit the pa it never sounds like the preview did. Can someone please help me on this!!!

Also, my pads are very stiff and to be honest, after a while they take a toll on your fingers. I have read several postings here of people upgrading pads to softer kind and that are more reliable and forgiving on your hands. Anyone know where I can get them and how to do them? I have checked on EBay but only came accross one guy who sells pads for Akai but not the 1000 model. i am starting to think my pads just suck!!!. I have a Axiom 25 next to me and the pads on them are very nice and soft and it makes it nice to use. It would be nice to use something similair.

Any help in these two issues is much appreciated!

regarding the volume issue... try [MODE+PAD10] and change the global volume to 0. see if that does the trick. if not, it may just be a matter of the pads not being hit at full level... did you try recording with the FULL LEVEL button on?

regarding the pads... the new MPC1000s are shipping with the new better/softer pads you've heard of... they are like the pads of all the other MPCs (a single sheet with all the pads), whereas the older MPC1000 ones were each separate individual pads. the new ones are also sold as a separate pad upgrade, but for the steep amount of $180.00 (and they seem to be out of stock everywhere)... there's a TREMENDOUS amount of info about the pad issues on this board... just use the search function and you'll see.

crossings wrote:regarding the volume issue... try [MODE+PAD10] and change the global volume to 0. see if that does the trick. if not, it may just be a matter of the pads not being hit at full level... did you try recording with the FULL LEVEL button on?

The gloabl volume is set to 0. That was the first thing I checked as well as my audio interface mixer level as well as the audio interface volume level on the unit (Presonus Firebox). However, I did not set the FULL LEVEL button on the MPC. Let me try that tonight and see if that was the issue.

crossings wrote:regarding the pads... the new MPC1000s are shipping with the new better/softer pads you've heard of... they are like the pads of all the other MPCs (a single sheet with all the pads), whereas the older MPC1000 ones were each separate individual pads. the new ones are also sold as a separate pad upgrade, but for the steep amount of $180.00 (and they seem to be out of stock everywhere)... there's a TREMENDOUS amount of info about the pad issues on this board... just use the search function and you'll see.

$180 does sound pretty steep. I have the blue and red edition so I assume mine is the older version...DAMN!!! So basically my only option from what you are saying is that I have to get seperate pads?.

the sh!tty ones will get softer once you break them in

then they will stop working

you decide

Cap_Ill wrote:the sh!tty ones will get softer once you break them in
then they will stop working you decide

Do you mean the ones that came with the unit are sh!!ty and after using them they will get softer...but then eventually they will just stop working. Anyone else have this issue.

Do you know of any good sites where I can purchase the upgrade or read up on them?

^ search this forum you will find all the information you need on the pads.

ramangill wrote: Anyone else have this issue?

nope, you're the first.

crossings wrote:regarding the volume issue... try [MODE+PAD10] and change the global volume to 0. see if that does the trick. if not, it may just be a matter of the pads not being hit at full level... did you try recording with the FULL LEVEL button on?

Yup it seems like it was...that did the trick. So it seems like my pads are very stiff when it comes to the velocity part of it. I turned on the FULL LEVEL button and now they sound clear.

But now the issue is that when I try and record a sequence, and I am trying to following along with the metronome , I really have to hit the pad hard or press down really hard in order to get the sound out...and sometimes it will hit it twice or nothing at all or even it will be off beat...which then becomes really annoying cause you know it is the pads that are giving you a hard time

You can get the pads from www.mpcstuff.com They also have a tutorial on youtube on how to install the pads. Pretty cool stuff.

They are 180.00... But well worth it from what I hear.

Rustafarii wrote:You can get the pads from www.mpcstuff.com They also have a tutorial on youtube on how to install the pads. Pretty cool stuff.

They are 180.00... But well worth it from what I hear.

Thanks man, I will check out mpcsamples.