hows 12 pads making drums?

For every "part" of the beat you want to make - use a new sequence. Just so we don't get confusing, 1 sequence is a "part" of your beat. AKA riff, segment, movement, etc...
this means if you want to take away the 2nd snare occasionally in your beat, you make a whole new sequence identical to the first, without the 2nd snare.

For each sequence, use a different program.

Change between your sequences while the beat is playing:

Go to sequence mode - hit play start.
Change to sequence 2 while sequence one is playing. When sequence one has played all of the bars it has been programmed to play, it will switch to the one you selected, on beat at the end of those bars. Etc...

A new program per sequence is unnecessary, but helps illustrate the point better.

ssnedden wrote:For every "part" of the beat you want to make - use a new sequence. Just so we don't get confusing, 1 sequence is a "part" of your beat. AKA riff, segment, movement, etc...
this means if you want to take away the 2nd snare occasionally in your beat, you make a whole new sequence identical to the first, without the 2nd snare.

Gotcha. Actually thats the only way I know how to do it.

ssnedden wrote:For each sequence, use a different program.

Whaaaat ?!!

ssnedden wrote:Change between your sequences while the beat is playing:

Go to sequence mode - hit play start.
Change to sequence 2 while sequence one is playing. When sequence one has played all of the bars it has been programmed to play, it will switch to the one you selected, on beat at the end of those bars. Etc...

A new program per sequence is unnecessary, but helps illustrate the point better.

That's the way I always chain together my sequences, the "drum machine" or old fashioned way.
So the only thing that I think I'm not following here is the different program for every sequence. Can you describe that step or clarify that please.
How do you switch programs and sequences at the same time ?
Do you mean 1 single sequence that changes by switching programs (sound banks), instead of switching sequences ?
If that is the case how can that process be assembled in song mode to create a preprogrammed song ?
Thanks.

Like I said, I only said use a new program for every sequence to avoid unintentionally saying something I didn't mean.

So..
when you make a new sequence, and you make a new program:
assign the new program to the new sequence, leave the others how they were.

You don't change programs in your sequence. You build a sequence around a program.

Program 1 is for Sequence 1, and so on...

Samples 1-48 on PGM 1, used for Seq 1
Samples 1-40 and 49-57 on PGM 2, used for Seq 2
etc...

Assign your program to the sequence, then work...


If you have a bunch of sequences, you can select the order they are played back in real time, by selecting the one you want it to move to next. It will wait until the current one is done. This is by hitting 'sequence', then 'Play start', then selecting sequences with the wheel.

ssnedden wrote:You don't change programs in your sequence. You build a sequence around a program.

Program 1 is for Sequence 1, and so on...

Samples 1-48 on PGM 1, used for Seq 1
Samples 1-40 and 49-57 on PGM 2, used for Seq 2
etc...

Assign your program to the sequence, then work...

If you have a bunch of sequences, you can select the order they are played back in real time, by selecting the one you want it to move to next. It will wait until the current one is done. This is by hitting 'sequence', then 'Play start', then selecting sequences with the wheel.

I apologize if I'm being an idiot here, but I'm not quite getting how to switch from program01/sequence01 to program02/sequence02 ?
I understand selecting the next sequence and then it plays after the currentt one. I understand that you can press mode 6 and switch programs in real time, at least I think you can.
Do you mean switching programs and sequences quickly in real time by hand to change patterns? Or is there a way to automatically assign a program change within the sequence, like at the first bar like an effects parameter change?

I mean when you make a new sequence, you tell it what program you want it to use, and never change it after that.

If I run out of pads to assign samples, I put those samples on a new program and make a new sequence that is assigned that program. Then I never change it.

ssnedden wrote:I mean when you make a new sequence, you tell it what program you want it to use, and never change it after that.

If I run out of pads to assign samples, I put those samples on a new program and make a new sequence that is assigned that program. Then I never change it.

Interesting, I'll give it a try.
Thanks for the help.

robthom wrote:

Menco wrote:u can hold multiple programms in ur RAM
I believe it's 99 programs (I'm not sure).
99 x 48 sounds (4banks x 12 pads)= a hell lot of samples

Another member mentioned that to me, but I still dont know how its done.

How can you use multiple programs within the same song ?

When I load up my song with program01, and then go to pad6 and switch to program02, the sequences I created with program01 will no longer play. IE: the samples from program01 will no longer trigger after selecting program02.

record each instrument or event on seperate tracks also load different programs after switching to a new track...hope that makes sense...switching tracks is the key to using dif programs...each event should have it's own track

Alot of times I'll just make a 4 bar loop and rec each sound on a track equivalent to the pad they are assigned to ie: kick on pad 3/track 3 then you can mute whatever part you want and I easily know which pad to hit because I usually have the pads set up the same way.

Cold Snap wrote:record each instrument or event on seperate tracks also load different programs after switching to a new track...hope that makes sense...switching tracks is the key to using dif programs...each event should have it's own track

Aha, I dont understand what your describing but that does sound familiar.
Tracks = The third function that I have no idea how to use.
I was hoping I would be able to survive without ever needing those. Now I remember that figuring out the tracks function was the reason I've been putting off figuring out multi-programs.
But I pulled out my manual last night to give it another try and now I know where to start.
Thanks.

You ever use a DAW like Audacity or Pro Tools?

Tracks are the same there as on the MPC, think of them as the same thing. Sequences are like different loops, and you can move between them to create changes in your song.



If you don't use tracks, what do you do? Put all of your sounds on one track without being able to mute some?

ssnedden wrote:You ever use a DAW like Audacity or Pro Tools?

Tracks are the same there as on the MPC, think of them as the same thing. Sequences are like different loops, and you can move between them to create changes in your song.

If you don't use tracks, what do you do? Put all of your sounds on one track without being able to mute some?

I actually tried every sample oriented PC program I could find: battery, FL, Acid, Etc. and I could not make hide nor hair of any of them despite having heard how much easier they are. They just weren't intuitive for me. I never even got far enough to use the plugins because I couldn't find a base program that I was comfortable with. The only one I came even close to figuring out was a tiny little thing called the taureg, but I decided to give up on daws and just go hardware instead.

I'm more of a bang on the pads/drum machine kind of guy. I like things to be simple. I dont like endlessly futzing and figuring out advanced schemes for doing something that should be simple. I just want results. Thats why I wish the 500 just had a few more selectable banks.
But the 500 does do so many things that I'm thankful for, especially after my frustrating daw experiment, that if I have to do this part the hard way (for me at least) then its still a fair trade.

I put all of my sounds on one track in a loop sequence, and then copy the sequence and alter the copy for variations like dropouts and breakdowns. I dont mute live and I dont use the MPC mute function.

robthom wrote:

ssnedden wrote:You ever use a DAW like Audacity or Pro Tools?

Tracks are the same there as on the MPC, think of them as the same thing. Sequences are like different loops, and you can move between them to create changes in your song.

If you don't use tracks, what do you do? Put all of your sounds on one track without being able to mute some?

I actually tried every sample oriented PC program I could find: battery, FL, Acid, Etc. and I could not make hide nor hair of any of them despite having heard how much easier they are. They just weren't intuitive for me. I never even got far enough to use the plugins because I couldn't find a base program that I was comfortable with. The only one I came even close to figuring out was a tiny little thing called the taureg, but I decided to give up on daws and just go hardware instead.

I'm more of a bang on the pads/drum machine kind of guy. I like things to be simple. I dont like endlessly futzing and figuring out advanced schemes for doing something that should be simple. I just want results. Thats why I wish the 500 just had a few more selectable banks.
But the 500 does do so many things that I'm thankful for, especially after my frustrating daw experiment, that if I have to do this part the hard way (for me at least) then its still a fair trade.

I put all of my sounds on one track in a loop sequence, and then copy the sequence and alter the copy for variations like dropouts and breakdowns. I dont mute live and I dont use the MPC mute function.

Yea, if your going to be a practicing musician of any kind you all ready have the wrong attitude about it, you have to get to know your instrument & become 1 with it...

MPC is indeed a very simple device to use once you understand all the functions... the more functions you comprehend the more creative flexibility you will have... to use the MPC in the manner you say you use it is just frankly a waste of a MPC, you should of just bought a basic loop machine.

My advice to you is to take 1 function at a time and learn how it works inside & out... use your manual, forum etc... but most importantly just experiment...once you figure it out you will be like dang, that's it? Really ez stuff that can make the world of a difference in making music. Good Luck

Cold Snap wrote:Yea, if your going to be a practicing musician of any kind you all ready have the wrong attitude about it, you have to get to know your instrument & become 1 with it...

MPC is indeed a very simple device to use once you understand all the functions... the more functions you comprehend the more creative flexibility you will have... to use the MPC in the manner you say you use it is just frankly a waste of a MPC, you should of just bought a basic loop machine.

My advice to you is to take 1 function at a time and learn how it works inside & out... use your manual, forum etc... but most importantly just experiment...once you figure it out you will be like dang, that's it? Really ez stuff that can make the world of a difference in making music. Good Luck

I'm not trying to hang my hat on being a musician, I already chased that dream years ago. I'm just making music that I like to hear for my own fulfillment.
I would have been happy with a more basic machine, thats why I chose the 500 instead of the 1000 even though they where the same price used. Because I preferred the forced by design simplicity. But I didn't get a "loop machine" because I do more than make loops.

I actually didn't even want an MPC, because the last time I was shopping for one I tried the 2000 which was a turd compared to the 60. But the MPC is still the only sampling drum machine on the market that isn't an overpriced classic or a POS roland, so I took a chance and got one anyway after I saw how many generations had passed since the 2000. After studying the manual I can get it to do most of what I want it to. But it can be less than intuitive and more complicated than it should be to do simple things, like using more than half of the sample memory.

And I still dont see the point of tracks.
I never needed them before and I dont need them now other than to utilize the rest of my sample memory, which shouldn't be tied to using tracks IMO.
If I wanted to separate tracks and mute in and out live I would have gotten a 1000 and a mixing board.

robthom wrote:[quote="Cold Snap"

And I still dont see the point of tracks.
I never needed them before and I dont need them now other than to utilize the rest of my sample memory, which shouldn't be tied to using tracks IMO.
If I wanted to separate tracks and mute in and out live I would have gotten a 1000 and a mixing board.

another reason to use tracks is so if you mess up your sequence in the mpc, you can just take that part you messed up and redo it instead of having to redo your whole sequence.


think of tracks and sequences like this

a sequence is the full picture, and a track is just one layer of it.

so you have a sequence that umbrellas all your tracks,

ie

track 1 kick
track 2 snare
track 3 sample
track 4 hi hats

all this put together: sequence

so if you messed up a part in your kick, you can just go to that track (track 1 in this case) and re do that track and it wont affect anything else in your sequence (ie track 2 3 4 will all stay the same as you programmed them earlier.)

Sequence 1 2bar

1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04
Track01Kick * * * *
Track02snare | | | |
Track03hihat ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Track04bass #### ## ######## ## ### ##
Track05sample $$$4 $$$$4 $$$4 $$$4 $$4
...
...
Track48

Now u can easily mute/unmute, edit, copy and erase a single instrument. Every track can contain a differnet program. In track 1-3 u assign u drum program, in track 4 u assign a bass program, and in track 5 u assign ur program holding all ur chopped samples for example
This will also help u to work faster when editing in step edit mode.

If u put everything in one track, u can only use oneprogram, holding 48 samples.
If u use 5 tracks and assign a different program to each track, u have 5x 48 samples.

If u don't like the drums, but do like the pattern u can just assign another drum program to the drum tracks. (make sure that if the drumsounds are assigned to the same pads in both /all ur drum programs.

Just a thought