advertisement
User Guide
English
Manual Version 2.5
Table of Contents
Introduction ............................................................ 7
Tutorial ................................................................... 12
System Requirements & Product Support ...... 7
About This User Guide ...................................... 8
Important Notes ................................................. 8
Setup ................................................................... 9
1. Connection .................................................. 9
2. Installation ................................................... 9
3. Getting Started .......................................... 10
Basic Concepts .................................................... 11
Creating a Drum Kit ......................................... 12
Creating a Drum Sequence ............................. 13
Renaming & Saving .......................................... 14
Editing Note Events .......................................... 16
Making Basic Sound Edits ............................... 18
Creating a Bass Track ..................................... 19
Recording an Audio Track ............................... 22
Creating a Song ................................................ 23
Exporting the Song ........................................... 24
Other Features Explained ................................ 25
Step Sequencer ............................................. 25
Drum Loops & Chop Mode ............................ 26
Pad Muting & Track Muting ........................... 29
Sampling (Recording) ..................................... 30
Sample Editing ............................................... 31
Recording Automation with Q-Link Knobs .... 33
Using MPC as a Plugin .................................. 33
2
Operation .............................................................. 34
General Features ............................................. 34
Programs ....................................................... 34
About Programs ................................................. 34
Drum Programs ................................................. 35
Keygroup Programs ........................................... 36
Plugin Programs ................................................. 38
MIDI Programs ................................................... 39
Clip Programs .................................................... 40
CV Programs ..................................................... 41
Toolbar........................................................... 42
Menu ................................................................. 42
File .............................................................. 42
Edit ............................................................. 43
Tools .......................................................... 46
View............................................................ 47
Help ............................................................ 48
Mode Icons ........................................................ 49
Timing Controls .................................................. 49
Transport Controls ............................................. 50
Status ................................................................ 51
Inspector ........................................................ 52
Sequence .......................................................... 52
Track ................................................................. 52
Program ............................................................. 53
Channel Strips ................................................... 54
Pad & Keygroup Channel Strips .................. 54
Program Channel Strip ................................ 55
MIDI Track Channel Strip ............................ 56
Audio Track Channel Strip ........................... 57
Master & Submix Channel Strips ................. 58
Browser ......................................................... 59
File Browser ....................................................... 60
Expansion Browser ............................................ 61
Media Browser ................................................... 62
Project Info Browser ........................................... 63
Project Notes Browser ....................................... 64
Undo History Browser ........................................ 64
MIDI Learn Browser ........................................... 65
Editors ............................................................ 66
Grid Editor ......................................................... 67
MIDI ............................................................ 67
Audio .......................................................... 70
Wave Editor ....................................................... 74
List Editor ........................................................... 77
Track View ...................................................... 80
Mixer Window ................................................ 83
Panels ............................................................. 84
MIDI Keyboard ................................................... 84
Q-Links .............................................................. 85
Q-Link Setup ............................................... 86
Project ........................................................ 86
Program ..................................................... 87
Pad Scene .................................................. 87
Pad Parameters .......................................... 87
Screen ........................................................ 87
Pads .................................................................. 88
Program Editor ................................................... 88
Parameters ........................................................ 89
Project ............................................................... 89
Sampler & Looper .............................................. 90
Pad Banks & Mute ............................................. 90
Sequence List .................................................... 91
Performance Controls ........................................ 91
Song Parameters ............................................... 91
Preferences .................................................... 92
Audio ................................................................. 92
MIDI ................................................................... 92
Plugins ............................................................... 92
Sequencer ......................................................... 92
Sync .................................................................. 93
Hardware ........................................................... 94
Project Defaults .................................................. 94
Project Load/Save .............................................. 95
Record/Export ................................................... 95
General .............................................................. 95
3
Time Correct .................................................. 97
Metronome .................................................... 98
Editing Processes .......................................... 99
Audio Region ..................................................... 99
Sequence ........................................................ 100
Track ............................................................... 104
Program ........................................................... 105
Effects .......................................................... 107
Overview .......................................................... 107
Insert Effects .................................................... 109
Send/Return Effects ......................................... 110
Automation .................................................. 111
Global .............................................................. 111
Programs & Audio Tracks ................................. 111
Recording Automation ..................................... 112
Editing Automation ........................................... 113
16 Level ....................................................... 115
Note Mapping .............................................. 115
Pad Color ..................................................... 116
Audio Mixdown ............................................ 117
Audio Length ................................................... 117
Render Source ................................................. 117
Render Options ................................................ 117
File Formats ..................................................... 117
Plugins ......................................................... 118
Scanning Plugins ............................................. 118
Plugin Manager ................................................ 119
Selecting Plugins .............................................. 120
Expansions .................................................. 121
Expansion Manager ......................................... 121
Selecting Expansions ....................................... 122
Exporting Expansions ....................................... 122
Modes .............................................................. 123
Main Mode ................................................... 124
Pads ................................................................ 125
Track View Mode ......................................... 126
Program Edit Mode ...................................... 127
Pads ................................................................ 128
Program Editor ................................................. 129
Drum Programs ........................................ 129
Keygroup Programs .................................. 132
Plugin Programs ....................................... 135
MIDI Programs .......................................... 135
Clip Programs ........................................... 136
CV Programs ............................................ 137
Anatomy of an Envelope .................................. 138
Sample Edit Mode ........................................ 139
Trim Mode ....................................................... 141
Q-Links ..................................................... 141
Pads ......................................................... 142
Parameters ............................................... 143
Assigning Samples .................................... 145
Processing Slices & Samples .................... 146
Chop Mode ...................................................... 149
Q-Links ..................................................... 150
Pads ......................................................... 150
Parameters ............................................... 151
Converting or Assigning Slices .................. 153
Processing Slices ...................................... 156
Program Mode ................................................. 158
Q-Links ..................................................... 158
Pads ......................................................... 159
Parameters ............................................... 159
Assigning Samples .................................... 161
Processing Slices ...................................... 162
4
Modes
(continued)
Pad Mixer .................................................... 164
Pad Channel Strip ............................................ 166
Keygroup Channel Strip ................................... 166
Program Channel Strip ..................................... 167
Audio Track Channel Strip ................................ 168
Channel Mixer.............................................. 169
MIDI Track Channel Strip .................................. 171
Audio Track Channel Strip ................................ 171
Program Channel Strip ..................................... 172
Submix Channel Strip ....................................... 172
Return Channel Strip ........................................ 173
Master Channel Strip ........................................ 173
Step Sequencer ........................................... 174
Q-Links ............................................................ 175
Pads ................................................................ 175
Sampler ....................................................... 176
Q-Links ............................................................ 177
Pads ................................................................ 178
Sampler ........................................................... 179
Recording Methods .......................................... 180
Sample ..................................................... 180
Slice.......................................................... 181
Pad Tap .................................................... 182
Pad Hold .................................................. 182
Looper ......................................................... 183
Q-Links ............................................................ 185
Looper ............................................................. 186
Pad Mute Mode ........................................... 189
Pad Banks ....................................................... 190
Pads ................................................................ 190
Mute ................................................................ 190
Track Mute Mode ......................................... 191
Pad Banks ....................................................... 192
Pads ................................................................ 192
Mute ................................................................ 193
Next Sequence Mode .................................. 194
Sequence List .................................................. 195
Pads ................................................................ 196
Performance Controls ...................................... 196
Song Mode ................................................... 197
Sequence List .................................................. 199
Pads ................................................................ 199
Song Parameters ............................................. 200
MIDI Control Mode ....................................... 201
Pads ................................................................ 202
Buttons ............................................................ 203
Q-Link Knobs ................................................... 203
XY Pad ............................................................. 204
5
Appendix ............................................................. 205
Effects & Parameters .................................... 205
Reverbs........................................................ 205
Delays .......................................................... 207
Flangers ....................................................... 210
Choruses ..................................................... 210
Autopans ..................................................... 211
Tremolos ...................................................... 211
Phasers ........................................................ 212
HP (High-Pass) Filters ................................. 212
LP (Low-Pass) Filters ................................... 213
Parametric EQs ........................................... 214
Distortions ................................................... 215
Compressors ............................................... 216
Bit Reducers ................................................ 217
Other ............................................................ 218
Glossary .......................................................... 219
Trademarks & Licenses ................................ 224
Addenda .............................................................. 225
Updates in MPC 2.1 ....................................... 225
New Features .............................................. 225
Exporting Expansions ....................................... 225
Snap: Absolute & Relative ................................ 226
Pitch Quantization ............................................ 226
Step Sequencer: Velocity Adjustment via
Q-Links ......................................................... 227
Faster Attack for Amp Envelopes ..................... 227
Multiple Plugin Windows................................... 227
Support for Akai Professional MPD2 & MPK2
Series ............................................................ 227
Updates in MPC 2.2 ........................................ 228
New Features ............................................... 228
MIDI Learn ....................................................... 228
Humanize ......................................................... 232
Generate Random Events ................................ 233
Multiple Plugin Windows Enable/Disable ........... 234
Updates in MPC 2.3 ........................................ 235
New Features ............................................... 235
AIR Instrument Plugins ..................................... 235
AIR Bassline .............................................. 235
AIR Electric ............................................... 238
AIR TubeSynth .......................................... 241
Plugin Preset Support ...................................... 247
Arpeggiator ...................................................... 248
Auto Sampler ................................................... 250
Crossfade Looping ........................................... 252
Mode Selection Shortcut .................................. 252
Q-Link Navigation Enhancements ..................... 252
Split Events ...................................................... 252
Updates in MPC 2.4 ........................................ 253
New Features ............................................... 253
AIR FX Bundle .................................................. 253
Clip Program Improvements ............................. 264
FLAC and OGG Support .................................. 265
Mother Ducker ................................................. 265
Next Sequence Mode ...................................... 265
Additional Transport Controls ........................... 265
Updates in MPC 2.5 ........................................ 266
New Features ............................................... 266
Browser Audition Warp and Sync ..................... 266
Corrections ................................................... 266
6
Introduction
Thank you for purchasing your MPC. At Akai Professional, we know how serious music is to you. That’s why we design our equipment with only one thing in mind—to make your performance the best it can be.
This user guide explains how to create music within the MPC software application. There is similar documentation available for MPC products that use a touchscreen and for those that use an LCD. To view these user guides, click the
Help
menu, select
MPC Help
, and select an option.
Welcome to the MPC family.
Akai Professional
System Requirements & Product Support
For the latest information about this product (system requirements, compatibility information, etc.) and product registration, visit
akaipro.com
.
For additional support, visit
akaipro.com
/
support
.
7
About This User Guide
This manual describes features in the MPC 2.1 software application. For consistency, the terminology throughout is based on the MPC parameter names. We also used specific formatting to indicate particular topics of significance:
Important
/
Note
/
Tip
: Important or helpful information on a given topic.
Names of buttons, controls, parameters, settings, and other options are written in
bold
characters throughout the manual.
Examples
: Click the
Play Start
button.
Turn
Q-Link Knob 4
.
Click the
Mute
button.
The
Velocity
ranges from
0
to
127
.
Set the
Sample Play
selector to
One Shot
.
Click
BPM
, and then use the numeric keypad to enter
120
as the tempo.
Some parts of this manual refer to other relevant chapters or sections, which are cited in
bold, italic blue
characters.
Examples
: Read the
For more information about installing the drivers and software, please see the
.
To learn more about using effects, see
Important Notes
Before installing the MPC software, make sure your computer meets the system requirements described at
akaipro.com
. This applies whether you’ll use MPC software as your host software or as a plugin in another digital audio workstation (DAW).
Before connecting your MPC hardware to your computer, make sure you have installed the latest drivers and software. Visit
akaipro.com
to download the latest versions. Refer to
8
Setup
1. Connection
Here is just an example of how to use MPC hardware in your setup (MPC Live, in this case). Items not listed in your included
Quickstart Guide
are sold separately.
SD Card
USB drive
Powered Monitors
Turntable Computer
Power
(optional)
2. Installation
1.
Go to
akaipro.com
and register your product. If you don’t have an Akai Professional account yet, you will be prompted to create one.
2.
In your Akai Professional account, download the MPC software package.
3.
Open the file and double-click the installer application.
4.
Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.
Note
: By default, the MPC software will be installed in [ your hard drive
] \
Program Files
\
Akai Pro
\
MPC
(Windows
®
) or
Applications
(macOS
®
). You can also create a shortcut on your Desktop.
9
3. Getting Started
1.
Power on your MPC hardware.
2.
On your computer, open the
MPC
software.
3.
Follow the on-screen instructions to authorize your version of MPC.
4.
You will need an iLok account to complete this. You can create an account at
ilok.com
.
Make a note of the PACE code in your account, and enter it when asked for it during the authorization/unlock process.
5.
MPC X & MPC Live users
: Check the upper-right corner of the window:
•
If you see a
monitor
/
cable icon
, then your MPC hardware is already in Controller Mode.
Continue to
Step 6
.
•
If you see a
chip icon
, then your MPC hardware is in Standalone Mode. Follow these steps: i.
Press
Menu
to enter the Menu. ii.
Tap the
MPC chip icon
in the upper-right corner. iii.
In the
Enter Controller Mode
window that appears, tap
Controller Mode
.
Looking for computer
may appear briefly in the window before your MPC hardware recognizes the USB connection as a controller.
6.
In the MPC software, open the
Preferences
:
Windows
: Click the
menu icon
(
≡
), select
Edit
, and click
Preferences
.
macOS
: Click the
MPC
menu, and click
Preferences
.
7.
In the
Preferences
window, click the
Audio
tab and select the sound card you want to use. Click
OK
when you are done.
Important
: We highly recommend using your MPC hardware’s sound card (
Akai Pro
[ your MPC model
]
ASIO
).
Windows users only
: If you need to use your computer’s internal sound card, we recommend downloading the latest ASIO4ALL driver at
asio4all.com
.
10
Basic Concepts
This chapter should help explain some fundamental aspects of the MPC software.
The MPC workflow is quite different from traditional digital audio workstations (DAWs). In most typical DAWs, each track uses an instance of each instrument, and all tracks are always playing even if they don’t contain any audio or
MIDI information. Furthermore, your entire project needs to be arranged just as the resulting song would be.
This isn’t the case with the MPC software, which offers much more flexibility within your project. It’s important to understand some basic terms, though:
A
sequence
is a “building block” of a song. It contains multiple tracks that play at the same time like a normal
DAW. In a project, you might create one sequence for your verse and another sequence for your chorus, alternating and/or repeating each one in a specific order to create the song. (A project can contain
128
sequences.)
A
track
is a layer in a sequence. There are two types of tracks:
MIDI tracks
consist of MIDI data only, no audio data. These tracks produce sound by using
programs
, described below. Unlike a normal DAW, each MIDI track exists only in its sequence. The advantage of this is not having to manage empty or unwanted tracks across all of your sequences—each sequence contains only the tracks you want to use in it. If you want to use the same track across multiple sequences, you can copy the track from one sequence into another. (A sequence can contain
128
MIDI tracks.)
Audio tracks
consist of a recorded audio signal, like a traditional DAW. These tracks do
not
use programs because the audio is already contained in the track. Also, unlike MIDI tracks, audio tracks are present in every sequence in the project, even if the tracks themselves are empty. (A sequence can contain
128
audio tracks.)
A
program
is a preset through which MIDI tracks are routed. Programs may contain audio samples that are triggered when tracks play through them, producing the sound you want on that track. Programs are independent of tracks and sequences, so you can set multiple tracks to use the same program (unlike normal
DAWs where each track requires its own set of samples or plugin). Furthermore, you can use the same program/programs across multiple sequences. (A project can contain
128
programs.)
Each program can be played using the 16
pads
(across eight pad banks, which gives you access to 128 pads in each program). Each pad plays a MIDI note when you press it, but that MIDI note will trigger something different for each program. For instance, in drum programs, the pads are assigned to samples—one pad could trigger a kick drum sound and another could trigger a snare drum sound—whereas in plugin programs, each pad triggers a MIDI note that plays the corresponding pitch of its assigned instrument plugin.
Here’s a diagram to illustrate an example of how these pieces could work together:
Sequence
Drum Program
(Drums)
Track
(MIDI: Drums)
Track
(MIDI: Bass)
Keygroup Program
(Bass)
Track
(MIDI: Keys 1)
Keygroup Program
(Keys)
Track
(MIDI: Keys 2)
Track
(MIDI: Synth)
Plugin Program
(Hybrid 3)
Track
Track
(Audio: Vocals)
(Audio: Vocals)
Mixing
Track
(Audio: Guitar)
Please take a look at the following
chapter, as well. It will walk you through the creation of a short song to show you some of the MPC software’s most important features.
11
Tutorial
This chapter is a walkthrough of the creation of a song in the MPC software. To get the most out of this chapter, we recommend reproducing each of the described steps. The previous
chapter may also help you understand what we’re asking you to do in this tutorial.
On the following pages we will create a short song to show you some of the MPC software’s most important features.
Make sure you have completed all of the steps described in
•
Installing the most current drivers and software.
•
Connecting your MPC hardware to a power outlet using the included power adapter and powering it on.
•
Opening and authorizing your MPC software.
Creating a Drum Kit
Let’s start by making a simple drum kit.
By default, the Browser is shown on the right side of the window.
To show or hide the Browser
, do one of the following:
•
In the lower-right corner of the window, click the
six-rectangles icon
,
list icon
, or
hard-drive icon
.
•
In the upper-left corner of the window, click the
menu icon
(
≡
), and go to
View
>
Browser
and click:
Hidden
(to hide the Browser),
File Browser
(to show files in the Browser),
Expansion Browser
(to show your Expansions in the Browser), or
Media Browser
(to show your media in the Browser).
Use the Browser controls to navigate to where your drum sounds are located:
•
To browse your files by location
, select the
File Browser
.
•
To move up one folder level
, click the
up arrow
(
) next to the file path.
•
To select a file or folder
, click it once.
•
To enter a folder
, double-click it.
•
To load a sample directly to a pad
, click and drag the sample onto a pad in the lower half of the window.
•
To load a selected file to the project’s sample pool
, double-click it. If the file is a sample, it will be loaded to the project’s sample pool. If the file is a project, it will be loaded in its entirety (you will be asked if you want to close your current project).
•
To load all files in a selected folder
, click and drag the folder onto anywhere in the window outside of the Browser.
•
To preview a selected sound
, click and hold
Play
(
) in the lower-left corner of the Browser.
•
To enable or disable the audition function and set its volume level
, click the
volume icon
in the lower-left corner of the Browser. Click and drag the
level slider
left or right to set the volume level.
If you loaded samples into the sample pool rather than directly to the pads, then let’s start assigning them now:
To load a sample directly to a pad
, click and drag it from
Project
panel (in the
Samples
column) in the lower half of the window onto a pad.
To create a simple drum kit
, repeat the above steps for other pads. We recommend loading a kick/bass drum, snare drum, a closed hi-hat, and an open hi-hat.
12
Creating a Drum Sequence
Now that your drum kit is set up, let’s record a drum sequence using your MPC hardware.
1.
In the MPC software, click the
house icon
in the upper-left corner to make sure you’re in Main Mode.
2.
On your MPC hardware, press
Tap Tempo
repeatedly at the speed you want to record your sequence. The software will detect the rate and adjust itself automatically.
3.
Press the
Rec
(
) button to activate Record Mode.
4.
Press the
Play
(
) button to start the actual recording. The pre-count will count one measure before the sequence starts to record. We recommend recording only one sound (pad) at a time, especially if you are not familiar with playing drums on the pads.
5.
Play a simple kick/bass drum pattern. The note events you just recorded will automatically be placed in the grid
(in this case, on 16th notes). The initial measure length is two bars. After the two bars, the recording will enter
Overdub Mode automatically; the sequence plays again from the beginning and keeps looping, allowing you to record further notes. Don’t stop the recording!
6.
Play the snare drum part, then a hi-hat part.
7.
When you’re done recording, press
Stop
(
). The Grid Editor in the software will show what you recorded.
If you start recording again on this sequence, keep in mind that the pads you play in your new recording will automatically replace existing notes. To prevent this, you can start again from Step 1 but press
Overdub
(
⊕
) instead of
Rec
(
). Overdub lets you record additional note events over the existing sequence.
The
Undo
button functions differently while in Record Mode. Normally, pressing
Undo
will undo just the last event.
When there is an event to undo, the
Undo
button will be lit solid. While recording, the
Undo
button will flash. In this case, pressing
Undo
will erase
all
events from that recording (i.e., since
Play
(
) or
Play Start
(
|
) was clicked).
13
Renaming & Saving
We recommend renaming your programs and samples before going further.
The collection of drum samples you loaded earlier (and their respective pad assignments) are arranged into a program. When you load this program in the future, you will be able to use all of the samples that belong to it.
Let’s rename the existing program as we’ll want to create more programs later on.
To rename a program or track
, do one of the following:
•
In the “Inspector” on the left edge of the window, double-click the program name or the track name (in the
Program
or
Track
field), type a name, and press
Enter
.
•
In the
Project
panel, under the
Programs
list, right-click the program, and click
Rename
. Type a name. Click
OK
or press
Enter
to confirm the name, or click
Cancel
or press
Esc
to keep the original name.
To rename your samples
:
1.
In the
Project
panel, do one of the following:
•
Click
All Samples
.
•
Click a program in the
Programs
list.
•
Click a sequence in the
Sequence
list or a program under one of those sequences.
2.
In the
Samples
list on the right side of the
Project
panel, right-click the sample, and click
Rename
.
3.
Type a name (e.g.,
Kick
,
Snare
, etc.). Click
OK
or press
Enter
to confirm the name, or click
Cancel
or press
Esc
to keep the original name and press
Enter
.
Repeat the above steps to rename other samples.
14
Now would also be a good time to save your project.
To save your project
, click the
menu icon
(
≡
), click
File
, and click
Save Project
.
In the
Save Project
window, do any of the following:
To select the storage device you want to view
, click the
down arrow
(
) next to the file path. If you have storage devices connected to your MPC hardware, they will appear in this column, as well.
To enter a folder
, double-click it or press
Enter
.
To create a new folder
, click
New Folder
, type a name for the new folder, and then click
OK
or press
Enter
to confirm the name, or click
Cancel
or press
Esc
to keep the original name. You will immediately enter the new folder.
To move up one folder level
, click the
up arrow
(
).
To name the file
, click the
File
field at the bottom of the window, and type a name.
To save the file
, click
Save
or press
Enter
.
To save the file as a project template file
, click the
Save as Template
checkbox to select it before clicking
Save
. This project will then load when you create a new project from a template. (To do this, click the
menu icon
(
≡
) in the upper-left corner of the window, select
File
, and then click
New From Template
.)
To cancel
, click
Cancel
or press
Esc
.
15
Editing Note Events
In the grid, you can see your recorded notes (or note events) as a sequence.
To enter the Grid Editor
, click
Grid
under the mode icons in the upper-left corner of the window.
In the Grid Editor, you can do any one of the following:
•
To zoom in or out
, use the sliders in the lower-right corner of the Grid Editor (along each axis), or click the blue timeline and drag down or up.
•
To undo your last action
, do one of the following: o
Click the
undo
/
back-arrow icon
in the upper-right corner of the Grid Editor. o
Click the
menu icon
(
≡
), click
Edit
, and click
Undo
.
•
To redo the last action you undid
do any one of the following: o
Click the
redo
/
forward-arrow icon
in the upper-right corner of the Grid Editor. o
Click the
menu icon
(
≡
), click
Edit
, and click
Redo
.
•
To enter a note
, click the
pencil icon
above the grid. Then, in the grid, click an empty square. Alternatively, double-click an empty grid square when using the
marquee
tool.
•
To delete a note
, click the
eraser icon
above the grid. Then, in the grid, click a note. Alternatively, doubleclick a note when using the
marquee
tool.
•
To select a single note
, click the
pencil icon
or
marquee icon
above the grid. Then, in the grid, click a note.
To select all notes for a pad
, click the desired
pad
in the
Pads
area below the grid, or on the left edge of the Grid Editor.
•
To move the selected notes
, click the
pencil icon
or
marquee icon
above the Grid Editor. Then, in the grid, click and drag the note to the desired location. By default, you can position notes only by quantization values defined by the
Time Correct
value (learn about this feature in
To move the selected notes without restricting
(“snapping”)
them to the quantization grid
, click and drag the note while holding
Shift
.
16
•
To adjust the start point or end point of the selected notes
(without changing their position), click the
pencil icon
or
marquee icon
above the
Grid Editor. Then, in the grid, hover the cursor over the left or right edge of the note. When the cursor changes into a bracket with arrows (
[
or
]
), click and drag the edge of the note to the desired length.
•
To transpose the selected notes up or down
, click and drag the notes up or down.
•
To switch to another track
, do one of the following: o
In the
Inspector
, click the
Track
field, and click the desired track in the menu that appears. o
Click the
menu icon
(
≡
), go to
Edit
>
Track
, and click
Next Track
or
Previous Track
. o
Click and drag the
Current Track Q-Link knob
(in the
Q-Links
panel below the Grid Editor) up or down.
•
To mute or solo the track
, click the
three-bars icon
in the lower-left corner of the window to show the track channel strip (on the left), and then click
M
or
S
(respectively) on the track channel strip.
•
To open the Time Correct window
, click the
menu icon
(
≡
), go to
Edit
>
Time Correct
, and click
Settings
.
Tips
:
To adjust the time division only
, click the
TC
field at the top of the window, and click one.
To adjust the amount swing only
, click and drag the
Swing
field at the top of the window up or down (or click it, type a value, and press
Enter
).
•
To adjust the metronome settings
, go to
Tools
>
Metronome
. This feature
.
Tips
:
To activate or deactivate the metronome
, click the
metronome icon
at the top of the window.
To adjust the metronome volume only
, click and drag the
Metro
meter at the top of the window up or down.
•
To adjust the velocity of the selected notes
(manually), click
Velocity
in the automation lane below the grid to select it, and then click and drag the handle/handles below the note/notes. Each note’s velocity is represented by a vertical bar. The higher and more red the bar is, the higher the velocity is. The current velocity value will appear next to the cursor.
•
To show or hide the velocity lane
, click the
up
or
down arrow
(
∧
or
∨
) button next to the horizontal scroll bar under the grid.
17
Making Basic Sound Edits
Let’s make sure the samples are properly tuned and have good levels.
Click the
four-pads icon
in the toolbar to enter Program Edit Mode.
Click a
pad
to show its parameters in the window.
To adjust its volume
, click and drag the
Level
knob in the
Pad
section up or down.
To adjust its stereo panning
, click and drag the
Pan
knob in the
Pad
section up or down.
Adjust the level of each pad to suit your taste. We recommend spreading the panning of the bright sounds (e.g., cymbals, snare drum) a little. Additionally, you can tune the bass drum sound—in the
Sample Layers
section, adjust the
Semi
and
Fine
knobs next to the sample name.
The snare drum may need some reverb to give it a more spatial sound.
Click the
pad icon
in the lower-left corner of the window to show the pad channel strip in the Inspector above it. Press the
pad
with your snare drum sound to select it.
To add an effect
:
1.
In the
Inspector
, click the arrow (
) in the desired effect slot. A list of effects will appear.
2.
Click the
+
or
–
icon to expand or collapse each category of effect.
3.
To load an effect
, double-click it. Alternatively, click it to select it and then click
Select
. Let’s try
Reverb Medium
.
To adjust the effect’s parameters
, double-click the effect name in the slot.
To empty the effect slot
, load an effect but select
<none>
instead. Switch the effect on or off by clicking the
On
/
Off
button for the slot.
18
Creating a Bass Track
Let’s try recording a bass line. Unlike a drum kit, it’s important to be able to play and record a bass sound chromatically, so this will be slightly different than setting up the drum kit.
Adding a bass line over the drum part means we need to work on a new track. A
track
is simply a layer of a sequence.
Each track uses a program within your project. You can work with multiple tracks in a single sequence (e.g., a drum track, a bass track, a piano track, etc.). When you play the sequence, all of them will play simultaneously.
Let’s select an empty track, create a program to go with that track, and load a bass sample into that program.
To select a new track
, click the
Track
field in the Inspector, and click
Track 2
(
unused
) in the list of tracks that appears.
Rename the track so we know what it is (e.g.,
Bass Line
).
To create a new program
:
1.
In the Inspector, click the
piano-keys icon
under the
Track
field. This icon indicates a
keygroup
program, which is necessary to play the bass sound chromatically with the pads. A name for the new keygroup program will appear in the
Program
field below.
2.
Double-click the new program name, type a name, and press
Enter
.
To load and edit a bass sound
:
1.
Use the
File Browser
on the right edge of the window to navigate to where your bass sounds are located, and load one to the project’s sample pool.
2.
After loading a bass sample to the sample pool,
don’t
click and drag the sample onto a pad like you did when creating a drum program; keygroup programs are different.
Instead, make sure you are in Program Edit Mode: click the
four-pads icon
in the toolbar.
3.
In Program Edit Mode, click the first menu (Layer 1) in the
Sample Layers
section, and then click your bass sample in the list that appears. Because you’re working with a keygroup program instead of a drum program, this sample is now playable across
all
pads.
Tip
: If you click Pad Bank
D
in the
Pads
panel and click
Pad 13
, you should hear the bass sample played back with its original pitch. You can use the other pads to play your sample chromatically.
19
Let’s add a second layer and set the layers’ velocity ranges so the bass will sound different when played at a higher velocity (as a real bass would):
1.
Use the
File Browser
to select a different bass sample that sounds similar but a little bit brighter, and load it to the project’s sample pool.
2.
Return to Program Edit Mode, click the Layer 2 menu in the
Sample Layers
section, and then select the new bass sample. Click a
pad
to hear both samples will sound at once. Maybe this new sound is interesting as it is, but let’s make some quick edits to get as close as we can to a real-life bass sound.
3.
Click and drag the right edge of the
Velocity
slider for Layer 1 to
80
.
4.
Click and drag the left edge of the
Velocity
slider for Layer 2 to
81
.
Now when you press a pad, the lower velocities (
0
–
80
) will trigger the Layer 1 sample only, while higher velocities
(
81
–
127
) will trigger the Layer 2 sample only.
Let’s record that bass line now. Prepare your recording as described earlier, and record some bass notes. You can edit your recording just like we’ve done earlier.
20
Once you’ve recorded it, let’s tweak the sound a bit in the
Filter
section:
1.
In Program Edit Mode, click the
Type
menu in the
Filter
section, and select a filter. Let’s try working with
Lowpass 4 Pole
.
2.
Click and drag the
Cutoff
or
Res
(resonance) knobs to adjust their settings until your bass sample sounds good to you.
3.
Under the
Amp Envelope
section, click and drag the
Attack
or
Release
knobs up or down to adjust their settings. These control the overall level characteristics of the sound.
Let’s add an effect or two to this keygroup program—do this in the same way as you did for a drum program.
So far, we’ve created a simple drum sequence and a bass line to go with it.
21
Recording an Audio Track
We’ve already created some MIDI tracks, so let’s record some actual audio for our next track:
1.
Click the
house icon
in the toolbar to enter Main Mode.
2.
Click the
Audio
tab at the top of the Inspector.
Audio 001
will appear in the
Track
field.
3.
Connect a synthesizer or other line-level audio source to the 1/4” (6.35 mm)
input
/
inputs
on your MPC hardware, and set its
Line
/
Phono
selector to
Line
.
Alternatively, connect it to your external audio interface.
4.
In the audio track channel strip: i.
Click the input menu (
Input
__) above, and select
Mono
>
Input 1
or
Stereo
>
Input 1,2
(depending on your audio source) as the input source. ii.
If the output menu (
Out
__) is not set to
Out 1
,
2
, click it and select
Output
>
Out 1,2
as the output. iii.
Click the
Monitor
(
speaker
) button to cycle through its three states until it reads
Auto
(you will hear incoming audio while the track is record-enabled only).
5.
On your MPC hardware or external audio interface, turn the
Rec Vol
knob to set the input level while playing your audio source. You should now see the level in the meter.
Make sure it does not exceed the maximum level (the meter should not be “peaking” constantly).
6.
In the audio track channel strip, click the
Record Arm
(
) button next to the
pan knob
to record-enable the track.
7.
In the toolbar at the top of the window, click
Rec
(
) or
Overdub
(
⊕
) to record-arm it.
Alternatively, click
Rec
or
Overdub
on your MPC hardware.
8.
To start recording
, click the
Play
(
) or
Play Start
(
|
) button in the toolbar (or press
Play
or
Play Start
on your MPC hardware)—then play your audio source! You should hear your existing sequence playing in the background.
To stop recording
, click the
Stop
(
) button in the toolbar (or press
Stop
on your
MPC hardware).
Before creating a song, it would be good to have at least two different sequences, so record another audio track:
1.
In the
Inspector
, click the
Sequence
field, and click
Sequence 2
(
unused
) in the list of sequences that appears.
2.
Click the
+ icon
next to the
Track
field to add another audio track (
Audio 002
) to go with that sequence.
22
Creating a Song
This section explains how to make a song out of your sequences. Before starting, make sure that you have recorded some sequences.
To enter Song Mode
, make sure playback is stopped, click the
down arrow
(
) next to the other mode icons in the toolbar, and click
Song
.
In Song Mode, each of the sequences you’ve created in this project assigned to a pad in the
Pads
panel. The
Sequence List
panel is to the left of the pads, showing the song’s structure. The upper half of the window will show
“blocks” representing each sequence of the song’s structure.
As a song plays, it moves through each step shown in the
Sequence List
panel. Each step contains a sequence you assign in its
Sequence
menu. Each step can be repeated, determined by the value in the
Rpts
column (a value of
1
means the sequence will play through only once). The
Bars
column on the right indicates the length of that sequence.
Each step can be set to play its sequence at an independent tempo, determined by the value in the
BPM
column.
Important
: Each sequence has its own tempo, while the project itself may use a different master tempo. The BPM value for each sequence may be different from the master tempo. As long as playback is set to follow the master tempo, each sequence’s individual tempo will be ignored. By default, each project is set to use the sequence tempo, which you set back in the
chapter. We recommend clicking the
Seq
/
Mst
button at the top of the window (so the button displays
Mst
) and entering a master tempo to ensure all sequences use the same tempo.
To insert a step at the current position
, click
Insert Step
in the
Song Parameters
panel. Alternatively, click and drag the pad that corresponds to that sequence into the editor above it.
To delete the currently selected step
, click
Delete Step
in the
Song Parameters
panel.
To set which sequence plays for a step
, click the step’s
Sequence
menu in the
Sequence List
panel, and then click the sequence in the menu that appears.
To set how many times a sequence repeats
, click and drag the step’s
Rpts
field (next to the sequence name) up or down.
23
Exporting the Song
Want to share your new song? Just export it first.
To export a song
:
1.
Click the
menu icon
(
≡
), and go to
File
>
Export
and click
As
Audio Mixdown
.
2.
In the
Audio Mixdown
screen that appears, do the following:
•
Make sure the
Start bar
field is set to
1
, and set the
End bar
field to the last bar of your song.
•
Click and drag the
Audio tail
field to set it to
2
seconds.
•
As you’ll likely share the song online, click the
mp3
file format option under
File format
.
3.
Click
Export
and choose where you want to save the song.
To name the song
, click the
File
field, type a name, and then click
Save
or press
Enter
to start exporting.
24
Other Features Explained
This chapter describes various advanced features. For fuller explanations of these features, please refer to their corresponding sections in the
chapter.
Step Sequencer
You’ve already learned how to record note events on a track, but you can quickly enter note events in the Step Sequencer by using the pads as “step buttons,” simulating the experience of a traditional step-sequencer-style drum machine.
To enter the Step Sequencer
, do one of the following:
•
Click the
step-bars icon
in the toolbar. If it is not shown, click the
down arrow
(
), and click
Step Sequencer
.
•
Click the
menu icon
(
≡
), select
View
>
Mode
, and click
Step Sequencer
.
Let’s create a sequence on a new track:
1.
In the
Inspector
on the left edge of the window, click the
Track
field, and then select an (
unused
) track.
2.
If the left-most
four-pads icon
in the
Track
section is not selected, click it. This indicates that the track is using a drum program.
3.
Click the
list icon
in the
Track
section in the Inspector, and click
Length
so it is selected.
4.
Click and drag the
Length
field in the
Track
section up or down to set a length for the track. If you select the minimum value,
Sequence
, the track will be however long your sequence is.
Tip
: This lets you maintain tracks of different lengths. For instance, you could play a 1-bar drum sequence repeatedly under a 4-bar bass line.
5.
Click the
Bar
/
buttons at the top of the
Pads
panel to select the bar whose steps you want to create or edit. The bar number will appear in the field.
6.
Click the
pad
or sample name in the grid to select the pad whose steps want to create or edit. Alternatively, click and drag the
Pad
field in the
Pads
panel up or down; or click
Pad Select
, click a
pad
, and then click
Pad Select
again.
7.
Click
Play
(
) to start your sequence.
8.
Each pad represents a step in the bar. If the pad already has note events on the selected track, the corresponding pads (steps) will be lit with colors corresponding to their velocities.
To enter a note at a step
, click an
unlit pad
. The pad will light up with a color corresponding to its velocity.
To delete the note from a step
, click a
lit pad
. The pad will become unlit.
to learn more about this feature.
25
Drum Loops & Chop Mode
Modern music producers often use drum loops to add grit and nuance to programmed beats. This section explains how to use Sample Edit Mode to work with drum loops.
To enter Sample Edit Mode
, do one of the following:
•
Click the
waveform-and-flags icon
in the toolbar. If it is not shown, click the
down arrow
(
), and click
Sample Edit
.
•
Click the
menu icon
(
≡
), select
View
>
Mode
, and click
Sample Edit
.
1.
Use the
Browser
to locate a drum loop, and then double-click it to add it to the project’s sample pool. The loop does not have to match the tempo of anything in the project.
2.
In the
Project
panel, click the drum loop you just loaded in the
Samples
column. If you do not see it, click
All
Samples
in the
Project
column.
3.
In the
Q-Links
panel, click
Chop
to enter Chop Mode, which will let us cut the drum loop into slices.
4.
Click the
Chop To
menu, and then click
Threshold
.
5.
Below that, click the
Threshold
field and drag it up or down to set a value. The lower the threshold, the more slices will be created. Be sure to select a value so that every transient peak of the drum loop has a corresponding a slice marker.
Tip
: Each slice will be automatically assigned to a pad:
Pad A01
plays Slice 1,
Pad A02
plays Slice 2, etc. Press each pad to play the slice with the same number.
26
Let’s use this chopped sample to create a new program in which each of these slices is an individual sample. We can also automatically create corresponding note events to play back these slices sequentially.
1.
In the
Extract New Samples
section, click
New Program
.
2.
Make sure the
Convert To
menu is set to
New Program with New
Samples
is selected. If it is not, click it, and select that option.
3.
Make sure
Crop Samples
is selected. If it is not, click it.
4.
Make sure
Create New Program
is selected. If it is not, click it.
5.
Make sure
Create Events
is selected. If it is not, click it.
6.
Click and drag the
Bars
field up or down to select how many bars the entire sample should use in your program.
7.
Click
Do It
to proceed. Each slice will be assigned to a pad, and each pad will have a recorded note event in the track. When you play that track, it will play each pad (each slice) in the original order. Enter
Main Mode
to see how the sample appears in your sequence.
8.
Click
Play
and listen to how the drum loop matches your sequence’s tempo.
27
You can also edit the note events of the drum loop slices—stay in
Main Mode to do this. A new track with the note events playing their corresponding slices has been automatically created.
Use the
Time Correct
window to quantize the note events so they fall on exact, even time intervals.
To show the
Time Correct
window, click the
menu icon
(
≡
), and go to
Edit
>
Time Correct
and click
Settings
.
You can also rearrange the note events, thus creating a new playback order for the slices. You can also edit each slice or sample in Program Edit Mode. You can add effects for slices or use the filter function to change the frequency range of a selected slice. There are limitless possibilities!
See
to learn more about this feature.
28
Pad Muting & Track Muting
Pad Mute Mode and Track Mute Mode let you silence different pads and tracks to see what the sequence sounds like without those samples or parts.
To enter Pad Mute Mode
, do one of the following:
•
Click the
X-in-square icon
in the toolbar. If it is not shown, click the
down arrow
(
), and click
Pad Mute
.
•
Click the
menu icon
(
≡
), select
View
>
Mode
, and click
Pad Mute
.
1.
Press
Play
to play the sequence.
2.
In the
Inspector
on the left edge of the window, click the
Track
field, and select a track that uses a drum program.
3.
Mute a pad by clicking it. The muted pad will be lit
red
. You can mute multiple pads at the same time.
more about pad mutes.
You can also mute entire tracks by using the similar Track Mute Mode.
To enter Track Mute Mode
, do one of the following:
•
Click the
bars-and-X icon
in the toolbar. If it is not shown, click the
icon
, and click
Track Mute
.
•
Click the
menu icon
(
≡
), select
View
>
Mode
, and click
Track Mute
.
1.
Press
Play
to play the sequence.
2.
In the
Inspector
on the left edge of the window, click the
Sequence
field, and select the desired sequence.
3.
Each pad is assigned to a track. Mute a track by clicking it. The pad will be lit
red
. You can mute multiple tracks at the same time.
Tip
:
To mute a track only at precise note intervals
(“quantizing” your mutes, essentially), click the
Time
Correct
menu, and click the desired musical value
(e.g.,
1 bar
). Now, when you click a pad in Track
Mute Mode, the mute will occur precisely at the beginning of the following time division (in this example, one bar). This lets you test musical combinations of patterns—the preliminary stage to building a song structure.
See
to learn more about track mutes.
29
Sampling
(
Recording
)
This section describes recording new samples of your own, which you can use in your projects.
Important
: To record any audio, you need to connect an audio source to your MPC hardware or to your computer’s audio interface.
To enter the Sampler
, do one of the following:
•
Click the
vinyl-and-tonearm icon
in the toolbar. If it is not shown, click the
down arrow
(
), and click
Sampler
.
•
Click the
menu icon
(
≡
), select
View
>
Mode
, and click
Sampler
.
1.
Connect an audio source to the input/inputs of your MPC hardware or computer’s audio interface.
2.
In the
channel strip
in the
Sampler
panel, click the input menu (
Input
__
), and select the input channels for your audio source.
3.
On your MPC hardware or computer’s audio interface, set the input level while playing your audio source. You should now see the level in the meter. Make sure it does not exceed the maximum level (the meter should not be “peaking” constantly).
4.
Click and drag
threshold slider
to set the threshold. Set it to a fairly low level (e.g.,
-50 dB
).
5.
Click
Arm
to record-arm the Sampler.
6.
Play your audio source. The Sampler will start recording immediately when the input level reaches the threshold value. Alternatively, click the round
Record
button or press
Enter
to manually start recording.
7.
To stop recording
, click the round
Stop
button or press
Enter
. The
Keep or Discard Sample
window will appear.
In the
Keep or Discard Sample
window:
To name the new sample
, click the
New Name
field, type a name, and press
Enter
.
To assign the new sample to a program
, click the
Program
menu and select the desired program.
To assign the sample to a pad in the program
, click and drag the
Assign to Pad
field up or down, or press the desired pad on your MPC hardware.
To confirm your selections
, click
Keep
.
To discard the recording and close the window
, click
Discard
.
To play the recording
, click
Play
.
to learn more about this feature.
30
Sample Editing
You may need to edit your newly recorded samples using Sample Edit Mode.
To enter Sample Edit Mode
, do one of the following:
•
Click the
waveform-and-flags icon
in the toolbar. If it is not shown, click the
down arrow
(
), and click
Sample Edit
.
•
Click the
menu icon
(
≡
), select
View
>
Mode
, and click
Sample Edit
.
In Sample Edit Mode:
To switch between Trim Mode and Chop Mode
, click the
Trim
,
Chop
, or
Program
tab in the
Q-Links
panel.
In this example, use
Trim Mode
.
To set the sample’s start point
, click and drag the
green
start point marker left or right. You can also use the
Q-Link knobs
to adjust the start point with varying degrees of resolution. Alternatively, click the value in the
Start
field in the
Parameters
panel (in the lower half of the window), type a new value, and press
Enter
.
To set the sample’s end point
, click and drag the
red
end point marker left or right. You can also use the
Q-
Link knobs
to adjust the start point with varying degrees of resolution. Alternatively, click the value in the
End
field in the
Parameters
panel (in the lower half of the window), type a new value, and press
Enter
.
To hear your edits
, click
Pad 10
while in Trim Mode to play the sample from the start point to the end point.
31
Let’s apply some processing to the sample.
To show or hide the Parameters panel
, click
Parameters
below the sample waveform.
1.
In the
Parameters
panel, click
Pitch Shift
to change the overall pitch of your sample. This will transpose the sample without affecting its length.
2.
To set the pitch shift amount
, click and drag the
Pitch
field up or down. Alternatively, click the
Pitch
field, type a value, and press
Enter
. To close the window, click
Cancel
or press
Esc
.
3.
To confirm your selections
, click
Do It
.
To cancel the process
, click
Cancel
or press
Esc
.
32
Recording Automation with Q-Link Knobs
Automating various parameters is a good way to add some motion and dynamism to your sequences.
1.
In Main Mode, click a
pad
that has a sample assigned to it—ideally one that is played multiple times throughout the sequence, so you can hear the automated changes across several notes.
2.
In the
Q-Links
panel, click the
Q-Link Mode
menu and select
Pad Scene
. This enables the Q-Link knobs to control various automatable parameters for that pad.
3.
On the program channel strip, click the
automation button
under the Mute (
M
) button until it shows the
red Write
(
W
) option. This ensures your track will record the automation.
4.
Record the automation using your MPC hardware: i.
Press
Play
to start it. ii.
Turn any of these
Q-Link knobs
(for example) to record their movement:
Q1
(
Level
),
Q2
(
Pan
),
Q12
(
Tuning
). iii.
Press
Stop
to finish the automation recording.
5.
On the program channel strip, click the
automation button
under the Mute (
M
) button until it shows the
green
Read
(
R
) option. This ensures your track uses the automation you just recorded when you play it back.
Want to see what you’ve recorded? In the software, to the left of the velocity lane under the grid, click the name of the parameter you automated (
Level
,
Pan
, or
Tuning
). The automation curve will appear in the lane. If part of the curve is still not quite what you want, select the
pencil tool
above the grid and draw in your own automation curve.
to learn more about this.
Using MPC as a Plugin
If you’re working with other audio software, you can use the MPC software as an instrument plugin (VST, AU, or AAX format) within your host software.
Important
: Some of the MPC software’s keyboard shortcuts may not work if you are using the MPC software as a plugin (due to those shortcuts being used by your host DAW instead). Go to
Help
>
Software Information
and select
Keyboard Shortcuts
to view a complete list of shortcuts within the MPC software.
Additionally, when using MPC as a plugin on Windows, some fields may not be able to be typed into. The delete shortcut to erase selected notes can still be used by pressing
Alt
+
Del
.
Note
: To learn how to load and use an instrument plugin in a host application, please refer to the corresponding chapter of your host application’s manual.
33
Operation
This chapter explains the complete features and functions of the MPC software.
General Features
Programs
About Programs
Each track you create within a sequence uses a
program
. There are six types of programs, each of which determines how the track sounds or what it is used for. A single project can hold up to 128 programs.
This chapter covers how to create each program type.
To learn about editing your programs to your preference, see the
A
drum program
uses one or more samples as its sound source. It contains (
1
) a list of samples and (
2
) the settings for each sample (i.e., pad assignments, loop points, pitch tuning, effects, etc.). Drum programs are
used mostly for creating drum parts and quickly and easily assigning samples to pads. See
for more information.
A
keygroup program
uses one or more samples as its sound source. It contains (
1
) a list of samples and (
2
) the settings for each sample (i.e., pitch tuning, effects, etc.). Keygroup programs are used to play samples
chromatically with a MIDI keyboard or the MPC pads. See
A
plugin program
contains an instance of a plugin through which you can send your track’s MIDI data. See
for more information.
A
MIDI program
lets you send your track’s MIDI data to an external MIDI device like a synth or drum
A
clip program
uses several samples that can be looped (clips). Each clip can be assigned to a pad, which you can press to trigger the clip according to a quantization setting. This lets you create intriguing, layered performances by launching different combinations of clips together. See
A
CV program
lets you send your track’s MIDI data to an external MIDI device that uses control voltage (CV), like a synth. Although this option is selectable, it is usable only with MPC hardware that has CV outputs (e.g.,
MPC X
for more information.
34
Drum Programs
A drum program uses one or more samples as its sound source. It contains (
1
) a list of samples and (
2
) the settings for each sample (i.e., pad assignments, loop points, pitch tuning, effects, etc.). Drum programs are used mostly for creating drum parts and quickly and easily assigning samples to pads.
To create a drum program
:
1.
In the
Inspector
, click the
four-squares icon
below the
Track
field, which indicates a drum program. (Click the
i
icon to show or hide the Inspector. See
2.
If the project does not contain a drum program yet, a new drum program (named
Program
, appended with a number) will be added automatically to the project and appear in the
Program
field below.
If the project already contains a drum program, the first one will be selected automatically and appear in the
Program
field below.
To create another drum program
, click the
+ icon
above the
Program
field. A new drum program will be created and appended with a number (e.g.,
Program 002
).
To rename the program
, double-click the
Program
field, type a name, and press
Enter
.
To load a sample into a drum program
:
1.
In the
File Browser
, find a sample you want to use. (Click the
hard-drive icon
in the lower-right corner to show or hide the File Browser. See
2.
Click and drag the sample from the Browser onto the desired pad. Alternatively, double-click the sample to load it to the sample pool without loading it to a specific pad.
To assign samples to additional pads
, repeat Steps 1–2.
Tip
: Remember that a drum program has 128 pads total—16 pads across eight banks.
Alternatively, assign samples in a drum program this way
:
1.
Click the
four-pads icon
in the toolbar to enter Program Edit Mode.
2.
In the bottom half of the window, scroll to the right to find the
Sample Layers
section. This lets you view the samples assigned to all four layers of the drum program as well as tuning and level parameters for each layer.
3.
Click a pad to select it (and play its assigned samples, if any). The pad will be lit green.
4.
Click the menu for a layer, and select a sample.
Tip
: Remember that a drum program has 128 pads total—16 pads across eight banks.
35
Keygroup Programs
A keygroup program uses one or more samples as its sound source. It contains (
1
) a list of samples and (
2
) the settings for each sample (i.e., pitch tuning, effects, etc.). Keygroup programs are used to play samples chromatically with a MIDI keyboard or the MPC pads.
To create a keygroup program
:
1.
In the
Inspector
on the left edge of the window, click the
piano-keys icon
below the
Track
field, which indicates a keygroup program. (Click the
i
icon to show or
to learn more.)
2.
If the project does not contain a keygroup program yet, a new keygroup program
(named
Program
, appended with a number) will be added automatically to the project and appear in the
Program
field below.
If the project already contains a keygroup program, the first one will be selected automatically and appear in the
Program
field below.
To create another keygroup program
, click the
+ icon
above the
Program
field.
A new keygroup program will be created and appended with a number (e.g.,
Program 002
).
To rename the program
, double-click the
Program
field, type a name, and press
Enter
.
To load a sample for your keygroup program into the project
:
1.
In the
File Browser
, find a sample you want to use. (Click the
hard-drive icon
in the lower-right corner to show
to learn more.)
2.
Click and drag the sample from the Browser onto any space outside of the Browser. Alternatively, double-click the sample to load it to the sample pool.
To load additional samples
, repeat Steps 1–2.
36
To assign samples in a keygroup program
:
1.
Click the
four-pads icon
in the toolbar to enter Program Edit Mode.
2.
In the bottom half of the window, scroll to the right to find the
Sample Layers
section. This lets you view the samples assigned to all four layers of the current keygroup as well as tuning and level parameters for each layer.
3.
Click a pad to select it (and play its assigned samples, if any). The pad will be lit green.
Tip
: In the
Pads
panel, click the
Pad Bank D
button to and click
Pad 13
. You should hear the sample played back with its original pitch. You can use the other pads to play your sample chromatically.
4.
Click the menu for a layer, and select a sample.
To create complex keygroup programs, you can add more keygroups (up to 128). This is useful when working with multi-samples (e.g., when programming a real piano).
Tip
: Remember that a keygroup program offers up to 128 keygroups, and each keygroup can hold up to four samples (Layers 1–4). This is a total of 512 samples.
37
Plugin Programs
A plugin program contains an instance of a plugin through which you can send your track’s MIDI data. This lets you use the same instance of a plugin with multiple tracks (rather than load an instance of a plugin on every track, which
can be cumbersome and CPU-intensive). See the
chapter to learn about scanning and selecting plugins.
To create a plugin program
:
1.
In the
Inspector
on the left edge of the window, click the
plug icon
below the
Track
field, which indicates a plugin program. (Click the
i
icon to show
to learn more.)
2.
If the project does not contain a plugin program yet, a new plugin program
(named
Plugin
, appended with a number) will be added automatically to the project and appear in the
Program
field below.
If the project already contains a plugin program, the first one will be selected automatically and appear in the
Program
field below.
To create another plugin program
, click the
+ icon
above the
Program
field. A new plugin program will be created and appended with a number
(e.g.,
Plugin 002
).
3.
Click the
Plugin
menu. In the list that appears, click the desired plugin.
To sort your plugins by type or maker
, click
Sort by type
or
Sort by manufacturer
.
4.
Click
Select
to select the plugin, or click
Close
to cancel.
Note
: You have to specify the disk directory where your plugins are located.
This can be done in the software’s
Preferences
. See
more.
5.
Next to the
Program
field, click the
menu icon
(
≡
) and click
All
so it is selected. This will show all three settings.
To select the MIDI channel the program will use
, click the
Midi Ch
menu, and click the desired channel. Use this setting when you are working with a virtual instrument plugin that supports multi-mode.
To select a preset in your plugin
(if any), click the
Preset
menu, and click the desired preset.
To rename the program
, double-click the
Program
field, type a name, and press
Enter
.
To adjust the volume and panning of a track using the plugin program
:
1.
Click the
three-sliders icon
in the toolbar to enter the Channel Mixer.
2.
In the bottom half of the window, click the channel strip that represents the track with the plugin program to select it. (If you do not see it, make sure the
MIDI Tracks
button between the grid and channel strips is
on
.)
3.
Click and drag the
volume slider
or
pan knob
up or down to adjust it.
Important
:
If you copy a sequence, the volume and pan values will be copied with that sequence. This is also true if you move to a new sequence and put the same plugin program on a new track.
By default, some plugins do not support MIDI volume and pan. In this case, adjust volume levels and panning on the plugin program channel strip instead of the track channel strip.
38
MIDI Programs
A MIDI program lets you send your track’s MIDI data to an external MIDI device like a synth or drum machine.
To create a MIDI program
:
1.
In the
Inspector
on the left edge of the window, click the
MIDI-jack icon
below the
Track
field, which indicates a MIDI program. (Click the
i
icon to
show or hide the Inspector. See
2.
If the project does not contain a MIDI program yet, a new MIDI program
(named
Midi
, appended with a number) will be added automatically to the project and appear in the
Program
field below.
If the project already contains a MIDI program, the first one will be selected automatically and appear in the
Program
field below.
To create another MIDI program
, click the
+ icon
above the
Program
field. A new MIDI program will be created and appended with a number
(e.g.,
Midi 002
).
3.
There are five additional settings to configure for a MIDI program: the MIDI
Port
, program change message (
Prog Ch
), MIDI channel (
Midi Ch
), Most
Significant Byte (
Bank
), and Least Significant Byte (
Bank LSB
). See
to learn more.
Next to the
Program
field, click the
menu icon
(
≡
) and click
All
so it is selected. This will show all five settings.
To configure each setting
, click its menu, and click the desired option.
Note
: You also have to configure the MIDI ports in the software’s
Preferences
.
To rename the program
, double-click the
Program
field, type a name, and press
Enter
.
To adjust the volume and panning of a track using the MIDI program
:
1.
Click the
three-sliders icon
in the toolbar to enter the Channel Mixer.
2.
In the bottom half of the window, click the channel strip that represents the track with the MIDI program to select it. (If you do not see it, make sure the
MIDI Tracks
button between the grid and channel strips is
on
.)
3.
Click and drag the
volume slider
or
pan knob
up or down to adjust it.
Important
: If you copy a sequence, the volume and pan values will be copied with that sequence. This is also true if you move to a new sequence and put the same MIDI program on a new track.
39
Clip Programs
A
clip program
uses several samples that can be looped (clips). Each clip can be assigned to a pad, which you can click or press to trigger the clip according to a quantization setting. This lets you create intriguing, layered performances by launching different combinations of clips together.
By default, the 16 pads are divided into four columns of four pads. Each column represents a mute group; when a pad is playing a clip, all other pads in that same mute group are turned off. This enables you to launch a clip without having to manually stop other clips that are similar. For instance, pressing Pad 2 may launch a bass clip. You could then press Pad 6, which launches another bass clip and stops the clip on Pad 2. This way, you’ll never be playing two bass clips simultaneously.
The four-columns pad configuration described above is just a default to make things easy (e.g., you could use the first column for drum clips, the second for bass clips, the third for keyboard clips, and the fourth for vocal clips.). You can use Program Edit Mode to assign pads to any combination of mute groups you want.
To create a clip program
:
1.
In the
Inspector
on the left edge of the window, click the
play-button icon
below the
Track
field, which indicates a clip program. (Click the
i
icon to show or hide the Inspector. See
to learn more.)
2.
If the project does not contain a clip program yet, a new clip program (named
Clip
, appended with a number) will be added automatically to the project and appear in the
Program
field below.
If the project already contains a clip program, it will be selected automatically and appear in the
Program
field below.
To create another clip program
, click the
+ icon
above the
Program
field. A new clip program will be created and appended with a number (e.g.,
Clip 002
).
To rename the program
, double-click the
Program
field, type a name, and press
Enter
.
To load a clip into a clip program
:
1.
Click the
house icon
in the toolbar to enter Main Mode.
2.
In the
File Browser
, find a loop you want to use. (Click the
hard-drive icon
in the lower-right corner to show or hide the File Browser. See
3.
Click and drag the loop from the File Browser onto the desired pad. Alternatively, double-click the loop to load it to the sample pool without loading it to a specific pad.
To assign clips to additional pads
, repeat Steps 2–3.
40
Alternatively, assign clips in a clip program this way
:
1.
Click the
four-pads icon
in the toolbar to enter Program Edit Mode.
2.
In the bottom half of the window, find the
Program
section. This lets you configure the settings for each pad in the clip program.
3.
Click a
pad
to select it (and play its assigned samples, if any).
4.
Click the
Pad
menu above the
Start
and
End
times, and select a clip.
To assign clips to additional pads
, repeat Steps 3–4.
To clear the assigned clip from a selected pad
, repeat Step 5 but select
None
.
CV Programs
A CV program lets you send your control voltage (CV) signals to an external MIDI device like a synth or drum machine that uses CV.
Important
: CV programs are available only while using an MPC model with CV outputs (e.g.,
MPC X
).
To create a CV program
:
1.
In the
Inspector
on the left edge of the window, click the
CV icon
below the
Track
field, which indicates a CV program. (Click the
i
icon to show or hide the
to learn more.)
2.
If the project does not contain a CV program yet, a new CV program (named
CV
, appended with a number) will be added automatically to the project and appear in the
Program
field below.
If the project already contains a CV program, it will be selected automatically and appear in the
Program
field below.
To create another CV program
, tap the
+ icon
above the
Program
field. A new
CV program will be created and appended with a number (e.g.,
CV 002
).
3.
There are five additional settings to configure for a CV program: the
CV Port
,
Gate Port
, modulation wheel port (
Md.Wheel
), velocity port (
Vel Port
), and note tracking (
Note
to learn more.
Next to the
Program
field, click the
menu icon
(
≡
) and click
All
so it is selected.
This will show all five settings.
To configure each setting
, click its menu, and click the desired option.
To rename the program
, double-click the
Program
field, type a name, and press
Enter
.
41
Toolbar
This chapter describes the available options in the toolbar at the top of the software window.
Not all elements of toolbar are shown by default. For instance, some mode icons and transport controls are hidden.
Furthermore, you can choose to hide parts of the toolbar that are shown.
To select or deselect the items you want to see in the toolbar
, click the
menu icon
(
≡
) in the upper-left corner and select
View
. See
for more information.
Menu
To access the software’s menu
, click the
menu icon
(
≡
) in the upper-left corner of the window.
macOS Users
: Five items in this section appear differently on macOS than listed below:
Exit
/
Quit MPC
,
Preferences
,
Check for Updates
,
Expansion Store
, and
About MPC
are located in the
MPC
menu next to the
apple icon
(rather than the menus listed below).
Tip
: Several selections in the menu can be made by using computer keyboard shortcuts.
You can see these keyboard shortcuts next to these selections in the menu. Go to
Help
>
Software Information
and select
Keyboard Shortcuts
to view a complete list of shortcuts within the MPC software. Some of these shortcuts may not work if you are using the MPC software as a plugin (due to those shortcuts being used by your host DAW instead).
Additionally, when using MPC as a plugin on Windows, some fields may not be able to be typed into.
File
•
New Project
creates an empty project. Use this command when you want to start a project from scratch.
•
New From Template
loads a user-defined project template. We recommend creating a project with the basic
settings that suit your needs and saving it as a project template for easy access. See
to learn how to set this template.
•
Load Recent
provides shortcuts to the last 10 files you have been recently working with. The list is chronological with the most recent file at the top.
•
Save Project
saves the current project. In the window that appears, name your project and select a save location. The samples in the
Project
panel will be automatically saved with the project. The project file (
.xpj
), and its information
(samples, MIDI files, program files, etc.) will be saved in a folder with the same name on the same folder level.
•
Save Project As
is identical to the
Save Project
function but lets you save the current project with a new name.
•
Save All Programs
saves all programs of your project.
•
Save Current Program
saves only the current program (
.xpm
).
•
Save Current Sequence
saves only the current sequence (
.sxq
).
•
Save MIDI Control Scene
saves your control map as set in MIDI Control Mode (
.mcn
chapter for more information about creating a control map.
•
Export
lets you export your project or sequence data in various formats: a single project archive file, MPC formats, a standard MIDI file, or as an audio mixdown file. Select the desired option from the sub-menu. o
As Project Archive
exports the entire project as a project archive file (
.xpa
). In the window that appears, type a file name and set the save location. This option is useful when you want to transfer a project between different computers without dealing with its component files. o
As Pattern
exports the track (for the current sequence only) as a pattern (
.mpcpattern
). o
As MPC1000
/
MPC2500 Sequence
exports the current sequence so it can be read by an MPC1000 or
MPC2500 (
.seq
). o
As MPC1000
/
MPC2500 Program
exports the current program so it can be read by an MPC1000 or
MPC2500 (
.pgm
).
Important:
Program samples must be 16 bit in order to work with MPC100/MPC2500. Make sure to convert 24 bit samples to 16 bit prior to exporting the program. The export program process will not convert samples.
42
o
As MPC5000 Sequence
exports the current sequence so it can be read by an MPC5000 (
.mid
). o
As MPC5000 Program
exports the current program so it can be read by an MPC5000 (
.50s
). o
As MIDI Sequence File
exports the sequence as a standard MIDI file (
.mid
). In the window that appears, type a file name and set the save location. This option is useful when you want to import your sequences into separate sequencer software or exchange them with another artist. o
As MIDI Track File
exports the track as a standard MIDI file (
.mid
). In the window that appears, type a file name and set the save location. This option is useful when you want to import your tracks into separate software or exchange them with another artist. o
As Audio Mixdown
exports the sequence or song as an audio file. See the
more information about this process. If you are in Song Mode, it will affect the entire song. If you are in any other mode, it will affect the current sequence only. o
Expansion
exports MPC Expansion Packs (installed on your computer) to your MPC X or MPC Live for
use in its Standalone Mode. See the
chapter for more information about this process.
•
Exit
closes the software. (On macOS, this is named
Quit MPC
and is located in the
MPC
menu next to the
apple icon
.) If you have not saved any changes made to a currently open project, it will prompt you to do so before quitting.
Edit
•
Undo
undoes the last action you performed. When there are no actions left to undo, this command will be unavailable and appear grayed out.
•
Redo
undoes the Undo command. You can continue redoing actions until there are no items left to redo, in which case, the Redo command will be unavailable and appear grayed out.
Important
: If you perform a new action when the Redo command is available, you will no longer be able to redo.
In other words, as soon as you perform an editing action other than Undo, Redo is no longer available.
•
Undo History
lets you view a list of previously executed commands in the
Undo History
panel. As you undo and redo commands, you can see your current “position” in the list of commands in the window.
Tip:
To revert to a previous “state” in your project, click and drag the point just after the last step. Any “undone” steps will be grayed out. You can do the same to redo grayed-out steps, as well.
•
Cut
removes selected events from the grid and copies it to the clipboard. After cutting events, you can paste or insert them at another location in the same or another sequence.
•
Copy
copies selected events from the grid to the clipboard without removing them. After copying events, you can paste or insert them at another location in the same or another sequence.
•
Paste
lets you to paste the contents of the clipboard at the position marker’s current location.
•
Select All
selects all events or audio track regions in the current sequence and track.
•
Deselect
deselects all events or audio track regions in the current sequence and track.
•
Nudge Event Left
/
Right by TC
shifts the selected event/events left or right (respectively) by the time division set in the Time Correct settings.
•
Nudge Event Left
/
Right by Tick
shifts the selected event/events left or right (respectively) by one tick.
•
Time Correct
displays options for using time correct (quantization): o
Apply
quantizes the currently selected note events. If no note events are selected, nothing will be quantized. o
Settings
opens the Time Correct window where you can configure its settings. See the
chapter for more information about this.
•
Humanize
applies randomization to the timing, length, and/or velocity of MIDI events. See
for more information about this.
•
Pitch Quantize
forces the pitches of note events on a MIDI track into a specific scale. See
for more information about this.
•
Audio Region
provides options related to editing the current audio track region: o
Duplicate
copies and pastes the track region immediately after the original one. o
Mute
silences the track region.
o
Reverse
reverses the track region.
o
Warp
lengthens or shortens the track region without changing its pitch.
Note
: The Warp algorithms are very CPU-intensive and can result in audio drop-outs during playback if used too freely. Be mindful of how (and how often) you use the warp function.
43
•
Sequence
provides options related to editing the current sequence: o
Clear
erases all tracks and their note events from the current sequence. After selecting this, click
Clear
to confirm your choice or
Cancel
to cancel it. This operation cannot be undone. o
Half Length
will
immediately
halve the length of the sequence (without deleting any note events). o
Double Length
will
immediately
double the sequence and copy all events from the first half to the second half.
o
Insert Blank Bars
adds empty bars to a sequence at a specified point. See
for more information.
o
Delete Bars
removes a range of bars from a sequence. See
information.
o
Copy Bars
copies a range of bars from a sequence and adds them to another at a specified point. See
o
Copy Events
copies a range of events from a sequence and add them to another at a specified point.
See
o
Copy Sequence
copies the contents of one sequence to another. See
for more information.
o
Copy Track
copies the contents of one track to another. See
information. o
Transpose
transposes a range of events on a track in a sequence. See
for more information.
o
Erase
erases all or part of a track in a specific sequence. See
for more information.
o
Events Double Speed
immediately halves the lengths of all note events on all tracks in the sequence as well as the distance between them. In other words, all tracks’ notes are pressed closer together so the sequence sounds like it is playing at twice the previous speed. This does not actually affect the pitches of notes or the tempo.
o
Events Half Speed
immediately doubles the lengths of all note events on all tracks in the sequence as well as the distance between them. In other words, all tracks’ notes are spread further apart so the sequence sounds like it is playing at half of the previous speed. This does not actually affect the pitches of notes or the tempo.
o
Next Sequence
selects the next sequence. If you select this during playback, the next sequence will be selected when the current one is done playing. o
Previous Sequence
selects the previous sequence. If you select this during playback, the previous sequence will be selected when the current one is done playing. o
Next Sequence Now
selects the next sequence immediately. o
Previous Sequence Now
selects the previous sequence immediately. o
Export as MIDI
lets you export the current sequence as a standard MIDI (
.mid
for more information. o
Bounce to Sample
immediately renders the sequence (all of its tracks) as an audio sample (
.wav
) and places it in the project’s sample pool. By default, it will be named
Bounce -
and appended with the sequence name. If you have already used this function on this sequence, then it will create another audio sample appended with the next-highest number.
o
Bounce to New Audio Track
immediately renders the sequence (all of its tracks) as an audio track (
.wav
) in the project. The
Audio
tab will be automatically selected. By default, the sample will be named
Bounce -
and appended with a number. This function does not work for tracks that use MIDI programs or CV programs.
•
Track
provides options related to editing the current track: o
Select All
selects all events or audio track regions in the entire track. o
Deselect
deselects all events or audio track regions in the entire track. o
Delete
erases the entire audio track. This cannot be used on MIDI tracks. o
Clear
erases all note events from the current track. o
Explode
immediately splits the current track into multiple tracks—one for each distinct pad or note
(pitch, not event). The current track also remains present and intact, while each track created from it is labeled with the track name and pad name or number.
44
o
Events Double Speed
immediately halves the lengths of all note events on the track as well as the distance between them. In other words, the track’s notes are pressed closer together so the track sounds like it is playing at twice the previous speed. This does not actually affect the pitches of notes or the tempo.
o
Events Half Speed
immediately doubles the lengths of all note events on the track as well as the distance between them. In other words, the track’s notes are spread further apart so the track sounds like it is playing at half of the previous speed. This does not actually affect the pitches of notes or the tempo.
o
Split Events
lets you split note events to create new rhythms and patterns. See
for more information about this.
o
Next Track
selects the next track. o
Previous Track
selects the previous track. o
Export as MIDI
lets you export the current track as a standard MIDI (
.mid
for more information. This cannot be used on audio tracks. o
Bounce to Sample
immediately renders the track as an audio sample and places it in the project’s sample pool. By default, it will be named
Bounce -
and appended with the sequence name. If you have already used this function on this sequence, then it will create another audio sample appended with the next-highest number.
o
Bounce to New Audio Track
immediately renders the track (for the current sequence only) as an audio track in the project. The Main Mode will automatically switch to the
Audio
tab, and the original track will be muted. By default, it will be named
Audio
and appended with a number (e.g.,
Audio 002
). This function does not work for tracks that use MIDI programs or CV programs. This cannot be used on audio tracks.
•
Program
provides options related to editing the current program: o
Pad Color
opens the
Pad Color
window where you can assign specific colors to your pads in each
o
Note Mapping
opens the
Note Mapping
window where you can assign a MIDI note to each pad in a program. o
Flatten Pad
renders all samples on a pad as an audio sample and places it on the first layer of that pad.
for more information. o
Tidy Keygroup Sample Names
automatically renames all samples belonging to a keygroup based on their keygroup, layer, and other information. This option is available only for keygroup programs. o
Duplicate
immediately creates an identical program. The duplicate program will use the same name but appended with a number (e.g.,
Program 002
). o
Duplicate to New Track
immediately creates an identical program on a new track. The duplicate program will use the same name but appended with a number (e.g.,
Program 002
). The new track will be named
Track
and appended with a number (e.g.,
Track 06
). o
Merge
lets you copy the pads (and their parameters) from one program into another, essentially consolidating two programs into one. See
for more information. o
Delete
erases the program from the project. The samples used in that program will remain in the project’s sample pool and any other programs that use them. o
Rename
lets you enter a new name for the program. Type a name and click
OK
to continue or
Cancel
to return to the previous screen. o
Bounce to Sample
immediately renders all tracks that use that program (for the current sequence only) as an audio sample and places it in the project’s sample pool. By default, it will be named
Bounce -
and appended with the program name. This function does not work for MIDI programs or CV programs. o
Bounce to New Audio Track
immediately renders that program (for the current sequence only) as an audio track in the project. The Main Mode will automatically switch to the
Audio
tab. By default, it will be named
Audio
and appended with a number (e.g.,
Audio 002
). This function does not work for MIDI programs or CV programs.
•
Preferences
opens the
Preferences
window, which contains many customizable elements of the software. (On macOS,
Preferences
is located in the
MPC
menu next to the
apple icon
.) Click the corresponding tab on the left to select it (e.g.,
MIDI
,
Sequencer
, etc.). Click the
OK
button to close the Preferences window. Preferences
are automatically saved. See the
chapter for more information about this.
45
Tools
•
Metronome
o
Count-In
enables or disables the metronome pre-count before recording.
Off
disables the metronome pre-count.
Record
enables the pre-count during recording only.
Record + Play
enables pre-count in both Record and Playback Modes. o
Enable
offers the settings for the metronome.
Off
disables the metronome.
Play
enables the metronome sound during playback only.
Record
enables the metronome sound during recording only.
Record + Play
enables the metronome to happen in both Record and Playback Modes. o
Rate
lets you to select the metronome click’s time division:
1
/
4
,
1
/
4T
,
1
/
8
,
1
/
8T
,
1
/
16
,
1
/
16T
,
1
/
32
or
1
/
32T
(
T
indicates a triplet-based time division). o
Sound
lets you to select the sound that you want to hear for the metronome:
Sidestick 1
,
Sidestick 2
,
Clap
,
Metroclick
,
Shake
,
Tambourine
, or
MPC Click
. o
Output
lets you set where the metronome signal will be heard: a pair of master outputs (
Out 1,2
–
31,32
) or a single master output (
Out 1
–
32
).
•
16 Level
opens the
16 Levels
window. See
•
Arpeggiator
opens the
Arpeggiator
window, a fully featured arpeggiator and phrase player for melodic program types. See
for more information about this.
•
MIDI Keys
enables or disables the use of your computer keyboard to enter or play a range of 17 MIDI notes, starting from a C. This is the same as using the
Keyboard
button in the
toolbar
.
On standard US/American computer keyboard, use the
A
,
S
,
D
,
F
,
G
,
H
,
J
,
K
,
L
, and
;
keys to play the white keyboard keys, and use the
W
,
E
,
R
,
T
,
Y
,
U
,
I
,
O
, and
P
keys to play the black keyboard keys. Press
[
or
]
to shift the range of playable notes up or down (respectively) by one octave.
If the MIDI keyboard is shown, the corresponding computer keyboard character will be shown above each key
(though you can still use MIDI keys even if it is hidden).
Enabling MIDI Keys disables Pad Keys.
Tip
: Show the MIDI keyboard to visualize the keys in a traditional piano keyboard. See
to learn about this.
•
Pad Keys
enables or disables use of your computer keyboard to play the 16 pads of the current pad bank. This is the same as using the
Keyboard
button in the
toolbar
.
On a standard US/American computer keyboard, use the keys as follows: the
Z
,
X
,
C
, and
V
keys plays
Pads 01
,
02
,
03
, and
04
the
A
,
S
,
D
, and
F
keys plays
Pads 05
,
06
,
07
, and
08
the
Q
,
W
,
E
, and
R
keys plays
Pads 09
,
10
,
11
, and
12
the
1
,
2
,
3
, and
4
keys plays
Pads 13
,
14
,
15
, and
16
Enabling Pad Keys disables MIDI Keys.
•
Delete Unused Samples
deletes any samples not assigned to a pad from the project.
Important
: The samples will be deleted immediately from the project. The software will not ask for confirmation or allow you to cancel, but you can undo this action (i.e., with the Undo command or hardware button), if needed.
Tip
: You can delete unused samples by clicking the
trash can icon
in the upper-right corner of the
Project
panel, as well.
•
Auto-Sampler
opens the
Auto-Sampler
window which lets you capture and convert any plugin preset or
external instrument preset into a keygroup sampler patch. See
for more information about this.
46
•
Generate Random Events
lets you create random melodic or drum patterns on the current MIDI track. See
for more information about this.
•
Convert To Progression
opens the
Convert Track to Progression
window that automatically detects the chords that are played on the currently selected track, which you can save as a chord progression.
Use the
Name
field to enter a name for the progression.
The
Saved To
field indicates where the file is saved. The file will be saved as a
.progression
file in the
Progressions
folder in
[your hard drive] \
Program Files
\
Akai Pro
\
MPC
(Windows) or
[your hard drive] /
Users
/ [your user name] /
Library
/
Akai
/
MPC
/
Progressions
(macOS).
Use the
Root Note
field to set the root note of the progression.
This defines the starting note of the scale of the progression.
The
Chords Detected
field indicates how many chords were automatically detected in the track.
Use the
Scale Type
menu to select the scale or mode of the progression based on the
Root Note
.
The panel below lists the chords in the order they are played.
Click the
red
root note of a chord to play it. Click the text next to it to rename the chord.
Click and drag the
Type
field up or down to select whether the chord is played at its root note (
Root
), in the octave range as it appears in the track (
Normal
), above its root note (
AboveRoot
), or below its root note
(
BelowRoot
).
The
Notes
column indicates how many notes were detected in the chord.
Click
Do It
to convert the track or
Cancel
to close the window without converting.
•
Rebuild Media Browser Database
resets and rescans your Media Browser. See
to learn more about the Media Browser.
•
Stop All Sounds
immediately stops all sounds within the software.
•
Plugin Manager
opens the
Plugins
window which contains a list of all available plugins, based on your selected plugin folders. This the same as clicking the
gear icon
in the lower-left corner of the effect selection menu. See
chapter to learn about this.
•
Expansion Manager
opens the
Expansions
window which contains a list of your MPC expansions. See the
•
LCD Window
opens the
LCD
window, an emulation of the monochromatic display used on the MPC
Renaissance or MPC Studio. Click the
down arrow
(
) in the upper-right corner so it becomes an
up arrow
(
) to keep the window on top at all times. Click it again to allow the window to be hidden under others. Click the
X
in the upper-right corner to close the window.
View
•
Mode
lets you select from any of the available software modes. See
to learn about these.
•
Q-Link Mode
lets you select from any of the five edit modes for the Q-Link knobs. See
about these.
•
Toggle Audio
/
MIDI Mode
lets you switch between viewing MIDI tracks and audio tracks. This is the same as clicking the
MIDI
or
Audio
tab at the top of the Inspector.
•
Toolbar
lets you select or deselect the items you want to see in the toolbar at the top of the window. This
, the
indicators.
The
Toolbar Modes
submenu lets you select or deselect each mode icon. Selected ones will be shown in the toolbar. You can also select
All
to show all of them or
Default
to show the default ones (which we find are the most often used).
47
•
Inspector
lets you select or deselect the items you want to see in the Inspector on the left edge of the window.
This includes the Inspector itself (
Show Inspector
), send effect knobs on the channel strips (
Sends
), and insert effect slots on the channel strips (
Inserts
). You can also select which channel strip you want to display: the pad channel strip (
Pad Channel
), the program channel strip (
Program Channel
), or the MIDI track channel strip
(
MIDI Channel
). See
•
Browser
lets you select or deselect options that determine how the Browser is shown on the right edge of the window. You can hide or unhide the Browser (
Hidden
); show the
File Browser
,
Expansion Browser
,
Media
Browser
,
Project Information
Browser,
Project Notes
Browser, or
Undo History
Browser; show the
Quick
Help
panel; or allow the Media Browser to show all tags. See
•
Editor
lets you select or deselect options that determine how the editor is shown in the top half of the window.
You can show or hide the bottom panel (this is the same as clicking the two-panels icon in the lower-left corner of the main software window); show pad colors in the Grid Editor; show or hide the automation lane under the
Grid Editor; or switch between the Grid Editor, Wave Editor, or List Editor (when each option is available, depending on the mode).
•
Show Mixer Window
lets you show the mixer window. This is the same as clicking the
two-sliders icon
in the
lower-left corner of the main software window. See
to learn more about this feature.
•
Show MIDI Keyboard
shows or hides a piano keyboard at the bottom of the window. You can use these keys to
to learn about this.
•
Zoom In At Playhead
and
Zoom Out At Playhead
zoom into or out of the Grid Editor or Wave Editor
(respectively) while keeping the audio playhead or last-moved marker at the center.
•
Zoom In Vertically
and
Zoom Out Vertically
zoom into or out of the Grid Editor or Wave Editor (respectively).
•
Minimize
minimizes the MPC software window.
•
Full Screen
expands the MPC software window into a full-screen mode.
Help
•
Search
(macOS only) allows you to find results for specific search terms, which you can enter in this field.
•
Quick Help
shows or hides the
Quick Help
panel in the lower-right corner of the window under the Browser.
This is the same as going to
View
>
Browser
>
Quick Help
or clicking the
? icon
in the lower-right corner of the window. This panel is visible only when one of the Browsers is shown.
•
Keyboard Shortcuts
opens a window with a list of all available keyboard shortcuts to execute various actions in the MPC software.
Important
: Some of the MPC software’s keyboard shortcuts may not work if you are using the MPC software as a plugin (due to those shortcuts being used by your host DAW instead). Additionally, when using MPC as a plugin on Windows, some fields may not be able to be typed into. The delete shortcut to erase selected notes can still be used by pressing
Alt
+
Del
.
•
MPC Help
lets you open the user manual PDFs for the MPC software as well as the different types of MPC hardware that can control the MPC software.
•
Software Information
lets you open various items specific to this MPC software: the release notes PDF for this version of the MPC software (
MPC Release Notes
); the user manual PDF for Hybrid 3 (
Hybrid Instrument
).
•
Set Up Guides
lets you open a PDF with instructions on how to set up MMC control in this software (
MMC Control
).
•
Check for Updates
checks online for any available updates to the MPC software. (On macOS,
Check for Updates
is located in the
MPC
menu next to the
apple icon
.) You must have an internet connection to use this feature.
•
Expansion Store
opens an online store of available MPC Expansions on the Akai Professional website. (On macOS,
Expansion Store
is located in the
MPC
menu next to the
apple icon
.) You must have an internet connection to use this feature.
•
About MPC
opens a window with information about this MPC software. (On macOS,
About MPC
is located in the
MPC
menu next to the
apple icon
.)
48
Mode Icons
The mode icons let you select the current software mode.
Main Program Edit Pad Mixer Step Sequencer Looper Track Mute Song
Track View Sample Edit Channel Mixer Sampler Pad Mute Next Sequence MIDI Control
Click a
mode icon
to enter its corresponding mode.
Click the
down arrow
(
) to show a menu of all modes, and click a mode to enter it.
Timing Controls
Click the
metronome icon
at the top of the window to enable or disable the metronome.
Click and drag the
Metro
meter at the top of the window to set the volume of your metronome click.
The
Metronome
menu contains all settings regarding the metronome (click track).
To view the metronome settings
, click the
menu icon
(
≡
), select
Tools
, and click
Metronome
for more information about this.
Click the
Sync
field to determine whether the MPC software receives MIDI Clock information (
MIDI Clock
), MIDI Time Code information (
MTC
), communication from
Ableton
Link
, or none of these (
Off
). This is the same setting as the
Receive
menu in
Sync
tab of your
Preferences
. See
for more information.
Note
: Ableton Link is a new technology that synchronizes beat, phase and tempo of
Ableton Live and Ableton Link-enabled applications over a wireless or wired network.
Click the
TC
field to set the quantization value. Note events will “snap” to these time divisions on the grid. The
T
indicates a triplet-based value.
Click the
Swing
field to set the amount of swing from
50%
to
75%
. Swing lets you “shuffle” your beats—from subtle to extreme.
The
Time Correct
window contains all settings to help quantize events in your sequence.
To open the Time Correct settings
, click the
menu icon
(
≡
), select
Edit
, and click
Time Correct
for more information about this.
The time counter indicates the current playhead position.
To adjust the position
, click and drag each field up or down
To switch the time increments
, click the
note icon
or
stopwatch icon
.
When set to
Beats
(
note icon
), the time is shown in
Bars
,
Beats
, and
Ticks
.
When set to
Time
(
stopwatch icon
), the time is shown in hours (
HH
), minutes (
MM
), seconds (
SS
), and frames (
FF
).
The MIDI monitor indicates incoming MIDI events.
49
Use the
BPM
field to adjust the tempo of the sequence. Click and drag it up or down, or double-click it, type a value, and press
Enter
.
Alternatively, click
Tap
at the desired rate; the software will automatically detect the tempo.
Click the
Seq
/
Mst
button to set whether each sequence follows its own tempo (
Seq
) or a master tempo (
Mst
).
Transport Controls
Click
Record
(
) to record-arm the sequence. Click
Play
(
) or
Play
Start
(
|
) to start recording. Recording in this way (as opposed to using
Overdub
) erases the events of the current sequence. After the sequence plays through once while recording,
Overdub
(
⊕
) will be enabled.
Click
Overdub
(
⊕
) to enable
Overdub
. When enabled, you can record events in a sequence without overwriting any previously recorded events. You can enable
Overdub
before or during recording.
After you record-arm the track and start playback, click
Record from Sequence Start
to start recording once the sequence loops back to its start. This is essentially a punch-in feature for the entire track, enabling you to start playing a record-armed track while allowing more time than the usual count-in to prepare for the actual recording to start.
Click
Punch In
to enable or disable the
Punch In
feature, which enables you to record over a specified length of time in the track.
While recording, the entire sequence will play, but you will record over only the area between the Punch In and Punch Out markers, indicated by a
red
line below the blue timeline. Any part of the sequence before the Punch In marker or after the Punch Out marker will remain untouched, even if you perform over it during recording.
Click
Stop
(
) to stop playback. Alternatively, press the
space bar
.
You can double-click this button to silence audio that is still sounding once a note stops playing. Quickly clicking this button three times will act as a “MIDI panic” and shut off all voices and stop all audio processing.
Click
Play
(
) to play the sequence from the playhead’s current position.
Click
Play Start
(
|
) play the sequence from its start point.
50
Status
The
In
and
Out
boxes indicate the MPC software is receiving or sending (respectively) MIDI messages from or to your MPC hardware.
The
CPU
meter shows the software’s current usage of your computer’s CPU.
The
automation button
indicates the global automation state. See
about this.
Use the
Auto-Scroll
selector to set how the editor behaves relative to the audio playhead.
Follow
: Depending on the zoom setting, the editor will scroll along in the background while keeping the audio playhead centered.
Page
: The editor will move to the “next page” to follow the audio playhead.
Off
: The editor will not move at all.
Click the
Keyboard
button to cycle through three options:
Off
: Pad Keys and MIDI Keys are off. Your computer keyboard will work normally.
Pad Keys
: Pad Keys is on, enabling your computer keyboard to play the 16 pads of the
MIDI Keys
: MIDI Keys is on, enabling your computer keyboard to enter or play a range
of 17 MIDI notes, starting from a C. See
The
volume meter
shows the software’s master output level. Click and drag the
volume slider
to adjust it.
51
Inspector
The “
Inspector
” is a panel on the left edge of the window shows information about the current sequence, track, and program as well as two “dynamic” channel strips for convenient monitoring and mixing.
To show or hide the Inspector
, do one of the following:
•
Click the
i
icon in the lower-left corner of the window.
•
Click the
menu icon
(
≡
), go to
View
>
Inspector
, and select
Show Inspector
.
The
MIDI
and
Audio
tabs at the top of the Inspector determine whether it will show information about the project’s MIDI tracks or audio tracks. Click one to select it.
Sequence
Click the
>
or
∨
next to the
Sequence
field to collapse or expand this section.
Click the
Sequence
field or
down arrow
(
) to select a sequence.
Double-click the
Sequence
field to rename the sequence.
Click the small
menu icon
(
≡
) to select or deselect which items are shown in this section:
Bars
: the number of bars in the sequence
BPM
: the sequence tempo (as opposed to the master tempo)
Trans
/
Transpose
: the transposition of the sequence in semitones
Loop
: determines whether or not sequence playback will loop
Start
: the first bar of the sequence loop
End
: the last bar of the sequence loop
Time Sig
/
Time Signature
: the time signature of the sequence
Right-click the
Sequence
field to show a menu of some editing processes. See
for more information.
Track
If the
MIDI
tab is selected, click the
>
or
∨
next to the
Track
field to collapse or expand this section. If the
Audio
tab is selected, this section cannot be expanded.
Click the
Track
field or
down arrow
(
) to select a track.
Double-click the
Track
field to rename the track.
Click the small
menu icon
(
≡
) to select or deselect which items are shown in this section:
Type
: the type of program the track is using
Length
: the length of the track in beats. When set to
Seq
, the track will use the length of the sequence.
Velo
/
Velocity
: the velocity of the track
Trans
/
Transpose
: the transposition of the track in semitones
Mute/Solo
:
Mute
or
Solo
buttons for the track
Right-click the
Track
field to show a menu of some editing processes. See
for more information.
52
Program
The
Program
section is shown only when the
MIDI
tab at the top of the Inspector is selected.
Click the
>
or
∨
next to the
Program
field to collapse or expand this section (when a plugin program, MIDI program, or CV program is selected).
Click the
Program
field or
down arrow
(
) to select a program.
Double-click the
Program
field to rename the program.
Click the
+
next to the
Program
field to create a new program of the same type.
Click the small
menu icon
(
≡
) to select or deselect which items are shown in this section (when a plugin program, MIDI program, or CV program is selected):
Plugin Program
:
Plugin
: the plugin that the program is using. See the
about scanning and selecting plugins. Click the window icon next to the menu to show the plugin’s graphical user interface in a separate window.
Preset
: the preset/patch (if any) within the plugin.
MIDI Ch
/
MIDI Channel
: the MIDI channel the program is using.
MIDI Program
:
Port
: the port over which the program sends its MIDI data.
MIDI Ch
/
MIDI Channel
: the MIDI channel over which the program sends its
MIDI data.
Prog Ch
/
Program Change
: the program change message the program sends out.
Bank
: the Bank message (Most Significant Byte or MSB) that the program sends out.
LSB
: the Least Significant Byte (LSB) message that the program sends out.
CV Program
:
CV Port
: the CV port the program is using.
Gate Port
: the Gate port the program is using.
Md.Wheel
/
Mod Wheel
: the CV port the modulation wheel is using.
Vel Port
/
Velocity Port
: the CV velocity port.
Note
/
Note Tracking
: the CV program’s note track: lowest, highest or last.
Right-click the
Program
field to show a menu of some editing processes. See
for more information.
53
Channel Strips
The Inspector can display two “dynamic” channel strips, which vary slightly in appearance.
When the
MIDI
tab at the top of the Inspector is selected, you can select the
pad channel strip
,
program channel strip
, or
MIDI/track channel strip
.
When the
Audio
tab at the top of the Inspector is selected, you can show or hide the
audio track channel strip
only.
Pad
&
Keygroup Channel Strips
While using a drum program, keygroup program, or clip program, click the
pad icon
at the bottom of the
Inspector. The
pad
or
keygroup channel strip
will be shown on the left side, and the corresponding program channel strip for that pad or keygroup will be shown on the right side.
The number of the pad or keygroup is at the bottom of the channel strip.
The first menu shows the current pad or keygroup number. Press a pad or click the field to select a different pad or keygroup.
Tip
: This is useful for mixing your pads or keygroups without having to enter the Pad Mixer.
The
Inserts
slots show any enabled or disabled
effects for that pad or keygroup. See
to learn more about pad or keygroup insert
effects.
Click and drag the
Send
knobs, which control the send levels for the pad or keygroup. A
return channel strip
will automatically be shown on the right side. Click anywhere in the lower half of the
pad
/
keygroup channel strip
to show the program
to learn more about pad or keygroup send/return effects.
The menu below the
Send
knobs shows where the pad or keygroup is routed, which you can set to the current program (
Program
), a submix (
Submix
>
Sub 1
–
8
), a pair of master outputs (
Stereo Output
>
Out 1,2
–
31,32
), or a single master output (
Mono
Output
>
Out 1
–
32
). Usually, this is set to
Program
.
Click
M
or
S
to mute or solo the pad or keygroup
(respectively).
Adjust the
pan knob
or
level slider
to change the panning or level (respectively) of the pad or keygroup. The
green
level meter next to the slider shows the pad’s current volume level in
dB
.
See
for descriptions of the adjacent program
channel strip.
54
Program Channel Strip
While using a drum program, keygroup program, clip program, or plugin program, click the
four-pads icon
at the bottom of the Inspector. The
program channel strip
will be shown on the left side, and its corresponding master or submix channel strip will be shown on the right side.
The name of the program is at the bottom of the channel strip.
The first menu shows the current program (which you can change).
The
Inserts
slots show any enabled or disabled effects for that program. See
to learn more about program insert effects.
Click and drag the
Send
knobs, which control the send levels for the program. A
return channel strip
will automatically be shown on the right side. Click anywhere in the lower half of the
program channel strip
to show the master or submix channel strip again. See
to learn more about program send/return effects.
The menu below the
Send
knobs shows where the program is routed, which you can set to a submix (
Submix
>
Sub 1
–
8
), a pair of master outputs (
Stereo Output
>
Out 1,2
–
31,32
), or a single master output (
Mono Output
>
Out 1
–
32
).
Click
M
or
S
to mute or solo the program (respectively).
Click the
program automation button
to cycle through the three possible states of program automation:
When
off
, the program will ignore automation data. If you have already recorded or entered automation, clicking this will switch between Read (
R
) and Write (
W
) only, but you can override this and turn it off by pressing and holding
Shift
while clicking the button.
Important
: If you have already recorded automation and turn it off, the track will still use the effect and its parameter values at the point where you turned it off.
When set to
Read
(
R
), the program will read automation data but will not record any additional automation over it. You can still manually edit and enter automation. (Think of this as a protective feature to prevent accidental changes to your automation while recording.)
When set to
Write
(
W
), the program can record automation. (If you have any
Q-Link knobs assigned to automatable parameters, make sure not to touch any accidentally while you are recording.)
to learn about recording and editing automation.
Tip
: You can quickly set all programs and audio tracks to the same automation by clicking the global automation button in the upper-right corner of the window.
Adjust the
pan knob
or
level slider
to change the panning or level (respectively) of the program. The
green
level meter next to the slider shows the program’s current volume level in
dB
.
for descriptions of the adjacent master channel strip.
55
MIDI Track Channel Strip
While using a drum program, keygroup program, plugin program, or clip program, click the
three-bars icon
at the bottom of the Inspector. The
MIDI track channel strip
will be shown on the left side, and its corresponding program channel strip will be shown on the right side.
The first menu shows the current track (which you can change) and its name.
The second menu shows the name of the program the track is using (which you can change).
Click
M
or
S
to mute or solo the track (respectively).
Adjust the
pan knob
or
level slider
to change the panning or level (respectively) of the track. The
green
level meter next to the slider shows the track’s current velocity level (
0
–
127
).
Note
: If the track is using a plugin program, then the slider will send
CC #7
(
Volume
) and the knob will send
CC #10
(
Pan
) to your instrument plugin. The plugin will then handle these messages as it normally would.
for descriptions of the adjacent program channel strip.
56
Audio Track Channel Strip
While using an audio track, the
audio track channel strip
will be shown on the left side, and its corresponding master or submix channel strip will be shown on the right side.
The name of the track is at the bottom of the channel strip.
The first menu defines the input source of the external audio signal, which you can set to a pair of inputs (
Stereo
>
Input 1,2
–
31,32
) or a single input (
Mono
>
Input
1
–
32
).
The
Inserts
slots show any enabled or disabled effects for that track. See
to learn more about audio track insert effects.
Click and drag the
Send
knobs, which control the send levels for the track. A
return channel strip
will automatically be shown on the right side. Click anywhere in the lower half of the
audio track channel strip
to show the master or submix channel strip again. See
to learn more about audio track send/return effects.
The menu below the
Send
knobs shows where the track is routed, which you can set to a submix (
Submix
>
Sub 1
–
8
), a pair of master outputs (
Stereo Output
>
Out 1,2
–
31,32
), or a single master output (
Mono Output
>
Out 1
–
32
).
Click
M
or
S
to mute or solo the track (respectively).
Click the
audio track automation button
to cycle through the three possible states of audio track automation:
When
off
, the audio track will ignore automation data. If you have already recorded or entered automation, clicking this will switch between Read (
R
) and Write (
W
) only, but you can override this and turn it off by pressing and holding
Shift
while clicking the button.
Important
: If you have already recorded automation and turn it off, the track will still use the effect and its parameter values at the point where you turned it off.
When set to
Read
(
R
), the audio track will read automation data but will not record any additional automation over it. You can still manually edit and enter automation. (Think of this as a protective feature to prevent accidental changes to your automation while recording.)
When set to
Write
(
W
), the audio track can record automation. (If you have any Q-Link knobs assigned to automatable parameters, make sure not to touch any accidentally while you are recording.)
to learn about recording and editing automation.
Tip
: You can quickly set all programs and audio tracks to the same automation by clicking the global automation button in the upper-right corner of the window.
Click the
Monitor
button to set how your audio track will be monitored. Clicking it will cycle through its three states:
When set to
Auto
, you will hear incoming audio while the track is recordenabled only.
When
on
, you will hear incoming audio whether or not the track is recordenabled.
When
off
, you will never hear any incoming audio.
Adjust the
pan knob
or
level slider
to change the panning or level (respectively) of the track. The
green
level meter next to the slider shows the track’s current volume level in
dB
.
Click the
Record Arm
(
) button to record-enable the track. When you begin audio recording, the audio signal will be recorded to this track.
Tip
: You can record-enable multiple tracks in Track View Mode or in the Channel
Mixer by pressing and holding
Ctrl
(Windows) or
(macOS) while clicking the
Arm
button to each track.
for descriptions of the adjacent master channel strip.
57
Master
&
Submix Channel Strips
When viewing the
master
or
submix channel strip
:
The number of the pair of master outputs or submix are the bottom of the channel strip.
The
Inserts
slots show any enabled or disabled effects for those outputs or that submix. See
to learn more about submix insert
effects.
For submix channel strips, click and drag the
Send
knobs, which control the
send levels for the track. See
about submix send/return effects.
For submix channel strips, the menu below the
Send
knobs shows where the submix is routed, which you can set to a pair of master outputs (
Stereo Output
>
Out 1,2
–
31,32
) or a single master output (
Mono Output
>
Out 1
–
32
).
Click
M
to mute the master output or submix.
Adjust the
pan knob
or
level slider
to change the panning or level
(respectively) of the outputs or submix. The
green
level meter next to the slider shows the outputs’ or submix’s current volume level in
dB
.
58
Browser
You can use the
navigate your hard disks and other storage devices to load samples, sequences, projects, MPC Expansions/instruments, and other media. Using filter buttons and user-definable folders, you can easily adapt it to your preferred workflow. You can also audition (preview) samples before loading them.
You can also use the
to access and edit additional information about your project overall.
The
MIDI Learn Browser
lets you assign areas of the MPC software to external MIDI controllers. Global MIDI mappings are helpful if you use certain
MIDI controllers across multiple projects. Project MIDI mappings are saved within a project, which can be helpful if your MIDI controller usage is particular
for more information about this.
The Browser also includes the
Quick Help
panel. This panel is visible only when one of the Browsers is shown. Click the
menu icon
(
≡
), select
Help
, and then click
Quick Help
to show or hide this panel. Alternatively, click the
? icon
in the lower-right corner.
You can also click the feedback button (
) to suggest a feature or report a bug. We always try to take your feedback into account as we continually improve the MPC experience!
To show or hide the Browsers
, do one of the following:
•
Click the
menu icon
(
≡
), select
View
>
Browser
, and then click the desired option:
File Browser
,
Expansion Browser
,
Media Browser
,
Project Info
,
Project Notes
, or
Undo History
.
•
In the lower-right corner, click the corresponding icon (as shown from right to left): o
File Browser:
hard-drive icon
o
Expansion Browser:
list icon
o
Media Browser:
six-rectangles icon
o
Undo History Browser:
clock-and-arrow icon
o
Project Notes Browser:
notebook icon
o
Project Info Browser:
P
/
page icon
o
MIDI Assignment Browser:
MIDI-controller icon
59
File Browser
When the
File Browser
is selected, you can do any of the following:
To move up one folder level
, click the
up arrow
(
) next to the file path.
To select a file or folder
, click it once.
To enter a folder
, double-click it.
To load a sample directly to a pad
, click and drag the sample onto a pad in the lower half of the window.
To load a sample directly to an audio track
, click and drag the sample onto the
Grid Editor
when the
Audio
tab is selected or onto an audio track when one is shown in the upper half of the window.
To load a selected file to the project’s sample pool
, double-click it or click and drag it anywhere in the window outside of the File
Browser. If the file is a sample, it will be loaded to the project’s sample pool. If the file is a project, it will be loaded in its entirety (you will be asked if you want to close your current project).
To load all files in a selected folder
, click and drag the folder onto anywhere in the window outside of the File Browser.
To preview a selected sound
, click and hold
Play
(
) in the lower-left corner of the Browser.
To enable or disable the audition function and set its volume level
, click the
volume icon
in the lower-left corner of the Browser. Click and drag the
level slider
left or right to set the volume level.
To sync and warp samples when auditioning,
tap the
sync icon
and
warp icon
in the lower-left corner of the Browser. See
for more information.
To browse your files by search term
, click the
Search
field and type a search term.
To get the most efficient use of the File Browser, set the file paths to your favorite drive locations first. There are five
folder buttons
labeled
1
–
5
at the top. You can set these to be shortcuts to five locations on your computer’s hard drive or any connected storage devices, giving you quick access to your files.
To assign the current location to a folder button
, press and hold
Shift
, and then click one of the
folder buttons
(
1
–
5
). Now, when you click that folder button again, the File Browser will show that folder’s content immediately.
Use the five filter buttons to show only specific types of files in the list below. Folders will still be shown in the list.
To show project files only
, tap the
Proj
/
page
button.
To show sequence files only
, tap the
Seq
/
bars
button.
To show program files only
, tap the
Prog
/
four-squares
button.
To show sample files only
, tap the
Sample
/
waveform
button.
To show all file types
, tap the
All
button.
To show or hide MPC project folders
, tap the
MPC folder icon
in the lower-right corner.
60
Expansion Browser
When the
Expansion Browser
is selected:
Your available MPC Expansions will appear in the Browser, which you can expand or collapse.
MPC Expansions may have lists of patches that you can expand or collapse, as well.
To preview a selected sound
, click and hold
Play
(
) in the lower-left corner of the Browser.
To enable or disable the audition function and set its volume level
, click the
volume icon
in the lower-left corner of the Browser. Click and drag the
level slider
left or right to set the volume level.
to learn more about MPC Expansions.
61
Media Browser
When the
Media Browser
is selected:
Your MPC Expansions will appear under the
Expansions
panel, which you can expand or collapse.
You can filter through your media library in the
Filter
panel, which you can expand or collapse.
Use the
Search
field to browse your media by search term.
To preview a selected sound
, click and hold
Play
(
) in the lower-left corner of the Browser.
To enable or disable the audition function and set its volume level
, click the
volume icon
in the lower-left corner of the Browser. Click and drag the
level slider
left or right to set the volume level.
Use the four filter buttons to show only specific types of files in the list below. Folders will still be shown in the list.
To show program files only
, tap the
Program
/
four-squares
button.
To show project files only
, tap the
Project
/
page
button.
To show sequence files only
, tap the
Sequence
/
bars
button.
To show sample files only
, tap the
Sample
/
waveform
button.
To enable or disable tags in the Media Browser
, click the
menu icon
(
≡
), go to
View
>
Browser
, and select
Media
Browser Shows All Tags
.
Program
filter + no tags selected.
Program
filter +
Kit
and
RbB
tags.
Sample
filter +
Chill Trap
and
Kick
tags.
62
Project Info Browser
When the
Project Info Browser
is selected:
All available programs and sequences in the project will appear in the upper half of the Browser under
Projects
. A list of samples will appear in the lower half under
Samples
(the samples that are listed are part of the selected program or sequence under the
Project
list).
To duplicate a program in the project
, right-click it and click
Duplicate
. An identical program will be created immediately. The duplicate program will use the same name but appended with a number (e.g.,
Program 002
).
To duplicate a program in the project and use it on a new track
, right-click it and click
Duplicate to New Track
. An identical program and new track that uses it will be created immediately. The duplicate program will use the same name but appended with a number (e.g.,
Program 002
). The new track will be named
Track
and appended with a number (e.g.,
Track 06
).
To copy pads
(and their parameters)
from one program into another
, right-click the program and click
Merge
. This essentially consolidates two programs into one. See
information.
To delete samples from the project
, click the
trash can icon
. In the screen that appears, select
Purge Unused Samples
to delete all unused samples from the project (from all programs, sequences, and audio or MIDI tracks), or select
Delete All Samples
to delete all samples from the project.
To delete a program or sample
, right-click it and click
Delete
. Click
Delete
or
Delete Sample
to confirm your choice or
Cancel
to cancel the deletion.
To save a program or sample
, right-click it and click
Save
. Use the window that appears to enter a name for the program file (
.xpm
) or sample file (
.wav
) and select a location. Click
Save
to confirm your choice or
Cancel
to cancel saving.
To rename a program or sample
, right-click it and click
Rename
.
Enter a name in the window that appears, and then click
OK
to confirm your choice or
Cancel
to cancel saving.
To view a sample in Sample Edit Mode
, right-click it and click
Edit
.
Alternatively, double-click the sample. You will immediately enter
Sample Edit Mode and show the sample’s waveform in the Wave
Editor.
To add the sample as an audio track
, right-click it and click
Add to
Audio Track
. This will immediately create a new audio track named
Audio
and appended with a number (e.g.,
Audio 002
), and the sample will be loaded on it.
This Browser is identical to the
Project
panel (see
) but in a vertical layout rather than horizontal.
63
Project Notes Browser
When the
Project Notes Browser
is selected:
Information about the project will be shown in several fields:
Title
,
Artist
,
Original Artist
,
Album
,
Year
,
Genre
, and
Copyright
. Note that these are not ID3 tags.
You can also write notes in the lower panel.
To enter text into a field
, click it and type.
Undo History Browser
When the
Undo History Browser
is selected:
All undoable (and redoable) actions you have performed within the software will appear in this list in sequence. Each step is numbered in the
#
column. Each action is named in the
Action
column with additional information in the
Detail
column.
The magenta
action marker
indicates the current “undo state” location—the last-performed action.
To undo or redo multiple actions at once
, click and drag the
action marker
to the desired location in the list. The project will immediately revert to that state. Actions that can be redone
(below the action marker) are grayed out.
64
MIDI Learn Browser
The
MIDI Learn Browser
lets you assign areas of the MPC software to external MIDI controllers. Global MIDI mappings are helpful if you use certain MIDI controllers across multiple projects. Project MIDI mappings are saved within a project, which can be helpful if your MIDI controller usage is particular to each one. See
for more information about this.
65
Editors
You can switch the editor between the
, depending on what mode you are in.
To enter each editor
, click
Grid
,
Wave
, or
List
below the mode icons. You can do this only when editing
MIDI tracks; audio tracks have only the Grid Editor that display the audio track waveform.
In all three editors, these buttons are available in the upper-right corner:
Click the magnet icon to switch between the two different modes of “snapping” note events to the grid:
Absolute or Relative.
Absolute
: Events will “snap” to the nearest time division on the grid (as determined by the
TC
field or
Time Correct
window). This is the typical and traditional method of using the snap/ quantization feature.
Relative
: Events will “snap” to the nearest time division on the grid (as determined by the
TC
field or
Time Correct
window)
plus
the original time position of the event (e.g., an event that is originally three ticks past a time division on the grid will snap only to positions that are three ticks past every time division).
Click the
Hitting Pad Selects All Events
icon to turn the feature on (
red
) or off (
gray
). When on, pressing a pad will automatically select all note events for that pad in the sequence on that track. When off, pressing a pad will simply play its sound without selecting any note events.
Click the
left-arrow icon
to undo your last action.
Click the
right-arrow icon
to redo the last action you undid.
Click the
Export Audio icon
(
star-and-waveform
) to export the track as an audio file (
.wav
). Once this is done, the icon will be
red
. You can then click and drag the icon onto your computer desktop or external storage device to copy it to that location. Press and hold
Shift
and click the icon to reset it to
gray
.
Click the
Export MIDI icon
(
star-and-bars
) to export the track as a MIDI sequence. Once this is done, the icon will be
red
. You can then click and drag the icon onto your computer desktop or external storage device to copy it to that location. Press and hold
Shift
and click the icon to reset it to
gray
.
You can use the
Record/Export
tab in the
Preferences
to determine precisely what is exported with each of
to learn about this.
Note
: Audio tracks can be exported as 16-bit or 24bit, 44.1 kHz
.wav
files, and MIDI tracks are exported as
.mid
files. These files placed in the [
Exports
] folder in
[your hard drive]
\
Documents
\
MPC
.
66
Grid Editor
The Grid Editor has three different appearances: one for drum and clip programs; one for keygroup, plugin, MIDI, and
CV programs; and one for audio tracks.
MIDI
When the
MIDI
tab in the
Inspector
is selected, the Grid Editor lets you view and edit the note events of each MIDI track of a sequence and their velocities.
For drum programs, the left column shows you all available pads in a vertical view with their corresponding data.
For keygroup, plugin, MIDI, and CV programs, the left column shows a vertical “piano roll” keyboard.
Grid Editor of a drum program.
Grid Editor of a keygroup program or MIDI program.
67
In the Grid Editor for MIDI tracks, these three icons enable you to use different functions in the grid. Click one to select its mode:
Pencil
: Draw Mode:
To enter a note in an empty grid square
, click the square.
To select a note
, click it.
To move a note
, click and drag it to another grid square. Press and hold
Shift
while doing this to move it without restricting (“snapping”) it to the quantization grid.
To erase a note
, double-click it.
To adjust the start or end point of a note
, click and drag its left or right edge. Press and hold
Shift
while doing this to adjust the start or end point without restricting (“snapping”) it to the quantization grid.
Marquee
: Marquee Mode:
To select a note
, click it.
To select multiple notes
, click and drag across the grid to create a box around them.
To move a note
, click and drag it to another grid square. Press and hold
Shift
while doing this to adjust the start or end point without restricting (“snapping”) it to the quantization grid.
To move multiple notes
, select them as described above, and then click and drag them. Press and hold
Shift
while doing this to move them without restricting (“snapping”) them to the quantization grid.
To adjust the start or end point of a note
, click and drag its left or right edge. Press and hold
Shift
while doing this to adjust the start or end point without restricting (“snapping”) it to the quantization grid.
Eraser
: Erase Mode:
To erase a note
, click it.
To zoom in or out
, use the sliders in the lower-right corner of the Grid Editor (along each axis) or click the blue timeline and drag down or up.
To show or hide the automation lane
, click the
up
or
down arrow
(
∧
or
∨
) button next to the horizontal scroll bar under the grid.
To adjust the velocity of the selected notes
(manually), click
Velocity
in the automation lane below the grid to select it, and then click and drag the handle/handles below the note/notes. Each note’s velocity is represented by a vertical bar. The higher and more red the bar is, the higher the velocity is. The current velocity value will appear next to the cursor.
Alternatively, select the
pencil tool
and click the desired height for each handle. You can also draw an automation curve across the entire automation lane.
68
The automation curve can contain points at the current Time Correct intervals. Press and hold
Shift
while creating and editing the automation curve to adjust it without restricting (“snapping”) it to the quantization grid.
To show the automation of an automatable parameter
, click the
down arrow
(
) in the lower-left corner of the
Grid Editor. You can select a track, program, or pad parameter—the parameter name will appear below
Modifier
.
You can then use any of the
tools
to create and edit automation for this parameter in the automation lane.
To create a point in the automation curve
, click the desired location with the
pencil tool
, or double-click the desired location with
any other tool
. Press and hold
Shift
while clicking to create it without restricting
(“snapping”) it to the quantization grid.
To draw part or all of an automation curve
, click and drag the desired curve with the
pencil tool
. Press and hold
Shift
while clicking to draw it without restricting (“snapping”) it to the quantization grid.
To erase a point in the automation curve
, click and drag over it with the
eraser tool
, or double-click it with
any other tool
.
To erase part or all of an automation curve
, click and drag over the desired section of the curve with the
eraser tool
.
To select a point in the automation curve
, click it.
To move a point in the automation curve
, click and drag it to another location in the automation lane. Press and hold
Shift
while clicking to move it without restricting (“snapping”) it to the quantization grid.
Each parameter in the automation lane has an icon next to it that indicates the type of parameter it is:
Note
Track Mixer Automation (
Volume
,
Pan
,
Mute
,
Solo
)
Track MIDI CC Automation (
0
–
127
)
Track Parameter Automation (
Aftertouch
,
Pitchbend
,
Channel Pressure
, or
Program Change
)
Program Mixer Automation (
Volume
,
Pan
,
Mute
,
Solo
, or
Send 1
–
4
)
Program Parameter Automation (options vary based on the type of program)
Program Insert Effect Automation (options vary based on the effect)
Pad/Keygroup Mixer Automation (
Level
,
Pan
,
Pad Mute
,
Pad Solo
, or
Send 1
–
4
)
Pad/Keygroup Parameter Automation (options vary based on the type of program)
Pad/Keygroup Insert Effect Automation (options vary based on the effect)
69
Audio
When the
Audio
tab in the
Inspector
is selected, the Grid Editor lets you view and edit the audio waveform of each audio track of a sequence.
In the Grid Editor for audio tracks, these six icons enable you to use different functions in the grid. Click one to select its mode:
Marquee
: Marquee Mode:
To select a region of the audio track
, click the light-blue strip at the top of it.
To select or deselect multiple track regions
, press and hold
Shift
and click the light-blue strip at the top of each one.
To move a track region
(or multiple selected track regions), click the light-blue strip at the top of a track region and drag it to the desired location. Press and hold
Shift
after clicking it to move it without restricting (“snapping”) it to the quantization grid. You can move multiple regions as well.
To duplicate a track region
(or multiple selected track regions), press and hold
Alt
(Windows) or
Option
(macOS), click the light-blue strip at the top of a track region, and drag it to the desired location. Press and hold
Shift
after clicking it to move it without restricting (“snapping”) it to the quantization grid. You can duplicate multiple regions as well.
To split a track region at two specific points
(creating track regions on either side and between them), click and drag across anywhere in the upper two thirds of it to create a translucent white box, and then click the light-blue strip at the top of it. You can do this to multiple track regions as well.
To shorten or lengthen a track region
(or multiple selected track regions), click and drag the lower third of its left or right edge. Press and hold
Shift
while dragging it to adjust the length without restricting (“snapping”) it to the quantization grid.
70
Arrow
: Selection Mode:
To select a region of the audio track
, click anywhere in the upper two thirds of it.
To select or deselect multiple track regions
, press and hold
Shift
and click anywhere in the upper two thirds of it of each one.
To move a track region
, click and drag anywhere in the upper two thirds of it. Press and hold
Shift
after clicking it to move it without restricting (“snapping”) it to the quantization grid.
To duplicate a track region
(or multiple selected track regions), press and hold
Alt
(Windows) or
Option
(macOS), click the light-blue strip at the top of a track region, and drag it to the desired location. Press and hold
Shift
after clicking it to move it without restricting (“snapping”) it to the quantization grid. You can duplicate multiple regions as well.
To adjust the start or end point of a track region
, click and drag anywhere in the lower third of its left or right edge. Press and hold
Shift
while doing this to adjust the start or end point without restricting (“snapping”) it to the quantization grid.
Pencil
: Draw Mode:
To create a point in the automation curve
, click the desired location in the automation lane. Press and hold
Shift
while clicking to create it without restricting (“snapping”) it to the quantization grid.
To draw part or all of an automation curve
, click and drag the desired curve in the automation lane.
Press and hold
Shift
while clicking to draw it without restricting (“snapping”) it to the quantization grid.
To select a point in the automation curve
, click it.
To move a point in the automation curve
, click and drag it to another location in the automation lane.
Press and hold
Shift
while clicking to move it without restricting (“snapping”) it to the quantization grid.
To erase a point in the automation curve
, double-click it.
Eraser
: Erase Mode:
To select multiple track regions
, click and drag from an empty location on a track to create a translucent white box. Click an empty location on the grid to deselect them.
To erase a track region
(or multiple selected track regions), click it. You may need to click it twice if the track itself is not already selected.
To copy a track region
, press and hold
Alt
(Windows) or
Option
(macOS) and then click and drag it.
To erase part or all of an automation curve
, click and drag over the desired section of the curve in the automation lane.
Scissors
: Split Mode:
To select a track region
, click its left edge.
To select multiple track regions
, click and drag from an empty location on a track to create a translucent white box. Click an empty location on the grid to deselect them.
To split the track at a specific point
(creating a track region on either side), click that point in the track.
To copy a track region
, press and hold
Alt
(Windows) or
Option
(macOS) and then click and drag it.
Mute
: Mute Mode:
To select multiple track regions
, click and drag from an empty location on a track to create a translucent white box. Click an empty location on the grid to deselect them.
To mute or unmute a track region
(or multiple selected track regions), click it.
To copy a track region
, press and hold
Alt
(Windows) or
Option
(macOS) and then click and drag it.
71
To zoom in or out
, use the slider in the lower-right corner of the Grid Editor or click the blue timeline and drag down or up.
The
Region
field shows the name of the currently selected region of the audio track. Double-click it to rename the region.
Click the
two-pages-and-+ icon
to duplicate the currently selected region of the audio track. The duplicate region will appear immediately after the original one.
Use the
Fade In
or
Fade Out
fields to create a fade-in or fade out for the currently selected region of the audio track.
The fades will be shown as a sloped line at the start or end of the region.
Use the
Level
slider to set the level of the currently selected region of the audio track. The waveform amplitude will change accordingly. Alternatively, click the
dB
value next to the slider and enter the desired level.
Click
M
to mute or unmute currently selected region of the audio track.
Click
Rev
to reverse the currently selected region of the audio track.
To lengthen or shorten the currently selected region of the audio track without changing its pitch
, click
Warp
, which will enable the
Semi
,
Fine
, and
BPM
fields next to it. Use the
BPM
field to change the tempo, which will change the length of the region accordingly. You can also click
X2
to double the value or
/2
to halve it. Use the
Semi
and
Fine
fields if you want to change the pitch (this is useful for matching the durations of two samples with different pitches).
Tip
: You can configure audio track recording to ensure the resulting track region is warped automatically. You can
then adjust the sequence tempo while track region remains in time. See
Note
: When you record an audio file, the current sequence tempo will be embedded with it. This information is stored within the sample file when you save the project. When you warp an audio track region, the warping algorithm uses this sequence tempo and the current value in the BPM field to generate the “stretch factor.”
Note
: The Warp algorithms are very CPU-intensive and can result in audio drop-outs during playback if used too freely. Be mindful of how (and how often) you use the warp function. You can reduce the CPU resources required by doing any/all of the following:
•
Minimize the amount of pitch adjustment (e.g., the
Semi
and
Fine
parameters) of warped audio.
•
Avoid warping very small track regions.
•
Warp as few tracks or track regions as possible (i.e., reduce the number of total number of voices of the polyphonic limit that use the Warp algorithm at a given time), especially instances where the warped regions start at the same time.
•
Avoid rapidly triggering samples that are warped.
•
If you have warped samples used in a drum program, consider using the
Flatten Pad
function to consolidate the affected pad’s layers into one audio sample (see
to learn about this). After you flatten the pad, its
sample/samples no longer need to be warped.
•
Use a Warp algorithm other than Elastique Pro, which is very CPU-intensive. See
to learn how to change this.
•
Using a higher buffer size (usually above
256
) can reduce the possibility of CPU issues. See
to learn how to do this.
72
To show or hide the automation lane
, click the
up
or
down arrow
(
∧
or
∨
) button next to the horizontal scroll bar under the grid.
The automation curve can contain points at the current Time Correct intervals. Press and hold
Shift
while creating and editing the automation curve to adjust it without restricting (“snapping”) it to the quantization grid.
To show the automation of an automatable parameter
, click the
down arrow
(
) in the lower-left corner of the Grid
Editor. You can select a track parameters only (for the mixer or insert effects)—the parameter name will appear below
Modifier
. You can then use any of the
tools
to create and edit automation for this parameter in the automation lane.
To create a point in the automation curve
, click the desired location with the
pencil tool
, or double-click the desired location with
any other tool
. Press and hold
Shift
while clicking to create it without restricting
(“snapping”) it to the quantization grid.
To draw part or all of an automation curve
, click and drag the desired curve with the
pencil tool
. Press and hold
Shift
while clicking to draw it without restricting (“snapping”) it to the quantization grid.
To erase a point in the automation curve
, click and drag over it with the
eraser tool
, or double-click it with
any other tool
.
To erase part or all of an automation curve
, click and drag over the desired section of the curve with the
eraser tool
.
To select a point in the automation curve
, click it.
To move a point in the automation curve
, click and drag it to another location in the automation lane. Press and hold
Shift
while clicking to move it without restricting (“snapping”) it to the quantization grid.
Each parameter in the automation lane has an icon next to it that indicates the type of parameter it is:
Audio Track Mixer Automation (
Volume
,
Pan
,
Mute
,
Solo
) or Insert Effect Automation (options vary based on the effect)
73
Wave Editor
The Wave Editor lets you view and edit the samples in a project.
The selected pad (e.g.,
A01
,
B16
, etc.) is shown just below the
Grid Editor
tab. Click a pad in the
Pads
panel or press a
pad
to select it.
Use the
Layer
menu to select the layer (of the current pad) with the sample you want to view.
Use the
Sample
menu to change the sample assigned to the current pad.
Important
: The following parameters work in conjunction with Chop Mode (in Sample Edit Mode). Here’s how it works:
When working in Sample Edit Mode and using Chop Mode to divide a sample into slices for your pads, you can convert a slice using
Non-Destructive Slice
or
Pad Parameters
.
A
Non-Destructive Slice
will let its pad to refer to that slice when you press it; the original sample remains intact and each slice marker is like a “bookmark” for a pad. In Program Edit Mode, you’ll see that the pad/layer to which it’s assigned has its
Slice
drop-down menu set to the corresponding
slice number
in the original sample. Playing that pad will cause it to refer to that slice marker like a “bookmark” instead of creating an entirely new sample of that slice. This means that you no longer have to clutter your Project with a new sample for every slice (though you can still use this earlier method, if you prefer).
A slice converted using
Pad Parameters
is very similar to a non-destructive slice described above. The difference is that in Program Edit Mode, the pads/layers they’re assigned to have their
Slice
drop-down menus set to
Pad
(instead of the slice number), and the
Pad Start
and
Pad End
points will correspond to the slice markers in the original sample.
to learn more about this.
Use the
Start
field to determine the position (in samples) where the pad’s playback will start. The minimum value is
0
, and the maximum value is the
End
value.
Note
: When
Loop Lock
is on, the loop position (as determined in the
Loop
field) is the same as the pad start. When off, the loop position is independent from the pad start.
Use the
End
field to determine the position (in samples) where the pad’s playback will stop. The minimum value is the
Start
value, and the maximum value is the sample’s total length (in samples).
74
Use the
Loop
menu to select the Pad Loop mode.
Important
: For Pad Loop to work, you must (
1
) set the
Sample Play
field to
Note On
in the
Pad Play Modes
section of Program Edit Mode (see
) and (
2
) set the
Slice
field to
Pad
.
Off
: The sample will not loop.
Fwd
: You can hold down the pad to cause that sample to repeat from the
Loop
position to the end of the sample. Release the pad to stop the repeating playback.
Rev
: You can hold down the pad to cause that sample to play in reverse, repeating from the end of the sample to the
Loop
position. Release the pad to stop the repeating playback.
Alt
: You can hold down the pad to cause that sample to play from the
Loop
position to the end of the sample and then play in reverse until it reaches the
Loop
position again. This will repeat as long as you are holding the pad down. Release the pad to stop the repeating playback.
Click the
lock icon
to turn Loop Lock on or off. When on, the lock icon will be red and the Loop field will be disabled.
Use the
Slice
field to select what part/parts of the sample will play:
All
: The entire sample will play.
Pad
: The sample will play from the
Start
position to the
End
position. This also lets you activate Pad Loop.
Slice 1, 2, 3, etc.
: If you have sliced the sample in Chop Mode, you can select which slice will play when you trigger the pad.
Use the
Offset
field to determine a time offset for the sample’s playback.
Positive values
: When the pad is played, playback will start immediately but at a later point in the sample specified by the offset value.
Negative values
: When the pad is played, playback will be delayed by the amount specified by the offset value.
Click
Rev
to reverse the sample’s playback.
Click
Warp
to lengthen or shorten the sample (based on the BPM) without changing its pitch.
Use the
Stretch
field to set the “stretch factor,” which affects how the sample is warped (if Warp is on).
Use the
BPM
field to enter a tempo, which affects how the sample is warped (if Warp is on). You can also click
X2
to double the value or
/2
to halve it.
Click the
circular-arrows icon
to enable or disable BPM Sync. When BPM Sync and Warp are both enabled, the sample’s BPM will be “locked” to the tempo of the sequence. When BPM Sync is disabled but Warp is enabled, the sample will be independent of the tempo of your sequence—use the
Stretch
field to lengthen or shorten a sample.
Tip
: You can configure audio track recording to ensure the resulting track region is warped automatically. You can
then adjust the sequence tempo while track region remains in time. See
Note
: When you record an audio file, the current sequence tempo will be embedded with it. This information is stored within the sample file when you save the project. When you warp an audio track region, the warping algorithm uses this sequence tempo and the current value in the BPM field to generate the “stretch factor.”
Note
: The Warp algorithms are very CPU-intensive and can result in audio drop-outs during playback if used too freely. Be mindful of how (and how often) you use the warp function. You can reduce the CPU resources required by doing any/all of the following:
•
Avoid using extreme
Stretch
values, especially anything below
100
.
•
Minimize the amount of pitch adjustment (e.g., the
Semi
and
Fine
parameters) of warped audio.
•
Avoid warping very small track regions.
•
Warp as few tracks or track regions as possible (i.e., reduce the number of total number of voices of the polyphonic limit that use the Warp algorithm at a given time), especially instances where the warped regions start at the same time.
•
Avoid rapidly triggering samples that are warped.
•
If you have warped samples used in a drum program, consider using the
Flatten Pad
function to consolidate the affected pad’s layers into one audio sample (see
to learn about this). After you flatten the pad, its
sample/samples no longer need to be warped.
•
Use a Warp algorithm other than Elastique Pro, which is very CPU-intensive. See
to learn how to change this.
•
Using a higher buffer size (usually above
256
) can reduce the possibility of CPU issues. See
to learn how to do this.
75
Click the
gear icon
to enable or disable
Link Slices
and
Zero Snap
, to select an editing process (
Process Sample
), to set the
Slice Preview
behavior:
Link Slices
: When
Link Slices
is set to
On
, changing the start point of a slice (after you have created slices of a sample in Chop Mode) will also change the end point of the previous slice. Similarly, changing the end point of a slice will also change the start point of the next slice. When set to
Off
, you can create slices that are nonsequential, noncontiguous, or overlapping. This is the same as clicking the
Link Slices
button in the
Q-
Links
panel in Sample Edit Mode.
Process Sample
: Select an editing process to apply to the sample. These are the same processes available in Sample Edit Mode while in Program
to learn more).
Slice Preview
: This determines if/how audio is played as you move a slice marker. As you move the slice marker through a sample waveform, you can set it to play the small part of the sample before the slice marker
(
Before
), play the small part of the sample after the slice marker (
After
), or not play at all (
Off
). You can also configure this setting in the Preferences
(see
Zero Snap
: Enable Zero Snap to force start points, end points, and loop points to occur only at the waveform’s “zero-crossings.” This can help to avoid clicks and glitches when playing a sample. This is the same as clicking the
Zero Snap
button in the
Q-Links
panel in Sample Edit Mode.
The large waveform display shows the “active” section of the sample waveform.
The strip above the large display shows an overview of the entire sample waveform. If the waveform display is showing only part of the entire sample waveform, a white box in the overview will indicate the current position.
The timeline provides a reference for the length of the sample. Click the
down arrow
(
) or right-click anywhere on the timeline to select the increments it will use:
Time
(
secs
:
ms
),
Samples
, or
Beats
.
Scroll left or right on the waveform to move through it. Use the sliders in the lower-right corner or click the timeline and drag down or up to zoom in or out.
The green marker and red marker are the start point and end point (respectively).
These two points define the region of the sample that will be played.
76
List Editor
In the List Editor, you can perform the same operations as in the Grid Editor but with a different interface/workflow.
The sequence for the track will be shown as a list of events, with the following parameters:
#
: This is number of the note event.
Time
: This is the position of the note event in bars, beats, and ticks. Hover the mouse over the value to see its equivalent in pulses. If multiple note events occur at the same time, additional note events will be listed immediately below, but their
Time
values will be grayed out.
Event Type
: This icon indicates the type of event (e.g.,
Note
,
Aftertouch
,
Track Automation
, etc.). See the description of the
View
menu below for a list of types of events to learn how to show only specific ones.
Pad/Note
: This is the pad and/or corresponding MIDI note number. For drum programs, you will see the pad number. For keygroup programs, plugin programs, and midi programs, you will see the note.
Length
: This is the length of the note event in ticks. Click and drag the field to adjust it.
Velocity
: This is the velocity of the note event with a velocity bar of corresponding color and length below it.
Click and drag the field to adjust it.
Mod Type
: This is the type of modifier used on the note event via automation.
Value
: This is the value of the modifier automation. Click and drag the field to adjust it.
To edit the parameters of an event
, double-click it. In the window that appears, use the fields and menus to edit the event. Click
OK
to confirm your edits or
Cancel
to close with window without changing anything.
To show or hide specific parameter columns
, right-click one of the parameter names, and select the parameter column to show or hide. You can also choose to
Auto-size this column
or
Auto-size all columns
to fit the contents.
The
red arrow
(
) on the left side of the list represents the playhead’s current position. If your sequence is playing, the arrow will move accordingly.
77
Click the
View
menu in the lower-right corner of the List Editor to select which types of events are shown in the list.
All
: Select this option to show all event types.
Notes
: Select this option to show only notes.
Aftertouch
: Select this option to show only aftertouch messages.
Track Automation
: Select this option to show only track automation events.
Program Automation
: Select this option to show only program automation events.
Pitch Bend
: Select this option to show only pitch bend events.
Control Change
: Select this option to show only MIDI CC messages.
Program Change
: Select this option to show only MIDI program change.
Ch Pressure
: Select this option to show only channel pressure messages.
Solo
/
Mute
: Select this option to show only solo and mute events for tracks, programs, and pads.
Other
: Select this option to show other types of events not listed above, such as pad or keygroup parameters.
The following icons indicate the corresponding types of events:
Note
Track Mixer Automation (
Volume
,
Pan
,
Mute
,
Solo
)
Track MIDI CC Automation (
0
–
127
)
Track Parameter Automation (
Aftertouch
,
Pitchbend
,
Channel Pressure
, or
Program Change
)
Program Mixer Automation (
Volume
,
Pan
,
Mute
,
Solo
, or
Send 1
–
4
)
Program Parameter Automation (options vary based on the type of program)
Program Insert Effect Automation (options vary based on the effect)
Pad/Keygroup Mixer Automation (
Level
,
Pan
,
Pad Mute
,
Pad Solo
, or
Send 1
–
4
)
Pad/Keygroup Parameter Automation (options vary based on the type of program)
Pad/Keygroup Insert Effect Automation (options vary based on the effect)
78
To insert a step in the list
, click the
+ icon
in the lower-right corner, and select one of the options:
Note
: Select this option to create a note in the list. The note will be at the earliest possible location
not
occupied by another note played by that pad. (This location takes the Time Correct settings into account.)
Track
: Select this option to create a track automation event. You can select: a track mixer parameter:
Mixer
>
Volume
,
Pan
,
Mute
or
Solo
a MIDI CC:
0
–
127
a track-specific parameter:
Aftertouch
,
Pitchbend
,
Channel Pressure
, or
Program Change
Program
: Select this option to create a program automation event. Tracks using MIDI programs do not have this option. You can select: a program mixer parameter:
Mixer
>
Volume
,
Pan
,
Mute
,
Solo
, or
Send 1
–
4
a program insert effect parameter (options vary based on the effect)
Pad
/
Keygroup
: Select this option to create a pad or keygroup automation event. You can select: a pad or keygroup mixer parameter (
Mixer
>
Level
,
Pan
,
Pad Mute
,
Pad Solo
, or
Send 1
–
4
) a pad, keygroup, or clip program parameter (options vary based on the type of program) a pad, keygroup, or clip insert effect parameter (options vary based on the effect)
To duplicate the currently selected step in the list
, click the
two-pages-and-+ icon
in the lower-right corner.
79
Track View
In Track View Mode, the Channel Mixer, and Track Mute Mode, the upper half of the window will show the Track View, an overview of MIDI tracks, audio tracks, and programs as horizontal strips. Each horizontal strip represents a track in the current sequence. MIDI tracks are listed first, audio tracks are listed second, and programs are listed third.
These buttons are available in the upper-right corner:
Click the
left-arrow icon
to undo your last action.
Click the
right-arrow icon
to redo the last action you undid.
Click
menu icon
(
≡
) in the upper-right corner, and select or deselect
Show
Unused Tracks
,
Show Programs
,
Show Audio Tracks
, and
Show Midi
Tracks
. Only selected items will be shown in the Track View.
To move through the list of tracks and programs
, scroll up or down.
To expand or collapse each group of tracks or programs
, click the
>
or
∨
above the first track of each type.
All
MIDI tracks
in the sequence are grouped together.
Click a MIDI track strip to select it.
Click the
menu
below the track name (above the
M
and
S
buttons) to select what program the track uses.
Click the
M
or
S
button to mute or solo the track (respectively).
All
audio tracks
in the sequence are grouped together.
Click an audio track strip to select it.
Click the
M
or
S
button to mute or solo the track (respectively).
Click the
Arm
button to record-enable the track. When you begin audio recording, the audio signal will be recorded to this track. You can select multiple tracks by pressing and holding
Ctrl
(Windows) or
(macOS) while clicking the
Arm
button to each track.
Click the
Monitor
button to set how your audio track will be monitored. Clicking it will cycle through its three states:
When set to
Auto
, you will hear incoming audio while the track is record-enabled only.
When
on
, you will hear incoming audio whether or not the track is record-enabled.
When
off
, you will never hear any incoming audio.
All
programs
in the sequence are grouped together.
Click a program strip to select it.
Click the
M
or
S
button to mute or solo the program (respectively).
80
Above the tracks and programs are buttons and a menu that let you draw or edit track regions or automation.
Click the
automation icon
in the upper-left corner of the tracks to show or hide automation. When automation is hidden, you can edit the track regions.
When the automation icon is off (
gray
), you can edit your tracks using the tools at the top of the Track View.
Click one to select its mode:
Marquee
: Marquee Mode:
To select a track region
, click the upper third of it. You may need to click it twice if the track itself is not already selected.
To select or deselect multiple track regions
, press and hold
Shift
and click the upper third of each one. You can select multiple regions within the same track or across different tracks, though you may need to click it twice if the track itself is not already selected.
To move a track region
(or multiple selected track regions), click the upper third of a track region and drag it to the desired location. Press and hold
Shift
while dragging it to move it without restricting
(“snapping”) it to the quantization grid. You can move multiple regions within the same tracks or between different tracks, though you cannot move a MIDI track region onto an audio track or vice versa.
To split a track region at two specific points
(creating track regions on either side and between them), click and drag across the middle third of it to create a translucent white box, and then click the upper third of that box. You can do this to multiple track regions as well.
To shorten or lengthen a track region
(or multiple selected track regions), click and drag the lower third of its left or right edge. Press and hold
Shift
while dragging it to adjust the length without restricting (“snapping”) it to the quantization grid.
Arrow
: Selection Mode:
To select a track region
, click anywhere in the upper two thirds of it. You may need to click it twice if the track itself is not already selected.
To select or deselect multiple track regions
, press and hold
Shift
and click anywhere in the upper two thirds of each one. You can select multiple regions within the same track or across different tracks, though you may need to click it twice if the track itself is not already selected.
To move a track region
(or multiple selected track regions), click the upper third of a track region and drag it to the desired location. Press and hold
Shift
while dragging it to move it without restricting
(“snapping”) it to the quantization grid. You can move multiple regions within the same tracks or between different tracks, though you cannot move a MIDI track region onto an audio track or vice versa.
To shorten or lengthen a track region
(or multiple selected track regions), click and drag the lower third of its left or right edge. Press and hold
Shift
while dragging it to adjust the length without restricting (“snapping”) it to the quantization grid.
Eraser
: Erase Mode:
To select multiple track regions
, click and drag from an empty location on a track to create a translucent white box. Click an empty location on the grid to deselect them.
To erase a track region
(or multiple selected track regions), click it. You may need to click it twice if the track itself is not already selected.
81
Scissors
: Split Mode:
To select a track region
, click its left edge.
To select multiple track regions
, click and drag from an empty location on a track to create a translucent white box. Click an empty location on the grid to deselect them.
To split the track at a specific point
(creating a track region on either side), click that point in the track. You may need to click it twice if the track itself is not already selected.
Mute
: Mute Mode:
To select multiple track regions
, click and drag from an empty location on a track to create a translucent white box. Click an empty location on the grid to deselect them.
To mute or unmute a track region
(or multiple selected track regions), click it.
When the automation icon is on (
white
), you can select an automation curve to show and edit.
Click the
menu
in the upper-left of the tracks to show the automation curve of a parameter. You can then use the
pencil
or
marquee tool
to create and edit automation curve for this parameter in each track strip or program strip.
chapter to learn more about automating parameters for MIDI tracks, audio
tracks, programs, and pads.
Important
: An automation curve consists of several
points
placed according to current time division—aligned with the quantization grid). You can create or move points without restricting them to the time division by pressing and holding
Shift
.
Click one to select its mode:
Pencil
: Draw Mode:
To create a point
, click the desired location in the track strip or program strip.
To select a point
, click it.
To move a point
, click and drag it to another location in the track strip or program strip.
To erase a point
, double-click it.
Marquee
: Marquee Mode:
To select a point
, click it.
To select points
, click and drag across the track strip or program strip to create a box around them.
To move a point
, click and drag it to another location in the track strip or program strip. Press and hold
Shift
while doing this to move it without restricting (“snapping”) it to the quantization grid.
To move multiple points
, select them as described above, and then click and drag them to another location in the track strip or program strip. Press and hold
Shift
while doing this to move them without restricting (“snapping”) them to the quantization grid.
MIDI track, audio track, and program strips appear slightly differently while displaying their automation curves:
MIDI track:
Audio track:
Program:
82
Mixer Window
If you want to see channel strips for both the Pad Mixer and the Channel Mixer at the same time, you can open the
Mixer Window, which provides an overview of the channel strips in both modes in one screen.
To open or close the mixer window
, do one of the following:
•
Click the
menu icon
(
≡
), and go to
View
and click
Show Mixer Window
.
•
Click the
two-sliders icon
in the lower-left corner of the window.
The upper half of this window shows the Pad Mixer channel strips (see
The lower half of the window shows the Channel Mixer channel strips (see
All selectors and channel strips work as they normally do in their respective modes.
Tip
: This window can be very helpful when using a dual-monitor computer setup.
Use the three icons at the top of the window to select which channel strips are shown:
Click the
pad-and-slider icon
to show just the Pad Mixer channel strips.
Click the
two-sliders icon
to show just the Channel Mixer channel strips.
Click the
pad-and-three-sliders icon
to show both Pad Mixer and Channel Mixer channel strips.
83
Panels
In several modes, the lower half of the window shows several different panels.
To show or hide each panel
, click its selector.
To show or hide the entire bottom panel
, click the
twopanels icon
in the lower-left corner of the window.
This chapter describes the available panels.
Note
: Similar to these panels, the lower half of the window of the Pad Mixer and Channel Mixer shows several different channel strips, which you can show or hide by clicking the
MIDI Keyboard
The
MIDI keyboard
feature is a graphical representation of a piano keyboard at the bottom of the window.
To show or hide the MIDI keyboard
, do one of the following:
•
Click the
menu icon
(
≡
), and go to
View
and click
Show MIDI Keyboard
.
•
Click the
two-panels icon
in the lower-left corner of the window.
Whenever a note is played (by pressing a pad, playing the current sequence, etc.), the corresponding keys on the
MIDI keyboard will be lit, appearing to be “played.” These keys will correspond to the notes played in the current track only.
Similarly, you can click keys on the MIDI keyboard to trigger those notes on the current track. This can be useful for auditioning the sound of the track’s program in different octaves.
Click the left-arrow or right-arrow button on either side of the MIDI keyboard to shift the range of the keys displayed in the window.
If the
MIDI Keys
feature is enabled, the corresponding computer keyboard character will be shown above each key, though you can still use MIDI keys even if it is hidden. Furthermore, you can use the MIDI keyboard even if MIDI Keys is
84
Q-Links
The
Q-Links
panel shows the 16 Q-Link knobs with their assigned parameters listed below.
Click the
Q-Link Mode
menu to select the current edit mode of the Q-Link knobs:
Project
: In this edit mode, the Q-Link knobs can control 16 parameters
within the current project overall. See the following
learn how to use this mode.
Program
: In this edit mode, the Q-Link knobs can control 16 program or audio track parameters. See the following
how to use this mode.
Pad Scene
(for drum programs only): In this edit mode, the Q-Link knobs can control 16 parameters for the currently selected pad. See
section to learn how to use this mode.
Pad Parameters
: In this edit mode, the 16 Q-Link knobs correspond to the 16 pads, each one controlling the same parameter for each pad.
This is useful if you need to adjust the same parameter on multiple pads at once rather than having to select and edit each pad individually. See
section to learn how to use this mode.
Screen
: In this edit mode, the Q-Link knobs will control a default parameter or group of parameters in your currently selected mode
(e.g., Main Mode, Sample Edit Mode, etc.).
Note
: When using MPC hardware with four Q-Link knobs (e.g., MPC Live,
MPC Touch, etc.), a gold rectangle in this panel indicates the four knobs that can be controlled by that bank of four Q-Link knobs.
While in any Q-Link Mode other than Screen Mode, click the
Learn
button to turn Learn Mode on or off. When
on
, adjusting a control in the MPC software window will immediately assign it to the currently selected Q-Link knob.
To assign a function to a Q-Link knob in Learn Mode
:
1.
Click
Learn
so the button is lit. (This will stop playback. Resuming playback will exit Learn Mode.)
2.
Click the desired
Q-Link knob
.
3.
Click the control in the software that you want to assign to the Q-Link knob. The Q-Link knob will be able to control that parameter immediately.
To assign functions to other Q-Link knobs
, repeat Steps 2–3.
To clear an assignment from a Q-Link knob
To exit Learn Mode
, click
Learn
(or resume playback).
85
Q-Link Setup
To show or hide the Q-Link Setup subpanel
, click the
i
icon in the upper-right corner of the
Q-Links panel
.
The top of this subpanel shows the currently selected
Q-Link knob number.
The
Source
menu indicates where the parameter assigned to that Q-Link knob is. The available sources depend on the Q-Link Mode as described in the following sections.
The
Q-Link Parameter
menu indicates the parameter that the currently selected Q-Link knob controls.
Click the
Momentary
box to turn momentary behavior on or off.
When
on
, moving the Q-Link knob will adjust its parameter, but the parameter will immediately return to its original position (when you turned
Momentary on) when you release the Q-Link knob.
When
off
, moving the Q-Link knob will adjust its parameter, and the parameter will remain at its new setting when you release the Q-Link knob.
Project
In the
Project
Q-Link Edit Mode, the Q-Link knobs control 16 parameters within the current project.
These are the available sources for each Q-Link knob:
MIDI Track
: MIDI track parameters—select one of the MIDI tracks in your project.
Audio Track
: audio track parameters—select one of the audio tracks in your project.
Program
: program parameters—select one of the programs in your project. For drum programs and clip programs, you can select either the entire program or a specific pad within it.
Return
: return mixer parameters (
Returns 1
–
4
).
Submix
: submixer parameters (
Submixes 1
–
8
).
Master
: master mixer parameters (
Outputs 1
/
2
–
31
/
32
).
These are the available parameters for each Q-Link knob:
Mixer
: mixer parameters (options vary based on the
Source
)
Program
: program parameters (options vary based on the type of program; available only if the
Source
is a drum program, MIDI program, clip program, or CV program)
Insert 1
–
4
: insert effect parameters (options vary based on the effect; available only if the
Source
has an insert effect loaded)
86
Program
In the
Program
Q-Link Edit Mode, the Q-Link knobs control 16 parameters within the currently selected program or audio track.
These are the available sources for each Q-Link knob:
Program
or
Audio Track
: program or audio track parameters—select the program or audio track. For drum programs and clip programs, you can select either the entire program or a specific pad within it.
These are the available parameters for each Q-Link knob:
Mixer
: program mixer parameters (options vary based on the
Source
)
Program
: program parameters (options vary based on the type of program; available only if the
Source
is a drum program, MIDI program, clip program, or CV program, not an audio track)
Insert 1
–
4
: insert effect parameters (options vary based on the effect; available only if the
Source
has an insert effect loaded)
Pad Scene
In the
Pad Scene
Q-Link Edit Mode, the Q-Link knobs control your favorite 16 parameters for the currently selected pad. You can select another pad simply by pressing it, allowing you to adjust the same 16 parameters for that new pad. (These 16 parameter assignments are automatically saved with other user settings. Any project you load will use these assignments.)
This option works for drum programs only.
The only available sources for each Q-Link knob are pads within a drum program.
To select a pad
, press it.
These are the available parameters for each Q-Link knob:
Mixer
: pad mixer parameters (
Level
,
Pan
,
Pad Mute
,
Pad Solo
, or
Send 1
–
4
)
Program
: pad parameters (i.e., parameters used in Program Edit Mode)
Pad Parameters
In the
Pad Parameters
Q-Link Edit Mode, the Q-Link knobs control the same pad parameter for each of the 16 pads in the current pad bank.
For example, if the
Parameter
is set to
Level
, the 16 Q-Link knobs will adjust the 16 independent
Level
settings for each pad in the current pad bank. You could then set the
Parameter
to
Pan
and use the Q-Link knobs to adjust the panning of all 16 pads.
This option works for drum programs only.
The only available sources for each Q-Link knob are pads within a drum program.
To select a pad
, press it.
These are the available parameters for each Q-Link knob:
Mixer
: pad mixer parameters (
Level
,
Pan
,
Pad Mute
,
Pad Solo
, or
Send 1
–
4
)
Program
: pad parameters (i.e., parameters used in Program Edit Mode)
Screen
In the
Screen
Q-Link Edit Mode, the Q-Link knobs will control a default parameter or group of parameters in your currently selected mode (e.g., Main Mode, Sample Edit Mode, etc.).
87
Pads
The
Pads
panel shows the 16 pads with their assigned samples. All pads will display their assigned colors.
Click a
Pad Bank
letter at the top of this panel to select a pad bank.
Each pad will display different contents, depending on the current mode.
See the description of this panel in the chapter for each mode.
Each pad can also display a color, which you can customize for each
to learn how to do this.
Program Editor
The
Program Editor
panel contains the parameters for Program Edit Mode, which vary depending on the type of program. Learn about the specific parameters for each program type in
.
88
Parameters
The
Parameters
panel shows the available parameters and editing processes in Sample Edit Mode.
See the
chapter to learn more about this panel and its different features in
.
Project
The
Project
panel is a list of all available programs, sequences, and samples in the project.
To duplicate a program in the project
, right-click it and click
Duplicate
. An identical program will be created immediately. The duplicate program will use the same name but appended with a number
(e.g.,
Program 002
).
To duplicate a program in the project and use it on a new track
, right-click it and click
Duplicate to New Track
. An identical program and new track that uses it will be created immediately. The duplicate program will use the same name but appended with a number (e.g.,
Program 002
). The new track will be named
Track
and appended with a number (e.g.,
Track 06
).
To copy pads
(and their parameters)
from one program into another
, right-click the program and click
Merge
.
This essentially consolidates two programs into one. See
for more information.
To delete samples from the project
, click the
trash can icon
. In the screen that appears, select
Purge Unused
Samples
to delete all unused samples from the project (from all programs, sequences, and audio or MIDI tracks), or select
Delete All Samples
to delete all samples from the project.
To delete a program or sample
, right-click it and click
Delete
. Click
Delete
or
Delete Sample
to confirm your choice or
Cancel
to cancel the deletion.
To save a program or sample
, right-click it and click
Save
. Use the window that appears to enter a name for the program file (
.xpm
) or sample file (
.wav
) and select a location. Click
Save
to confirm your choice or
Cancel
to cancel saving.
To rename a program or sample
, right-click it and click
Rename
. Enter a name in the window that appears, and then click
OK
to confirm your choice or
Cancel
to cancel saving.
To view a sample in Sample Edit Mode
, right-click it and click
Edit
. Alternatively, double-click the sample. You will immediately enter Sample Edit Mode and show the sample’s waveform in the Wave Editor.
To add the sample as an audio track
, right-click it and click
Add to current audio track
. This will immediately create a new audio track named
Audio
and appended with a number (e.g.,
Audio 002
), and the sample will be loaded on it.
This panel is identical to the
Project Info Browser
(see
) but in a horizontal layout rather than vertical.
89
Sampler & Looper
The
Sampler
and
Looper
panels show similar controls for setting levels, monitoring, inputs, and effects of your incoming audio signal.
and
to learn more about each one.
Pad Banks & Mute
The
Pad Banks
and
Mute
panels let you select pads, assign pad or track groups, and adjust timing correct settings in Pad Mute Mode and Track Mute Mode.
to learn more about each one.
90
Sequence List
The
Sequence List
panel has different appearances in
Next Sequence Mode and Song Mode.
In Next Sequence Mode, it shows a list of all available sequences in your project as well as their length and
about this.
In Song Mode, it shows the list of steps in the song, including the number of repeats, the tempo of each
sequence, and the length of each step. See
to learn about this.
Performance Controls
The
Performance Controls
panel shows the available commands you can execute in Next Sequence Mode.
Song Parameters
The
Song Parameters
panel shows the available controls to create a song in Song Mode. This includes controls for inserting and deleting song steps, a sequence selector for the current step, and parameters that determine how long each step plays.
91
Preferences
The
Preferences
window contains many customizable elements of the software. Click the corresponding tab on the left to select it (e.g.,
MIDI
,
Sequencer
, etc.). Click the
OK
button to close the
Preferences
window. Changes to the
Preferences are saved automatically except for
Vintage Mode
(in the
General
tab) and
Start Time
(in the
Sync
tab).
To open the Preferences
:
Windows
: Click the
menu icon
(
≡
), select
Edit
, and click
Preferences
.
macOS
: Click the
MPC
menu, and click
Preferences
.
Audio
Audio Device Type
and
Device
or
Output
&
Input:
Click these drop-down menus to select an audio hardware driver in your computer system.
Test:
Click this button to play a test tone. This is for checking your audio output. Careful! You should lower the volume on your audio system beforehand.
Sample Rate:
Click this to drop-down menu to select the desired sample rate for your project. This depends on the available sample rates of the type of MPC hardware you are using or of your audio interface (i.e., select
96000 Hz
only if your interface allows a 96 kHz sample rate).
Audio Buffer Size:
Click this drop-down menu to set your audio system’s latency. Lower values result in a more immediate playing response but also more CPU consumption. If you are working with larger projects, this may cause audible clicks and pops. Higher values are more CPU-friendly but can produce more delay between pressing a pad and hearing the corresponding sound. The ideal audio buffer size also depends on your computer’s CPU performance. Experiment with this to find the best setting for your system.
Latency Adjust:
This indicates the amount of latency (delay) in your audio system.
MIDI
Active Midi Inputs
: These boxes represent the active installed MIDI inputs on your computer system.
Midi Mapping
: Click each drop-down menu to define the
Midi Out Port A
to
D
. Here, you can select the MIDI output your sequencer data is routed to.
Note
: When using the MPC software as a plugin, the only option you can select for your
Midi Out Port
is your host software (DAW).
Plugins
Here you can select up to four locations on your hard disk where the software will look for installed VST or AU plugins that you can use in the MPC software.
Click the
…
button to the right of the field to select a desired location. After selecting a new location, we recommend using the
Scan New
function. When you configure these
Plugin
tab settings for the first time, you should click
Rescan All
to perform a complete scan of all selected plugin locations.
chapter to learn about managing your plugins once they are scanned.
Sequencer
The settings on this screen determine how sequencing works in Grid Editor and in the Step Sequencer.
Display Resolution
: This is the display resolution (in
PPQN
—pulses per quarter note) of pulse values in certain areas of the operating system. Please note that this setting affects the display resolution, not the timing.
Instant Track Mute
: When disabled, if you mute a track, its Note On messages will be ignored, and samples and notes that are playing will finish playing their entire length (this is how legacy MPCs’ track-muting worked). This is useful if you are using loops and want a loop to play to the end of a bar but
not
play the next time the sequence loops. When enabled, if you mute a track, the MIDI track volume (
0
) will be sent. The loop will continue to play but at zero volume, allowing the loop to continue playing when the track is unmuted. This is useful when you want to have the track muted immediately.
92
Play Track Mute and Solo Events
: When enabled, track mute and solo events are played back when you are in
Track Mute Mode. When disabled, track mute and solo events will not be played back while in Track Mute Mode.
Record Track Mute and Solo Events
: When enabled, track mute and solo events are recorded when you are in
Track Mute Mode (timing correct settings will affect the recorded position events). When disabled, track mute and solo events will not be recorded while in Track Mute Mode. This feature is useful if you want to use Track
Mute Mode to record track mutes or solos into your sequences as opposed to using Track Mute Mode for performance or listening purposes only.
Record Pad Aftertouch Events
: When enabled, pad aftertouch data (from your MPC hardware’s pressuresensitive pads) will be recorded. When disabled, pad aftertouch data will be ignored.
Place Events Recorded During Count-In at Start Point
: When enabled, pressing a pad during the recording’s pre-count will record that note event at the start of the recording (this is how the MPC3000 worked). When disabled, no notes will be recorded until the pre-count is finished and recording has begun.
Note
: This setting is ignored when recording with the Arpeggiator active.
Truncate Duration
: This determines if/how events are cropped if they exceed the length of the current Sequence:
To Sequence Length
: If the length of an event exceeds the length of the sequence, it will be truncated. This ensures that the event will not overlap itself when the sequence loops.
To Sequence End
: If an event exceeds the length of the sequence, it will be truncated to the end of the current sequence. In other words, the event will stop playing when the sequence ends or loops.
As Played
: Events will play back exactly as they were recorded, even if they overlap themselves when the sequence loops.
Bar 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
For example, if you record a note starting on the second bar of a 4-bar loop and hold it for 5 bars, the note would end: at bar 7 (As Played), at bar 6 (To
Sequence Length), or bar 4 (To Sequence End). See image for details.
As played
To Sequence Length
To Sequence End
Q-Link Swing Applied On Release
: When this box is selected, moving the
Swing
parameter assigned to a
Q-
Link knob
will apply the timing correct settings (including the new
Swing
value) when you release the knob.
Sync
The settings on this screen determine how the MPC software synchronizes with connected USB and MIDI devices.
Receive
: This determines whether the MPC software receives MIDI Clock information (
MIDI Clock
), MIDI Time Code information (
MIDI Time Code
(
MTC
)), communication from
Ableton Link
, or no synchronization information (
Off
).
MTC Frame Rate
: This determines the frame rate used by MIDI Time Code (
MTC
), which is important for correct timing, especially when working on film scoring projects:
24
,
25
,
30 drop
, or
30 non-drop
. In most cases, you should select
25
.
Send
: This determines whether the MPC software sends MIDI Clock information (
MIDI Clock
), MIDI Time Code information (
MIDI Time Code
(
MTC
)), or neither (
Off
).
Start Time
: This is the starting time that will be sent when
Send MIDI
is set to anything other than
Off
. The time is formatted in
hours
:
minutes
:
seconds
:
frames
.
To
: These are the MIDI ports over which MIDI Clock or MTC information will be sent.
MIDI Machine Control
(
MMC
):
Receive
: When enabled, the MPC software will be able to receive MIDI Machine Control (MMC) information.
When disabled, the MPC software will not receive this information.
Send
: When enabled, the MPC software will be able to send MIDI Machine Control (MMC) information. When disabled, the MPC software will not send this information.
93
Hardware
The settings on this screen determine the behavior of your MPC hardware’s pads as well as connected footswitches.
Pad Threshold
: This determines how much force is required to strike the pads for them to trigger.
Pad Sensitivity
: This determines how the pads respond to touch. At lower values, you need to use more force to generate a high-velocity note. At higher values, it is easier to generate high-velocity notes, even if you do not use much force while pressing a pad.
Pad Curve
: This determines how striking the pads translates into velocity values. The
A
curve is essentially linear, while the
B
,
C
, and
D
curves are exponential.
MIDI
Velocity
Pad Response
(
Velocity
&
Aftertouch
): View these meters when striking and pressing the pads to help gauge the force and pressure you are applying to them. These meters are useful when adjusting the Pad Threshold and Pad Sensitivity parameters (above).
Footswitch 1
&
Footswitch 2
: These determine how footswitches connected to your
MPC hardware will work. You can select either transport commands (e.g., Play or Stop) or trigger commands for pads and other buttons.
Applied
Force
Display
: This determines how the display functions for a connected MPC Touch.
Screen Dimming
: This determines how much time must pass before your MPC hardware automatically dims its touchscreen (if it uses a battery, this can help preserve battery life).
VU Meter Source
(only when using MPC X in Controller Mode): This determines what audio signal level is shown in the level meters (on the right side of the screen). When set to
Master
, the level meters show the audio signal sent out of
Outputs 1
/
2
(the
Main L
/
R outputs
on the rear panel). When set to
Current Program
, the level meters show the audio signal of the currently selected program (i.e., the program used by the currently selected track and any other tracks that also use it).
Show Hardware Info
: Click this button to open a window with information about your connected MPC hardware
(firmware version, driver version, etc.).
Project Defaults
The settings on this screen determine various default values for any new project that you create.
Default Tempo
: This is the default tempo in BPM.
Default Master Tempo
: When set to
On
, the default tempo value will be used for the master tempo. When set to
Off
, the default tempo will be used for sequences.
Default Sequence Bars
: This determines the default number of bars of a new sequence.
Default Time Signature
(Numerator/Denominator): This determines the default time signature of a new sequence.
The numerator is the number of beats per bar, while the denominator is the value of each beat.
Default Pad Slice
: This determines how new samples will play when you load them or record them into a project. When set to
Pad
, the
Slice
menu in Program Edit Mode will be set to
Pad
, which lets you set the start point, end point, etc. for the layer. When set to
All
, the
Slice
menu in Program Edit Mode will be set to
All
, in which the entire sample plays.
Default Drum
/
Keygroup Filter
: This determines the default type of filter that drum and keygroup programs will use.
Default Plugin Synth
: This determines the default instrument plugin that a new plugin program will use. Use the window that appears to select it. See
to learn about this.
94
Project Load
/
Save
The settings on this screen determine if (and how) projects are automatically saved.
Auto Load File
: Click the
…
button to select a project (
.xpj
) or program (
.xpm
) on your hard disk to load automatically anytime the software opens.
Tip
: To “bypass” or ignore the auto load file, press and hold
Shift
while opening the MPC software. This will open an empty project instead of your selected Auto Load file.
Enabled
: When enabled, the MPC software will automatically save your current project after each
Timeout
interval.
When disabled, the MPC software will not automatically save your project; you must save your project manually.
Timeout
: Use this field to select how often your project will automatically save.
Template File
: Click the
…
button to select a project to load when you create a new project from a template. To do this, click the
menu icon
(
≡
) in the upper-left corner of the window, select
File
, and then click
New From Template
.
Record/Export
The settings on this screen determine the parameters for recording and exporting.
Recording Bit Depth:
This determines bit depth of the audio recorded from a sample.
Include Program Volume
/
Pan Settings
: When enabled, the exported audio or MIDI file will include its volume and pan settings. When disabled, the volume and pan settings will be set to
0 dB
and center (
C
), respectively.
Bypass Program Effects Plugins
: When enabled, the exported audio or MIDI file will include any third-party effect plugins that are used with it, but those effects will be bypassed (deactivated). When disabled, those effects will be activated.
Audio Tail Length
: This determines the length of an audio tail (silence) that will be applied to the exported audio file. When set to
0
, the audio file will not have any additional audio tail.
Audio Export
: This determines what part of the sequence is exported when you click the
Export Audio
icon.
Track
: When this is selected,
Export Audio
will export the currently shown track in the current sequence.
Program
: When this is selected,
Export Audio
will export all tracks in that sequence that use the currently shown program.
Master
: When this is selected,
Export Audio
will export all tracks in that sequence that use programs routed to master outputs.
MIDI Export
: This determines what part of the sequence is exported when you click the
Export MIDI
icon.
Track
: When this is selected,
Export MIDI
will export the currently shown track in the current sequence.
Sequence
: When this is selected,
Export MIDI
will export all tracks in the current sequence.
Bounce Bit Depth
: This determines bit depth of the audio file that is exported when you click the
Export Audio
icon:
16
-bit or
24
-bit.
General
The settings on this screen determine how other features work in the hardware and operating system.
Tap Tempo
: This determines how many times you have to press the
Tap Tempo
button before the new tempo is recognized.
Flash Tap Tempo Light
: When enabled, the
Tap Tempo
button’s light will flash in time with the tempo. When disabled, the
Tap Tempo
button’s light will be off.
Filter
‘
All Notes Off
’
CC
: When enabled, “All Notes Off” (“MIDI panic”) messages will be ignored. This is useful if you are using an external MIDI device that can send these types of messages but you want to filter them out.
When disabled, “All Notes Off” messages will be received normally.
Program Change
: This determines what an incoming MIDI program change message will change: a
Program
,
Sequence
, or
Track
.
Vintage Mode
: This determines the type of emulation applied to the audio output. You can apply the particular sonic qualities of, for example, the
MPC3000
or
MPC60
, or of course no emulation (
None
).
95
Audition Auto Play
: This determines how long a sample will sound when auto-previewing it.
Audition Outputs
: This determines which pair of outputs will play any auditioned sounds:
Out 1,2
–
31,32
. These sounds include: samples, programs, and projects in the Browser; sample playback,
Cue Preview
, and
Slice
Preview
in Sample Edit Mode; and sample playback in the
Keep or Discard Sample
window in the Sampler.
Cue Preview
: This determines if/how audio is played as you move the cue playhead. As you move the cue playhead through a sample waveform, you can set it to play the small part of the sample before the cue playhead
(
Before
), play the small part of the sample after the cue playhead (
After
), or not play at all (
Off
).
Slice Preview
: This determines if/how audio is played as you move a slice marker. As you move the slice marker through a sample waveform, you can set it to play the small part of the sample before the slice marker (
Before
), play the small part of the sample after the slice marker (
After
), or not play at all (
Off
). You can also configure this setting in the Wave Editor (see
Audio Warp Algorithm
: This determines how a sample is “warped” when you adjust the length of a sample without changing its pitch (e.g., the
Warp
function in Audio Edit Mode for audio tracks or in Program Edit Mode for clip programs).
Note
: The Warp algorithms are very CPU-intensive and can result in audio drop-outs during playback if used too freely. Be mindful of how (and how often) you use the warp function. You can reduce the CPU resources required by using a Warp algorithm other than Elastique Pro, which is very CPU-intensive.
Audio Tracks Auto Warp
: This determines how recorded audio track regions are warped. When set to
On
, any audio track region that you record will be warped automatically to match the current sequence tempo. You can then adjust the sequence tempo while the audio track region remains in time.
Note
: When you record an audio file, the current sequence tempo will be embedded with it. This information is stored within the sample file when you save the project. When you warp an audio track region, the warping algorithm uses this sequence tempo and the current value in the
BPM
field to generate the “stretch factor.”
BPM Detection Range
: This defines the range of detectable BPM values when you use any automatic BPM detection function in the software or when you press the
Tap Tempo
button to enter a new tempo.
Bank Button Press
: This determines how the
Pad Bank
buttons work.
Select A-D
: Pressing a
Pad Bank
button once will select the corresponding bank from Pad Banks A–D.
Pressing and holding
Shift
while pressing a
Pad Bank
button will select the corresponding bank from Pad
Banks E–H.
Select
/
toggle bank
: Pressing a
Pad Bank
button will alternate between the corresponding bank from Pad
Bank A–D and Pad Bank E–H. In other words, you do not need to hold Shift to select one of Pad Banks E–H.
Allow Multiple Plugin Windows
: This determines whether multiple plugin windows can be displayed at the same time (a feature added to MPC 2.1) or only one plugin window can be displayed at a time (how plugin windows worked prior to MPC 2.1).
Desktop Screensaver Disable
: This determines if/when your computer’s screensaver is disabled while using the MPC software (using your MPC hardware in Controller Mode):
Never
: Your computer’s screensaver will function normally.
When hardware used
: As long as your MPC hardware is connected to your computer and being used, your computer’s screensaver will be disabled.
When hardware attached
: As long as your MPC hardware is connected to your computer and powered on, your computer’s screensaver will be disabled. It will function normally again if you power off or disconnect your MPC hardware from your computer.
Always
: Your computer’s screensaver will be disabled as long as the MPC software is open (whether or not your MPC hardware is connected or powered on).
Q-Link Playhead Increment
: This determines whether turning
Q-Link Knob 2
(
Playhead
) in Main Mode will move the playhead location by 1/16th-note increments (
1
/
16 Note
) or according to the time division (
TC Division
).
Collect Usage Statistics
: This determines whether or not your usage statistics will be sent occasionally to us, enabling us to improve the MPC experience.
Threads
: This determines how many cores of your computer’s processor will be used to render audio. The available range depends on your processor.
96
Time Correct
The
Time Correct
window contains various settings to help quantize events in your sequence. You can quantize note events on MIDI tracks or track regions on audio tracks (though you cannot apply all types of quantization to audio tracks).
To open the Time Correct settings
, click the
menu icon
(
≡
), select
Edit
, and click
Time Correct
.
To apply the settings you selected
, click
Do It
.
To cancel and return to the previous screen
, click
Close
.
Use the
Type
selector to set how timing corrections are applied.
Start
: The entire note event or audio track region will be nudged forward or backward so the start point aligns with the closest time division marker in the grid. You can apply this to MIDI tracks or audio tracks.
End
: The end points of note events will be extended or shortened to align with the closest time division marker in the grid. The start points will remain untouched. You can apply this to MIDI tracks only.
Length
: The end points of note events will be extended or shortened so that each event’s length is a multiple of the time division, regardless of where it is in the grid. The start points will remain untouched. You can apply this to MIDI tracks only.
Legato
: The end points of note events will be extended or shortened to create a long, unbroken phrase from the first note event’s start point to the last note event’s end point. Each note event will sustain until another note event starts. If multiple note events start at the same time (and are not the last note events), their lengths will become identical. Selecting
Legato
disables all other options in this window. You can apply this to MIDI tracks only.
Without legato applied. With legato applied.
Use the
Time Division
selector to set the quantization value. Events will “snap” to these time divisions on the grid.
The
T
indicates a triplet-based value.
Alternatively, click the
TC
field at the top of the window and select a time division.
Use the
Swing
field to set the amount of swing from
50%
to
75%
. Swing lets you “shuffle” your beats—from subtle to extreme.
Use the
Shift Timing
field to shift all events by clock ticks.
Use the
Window
field to set how many events around a quantize value will be quantized. Any events outside this range will not be quantized; events inside will.
97
Use the
Strength
field to set how strictly events will be quantized (i.e., shifted toward the quantize value). Lower values move events a little bit towards the closest quantize value, resulting in a less mechanical feel than a strict quantization (a higher value).
Use the
Events
selector to set the target range for the time correction. You can apply the time correction to
All
note events or to just the
Selected
ones. To select note events to which to apply time correction, either use the various tools in the
editors
, or press or click the
pad
with the desired events (while
Hitting Pad Selects All Events
is set to
On
). You must do this
before
opening the Time Correct window.
When
Range
is selected, you can define the locations (
From
and
To
) as well as the pads or keys that will be quantized. When applying time correction to an audio track region, you will not be able to specify pads or keys.
Metronome
The
Metronome
menu contains all settings regarding the metronome (click track).
To view the metronome settings
, click the
menu icon
(
≡
), select
Tools
, and click
Metronome
.
Use the
Count-In
submenu to set if/when the metronome counts before recording.
Off
disables the metronome pre-count.
Record
enables the pre-count during recording only.
Record + Play
enables pre-count in both Record and Playback Modes.
Use the
Enable
submenu to set if/when the metronome is enabled.
Off
disables the metronome.
Play
enables the metronome sound during playback only.
Record
enables the metronome sound during recording only.
Record + Play
enables the metronome to happen in both Record and Playback Modes.
Use the
Rate
submenu to select the metronome click’s time division:
1
/
4
,
1
/
4T
,
1
/
8
,
1
/
8T
,
1
/
16
,
1
/
16T
,
1
/
32
or
1
/
32T
.
T
indicates a triplet-based time division.
Use the
Sound
submenu to select the sound that you want to hear for the metronome:
Sidestick 1
,
Sidestick 2
,
Clap
,
Metroclick
,
Shake
,
Tambourine
, or
MPC Click
.
Use the
Output
menu to set where the metronome signal will be heard: a pair of master outputs (
Out 1,2
–
31,32
) or a single master output (
Out 1
–
32
).
Use the
Metro
meter at the top of the window to set the volume of your metronome click.
Click the
metronome icon
at the top of the window to enable or disable the metronome.
98
Editing Processes
You can use the processes described in this chapter to edit an
,
Audio Region
You can use any of these functions on the currently selected region of an audio track. These functions are available in the menu (
Edit
>
Audio Region
) only if the
Audio
tab is selected in the Inspector and if an audio region is selected in the
Grid Editor
. To learn about using many of these functions in Grid Editor, see
.
•
The
Duplicate
function copies and pastes the track region immediately after the original one.
To duplicate the track region
, select it, click the
menu icon
(
≡
), select
Edit
>
Audio Region
, and click
Duplicate
.
•
The
Mute
function silences the track region.
To mute the track region
, select it, click the
menu icon
(
≡
), select
Edit
>
Audio Region
, and click
Mute
.
•
The
Reverse
function reverses the track region.
To reverse the track region
, select it, click the
menu icon
(
≡
), select
Edit
>
Audio Region
, and click
Reverse
.
•
The
Warp
function lengthens or shortens the track region without changing its pitch.
To warp the track region
, select it, click the
menu icon
(
≡
), select
Edit
>
Audio Region
, and click
Warp
.
Use the
BPM
field above the Grid Editor to change the tempo, which will change the length of the track region accordingly.
Use the
Semi
and
Fine
fields above the Grid Editor to change the pitch (this is useful for matching the durations of two samples with different pitches).
Note
: The Warp algorithms are very CPU-intensive and can result in audio drop-outs during playback if used too freely. Be mindful of how (and how often) you use the warp function.
You can also do the following while editing an audio track:
•
The
Clear Regions
function erases all
regions
from the audio track without erasing the track itself.
To clear all track regions
, click the
menu icon
(
≡
), select
Edit
>
Track
, and click
Clear Regions
. Click
OK
to continue or
Cancel
to return to the previous screen. Alternatively, right-click the
Track
field in the
Inspector and click
Clear Regions
.
•
The
Reset Channel Strip
function: o clears all
Insert
effect slots; o turns
Mute
,
Solo
, automation, and
Monitor
off; o resets the
pan knob
to the center; o resets the
level slider
to
0.00 dB
; and o turns the
Record Arm
(
) button off.
It does not change the track’s inputs or outputs.
To reset the channel strip
, right-click the
Track
field in the Inspector and click
Reset Channel Strip
. Click
Reset
to continue or
Cancel
to return to the previous screen.
99
•
The
Copy Audio Track
function copies the contents of one track to another.
To copy the audio track
, click the
menu icon
(
≡
), select
Edit
>
Sequence
, and click
Copy Audio Track
.
Click the
Copy Contents of Track
field and select a track. This is the track whose events you want to copy.
Click the
Over Contents of Track
field and select a track. This is the track where the source track will be copied.
Click
OK
to continue or
Cancel
to return to the previous screen.
Sequence
You can use any of these functions on the currently selected sequence.
•
The
Clear
function erases
all
events from the sequence and resets
all
of its settings.
To clear the sequence
, click the
menu icon
(
≡
), select
Edit
>
Sequence
, and click
Clear
. Click
OK
to continue or
Cancel
to return to the previous screen. Alternatively, right-click the
Sequence
field in the
Inspector and click
Clear
. Click
OK
to continue or
Cancel
to return to the previous screen.
•
The
Half Length
function will
immediately
halve the length of the sequence (without deleting any note events).
To halve the sequence length
, click the
menu icon
(
≡
), select
Edit
>
Sequence
, and click
Half Length
.
Alternatively, right-click the
Sequence
field in the Inspector and click
Half length
.
•
The
Double Length
function will
immediately
double the sequence and copy all events from the first half to the second half.
To double the sequence length
, click the
menu icon
(
≡
), select
Edit
>
Sequence
, and click
Double
Length
. Alternatively, right-click the
Sequence
field in the Inspector and click
Double length
.
•
The
Insert Blank Bars
function adds empty bars to a sequence at a specified point.
To insert blank bars
, click the
menu icon
(
≡
), select
Edit
>
Sequence
, and click
Insert Blank Bars
.
Alternatively, right-click the
Sequence
field in the Inspector and click
Insert bars
.
Use the
Sequence
field to select the desired sequence.
Use the
# of Bars
field to set how many bars you will insert.
Use the two
Time Sig
fields to set the time signature of the inserted bars.
Use the
Before Bar
field to set where you will insert the bars. The bars will be inserted before this one.
Click
Do It
to continue or
Cancel
to return to the previous screen.
•
The
Delete Bars
function removes a range of bars from a sequence.
To delete bars
, click the
menu icon
(
≡
), select
Edit
>
Sequence
, and click
Delete Bars
. Alternatively, rightclick the
Sequence
field in the Inspector and click
Delete bars
.
Use the
Sequence
field to select the sequence whose bars you want to delete.
Use the
First Bar
and
Last Bar
fields to set the range of bars you want to delete. The bar in each field and all bars in between them will be deleted.
Click
Do It
to continue or
Cancel
to return to the previous screen.
100
•
The
Copy Bars
function copies a range of bars from a sequence and adds them to another at a specified point.
To copy bars
, click the
menu icon
(
≡
), select
Edit
>
Sequence
, and click
Copy Bars
. Alternatively, rightclick the
Sequence
field in the Inspector and click
Copy bars
.
Use the
Copy From
>
Sequence
field to select the “source” sequence. This is the sequence whose bars you want to copy.
Use the
First Bar
and
Last Bar
fields to set the range of bars to copy in the source sequence.
Use the
Paste To
>
Sequence
field to select the “destination” sequence. This is the sequence where the source sequence bars will be copied.
Use the
After Bar
field to set where you want to add the copied bars. The copied bars will be inserted after this one.
Use the
Copies
field to set how many instances of the copied bars you want to add.
Click
Replace
to overwrite the destination sequence.
Click
Merge
to add the events to the destination sequence without erasing anything.
Click
Cancel
to return to the previous screen.
•
The
Copy Events
function copies a range of events or selected audio track regions from a sequence and adds them to another at a specified point.
To copy events
, click the
menu icon
(
≡
), select
Edit
>
Sequence
, and click
Copy Events
. Alternatively, right-click the
Sequence
field in the Inspector and click
Copy events
.
Use the
Copy From
>
Sequence
field to select the “source” sequence. This is the sequence whose events you want to copy.
Use the
Copy From
>
Track
field to select the “source” track. This is the track whose events you want to copy.
Use the
Copy From
>
Time
fields to set the time range (in bars, beats, and ticks) of the events you want to copy. The
Time
fields set the start of the time range, and the
To
fields set the end of the time range.
Click the
Copy All Events
/
Copy Only Selected Events
menu to select either option. Select
Copy All
Events
to copy and paste all events in the track. Select
Copy Only Selected Events
to copy and paste only the events that are currently selected.
Use the
Paste To
>
Sequence
field to select the “destination” sequence. This is the sequence where the source sequence events will be copied.
Use the
Paste To
>
Track
field to select the “destination” track. This is the track where the source track events will be copied.
Use the
Paste To
>
Time
fields to set where (in bars, beats, and ticks) you want to add the copied events. The events will be added after this point.
Use the
Copies
field to set how many instances of the copied events you want to add.
Click
Replace
to overwrite the destination sequence.
Click
Merge
to add the events to the destination sequence without erasing anything.
Click
Cancel
to return to the previous screen.
•
The
Copy Sequence
function copies the contents of one sequence to another.
To copy a sequence
, click the
menu icon
(
≡
), select
Edit
>
Sequence
, and click
Copy Sequence
. Alternatively, right-click the
Sequence
field in the Inspector and click
Copy
.
Use the
Copy Contents of Sequence
field to select the “source” sequence. This is the sequence whose events you want to copy.
Use the
Over Contents of Sequence
field to select the “destination” sequence. This is the sequence where the source sequence will be copied.
Click
Do It
to continue or
Cancel
to return to the previous screen.
101
•
The
Copy Track
function copies the contents of one track to another.
To copy the track
, click the
menu icon
(
≡
), select
Edit
>
Sequence
, and click
Copy Track
.
Use the
Copy Contents of Track
field to select the “source” track. This is the track whose events you want to copy.
Use the
Over Contents of Track
field to select the “destination” track. This is the track where the source track will be copied.
Click
Do It
to continue or
Cancel
to return to the previous screen.
•
The
Transpose
function transposes a range of events on a track in a sequence. The events within that range will shift accordingly in the Grid Editor.
To transpose the track
, click the
menu icon
(
≡
), select
Edit
>
Sequence
, and click
Transpose
.
Use the
Sequence
field to select the sequence you want to transpose.
Use the
Track
field to select the track you want to transpose within the sequence.
Use the
Start
and
End
fields to set the time range (in bars, beats, and ticks) of the sequence you want to transpose. The
Start
fields set the start of the time range, and the
End
fields set the end of the time range.
For drum programs
, use the two
Pad
fields to select the “source” pad (whose events you want to move) and “destination” pad (where the events will be placed). Tap each field and then press the desired pad.
For keygroup programs
,
plugin programs
, and
MIDI programs
, set the range and amount of transposition:
Range
: Use the two
Note
fields to set the range of notes of the events you want to transpose. Note events within this range will be transposed, while note events outside of this range will remain unchanged.
Transpose
: Use this field to set how many semitones up or down you want to transpose the note events.
Click
Do It
to continue or
Cancel
to return to the previous screen.
•
The
Erase
function erases all or part of a track in a specific sequence.
To erase events in the track
, click the
menu icon
(
≡
), select
Edit
>
Sequence
, and click
Erase
. Alternatively, right-click the
Sequence
field in the Inspector and click
Erase
.
Use the
Sequence
field to select the sequence you want to erase.
Use the
Track
field to select the track you want to erase within the sequence.
Use the
Start
and
End
fields to set the time range (in bars, beats, and ticks) of the sequence you want to erase. The
Start
fields set the start of the time range, and the
End
fields set the end of the time range.
Select one of the
Erase
options to select what types of events you erase: o
All
erases all pad events from the designated time range and reset all of its settings. o
Automation
erases only automation from the designated time range. o
Note
erases only specific pad events from the designated time range. In the diagram of the eight pad banks that appears, press each pad in each bank to select or deselect its notes. o
Except Note
erases everything
except
pad events from the designated time range.
Click
Do It
to continue or
Cancel
to return to the previous screen.
•
The
Events Double Speed
function
immediately
halves the lengths of all note events on all tracks in the sequence as well as the distance between them. In other words, all tracks’ notes are pressed closer together so the sequence sounds like it is playing at twice the previous speed. This does not actually affect the pitches of notes or the tempo.
To double the speed of all note events in the sequence
, click the
menu icon
(
≡
), select
Edit
>
Sequence
, and click
Events Double Speed
.
102
•
The
Events Half Speed
function
immediately
doubles the lengths of all note events on all tracks in the sequence as well as the distance between them. In other words, all tracks’ notes are spread further apart so the sequence sounds like it is playing at half of the previous speed. This does not actually affect the pitches of notes or the tempo.
To halve the speed of all note events in the sequence
, click the
menu icon
(
≡
), select
Edit
>
Sequence
, and click
Events Half Speed
.
•
The
Next Sequence
and
Previous Sequence
options select the next or previous sequence in your project
(respectively). If you select one of these during playback, the next or previous sequence will be selected when the current one is done playing.
To select the next or previous sequence
, click the
menu icon
(
≡
), select
Edit
>
Sequence
, and click
Next
Sequence
or
Previous Sequence
(respectively).
•
The
Next Sequence Now
and
Previous Sequence Now
options
immediately
select the next or previous sequence in your project (respectively).
To select the next or previous sequence immediately
, click the
menu icon
(
≡
), select
Edit
>
Sequence
, and click
Next Sequence Now
or
Previous Sequence Now
(respectively).
•
Export as MIDI
lets you export the current sequence as a standard MIDI (
.mid
) file.
To export the sequence as a MIDI file
, click the
menu icon
(
≡
), select
Edit
>
Sequence
, and click
Export as MIDI
. Alternatively, right-click the
Sequence
field in the Inspector and click
Export as MIDI
.
In the
Export Current Sequence as Standard MIDI file
window, do any of the following:
To select the storage device you want to view
, click the
down arrow
(
) next to the file path. If you have storage devices connected to your MPC hardware, they will appear in this column, as well.
To enter a folder
, double-click it or press
Enter
.
To create a new folder
, click
New Folder
, type a name for the new folder, and then click
OK
or press
Enter
to confirm the name, or click
Cancel
or press
Esc
to keep the original name. You will immediately enter the new folder.
To move up one folder level
, click the
up arrow
(
).
To name the file
, click the
File
field at the bottom of the window, and type a name.
To save the file
, click
Save
or press
Enter
.
To cancel
, click
Cancel
or press
Esc
.
•
The
Bounce to Sample
function
immediately
renders the sequence (all of its tracks) as an audio sample and places it in the project’s sample pool. By default, it will be named
Bounce -
and appended with the sequence name. If you have already used this function on this sequence, then it will create another audio sample appended with the next-highest number.
To bounce the sequence to a sample
, click the
menu icon
(
≡
), select
Edit
>
Sequence
, and click
Bounce to Sample
. Alternatively, right-click the
Sequence
field in the Inspector and click
Bounce to sample
. You can also press
Shift
+
Alt
+
S
(Windows) or
Shift
+
Option
+
S
(macOS).
•
The
Bounce to New Audio Track
function
immediately
renders the sequence (all of its tracks) as an audio track in the project. The
Audio
tab will be automatically selected. By default, the sample will be named
Bounce -
and appended with a number. This function does not work for tracks that use MIDI programs or CV programs.
To bounce the sequence to an audio track
, click the
menu icon
(
≡
), select
Edit
>
Sequence
, and click
Bounce to New Audio Track
. Alternatively, right-click the
Sequence
field in the Inspector and click
Bounce to new audio track
. You can also press
Alt
+
S
(Windows) or
Option
+
S
(macOS).
103
Track
You can use any of these functions on the currently selected track.
•
The
Select All
function selects all events or audio track regions in the current sequence and track.
To select all events or audio track regions in the track
, click the
menu icon
(
≡
), select
Edit
>
Track
, and click
Select All
.
•
The
Deselect
function deselects all events or audio track regions in the current sequence and track.
To deselect all events or audio track regions in the track
, click the
menu icon
(
≡
), select
Edit
>
Track
, and click
Deselect
.
•
The
Delete
function erases the entire audio track. This cannot be used on MIDI tracks.
To delete the track
, select the
Audio
tab, click the
menu icon
(
≡
), select
Edit
>
Track
, and click
Delete
.
Click
OK
to continue or
Cancel
to return to the previous screen. Alternatively, right-click the
Track
field in the Inspector and click
Delete Audio Track
.
•
The
Clear
function erases all note events from the current track.
To clear the track
, click the
menu icon
(
≡
), select
Edit
>
Track
, and click
Clear
. Alternatively, right-click the
Track
field in the Inspector and click
Clear
. Click
Clear
to continue or
Cancel
to return to the previous screen.
•
The
Explode
function
immediately
splits the current MIDI track into multiple MIDI tracks—one for each distinct pad or note (pitch, not event). The current track also remains present and intact, while each track created from it is labeled with the track name and pad name or number. This cannot be used on audio tracks.
To explode the track
, select the
MIDI
tab, click the
menu icon
(
≡
), select
Edit
>
Track
, and click
Explode
.
•
The
Events Double Speed
function
immediately
halves the lengths of all note events on the track as well as the distance between them. In other words, the track’s notes are pressed closer together so the track sounds like it is playing at twice the previous speed. This does not actually affect the pitches of notes or the tempo.
To double the speed of all note events in the track
, click the
menu icon
(
≡
), select
Edit
>
Track
, and click
Events Double Speed
.
•
The
Events Half Speed
function
immediately
doubles the lengths of all note events on the track as well as the distance between them. In other words, the track’s notes are spread further apart so the track sounds like it is playing at half of the previous speed. This does not actually affect the pitches of notes or the tempo.
To halve the speed of all note events in the track
, click the
menu icon
(
≡
), select
Edit
>
Track
, and click
Events Double Speed
.
•
The
Split Events
function divides all notes or the selected notes into multiple parts.
To split note events
, click the
menu icon
(
≡
), select
Edit
>
Track
, and then
Split Events
. Select one of the preset number of events (2–9), or click
Split Events…
to open the Split Events Setup window.
•
The
Next Track
and
Previous Track
options select the next or previous track in your sequence (respectively).
To select the next or previous track
, click the
menu icon
(
≡
), select
Edit
>
Track
, and click
Next Track
or
Previous Track
(respectively).
•
Export as MIDI
lets you export the current track as a standard MIDI (
.mid
) file.
To export the track as a MIDI file
, click the
menu icon
(
≡
), select
Edit
>
Track
, and click
Export as MIDI
.
Alternatively, right-click the
Track
field in the Inspector and click
Export as MIDI
.
In the
Export Current Track as Standard MIDI file
window, do any of the following:
To select the storage device you want to view
, click the
down arrow
(
) next to the file path. If you have storage devices connected to your MPC hardware, they will appear in this column, as well.
To enter a folder
, double-click it or press
Enter
.
To create a new folder
, click
New Folder
, type a name for the new folder, and then click
OK
or press
Enter
to confirm the name, or click
Cancel
or press
Esc
to keep the original name. You will immediately enter the new folder.
To move up one folder level
, click the
up arrow
(
).
To name the file
, click the
File
field at the bottom of the window, and type a name.
To save the file
, click
Save
or press
Enter
.
To cancel
, click
Cancel
or press
Esc
.
104
•
The
Bounce to Sample
function
immediately
renders the track as an audio sample and places it in the project’s sample pool. By default, it will be named
Bounce -
and appended with the sequence name. If you have already used this function on this sequence, then it will create another audio sample appended with the next-highest number.
To bounce the track to a sample
, click the
menu icon
(
≡
), select
Edit
>
Track
, and click
Bounce to
Sample
. Alternatively, right-click the
Track
field in the Inspector and click
Bounce to sample
.
•
The
Bounce to New Audio Track
function
immediately
renders the track (for the current sequence only) as an audio track in the project. The Main Mode will automatically switch to the
Audio
tab, and the original track will be muted. By default, it will be named
Audio
and appended with a number (e.g.,
Audio 002
). This function does not work for tracks that use MIDI programs or CV programs.
To bounce the MIDI track to an audio track
, click the
menu icon
(
≡
), select
Edit
>
Track
, and click
Bounce to New Audio Track
. Alternatively, right-click the
Track
field in the Inspector and click
Bounce to new audio track
.
Program
You can use any of these functions on the currently selected program. These functions are shown in the menu (
Edit
>
Program
) only if the
MIDI
tab is selected in the Inspector.
•
The
Duplicate
function immediately creates an identical program. The duplicate program will use the same name but appended with a number (e.g.,
Program 002
).
To duplicate the program
, click the
menu icon
(
≡
), select
Edit
>
Program
, and click
Duplicate
.
Alternatively, right-click a program in the
Project
panel and click
Duplicate
.
•
The
Duplicate to Track
function immediately creates an identical program on a new track. The duplicate program will use the same name but appended with a number (e.g.,
Program 002
). The new track will be named
Track
and appended with a number (e.g.,
Track 06
).
To duplicate the program to a new track
, click the
menu icon
(
≡
), select
Edit
>
Program
, and click
Duplicate to Track
. Alternatively, right-click a program in the
Project
panel and click
Duplicate to Track
.
•
The
Merge
function lets you copy the pads (and their parameters) from one program into another, essentially consolidating two programs into one. The name of the new program will be the names of the original two programs separated by
and
.
To merge two programs
, click the
menu icon
(
≡
), select
Edit
>
Program
, and click
Merge
. Alternatively, right-click a program in the
Project
panel and click
Merge
.
Use the
Pads from program
menu to select the program you want to copy.
Use the
into program
menu to select the program to which the copied pads will be added.
Select the
Start on next bank
box if you want the copied pads to start on
Pad 01
of the next available bank.
Deselect this box if you want the copied pads to start on the next available pad, regardless of the bank.
Click
OK
to continue or
Cancel
to return to the previous screen.
105
•
The
Delete
function erases the program from the project. The samples used in that program will remain in the project’s sample pool and any other programs that use them.
To delete the program
, click the
menu icon
(
≡
), select
Edit
>
Program
, and click
Delete
. Alternatively, right-click the
Program
field in the Inspector and click
Delete
. You can also right-click a program in the
Project
panel and click
Delete
.
•
The
Rename
function lets you enter a new name for the program. Type a name and click
OK
to continue or
Cancel
to return to the previous screen.
To rename the program
, click the
menu icon
(
≡
), select
Edit
>
Program
, and click
Rename
. Alternatively, right-click a program in the
Project
panel and click
Rename
.
•
The
Bounce to Sample
function
immediately
renders all tracks that use that program (for the current sequence only) as an audio sample and places it in the project’s sample pool. By default, it will be named
Bounce -
and appended with the program name. This function does not work for MIDI programs or CV programs.
To bounce the program to a sample
, click the
menu icon
(
≡
), select
Edit
>
Program
, and click
Bounce to
Sample
. Alternatively, right-click the
Program
field in the Inspector and click
Bounce to sample
.
•
The
Bounce to New Audio Track
function
immediately
renders that program (for the current sequence only) as an audio track in the project. The Main Mode will automatically switch to the
Audio
tab, and the original program will be muted. By default, it will be named
Audio
and appended with a number (e.g.,
Audio 002
). This function does not work for MIDI programs or CV programs.
To bounce the program to an audio track
, click the
menu icon
(
≡
), select
Edit
>
Program
, and click
Bounce to Audio Track
. Alternatively, right-click the
Program
field in the Inspector and click
Bounce to new audio track
.
•
The
Pad Color
option opens the
Pad Color
window where you can assign specific colors to your pads in each program. See the
chapter to learn how to use this.
To open the Pad Color window
, click the
menu icon
(
≡
), select
Edit
>
Program
, and click
Pad Color
.
•
The
Note Mapping
option opens the
Note Mapping
window where you can where you can assign a MIDI note to each pad in a program. See the
chapter to learn how to use this.
To open the Note Mapping window
, click the
menu icon
(
≡
), select
Edit
>
Program
, and click
Note Mapping
.
•
The
Flatten Pad
option opens the
Flatten Pad
window where you can select a pad whose layered samples will be consolidated into a single audio sample on just its first layer. This function renders all samples on a pad as an audio sample and places it on the first layer of that pad. The resulting sample is the audio signal produced by that pad at full velocity (
127
) after the pad channel strip, which means that it includes any assigned pad insert effects and the results of warping the sample. This function is useful if you need to reduce how CPU-intensive a pad or program is by essentially “embedding” the warping and effects in the sample itself. By default, it will use the name of the first sample. This function works for drum programs only. (This is the same as the Flatten Pad button shown at the top of the touchscreen in Program Edit Mode.)
To flatten the samples of a pad
, click the
menu icon
(
≡
), select
Edit
>
Program
, and click
Flatten Pad
.
Use the
Pad
menu to select the pad whose samples you want to flatten. Alternatively, press the desired
pad
.
Use the
Name
field to enter a name for the flattened sample.
Use the
Tail Length
field to set the length of the audio tail. This will add extra seconds to the end of the resulting audio file. This is useful if you are using effects or samples whose sounds exceed the defined audio length (e.g., long reverb or delay, one-shot samples with long decays, etc.). We recommend using an audio tail of at least a couple of seconds.
Click
Do it
to continue or
Cancel
to return to the previous screen.
106
Effects
You can apply various effects to the pads, keygroups, audio tracks, programs, submixes, and master outputs, using
insert
and
send
/
return
effects. This chapter can help you get a good overall understanding of how the effects work.
See
for a list of all available effects (with a brief description of each) and their
editable parameters.
Overview
In a program, each
pad
or
keygroup
can have up to
four insert effects
applied to it. An entire
program
can have up to
four insert effects
applied to it, as well.
An
audio track
, like a program, can have up to
four insert effects
applied to it, as well.
For even further flexibility, each
submix
can have up to
four insert effects
applied to it. You can route pads, keygroups, audio tracks, or programs to a submix, which is then routed to a master output.
Additionally, each
pad
,
keygroup
,
audio track
,
program
, and
submix
can be sent to (up to)
four return channels
(
returns
), each of which can have up to
four insert effects
of their own. Their audio will be routed through the insert effects on those returns, and the processed audio will be sent to a master output.
Finally, you can apply up to
four insert effects
to each master output (a stereo pair of channels:
Outputs 1
/
2
,
Outputs 3
/
4
, etc.).
When you create an audio mixdown of a sequence or song, you can choose whether or not master insert effects are included or send/return effects are included, depending on what you are mixing down:
If you are creating an audio mixdown of a pair of
master outputs
, you can choose whether or not
master insert effects
will be included in the mixdown.
If you are creating an audio mixdown of
separate programs
or
exploded tracks
, you can choose whether or not
send
/
return effects
will be included in the mixdown.
to learn about these options.
The Sampler and Looper handle effects differently:
The
Sampler
can use up to
four insert effects
, which are applied to the audio as you record it. This means that the
effects cannot be “removed” from the sound later. Learn more about the Sampler in the
Similarly, the
Looper
can use up to
four insert effects
, which are applied to the audio as you record it. This
means that the effects cannot be “removed” from the sound later. Learn more about the Looper in the
chapter.
Please see the rest of this chapter to learn how to use insert effects as well as send/return effects.
107
You can load, edit, remove, and activate or deactivate effects in the
Inserts
section of a channel strip. Each
Inserts
section has four insert effect slots.
To load an effect
, double-click an empty slot in the
Inserts
section of a channel strip. In the window that appears:
Click the
+
or
–
button to expand or collapse each category.
The right edge of the window shows how many MIDI channels can be sent to and from each effect.
Select
Sort by type
to sort the effects by type.
Select
Sort by manufacturer
to sort the effects by manufacturer.
Double-click an effect or click it and then click
Select
to load it.
Click the
gear icon
to open the
Plugin Manager
to learn about this.
Click
Close
or press
Esc
to close the window without loading any effect.
To remove a loaded effect
, double-click the
down arrow
(
) next to its name the
Inserts
section. In the window that appears, doubleclick the
<none>
option at the top of the list of effects or click it once and then click
Select
.
To edit an effect
, double-click its name in the
Inserts
section of a channel strip. A window with the effect’s parameters will appear.
To adjust a parameter
, click and drag its knob up or down.
To make finer adjustments
, press and hold
Ctrl
(Windows) or
(macOS) and then click and drag its knob up or down.
To enable or disable the effect
, click the
On
/
Off
button in the upper-left corner.
To keep the window on top at all times
, click the
down arrow
(
) in the upper-right corner so it becomes an
up arrow
(
).
Click it again to allow the window to be hidden under others.
To close the window
, click the
X
in the upper-right corner.
To activate or deactivate an effect
, click the
on
/
off
button next to it.
To deactivate all four effects
, click the
on
/
off
button next to
Inserts
so it turns
gray
(
off
). Previously active effects will be off even though the button appears to be on.
To reactivate the previously active effects
, click the
on
/
off
button next to
Inserts
so it turns
blue
(
on
).
To move an effect from one slot to another
, click and drag it from its original slot to another slot (the new slot will be outlined in
yellow
before you release it). The effect will retain all of its editable parameters.
To copy an effect from one slot to another
, press and hold
Alt
(Windows) or
Option
(macOS) and then click and drag it from its original slot to another slot (the new slot will be
yellow
before you release it). The effect will retain all of its editable parameters.
108
Insert Effects
Insert effects can be applied to a
pad
,
keygroup
,
audio track
,
program
,
submix
or
master output
. The audio signal produced by that source is processed by any insert effect/effects that are loaded to that source (in the
Inserts
section of its channel strip) and activated. Each one can have up to four insert effects loaded and activated.
Below is an outline of where you can set the effects for a pad, keygroup, audio track, program, submix, or master output.
Note
:
If the
Inserts
section is not shown in a channel strip in the
Inspector
, click the
menu icon
(
≡
), go to
View
>
Inspector
, and click
Inserts
.
If the
Inserts
section is not shown in a channel strip in the
Pad Mixer
or
Channel Mixer
, click the
box icon
.
Pad
: You can load up to four insert effects to each pad. The
Inserts
section for a pad is available in two places:
• the
pad channel strip
in the
Inspector
(in any mode)
• the
pad channel strip
in the
Pad Mixer
Tip
: When using pad insert effects, they will be applied to the selected pad only. This means that you could apply unique combinations of effects to each pad within a program. If you want to apply the same effect to all pads, do this with a program insert effect.
Keygroup
: You can load up to four insert effects to each keygroup. The
Inserts
section for a keygroup is available in two places:
• the
keygroup channel strip
in the
Inspector
(in any mode)
• the
keygroup channel strip
in the
Pad Mixer
Important
: When using keygroup insert effects, they will be applied to that keygroup only. Keep this in mind if you load insert effects to multiple keygroups with overlapping note ranges—the effects will overlap in that range as well.
Audio Track
: You can load up to four insert effects to each audio track. The
Inserts
section for an audio track is available in three places:
• the
audio track channel strip
in the
Inspector
• the
audio track channel strip
in the
Pad Mixer
• the
audio track channel strip
in the
Channel Mixer
Program
: You can load up to four insert effects to each program. The
Inserts
section for a program is available in three places:
• the
program channel strip
in the
Inspector
• the
program channel strip
in the
Pad Mixer
• the
program channel strip
in the
Channel Mixer
Submix
: You can load up to four insert effects to each submix. The
Inserts
section for a submix is available only in the
submix channel strip
in the
Channel Mixer
.
Master Output
: You can load up to four insert effects to each master output (a stereo pair of channels:
Outputs 1
/
2
,
Outputs 3
/
4
, etc.). The
Inserts
section for a master output is available in two places:
• the
master channel strip
in the
Inspector
• the
master channel strip
in the
Channel Mixer
109
Send
/
Return Effects
Send/return effects work in the following way:
1.
A
pad
,
keygroup
,
audio track
,
program
, or
submix
can send its audio to a
return
at a designated
send level
.
2.
That audio is processed by the effects on the return. Each return can have up to
four insert effects
loaded and activated.
3.
The processed audio is sent to a pair of master outputs (stereo) or a single master output (mono).
There are four available returns. Any
pad
,
keygroup
,
audio track
,
program
, or
submix
can send its audio to any combination of those returns at the same time.
You can load send/return effects and set the
return levels
in two places:
• the
return channel strip
in the
Inspector
• the
return channel strip
in the
Channel Mixer
Below is a description of where to set the desired send levels for a pad, keygroup, audio track, program, or submix.
Note
:
If the
Send
knobs are not shown in a channel strip in the
Inspector
, click the
menu icon
(
≡
), go to
View
>
Inspector
, and click
Sends
.
If the
Send
knobs are not shown in a channel strip in the
Pad Mixer
or
Channel Mixer
, click the
four-circles icon
.
Pad
: The
Send
knobs for a pad are available in two places:
• the
pad channel strip
in the
Inspector
(in any mode)
• the
pad channel strip
in the
Pad Mixer
Keygroup
: The
Send
knobs for a keygroup are available in two places:
• the
keygroup channel strip
in the
Inspector
(in any mode)
• the
keygroup channel strip
in the
Pad Mixer
Important
: When using keygroup send/return effects, they will be applied to that keygroup only. Keep this in mind if you use send/return effects with multiple keygroups with overlapping note ranges—the effects will overlap in that range as well.
Audio Track
: The
Send
knobs for an audio track are available in three places:
• the
audio track channel strip
in the
Inspector
• the
audio track channel strip
in the
Pad Mixer
• the
audio track channel strip
in the
Channel Mixer
Program
: The
Send
knobs for a program are available in three places:
• the
program channel strip
in the
Inspector
• the
program channel strip
in the
Pad Mixer
• the
program channel strip
in the
Channel Mixer
Submix
: The
Send
knobs for a submix are available only in the
submix channel strip
in the
Channel Mixer
.
110
Automation
You can set the automation for programs and audio tracks to be “written,” “read,” or disabled entirely. You can do this globally or for individual programs and audio tracks.
Global
A button in the upper-right corner of the
toolbar
controls the global automation. When you click this button to change its state, it will change the automation state for all programs in the project. (If you have changed the automation state of an individual program or audio track as described below, then this global automation button will indicate that rather than the global automation state.)
Click this
global automation button
to cycle through its three states:
When
off
, automation data will be ignored. If you have already recorded or entered automation, clicking this will switch between Read (
R
) and Write (
W
) only, but you can override this and turn it off by pressing and holding
Shift
while clicking the button.
Important
: If you have already recorded automation and turn it off, the track will still use the effect and its parameter values at the point where you turned it off.
When set to
Read
(
R
), automation data will be read but not recorded. You can still manually edit and enter automation. (Think of this as a protective feature to prevent accidental changes to your automation while recording.)
When set to
Write
(
W
), automation can be recorded and will overwrite any existing automation. (Make sure not to touch Q-Link knobs accidentally while you are recording.)
Programs & Audio Tracks
You can also set the automation for each program or audio track by using the program/audio track automation button in the channel strip for that program or audio track (shown in the Inspector, Pad Mixer, and Channel Mixer).
Automation is available for all program types.
Note
: Remember that clicking the global automation button will change the automation state for
all
programs in the project; if they were originally different, all of them will then match the global automation state.
Click this
program
/
audio track automation button
to cycle through its three states:
When
off
, the program will ignore automation data. If you have already recorded or entered automation, clicking this will switch between Read (
R
) and Write (
W
) only, but you can override this and turn it off by pressing and holding
Shift
while clicking the button.
Important
: If you have already recorded automation and turn it off, the track will still use the effect and its parameter values at the point where you turned it off.
When set to
Read
(
R
), the program will read automation data but will not record any additional automation over it. You can still manually edit and enter automation. (Think of this as a protective feature to prevent accidental changes to your automation while recording.)
When set to
Write
(
W
), the program can record automation. (If you have any Q-Link knobs assigned to automatable parameters, make sure not to touch any accidentally while you are recording.)
111
Recording Automation
Automating various parameters is a good way to add some motion and dynamism to your sequences.
You can automate three types of parameters for MIDI tracks:
•
Track Parameters
: o the mixer parameters of the track (
Volume
,
Pan
,
Mute
, and
Solo
) o the MIDI CCs of the track (
0
–
127
) o aftertouch messages o pitch bend messages o channel pressure messages o program change messages
•
Program Parameters
(not available for MIDI programs): o the mixer parameters of the program (
Volume
,
Pan
,
Mute
,
Solo
, and
Send 1
–
4
) o parameters of the program (options vary based on the type of program) o parameters for insert effects on the program (options vary based on the effect)
•
Pad Parameters
(for drum programs, keygroup programs, and clip programs): o the mixer parameters of the pad/keygroup (
Level
,
Pan
,
Pad Mute
,
Pad Solo
, or
Send 1
–
4
) o parameters of the pad/keygroup (options vary based on the type of program) o parameters for insert effects on the pad/keygroup (options vary based on the effect)
You can automate only one set of parameters for audio tracks:
•
Audio Track Parameters
: o the mixer parameters of the audio track (
Volume
,
Pan
,
Mute
,
Solo
, and
Send 1
–
4
) o parameters for insert effects on the audio track (options vary based on the effect)
To enter automation for track parameters on a MIDI track
:
1.
Select the track, and then click
Rec
(
) or
Overdub
(
⊕
) to record-arm it.
2.
Click
Play
(
) or
Play Start
(
|
) to start playback of the sequence.
3.
Use whatever controls you want to adjust the parameter/parameters as the sequence plays. Your changes will be recorded in real time. Note that recording automation is
not
an overdub-style process (even if you clicked
Overdub to record-arm the track); when the sequence repeats, it will overwrite/replace any automation that was previously recorded.
4.
Click
Stop
(
) to stop the automation recording.
Alternatively, create the automation curves manually (see
to learn how to do this).
To record automation of a program parameter or pad parameter
:
1.
Set the
program
/
audio track automation button
to the
red Write
(
W
) option for any program or audio track whose parameters (or pad parameters) you want to automate. Alternatively, click the
global automation button
in the upper-right corner of the window to change the state of all programs and audio tracks.
2.
Click
Play
(
) or
Play Start
(
|
) to start playback of the sequence.
3.
Use whatever controls you want to adjust the parameter/parameters as the sequence plays. Your changes will be recorded in real time. Note that recording automation is
not
an overdub-style process; when the sequence repeats, it will overwrite/replace any automation that was previously recorded.
4.
Click
Stop
(
) to stop the automation recording.
Once you are done, we recommend setting the
program
/
audio track automation button
for that program or audio track to the
green Read
(
R
) option. This ensures your track uses the automation you just recorded when you play it back (and will not be overwritten by any future adjustments you make to parameters during sequence playback).
112
Editing Automation
You can use automation editing tools to adjust or create automation curves for all available parameters.
To edit automation of a program parameter or pad parameter
, use the automation lane in the
Grid Editor
:
1.
In the
Grid Editor
, make sure the automation lane is shown. If it is not, click the
up arrow
(
^
) in the lower-left corner of the Grid Editor.
2.
Click the
down arrow
(
) in the lower-left corner of the Grid Editor. Use the menu and submenus that appear to select the desired parameter. The parameter name will then appear below
Modifier
.
3.
Use the
pencil
and
marquee tools
described below to create and edit automation for this parameter in the automation lane.
to learn more about using the Grid Editor in general.
Important
: An automation curve consists of several
points
placed according to current time division—aligned with the quantization grid). You can create or move points without restricting them to the time division by pressing and holding
Shift
.
Pencil
: Draw Mode:
To create a point
, click the desired location in the automation lane.
To select a point
, click it.
To move a point
, click and drag it to another location in the automation lane. Press and hold
Shift
while doing this to move it without restricting (“snapping”) it to the quantization grid.
To erase a point
, double-click it.
Marquee
: Marquee Mode:
To select a point
, click it.
To select multiple points
, click and drag across the automation lane to create a box around them.
To move a point
, click and drag it to another location in the automation lane. Press and hold
Shift
while doing this to move it without restricting (“snapping”) it to the quantization grid.
To move multiple points
, select them as described above, and then click and drag them to another location in the automation lane. Press and hold
Shift
while doing this to move them without restricting
(“snapping”) them to the quantization grid.
113
To edit automation of a track parameter for a MIDI track
, use the automation lane in the
Grid Editor
, as described
. Alternatively, use the
Track View
in Track View Mode, the Channel Mixer, or Track Mute Mode.
To edit automation of a track parameter in the Track View
:
1.
In the
Track View
, make sure the tracks you want are shown. If they are not, click
menu icon
(
≡
) in the upperright corner, and select or deselect
Show Unused Tracks
,
Show Programs
,
Show Audio Tracks
, and
Show
Midi Tracks
.
2.
Click the
A icon
in the upper-left corner so it is
white
. The menu next to will be enabled, and
Automation
and its editing tools will appear above the middle of the Track View.
3.
Click the
menu
next to the
A icon
to select the desired parameter.
4.
Use the
pencil
and
marquee tools
described below to create and edit the automation curve for this parameter in the track strip or program strip.
MIDI track, audio track, and program strips appear slightly differently while displaying their automation curves:
MIDI track:
Audio track:
Program:
Use these tools in the Track View Editor to create or edit the automation curve. See
using the Track View in general.
Important
: An automation curve consists of several points placed according to current time division—aligned with the quantization grid). You can create or move points without restricting them to the time division by pressing and holding
Shift
.
Pencil
: Draw Mode:
To create a point
, click the desired location in the track strip or program strip.
To select a point
, click it.
To move a point
, click and drag it to another location in the track strip or program strip.
To erase a point
, double-click it.
Marquee
: Marquee Mode:
To select a point
, click it.
To select points
, click and drag across the track strip or program strip to create a box around them.
To move a point
, click and drag it to another location in the track strip or program strip. Press and hold
Shift
while doing this to move it without restricting (“snapping”) it to the quantization grid.
To move multiple points
, select them as described above, and then click and drag them to another location in the track strip or program strip. Press and hold
Shift
while doing this to move them without restricting (“snapping”) them to the quantization grid.
114
16 Level
When 16 Level is first activated, the selected pad (
Pad A01
by default) will be temporarily copied to all 16 pads. The pads will now output the same note number as the initial pad, but a selectable parameter will be fixed at values that increase as the pad numbers increase (e.g., Pad 1 is the minimum, Pad
16 is the maximum), regardless of how hard you press them.
To show the 16 Level window
, click the
menu icon
(
≡
), select
Tools
, and click
16 Level
. Alternatively, click the
16 Level
button above the
Pads
section in Main Mode or Program Edit Mode.
To select a pad
, do one of the following:
•
Press and hold
16 Level
, and then press the desired
pad
.
•
Click the
16 Levels
box to deselect it (temporarily disabling the feature), press the desired
pad
, and then click the
16 Levels
box again to select it.
•
Click the
Pad
field, and use the
data dial
or
–
/
+
buttons.
•
Double-click the
Pad
field, and click the desired pad in the list that appears.
In the
16 Levels
window, click the
Type
menu to choose the parameter:
Velocity
,
Tune
,
Filter
,
Layer
,
Attack
, or
Decay
.
When
Type
is set to
Layer
, pads with multiple samples will play back each layer according to the
Velocity Start
and
Velocity End
settings for each layer.
If the
Type
is set to
Tune
, click the
Original pad
menu and select the pad that will contain the note at its original pitch (tuning).
Note Mapping
Note Mapping lets you assign specific MIDI notes to your pads in each program except for keygroup programs.
To show the Note Mapping window
, click the
menu icon
(
≡
), select
Edit
>
Program
, and click
Note Mapping
.
Important
: If the Note Mapping window is already open and you want to assign pad colors for another program, click
Close
, select a track that uses the desired program, and then open the Note Mapping window again.
The
Pad
column indicates the pad bank and number of each pad in the program.
The
Note Name
column indicates the note value (e.g.,
G#3
,
A 4
, etc.).
The
MIDI Note
column indicates the MIDI note number
(corresponding to the note value).
Click
Edit
next to each pad to open a submenu listing the available octaves. Select an octave and then select the note you want to assign to the pad.
Click
Classic MPC
to assign a preconfigured note mapping to the pads that was used on early MPCs.
Click
Chromatic
to assign all notes to all pads chromatically in an ascending order (i.e.
C-2
/
MIDI Note 0
, assigned to
Pad A01
, through
G 8
/
MIDI Note 127
, assigned to
Pad H16
).
Click
Close
to close this window and use the current note mapping.
115
Pad Color
Pad Color lets you assign specific colors to your pads in each program.
To show the Pad Color window
, click the
menu icon
(
≡
), select
Edit
>
Program
, and click
Pad Color
.
Important
: If the Pad Color window is already open and you want to assign pad colors for another program, click
Close
, select a track that uses the desired program, and then open the Pad Color window again.
Use the
Display As
field to set how the pad lights will display:
Off
: The pads will be unlit whether you are playing them or not.
Classic Velocity
: The pads will be unlit while you are not playing them. When you press them, they will light with colors according to the velocity: red indicates a high velocity, yellow indicates a low velocity.
Fixed
: The pads will be lit with their assigned colors whether you are playing them or not.
Off
->
Velocity
: The pads will be unlit when you are not playing them. When you press them, they will light with their assigned color with a brightness that corresponds with the velocity.
Dim
->
Velocity
: The pads will be dimly lit when you are not playing them. When you press them, they will light with their assigned color with a brightness that corresponds with the velocity.
Bright
->
Velocity
: The pads will be brightly lit when you are not playing them. When you press them, they will light with their assigned color with a brightness that corresponds with the velocity.
Use the
Pads
field to determine whether you are setting the color for one pad (
Edit single pads
) or all pads (
Edit all pads
).
Tip
:
To quickly assign that color to all pads in the program
, press and hold
Shift
while clicking a color button.
Use the
Empty pads
menu to set how empty pads will display:
Empty pads off
: Pads without any sounds will remain off.
Empty pads dim
: Pads without any sounds will remain more dimly lit than pads with sounds assigned.
Empty pads normal
: Pads without any sounds will appear the same as pads with sounds assigned.
Click a
pad
to select it, and then click one of the
color buttons
to assign its color.
Tip
:
To select the color button corresponding a specific pad’s color
, press and hold
Shift
, and then press the pad or click it on the window.
To make the current pad color settings the defaults for all programs on the same type
(e.g., drum programs, keygroup programs, etc.), click
Make Default
.
Click
Close
to close the window.
116
Audio Mixdown
The Audio Mixdown window lets you render and export either the current sequence or song as an audio file. In Song Mode, this will export the entire song. In any other mode, this will export the current sequence only.
To open the Audio Mixdown window
, click the
menu icon
(
≡
), and go to
File
>
Export
and click
As Audio Mixdown
.
Audio Length
Use the
Start Bar
and
End Bar
fields to define where the resulting audio file will start and end, respectively.
Use the
Audio Tail
field to add extra seconds to the end of the resulting audio file. This is useful if you are using effects or samples whose sounds exceed the defined audio length (e.g., long reverb or delay, oneshot samples with long decays, etc.). We recommend using an audio tail of at least a couple of seconds.
Render Source
Select
Stereo Output
and use the adjacent field to select a pair of outputs:
Out 1,2
–
31,32
. The mixdown will be taken from these outputs.
Select
Separate Programs
to create a mixdown of each program used in the sequence or song.
Select
Explode Tracks
to create a mixdown of each track used in the sequence (you cannot use this option for an entire song).
Important
: Each pad or keygroup must have their output routed to
Program
to be included in the mixdown. This is the typical (and default) setting.
Render Options
If your
Render Source
is set to
Stereo Output
, select
Master Inserts
to include master insert effects in the mixdown.
If your
Render Source
is set to
Separate Programs
or
Explode Tracks
, select
Export Returns
to include return buses in the mixdown.
If your
Render Source
is set to
Stereo Output
, click
Save as Project Preview
to save the sequence or song as a project preview file (which you can play for reference in the Browser). If you select this box,
Stereo Output
will automatically be selected, as well.
File Formats
Click
WAV
,
AIFF
,
MP3
,
FLAC
or
OGG
to select the file format of the mixdown.
For
WAV
and
AIFF
files, use the
Bit Depth
field to select a bit depth of
8
,
16
, or
24
bits, or
32
bits, floating point (
32 F
). For
FLAC
files, you can select a bit depth of
16
or
24
bits. For
MP3
and
OGG
files, you can select a
Bitrate
of
128
,
160
,
192
, or
320
kbps.
Use the
Sample Rate
field to select a sample rate of
44.1 kHz
,
48 kHz
,
88.2 kHz
, or
96 kHz
. In most cases, we recommend selecting
44.1 kHz
.
Click
Export
to enter the
Save
screen where you can select a name and location to save your audio mixdown.
Click
Cancel
to return to the previous screen.
117
Plugins
The MPC software enables you to scan third-party plugins (VST or AU formats) to use within your projects.
Instrument plugins
can be used with plugin programs. See
Effect plugins
can be used as insert effects on pads, keygroups, audio tracks, most types of programs, submixes, returns, and master outputs. See
See the following
section to learn how to scan your computer and external storage devices for the plugins you want to use.
section to learn how to manage all of your scanned plugins.
section to learn how to select a plugin when using plugin programs or insert effects.
Scanning Plugins
In order to use plugins in the MPC software, the software must scan any folders on your computer or external storage device where they are located.
To scan your plugins
:
1.
Windows
: Click the
menu icon
(
≡
), select
Edit
, and click
Preferences
.
macOS
: Click the
MPC
menu and click
Preferences
.
2.
In the
Preferences
window that appears, click the
Plugins
tab.
3.
Click the
…
button next to one of the
VST Folders
fields.
4.
In the window that appears, select the location where your plugins are stored. Select the folder and click
Open
(while not actually in the folder).
5.
The file path will appear in the
VST Folders
field.
Click the box next to it so it is selected.
If you have plugins stored in other locations, you can repeat Steps 3–5 to select those locations.
6.
Click
Scan New
to scan these recently selected locations. This is helpful if you have already scanned other locations and want to scan just the one/ones you recently added.
Alternatively, click
Rescan All
to scan all four locations again.
The list of scanned plugins will appear in the list below. When the scan is completed, the status bar above it will show
Done
.
7.
Click
OK
to close the window.
118
Plugin Manager
The Plugin Manager lets you view and manage the status of all plugins in your MPC software.
To open the Plugin Manager
, click the
menu icon
(
≡
), select
Tools
, and click
Plugin Manager
. The
Plugins
window will appear. Alternatively, click the
gear icon
in the lower-left corner of the window that appears when selecting a plugin or an insert effect.
Use these boxes and the
Search
field to filter the plugins shown in the list below.
Instruments
: Select this box to show instrument plugins.
FX
: Select this box to show effect plugins.
Good
: Select this box to show plugins that were successfully scanned.
Bad
: Select this box to show plugins that failed to scan.
Search
: Use this field to enter a search term. The results will appear in the list below.
The columns (described below, left to right) indicate the plugins’ status. Click a column to sort the list by that category.
Right-click the top of a column to
auto-size this column
,
auto-size all columns
, or to show or hide specific columns.
Note
: The MPC software supports VST or AU plugins.
Use
: Select this box to allow the MPC software access to this plugin. If this box is deselected, it will not appear if you select an instrument plugin (to use for a plugin program) or an effect plugin (to use on an insert effect slot).
Name
: This is the plugin’s name.
Manufacturer
: This is the plugin’s manufacturer.
Version
: This is the version of the plugin.
Type
: This is the type of plugin. A
waveform
and
fx
indicate an effect plugin. A
guitar
indicates an instrument plugin.
Path
: This is where the plugin is located on your computer or external storage device.
119
Channels
: This is how many MIDI channels can be sent to and from the plugin.
OK
: This indicates whether the plugin has been successfully scanned or not.
OK
indicates that the plugin is properly scanned and can be used in the MPC software.
Failed
indicates that the plugin was not properly scanned.
To rescan the plugin, click it and then click
Rescan
in the lower-right corner.
Fav
: This indicates whether the plugin is a “favorite” or not. Favorites will appear in a separate category when you select an instrument or effect plugin. Click the box to select or deselect it.
Rescan
: Click this to prompt the MPC software to rescan the selected plugin.
Close
: Click this to close the window. Alternatively, press
Esc
.
Selecting Plugins
Instrument plugins
can be used with plugin programs (see
plugin program).
To select an instrument plugin for a plugin program
, select the track that uses that program, and then click the
Plugin
field in the
Program
section of the
Inspector
.
In the window that appears:
Click the
+
or
–
button to expand or collapse each category.
Favorites
are instrument plugins whose
Fav
box is selected in the Plugin Manager.
The right edge of the window shows how many MIDI channels can be sent to and from each plugin.
Select
Sort by type
to sort the plugins by type.
Select
Sort by manufacturer
to sort the plugins by manufacturer.
Double-click a plugin or click it and then click
Select
to load it.
Click the
gear icon
to open the
Plugin Manager
Click
Close
or press
Esc
to close the window without loading any plugin.
Effect plugins
can be used as insert effects on pads, keygroups, audio tracks, most types of programs, submixes,
returns, and master outputs (see
To load an effect plugin
, double-click an empty slot in the
Inserts
section of a channel strip. In the window that appears:
Click the
+
or
–
button to expand or collapse each category.
Favorites
are effect plugins whose
Fav
box is selected in the
Plugin Manager.
The right edge of the window shows how many MIDI channels can be sent to and from each effect.
Select
Sort by type
to sort the effects by type.
Select
Sort by manufacturer
to sort the effects by manufacturer.
Double-click an effect or click it and then click
Select
to load it.
Click the
gear icon
to open the
Plugin Manager
Click
Close
or press
Esc
to close the window without loading any effect.
120
Expansions
The MPC software enables you to use MPC Expansions, collections of samples, loops, riffs, etc. available in the Akai
Professional Expansion Store.
To open the Expansion Store
:
Windows
: Click the
menu icon
(
≡
), select
Help
, and select
Expansion Store
.
macOS
: Click the
MPC
menu and click
Expansion Store
.
This opens an online store of available MPC Expansions on the Akai Professional website. You must have an internet connection to use this feature.
chapter to learn how to manage all of your scanned MPC Expansions.
section to learn how to select an MPC Expansion when using plugin programs.
chapter to learn how to use the Expansion Browser.
Expansion Manager
The Expansion Manager lets you view and manage the status of all MPC Expansions in your MPC software.
To open the Expansion Manager
, click the
menu icon
(
≡
), select
Tools
, and click
Expansion Manager
. The
Expansions
window will appear.
The columns (described below, left to right) indicate the MPC Expansions’ status. Right-click the top of a column to
auto-size this column
or
auto-size all columns
.
Use
: Select this box to allow the MPC software access to this MPC Expansion. If this box is deselected, it will not appear in the Expansion Browser.
Expansion Details
: This shows the MPC Expansion’s name, the manufacturer, and the version.
Type
: This indicates the type of MPC Expansion. A gear icon indicates an MPC Expansion that is included by default with the MPC software.
Close
: Click this to close the window. Alternatively, press
Esc
.
121
Selecting Expansions
MPC Expansions
can be used with plugin programs (see
plugin program).
To select an MPC Expansion for a plugin program
, select the track that uses that program, and then click the
Plugin
field in the
Program
section of the
Inspector
.
In the window that appears:
Click the
+
or
–
button to expand or collapse each category.
Favorites
are
instrument plugins
whose
Fav
box is selected in the Plugin Manager.
The right edge of the window shows how many MIDI channels can be sent to and from each plugin or MPC Expansion.
Select
Sort by type
to sort the list by type.
Select
Sort by manufacturer
to sort the list by manufacturer.
Double-click a plugin or MPC Expansion or click it and then click
Select
to load it.
Click the
gear icon
to open the
Plugin Manager
to learn about this.
Click
Close
or press
Esc
to close the window without loading any plugin or MPC Expansion.
Exporting Expansions
You can export MPC Expansion Packs (installed on your computer) to your MPC X or MPC Live for use in its
Standalone Mode.
To export MPC Expansions
:
1.
Connect your MPC X or MPC Live to your computer. Make sure both are powered on.
2.
On your computer, open the MPC software.
3.
On your MPC X or MPC Live, enter Controller Mode.
4.
In the MPC software window, click the
menu icon
(
≡
), select
File
>
Export
, and then click
Expansion…
.
5.
In the
Export Expansion to Standalone MPC
window that appears, click the
Drive
menu and select a storage device that you will use with your MPC X or MPC Live: the internal SATA drive (if you have installed one in your MPC X or MPC Live), an
SD card, or a USB flash drive.
6.
In the
Expansions
list, click the box next to each one to select or deselect it. Only the selected ones will be exported. Click
Select all
to select all of them or
Select none
to deselect all of them.
7.
Click
Export
to start exporting, or click
Cancel
to close the window and not export anything.
The exporting process creates an
Expansions
folder at the root level of your storage device and copies your MPC Expansions into it.
122
Modes
The MPC software is always in one of 14 modes. This chapter describes the various features and functions of each one.
To enter a mode
, click its
mode icon
. If its icon is not shown, click the
down arrow
(
) to show a menu of all modes, and then click it.
You can customize which mode icons are shown here by click the
menu icon
(
≡
) in the upper-left corner and going to
View
>
Toolbar
>
Toolbar Modes
.
Important
: If a sequence is currently playing, you will not be able to enter Song Mode. Stop playback before entering
Song Mode.
Click an icon below to skip directly to that chapter.
Main Program Edit Pad Mixer Step Sequencer Looper Track Mute Song
Track View Sample Edit Channel Mixer Sampler Pad Mute Next Sequence MIDI Control
123
Main Mode
Main Mode provides access to all three editors as well as basic track editing functions.
To enter Main Mode
, do any of the following:
•
Click the
house icon
in the toolbar (if shown).
•
Click the
down arrow
(
) next to the other mode icons in the toolbar, and click
Main Mode
.
•
Click the
menu icon
(
≡
), and go to
View
>
Mode
and click
Main
.
The upper half of the window can display the Grid Editor, Wave Editor, or List Editor. Click the
Grid
,
Wave
, or
List
tab to enter the corresponding editor. See
to learn more about each one.
The lower half of the window can display the
Q-Links
panel,
Pads
panel, and
Project
panel. Click the corresponding
selector to show or hide each one. See
panels. The
Pads
.
124
Pads
When the
MIDI
tab is selected in Main Mode, the
Pads
panel shows information for each pad, depending on the currently selected program.
Drum Programs
and
Keygroup Programs
: Each pad will show the samples assigned to it (all four layers). Click the
Pad Bank
letters to access additional pads or the full range of notes. For keygroup programs,
Pad D13
plays the sample at its original pitch. Click a
pad
to play its sample/samples or note.
Plugin Programs
,
MIDI Programs
, and
CV Programs
: Each pad will show the note it will play as both a MIDI note number (
0
–
127
) and note value (e.g.,
C-1
,
G#5
, etc.). Click the
Pad Bank
letters to access the full range of notes. Click a
pad
to play its note.
Clip Programs
: Each pad will show the loop (clip) assigned to it. Click the
Pad Bank
letters to access additional banks of clips. Click a
pad
to launch that clip. (If the clip belongs to a mute group, other clips in that mute group will stop playing when that clip starts. See
Drum Program Keygroup Program Plugin, MIDI, or CV Program Clip Program
Each pad can also display a color, which you can customize for each program. See
to learn how to do this.
When the
Audio
tab is selected in Main Mode, the
Pads
panel is not available.
125
Track View Mode
Track View Mode gives you an overview of the tracks and programs of each sequence. You can use this mode to edit multiple tracks at once in the current sequence.
To enter Track View Mode
, do any of the following:
•
Click the
bars-and-magnifying-glass icon
in the toolbar (if shown).
•
Click the
down arrow
(
) next to the other mode icons in the toolbar, and click
Track View
.
•
Click the
menu icon
(
≡
), and go to
View
>
Mode
and click
Track View
.
The upper half of the window displays the Track View. See
to learn more about this.
The lower half of the window can display the Grid Editor, Wave Editor, or List Editor. Click the
Grid
,
Wave
, or
List
tab. See
The only addition in Track View Mode is an option to keep the zoom distances of the upper and lower halves of the window identical. You could also choose to allow them to remain independent.
To lock or unlock the tracks and editor
, click the
lock-and-arrows icon
.
126
Program Edit Mode
Program Edit Mode contains all parameters for editing your Programs.
For
drum programs
, this mode includes the parameters of four layers as well as all synthesis parameters and insert effect settings. See the
For
keygroup programs
, this mode contains slightly more parameters than drum programs. See the
section to learn more.
For
plugin programs
, this mode shows the graphical user interface for the plugin. Skip to
to learn more.
For
clip programs
, this mode looks very different from that of other programs due to how clip launching works. See the
For
MIDI programs
and
CV programs
, skip to
and
.
For general information on the differences between the types of programs, please see
To enter Program Edit Mode
, do any of the following:
•
Click the
four-pads icon
in the toolbar (if shown).
•
Click the
down arrow
(
) next to the other mode icons in the toolbar, and click
Program Edit
.
•
Click the
menu icon
(
≡
), and go to
View
>
Mode
and click
Program Edit
.
127
The upper half of the window can display the Grid Editor, Wave Editor, or List Editor. Click the
Grid
,
Wave
, or
List
tab to enter the corresponding editor. See
to learn more about each one.
The lower half of the window can display the
Q-Links
panel,
Pads
panel,
Program Editor
panel, and
Project
panel.
Click the corresponding selector to show or hide each one. See
Pads
panel is described in this chapter
Program Editor
panel is
.
Pads
When the
MIDI
tab is selected in Program Edit Mode, the
Pads
panel shows information for each pad, depending on the currently selected program.
Drum programs
and
keygroup programs
: Each pad will show the samples assigned to it (all four layers). Click the
Pad Bank
letters to access additional pads or the full range of notes. For keygroup programs,
Pad D13
plays the sample at its original pitch. Click a
pad
to play its sample/samples or note.
Plugin programs
,
MIDI programs
, and
CV programs
: Each pad will show the note it will play as both a MIDI note number (
0
–
127
) and note value (e.g.,
C-1
,
G#5
, etc.). Click the
Pad Bank
letters to access the full range of notes. Click a
pad
to play its note.
Clip programs
, each pad will show the loop (clip) assigned to it. Click the
Pad Bank
letters to access additional banks of clips. Click a
pad
to launch that clip. (If the clip belongs to a mute group, other clips in that mute group will stop playing when that clip starts. See
to learn about this.)
Drum Program Keygroup Program Plugin, MIDI, or CV Program Clip Program
Each pad can also display a color, which you can customize for each program. See
to learn how to do this. In Program Edit Mode, these colors will be displayed only when the pad is being played with the exception of clip programs, whose pad colors will always be displayed to help you distinguish the pads’ mute groups.
When the
Audio
tab is selected in Program Edit Mode, the
Pads
panel is not available.
128
Program Editor
When the
MIDI
tab is selected in Program Edit Mode, the Program Editor shows different settings depending on the type of program that is selected.
When the
Audio
tab is selected in Program Edit Mode, the Program Editor is non-functional.
Drum Programs
When using a drum program, the Program Editor shows the parameters for each pad and the program overall.
To select a pad
, press it. Its parameters will appear on the screen immediately.
In the
Master
section, set the playback mode and tuning for the overall program.
Note
: The
Sample Layers
section has some parameters similar to those in this section (
Semi
,
Fine
). Remember that the
Master
section parameters control the overall settings for the sample, while
Sample Layers
controls the settings for each layer (up to 4).
Polyphony
sets the playback mode for the program’s pads. In
Mono
Mode, only one pad will sound at a time. If a pad is played while another (or the same one) is still playing its sample/samples, the new pad will immediately mute all other currently playing pads in that program. In
Poly
Mode, several pads can be triggered at the same time (limited only by the total number of voices available).
Semi
lets you transpose the program up to 36 semitones up or down.
Fine
provides fine-tuning of the program up to 99 cents up or down.
In the
Pad
section, set the volume and panning for the current pad.
Note
: The
Sample Layers
section has some parameters similar to those in this section (
Level
,
Pan
). Remember that the
Pad
section parameters control the overall settings for the sample, while
Sample Layers
controls the settings for each layer (up to 4).
Level
controls the overall volume level of the loaded sample/samples.
Pan
controls the overall panning of the loaded sample/samples in the stereo field.
The
Simultaneous Play
section lets you set up to four pads that can be triggered by pressing one pad only. This function is useful for triggering a stack of sounds (e.g., layered bass drums). Use each
Pad
menu to select the desired pad.
The
Mute Targets
section lets you select up to four pads (in the same program) for the currently selected pad. When the currently selected pad is played, it will immediately silence its mute targets. Use each
Pad
menu to select the desired mute target.
Tips
:
This feature is useful for programming realistic hi-hats, especially if only the open or closed hat should be heard.
This feature is similar to the mute group feature, available for both drum programs and keygroup programs.
The
Edit Zones
section is an overview of any selected pads. Use the selector at the top to set how the selected pads will be edited:
Current
: Only the currently selected pad will be edited.
Multiple
: All selected pads will be edited simultaneously.
All
: All pads will be edited simultaneously.
129
The
Sample Layers
section shows four layers, each of which can use an assigned sample. Each layer has identical, independently assignable parameters.
Click the
Sample
menu to select the sample for that layer. Remember that the sample has to be loaded into the project’s sample pool beforehand.
Semi
lets you transpose the selected layer up to 36 semitones up or down.
Fine
provides fine-tuning of each layer up to 99 cents up or down.
Level
lets you adjust each layer’s volume, letting you control the “balance” of the samples assigned to the pad.
Use the
pan knob
to adjust the stereo placement of the respective layer.
Use the
Velocity
slider to define the velocity range of each layer.
A range from
0
to
127
lets the layer respond to the entire velocity range which is input from the respective pad while, for example, a range from
100
to
127
lets the layer respond only to higher velocity levels. By assigning several samples of one instrument, you can create a realistic-sounding “multi-sample” by adjusting the velocity ranges of each layer accordingly.
For example, you may have three samples of a drum hit with low force, medium force, and high force. You can set each sample to a layer and set the Velocity ranges so only low velocities trigger the low-force sample, only mid-range velocities trigger the medium-force sample, and only high velocities trigger the high-force sample.
The
Filter
section lets you set the type and characteristics of the filter.
Click the
Type
menu to select a filter for the selected pad. See
for an explanation of the available filter types. You can set the default Type setting for new drum programs and keygroup programs in
Project
tab of the
Preferences
(see
Use the
Cutoff
knob to set the cutoff frequency for low-pass and high-pass filter types or the center frequency for band-pass and band-stop filter types.
Use the
Res
knob to set the resonance/emphasis of the frequencies around the cutoff point.
Tip
: Use values lower than
80
to give more brilliance to the sound. At values higher than
80
, the sound will result in a strong audible boost around the cutoff frequency.
Use the
Env
knob to determine the amount of influence the filter envelope has on the cutoff frequency. Higher settings will increase the modulation of the filter by the envelope; lower settings will result in only subtle changes of the filter
Cutoff
over time.
Tip
:
To give a sound a more distinctive attack
, increase the
Env
setting and set low
Attack
and
Decay
values as well as a medium-low
Sustain
value of the
Filter Envelope
. This will start a sound with the filter opened and close it shortly afterward, giving it a bright start followed by a darker sustain. String sounds, on the other hand, can sound much more “alive” with low
Env
settings and a high
Attack
value, resulting in a slight fade-in of the higher frequencies.
The
Modulation Sources
section lets you set how much velocity is required to modulate certain other parameters as well as your filter envelope and amp envelope.
V
>
Start
(Velocity
Start) sets how much velocity is needed (for a triggered pad) to modulate the sample start point.
V
>
Attack
(Velocity
Attack) sets how much velocity is needed (for a triggered pad) to modulate the Attack phase for the Amp envelope.
V
>
Env
(Velocity
Envelope) enables velocity information to control the amount of the filter envelope’s effect on the cutoff frequency.
V
>
Filter
(Velocity
Filter) uses the velocity to modulate the cutoff frequency directly.
The
Filter Envelope
controls affect the filter frequency. Use the fields or click and drag the “handles” of the envelope to shape the envelope or time-variant modulation output. Adjust the envelope’s influence on the filter frequency with the
Env
section to learn about the envelope parameters.
The
Amp Envelope
controls affect level changes over time. Use the fields or click and drag the “handles” of the envelope to shape the envelope or time-variant modulation output. Adjust the envelope’s influence on the filter frequency with the
Env
knob. See the later
section to learn about the envelope parameters.
130
The
Pad Play Modes
section lets you set the behavior for each pad’s samples in a drum program.
Click the
Mute Group
menu to assign the selected pad to one of the 32 available groups. When pads assigned to the same mute group receive MIDI notes, the last pad played will silence all other pads in that mute group. A mute group affects pads within that program only; mute groups do not affect pads in other programs.
Tip
: This feature is useful for programming realistic hi-hats, especially if only the open or closed hat should be heard.
Click the
Sample Play
menu to determine how much of the sample is played.
One-Shot
: The entire sample will play from start to end. Use this when you want to play short sounds.
Note-On
: The sample will play only as long as the pad is held. This is better for longer samples so you can control a sound’s duration by pressing and holding its corresponding pad. If this option is selected, the
Filter
Envelope
and
Amp Envelope
will use an
ADSR
type rather than AD or AHDS (see
to learn about this).
Click the
Pad Poly
menu to determine how the pad’s sound behaves when multiple hits are registered. When set to
Mono
, only one pad will sound at a time. If a pad is played while another (or the same one) is still playing its sample/samples, the new pad will immediately mute all other currently playing pads in that program. When set to
Poly
, several pads can be triggered at the same time (limited only by the total number of voices available). You can also select a specific number of pads (
2
–
64
) so that you can trigger up to this many pads at the same time
(unless they exceed the total number of voices available).
Click the
Layer Play
menu to determine how multiple samples assigned to the same pad are played:
Cycle
: Each time the pad is played, it will play the next layer’s sample. In other words, the samples will cycle through the layers as follows: 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4… etc.
Velocity
: The pad will switch between layers depending on how hard you press a pad.
Random
: Each time the pad is played, it will play one of its layer’s samples at random.
The
Velocity Sensitivity
section determines how much the velocity affects the pitch of the sound (
Pitch
), the attack of the filter envelope (
Attack
), the volume level of the filter envelope (
Amp
) and or the panning of the sound (
Pan
).
Use the sliders to adjust the setting of each.
When you press a pad softly, only minimal modulation is applied. When you press it harder, the modulation amount also gets stronger depending on the setting of the corresponding knob.
The
LFO
section lets you select a periodic waveform generated by the low-frequency oscillator. You can adjust the frequency and shape for modulation purposes.
Click the
Wave
menu to select the LFO waveform type:
Sine
(best suited for smooth modulations)
Triangle
(best suited for smooth modulations)
S&H
(samples a random value and holds it until the next value is generated)
Saw
(can generate interesting filter or volume changes)
Saw Down
(can generate interesting filter or volume changes)
Square
(interesting results with hard-panning modulations)
Noise
(generates random values and glides)
Use the
Rate
knobs to determine the LFO frequency when
Sync
is on. At lower values, it might take some time for the LFO to complete a cycle, while higher values will come closer to audible range.
Click the
Sync
menu to set how the LFO’s rate is synchronized with the tempo. You can select one of several time divisions. When
None
is selected,
Sync
is off.
Use the
Destinations
sliders to determine how much the LFO affects the pitch of the sound (
Pitch
), the cutoff frequency of the filter (
Filter
), the volume level of the sound (
Amp
) and panning of the sound (
Pan
).
131
Keygroup Programs
When using a keygroup program, the Program Editor shows the parameters for each keygroup and the program overall.
To select a keygroup
, press a
pad
within that keygroup. Its parameters will appear on the screen immediately.
In the
Master
section, set the playback mode and tuning for the overall program.
Polyphony
sets the playback mode for the program’s keygroups. In
Mono
Mode, only one keygroup will sound at a time. If a keygroup is played while another (or the same one) is still playing its sample/samples, the new keygroup will immediately mute all other currently playing keygroups in that program. In
Poly
Mode, several keygroups can be triggered at the same time (limited only by the total number of voices available).
Num of KG
(number of keygroups) lets you create up to 128 keygroups within a keygroup program. This is useful when working with multi-samples. For example, if you want to create a realistic piano, you can use different keygroups (e.g., 88 for a grand piano) with every keygroup containing its own sampled note (with up to four possible velocity layers).
Semi
lets you tune the program up to 36 semitones up or down.
Fine
provides fine-tuning of the program up to 99 cents up or down.
Trans
shifts the pitch of the MIDI notes sent to the program up to 36 semitones up or down.
Use the
Keygroup
section to set the playback modes, level, tuning, and other settings for the keygroup.
Note
: The
Sample Layers
section has some parameters similar to those in this section (
Level
,
Pan
,
Semi
,
Fine
).
Remember that
Keygroup
section parameters control the overall settings for the sample, while
Sample Layers
controls the settings for each layer (up to 4).
KG Select
(Keygroup Select) lets you select a specific keygroup for editing. This parameter works in conjunction with the
Num of KG
(number of keygroups) parameter at the top of the window, which lets you create up to 128 keygroups within one keygroup program. A default keygroup program contains only one single keygroup. When you have created more than one keygroup with
Num of KG
, use
KG Select
to select any keygroup for editing.
All
selects all available keygroups of a keygroup program for simultaneous editing.
Key Track
allows you to switch a sample’s automatic transposition on or off. If this is off, you will always hear the same pitch of the sample, no matter which note is triggered by pads or a connected MIDI keyboard.
Level
controls the overall volume level of the loaded sample/samples.
Pan
controls the overall panning of the loaded sample/samples in the stereo field.
Note Range
lets you restrict the key range used for a sample’s playback. Only notes with a key number higher or equal (
Lo
) or lower and equal (
Hi
) to the selected value will trigger a sound.
Tip
: Set the
Lo
parameter to
A0
and the
Hi
parameter to
C8
to emulate the range of a standard 88-key piano.
Pitch
lets you transpose the sample 36 semitones up or down, while
Fine
provides fine-tuning of each layer up to 99 cents up or down.
132
Click the
KG Poly
(keygroup polyphony) menu to determine how the keygroup will play. When set to
Mono
, only one pad will sound at a time. If a pad is played while another (or the same one) is still playing its sample/samples, the new pad will immediately mute all other currently playing pads in that program. When set to
Poly
, several pads can be triggered at the same time, limited only by the total number of voices available. You can also select a specific number of pads (
2
–
64
) so that you can play up to this many pads at the same time (unless they exceed the total number of voices available).
Click the
Mute Group
menu to assign the selected pad to one of the 32 available groups. When pads assigned to the same mute group receive MIDI notes, the last pad played will silence all other pads in that mute group. A mute group affects pads within that program only; mute groups do not affect pads in other programs.
Layer Play
determines how multiple samples assigned to the same pad are played:
Cycle
: Each time the pad is played, it will play the next layer’s sample. In other words, the samples will cycle through the layers as follows: 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4… etc.
Velocity
: The pad will switch between layers depending on how hard you press a pad.
Random
: Each time the pad is played, it will play one of its layer’s samples at random.
Sample Play
determines how much of the sample is played:
One-Shot
: The entire sample will play from start to end. Use this when you want to play short sounds.
Note-On
: The sample will play only as long as the pad is held. This is better for longer samples so you can control a sound’s duration by pressing and holding its corresponding pad. If this option is selected, the
Filter
Envelope
and
Amp Envelope
will use an
ADSR
type rather than AD or AHDS (see
to learn about this).
The
Sample Layers
section shows four layers, each of which can use an assigned sample. Each layer has identical, independently assignable parameters.
Click the
Sample
menu to select the sample for that layer. Remember that the sample has to be loaded into the project’s sample pool beforehand.
Semi
lets you transpose the selected layer up to 36 semitones up or down.
Fine
provides fine-tuning of each layer up to 99 cents up or down.
Level
lets you adjust each layer’s volume, letting you control the “balance” of the samples assigned to the pad.
Use the
pan knob
to adjust the stereo placement of the respective layer.
Use the
Velocity
slider to define the velocity range of each layer.
A range from
0
to
127
lets the layer respond to the entire velocity range which is input from the respective pad while, for example, a range from
100
to
127
lets the layer respond only to higher velocity levels. By assigning several samples of one instrument, you can create a realistic-sounding “multi-sample” by adjusting the velocity ranges of each layer accordingly.
For example, you may have three samples of a piano key with low force, medium force, and high force. You can set each sample to a layer and set the Velocity ranges so only low velocities trigger the low-force sample, only mid-range velocities trigger the medium-force sample, and only high velocities trigger the high-force sample.
The
Filter
section lets you set the type and characteristics of the filter.
Click the
Type
menu to select a filter for the selected keygroup. See
of the available filter types. You can set the default Type setting for new drum programs and keygroup programs in the
Project
tab of the
Preferences
Use the
Cutoff
knob to set the cutoff frequency for low-pass and high-pass filter types or the center frequency for band-pass and band-stop filter types.
Use the
Res
knob to set the resonance/emphasis of the frequencies around the cutoff point.
Tip
: Use values lower than
80
to give more brilliance to the sound. At values higher than
80
, the sound will result in a strong audible boost around the cutoff frequency.
Use the
Env
knob to determine the amount of influence the filter envelope has on the cutoff frequency. Higher settings will increase the modulation of the filter by the envelope; lower settings will result in only subtle changes of the filter
Cutoff
over time.
Tip
:
To give a sound a more distinctive attack
, increase the
Env
setting and set low
Attack
and
Decay
values as well as a medium-low
Sustain
value of the
Filter Envelope
. This will start a sound with the filter opened and close it shortly afterward, giving it a bright start followed by a darker sustain. String sounds, on the other hand, can sound much more “alive” with low
Env
settings and a high
Attack
value, resulting in a slight fade-in of the higher frequencies.
133
The
Modulation Sources
section lets you set how much velocity is required to modulate certain other parameters as well as your filter envelope and amp envelope.
Kbd
>
Filter
(Keyboard
Filter) sets how much the note value will be added to the filter cutoff. This allows higher notes to sound brighter.
V
>
Attack
(Velocity
Attack) sets how much velocity is needed (for a triggered pad) to modulate the Attack phase for the Amp envelope.
V
>
Env
(Velocity
Envelope) enables velocity information to control the amount of the filter envelope’s effect on the cutoff frequency.
V
>
Filter
(Velocity
Filter) uses the velocity to modulate the cutoff frequency directly.
The
Filter Envelope
controls affect the filter frequency. Use the fields or click and drag the “handles” of the envelope to shape the envelope or time-variant modulation output. Adjust the envelope’s influence on the filter frequency with the
Env
section to learn about the envelope parameters.
The
Amp Envelope
controls affect level changes over time. Use the fields or click and drag the “handles” of the envelope to shape the envelope or time-variant modulation output. Adjust the envelope’s influence on the filter frequency with the
Env
knob. See the later
section to learn about the envelope parameters.
The
Velocity Sensitivity
section determines how much the velocity affects the pitch of the sound (
Pitch
), the attack of the filter envelope (
Attack
), the volume level of the filter envelope (
Amp
) and or the panning of the sound (
Pan
).
Use the sliders to adjust the setting of each.
When you press a pad softly, only minimal modulation is applied. When you press it harder, the modulation amount also gets stronger depending on the setting of the corresponding knob.
The
LFO
section lets you select a periodic waveform generated by the low-frequency oscillator. You can adjust the frequency and shape for modulation purposes.
Click the
Wave
menu to select the LFO waveform type:
Sine
(best suited for smooth modulations)
Triangle
(best suited for smooth modulations)
S&H
(samples a random value and holds it until the next value is generated)
Saw
(can generate interesting filter or volume changes)
Saw Down
(can generate interesting filter or volume changes)
Square
(interesting results with hard-panning modulations)
Noise
(generates random values and glides)
Use the
Rate
knobs to determine the LFO frequency when
Sync
is on. At lower values, it might take some time for the LFO to complete a cycle, while higher values will come closer to audible range.
Click the
Sync
menu to set how the LFO’s rate is synchronized with the tempo. You can select one of several time divisions. When
None
is selected,
Sync
is off.
Use the
Destinations
sliders to determine how much the LFO affects the pitch of the sound (
Pitch
), the cutoff frequency of the filter (
Filter
), the volume level of the sound (
Amp
) and panning of the sound (
Pan
).
The
Controller Mod
section determines the influence of additional play controllers on various sound parameters.
Important
: To use these parameters, make sure that a connected MIDI device can send pitch bend messages as well as aftertouch and modulation wheel data.
Pitch Bend
sets the range (in semitones) of a connected MIDI keyboard’s pitch-bend wheel.
Wheel
>
LFO
determines how much a connected MIDI keyboard’s modulation wheel affects the LFO intensity.
Aft
>
Filt
(Aftertouch
Filter Cutoff) determines how much a connected MIDI keyboard’s aftertouch data affects the filter cutoff.
134
Plugin Programs
When using a plugin program, the Program Editor shows the parameters of that plugin. Its appearance and available options depend on the plugin.
MIDI Programs
When using a MIDI program, the Program Editor shows a series of knobs corresponding to MIDI CC values—six banks of knobs with 16 knobs in each bank (a total of 96 knobs).
To set the MIDI CC of a knob
, click the area above it next to
down arrow icon
(
) and select a number from the menu.
To adjust the value that each MIDI CC sends
, click and drag its knob.
135
Clip Programs
When using a clip program, the Program Editor shows various settings to determine how each pad launches its assigned sample (a loop called a
clip
).
To select a pad
, press it. Its parameters will appear in the
Program Editor
panel immediately, and it will appear in the
Wave Editor
in the upper half of the window (see
To learn how to assign a clip to a pad
, use the menu at the top of the
Pad
.
The
Program
section lets you adjust the program’s overall tuning and quantization.
Semi
lets you transpose the program up to 36 semitones up or down.
Fine
provides fine-tuning of the program up to 99 cents up or down.
Click the
Quantize
menu to set the quantization of the program:
1
/
64 bar
,
1
/
32 bar
,
1
/
16 bar
,
1
/
8 bar
,
1
/
4 bar
,
1
/
2 bar
,
1 bar
,
2 bars
,
4 bars
,
8 bars
, or
None
. When set to
None
, the program will not follow any quantization at all.
The
Pad
section controls how the clip plays.
Click the menu at the top of the
Pad
section to select the clip you want to assign to the pad.
Use the
Start
or
End
fields to set the start point or end point of the region of the clip that will be played.
Alternatively, click and drag the
green
start point marker and
red
end point marker in the
Wave Editor
.
Use the
Pad Play
field to determine how the clip is played.
One Shot
: When you press the pad, the entire clip will play from start to end and then stop.
Toggle
: When you press the pad, the entire clip will play from start to end and loop indefinitely. Pressing it again—or launching another in the same mute group—will stop its playback. This is the most common usage.
Semi
lets you transpose the pad up to 36 semitones up or down.
Fine
provides fine-tuning of the pad up to 99 cents up or down.
Click the
Mute Group
menu to assign the selected pad to one of the 32 available groups. When pads assigned to the same mute group receive MIDI notes, the last pad played will silence all other pads in that mute group. A mute group affects pads within that program only; mute groups do not affect pads in other programs.
Note
: By default, each column of pads is assigned to the same mute group. This means only one pad from each column can be playing its clip at a time. You can use the
Mute Group
field to configure this any way you like, though.
Click the
Pad Quantize
menu to set the quantization of the pad:
1
/
64 bar
,
1
/
32 bar
,
1
/
16 bar
,
1
/
8 bar
,
1
/
4 bar
,
1
/
2 bar
,
1 bar
,
2 bars
,
4 bars
,
8 bars
,
None
, or
Program
. When set to
Program
, the pad uses the same quantization as the overall program (the
Quantize
field in the adjacent
Program
section). When set to
Off
, the pad will not follow any quantization at all.
Click
Warp
to lengthen or shorten the clip without changing its pitch, and use the
BPM
field to change the tempo. Use the
Coarse
and
Fine
sliders if you want to change the pitch.
Note
: The Warp algorithms are very CPU-intensive and can result in audio drop-outs during playback if used too freely. Be mindful of how (and how often) you use the warp function.
Click
Reverse
to reverse the clip’s audio.
Use the
Fade
button to apply a very small fade-in and fade-out at the start and end of the clip. This can help prevent
“clicks” and glitches that may occur if the start point or end point is not placed at the waveform’s “zero-crossings.”
136
CV Programs
When using a CV program, the Program Editor shows a series of knobs. The first eight knobs correspond to CV
Outputs 1–8. Although this option is selectable, it is usable only with MPC hardware that has CV outputs (e.g.,
MPC X
).
To set the CV output of a knob
, click the area above it next to
down arrow
(
) and select an output from the menu.
To adjust the voltage of each one
, click and drag its knob.
137
Anatomy of an Envelope
An envelope creates a variable control signal. It can be used, for instance, to modulate the filter settings of a sound over a given period of time.
For drum programs, use the
AD
/
AHDS
selector to select an AD or AHDS envelope. When
Sample Play
is set to
Note-On
, it will use an ADSR envelope.
Keygroup programs use
AHDS
envelopes. When
Sample Play
is set to
Note-On
, it will use an
ADSR
envelope.
With
AHDS
envelopes, the following happens when you trigger a sample:
1.
Within the period of time defined by
Attack
, the sample volume rises to its maximum value.
2.
The sample’s maximum volume will be maintained during the
Hold
phase.
3.
During the
Decay
phase, the sample’s volume will gradually drop to the
Sustain
level.
4.
The sample’s volume will stay at the
Sustain
level until the pad is released.
With
AD
envelopes, the following happens when you trigger a sample:
1.
Within the period of time defined by
Attack
, the sample volume rises to its maximum value.
2.
The sample’s maximum volume will be maintained until its
Decay
phase, when the sample’s volume will gradually drop to “zero” over the set duration. Click the
Type
drop-down menu to select how the decay functions:
Decay From Start
: The volume will start decreasing immediately after reaching its maximum level.
Decay From End
: The maximum volume will be maintained for a hold phase until it reaches the decay phase.
With
ADSR
envelopes, the following happens when you trigger a sample:
1.
Within the period of time defined by
Attack
, the sample volume rises to its maximum value.
2.
During the
Decay
phase, the sample’s volume will gradually drop to the
Sustain
level.
3.
The sample’s volume will stay at the
Sustain
level until the
Release
phrase begins.
4.
The sample’s volume will drop to “zero” over the duration set by
Release
.
138
Sample Edit Mode
Sample Edit Mode lets you edit samples using various functions.
To enter Sample Edit Mode
, do any of the following:
•
Click the
waveform-and-flags icon
in the toolbar (if shown).
•
Click the
down arrow
(
) next to the other mode icons in the toolbar, and click
Sample Edit
.
•
Click the
menu icon
(
≡
), and go to
View
>
Mode
and click
Sample Edit
.
•
Double-click the desired sample in the
Project
panel or
Project Info
Browser.
•
Right-click the desired sample in the
Project
panel or
Project Info
Browser, and click
Edit
.
To select a sample to edit
, click it in the
Project
panel or
Project Info
Browser.
139
The upper half of the window shows the waveform. While you can edit the waveform in this part of the window, it is different from the standard Wave Editor.
The large waveform display shows the “active” section of the sample waveform. The strip above the large display shows an overview of the entire sample waveform. If the waveform display is showing only part of the entire sample waveform, a white box in the overview will indicate the current position.
The timeline provides a reference for the length of the sample. Click the
down arrow
(
) or right-click anywhere on the timeline to select the increments it will use:
Time
(
secs
:
ms
),
Samples
, or
Beats
.
Scroll left or right on the waveform to move through it. Use the sliders in the lower-right corner or click the timeline and drag down or up to zoom in or out.
The green marker and red marker are the start point and end point
(respectively). These two points define the region of the sample that will be played.
To move the start point or end point of the selected region
, do either of the following:
•
Click and drag its marker left or right.
•
Use the
Start
or
End
fields in the
Parameters
panel.
•
Use the
first
column of
Q-Link knobs
to adjust the start point or the
second
column of
Q-Link knobs
to adjust the end point.
The top-most Q-Link knob provides coarse adjustment (
x1000
), while the bottom-most one knob provides fine adjustment (
x1
).
Tip
: A recorded sample may have some silence at the beginning or end, which makes it difficult to time it correctly in a musical context. Fix this by adjusting the start point. You can also adjust end point to remove any extra silence or unwanted audio at the end. In addition to making your workflow easier, having a “tight,” well-edited sample can enhance your production or performance.
The lower half of the window can display the
Q-Links
panel,
Pads
panel,
Parameters
panel, and
Project
panel.
Click the corresponding selector to show or hide each one. See
to learn more about the
Project
panel.
The other three panels vary based on the current editing method:
Trim Mode
,
Chop Mode
, or
Program Mode
. The
options for each mode are slightly different. Please refer to the following
parts of this chapter to learn how each works.
Tip
: You can use Trim Mode for a specific slice of the sample, previously created and selected in Chop Mode. This allows for a more detailed view of a single slice than in Chop Mode and gives you more options for auditioning the slice. You can easily switch between Trim Mode and Chop Mode while doing this.
To use both Trim Mode and Chop Mode to edit a sample slice
:
1.
Click
Chop
in the
Q-Links
panel.
2.
Set all fields as desired to create your sample slices.
3.
Select the desired slice.
4.
Click
Trim
in the
Q-Links
panel. The region you are now editing is indicated by the normal start point and end point markers rather than slice markers.
•
Click
Chop
at any time to return to Chop Mode.
140
Trim Mode
We recommend using Trim Mode to simply crop the start and/or end from a sample.
To enter Trim Mode
, click the
Trim
tab in the
Q-Links
panel.
Q-Links
In the
Q-Links
panel:
Use the
first
column of
Q-Link knobs
to adjust the start point. This is the same as adjusting the
Start
field in the
Parameters
panel.
Use the
second
column of
Q-Link knobs
to adjust the end point. This is the same as adjusting the
End
field in the
Parameters
panel.
Use the
third
column of
Q-Link knobs
to adjust the loop point if
Loop Lock
is
off
. If
Loop Lock
is
on
, adjusting the loop point will also adjust the start point. This is the same as adjusting the
Loop
field in the
Parameters
panel.
Use
Q-Link Knob 16
to select the desired slice, if the sample has been split into multiple slices in Chop Mode. This is the same as adjusting the
Slice
field in the
Parameters
panel.
Use
Q-Link Knob 8
to scroll through the waveform in the large waveform display above.
Use
Q-Link Knob 4
to zoom in or zoom out of the waveform.
For the first three columns, the top-most Q-Link knob provides coarse adjustment
(
x1000
), while the bottom-most one knob provides fine adjustment (
x1
).
141
When
Link Slices
is enabled (after you have created slices in Chop Mode), changing the start point of a slice will also change the end point of the previous slice. Similarly, changing the end point of a slice will also change the start point of the next slice. Disable
Link Slices
if you are trying to create slices that use non-contiguous parts of the sample. This is the same as clicking the
gear icon
in the upper-right corner of the
Wave Editor
and using the
Link Slices
submenu.
Important
:
Link Slices
must be disabled to make slices nonsequential, noncontiguous, or overlapping.
Enable
Zero Snap
to force start points, end points, and loop points to occur only at the waveform’s “zero-crossings.”
This can help to avoid clicks and glitches when playing a sample. This is the same as clicking the
gear icon
in the upper-right corner of the
Wave Editor
and using the
Zero Snap
submenu.
Pads
The
Pads
panel enables you to play certain parts of the selected sample:
Play Sample
(
One Shot
) (
Pad 10
) plays the sample once from the start point to the end point. Press the pad once to play it.
Play Sample
(
Note On
) (
Pad 11
) plays the sample once from the start point to the end point. Press and hold the pad to play it, and release the pad to stop playing it. Alternatively, click and hold anywhere in the waveform display.
Play Loop Continuous
(
Pad 16
) plays the sample repeatedly from the loop point to the end point.
Play Loop
(
Pad 13
) plays the sample from the loop point to the end point.
Press and hold the pad to play it, and release the pad to stop playing it.
Play to Loop Start
(
Pad 14
) plays the part of the sample just before the loop point. Press and hold the pad to play it, and release the pad to stop playing it.
Play from Loop Start
(
Pad 15
) plays the sample from the loop point to the end of the sample regardless of the end point. Press and hold the pad to play it, and release the pad to stop playing it.
Play All
(
Pad 9
) plays the entire sample.
Pads 1
–
4
have the same respective functions as
Pads 5
–
8
, but
Pads 1
–
4
play the sample part as “
One Shots
”
(pressing the pad once will play the entire part) while
Pads 5
–
8
play the sample part as “
Note Ons
” (pressing the pad and holding it will play the part; releasing it will stop playback):
Play from Start
(
Pad 1
,
Pad 5
) plays the sample from the start point to the end point.
Play to Start
(
Pad 2
,
Pad 6
) plays the part of the sample just before the start point to the start point.
Play to End
(
Pad 3
,
Pad 7
) plays the part of the sample just before the end point to the end point.
Play from End
(
Pad 4
,
Pad 8
) plays the part of the sample from the end point to the end of the sample.
142
Parameters
The
Parameters
panel includes controls for editing the sample length and
tuning as well as buttons for assigning the sample (see
processing the slice or sample (see
Use the
Slice
field to select the desired slice, if the sample has been split into multiple slices in Chop Mode. This is the same as adjusting
Q-Link
Knob 16
in the
Q-Links
panel.
Use the
Start
field to adjust the start point. This is the same as adjusting the
first
column of
Q-Link knobs
in the
Q-Links
panel.
Use the
End
field to adjust the end point. This is the same as adjusting the
second
column of
Q-Link knobs
in the
Q-Links
panel.
Use the
Loop
field to adjust the loop point if
Loop Lock
is
off
. If
Loop Lock
is
on
, adjusting the loop point will also adjust the start point. This is the same as adjusting the
third
column of
Q-Link knobs
in the
Q-Links
panel.
Click the
Lock
button to turn Loop Lock on or off. When
on
, the loop point is the same as the start point. When
off
, the loop point is independent from the start point and indicated by a separate loop marker.
Click the
Loop
menu to cycle between the three loop modes:
Off
: The sample will not loop.
Forward
(
Fwd
): When the loop reaches its end point, it will start playing again from the loop point.
Reverse
(
Rev
): When the loop reaches its end point, it will play in reverse. When it reaches the loop point again, it will return to the end point and continue playing in reverse.
Alternating
(
Alt
): When the loop reaches its end point, it will play in reverse. When it reaches the loop point again, it will start playing forward again from the loop point.
Use the
Crossfade
field to apply a crossfade to a looping sample. See
Addenda > Updates in MPC 2.3 > New Features > Crossfade Looping
for more information about this.
Use the
Tune
field to transpose the sample from its original pitch up to
24.00
semitones up or down.
Use the
Root Nt
field to set the root note of the sample. This defines which note will play the sample at its original pitch when in a keygroup program.
143
Click
From BPM
to tune a sample to the current sequence. In the
Edit Tuning
window that appears:
Use the
Beats
field to match the number of beats in the sequence.
To tune the sample to the sequence
, click
Match
. The
Tune
field will adjust automatically and close the window. The sample is now tuned to the sequence.
To tune the sample to the sequence and adjust the sequence tempo
, click
To Sequence
. This is the same as clicking Match but it also changes the sequence’s tempo to the BPM shown in the Tempo field on the right.
To close the window
, click
Close
.
Use the
BPM
field to enter a tempo manually. You can also click
X2
to double the value or
/2
to halve it.
Click
Detect BPM
to automatically detect the tempo. In the
Detect BPM
window that appears:
Use the
BPM
field to enter a tempo manually. You can also click
X2
to double the value or
/2
to halve it.
Click
Detect
to detect the tempo automatically.
Click
Tap Tempo
at the bottom of the window at the desired rate to use it as the tempo. You can play a sequence in the background to help with your timing.
Click
Close
to close the window.
Note:
Before detecting tempo, it is recommended that you
Normalize
samples for best results.
144
Assigning Samples
You can assign your new sample directly to a pad from Trim Mode.
Click
Assign
to assign a sample. In the
Assign Sample
window that appears, you can click the
Assign To
menu to select a different assignment, and then click
Do It
to assign the sample or
Cancel
to close the window without assigning the sample.
Important
: Assigning a sample to a pad in this way will replace the sample on the first layer of the pad.
If you set the
Assign To
menu to
Assign slice to a pad
, the pad will simply refer to the slice in this sample instead of creating a new sample. This is useful for reducing clutter in your project.
Use the
Pad
menu to select the desired pad. Alternatively, press the desired pad.
Use the
Slice Type
menu to select how the pad’s layer settings will be set when the slice is assigned to it:
Non-Destructive Slice
: The pad’s
Slice
setting will be set to the slice number.
Pad Parameters
: The pad’s
Slice
setting will be set to
Pad
. The
Pad
Start
and
Pad End
will be set to the slice’s start point and end point values, and the
Loop Position
will be set to the slice’s start point but with
Pad Loop
deactivated.
Use the
Program
menu to specify the program to which you want to add the slice.
If you set the
Assign To
menu to
Make new sample
, this will create a new sample in your project. (The original sample will remain as it is.)
Use the
Pad
menu to select the desired pad. Alternatively, press the desired pad.
Select the
Crop Sample
box to delete the unused parts from the sample when it’s created and assigned. This feature is destructive, though the project will still contain your original sample.
Leave this box deselected to keep the unused parts of the sample when it is created and assigned. This way, you will still be able to edit the entire sample further even though you are using only part of it at the moment.
Use the
Program
menu to specify the program to which you want to add the slice.
145
Processing Slices & Samples
Use the column of
Process
buttons to select an editing process. In the
Process Sample
window that appears, you can click the
Function
menu to select a different process, and then click
Do It
to apply the process or
Cancel
to close the window without processing the sample.
You can use any of these functions as described below.
Note
: All
Slice
processes will affect only the part of the sample between the start point and the end point. The
Sample
processes (
Bit Reduce
and
Stereo
>
Mono
) will affect the
entire
sample regardless of its start point or end point.
The
Discard
process deletes the regions before the start point and after the end point.
The
Delete
process deletes the region between the start point and end point and closes the gap between them.
The
Silence
process replaces the region between the start point and end point with silence.
The
Extract
process deletes the regions before the start point and after the end point and saves it as a new sample in your current project.
Use the
Name
field to name the new sample.
Tip
: This is useful if you recorded a drum loop and wanted to remove just a snare drum hit, a kick drum hit, etc. to use separately in the project.
The
Normalize
process increases a sample’s level to the highest level possible without distortion. This is essentially a kind of digital gain optimization, so you do not have to worry about excessive level settings when working with samples with a wide range of amplitudes.
146
The
Reverse
process reverses the region between the start point and end point.
The
Fade In
process sets a fade-in between the start point and end point.
Click the
Type
menu to select a type of fade:
Linear
fades the audio in with a linear curve—a straight line between the start and end.
Log
fades the audio in with a logarithmic curve—quickly rising at the start and flattening out towards the end.
Exp
fades the audio in with an exponential curve—slowly rising in the beginning and growing steeper towards the end.
The
Fade Out
process sets a fade-out between the start point and end point. Click the
Type
menu to select a type of fade:
Linear
fades the audio out with a linear curve—a straight line between the start and end.
Log
fades the audio out with a logarithmic curve—quickly rising at the start and flattening out towards the end.
Exp
fades the audio out with an exponential curve—slowly rising in the beginning and growing steeper towards the end.
The
Pitch Shift
process changes the pitch of the sample without changing its length. This lets you set the sample’s pitch to your sequence without affecting the sample’s tempo or duration. Keep in mind that the audio quality may decrease at more extreme settings.
Use the
Pitch
field to shift the pitch up to
12.00
semitones up or down.
The
Time Stretch
process lengthens or shortens the sample without changing its pitch. This is useful for matching the durations of two samples with different pitches. You can enter the original tempo of the sample and the desired tempo after processing.
Use the
Number of Beats
field to set the desired value number of beats.
Use the
New
field to set the new tempo. The
Ratio
field will then automatically show the time stretch factor.
Alternatively, to adjust the ratio instead, use the
Ratio
field to set the desired ratio, and then the
New
field will change automatically based on the new time stretch factor.
147
The
Gain Change
process raises or lowers the volume of the sample.
Use the
Gain Amount
field to adjust the gain up to
18 dB
up or down.
This function is different than Normalize because it will allow volumes beyond clipping level. This may be a desired effect, but remember to watch your output level!
The
Copy
process saves a copy of the sample.
Use the
Name
field to name the new sample.
Otherwise, the process will add a consecutive number after the sample name.
The
Bit Reduce
process lowers the bit resolution of a sample, effectively reducing its degree of faithful reproduction.
Use the
Bit Depth
field to set the bit depth from
1 bit
to
16 bits
.
The resulting sound is similar to the Resampler effect, but Bit Reduce will permanently alter the sample.
Tip
: Use this on drum loops to get a dirty, “old-school” sizzle but with a digital “edge.”
Note
: This process affects the
entire
sample regardless of its start point or end point.
The
Stereo
>
Mono
process converts a stereo sample to a new mono sample and saves it as a new sample.
Click the
Source
menu to select which channels will be converted:
•
Left
will convert the left channel only.
•
Right
will convert the right channel only.
•
Sum
will combine the left and right audio channels to a single mono channel.
Use the
Name
field to name the new sample.
Otherwise, the process will add a consecutive number after the sample name.
Note
: This process affects the
entire
sample regardless of its start point or end point.
148
Chop Mode
While Trim Mode crops only the start and/or end off of a sample, Chop Mode divides the sample into multiple regions called
slices
. We recommend using Chop Mode when working with a long sample with different sounds throughout
(e.g., a drum loop or a long melodic or harmonic passage).
To enter Chop Mode
, click the
Chop
in the
Q-Links
panel.
To select a slice to edit
, do one of the following:
•
Click the lower half of the slice in the waveform in the upper half of the window.
•
Click the corresponding
pad
in the
Pads
panel.
•
Use
Q-Link Knob 16
.
•
Adjust the
Slice
field in the
Parameters
panel.
149
Q-Links
In the
Q-Links
panel:
Use the
first
column of
Q-Link knobs
to adjust the start point. This is the same as adjusting the
Start
field in the
Parameters
panel.
Use the
second
column of
Q-Link knobs
to adjust the end point. This is the same as adjusting the
End
field in the
Parameters
panel.
Use
Q-Link Knob 15
to adjust the cue playhead. This is the same as adjusting the
Cue
field in the
Parameters
panel.
Use
Q-Link Knob 16
to select the desired slice. This is the same as adjusting the
Slice
field in the
Parameters
panel or clicking or pressing the corresponding pad.
Use
Q-Link Knob 8
to scroll through the waveform in the large waveform display above.
Use
Q-Link Knob 4
to zoom in or zoom out of the waveform.
When the
Chop To
menu is set to
Regions
, use
Q-Link Knob 11
to set into how many regions the sample will be divided.
When the
Chop To
menu is set to
Threshold
, use
Q-Link Knob 11
to set the threshold level.
For the first three columns, the top-most Q-Link knob provides coarse adjustment
(
x1000
), while the bottom-most one knob provides fine adjustment (
x1
).
When
Link Slices
is enabled, changing the start point of a slice will also change the end point of the previous slice.
Similarly, changing the end point of a slice will also change the start point of the next slice. Disable
Link Slices
if you are trying to create slices that use non-contiguous parts of the sample. This is the same as clicking the
gear icon
in the upper-right corner of the
Wave Editor
and using the
Link Slices
submenu.
Important
:
Link Slices
must be disabled to make slices nonsequential, noncontiguous, or overlapping.
Enable
Zero Snap
to force start points, end points, and loop points to occur only at the waveform’s “zero-crossings.”
This can help to avoid clicks and glitches when playing a sample. This is the same as clicking the
gear icon
in the upper-right corner of the
Wave Editor
and using the
Zero Snap
submenu.
Pads
The
Pads
panel enables you to play and select each slice of the selected sample:
Press the
pad
to play and select its corresponding the slice. If your sample has more than 16 slices, use the additional pad banks. This is the same as turning
Q-Link Knob 16
in the
Q-Links
panel or using the
Slice
field in the
Parameters
panel.
Note
: When the
Pad Audition
menu is set to
One Shot
, clicking or pressing the pad will play the slice from its start marker. When
Pad Audition
is set to
Note
On
, clicking (or pressing) and then holding the pad will play the slice from its start marker—releasing the pad will stop playback.
150
Parameters
The
Parameters
panel includes controls for editing the sample length and tuning as well as buttons for converting or assigning the sample (see
) and processing the slice or sample (see
Use the
Chop To
menu to choose how you want to use Chop Mode:
Manual
This method lets you insert slices at locations you select.
Threshold
This method uses an adjustable detection algorithm that derives the number of slices created from the volume levels present in the sample.
Use the
Threshold
field to set the threshold level. Alternatively, turn
Q-Link Knob
11
. The higher the selected value, the more slices will be created.
Use the
Min Time
field to set the minimum length of a slice in milliseconds.
Regions
This method divides a sample into slices of equal length.
Use the
Num Regions
field to set into how many regions the sample will be divided. Alternatively, turn
Q-Link Knob 11
. The higher the selected value, the more slices will be created.
BPM
This method divides a sample into slices based on the tempo (beats per minute).
Use the
Bars
field to set how many bars are in the sample. Alternatively, turn the second
Q-Link knob
in the third bank.
Use the
Beats
field to set how many beats are in each bar. Alternatively, turn the third
Q-Link knob
in the third bank.
Use the
Time Div
field to set a note division. Alternatively, turn the bottom-most
Q-Link knob
in the third bank. The slice markers will be placed according to this setting. You can select
1
/
4
,
1
/
8
,
1
/
16
, or
1
/
32
. (In most cases, you should set this parameter to
1
/
16
.)
151
Use the
Slice
field to select the desired slice. This is the same as turning
Q-Link Knob
16
field in the
Q-Links
panel or clicking or pressing the corresponding
pad
.
Use the
Start
field to adjust the start point. This is the same as turning the
first
column of
Q-Link knobs
in the
Q-Links
panel.
Use the
End
field to adjust the end point. This is the same as turning the
second
column of
Q-Link knobs
in the
Q-Links
panel.
Note
: When
Link Slices
is enabled, changing the start point of a slice will also change the end point of the previous slice. Similarly, changing the end point of a slice will also change the start point of the next slice. Disable
Link Slices
if you are trying to create slices that use non-contiguous parts of the sample.
Click
+Slice
(under the
End
field) to add a slice at the current playhead position. You can do this at any point during sample playback.
To insert a slice marker manually
, click the upper part of the waveform at the desired location (the cursor will appear as a
red
arrow with a
+
symbol:
+
).
To insert a slice marker during sample playback
, press an
unlit pad
(usually
Pad 1
) to start playback of the sample, and then press an
unlit pad
during playback to place a slice marker at each location of the playhead. (If you press a lit pad, playback will restart from that pad’s corresponding slice marker.) The number of the pad that is lit
green
is the number of the most-recently inserted slice marker. The numbers of the pads that are lit
yellow
are the numbers of the slice markers that are already inserted.
Click the
–
button (to the right of the
Slice
field) to combine the currently selected slice with the one before it.
Click the
+
button (to the right of the
Slice
field) to split the currently selected slice into two slices of the same size.
Click
–All
(to the right of the
Slice
field) to remove all slices from a sample.
The cue playhead is useful when manually inserting slice markers. You can set its position and behavior to suit your workflow.
Use the
Cue
field (below the
Start
field) to adjust the position of the cue playhead.
Alternatively, click and drag the white marker with the triangle (
) in the timeline.
Click
>Play
to play the sample from the cue playhead.
Click
+Slice
to create a slice marker at the cue playhead position.
Click the
Cue Audition
menu to select how the audio plays from the cue playhead:
One Shot
: Clicking
>Play
will play the entire sample from the cue playhead.
Toggle
: Clicking
>Play
once will start playback from cue playhead. Clicking it once more will stop playback.
Click the
Pad Audition
menu to select how each slice plays from each start marker when you press the corresponding
pad
:
One Shot
: Clicking or pressing the
pad
will play the slice from its start marker.
Note On
: Clicking (or pressing) and then holding the
pad
will play the slice from its start marker. Releasing the
pad
will stop playback.
152
Converting or Assigning Slices
In Chop Mode, you can assign your new sample directly to a pad or convert the new sample into a new program or patched phrase.
Use the buttons in the
Non-Destructive Convert
and
Extract New Samples
sections to select a conversion and assignment process. In the
Convert or Assign Slices
window that appears, you can click the
Convert To
menu to select a different process, and then click
Do It
to apply the process or
Close
to close the window without processing the sample.
If you set the
Convert To
menu to
New
[ program type
]
program using slices
, this will create a new program and assign the sample’s slices to its pads. The pads will simply refer to the slices in this sample instead of creating new samples. This is useful for reducing clutter in your project.
The new program will be named after the sample and appended with
ch
.
Use the
Slice Type
menu to select how each pad’s layer settings will
be set when the slices are assigned to them (see
to learn more about the parameters mentioned below):
Non-Destructive Slice
: Each pad’s
Slice
setting will be set to the slice number.
Pad Parameters
: Each pad’s
Slice
setting will be set to
Pad
. The
Pad Start
and
Pad End
parameters will be set to the slice’s start point and end point values, and the
Loop Pos
parameter will be set to the slice’s start point but with
Pad Loop
deactivated.
Select the
Create Events
box to automatically create a new track for the new program in which each pad plays its corresponding slice in ascending sequence by pad number.
If
Create Events
is selected, use the
Bars
field to set how many bars the slices’ events will occupy.
If you set the
Convert To
menu to
New clip program
, this will create a new clip program and assign the sample’s slices to its pads as clips. The pads will simply refer to the slices in this sample instead of creating new samples. This is useful for reducing clutter in your project. The new program will be named after the sample and appended with
ch
.
Use the
Tempo
field to enter the tempo of the clips in the new program.
Select the
Create Events
box to automatically create a new track for the new program in which each pad plays its corresponding slice in ascending sequence by pad number.
If
Create Events
is selected, use the
Number of Bars
field to set how many bars the slices’ events will occupy.
153
If you set the
Convert To
menu to
New program with new samples
, this will create a new sample from each slice and assign them to pads in a new program.
The new program will be named after the sample and appended with
ch
. The new samples will be appended with
SI-#
(where
#
is a consecutive number).
Select the
Crop Samples
box to delete the unused parts from the sample when they are created and assigned. This feature is destructive, though the project will still contain your original sample.
Leave this box deselected to keep the unused parts of the samples when they’re created and assigned. This way, you will still be able to edit the entire samples further even though you are using only part of them at the moment.
By default, this option already will create a new program. You can
deselect
the
Create New Program
box to convert each slice into a sample that is placed in the project’s sample pool but not assigned to a program or pad.
If
Create New Program
is selected, select the
Create Events
box to automatically create a new track in which each pad plays its corresponding slice in ascending sequence by pad number.
If
Create Events
is selected, use the
Number of Bars
field to set how many bars the slices’ events will occupy.
If you set the
Convert To
menu to
Assign slice to a pad
, the pad will simply refer to the slice in this sample instead of creating a new sample.
This is useful for reducing clutter in your project.
Important
: Assigning a sample to a pad in this way will replace the sample on the first layer of the pad.
Use the
Pad
menu to select the desired pad. Alternatively, press the desired pad.
Use the
Slice Type
menu to select how the pad’s layer settings will be
set when the slice is assigned to it (see
to learn more about the parameters mentioned below):
Non-Destructive Slice
: The pad’s
Slice
setting will be set to the slice number.
Pad Parameters
: The pad’s
Slice
setting will be set to
Pad
. The
Pad Start
and
Pad End
will be set to the slice’s start point and end point values, and the
Loop Position
will be set to the slice’s start point but with
Pad Loop
deactivated.
Use the
Program
menu to specify the program to which you want to add the slice.
154
If you set the
Convert To
menu to
New Sample to Pad
, this will create a new sample in your project. (The original sample will remain as it is.)
Important
: Assigning a sample to a pad in this way will replace the sample on the first layer of the pad.
Use the
Pad
menu to select the desired pad. Alternatively, press the desired pad.
Select the
Crop Sample
box to delete the unused parts from the sample when it’s created and assigned. This feature is destructive, though the project will still contain your original sample.
Leave this box deselected to keep the unused parts of the sample when it is created and assigned. This way, you will still be able to edit the entire sample further even though you are using only part of it at the moment.
Use the
Program
menu to specify the program to which you want to add the slice.
If you set the
Convert To
menu to
Patched phrase
, this will create a new sample that will play based on the tempo of your Sequence, and places it in the current project. The patched phrase will have the same name as the original sample but appended with
pp
and will use a different icon when viewing your project information.
Use the
Bars
field to set how many bars long the patched phrase is meant to be.
155
Processing Slices
Use the column of
Process
buttons to select an editing process. In the
Process Sample
window that appears, you can click the
Function
menu to select a different process, and then click
Do It
to apply the process or
Cancel
to close the window without processing the sample.
You can use any of these functions as described below.
Important
: Chop Mode is non-destructive: You can choose the slice/edit behavior without destroying your original sample, giving you more control over sample playback; you can save your sliced sample and but also reuse all of the slice data in another project.
The
Silence
process replaces the region between the start point and end point with silence.
The
Extract
process deletes the regions before the start point and after the end point and saves it as a new sample in your current project.
Use the
Name
field to name the new sample.
Tip
: This is useful if you recorded a drum loop and wanted to remove just a snare drum hit, a kick drum hit, etc. to use separately in the project.
The
Normalize
process increases a sample’s level to the highest level possible without distortion. This is essentially a kind of digital gain optimization, so you do not have to worry about excessive level settings when working with samples with a wide range of amplitudes.
The
Reverse
process reverses the region between the start point and end point.
156
The
Fade In
process sets a fade-in between the start point and end point.
Click the
Type
menu to select a type of fade:
Linear
fades the audio in with a linear curve—a straight line between the start and end.
Log
fades the audio in with a logarithmic curve—quickly rising at the start and flattening out towards the end.
Exp
fades the audio in with an exponential curve—slowly rising in the beginning and growing steeper towards the end.
The
Fade Out
process sets a fade-out between the start point and end point. Click the
Type
menu to select a type of fade:
Linear
fades the audio out with a linear curve—a straight line between the start and end.
Log
fades the audio out with a logarithmic curve—quickly rising at the start and flattening out towards the end.
Exp
fades the audio out with an exponential curve—slowly rising in the beginning and growing steeper towards the end.
The
Pitch Shift
process changes the pitch of the sample without changing its length. This lets you set the sample’s pitch to your sequence without affecting the sample’s tempo or duration. Keep in mind that the audio quality may decrease at more extreme settings.
Use the
Pitch
field to shift the pitch up to
12.00
semitones up or down.
The
Gain Change
process raises or lowers the volume of the sample.
Use the
Gain Amount
field to adjust the gain up to
18 dB
up or down.
This function is different than Normalize because it will allow volumes beyond clipping level. This may be a desired effect, but remember to watch your output level!
157
Program Mode
Program Mode lets you edit a sample in the context of the program in which you will use it. You can adjust the pad parameters as though you were in Program Edit Mode, auditioning and hearing how it will sound in the program’s audio path.
To enter Program Mode
, click
Program
in the
Q-Links
panel.
Q-Links
In the
Q-Links
panel:
Use the
first
column of
Q-Link knobs
to adjust the start point. This is the same as adjusting the
Start
field in the
Parameters
panel.
Use the
second
column of
Q-Link knobs
to adjust the end point. This is the same as adjusting the
End
field in the
Parameters
panel.
Use the
third
column of
Q-Link knobs
to adjust the loop point if
Loop Lock
is
off
. If
Loop Lock
is
on
, adjusting the loop point will also adjust the start point. This is the same as adjusting the
Loop
field in the
Parameters
panel.
Use
Q-Link Knob 16
to display either the sample as it has been edited (
Pad
) or the entire sample (
All
). This is the same as adjusting the
Slice
field in the
Parameters
panel.
Use
Q-Link Knob 8
to scroll through the waveform in the large waveform display above.
Use
Q-Link Knob 4
to zoom in or zoom out of the waveform.
For the first three columns, the top-most Q-Link knob provides coarse adjustment
(
x1000
), while the bottom-most one knob provides fine adjustment (
x1
).
158
When
Link Slices
is enabled (after you have created slices in Chop Mode), changing the start point of a slice will also change the end point of the previous slice. Similarly, changing the end point of a slice will also change the start point of the next slice. Disable
Link Slices
if you are trying to create slices that use non-contiguous parts of the sample. This is the same as clicking the
gear icon
in the upper-right corner of the
Wave Editor
and using the
Link Slices
submenu.
Important
:
Link Slices
must be disabled to make slices nonsequential, noncontiguous, or overlapping.
Enable
Zero Snap
to force start points, end points, and loop points to occur only at the waveform’s “zero-crossings.”
This can help to avoid clicks and glitches when playing a sample. This is the same as clicking the
gear icon
in the upper-right corner of the
Wave Editor
and using the
Zero Snap
submenu.
Pads
The
Pads
panel shows their assigned samples in the current program.
Click each
pad
to hear its sample/samples. The sample on its first layer will automatically appear in the waveform display for editing.
Parameters
The
Parameters
panel includes controls for editing the sample length and
tuning as well as buttons for assigning the sample (see
processing the slice or sample (see
Use the
Slice
field to display either the sample as it has been edited (
Pad
) or the entire sample (
All
). This is the same as adjusting
Q-Link Knob 16
in the
Q-Links
panel.
If the
Slice
field is set to
All
, you can display the sample as it has been edited but keep the start point and end point by clicking
To Pad
. The
Slice
field will change to
Pad
, but the start point and end point will remain in their current locations.
Use the
Start
field to adjust the start point. This is the same as adjusting the
first
column of
Q-Link knobs
in the
Q-Links
panel.
Use the
End
field to adjust the end point. This is the same as adjusting the
second
column of
Q-Link knobs
in the
Q-Links
panel.
Use the
Loop
field to adjust the loop point if
Loop Lock
is
off
. If
Loop Lock
is
on
, adjusting the loop point will also adjust the start point. This is the same as adjusting the
third
column of
Q-Link knobs
in the
Q-Links
panel.
159
Click the
Lock
button to turn Loop Lock on or off. When
on
, the loop point is the same as the start point. When
off
, the loop point is independent from the start point and indicated by a separate loop marker.
Click the
Loop
menu to cycle between the three loop modes:
Off
: The sample will not loop.
Forward
(
Fwd
): When the loop reaches its end point, it will start playing again from the loop point.
Reverse
(
Rev
): When the loop reaches its end point, it will play in reverse. When it reaches the loop point again, it will return to the end point and continue playing in reverse.
Alternating
(
Alt
): When the loop reaches its end point, it will play in reverse. When it reaches the loop point again, it will start playing forward again from the loop point.
Use the
Crossfade
field to apply a crossfade to a looping sample. See
Addenda > Updates in MPC 2.3 > New
for more information about this.
Use the
Tune
field to transpose the sample from its original pitch up to
24.00
semitones up or down.
Use the
Root Nt
field to set the root note of the sample. This defines which note will play the sample at its original pitch when in a keygroup program.
Click
From BPM
to tune a sample to the current sequence. In the
Edit Tuning
window that appears:
Use the
Beats
field to match the number of beats in the sequence.
To tune the sample to the sequence
, click
Match
. The
Tune
field will adjust automatically and close the window. The sample is now tuned to the sequence.
To tune the sample to the sequence and adjust the sequence tempo
, click
To Sequence
. This is the same as clicking Match but it also changes the sequence’s tempo to the BPM shown in the Tempo field on the right.
To close the window
, click
Close
.
Use the
BPM
field to enter a tempo manually. You can also click
X2
to double the value or
/2
to halve it.
Click
Detect BPM
to automatically detect the tempo. In the
Detect BPM
window that appears:
Use the
BPM
field to enter a tempo manually. You can also click
X2
to double the value or
/2
to halve it.
Click
Detect
to detect the tempo automatically.
Click
Tap Tempo
at the bottom of the window at the desired rate to use it as the tempo. You can play a sequence in the background to help with your timing.
Click
Close
to close the window.
Note:
Before detecting tempo, it is recommended that you
Normalize
samples for best results.
160
Assigning Samples
You can assign your new sample directly to a pad from Program Mode.
Click
Assign
to assign a sample. In the
Assign Sample
window that appears, you can click the
Assign To
menu to select a different assignment, and then click
Do It
to assign the sample or
Cancel
to close the window without assigning the sample.
Important
: Assigning a sample to a pad in this way will replace the sample on the first layer of the pad.
If you set the
Assign To
menu to
Assign slice to a pad
, the pad will simply refer to the slice in this sample instead of creating a new sample. This is useful for reducing clutter in your project.
Use the
Pad
menu to select the desired pad. Alternatively, press the desired pad.
Use the
Slice Type
menu to select how the pad’s layer settings will be set when the slice is assigned to it:
Non-Destructive Slice
: The pad’s
Slice
setting will be set to the slice number.
Pad Parameters
: The pad’s
Slice
setting will be set to
Pad
. The
Pad
Start
and
Pad End
will be set to the slice’s start point and end point values, and the
Loop Position
will be set to the slice’s start point but with
Pad Loop
deactivated.
Use the
Program
menu to specify the program to which you want to add the slice.
If you set the
Assign To
menu to
Make new sample
, this will create a new sample in your project. (The original sample will remain as it is.)
Use the
Pad
menu to select the desired pad. Alternatively, press the desired pad.
Select the
Crop Sample
box to delete the unused parts from the sample when it’s created and assigned. This feature is destructive, though the project will still contain your original sample.
Leave this box deselected to keep the unused parts of the sample when it is created and assigned. This way, you will still be able to edit the entire sample further even though you are using only part of it at the moment.
Use the
Program
menu to specify the program to which you want to add the slice.
161
Processing Slices
Use the column of
Process
buttons to select an editing process. In the
Process Sample
window that appears, you can click the
Function
menu to select a different process, and then click
Do It
to apply the process or
Cancel
to close the window without processing the sample.
You can use any of these functions as described below.
Important
: Program Mode is non-destructive: You can choose the slice/edit behavior without destroying your original sample, giving you more control over sample playback; you can save your sliced sample and but also reuse
all of the slice data in another project. See the
chapter to learn more about setting a pad to play the entire sample, a specific slice of a sample, or a specific region of the sample (independent of its slice markers).
The
Silence
process replaces the region between the start point and end point with silence.
The
Extract
process deletes the regions before the start point and after the end point and saves it as a new sample in your current project.
Use the
Name
field to name the new sample.
Tip
: This is useful if you recorded a drum loop and wanted to remove just a snare drum hit, a kick drum hit, etc. to use separately in the project.
The
Normalize
process increases a sample’s level to the highest level possible without distortion. This is essentially a kind of digital gain optimization, so you do not have to worry about excessive level settings when working with samples with a wide range of amplitudes.
The
Reverse
process reverses the region between the start point and end point.
162
The
Fade In
process sets a fade-in between the start point and end point.
Click the
Type
menu to select a type of fade:
Linear
fades the audio in with a linear curve—a straight line between the start and end.
Log
fades the audio in with a logarithmic curve—quickly rising at the start and flattening out towards the end.
Exp
fades the audio in with an exponential curve—slowly rising in the beginning and growing steeper towards the end.
The
Fade Out
process sets a fade-out between the start point and end point. Click the
Type
menu to select a type of fade:
Linear
fades the audio out with a linear curve—a straight line between the start and end.
Log
fades the audio out with a logarithmic curve—quickly rising at the start and flattening out towards the end.
Exp
fades the audio out with an exponential curve—slowly rising in the beginning and growing steeper towards the end.
The
Pitch Shift
process changes the pitch of the sample without changing its length. This lets you set the sample’s pitch to your sequence without affecting the sample’s tempo or duration. Keep in mind that the audio quality may decrease at more extreme settings.
Use the
Pitch
field to shift the pitch up to
12.00
semitones up or down.
The
Gain Change
process raises or lowers the volume of the sample.
Use the
Gain Amount
field to adjust the gain up to
18 dB
up or down.
This function is different than Normalize because it will allow volumes beyond clipping level. This may be a desired effect, but remember to watch your output level!
163
Pad Mixer
In the Pad Mixer, you can set a program’s levels, stereo panning, routing, and effects.
To enter the Pad Mixer
, do any of the following:
•
Click the
pad-and-sliders icon
in the toolbar (if shown).
•
Click the
down arrow
(
) next to the other mode icons in the toolbar, and click
Pad Mixer
.
•
Click the
menu icon
(
≡
), and go to
View
>
Mode
and click
Pad Mixer
.
The Pad Mixer works like an audio mixer with various settings for each pad.
The upper half of the window can display the Grid Editor, Wave Editor, or List Editor. Click the
Grid
,
Wave
, or
List
tab. See
164
The lower half of the window displays channel strips representing the pads of the current program (used by the currently selected track) used in the current sequence. Each type has a slightly different appearance.
Tip
: If you want to see channel strips for both the Channel Mixer and the Pad Mixer at the same time, use the
Mixer
Window
, which provides an overview of the channel strips in both modes in one screen. See
to learn about this.
Select a track to view the channel strips for its program and pads. When an audio track or a track using a plugin program is selected, there will be no pad channel strips. When a track using a MIDI program or CV program is selected, there will be no pad channel strips or program strips.
Use the buttons in the lower-left corner of this area to show or hide different parts of the channel strips:
Click the
box icon
to show or hide the
Inserts
slots on the channel strips.
Click the
four-circles icon
to show or hide the
Send
knobs on the channel strips.
Click the
pad icon
to show or hide the
pad
on the channel strips for drum programs.
Use the selectors between the upper and lower halves of the window to filter which channel strips are shown or hidden:
Events
: When
Events
is selected, the channel strips that are shown or hidden depend on whether
Trk
or
Seq
is selected next to it:
Trk
: When
Trk
is selected, channel strips whose pads play in the current track will be shown. All others will be hidden.
Seq
: When
Seq
is selected, channel strips whose pads play in the current sequence (if multiple tracks use this program) will be shown. All others will be hidden.
Samples
: When
Samples
is selected, only channel strips whose pads or keygroups have samples assigned to them will be shown. When
Samples
is deselected, channel strips for all pads or keygroups will be shown.
Program
: When
Program
is selected, the program channel strip will be shown on the right edge of the lower half of the window. When
Program
is deselected, the program channel strip will be hidden.
165
When a MIDI track is selected, the
pad channel strips
or
keygroup channel strips
for that program are grouped together on the left. The corresponding
program channel strip
will appear on the right. (When an audio track or a track using a plugin program is selected, there will be no pad channel strips. When a track using a MIDI program or
CV program is selected, there will be no pad channel strips or program strips.)
Pad Channel Strip
When a track using a drum program or clip program is selected, the
pad channel strip
has these controls:
Click a pad channel strip to select it.
The number of the pad is at the bottom of the channel strip. If pads are shown at the bottom of the channel strips, you can click a
pad
to select its channel strip and play its sound.
The
Inserts
slots show any enabled or disabled effects for that pad. See
to learn more about pad insert effects.
Click and drag the
Send
knobs, which control the send levels for the pad. See
to learn more about pad send/return effects.
The menu below the
Send
knobs shows where the pad is routed, which you can set to the current program (
Program
), a submix (
Submix
>
Sub 1
–
8
), a pair of master outputs (
Stereo Output
>
Out
1,2
–
31,32
), or a single master output (
Mono Output
>
Out 1
–
32
). Usually, this is set to
Program
.
Click
M
or
S
to mute or solo the pad (respectively).
To change the panning or level of the pad
, adjust the
pan knob
or
level slider
. The
green
level meter next to the slider shows the pad’s current volume level in
dB
.
Keygroup Channel Strip
When a track using a keygroup program is selected, the
keygroup channel strip
has these controls:
Click a keygroup channel strip to select it. Alternatively, click the
KG
menu at the top of the channel strip and select one—that channel strip will then display that keygroup.
The number of the keygroup is at the bottom of the channel strip.
The
Inserts
slots show any enabled or disabled effects for that keygroup. See
to learn more about keygroup insert effects.
Click and drag the
Send
knobs, which control the send levels for the keygroup. See
to learn more about keygroup send/return effects.
The menu below the
Send
knobs shows where the keygroup is routed, which you can set to the current program (
Program
), a submix (
Submix
>
Sub 1
–
8
), a pair of master outputs (
Stereo Output
>
Out 1,2
–
31,32
), or a single master output (
Mono Output
>
Out 1
–
32
). Usually, this is set to
Program
.
Click
M
or
S
to mute or solo the keygroup (respectively).
To change the panning or level of the keygroup
, adjust the
pan knob
or
level slider
. The
green
level meter next to the slider shows the keygroup’s current volume level in
dB
.
166
Program Channel Strip
When a track using a drum program, keygroup program, plugin program, or clip program is selected, the
program channel strip
has these controls:
The name of the program is at the bottom of the channel strip.
The first menu shows the current program (which you can change).
The
Inserts
slots show any enabled or disabled effects for that program. See
to learn more about program insert effects.
Click and drag the
Send
knobs, which control the send levels for the program. See
to learn more about program send/return effects.
The menu below the
Send
knobs shows where the program is routed, which you can set to a submix (
Submix
>
Sub 1
–
8
), a pair of master outputs (
Stereo Output
>
Out 1,2
–
31,32
), or a single master output (
Mono Output
>
Out 1
–
32
).
Click
M
or
S
to mute or solo the program (respectively).
Click the
program automation button
to cycle through the three possible states of program automation:
When
off
, the program will ignore automation data. If you have already recorded or entered automation, clicking this will switch between Read (
R
) and Write (
W
) only, but you can override this and turn it off by pressing and holding
Shift
while clicking the button.
Important
: If you have already recorded automation and turn it off, the track will still use the effect and its parameter values at the point where you turned it off.
When set to
Read
(
R
), the program will read automation data but will not record any additional automation over it. You can still manually edit and enter automation. (Think of this as a protective feature to prevent accidental changes to your automation while recording.)
When set to
Write
(
W
), the program can record automation. (If you have any Q-Link knobs assigned to automatable parameters, make sure not to touch any accidentally while you are recording.)
to learn about recording and editing automation.
Tip
: You can quickly set all programs and audio tracks to the same automation by clicking the global automation button in the upper-right corner of the window.
Adjust the
pan knob
or
level slider
to change the panning or level (respectively) of the program.
The
green
level meter next to the slider shows the program’s current volume level in
dB
.
167
Audio Track Channel Strip
When an audio track is selected, there will be only an
audio track channel strip
(instead of a program channel strip) shown on the right with these controls:
The name of the track is at the bottom of the channel strip.
The first menu defines the input source of the external audio signal, which you can set to a pair of inputs (
Stereo
>
Input 1,2
–
31,32
) or a single input (
Mono
>
Input 1
–
32
).
The
Inserts
slots show any enabled or disabled effects for that track. See
to learn more about audio track insert effects.
Click and drag the
Send
knobs, which control the send levels for the track. See
to learn more about audio track send/return effects.
The menu below the
Send
knobs shows where the track is routed, which you can set to a submix
(
Submix
>
Sub 1
–
8
), a pair of master outputs (
Stereo Output
>
Out 1,2
–
31,32
), or a single master output (
Mono Output
>
Out 1
–
32
).
Click
M
or
S
to mute or solo the track (respectively).
Click the
audio track automation button
to cycle through the three possible states of audio track automation:
When
off
, the audio track will ignore automation data. If you have already recorded or entered automation, clicking this will switch between Read (
R
) and Write (
W
) only, but you can override this and turn it off by pressing and holding
Shift
while clicking the button.
Important
: If you have already recorded automation and turn it off, the track will still use the effect and its parameter values at the point where you turned it off.
When set to
Read
(
R
), the audio track will read automation data but will not record any additional automation over it. You can still manually edit and enter automation. (Think of this as a protective feature to prevent accidental changes to your automation while recording.)
When set to
Write
(
W
), the audio track can record automation. (If you have any Q-Link knobs assigned to automatable parameters, make sure not to touch any accidentally while you are recording.)
to learn about recording and editing automation.
Tip
: You can quickly set all programs and audio tracks to the same automation by clicking the global automation button in the upper-right corner of the window.
Click the
Monitor
button to set how your audio track will be monitored. Clicking it will cycle through its three states:
When set to
Auto
, you will hear incoming audio while the track is record-enabled only.
When
on
, you will hear incoming audio whether or not the track is record-enabled.
When
off
, you will never hear any incoming audio.
Adjust the
pan knob
or
level slider
to change the panning or level (respectively) of the track. The
green
level meter next to the slider shows the track’s current volume level in
dB
.
Click the
Record Arm
(
) button to record-enable the track. When you begin audio recording, the audio signal will be recorded to this track.
Tip
: You can record-enable multiple tracks by pressing and holding
Ctrl
(Windows) or
(macOS) while clicking the
Arm
button to each track (in the upper half of the window).
168
Channel Mixer
In the Channel Mixer, you can set levels, stereo panning, and other settings for your tracks, programs, returns, submixes, and masters.
To open the Channel Mixer
, do any of the following:
•
Click the
sliders icon
in the toolbar (if shown).
•
Click the
down arrow
(
) next to the other mode icons in the toolbar, and click
Channel Mixer
.
•
Click the
menu icon
(
≡
), and go to
View
>
Mode
and click
Channel Mixer
.
The Channel Mixer works like an audio mixer for the currently selected sequence with various settings for each MIDI track, audio track, program, submix, return, or master output.
169
The upper half of the window displays the Track View. See
to learn more about this.
The lower half of the window displays channel strips representing the MIDI tracks, audio tracks, programs, submixes, returns, and master outputs used in the current sequence. Each type has a slightly different appearance.
Tip
: If you want to see channel strips for both the Channel Mixer and the Pad Mixer at the same time, use the
Mixer
Window
, which provides an overview of the channel strips in both modes in one screen. See
to learn about this.
Select a sequence to view its channel strips. There will be no program strips shown for MIDI programs or CV programs, though channel strips will be shown for any MIDI tracks that use those programs.
Use the buttons in the lower-left corner of this area to show or hide different parts of the channel strips:
Click the
box icon
to show or hide the
Inserts
slots on the channel strips.
Click the
four-circles icon
to show or hide the
Send
knobs on the channel strips.
Click the
menu icon
(
≡
) in the upper-right corner of the channel strips, and select or deselect
Show Unused
Programs
and/or
Show Unused Tracks
.
Use the selectors between the upper and lower halves of the window to filter which channel strips are shown or hidden.
When an option is selected, those channel strips will be shown. When it is deselected, its channel strips will be hidden.
MIDI Track Audio Track Program Submix Return Master
170
MIDI Track Channel Strip
A
MIDI track channel strip
has these controls:
The name of the track is at the bottom of the channel strip.
The first menu shows the current program (which you can change).
Click
M
or
S
to mute or solo the track (respectively).
To change the panning or level of the track
, adjust the
pan knob
or
level slider
. The
blue
level meter next to the slider shows the track’s current velocity level (
0
–
127
).
Audio Track Channel Strip
An
audio track channel strip
has these controls:
The name of the track is at the bottom of the channel strip.
The first menu defines the input source of the external audio signal, which you can set to a pair of inputs (
Stereo
>
Input 1,2
–
31,32
) or a single input (
Mono
>
Input 1
–
32
).
The
Inserts
slots show any enabled or disabled effects for that track. See
to learn more about audio track insert effects.
Click and drag the
Send
knobs, which control the send levels for the track. See
to learn more about audio track send/return effects.
The menu below the
Send
knobs shows where the track is routed, which you can set to a submix
(
Submix
>
Sub 1
–
8
), a pair of master outputs (
Stereo Output
>
Out 1,2
–
31,32
), or a single master output (
Mono Output
>
Out 1
–
32
).
Click
M
or
S
to mute or solo the track (respectively).
Click the
audio track automation button
to cycle through the three possible states of audio track automation:
When
off
, the audio track will ignore automation data. If you have already recorded or entered automation, clicking this will switch between Read (
R
) and Write (
W
) only, but you can override this and turn it off by pressing and holding
Shift
while clicking the button.
Important
: If you have already recorded automation and turn it off, the track will still use the effect and its parameter values at the point where you turned it off.
When set to
Read
(
R
), the audio track will read automation data but will not record any additional automation over it. You can still manually edit and enter automation. (Think of this as a protective feature to prevent accidental changes to your automation while recording.)
When set to
Write
(
W
), the audio track can record automation. (If you have any Q-Link knobs assigned to automatable parameters, make sure not to touch any accidentally while you are recording.)
to learn about recording and editing automation.
Tip
: You can quickly set all programs and audio tracks to the same automation by clicking the global automation button in the upper-right corner of the window.
Click the
Monitor
button to set how your audio track will be monitored. Clicking it will cycle through its three states:
When set to
Auto
, you will hear incoming audio while the track is record-enabled only.
When
on
, you will hear incoming audio whether or not the track is record-enabled.
When
off
, you will never hear any incoming audio.
Adjust the
pan knob
or
level slider
to change the panning or level (respectively) of the track. The
green
level meter next to the slider shows the track’s current volume level in
dB
.
Click the
Record Arm
(
) button to record-enable the track. When you begin audio recording, the audio signal will be recorded to this track.
Tip
: You can select record-enable multiple tracks by pressing and holding
Ctrl
(Windows) or
(macOS) while clicking the
Arm
button to each track (in the upper half of the window or in the channel strips).
171
Program Channel Strip
A
program channel strip
has these controls:
The name of the program is at the bottom of the channel strip.
The
Inserts
slots show any enabled or disabled effects for that program. See
to learn more about program insert effects.
Click and drag the
Send
knobs, which control the send levels for the program. See
to learn more about program send/return effects.
The menu below the
Send
knobs shows where the program is routed, which you can set to a submix (
Submix
>
Sub 1
–
8
), a pair of master outputs (
Stereo Output
>
Out 1,2
–
31,32
), or a single master output (
Mono Output
>
Out 1
–
32
).
Click
M
or
S
to mute or solo the program (respectively).
Click the
program automation button
to cycle through the three possible states of program automation:
When
off
, the program will ignore automation data. If you have already recorded or entered automation, clicking this will switch between Read (
R
) and Write (
W
) only, but you can override this and turn it off by pressing and holding
Shift
while clicking the button.
Important
: If you have already recorded automation and turn it off, the track will still use the effect and its parameter values at the point where you turned it off.
When set to
Read
(
R
), the program will read automation data but will not record any additional automation over it. You can still manually edit and enter automation. (Think of this as a protective feature to prevent accidental changes to your automation while recording.)
When set to
Write
(
W
), the program can record automation. (If you have any Q-Link knobs assigned to automatable parameters, make sure not to touch any accidentally while you are recording.)
to learn about recording and editing automation.
Tip
: You can quickly set all programs and audio tracks to the same automation by clicking the global automation button in the upper-right corner of the window.
Adjust the
pan knob
or
level slider
to change the panning or level (respectively) of the program.
The
green
level meter next to the slider shows the track’s current volume level in
dB
.
Submix Channel Strip
A
submix channel strip
has these controls:
The number of the submix is at the bottom of the channel strip.
The
Inserts
slots show any enabled or disabled effects for that submix. See
to learn more about submix insert effects.
Click and drag the
Send
knobs, which control the send levels for the submix. See
to learn more about submix send/return effects.
The menu below the
Send
knobs shows where the program is routed, which you can set to a pair of master outputs (
Stereo Output
>
Out 1,2
–
31,32
), or a single master output (
Mono Output
>
Out 1
–
32
).
Click
M
to mute the submix.
Adjust the
pan knob
or
level slider
to change the panning or level (respectively) of the submix.
The
green
level meter next to the slider shows the submix’s current volume level in
dB
.
172
Return Channel Strip
A
return channel strip
has these controls:
The number of the return is at the bottom of the channel strip.
The
Inserts
slots show any enabled or disabled effects for that return. See
to learn more about send/return effects.
The menu above the
M
button shows where the return is routed, which you can set to a pair of master outputs (
Stereo Output
>
Out 1,2
–
31,32
) or a single master output (
Mono Output
>
Out 1
–
32
).
Click
M
to mute the return.
Adjust the
pan knob
or
level slider
to change the panning or level (respectively) of the return.
The
green
level meter next to the slider shows the return’s current volume level in
dB
.
Master Channel Strip
A
master channel strip
has these controls:
The number of the pair of master outputs is at the bottom of the channel strip.
The
Inserts
slots show any enabled or disabled effects for that pair of outputs. See
to learn more about master insert effects.
Click
M
to mute the outputs.
Adjust the
pan knob
or
level slider
to change the panning or level (respectively) of the outputs.
The
green
level meter next to the slider shows the outputs’ current volume level in
dB
.
173
Step Sequencer
The Step Sequencer lets you create or edit sequences by using the pads as “step buttons,” simulating the experience of a traditional step-sequencer-style drum machine.
This is available for MIDI tracks only, not audio tracks.
To enter the Step Sequencer
, do any of the following:
•
Click the
step-bars icon
in the toolbar (if shown).
•
Click the
down arrow
(
) next to the other mode icons in the toolbar, and click
Step Sequencer
.
•
Click the
menu icon
(
≡
), and go to
View
>
Mode
and click
Step Sequencer
.
To enter or delete steps in a sequence
:
1.
Use the
Pad
field in the
Pads
area to select the pad whose steps you want to enter or delete. The current pad number is shown in the upper-left corner.
2.
Use the
Bar
field in the
Pads
area to select the bar of the sequence whose steps you want to enter or delete.
The current bar number is shown in the upper-left corner.
3.
Click the
pads
. Each pad corresponds to a step in the bar and will light with a color corresponding to its velocity.
Keep in mind that for time divisions larger than 16, the bar’s steps will be represented by multiple pad banks. In this case, use
Pad Bank Buttons A
and
B
to view all the steps within a bar.
174
The upper half of the window can display the Grid Editor, Wave Editor, or List Editor. Click the
Grid
,
Wave
, or
List
tab to enter the corresponding editor. See
to learn more about each one.
The lower half of the window can display the
Q-Links
panel,
Pads
panel, and
Project
panel. Click the corresponding selector to show or hide each one. See
panels are described below.
Q-Links
The
Q-Links
panel (when
Q-Link Mode
is set to
Screen
) lets you to adjust the velocity of each step. The number of each step will be shown under the corresponding Q-Link knob.
Use each
Q-Link knob
to adjust the velocity (
1
–
127
) of its corresponding step.
Setting a value of
0
(
Off
) will delete the note event from that step. Changing a velocity from
0
(
Off
) to a value of
1
or greater will enter a note event at that step.
Pads
The
Pads
panel lets you quickly create and delete note events as “steps” by using the pads of your MPC hardware or MPC software, similar to step recording with drum machines in the 1980s.
Each pad represents a step in the bar. Keep in mind that the total number of steps depends on the Time Correct setting. For time divisions larger than 16 (e.g., 32), the bar’s steps will be represented by multiple pad banks. In that case, use the
Pad
field to view all the steps within a bar.
Use the
Bar
field or the arrows (
or
) on either side of it to select the bar whose steps you want to edit.
Use the
Pad Select
button to select the pad whose steps you want to edit. Click
Pad Select
to activate it, click a
pad
(the currently selected pad is lit
green
), and then click
Pad Select
again to deactivate it.
Alternatively, click and drag the
Pad
field up or down. You can also click a
pad
in the
Grid Editor
.
Click an
unlit pad
to enter a note event at that step. The pad will light up with a color corresponding to its velocity.
Click a
lit pad
to delete the note event from that step. The pad will be unlit.
The
green pad
indicates the current step (playhead position) in the sequence.
175
Sampler
The Sampler lets you record audio samples to use in your projects.
Important
: To record any audio, you need to connect an audio source to your MPC hardware or to your computer’s audio interface.
To open the Sampler
, do any of the following:
•
Click the
vinyl-and-tonearm icon
in the toolbar (if shown).
•
Click the
down arrow
(
) next to the other mode icons in the toolbar, and click
Sampler
.
•
Click the
menu icon
(
≡
), and go to
View
>
Mode
and click
Sampler
.
To set up the Sampler before recording
:
1.
Make sure to reduce the volume levels of your audio source and speakers, headphones, and/or monitors before you make any connections to avoid “pops” or feedback.
2.
Connect a synthesizer or other line-level audio source to the input/inputs of your MPC hardware or external audio interface.
3.
On your MPC hardware or external audio interface, turn the
Rec Vol
knob to set the input level while playing your audio source. You should now see the level in the meter. Make sure it does not exceed the maximum level (the meter should not be “peaking” constantly).
4.
Set the recording controls as desired (described in this chapter).
5.
Click the
Arm
button to record-arm the Sampler.
176
The upper half of the window shows the waveform. Unlike other times the waveform is shown here, you cannot edit the waveform in this part of the window; you must use the Wave Editor in Main Mode or Sample Edit Mode instead.
The timeline provides a reference for the length of the sample. Click the
down arrow
(
) or right-click anywhere on the timeline to select the increments it will use:
Time
(
secs
:
ms
),
Samples
, or
Beats
.
Scroll left or right on the waveform to move through it. Use the sliders in the lower-right corner or click the timeline and drag down or up to zoom in or out.
The lower half of the window can display the
panel,
panel,
panel, and
Project
panel. Click the corresponding selector to show or hide each one. See
about the
Project
panel.
The
Pads
panel varies based on the four different recording methods:
, all described in this chapter.
Q-Links
In the
Q-Links
panel:
Use
Q-Link Knob 1
to adjust the threshold. This is the same as adjusting the
threshold slider
in the
Sampler
panel.
Use
Q-Link Knobs 3
and
4
to define the maximum sampling time. This is the same as adjusting the
Max Length
field as shown on your MPC hardware. You can record up to 19 minutes and 59 seconds (
19
:
59
) per sample. We recommend setting these to values that roughly match your estimated recording duration.
177
Pads
The
Pads
panel has three different appearances, depending on the recording method:
Sample Method Slice Method Pad Tap & Pad Hold Methods
While using the
Sample
Method, the
Pads
panel shows information for each pad, depending on the currently selected
program. This is identical to how the Pads panel appears in Main Mode (see the
chapter to learn more).
While using the
Slice
Method, the pads correspond to slices of the currently recorded sample. See
to learn how to use the Pads panel with this method.
While using the
Pad Tap
or
Pad Hold
Methods, clicking a pad or clicking and holding a pad immediately starts or continues recording directly to that pad. See
to learn how to use the
Pads panel with those methods.
178
Sampler
The
Input Source
menu in the upper-left corner of the
Sampler
panel defines whether you are going to record an external audio signal (
Stereo
or
Mono
) or an internal signal from within the MPC software (
Resample L
,
Resample R
, or
Resample L+R
).
Resampling does not require an audio connection because the source is within the MPC software and is therefore recorded without any loss in audio quality. You can, for example, use Resample to record two or more samples by pressing the corresponding pads simultaneously or by simply playing a sequence.
The
Inserts
slots show any enabled or disabled effects for the Sampler.
See
to learn more about insert effects.
Important
: These effects are applied to the audio as you record it. This means that the effects cannot be “removed” from the sound later.
Click the
Mono
/
Stereo
menu to choose whether your recorded samples will be monaural (
Mono
) or binaural (
Stereo
).
Click the
Monitor
button to set how the Sampler will be monitored:
When
on
, the audio you hear in your headphones will be taken
before
it reaches the Sampler, ensuring zero latency.
When
off
, the audio you hear in your headphones will be taken
after
it is processed in the Sampler, so there may be some latency, but you will hear the audio source as it sounds in the recording.
Tip
:
To avoid possible clicks or feedback while input monitoring
, reduce the level of the audio sources.
Use the
threshold slider
to adjust the threshold. Alternatively, turn
Q-Link Knob 1
.
When the Sampler is record-armed, it automatically starts recording when the level of the incoming source exceeds this setting. If you set it too high, the recording may not start when you play the input source, or the start of the material you wanted to record may be missing. If you set it too low, the recording may start too early, before you play the external source. Set this parameter to an appropriate level using the level meter.
For reference, the
Sample Length
counter shows you the length of your sample during the recording procedure.
Click
Arm
to record-arm the Sampler. The button will then change to
Record
.
At that point, start recording by doing either of the following:
•
Start performing so that the incoming audio level exceeds the level of the
threshold slider
.
•
Click the
Record
button under the
Sample Length
counter.
Click the
Record Method
menu to select the recording method you want to use:
, or
, all described in the following section.
Click
Add Slice
as the sample records to insert a slice marker in a sample while recording. Each time you press it, a slice marker will be placed at that location.
179
Recording Methods
Sample
Using this method, you can insert slice markers directly in your sample as you record it.
Slice markers divide the sample into multiple regions called
slices
, which you can adjust in the Chop Mode of
Sample Edit Mode (see
for more information). This is useful when working with a
long sample with different sounds throughout (e.g., a drum loop or a long melodic or harmonic passage).
To start recording
, do one of the following:
•
Start performing so that the incoming audio level exceeds the level of the
threshold slider
.
•
Click the
Record
button under the
Sample Length
counter.
To insert a slice marker in a sample while recording
, click
Add Slice
as the sample records. Each time you press it, a slice marker will be placed at that location.
To stop recording
, click the
Stop
button under the
Sample Length
counter.
After you stop your recording, the
Keep or Discard Sample
window will appear.
Use the
New Name
field to name the new sample. Otherwise, the process will add a consecutive number after the sample name.
Click the
Program
menu to assign the new sample to a drum program. Select
<none>
if you want to save it to the project without assigning it to a program.
Use the
Assign to Pad
field to assign the sample to a pad in the selected drum program.
Use the
Root Note
field to set where the sample’s original pitch will be on the keyboard.
If you recorded a sample while a sequence was playing, the
Keep or Discard Sample
window will show a few more options after you select a pad.
Check the
Add Event
box to automatically add the sample to the currently playing sequence.
Use the
At
menu to select where you want the event to start:
Start
: The sample will be a note event at the start of the currently playing sequence.
Trigger
: The sample will be a note event where you began recording it in the currently playing sequence.
Use the
Track
field to set which track will contain the new event.
To play the recording
, click
Play
.
To discard the recording and close the window
, click
Discard
.
To confirm your selections
, click
Keep
.
Tip
: We recommend editing your recorded sample in
Sample Edit
Mode
for more information).
180
Slice
Using this method, the pads correspond to slices of the currently recorded sample. Slice markers divide the sample into multiple regions called
slices
, which you can adjust in the Chop Mode of Sample Edit Mode (see
for more information). This is useful when working with a long sample with different sounds
throughout (e.g., a drum loop or a long melodic or harmonic passage).
To start recording
, do one of the following:
•
Start performing so that the incoming audio level exceeds the level of the
threshold slider
.
•
Click the
Record
button under the
Sample Length
counter.
To insert a slice marker in a sample while recording
, press any
pad
as the sample records. Each time you press it, a slice marker will be placed at that location.
The number of the pad that flashes
red
is the number of the slice marker that will be inserted next. The numbers of the pads that are lit
yellow
are the numbers of the slice markers that are already inserted.
When you are done recording, you can name the sample and create a new program using the slices.
To stop recording
, click the
Stop
button under the
Sample Length
counter.
After you stop your recording, the
Keep or Discard Sample
window will appear.
Use the
New Name
field to name the new sample. Otherwise, the process will add a consecutive number after the sample name.
Click the
Create New Program
menu to assign the new sample to a new program:
Off
: No program will be created. The slices will still be added to your project’s sample pool.
With Non-Destructive Slices
: In the new program, each pad’s
Slice
setting will be set to the corresponding slice number. This is identical to how you can assign samples in
Sample Edit Mode (as described in
With Pad Parameters
: In the new program, each pad’s
Slice
setting will be set to
Pad
. The
Pad Start
and
Pad
End
will be set to the slice’s start point and end point values, and the
Loop Position
will be set to the slice’s start point but with
Pad Loop
deactivated. This is identical to how you can assign samples in Sample Edit Mode (as described in
To play the recording
, click
Play
.
To discard the recording and return to the Sampler
, click
Discard
.
To confirm your selections
, click
Keep
.
Tip
: We recommend editing your recorded sample in
Sample Edit
Mode
for more information).
181
Pad Tap
Important
: This mode works for
drum programs only
; you must select a drum program before using this mode.
Otherwise, this feature will not do anything, even though it may appear to work.
With this method, clicking or pressing a pad immediately starts or continues recording directly to that pad (make sure you are using the desired program before you start recording). Pads with assigned samples are lit
bright yellow
.
Pads without samples are lit
dim yellow
.
To start recording to a pad
, click or press it. Recording will start immediately, and the pad will flash
red
. If you click or press a new pad, the recording will stop on the previous pad, which will turn
green
, and start on the new pad, which will flash
red
.
Note
: If you start recording by clicking
Record
under the
Sample Length
counter—or if the volume exceeds the level of the
threshold slider
—the sample will record to your project’s sample pool, not to a pad.
To stop recording to a pad
, click or press the currently recording
pad
, which is flashing
red
. The sample will continue recording. You can start recording on another
pad
at any time.
To stop all recording
, click the
Stop
button under the
Sample Length
counter.
When you are done recording, each pad that you have clicked or pressed during recording:
• will have its
Slice
setting set to
Pad
;
• will have its
Pad Start
and
Pad End
set to the slice’s start point and end point values; and
• will have its
Loop Position
set to the slice’s start point but with
Pad Loop
deactivated.
This is identical to how you can assign samples in Sample Edit Mode (described in
).
Tip
: We recommend editing your recorded sample in
Sample Edit Mode
for more information).
Pad Hold
Important
: This mode works for
drum programs only
; you must select a drum program before using this mode.
Otherwise, this feature will not do anything, even though it may appear to work.
With this method, clicking or pressing and holding a pad immediately starts or continues recording directly to that pad
(make sure you are using the desired program before you start recording). Pads with assigned samples are lit
bright yellow
. Pads without samples are lit
dim yellow
.
To start recording to a pad
, click and hold it, or press and hold it. Recording will start immediately, and the pad will light
red
.
Note
: If you start recording by clicking
Record
under the
Sample Length
counter—or if the volume exceeds the level of the
threshold slider
—the sample will record to your project’s sample pool, not to a pad.
To stop recording
, release the
pad
. The pad will light
green
, and the sample will continue recording. You can start recording on another
pad
at any time.
To stop all recording
, click the
Stop
button under the
Sample Length
counter.
When you are done recording, each pad that you have clicked or pressed during recording:
• will have its
Slice
setting set to
Pad
;
• will have its
Pad Start
and
Pad End
set to the slice’s start point and end point values; and
• will have its
Loop Position
set to the slice’s start point but with
Pad Loop
deactivated.
This is identical to how you can assign samples in Sample Edit Mode (described in
).
Tip
: We recommend editing your recorded sample in
Sample Edit Mode
for more information).
182
Looper
The Looper lets you record and overdub audio in real time—a great tool for live performance as well as spontaneous moments in the studio. You can export the loop as a sample to use in your project.
To open the Looper
, do any of the following:
•
Click the
loop-and-waveform icon
in the toolbar (if shown).
•
Click the
down arrow
(
) next to the other mode icons in the toolbar, and click
Looper
.
•
Click the
menu icon
(
≡
), and go to
View
>
Mode
and click
Looper
.
183
Below is a brief step-by-step process so you can get started quickly. Continue reading the rest of this chapter to learn how to use the Looper in different cases.
To get started using the Looper
:
1.
Make sure to reduce the volume levels of your audio source and speakers/headphones/monitors before you make any connections to avoid “pops” or feedback.
2.
Connect a synthesizer, audio player, etc. to the input/inputs of your MPC hardware or external audio interface.
3.
On your MPC hardware or external audio interface, turn the
Rec
Vol
knob to set the input level while playing your audio source.
You should now see the level in the meter in the
Looper
panel.
Make sure it does not exceed the maximum level (the meter should not be “peaking” constantly).
4.
In the
Looper
panel, set the recording controls as desired
(described later in this chapter).
5.
Click the
Record To
menu in the
Looper
panel and select
Overdub
.
6.
Click the
Ovr
(
⊕
) button in the
Looper
panel to record-arm the
Looper.
7.
Play your audio source. The Looper will start recording immediately when the input level reaches the threshold value. Alternatively, click
Play
(
) in the
Looper
panel to manually start recording.
Each time the Looper repeats, its contents are being overdubbed— a new layer of audio will be added each time you let the Looper repeat as it records.
Tip
: You can record a loop while playing a sequence in the background for reference.
8.
To stop recording
, click
Play
(
) in the
Looper
panel.
To export your loop as a sample
, click
Export
to open the
Export Loop as Sample
window.
To clear the contents of the Looper
, click
Clear
.
184
The upper half of the window shows the real-time waveform of the Looper’s audio. Unlike other times the waveform is shown here, you cannot edit the waveform in this part of the window.
The audio playhead indicates the Looper’s current playback and/or recording position.
The timeline provides a reference for the length of the sample as
bars.beats.ticks
.
The lower half of the window can display the
Q-Links
panel,
Pads
panel,
Looper
panel, and
Project
panel. Click the corresponding selector to show or hide each one.
The
Pads
panel shows information for each pad, depending on the currently selected program. This is identical to
how the Pads panel appears in Main Mode (see the
to learn more about the
Project
panel.
panel are described in the following sections.
Q-Links
In the
Q-Links
panel:
Use
Q-Link Knob 1
to adjust the threshold. This is the same as adjusting the
threshold slider
in the
Looper
panel.
Use
Q-Link Knob 4
to adjust the Looper’s output gain level. This is the same as adjusting the
Output Gain
slider in the
Looper
panel.
185
Looper
The
Input Source
menu in the upper-left corner of the
Looper
panel defines whether you are going to record an external audio signal (
Stereo
or
Mono
) or an internal signal from within the MPC software (
Resample L
,
Resample R
, or
Resample L+R
).
Resampling does not require an audio connection because the source is within the MPC software and is therefore recorded without any loss in audio quality. You can, for example, use Resample to record two or more samples by pressing the corresponding pads simultaneously or by simply playing a sequence.
The
Inserts
slots show any enabled or disabled effects for the Looper. See
to learn more about insert effects.
Important
: These effects are applied to the audio as you record it. This means that the effects cannot be “removed” from the sound later.
Click the
Mono
/
Stereo
menu to choose whether your recorded loop will be monaural (
Mono
) or binaural (
Stereo
).
Click the
Monitor
button to set how the Looper will be monitored:
When
on
, the audio you hear in your headphones will be taken
before
it reaches the Sampler, ensuring zero latency.
When
off
, the audio you hear in your headphones will be taken
after
it is processed in the Sampler, so there may be some latency, but you will hear the audio source as it sounds in the recording.
Tip
:
To avoid possible clicks or feedback while input monitoring
, reduce the level of the audio sources.
Use the
threshold slider
to adjust the threshold. Alternatively, turn
Q-Link Knob 1
.
When the Looper is record-armed, it automatically starts recording when the level of the incoming source exceeds this setting. If you set it too high, the recording may not start when you play the input source, or the start of the material you wanted to record may be missing. If you set it too low, the recording may start too early, before you play the external source. Set this parameter to an appropriate level using the level meter.
Click
Rplc
or
Ovr
(
⊕
) to record-arm the Looper. The
Play
(
) and
Ovr
(
⊕
) buttons will then flash.
At that point, start recording by doing either of the following:
•
Start performing so that the incoming audio level exceeds the level of the
threshold slider
.
•
Click the
Play
(
) button in the
Looper
panel.
Click
Rev
(
) to reverse playback and recording of the Looper.
Use the
Bars
field to define the length of your loop. Regardless of how much or how little audio you record, this is how long your loop will be.
Click
Sync
button to sync or un-sync the looper with sequence playback. When
on
, the Looper will stay in step with your current sequence. When you play or record into the Looper, it will wait until the sequence starts playing Bar 1 to start.
186
Use the
Record To
selector to determine the loop recording behavior:
Play
: Before recording, you must first click the
Play
(
) button on the window, which will start playing the Looper.
Overdub
: Before recording, you must first click
Rplc
or
Ovr
(
⊕
) to record-arm the Looper.
Click
Clear
to erase the loop immediately.
Click
Export
to open the
Export Loop as a Sample
window.
Use the
Output Gain
slider to adjust the Looper’s output gain level. This is the same as adjusting
Q-Link Knob 4
in the
Q-Links
panel.
Below are step-by-step instructions for using the Looper’s functions.
To record with the Looper
:
Important
:
To record without erasing any audio you’ve already recorded in the loop
, use the
⊕
/
Ovr
button.
To overwrite the audio you’ve already recorded
, use the
Rplc
button.
If
Record To
is set to
Play
:
To start recording
, click the
Rplc
or
Ovr
(
⊕
) button as the loop is playing. The Looper will start recording immediately.
To stop recording
, click the
Rplc
or
Ovr
(
⊕
) button. The Looper will stop recording but continue playing.
To stop playback and recording
, click the
Play
(
) button.
If
Record To
is set to
Overdub
:
To start recording
, click the
Play
(
) button on the window.
If
Sync
is off, you can also play your audio source so that the input level reaches the threshold value.
If
Sync
is on, you can also click the
Play
(
) or
Play Start
(
|
) button in the toolbar to start playing a sequence; recording will start when the sequence starts on Bar 1.
To stop recording
, click the
Ovr
(
⊕
) button. The Looper will stop recording but continue playing.
To stop playback and recording
, click the
Play
(
) button, or press stop to stop sequence playback.
To play or stop the loop
(without recording), click the
Play
(
) button on the window.
To reverse loop playback
, click the
Rev
(
) button. If
Seq Sync
is
on
, playback will reverse once the Looper’s playhead reaches the end of the loop. If
Seq Sync
is
off
, playback will reverse immediately.
To erase the loop immediately
, click
Clear
.
187
To export the loop as a sample
:
1.
Click
Export
to open the
Export Loop as a Sample
window.
2.
Use the
New Name
field to name the new sample. Otherwise, the process will add a consecutive number after the sample name.
3.
Optional
: Click the
Program
menu to assign the new sample to a program. Select
<none>
if you want to save it to the project without assigning it to a program.
4.
Optional
: Use the
Assign to Pad
field to assign the sample to a pad in the program.
5.
Use the
Root Note
field to set where the sample’s original pitch will be on the keyboard.
To play the recording
, click
Play
.
To close the window without exporting
, click
Cancel
.
To confirm your selections and export the loop
, click
Do It
.
Tip
: We recommend editing your sample in
Sample Edit Mode
for more information).
188
Pad Mute Mode
Pad Mute Mode lets you easily mute pads within a program or set mute groups for each pad within a program.
To enter Pad Mute Mode
, do any of the following:
•
Click the
square-and-X icon
in the toolbar (if shown).
•
Click the
down arrow
(
) next to the other mode icons in the toolbar, and click
Pad Mute
.
•
Click the
menu icon
(
≡
), and go to
View
>
Mode
and click
Pad Mute
.
While
Pad Mute
is selected in the
Mute
panel, you can mute or unmute individual sounds (on a single track) in real time by pressing the pads. This is useful if you want to hear a track without a particular sound or if you want to isolate specific sounds or combinations of sounds.
Tip
: This function is similar to muting pads one at a time in the grid but more convenient.
The
Pad Group
feature in the
Mute
panel extends the concept of pad mutes: you can mute or unmute multiple pads
(on a single track) by pressing one pad that you have assigned to a group. This is useful if you want to hear a track without a particular group of sounds or if you want to isolate specific sounds in various combinations. You can create up to 16 different groups.
The upper half of the window can display the Grid Editor, Wave Editor, or List Editor. Click the
Grid
,
Wave
, or
List
tab to enter the corresponding editor. See
to learn more about each one.
The lower half of the window can display the
Pad Banks
panel,
Pads
panel,
Mute
panel, and
Project
panel. Click
the corresponding selector to show or hide each one. See
about the
Project
panel. The other panels are described below:
.
189
Pad Banks
The
Pad Banks
panel is an overview of all pads in all eight pad banks.
Click a
pad bank
to select it. That bank will also appear in the Grid Editor and the Pads panel.
While using the
Pad Mute
function (selected in the
Mute
panel), click a
pad
with a sample to mute or unmute it. Muted pads are
red
. Unmuted pads are
yellow
.
While using the
Pad Group
function (selected in the
Mute
panel), click a
pad
to select it to assign to a group. The selected pad is
green
. Pads that belong to the same group flash
yellow
.
Pads
The
Pads
panel represents the pads in the current bank. If a pad is assigned to a group, the group number will appear at the bottom of the pad.
Click a
pad bank
to select it. That bank will also appear in the Grid Editor and the Pad Banks panel.
While using the
Pad Mute
function (selected in the
Mute
panel), click a
pad
with a sample to mute or unmute it. Muted pads are
red
. Unmuted pads are
yellow
.
While using the
Pad Group
function (selected in the
Mute
panel), click a
pad
to select it to assign to a group. The selected pad is
green
. Pads that belong to the same group flash
yellow
.
Mute
The
Mute
panel lets you configure how pad mutes work.
Click
Pad Mute
to use Pad Mute Mode normally.
Clicking or pressing a
pad
will mute or unmute it
(and any pads in the same group).
Click
Pad Group
to assign pads to groups.
Clicking or pressing a
pad
will select it.
Click the
Time Correct
menu to select a time division to quantize pad mutes in this mode. For example, while set to
1 Bar
, your mutes will always align with the beginning of the measure immediately after you press the pad. Select
Off
to deactivate this feature.
While
Pad Group
is selected, click the
Pad
menu to assign the currently selected pad to a group.
Select
Group Off
to un-assign the pad from any group.
190
Track Mute Mode
Track Mute Mode lets you easily mute MIDI tracks within a sequence or set track groups, enabling you to mute multiple tracks at once.
Important
: Track Mute Mode applies to MIDI tracks only—not audio tracks.
To enter Track Mute Mode
, do any of the following:
•
Click the
bars-and-X icon
in the toolbar (if shown).
•
Click the
down arrow
(
) next to the other mode icons in the toolbar, and click
Track Mute
.
•
Click the
menu icon
(
≡
), and go to
View
>
Mode
and click
Track Mute
.
While
Track Mute
is selected in the
Mute
panel, you can mute, unmute, or solo MIDI tracks (in a single sequence) in real time by pressing the pads. This is useful if you want to hear a sequence without a particular MIDI track (e.g., muting your keyboard track to focus on the bass) or if you want to isolate specific sounds or combinations of sounds that are separated by track.
Tip
: This function is similar to, but more convenient than, muting MIDI tracks one at a time in the Track View.
The
Track Group
feature in the
Mute
panel extends the concept of track mutes: you can mute or unmute multiple
MIDI tracks (in a single sequence) by pressing one pad that you have assigned to a track group. This is useful if you want to hear a track without a particular group of sounds or if you want to isolate specific sounds in various combinations. You can create up to 16 different track groups.
191
The upper half of the window displays the Track View. See
to learn more about this.
The lower half of the window can display the
Pad Banks
panel,
Pads
panel,
Mute
panel, and
Project
panel. Click
the corresponding selector to show or hide each one. See
about the
Project
panel. The other panels are described below:
.
Pad Banks
The
Pad Banks
panel is an overview of all pads in all eight pad banks. Each pad represents a
MIDI track in the current sequence.
Click a
pad bank
to select it.
While using the
Track Mute
function (selected in the
Mute
panel), click a
pad
to mute or unmute its track. Pads with muted tracks are
red
. Pads with unmuted tracks are
yellow
.
While using the
Track Group
function (selected in the
Mute
panel), click a
pad
to select its track to assign to a group. The pad with the selected track is
green
. Pads with tracks that belong to the same group flash
yellow
.
While using the
Solo
function (selected in the
Mute
panel), click a
pad
to solo its track (muting all others). The pad with the soloed track is
green
. The colors of other pads will not change when using this feature.
Pads
The
Pads
panel represents 16 MIDI tracks (per bank) in the current sequence. If a pad’s track is assigned to a group, the group number will appear at the bottom of the pad.
Click a
pad bank
to select it.
While using the
Track Mute
function (selected in the
Mute
panel), click a
pad
to mute or unmute its track. Pads with muted tracks are
red
. Pads with unmuted tracks are
yellow
.
While using the
Track Group
function (selected in the
Mute
panel), click a
pad
to select its track to assign to a group. The pad with the selected track is
green
. Pads with tracks that belong to the same group flash
yellow
.
While using the
Solo
function (selected in the
Mute
panel), click a
pad
to solo its track (muting all others). The pad with the soloed track is
green
. The colors of other pads will not change when using this feature.
192
Mute
The
Mute
panel lets you configure how track mutes work.
Click
Track Mute
to use Track Mute Mode normally. Clicking or pressing a
pad
will mute or unmute its track (and any tracks in the same group).
Click
Track Group
to assign tracks to groups. Clicking or pressing a
pad
will select its track.
Click the
Time Correct
menu to select a time division to quantize track mutes in this mode. For example, while set to
1 Bar
, your mutes will always align with the beginning of the measure immediately after you press the pad. Select
Off
to deactivate this feature.
While
Track Group
is selected, click the
Track
menu to assign the track of the currently selected pad to a group. Select
Group
Off
to un-assign the track from any group.
Click
Solo
to enable or disable the solo feature. When enabled, click a
pad
to solo its track (muting all others).
193
Next Sequence Mode
Next Sequence Mode lets you trigger different sequences simply by playing the pads. This is useful for live performances, letting you change a song’s structure in real time.
To enter Next Sequence Mode
, do any of the following:
•
Click the
double-arrow icon
in the toolbar (if shown).
•
Click the
down arrow
(
) next to the other mode icons in the toolbar, and click
Next Sequence
.
•
Click the
menu icon
(
≡
), and go to
View
>
Mode
and click
Next Sequence
.
In Next Sequence Mode, every pad is assigned to a sequence, starting from
Pad A01
with
Sequence 1
and ascending from there.
In this mode, you can start playback and choose the sequence that plays next in real time. Select the next sequence by pressing its corresponding pad. Alternatively, allow the current sequence to repeat indefinitely. When you stop playback, you can copy the order of sequences you played into Song Mode to export it.
194
The upper half of the window displays a representation of the sequences that have played.
The dark blue timeline at the top indicates the number of bars that have elapsed with each sequence. The
white arrow
(
) is the audio playhead, indicating the current playback position.
Each block represents a sequence with miniature track note events. The sequence number and name is at the top of each block. A repeat symbol (
||:
) next to the sequence name indicates it is a repeat of the previous sequence.
Use the sliders in the lower-right corner of this area (along each axis) to zoom in or zoom out.
The lower half of the window can display the
Sequence List
panel,
Pads
panel,
Performance Controls
panel, and
Project
panel. Click the corresponding selector to show or hide each one. See
to learn more about the
Project
panel. The other panels are described below:
.
Sequence List
The
Sequence List
panel shows a list of all available sequences in your project as well as their length and tempo. The currently selected one is highlighted.
Select one by clicking or pressing its corresponding pad.
The
Sequence
column shows the name of the sequence.
The
Length
column indicates the length of the sequence in
bars
.
The
Tempo
column indicates the tempo of the sequence in
BPM
. Keep in mind that each sequence will not play back at this tempo if the
Seq
/
Mst
button in the
toolbar
is set to
Mst
; if it is set to
Seq
, then each sequence follows its own tempo during playback.
Note
:
To set the BPM of a sequence
, select that sequence and then use
(
A
) the
BPM
field in its
Sequence
section of the
Inspector
or (
B
) the
BPM
field in the
toolbar
(when set to
Seq
instead of
Mst
).
195
Pads
The
Pads
panel represents 16 sequences (per bank). Each pad shows the length of the sequence in
bars
, the tempo of the sequence in
BPM
, and the name of the sequence. (Keep in mind that each sequence will not play back at this tempo if the
Seq
/
Mst
button in the
toolbar
is set to
Mst
; if it is set to
Seq
, then each sequence follows its own tempo during playback.)
Click a
pad bank
to select it.
Click a
pad
to select its sequence.
If a sequence on another pad will play next, that pad will flash
green
.
During playback, the pad with the currently playing sequence will be lit
green
.
Performance Controls
The
Performance Controls
panel shows the available commands you can execute.
As a sequence plays, you can use the buttons in this panel to change how playback works in this mode:
Click
Hold
to repeat the current sequence indefinitely and temporarily ignore pad presses. Click it again to return to normal operation. This is useful if you want to select other pads without selecting them to play next.
Click
Sudden
to switch to the currently selected sequence
immediately
.
The new sequence will start playing whether or not the current sequence is done. This is useful in live performances if you need to switch to the next sequence instantly at a certain cue.
Click
Next Bar
to switch to the currently selected sequence at the beginning of the next bar. This is useful if you want to switch to another sequence before the current one ends without having to worry about timing issues.
If there is a sequence that will play next, you can click
Clear
to cancel it.
The current sequence will continue playing or you can click or press a
pad
to select another sequence to play next. This option is available only if that sequence is not playing at that moment.
While playback is stopped, you can use these buttons:
While playback is stopped, click
Copy to Song
to copy the sequence playlist
chapter to learn about creating a song).
While playback is stopped, click
Erase Song
to clear all sequences from the upper half of the window.
196
Song Mode
Song Mode lets you arrange sequences in a specific order and/or repetition to create songs. You can edit the structure of a song during playback for easy, on-the-fly composing.
A project can contain up to 32 songs, each consisting of up to 999 “steps.” Each step can have an assigned sequence as well as the number of times that sequence will repeat.
To open Song Mode
, do any of the following:
•
Click the
musical-notes icon
in the toolbar (if shown).
•
Click the
down arrow
(
) next to the other mode icons in the toolbar, and click
Song
.
•
Click the
menu icon
(
≡
), and go to
View
>
Mode
and click
Song
.
Important
: If a sequence is currently playing, stop playback before entering Song Mode. You cannot enter Song
Mode during playback.
In Song Mode, every pad is assigned to a sequence, starting from
Pad A01
with
Sequence 1
and ascending from there.
In this mode, you can create a song as a list “steps.” Each step corresponds to a sequence and will play a certain number of times.
Important
: When creating a song, the program used by each track in the song’s
first sequence
will be used by
all subsequent tracks
. In other words, all identically numbered tracks (across sequences) will use the program used by the first sequence in the song—regardless of what programs each track uses while not in Song Mode.
For example, if you create a project in this way…:
•
Track 1 of
Sequence 1
uses a
drum
program.
•
Track 1 of
Sequence 2
uses a
keygroup
program.
•
A song uses Sequence 1 as its first sequence and then uses Sequence 2 any time after it.
…then, in that song, Track 1 in Sequence 2 will use the same drum program as Track 1, Sequence 1.
Because of this, we recommend trying to be consistent while creating tracks in sequences that you intend to use in a single song. Remember that you can copy one track to another if you ever need to reorder the tracks of a sequence
(see
197
The upper half of the window displays a representation of the sequences in the song.
The dark blue timeline at the top indicates the number of bars that have elapsed with each sequence. The
white arrow
(
) is the audio playhead, indicating the current playback position.
Each block represents a sequence with miniature track note events. The sequence number and name is at the top of each block. A repeat symbol (
||:
) next to the sequence name indicates it is a repeat of the previous sequence.
Click the
blue
bar at the top of each block to select that step in the song. The bar will be
yellow
when selected.
If the step contains repetitions of a sequence, all repetitions in that step will be selected.
Click the
X
in the
blue
bar at the top of a block to delete that step in the song. If the step contains repetitions of a sequence, all repetitions in that step will be deleted.
Use the sliders in the lower-right corner of this area (along each axis) to zoom in or zoom out.
The lower half of the window can display the
Sequence List
panel,
Pads
panel,
Song Parameters
panel, and
Project
panel. Click the corresponding selector to show or hide each one. See
to learn more about the
Project
panel. The other panels are described below:
.
198
Sequence List
The
Sequence List
panel shows a list of the steps of the song. Each step can have one sequence assigned to it and will show its information. The currently selected one is highlighted. Select one by clicking it.
The
Step
column shows the number of the step. Each song can contain up to
999 steps
.
The
Sequence
column shows the number and name of the assigned sequence. Click this menu to select a different sequence. This is the same as the
Step
menu in the
Song Parameters
panel.
The
Rpts
column indicates how many times the sequence plays. Click and drag this field up or down to set the number of repeats. Each step can play up to
999 times
. You can set it to
Hld
(the lowest/minimum value) to set the sequence to repeat indefinitely until you stop playback.
The
BPM
column indicates the tempo of the sequence in
BPM
. Keep in mind that each sequence will not play back at this tempo if the
Seq
/
Mst
button in the
toolbar
is set to
Mst
; if it is set to
Seq
, then each sequence follows its own tempo during playback.
Note
:
To set the BPM of a sequence
, select that sequence and then use
(
A
) the
BPM
field in its
Sequence
section of the
Inspector
or (
B
) the
BPM
field in the
toolbar
(when set to
Seq
instead of
Mst
).
The
Bars
column indicates the length of the sequence in
bars
.
Pads
The
Pads
panel represents 16 sequences (per bank). Each pad shows the length of the sequence in
bars
, the tempo of the sequence in
BPM
, and the name of the sequence. (Keep in mind that each sequence will not play back at this tempo if the
Seq
/
Mst
button in the
toolbar
is set to
Mst
; if it is set to
Seq
, then each sequence follows its own tempo during playback.)
The pad whose sequence is assigned to the currently selected step will flash
green
.
Click a
pad bank
to select it.
Click and drag a
pad
onto one of the following locations to use it in the song:
• onto a step in the
Sequence List
panel or onto a block in the upper half of the window. This will replace its currently assigned sequence with the one you clicked and dragged onto it.
• between two steps in the
Sequence List
panel or between two blocks in the upper half of the window. This will insert a step at that location and assign the sequence to it.
If a sequence on another pad will play next, that pad will flash
yellow
.
During playback, the pad with the currently playing sequence will be lit
green
.
199
Song Parameters
The
Song Parameters
panel shows the available controls for Song
Mode. You can use the buttons in this panel to edit the song.
Click the
Song
menu to select the song you want to show.
Double-click the name in this menu to rename the song.
Click
Convert
>
Seq
to open the
Convert Song
window. In this window:
Click the
To Sequence
menu to select the sequence that will use the converted song.
Click the
Track Status
menu to select how you want to convert muted tracks. Select
Include Muted Tracks
if you want muted tracks to be included in the converted song. Select
Ignore Muted
Tracks
if you want muted tracks to be excluded from the converted song.
Click
Do It
to convert the song to that sequence, or click
Close
to close the window without converting.
Click
Clear
to clear the entire sequence playlist (delete all steps) and the name of the song.
Click
Insert Step
to insert a step after the currently selected one.
Click
Delete Step
to delete the currently selected step.
The
Step
menu shows the number and name of the sequence assigned to the currently selected step. Click this menu to select a different sequence. This is the same as the
Sequence
menu/column in the
Sequence List
panel.
The
First Bar
and
Last Bar
values indicate the numbers of the bars
(in the entire song) where the step starts and ends, respectively.
The
Total Bars
value indicates the length of the sequence in
bars
.
The
Repeats
value indicates how many times the sequence plays.
Click and drag the
Rpts
field in the
Sequence List
panel up or down to set the number of repeats. Each step can play up to
999 times
. When this is set to
Hold
(the lowest/minimum value), the sequence to repeat indefinitely until you stop playback.
The
Time Sig
value indicates the time signature of the sequence.
The
BPM
value indicates the tempo of the sequence assigned to the currently selected step in
BPM
. Keep in mind that each sequence will not play back at this tempo if the
Seq
/
Mst
button in the
toolbar
is set to
Mst
; if it is set to
Seq
, then each sequence follows its own tempo during playback.
To render
/
export your song as an audio file
, click the
menu icon
(
≡
), and go to
File
>
Export
and click
As Audio Mixdown
. See
to learn how to use this screen to export
your song.
200
MIDI Control Mode
You can use MIDI Control Mode to customize what MIDI messages are sent from certain controls on your
MPC hardware. This custom “control map” will then work whenever you are in MIDI Control Mode. The edits you make in MIDI Control Mode will be retained with the current MPC project.
This is helpful when using the MPC software as a plugin: you can use MIDI Control Mode to use your MPC hardware to control your host software, and then switch back to any other mode to control the MPC plugin.
To enter MIDI Control Mode
, do any of the following:
•
Click the
MIDI-jack icon
in the toolbar (if shown).
•
Click the
down arrow
(
) next to the other mode icons in the toolbar, and click
MIDI Control
.
•
Click the
menu icon
(
≡
), and go to
View
>
Mode
and click
MIDI Control
.
Important
: Make sure your MPC hardware is connected to your computer and powered on. MIDI Control Mode is not functional without a connected MPC hardware unit.
In the window, use the following fields and selectors to set each control’s parameters to your preference. The
available parameters depend on its type:
. When you have set all of the parameters as desired, you can select another control or enter another mode.
The software window will also display a graphical representation of your MPC hardware. Editable controls show their current MIDI message. Pads and Q-Link knobs show their current MIDI channels.
201
To select a control to edit
, do one of the following:
•
Press or turn it on your MPC hardware.
•
Click it on the graphical representation of your MPC hardware.
•
Click the
Control
menu in the upper-left corner of the window and select one.
Note
: The
Control
menu may show many more hardware controls than are actually available on your MPC hardware.
This is because the list includes all possible controls from all current MPC models (MPC Renaissance, MPC Studio,
MPC Touch, etc.).
Pads
These are the MIDI parameters you can edit for each
pad
:
Control
: This is the hardware control you are currently editing (
Pad 1
–
Pad 16
). Click this menu to select another control.
Bank
: This is the pad bank of the current pad (
A
–
H
). If you select the
Set All
box, the pad’s messages and parameters will be identical across all eight banks. Click this menu to select another bank.
Set All
: Click this box to select or deselect it. When selected, the pad’s messages and parameters will be identical across all eight banks. When deselected, the pad’s messages and parameters will apply to the current pad only.
Light LED
: This determines how the pad’s LEDs will behave. Click this menu to select an option:
When set to
Never
, the LEDs will always be off.
When set to
MIDI Input
, the LEDs will light up when the software receives a MIDI message that matches the pad.
When set to
Local
, the LEDs will light up when you press the pad and/or MIDI input is received.
MIDI Ch
: This determines which MIDI channel (
1
–
16
) the pad will use to send its message to the software.
CC Number
: This determines what MIDI Control Change number the pad will send to the software when you press it.
Velocity
: This determines whether the pad will be velocity-sensitive (
On
) or not (
Off
).
When set to
Off
, pressing the pad will send a note at full-level (
127
) always.
Aftertouch
: This determines how the pad’s aftertouch (pressure applied to the pad after the initial press) behaves.
Off
: The pad will not send any aftertouch messages.
Channel
: If you press multiple pads that have this setting, the aftertouch messages they send will be identical.
Poly
: If you press multiple pads, the aftertouch message each pad sends will be independent from the others.
202
Buttons
These are the MIDI parameters you can edit for each
button
:
Control
: This is the hardware control you are currently editing (
Erase
,
Tap Tempo
,
Undo
,
Copy
, etc.). Click this menu to select another option.
Light LED
: This determines how the button’s LED/LEDs will behave. Click this menu to select an option:
When set to
Never
, the LEDs will always be off.
When set to
MIDI Input
, the LEDs will light up when the software receives a MIDI message that matches the button.
When set to
Local
, the LEDs will light up when you press the button and/or MIDI input is received.
MIDI Ch
: This determines which MIDI channel (
1
–
16
) the button will use to send its message to the software.
CC Number
: This determines what MIDI control change number the button will send to the software.
Type
: This determines whether the button will behave as a
Momentary
switch or
Toggle
(latching) switch.
Q-Link Knobs
These are the MIDI parameters you can edit for each
Q-Link knob
:
Control
: This is the hardware control you are currently editing (
Q-Link 1
–
16
). Click this menu to select another option.
Light LED
: Although you can edit this parameter, it does not actually have a function on your MPC hardware. Click this menu to select an option:
When set to
Never
, the LEDs will always be off.
When set to
MIDI Input
, the LEDs will light up when the software receives a MIDI message that matches the Q-Link knob.
When set to
Local
, the LEDs will light up when you touch or turn the Q-Link knob and/or MIDI input is received.
MIDI Ch
: This determines which MIDI channel (
1
–
16
) the Q-Link knob will use to send its message to the software.
CC Number
: This determines what MIDI Control Change number the Q-Link knob will send to the software.
Mode
: This determines how the Q-Link knob will control its parameter.
Absolute
: The Q-Link knob’s current position determines its parameter’s value; moving it may cause its parameter to “snap” to a new position if you’re using it to control different parameters in different modes.
Relative
: Moving the Q-Link knob will increase or decrease its parameter regardless of its physical position.
Low Range
: This is the Q-Link knob’s lowest possible value (
0
–
127
).
High Range
: This is the Q-Link knob’s highest possible value (
0
–
127
).
Touch Sense
: This activates or deactivates the Q-Link knob’s touch-capacitive circuitry.
On
: You can touch the Q-Link knob to send a Note On message to the software
(this is how your MPC hardware normally works).
Off
: The Q-Link knob will not send any Note On messages; it will only send CC messages when you turn it.
Touch Note
: This is the MIDI note number the Q-Link knob will send to the software when you touch it (
0
–
127
or
C-2
to
G8
).
Touch Sense
must be set to
On
for this to work.
203
XY Pad
These are the MIDI parameters you can edit for each axis of the
XY pad
of an MPC X, MPC
Live, or MPC Touch:
Control
: This is the axis you are currently editing (
XYFX X-Axis
or
XYFX Y-Axis
).
Mute
: This button determines whether the axis is muted or not. When muted, its MIDI output is disabled. You must be viewing the
Settings
to do this.
MIDI Ch
: This determines which MIDI channel (
1
–
16
) the axis will use to send its message to the software.
CC Number
: This determines what MIDI Control Change number the axis will send to the software.
Low Range
: This is the axis’s lowest possible value (
0
–
127
).
High Range
: This is the axis’s highest possible value (
0
–
127
).
204
Appendix
Effects & Parameters
This chapter lists the available effects and their parameters. To learn more about how effects work in general in the
MPC software, please see
.
Note
: Some of these effects have a “sync” version (e.g.,
Flanger Sync
,
Autopan Sync
, etc.) whose rates will be affected by the current tempo. While viewing the rate of these effects, a “
.
” next to the time division indicates a triplet-based rate.
Reverbs
Options
,
,
Reverb Small
This is a spatial effect, designed to emulate a small room.
Parameter Value Range Default Value
Dry/Wet 0–100 (dry–wet) 50
Pre-Delay 1–100 50
Early Reflection 0–100 50
Density 0–100 50
Diffuse
Decay
Lo-Cut
Hi-Cut
0–100 50
0–100 50
0–100 15
0–100 10
Reverb Medium
This is a spatial effect, designed to emulate a medium room.
Parameter
Dry/Wet
Value Range Default Value
0–100 (dry–wet) 50
Pre-Delay 1–100 50
Early Reflection 0–100 50
Density 0–100 50
Diffuse 0–100 50
Decay
Lo-Cut
Hi-Cut
0–100 50
0–100 15
0–100 10
205
Reverb Large
This is a spatial effect, designed to emulate the sound of a large hall.
Parameter
Dry/Wet
Value Range Default Value
0–100 (dry–wet) 50
Pre-Delay 1–100 50
Early Reflection 0–100 50
Density 0–100 50
Diffuse 0–100 50
Decay
Lo-Cut
Hi-Cut
0–100 75
0–100 10
0–100 10
Reverb Large 2
This is a less CPU-intensive spatial effect, emulating the sound of a large hall.
Parameter Value Range Default Value
Dry/Wet
Pre-Delay
0–100 (dry–wet) 50
1–100 50
Early Reflection 0–100 50
Density
Diffuse
Decay
Lo-Cut
Hi-Cut
0–100 50
0–100 50
0–100 75
0–100 10
0–100 10
Reverb In Gate
This is a hall reverb with an additional control. The reverb effect is cut off when the input drops below the level set in the
Gate In
parameter.
Parameter Value Range Default Value
Dry/Wet 0–100 (dry–wet) 50
Pre-Delay 1–100 50
Early Reflection 0–100 50
Density 0–100 50
Diffuse
Decay
Lo-Cut
Hi-Cut
Gate In
0–100 50
0–100 75
0–100 10
0–100 10
0–100 0
206
Reverb Out Gate
This is a hall reverb that has an additional control. The reverb effect is cut off when the output drops below the level set in the
Gate Out
parameter.
Parameter
Dry/Wet
Pre-Delay
Value Range
0–100 (dry–wet)
Default Value
50
1–100 50
Early Reflection 0–100 50
Density 0–100 50
Diffuse 0–100 50
Decay
Lo-Cut
Hi-Cut
0–100 75
0–100 10
0–100 10
Gate Out 0–100 0
Delays
Delays the original signal for a specified period of time and plays it back over an adjustable period of time.
Options
:
,
,
,
,
,
Delay Mono
Value Range Default Value
0–100 (dry–wet) 50
2–2000 ms 100
0–100 25
0–100 100
Parameter
Dry/Wet
Time
Feedback
Damping
Delay Mono Sync
Parameter
Dry/Wet
Time
Feedback
Damping
Delay Stereo
Stereo Delay operates similarly to Mono Delay but in true stereo.
Parameter
Dry/Wet
Time
Feedback
Damping
Value Range Default Value
0–100 (dry–wet) 50
1 bar – 1/16 triplets 1/4
0–100 50
0–100 100
Value Range Default Value
0–100 (dry–wet) 50
2–2000 ms 100
0–100 25
0–100 100
207
Delay Sync
(
Stereo
)
Stereo Delay operates similarly to Mono Delay but in true stereo.
Parameter
Dry/Wet
Time
Feedback
Damping
Delay LP
LP Delay is identical to the Mono Delay, but it uses a resonant low-pass filter in the delay line.
Parameter
Dry/Wet
Time
Feedback
Cutoff
Resonance
Delay HP
HP Delay is identical to the Mono Delay, but it uses a resonant high-pass filter in the delay line.
Parameter
Dry/Wet
Time
Feedback
Cutoff
Resonance
Delay Analog
Analog Delay is similar to the Mono Delay, except that it’s designed to emulate an analog “Bucket Brigade”-style delay.
This delay has a unique character to it that gives a warmer sound by adding subtle inaccuracies in phase and timing.
Parameter
Dry/Wet
Time
Feedback
Delay Analog Sync
Analog Delay is similar to Mono Delay, except that it’s designed to emulate an analog “Bucket Brigade”-style delay.
This delay has a unique character to it that gives a warmer sound by adding subtle inaccuracies in phase and timing.
Parameter
Dry/Wet
Time
Feedback
Ramp
Value Range Default Value
0–100 (dry–wet) 50
1 bar – 1/16 triplets 1/4
0–100 50
0–100 100
Value Range Default Value
0–100 (dry–wet) 50
2–2000 ms 500
0–100 50
0–100 50
0–100 20
Value Range Default Value
0–100 (dry–wet) 50
2–2000 ms 100
0–100 50
0–100 33
0–100 33
Value Range Default Value
0–100 (dry–wet) 50
2–2000 ms 100
0–100 25
Value Range Default Value
0–100 (dry–wet) 50
1 bar – 1/16 triplets 1/4
0–100 50
0–100 50
208
Delay Tape Sync
Tape Delay emulates a delay system using an analog tape loop and a series of tape heads to produce an echo effect.
This delay type yields a very distinct echo sound often heard in reggae and dub-style music.
Parameter
Dry/Wet
Time
Feedback
Ramp
Head 1
Head 2
Value Range Default Value
0–100 (dry–wet) 50
1 bar – 1/16 triplets 1/4
0–100 50
0–100 50
0–100 100
0–100 0
Head 3
Head 4
Tone
0–100 0
0–100 0
0–100 50
Spread 0–100 50
Wow & Flutter 0–100 50
Delay Ping Pong
This stereo delay allows you to set different delay times for its left and right repeats.
Parameter
Dry/Wet
Time, Left
Time, Right
Feedback
Damping
Value Range Default Value
0–100 (dry–wet) 50
2–2000 ms
2–2000 ms
100
100
0–100 25
0–100 100
Delay Multi-Tap
This delay is a mono delay which has three delay generators with independently adjustable delay times and stereo position.
Parameter
Dry/Wet
Time 1
Time 2
Time 3
Feedback
Pan 1
Pan 2
Pan 3
Damping
Gain 1
Gain 2
Gain 3
Value Range Default Value
0–100 (dry–wet) 50
2–2000 ms 100
2–2000 ms 100
2–2000 ms 100
0–100 25
0–100 50
0–100 50
0–100 50
0–100 100
0–100 25
0–100 25
0–100 25
209
Flangers
A flanger is a modulated delay to emulate the sound created when running two analog tape machines in parallel with a slight time disalignment. Slow
Rate
settings can produce a “whooshing” jet engine sound, while faster rates result in more of a “warble.”
Options
Flanger
Parameter Value Range Default Value
Dry/Wet
Rate
Feedback
Delay
0–100 (dry–wet)
0–100 10
-100 – 100
100
0
0–100 20
Width 0–100 80
Flanger Sync
Parameter Value Range Default Value
Dry/Wet
Rate
Feedback
Delay
0–100 (dry–wet) 100
8 bars – 1/16 triplets 1/4
-100 – 100 0
0–100 20
Width 0–100 80
Choruses
A chorus effect uses an LFO to modulate the pitch and a delay of the input signal, which are then added to the dry signal. In small amounts, this creates the illusion of multiple voices playing at once. Turn up the
Feedback
and
Depth
for more pronounced “shimmering” and “watery” sounds.
Options
Chorus 2-Voice
Parameter Value Range Default Value
Dry/Wet
Delay
Amount
Width
0–100 (dry–wet)
0–100
0–100
0–100
Feedback 0–100
Rate 0–100
Chorus 4-Voice
Parameter Value Range
100
20
80
80
50
10
Default Value
Dry/Wet
Delay
Amount
Width
Feedback
Rate
0–100 (dry–wet)
0–100
0–100
0–100
0–100
0–100
80
50
10
100
20
80
210
Autopans
This effect uses an LFO to move the incoming signal back and forth across the stereo field, creating a rotary effect.
Options
,
Autopan
Parameter
Dry/Wet
Rate
Autopan Sync
Value Range Default Value
0–100 (dry–wet) 100
0–100 10
Parameter Value Range Default Value
Dry/Wet 0–100 (dry–wet) 100
Rate 8 bars – 1/32 1/4
Tremolos
This effect uses an LFO to increase and decrease the volume of the signal. Depending on the LFO shape, this can produce a smooth wave effect (sine wave) or a stuttering “on-off” effect (square wave).
Options
:
,
Tremolo
Parameter
Dry/Wet
Value Range
0–100 (dry–wet)
Default Value
100
Rate 0–100 10
Sine to Square 0–100 (sine–square) 0
Tremolo Sync
Parameter
Dry/Wet
Value Range
0–100 (dry–wet)
Default Value
100
Rate 1 bar – 1/16 triplets 1/4
Sine to Square 0–100 (sine–square) 0
211
Phasers
The phaser is a classic effect, created by multiple ganged all-pass filters to create “notches,” or sharp spikes, in the frequency spectrum. The frequencies of these all-pass filters are usually modulated by an LFO to create a sweeping sound.
Options
Phaser 1
Parameter
Dry/Wet
Rate
Phaser 2
Parameter
Dry/Wet
Rate
Phaser Sync
Value Range
0–100 (dry–wet)
0–100
Value Range
0–100 (dry–wet)
0–100
Default Value
100
10
Default Value
100
10
Parameter
Dry/Wet
Rate
HP
(High-Pass)
Filters
Options
,
HP Filter
This effect is a static filter without modulation.
Parameter
Frequency
Resonance
HP Filter Sweep
This effect is a high-pass filter with its cutoff frequency modulated by an LFO.
Value Range
0–100 (dry–wet)
Default Value
100
1 bar – 1/16 triplets 1/4
Value Range
10–19999 Hz
0–100
Default Value
1500
0
Parameter Value Range Default Value
Dry/Wet 0–100 (dry–wet) 80
Low Frequency 0–100 50
High Frequency 0–100 100
Resonance
Rate
0–100 33
0–100 10
212
HP Filter Sync
This effect is a high-pass filter with its cutoff frequency modulated by an LFO.
Parameter
Dry/Wet
Value Range Default Value
0–100 (dry–wet) 100
Low Frequency 0–100 0
High Frequency 0–100 100
Resonance
Rate
HP Shelving Filter
This filter differs from the standard filter type, as it attenuates all frequencies after the cutoff point equally.
Parameter
Frequency
0–100 50
8 bars – 1/32 1/4
Value Range
22–19999 Hz
Default Value
1500
Resonance
Gain
0–100 0
-18.0 – 18.0 dB 0.0
LP
(Low-Pass)
Filters
Options
,
LP Filter
This effect is a static filter without modulation.
Parameter
Frequency
Resonance
Value Range
22–19999 Hz
0–100 0
Default Value
1500
LP Filter Sweep
This effect is a low-pass filter with its cutoff frequency modulated by an LFO.
Parameter Value Range Default Value
Dry/Wet 0–100 (dry–wet) 80
Low Frequency 0–100 0
High Frequency 0–100 100
Resonance
Rate
0–100 33
0–100 10
LP Filter Sync
This effect is a low-pass filter with its cutoff frequency modulated by an LFO.
Parameter
Dry/Wet
Value Range Default Value
0–100 (dry–wet) 100
Low Frequency 0–100 0
High Frequency 0–100 100
Resonance
Rate
LP Shelving Filter
This filter differs from the standard filter type, as it attenuates all frequencies after the cutoff point equally.
Parameter
Frequency
0–100 50
8 bars – 1/32 1/4
Value Range
22–19999 Hz
Default Value
1500
Resonance
Gain
0–100 0
-18.0 – 18.0 dB 0.0
213
Parametric EQs
Options
:
PEQ 2-Band, 2-Shelf
This effect is a combination of one two-band parametric equalizer and two shelving filters.
Parameter Value Range Default Value
Low Frequency 22–1000 Hz
Frequency 1 82–3900 Hz
220
820
Frequency 2 220–10000 Hz 2200
High Frequency 560–19999 Hz 5600
Q1
Q2
Low Gain
0–100 0
0–100 0
-18.0 – 18.0 dB 0.0
Gain 1
Gain 2
High Gain
-18.0 – 18.0 dB 0.0
-18.0 – 18.0 dB 0.0
-18.0 – 18.0 dB 0.0
PEQ 4-Band
This effect is a powerful four-band parametric equalizer with four independent EQ ranges.
Parameter
Q1
Q2
Q3
Value Range
Low Frequency 22–1000 Hz
Frequency 1
Frequency 2
High Frequency
82–3900 Hz
220–10000 Hz
560–19999 Hz
Default Value
0–100 5
0–100 5
0–100 5
220
820
2200
5600
Q4
Gain 1
Gain 2
Gain 3
Gain 4
0–100 5
-18.0 – 18.0 dB 0.0
-18.0 – 18.0 dB 0.0
-18.0 – 18.0 dB 0.0
-18.0 – 18.0 dB 0.0
214
Distortions
Options
,
,
Distortion Amp
This effect is designed to reproduce the sound of a tube amplifier at high volumes.
Parameter
Dry/Wet
Drive
Tone
Dynamics
Output
Value Range Default Value
0–100 (dry–wet) 100
0–100 50
0–100 50
0–100 50
0–100 50
Distortion Fuzz
This popular effect uses hard clipping of the audio signal, which, at extreme settings, can turn a standard waveform into a square wave, producing a “razor” effect.
Parameter
Dry/Wet
Drive
Output
Low
Low-Mid
High-Mid
High
Value Range Default Value
0–100 (dry–wet) 100
0–100 50
0–100 50
0–100 50
0–100 50
0–100 50
0–100 50
Distortion Grimey
This is a unique distortion effect that distorts a frequency range in a selectable band.
Parameter
Dry/Wet
Drive
Grime
Center
Width
Resonance
Output
Value Range Default Value
0–100 (dry–wet) 100
0–100 50
0–100 50
0–100 50
0–100 50
0–100 50
0–100 50
Distortion Overdrive
This distortion is designed to sound like a mildly distorting amplifier at medium volumes. It is the smoothest distortion type available.
Parameter
Dry/Wet
Drive
Tone
Output
Value Range Default Value
0–100 (dry–wet) 100
0–100 50
0–100 50
0–100 50
215
Distortion Custom
This effect is a highly customized distortion, capable of a wide range of useable sounds.
Parameter
Dry/Wet
Drive
+Soft
+Clip
–Soft
–Clip
Low
Mid
High
Value Range
0–100 (dry–wet)
0–100
5–75
5–50
5–75
5–50
-18.0 – 18.0 dB
-18.0 – 18.0 dB
-18.0 – 18.0 dB
Output -18.0 – 18.0 dB 50
Compressors
A compressor is an effect that changes the dynamic range of a signal by automatically reducing its gain.
Options
,
,
Compressor Master
Default Value
100
50
2
25
2
25
0.0
0.0
0.0
This is the most transparent compressor, able to perform substantial volume adjustments without artifacts.
Parameter
Dry/Wet
Attack
Release
Threshold
Ratio
Oldskool
Output
Compressor Opto
The Opto Compressor is modeled after a vintage compressor type using an optical circuit to control the volume reduction of the input signal. These compressors are usually associated with soft and unobtrusive attack and release characteristics.
Parameter
Dry/Wet
Input
Attack
Release
Threshold
Ratio
Knee
Output
Value Range
0–100 (dry–wet)
0–100
0–100
-50 – 0 dB
1–20
Off, On
-6 – 24 dB
Value Range
0–100 (dry–wet)
-6 – 18 dB
0–100
0–100
-50 – 0 dB
1–20
1–100
-6 – 24 dB
50
0
1
Off
0
Default Value
100
50
1
1
0
50
50
0
Default Value
100
0
216
Compressor VCA
This compressor is more modern-sounding, with a slightly more transparent sound. A VCA Compressor tends to have quicker attack and release times than an Opto Compressor.
Parameter
Dry/Wet
Input
Attack
Release
Threshold
Ratio
Knee
Output
Compressor Vintage
This compressor has a sound similar to classic tube compressors, with their gentle yet pumping response and a dash of tube saturation.
Parameter
Dry/Wet
Input
Attack
Release
Threshold
Ratio
Knee
Output
Bit Reducers
Options
Decimator
Value Range
0–100 (dry–wet)
-6 – 18 dB
0–100
0–100
-50 – 0 dB
1–20
1–100
-6 – 24 dB
Value Range
0–100 (dry–wet)
-6 – 18 dB
0–100
0–100
-50 – 0 dB
1–20
1–100
-6 – 24 dB
Decimator down-samples the incoming signal by removing bits from the digital signal. The difference between decimation and resampling is that Decimator does not use any filtering to mask or correct digital artifacts. The result is an effect ranging from mild to almost completely pure digital distortion, depending on the setting and the source material.
Parameter
Dry/Wet
Decimate
Value Range
0–100 (dry–wet)
0–100
Bit Reducer 4–32
Resampler
Resampler is similar to Decimator in that it removes bits from an incoming signal. The difference is that Resampler applies a complex suite of filters and anti-aliasing to attempt to retain the original sound quality. This is a method used by popular vintage samplers and sampling drum machines from the 1980s. Resampler can be used to achieve a “dirty” sound on drum loops, without the harshness of distortion.
Parameter
Dry/Wet
Rate
Decimate
Value Range
0–100 (dry–wet)
0–100
0–100
1
0
0
1
50
50
Default Value
100
0
Default Value
100
1
0
0
1
0
50
50
Default Value
100
0
32
0
0
Default Value
100
217
Other
Options
Auto Wah
This effect is a low-pass filter modulated by an envelope that yields a classic funky “wah-wah”- like sound. The envelope is triggered by the incoming signal’s amplitude. The amount of the envelope on the cutoff frequency is user-definable.
Parameter
Dry/Wet
Resonance
Attack
Release
Center
Sensitivity
Frequency Shifter
A frequency shifter changes the frequencies of an input signal by a fixed amount and alters the relationship of the original harmonics. This can produce a chorus-like effect as well as very crazy artificial timbres.
Parameter
Dry/Wet
Frequency
Asynchrony
A Pan
B Pan
A Gain
B Gain
Transient Shaper
A transient shaper can be used to enhance or soften the
Attack and Release phases of audio material.
Parameter
Dry/Wet
Attack
Release
Output
Value Range
0–100 (dry–wet)
0–100
0–100
0–100
0–100
0–100
Default Value
100
75
30
30
50
50
Value Range
0–100 (dry–wet)
Default Value
100
-1000 – 1000 0
0–1000 0
0–100 0
0–100
0–100
0–100
100
75
75
Value Range
0–100 (dry–wet)
0–100
0–100
0–100
Default Value
100
50
50
50
218
Glossary
This glossary briefly defines and explains many of the technical terms used throughout this manual.
Aftertouch
The majority of contemporary keyboards are capable of generating aftertouch messages. On this type of keyboard, when you press harder on a key you are already holding down, a MIDI aftertouch message is generated. This feature makes sounds even more expressive (e.g., through vibrato).
Aliasing
Amount
Attack
Amplifier
Aliasing is an audible side effect arising in digital systems as soon as a signal contains harmonics higher than half the sampling frequency.
Describes to which extent a modulation source influences a given parameter.
An amplifier is a component that influences the volume level of a sound via a control signal. It can be modulated by a control signal (e.g., generated by an
An
parameter. This term describes the ascent rate of a time-relevant process (e.g., an
envelope from its starting point to the point where it reaches its highest value). The attack phase is initiated immediately after a trigger signal is received (e.g., after you play a note on a trigger pad or a keyboard).
Bit Rate
Bounce
Clipping
Bit rate (also known as
word length
), is the number of bits used to store the level information of each single sample slice within a whole sample. The higher the bit rate, the more precise the information about a sample (i.e., its dynamics’ resolution). Normal audio CDs are 16-bit. MPC supports full 24-bit resolution.
When you “bounce” a sequence, track, or program, you are rendering that part of your project as an audio file (as opposed to a MIDI file). The MPC software lets you bounce sequences, tracks, or programs as
samples
(saved to your project’s sample pool) or as full
audio tracks
(saved to your project’s sample pool
and
added directly to the current sequence).
Bouncing a
track
will render that track after it is sent through its program. Bouncing a
program
will render all tracks that use that program after they are sent through it. Bouncing a
sequence
will render all tracks in that sequence after they are sent through their respective programs.
Clipping is a sort of distortion that occurs when a signal exceeds the maximum value that can be handled by a signal processing system it is fed into. The curve of a clipped signal is dependent on the system where the clipping occurs. In the analog domain, clipping effectively limits the signal to a given maximum level. In the digital domain, clipping is similar to a numerical overflow, resulting in negative polarity of the signal’s portions exceeding the maximum level.
Control Change
(Controllers)
MIDI messages enable you to manipulate the behavior of a sound generator to a significant degree. This message essentially consists of two components:
•
The controller number, which defines the parameter to be influenced. It can range from
0
to
127
.
•
The controller value, which determines the extent of the modification.
Controllers can be used for effects such as slowly swelling vibrato, changing the stereo panning position and influencing filter frequency.
Cutoff
The cutoff frequency is a significant factor for a
. A low-pass filter for example dampens the portion of the signal that lies above this frequency. Frequencies below this value are allowed to pass through without being processed.
219
CV CV
stands for
control voltage
, an analog method of sending control messages to external
synthesizers, drum machines, etc. CV messages are typically used in conjunction with
messages (CV messages determine the pitch of notes while Gate messages determine note activation and length). CV messages are sent from the CV out ports of your MPC hardware (e.g.,
MPC X) and to the CV in ports of your external MIDI device.
Please note that each external MIDI device uses a specific control voltage range, which determines how many volts are used in each octave (e.g.,
1V
/
oct
). Be mindful of this when setting it up with the MPC software and/or controller hardware—mismatched voltage ranges can produce unusual/undesirable “re-scaling” of the octaves.
Decay
Envelope
Filter
Decay describes the descent rate of an
once the attack phase has reached its
maximum and the envelope drops to the level defined by the sustain value.
An envelope is used to modulate a sound-shaping component within a given time. For instance, an envelope that modulates the cutoff frequency of a filter opens and closes this filter over a period of time. An envelope is started via a trigger, usually a MIDI note.
The classic
ADSR
envelope consists of four individually variable phases:
attack
,
decay
,
sustain
, and
release
. Attack, decay and release are time or slope values, while sustain is an adjustable level. Once an incoming trigger is received, the envelope runs through the attack and decay phases until it reaches the programmed sustain level. This level remains constant until the trigger is terminated. The envelope then initiates the release phase until it reaches the minimum value.
You can see and read about the envelopes used in the MPC software in
.
A filter is a component that allows some of a signal’s frequencies to pass through it and dampens other frequencies. The most important aspect of a filter is the filter cutoff frequency.
Filters generally come in four categories:
low-pass
,
high-pass
,
band-pass
, and
band-stop
.
These are the available filters in the MPC software:
A
low-pass
filter (the most common type) dampens all frequencies above the cutoff frequency.
A
high-pass
filter in turn dampens the frequencies below the cutoff.
A
band-pass
filter allows only those frequencies around the cutoff frequency to pass. All others are dampened.
A
band-stop
filter does the opposite of a band-pass: it dampens only the frequencies around the cutoff frequency.
A
band-boost
filter boosts the frequencies around the cutoff frequency, similar to what a band on an equalizer would do. All other frequencies pass through normally.
The number of
poles
in a filter’s “slope” determines how extreme or subtle the effect of the filter will be. Filters with one or two poles produce a subtler sound while filters with six or eight poles are much more pronounced.
In the MPC software, the
Model
filters are analog-style emulations of famous vintage synth filters.
Model1
is a four-pole filter that distorts at high input levels.
Model2
uses a mellow resonance with a “fattening” distortion in the lower frequencies.
Model3
can produce howling, piercing resonances and extreme sub frequencies—watch your speakers!
In the MPC software, the
Vocal
filters are formant filters that emulate the human voice.
Vocal1
produces “ah” and “ooh” vowel sounds.
Vocal2
uses three bands to produce “oh” and “ee” vowel sounds.
Vocal3
uses five bands to emulate an idealized model of the vocal tract.
In the MPC software,
MPC3000 LPF
is a dynamic, resonant low-pass filter (12 dB/oct) that was used on the original MPC3000, released in 1994.
Please also see the entry for
, an essential characteristic of a filter’s sound.
220
Gate Gate
messages are analog messages sent to external synthesizers, drum machines, etc. Gate
messages are typically used in conjunction with
messages (CV messages determine the
pitch of notes while Gate messages determine note activation and length). Gate messages are sent from the CV out ports of your MPC hardware (e.g., MPC X) and to the CV/Gate in ports of your external MIDI device.
LFO
MIDI
MIDI Channel
MIDI Clock
LFO
is an acronym for
low-frequency oscillator
. The LFO generates a periodic oscillation at a low frequency and features variable waveshapes. Similar to an envelope, an LFO can be used to modulate a sound-shaping component.
MIDI
stands for
musical instrument digital interface
. Developed in the early 1980s, MIDI enables interaction between various types of electronic music instruments from different manufacturers. At the time a communications standard for heterogeneous devices did not exist, so MIDI was a significant advance. It made it possible to link various devices with one another through simple, standardized connectors.
Essentially, this is how MIDI works: One sender is connected to one or several receivers. For instance, if you want to use a computer to play a MIDI synthesizer, the computer is the sender and the synthesizer acts as the receiver. With a few exceptions, the majority of MIDI devices are equipped with two or three ports for this purpose: MIDI In, MIDI Out and in some cases
MIDI Thru. The sender transfers data to the receiver via the MIDI Out jack. Data are sent via a cable to the receiver’s MIDI In jack.
MIDI Thru has a special function. It allows the sender to transmit to several receivers. It routes the incoming signal to the next device without modifying it. Another device is simply connected to this jack, thus creating a chain through which the sender can address a number of receivers. Of course, it is desirable for the sender to be able to address each device individually. To achieve this, a MIDI channel message is sent with each MIDI event.
This is a very important element of most messages. A receiver can only respond to incoming messages if its receive channel is set to the same channel as the one the sender is using to transmit data. Subsequently, the sender can address specific receivers individually. MIDI
Channels 1–16 are available for this purpose.
The MIDI clock message transmits real-time tempo information to synchronize processes among several connected devices (e.g., a sound generator’s delay time to a MIDI sequencer).
Modulation
Note On
&
Note Off
This is the most important MIDI message. It determines the pitch and velocity of a generated note. A note-on message will start a note. Its pitch is derived from the note number, which can range from
0
to
127
. The velocity ranges from
1
to
127
. A velocity value of
0
is equivalent to a note-off message.
Normalize
A modulation influences or changes a sound-shaping component via a modulation source.
Modulation sources include envelopes, LFOs or MIDI messages. The modulation destination is a sound-shaping component such as a filter or a VCA.
Normalization is a function to raise the level of a sample to its maximum (
0 dB
) without causing distortion. This function automatically searches a sample for its maximum level and consequently raises the entire sample’s level until the previously determined maximum level reaches 0 dB. In general, this results in a higher overall volume of the sample.
The process or the result of changing a signal’s position within the stereo panorama.
Panning
Pitch-Bend
Pitch-bend is a MIDI message. Although pitch-bend messages are similar in function to control change messages, they are a distinct type of message. The resolution of a pitch-bend message is substantially higher than that of a conventional controller message. The human ear is exceptionally sensitive to deviations in pitch, so the higher resolution is used because it relays pitch-bend information more accurately.
221
Program
Program Change
These are MIDI messages that select sound programs. Programs
1
through
128
can be changed via program change messages.
Release
An
parameter. This term describes the descent rate of an envelope to its minimum
value after a trigger is terminated. The release phase begins immediately after the trigger is terminated, regardless of the envelope’s current status. For instance, the release phase may be initiated during the attack phase.
Resonance
A program is a file that contains a list of all samples to be used, and settings for each sample
(e.g., pad assignments, loop points, pitch tuning, effects, etc.) MPC’s Program Edit Mode is
where you can edit and assign samples (read more about this in
.). You can have a total of
128
programs in a project.
There are three kinds of programs that use samples for their sound source. Drum programs are mostly used for creating drum programs and easy and quick assigning of samples to a pad. With keygroup programs, you can use one sample (or more) and spread it across two or more keys and play the sample chromatically over a keyboard. That way, there is no need to sample every key of, for instance, a piano. Clip programs use several samples that can be looped (clips), each of which can assigned to a pad; launching different combinations of clips together lets you create intriguing, layered performances.
Root Key
Resonance or emphasis is an important
parameter. It emphasizes the frequencies around
the filter cutoff frequency by amplifying them with a narrow bandwidth. This is one of the most popular methods of manipulating sounds. If you increase the emphasis to a level where the filter enters a state of self-oscillation, it will generate a relatively pure sine waveform.
The root key defines the original pitch of a recorded instrument or of a sample. Samples in the MPC software contain the dedicated root key information. This information will be created automatically during recording or importing.
Sample
Sample Rate
Sequence
Song
When you tap the pads on your MPC hardware, you can trigger sounds that we call
samples
. Samples are digitized snippets of audio that can be recorded using the recording
(sampling) function of your MPC hardware or loaded from the Browser.
You can edit and process a sample in different ways. For example, a sample can be trimmed, looped, pitch-shifted or processed, using various effects. When you have finished editing your sample, you can assign it to one or more drum pads to play it. Samples can be either mono or stereo.
This is the frequency representing the amount of individual digital sample scans per second that are taken to capture an analog signal digitally. For normal CD audio recordings,
44100
samples per second are used, also written as
44.1 kHz
. The MPC software offers sampling rates up to
96 kHz
.
A sequence is the most basic “building block” of music you can compose in the MPC software. MIDI information from the MPC hardware pads, buttons, and Q-Link knobs are recorded to the tracks of a sequence. Each sequence can contain
128
MIDI tracks and
128
audio tracks. Each project can store up to
128
separate sequences.
The length of a sequence can be set from
1
to
999
bars, which would be enough to create an entire song using only one sequence. However, the MPC software has a dedicated Song
Mode that lets you chain sequences together to create a song.
The MPC software’s Song Mode that allows you to arrange different sections (verse, chorus, hook, etc.) in order to build a song. Each song can have up to
999
“steps” (stages in which a sequence may play one or more times). Each project can store up to
32
songs.
222
Stretch Factor
Sustain
Time-Stretch
Track
Trigger
Warp
The stretch factor is a value generated by the
algorithm in the software. When you
record an audio file, the current sequence tempo will be embedded with it. This information is stored within the sample file when you save the project. When you warp an audio track region, the warping algorithm uses this sequence tempo and the current value in the
BPM
field to generate the stretch factor.
This term describes the level of an
remaining constant after it has passed the attack
and decay phases. Once reached, the sustain level is kept until the trigger is terminated.
below.
A sequence can contain
128
MIDI tracks and
128
audio tracks.
Each
MIDI track
contains MIDI note events and controller data. In this case, the track contains no audio information—only MIDI information that uses the samples in a program (or an external MIDI sound module) to generate its audio. You can edit your performance in many different ways once the performance has been captured.
Each
audio track
contains an audio signal that has been recorded or imported into your project. You can edit this audio within the software and incorporate it into your sequences alongside your MIDI tracks.
A trigger is a signal that initiates events. Trigger signals are very diverse. For instance, a MIDI note or an audio signal can be used as a trigger. The events a trigger can initiate are also very diverse. A common application for a trigger is its use to start an envelope.
The Warp feature in the MPC software lengthens or shortens a region of an audio track or sample without changing its pitch. This enables you to fit the length of an audio track or sample to the length of a sequence, a bar in your sequence, etc. while maintaining its original key.
Please note that the Warp algorithms are very CPU-intensive and can result in audio dropouts during playback if used too freely. Be mindful of how (and how often) you use the warp function. You can reduce the CPU resources required by doing any/all of the following:
Minimize the amount of pitch adjustment of warped audio.
In the Wave Editor, avoid using extreme
Stretch
values, especially anything below
100
.
Avoid warping very small audio regions.
Warp as few tracks or track regions as possible (i.e., reduce the number of total number of voices of the polyphonic limit that use the Warp algorithm at a given time), especially instances where the warped regions start at the same time.
Avoid rapidly triggering samples that are warped.
If you have warped samples used in a drum program, consider using the
Flatten Pad
function to consolidate the affected pad’s layers into one audio sample (see
to learn about this). After you flatten the pad, its sample/samples no longer need to be warped.
Use a Warp algorithm other than Elastique Pro, which is very CPU-intensive. See
Using a higher buffer size (usually above
256
) can reduce the possibility of CPU issues.
to learn how to do this.
223
Trademarks & Licenses
Akai Professional and MPC are trademarks of inMusic Brands, Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.
AAX and ProTools are trademarks of Avid Technology, Inc. in the U.S. and other countries.
Ableton and the Ableton Logo are trademarks of Ableton AG.
ASIO and VST are trademarks of Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH.
MPC software incorporates élastique Pro V3 by zplane.development.
Apple and macOS are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.
SD and SDHC are registered trademarks of SD-3C, LLC.
Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and other countries.
All other product names, company names, trademarks, or trade names are those of their respective owners.
224
Addenda
Updates in MPC 2.1
New Features
Exporting Expansions
You can export MPC Expansion Packs (installed on your computer) to your MPC X or MPC Live for use in its
Standalone Mode. (This has been added to
.)
To export MPC Expansions
:
1.
Connect your MPC X or MPC Live to your computer. Make sure both are powered on.
2.
On your computer, open the MPC software.
3.
On your MPC X or MPC Live, enter Controller Mode.
4.
In the MPC software window, click the
menu icon
(
≡
), select
File
>
Export
, and then click
Expansion…
.
5.
In the
Export Expansion to Standalone MPC
window that appears, click the
Drive
menu and select a storage device that you will use with your MPC X or MPC Live: the internal SATA drive (if you have installed one in your
MPC X or MPC Live), an SD card, or a USB flash drive.
6.
In the
Expansions
list, click the box next to each one to select or deselect it. Only the selected ones will be exported. Click
Select all
to select all of them or
Select none
to deselect all of them.
7.
Click
Export
to start exporting, or click
Cancel
to close the window and not export anything.
The exporting process creates an
Expansions
folder at the root level of your storage device and copies your
MPC Expansions into it.
To use your expansions
, restart your MPC X or MPC Live in Standalone Mode, enter the
Browser
, and tap
Expansion
.
225
Snap
:
Absolute & Relative
While editing a MIDI or audio track, you can now use the Grid Editor to move or copy events using two different ways of “snapping” note events to the grid: Absolute or Relative. (This has been added to
.)
To switch between Absolute and Relative
, click the
magnet icon
above the grid:
Absolute
: Events will “snap” to the nearest time division on the grid (as determined by the
TC
field or
Time Correct
window). This is the typical and traditional method of using the snap/quantization feature.
Relative
: Events will “snap” to the nearest time division on the grid (as determined by the
TC
field or
Time Correct
window)
plus
the original time position of the event (e.g., an event that is originally three ticks past a time division on the grid will snap only to positions that are three ticks past every time division).
Pitch Quantization
In a MIDI track, you can now force the pitches of note events into a specific scale. (This has been added to
To open the Pitch Quantize window
, click the
menu icon
(
≡
), select
Edit
, and click
Pitch Quantize
.
Click the
Setup
menu and select the desired root note of the scale.
Click the
Scale
menu and select a type of scale.
Click
Only apply to selected events
to select or deselect it. When selected, only the currently selected note events will be quantized. When deselected,
all
pitches in the current track will be quantized.
Click the
Start note
and
End note
menus and select the lowest-possible and highest-possible pitches
(respectively) where the quantized note events will be placed. If a note event is originally outside of this range, it will be forced to the nearest pitch (within the scale) inside the range.
Click
Do It
to continue or
Close
to return to the previous screen.
226
Step Sequencer
:
Velocity Adjustment via Q-Links
While using the Step Sequencer, you can now use the Q-Link knobs to adjust the velocity of the note event at each step (while
Q-Link Mode
is set to
Screen
). The number of each step will be shown under the corresponding Q-Link knob. (This has been added to
.)
To adjust the velocity of each note event
, use the corresponding
Q-Link knob
to select a value (
1
–
127
).
To enter a note event at a step
, use the corresponding
Q-Link knob
to change its velocity from
0
(
Off
) to a value of
1
or greater.
To delete a note event from a step
, set the corresponding
Q-Link knob
to its minimum position,
0
(
Off
).
Faster Attack for Amp Envelopes
In the amp envelope of a drum program or keygroup program, an attack value of
0
now produces a much faster response, thus making your drum hits even punchier than before. (You can set the attack value in Program Edit
and
to learn more.)
Important
: Any drum or keygroup programs that you created and saved before this update will load in MPC 2.1 with an attack value of
1
to ensure backwards compatibility.
Multiple Plugin Windows
You can now view multiple plugin windows at the same time.
Support for Akai Professional MPD2 & MPK2 Series
The software now supports pad control, pad colors, and bank-switching while using an
MPK225
,
MPK249
, or
MPK261
. It also now supports pad control while using an
MPD218
,
MPD226
, or
MPD232
.
227
Updates in MPC 2.2
New Features
MIDI Learn
You can now use the MIDI Learn function to assign areas of the MPC software to external MIDI controllers.
To display the MIDI Learn browser
, do either of the following:
•
Click the
menu icon
(
≡
), select
View
>
Browser
, and then click
MIDI Learn Browser
.
•
In the lower-right corner, click the
MIDI controller icon
.
To select a MIDI Learn mode
, click
Global
or
Project
at the top of the browser to show its assignments below.
Global MIDI mappings are helpful if you use certain MIDI controllers across multiple projects. Project MIDI mappings are saved within a project, which can be helpful if your MIDI controller usage is particular to each
below.
Each assignment has the following settings:
Target
: This is the assigned command or parameter. The list of targets in the Global tab is comprehensive, while the list of targets in the Project tab must be added and selected.
Type
: This is the type of message:
Toggle Button
,
Momentary Button
,
Fixed Button
,
Note
,
Abs CC
,
Rel CC
Offset
,
Rel CC 2’s Complement
. This is automatically detected based on the parameter itself, but you can use this field to assign it manually if it does not detect it properly.
Ch
: This is the MIDI channel the control is using.
Data
: This is the MIDI note number or CC number.
Flip
: Click this box to select or deselect it. When selected, the control’s polarity will be reversed (e.g., a button’s
“off” state will become its “on” state and vice versa).
228
Global
Use the Global MIDI Learn feature to assign your MIDI controller to pads,
Q-Link knobs, transport controls, or other assignable parameters in the
MPC software.
To assign a global parameter to a hardware control
:
1.
Click
Learn
at the top of the MIDI Learn browser so it turns
yellow
. (The
Enable
button will also activate and turn
light gray
if it is not already activated.)
2.
Click a parameter that has a
yellow
overlay to select it. Alternatively, click it in the list in the MIDI Learn Browser.
3.
Move or press the desired control on your MIDI controller.
To assign more controls
, repeat
Steps 2
–
3
.
To stop assigning controls
, click
Learn
again so it turns
gray
.
To clear an assignment
, right-click or press and hold
Ctrl
(Windows) or
Control
(macOS) and click the assignment in the MIDI Learn browser.
Click
Clear MIDI Mapping
to clear the assignment, or press
Esc
or click anywhere else to cancel.
To select an assignment
, click
Learn
so it turns
yellow
, and then press and hold
Shift
while moving the control on your MIDI controller.
Each collection of these assignments is called a
MIDI map
, which you can export as a file (
.xmm
) to import into other
MPC projects. You can also disable, re-enable, or switch between different MIDI maps while working with your project.
To select a MIDI map
, click the menu next to
Enable
. Select
Factory
to view the available preset MIDI maps, or select
User
to view MIDI maps you have created.
To enable or disable a MIDI map
, click
Enable
at the top of the MIDI Learn browser. The button is
light gray
when activated and
dark gray
when deactivated.
To show only mappings for specific controls or commands
, click the
View
menu above the list of assignments, and then click a type of control or command.
To show only mappings for the selected control type
, click the
three-lines icon
next to the controller menu, and then click
List Follows Control
so it is selected.
To create a new MIDI map
, click the
three-lines icon
next to the controller menu, and then click
New MIDI Map
.
229
To create a duplicate of the current MIDI map
, click the
three-lines icon
next to the controller menu, and then click
Duplicate
. An identical MIDI map will be created and appended with
Copy
.
To clear all assignments from the current MIDI map
, click the
three-lines icon
next to the controller menu, and then click
Clear
. In the window that appears, click
OK
to continue and clear the assignments, or click
Cancel
to close the window and keep them. (You can do this with MIDI maps from the list of
User
maps only, not the
Factory
list.)
To delete the current MIDI map
, click the
three-lines icon
next to the controller menu, and then click
Delete
.
In the window that appears, click
OK
to continue and delete the MIDI map, or click
Cancel
to close the window and keep it. (You can do this with MIDI maps from the list of
User
maps only, not the
Factory
list.)
To export the current MIDI map
, click
three-lines icon
next to the controller menu, and then click
Export
. In the
Export MIDI Mapping
window that appears, do any of the following:
To select the storage device you want to view
, click the
down arrow
(
) next to the file path. If you have storage devices connected to your MPC hardware, they will appear in this column, as well.
To enter a folder
, double-click it or press
Enter
.
To create a new folder
, click
New Folder
, type a name for the new folder, and then click
OK
or press
Enter
to confirm the name, or click
Cancel
or press
Esc
to keep the original name. You will immediately enter the new folder.
To move up one folder level
, click the
up arrow
(
).
To name the file
, click the
File
field at the bottom of the window, and type a name.
To save the file
, click
Save
or press
Enter
.
To cancel
, click
Cancel
or press
Esc
.
To import a different MIDI map
, do any of the following:
•
Click and drag a MIDI map file (
.xmm
) onto the software window and release it. That map will be selected immediately.
•
Place a MIDI map file (
.xmm
) in the MIDI Learn folder on your computer, and then click the
three-lines icon
next to the controller menu, and then click
Refresh
.
Windows
: [ your hard drive
] \
Program Data
\
Akai
\
MPC
\
Midi Learn macOS
: [ your hard drive
] \
Users
\ [ your user name
] \
Library
\
Application Support
\
Akai
\
MPC
\
Midi Learn
•
Click the
three-lines icon
next to the controller menu, and then click
Import
. In the
Import MIDI
Mapping
window that appears, do any of the following:
To select the storage device you want to view
, click the
down arrow
(
) next to the file path. If you have storage devices connected to your MPC hardware, they will appear in this column, as well.
To enter a folder
, double-click it or press
Enter
.
To move up one folder level
, click the
up arrow
(
).
To import the file
, click
Open
or press
Enter
.
To cancel
, click
Cancel
or press
Esc
.
To refresh the list of MIDI maps
, click the
three-lines icon
next to the controller menu, and then click
Refresh
.
Do this if you have manually placed a MIDI map file (
.xmm
) in the
Midi Learn
folder (in the MPC application folder) and need it to appear in the list.
230
Project
Use the Project MIDI Learn feature to assign your MIDI controller to various parameters in your specific MPC project:
•
Mixer parameters such as volume, pan, mute, and solo for MIDI or audio tracks, programs, returns, submixes, and master outputs
•
Pad parameters (for drum programs and clip programs only) such as tuning, filter and amp envelopes, layer settings, LFO settings, and velocity
•
Program parameters, which depend on the program type
•
Insert effects parameters, which depend on the effect type
•
Plugin instrument parameters, which depend on the plugin
These assignments will be saved with your MPC project.
Tip
: Because these MIDI assignments are saved within a project, you can use them while working with a project on both the desktop version of the
MPC software
or
on your MPC hardware in Standalone Mode.
To assign a project parameter to a hardware control
:
1.
Click
Learn
at the top of the MIDI Learn browser so it turns
yellow
. (The
Enable
button will also activate and turn
light gray
if it is not already activated.)
2.
Click the
+ icon
in the upper-right corner of the browser to create an
“empty” assignment (its Target menus will be set to
None
and
Off
).
Alternatively, click an assignment that is already in the list if you want to change it.
3.
Click a project-specific parameter (e.g., a mixer setting or program parameter) to select it. The two
Target
menus will indicate the parameter you selected.
Alternatively, click the first
Target
menu to select a MIDI or audio track, program, return, submix, or master output (for drum programs and clip programs, you can select the entire program or a single pad within it).
After that, click the second
Target
menu to select the parameter.
4.
Move or press the desired control on your MIDI controller. You can press and hold
Alt
(Windows) or
Option
(macOS) while moving or pressing multiple controls to assign them simultaneously.
To assign more controls
, repeat
Steps 2
–
4
.
To stop assigning controls
, click
Learn
again so it turns
gray
.
To clear an assignment
, right-click or press and hold
Ctrl
(Windows) or
(macOS) and click the assignment in the
MIDI Learn browser. Click
Clear MIDI Mapping
to clear the assignment, or press
Esc
or click anywhere else to cancel.
To delete an assignment
(the entire slot), right-click or press and hold
Ctrl
(Windows) or
(macOS) and click the assignment in the MIDI Learn browser. Click
Delete Assignment
to delete the assignment, or press
Esc
or click anywhere else to cancel.
To clear all assignments
, click the
three-lines icon
next to the controller menu, and then click
Clear All
Assignments
. In the window that appears, click
OK
to continue and delete the assignments, or click
Cancel
to close the window and keep them.
231
Humanize
You can now apply randomization to the timing, length, and/or velocity of MIDI events.
To open the Humanize window
, click the
menu icon
(
≡
), select
Edit
, and click
Humanize
.
Click each checkbox to select or deselect its option.
Click and drag each slider left or right to set its value. Alternatively, click anywhere along its length, or click it, type a value, and press
Enter
.
Humanize Time
determines whether or not humanization will be applied to the timing of MIDI events.
Amount
(
Pulses
) determines the maximum number of pulses by which the timing of an event will be adjusted.
Eagerness
determines how dramatically the humanization effect is applied to the timing. Negative values correspond to playing “ahead of the beat” while positive values correspond to playing “behind the beat.”
Humanize Note Length
determines whether or not humanization will be applied to the duration of MIDI note events.
Length
(
%
) determines how dramatically the humanization effect is applied to note lengths.
Humanize Velocity
determines whether or not humanization will be applied to the velocities of MIDI note events.
Strength
(
%
) determines how dramatically the humanization effect is applied to note velocities.
Only apply to selected events
determines whether or not these humanization values will be applied to all notes in the track (deselected) or just the currently selected notes (selected).
Click
Apply
to apply the humanization values while keeping this window open.
Click
Do It
to apply the humanization values and close the window.
Click
Close
to close the window without making any changes.
232
Generate Random Events
You now create random melodic or drum patterns on the current MIDI track.
To open the Generate Random Events window
, click the
menu icon
(
≡
), select
Tools
, and click
Generate
Random Events
.
Click the
Event Type
menu to select the type of events you want to create:
Drum events
or
Melodic events
.
Click the
Replace
menu to select how the events will be created relative to the existing events on the track:
•
Replace all events
: Select this option to replace all events on the track with the randomly generated ones.
•
Replace events in note range
: Select this option to replace all events in the designated note range on the track with the randomly generated ones. Use the
Bank
or
Start pad
and
End pad
menus to set the note range for drum events or the
Start note
and
End note
menus to set the note range for melodic events.
•
Add to existing events
: Select this option to add the randomly generated events to the track without replacing or overwriting the existing ones.
Click and drag the
Pattern size
(
bars
) field up or down to set how many bars the events will use. Alternatively, click it, type a value, and press
Enter
. The highest possible value is the number of bars in the current sequence.
Click the
Note length
menu to select the duration of the events. (This feature is nonfunctional if
Legato
is enabled while generating melodic events.)
Click
Apply
to generate the events while keeping this window open.
Click
Do It
to generate the events and close the window.
Click
Close
to close the window without generating any events.
If
Event Type
is set to
Drum events
:
Click the
Bank
menu to select the pad bank that will be used to generate the events or select
Range
to use the
Start pad
and
End
pad menus to define a specific pad range instead.
Click the
Start pad
or
End pad
menus to define a specific pad range over which the events will be generated. You can use these menus only if the
Bank
menu is set to
Range
.
Click and drag the
Density
(
%
) slider left or right to set how closely together the events will be placed in the track. Alternatively, click anywhere along its length, or click it, type a value, and press
Enter
.
Click and drag the
Rhythm variation
slider left or right to set how widely or narrowly the rhythmic patterns of the generated notes vary. Alternatively, click anywhere along its length, or click it, type a value, and press
Enter
.
233
If
Event Type
is set to
Melodic events
:
Click the
Start note
or
End note
menus to define a specific note range over which the events will be generated.
Click
Legato
to select or deselect it. When selected, the generated notes will be extended or shortened to create a long, unbroken phrase from the first note event’s start point to the last note event’s end point. Each note event will sustain until another note event starts. If multiple note events start at the same time (and are not the last note events), their lengths will become identical. When deselected, the generated notes will use the duration set by the
Note length
menu.
Without legato applied. With legato applied.
Click and drag the
Polyphony
field up or down to set the maximum number of note events that can be sounding simultaneously in the track:
1
–
8
. Alternatively, click it, type a value, and press
Enter
.
Click
Constrain notes to scale
to select or deselect it. When selected, the notes will be within the scale determined by the
Scale
menu. When deselected, the notes will be chromatic.
Click and drag the
Density
(
%
) slider left or right to set how closely together the events will be placed in the track. Alternatively, click anywhere along its length, or click it, type a value, and press
Enter
.
Click the
Root note
menu to set the root note of the scale that the generated notes will use.
Click the
Scale
menu to select the scale or mode that the notes will use (based on the
Root note
selection).
Multiple Plugin Windows Enable
/
Disable
You can now choose to allow multiple plugin windows to be displayed at the same time (a feature added to MPC 2.1) or to restrict it to single plugin windows (how plugin windows worked prior to MPC 2.1). (This has been added to
To enable or disable multiple plugin windows
, click the
menu icon
(
≡
), select
Edit
, and click
Preferences
. In the
Preferences
window, click the
General
tab, and then click
Allow Multiple Plugin Windows
to select or deselect the option.
234
Updates in MPC 2.3
New Features
AIR Instrument Plugins
The MPC software now includes three new plugin instruments: AIR TubeSynth, AIR Bassline, and AIR Electric.
AIR Bassline
The AIR Bassline plugin emulates the sound of classic mono synths, with a contemporary twist. Bassline also comes packaged with four integrated AIR effects (Chorus, Delay, Compressor and Hype), as well as two built-in distortion algorithms (Overdrive and Clip).
Parameter Description Value Range
Oscillator Waveform Continuously variable waveshape for the oscillator.
Fifth Amount of fifth-oscillator.
Start Phase Position of the waveform when a note is triggered.
Glide Amount of time to slide from the pitch of one note to the next note played.
Saw Octave, Saw,
Square, Sine
0–100%
0–100%
Free, 0 degr., 180 degr.
10.0 ms – 2.00 s
Boost
Boost
Boosts the signal of the oscillator.
frequency of the boost.
0.0 dB – 48.0 dB
* 1.0 – * 240.0
Boost Amount of effect of the envelope on the Boost section.
Adjust
Gain
to control the amount of boost.
Adjust
Frequency
to control the center frequency of the boost.
Gain 100–0%, Off,
Frequency 0–100%
Filter LP Cutoff
Reso
Cutoff frequency for the low-pass filter.
Resonance of the filter.
20.0 Hz – 20.0 kHz
0–100%
HP Cutoff
At negative values, decreases the cutoff value based on the decay value.
At positive values, increases the cutoff value based on the decay value.
-100% – 0 – 100%
Cutoff frequency for the high-pass filter.
10.0 Hz – 500 Hz
235
AIR Bassline
(continued)
Parameter Description Value Range
Envelope Amp Attack Length of time for the note to reach full volume.
Amp Decay
Filter Decay
Length of time for the note to reach the sustained volume.
Length of time for the filter to reset after being released.
Pitch Amount of pitch modulation applied to the envelope.
Velocity Amp Control The amount of effect velocity has on amplitude control.
100–0% Soft to 0–
100% Hard
0–100%
0–100%
0–100%
0–100%
Filter Control
Boost Control
The amount of effect velocity has on filter control.
The amount of effect velocity has on boost control.
0–100%
0–100%
Env Sets whether the envelope will retrigger when a note is played while another note is being held.
Off, On
Master Master Volume Sets the volume level.
Drive Type Choose one of two drive algorithms.
Drive Amount of drive applied.
Bend Range Number of semitones up or down controlled by MIDI pitch bend messages
-Inf dB – +6.0 dB
Overdrive, Clip
0–100%
0–12
Chorus Rate
Delay
Depth
Mix
On/Off
Time
Modulation depth of the chorus effect.
Wet/dry amount of the chorus effect.
Enables or disables the effect.
Sync Sync the Delay
Time
to the
Global Tempo
or set to
Free
to adjust
Time
by milliseconds.
Mix Wet/dry amount of the delay effect.
20.0 Hz – 20.0 kHz
0–100%
-100% – 0 – 100%
Off, On
Length of time of the delayed signal.
When
Sync
is set to
Free:
1 ms – 2.00 s
When
Sync
is set to
Sync:
1/32 – 8/4
Free, Sync
0–100%
0–100%
Damp Center frequency of where the delay signal will be dampened. 1.00 – 20.0 kHz
Reso Amount of resonance of the feedback signal.
Reso Freq Center frequency for feedback resonance.
Ratio Reduces the delay
Time
in either the
Left
or
Right
stereo field. This is useful for creating offset, panned delays.
0–100%
100 Hz – 10.0 kHz
L 50:100,
R 50:100
HPF
Width
On/Off
Center frequency for delay signal high-pass filter.
Stereo width of delay signal. Higher values give wider stereo separation.
Enables or disables the effect.
20.0 Hz – 1.0 kHz
0–100%
Off, On
236
AIR Bassline
(continued)
Parameter Description Value Range
Compressor Threshold
Mix
Knee
Attack
Release
Signal level after which the compressor will be applied. 0.0 – -60. dB
1.0:1 – 100.0:1
0.0 – +30.0 dB signal.
Wet/dry mix of the compressor effect.
0–100%
0–100% How gradually the compressor reacts as the threshold is reached.
Lower values apply a "soft" knee (compression is applied more slowly as signal approaches the threshold), and higher values apply a "hard" knee
(compression is immediately applied when the threshold is reached).
Length of time to apply the compression.
Length of time for compressed signal to return to original level.
Enables or disables the effect.
100 us – 300 ms
10 ms – 4.00 s
Off, On On/Off
Hype High maximizes high end frequencies.
Low
On/Off
Dampens or maximizes low end frequencies.
Enables or disables the effect.
-100 – 0 – +100%
-100 – 0 – +100%
Off, On
237
AIR Electric
The AIR Electric plugin emulates the sound of classic electric pianos. Dedicated Pickup, Envelope, Bell and Noise parameter sections provide a huge amount of flexibility to configure the timbre of the electric piano sound. Electric also includes five AIR effects: Tremolo, Tube Distortion, Chorus, Delay and Spring Reverb.
To enable or disable any sound or effect,
press the circle in the upper-right corner of each section.
Parameter Description Value Range
Pickup
Envelope
Type
Height
Distance
Attack
Decay
Type of pickup emulated.
Height of the pickup to the tines.
Distance of the pickup to the tines.
Length of time for the note to reach full volume.
Length of time for the note to reach the sustained volume.
Pickup, 0–100%
Electro-Static,
0–100% Electro-
Magnetic
0.0 – 5.0 mm
0.1 – 10.0 mm
Clip Amount of clipping applied to the signal.
Keytrack Ties the pickup parameters to the pitch being played.
At higher values, the
Distance
is increased as the pitch is increased.
0–100%
0–100%
100–0% Hard,
0–100% Soft
100 ms – 20.0 s
Release Length of time for the note to become silent after being released.
Length of time full volume is held before decaying. Peak Length
Keytrack envelope played.
At higher values, the envelope time is decreased as the pitch is increased.
100 ms – 5.0 s
3–50 ms
0–100%
238
AIR Electric
(continued)
Parameter Description
Bell
Noise
Value Range
Tune Pitch of the bell sound, in semitones above the root pitch.
0–60 semitones
Dry/PU
Volume
Mix of Dry versus Pickup signal for the bell sound. -100% – 0% – +100%
Level of the bell sound.
-Inf dB – +6.0 dB
Tune Keytrack Ties the tuning of the bell sound to the pitch being played.
Decay
Keytrack
How long it takes for the bell sound to dissipate
0–100%
100 ms – 7.0 s
Ties the amount of bell sound to the pitch being played.
At negative values, the bell sound is increased as the pitch increases.
-100% – 0% – +100%
At positive values, the bell sound is increased as the pitch decreases.
Freq Center frequency of the noise effect 200 Hz – 16.0 kHz
Mix
Attack
Decay
Level of noise effect present
Length of time for the noise effect to reach full level
Length of time for the noise effect to dissipate
Keytrack to the pitch being played.
-Inf dB – +6.0 dB
1–50 ms
100 ms – 3.00 s
0–100%
Polyphony
Master Volume
Velo Level
Velo Tone
Number of voices available.
Overall level of the plugin.
Adjusts how much incoming velocity is applied.
Ties the incoming velocity to tone.
At higher values, increased velocity increases tone brightness.
1–16 Voices
-Inf dB – +6.0 dB
0–100%
0–100%
Velo Attack
Tremolo Rate
Ties the incoming velocity to the attack envelope.
At higher values, lower velocities feature longer attack times.
Modulation speed of the effect.
When
Sync
is set to
Free:
0–100%
0.25 – 13.00 Hz
When
Sync
is set to
Sync:
8/4 – 1/16
Sync
Rate
to the
Global Tempo
or let it run
Free
.
Free, Sync
Mode
Pan
for stereo field modulation, or
Tremolo
for amplitude modulation.
Pan, Tremolo
0–100%
239
AIR Electric
(continued)
Parameter Description Value Range
Tube Drive Amount of drive applied.
Headroom Amount of gain reduction between the clean signal and the driven signal.
Saturation
Output
Amount of saturation applied.
Output level of the tube driven signal.
Chorus Rate of the effect.
0–100%
-30.0 – 0.0 dB
0–100%
-20.0 – 0.0 – +20.0 dB
0.40 – 3.20 Hz
Mix Wet/dry amount of the chorus effect.
0–100%
0–100%
Delay Time Amount of time between the dry signal and the delayed signal.
When
Sync
is set to
Free:
1 ms – 2.00 s
When
Sync
is set to
Sync:
1/32 – 8/4
Free, Sync Sync
Time
to the
Global Tempo
or set to
Free
to adjust
Time
by milliseconds.
Mix Wet/dry amount of the delay effect.
0–100%
0–100%
Damp Center frequency of where the delay signal will be dampened.
1.00 – 20.0 kHz
Reso Freq Center frequency for feedback resonance.
Ratio
Time
in either the
Left
or
Right
stereo field. This is useful for creating offset, panned delays.
HPF
Width
Center frequency for delay signal high-pass filter.
0–100%
100 Hz – 10.0 kHz
L 50:100, R 50:100
20.0 Hz – 1.0 kHz
Stereo width of delay signal. Higher values give wider stereo separation.
0–100%
Spring Reverb Pre-Delay
Time
Mix
Diffusion
Length of time between dry signal and reverberated signal.
Length of reverb tail.
0 ms – 250 ms
1.0 – 10.0 s
Wet/dry amount of the reverb effect.
0–100%
Rate of increasing density of reverb reflections.
At lower settings, the sound of individual reflections is more present.
At higher settings, reflections are more uniform.
0–100%
Width
Low Cut
Stereo width of reverb signal. Higher values give wider stereo separation.
0–100%
Center frequency for reverb signal low-cut filter.
20.0 Hz – 1.00 kHz
240
AIR TubeSynth
The AIR TubeSynth plugin emulates the sound of classic vintage analog polysynths. TubeSynth is based on the highly acclaimed AIR Vacuum Pro desktop synth plugin and also includes 5 integrated AIR effects.
Parameter Description Value Range
Oscillator 1 Octave
Fine
Coarse tuning of the oscillator by octaves.
The
Wide
setting provides additional
Fine
tuning controls.
Fine tuning of the oscillator by semitones.
When
Octave
is set to
Wide
Wide, 32', 16', 8', 4', 2'
: -70.00 – 0.00 – +70.00
When
Octave
is set to
32'
–
2'
: -12.00 – 0.00 – +12.00
Shape Waveshape of Oscillator 1 (continuously variable) Triangle, Saw, Square, Pulse
F-Env
Shape Amount of Filter Envelope output subtracted from or added to the value defined by the Osc 1
Shape
parameter.
-100 – 0 – +100%
Off, On Quad Enables or disables four-voice emulation for the oscillator.
Detune
Quad
voices. 0–100%
Oscillator 2 Octave Coarse tuning of the oscillator by octaves, all the way down to LFO speed.
Fine tuning of the oscillator.
LFO, 32', 16', 8', 4', 2'
Fine
When
Octave
is set to
LFO
: 0.01 – 20.00 Hz
When
Octave
is set to
32'
–
2'
: -12.00 – 0.00 – +12.00 semitones
Shape Waveshape of Oscillator 2 (continuously variable) Noise, Saw, Square, Pulse
F-Env
Shape Amount of Filter Envelope output subtracted from or added to the value defined by the Osc 2
Shape
parameter.
-100 – 0 – +100%
Sync Enables or disables syncing of Oscillator 2 to
Oscillator 1.
Off, On
Phase Position of the waveshape when the sound is triggered.
0–100%
0 – 360 degrees
Sub Oscillator Shape Waveshape of the sub oscillator.
Triangle, Saw, Square, Pulse
241
AIR TubeSynth
(continued)
Parameter Description Value Range
Osc 2 EQ
Mixer
Gain
Frequency
Keytrack
Osc 1
Osc 2
Sub Osc
Ring Mod
Drive
Amount of gain applied to the selected
Frequency
.
-48 – 0 – +48 dB
Center frequency for the equalization band.
25–10,000 Hz
Ties the EQ settings to the pitch being played
Level of Oscillator 1.
Level of Oscillator 2.
Level of the Sub Oscillator.
Level of Ring Modulation effect.
Level of Drive effect.
0–100%
0–100%
0–100%
0–100%
0–100%
0–100%
0–100%
LP Filter Cutoff Center frequency of the low-pass filter cutoff.
0–100%
0–100%
0–24 dB/oct
Saturation
Env frequency.
Amount of saturation applied to the low-pass filter.
Keytrack
Cutoff
to the pitch being played.
0–100%
Percentage of the envelope output subtracted from or added to the LP Filter
Cutoff
.
-100 – 0 – +100%
0–100%
Filter Envelope Attack
Decay
Sustain
Release
Length of time for the filter to reach full level.
Length of time for the filter to reach sustain level.
1.00 ms – 100 s
1.00 ms – 100 s
Length of time for the filter to hold sustain level.
0–100%
Length of time for the filter to dissipate when released. 1.00 ms – 100 s
Amp Envelope Attack
Decay
Sustain
Release
Envelope 3 Start Level
Start Time
Destination
Length of time for the note to reach full level.
Length of time for the note to reach sustain level.
Length of time for the note to hold sustain level.
Length of time for the note to dissipate when released. 1.00 ms – 100 s
Initial velocity level of the envelope.
Length of time for the envelope to start.
Destination
when a note is held.
Destination
when a note is released.
Where the envelope will be applied to.
1.00 ms – 100 s
1.00 ms – 100 s
0–100%
0–100%
0–5000 ms
-100 – 0 – +100%
-100 – 0 – +100%
Off, Pitch, Osc 2
Pitch, LFO 1/2 Rate,
Osc1 Quad Det., Osc
1/2 Shape, Osc 1/2
Level, Ring Level
242
AIR TubeSynth
(continued)
Parameter Description Value Range
LFO 1/LFO 2 Shape
Destination
Waveshape of the low-frequency oscillator.
Where the low-frequency oscillator is sent.
Sine, Square. Saw
Up, Saw Down,
Pump, S&H, Drift
LFO1:
Off, Pitch, Filter,
Level, Pan
LFO2:
Pitch, Osc 1/2 Shape,
Osc 1/2 Pitch, LPF,
Quad Detune, Osc
EQ Freq, Osc 2 EQ
Gain, Ring Level
Rate Speed of modulation.
When
Sync
is
Off
: 0.01 – 20.00 Hz
Sync
Rate
to the to adjust
Rate
by Hertz.
When
Sync
is
On
: 8/4 – 1/32
0–100%
Global Tempo
or turn
Off
0.00 – 20.00 s out,
No fade,
0.00 – 20.00 s in
Off, On
Modulation Source
Destination
Where the modulation signal is sent from.
Where the modulated signal is received.
Filter Env, Amp Env,
Osc 1, Osc 2
Pitch, Osc 1/2 Shape,
Osc 1/2 Pitch, LPF,
Quad Detune, Osc
EQ Freq, Osc 2 EQ
Gain, Ring Level
0–100%
243
AIR TubeSynth
(continued)
Parameter Description Value Range
Controller Destinations
Setup
Velocity 1
Velocity 2
Modwheel
Aftertouch
Send Velocity data to one of the following control destinations.
Send Velocity data to one of the following control destinations.
Amp, Cutoff, Osc1
Shape, Osc2 Shape,
Osc1&2 Shape
0–100%
Amp, Cutoff, Osc1
Shape, Osc2 Shape,
Osc1&2 Shape
0–100%
Send Modwheel data to one of the following control destinations.
Amp, Cutoff, Osc1
Shape, Osc2 Shape,
Osc1&2 Shape
-100 – 0 – 100%
Send Aftertouch data to one of the following control destinations.
LFO 1 Depth, Cutoff,
Osc1 Shape, Osc2
Shape, Osc1&2 Shape
-100 – 0 – 100%
Polyphony Number of allowable voices, and how voices are triggered.
Legato, Retrigger, 2, 3, 4
Bend Range Number of semitones up or down controlled by MIDI pitch bend messages
2–12 (semitones)
1.00 ms – 100 s
Glide All the next note played.
Enables or disables pitch gliding for all triggered notes, not just legato notes.
Off, On
0–100%
Doubling applied when
Doubling
is enabled.
Enables or disables voice doubling.
Width
Off, On
0–100%
0–100%
Level
Stereo width of the audio signal. Higher values give wider stereo separation.
Overall output volume of the plugin.
-Inf dB – +12.0 dB
244
AIR TubeSynth
(continued)
Parameter Description
Chorus Rate Modulation of the effect.
Delay Length of time the wet signal is offset from the dry signal.
Value Range
0.01 – 10.0 Hz
0.00 – 24.00 ms
Voices Number of voices used in the chorus effect.
3, 4, 6
LFO Wave Waveshape of the low-frequency oscillator for the chorus effect. Tri, Sine
Width
Lo Cut
Stereo width of the chorus effect. Higher values give wider stereo separation.
Center frequency for the chorus low-cut filter.
Wet/dry amount of the delay effect.
Center frequency of where the delayed signal will be dampened.
0.00 – 24.00 ms
0–100%
20.0 Hz – 1.0 kHz
Delay
Mix
Time
Wet/dry amount of the chorus effect.
Length of time between the dry signal and the delayed signal.
0–100%
When
Sync
is set to
Free:
1 ms – 2.00 s
When
Sync
is set to
Sync:
1/32 – 8/4
Sync
Time
to the
Global Tempo
, disable to set the
Time
in milliseconds.
Off, On
0–100%
Mix
Damp
0–100%
1.00 – 20.0 kHz
Reso Freq Center frequency for feedback resonance.
0–100%
100 Hz – 10.0 kHz
Ratio
Time
in either the
Left
or
Right
stereo field.
This is useful for creating offset, panned delays.
L 100:50, R 50:100
HPF
Width
Center frequency for delay signal high-pass filter.
Stereo width of delay signal. Higher values give wider stereo separation.
20.0 Hz – 1.0 kHz
0–100%
245
AIR TubeSynth
(continued)
Parameter Description
Reverb Mode
Time
Lo Cut
Hi Cut
Mix
Mix
Knee
Attack
Release
Type of reverb applied.
Length of reverb tail.
Center frequency for the reverb low-pass filter.
Center frequency for the reverb high-pass filter.
Wet/dry mix of the reverb effect.
Compressor Threshold Signal level after which the compressor will be applied.
Value Range
Hall, Stadium, Room,
Abstract
0.4 s – +Inf s
1 – 1000 Hz
1.0 – 20.0 kHz
0–100%
0.0 – -60. dB
0.0 – +30.0 dB signal.
Wet/dry mix of the compressor effect.
How gradually the compressor reacts as the threshold is reached.
Lower values apply a "soft" knee (compression is applied more slowly as signal approaches the threshold), and higher values apply a "hard" knee (compression is immediately applied when the threshold is reached).
Length of time to apply the compression.
Length of time for compressed signal to return to original level.
0–100%
1.0:1 – 100.0:1
0–100%
100 us – 300 ms
10 ms – 4.00 s
Low Dampens or maximizes low end frequencies.
-100 – 0 – +100%
-100 – 0 – +100%
246
Plugin Preset Support
Internal Akai effects now include all new plugin editors and factory presets.
To load a plugin preset:
1.
Open a plugin instrument or effects plugin editor.
2.
At the top of the instrument or effect editing window will be a dropdown menu for selecting presets. Click the menu to open it, and click a preset to select it.
A number of third-party VST plugins will also display a bank of presets when used with MPC.
Instrument plugin presets can also be loaded using the
Preset
dropdown menu in the
Program Inspector:
Additionally, you can now save and load plugin presets.
To save or load a plugin preset:
1.
Open a plugin instrument or effects plugin.
2.
To the right of the dropdown menu for selecting presets is a
gear icon
. Click to open a dropdown menu.
3.
Select
Load Preset
to load a plugin preset saved on your computer. Use the window that opens to select the location where the preset is saved.
4.
Select
Save Preset
to save your plugin settings as a new preset. Use the window that opens to select where you would like to save the preset.
247
Arpeggiator
MPC now includes a full-featured arpeggiator and phrase player for melodic program types.
To use the arpeggiator:
1.
Set the current track type to
Plugin
,
Keygroup
,
MIDI
, or
CV
.
2.
Click the
menu icon
(
≡
), select
Tools
, and click
Arpeggiator
.
To activate the arpeggiator,
tap
Enable
so it is checked. Tap again to
Disable
the arpeggiator.
To latch the arpeggiator
, tap
Latch
so it is checked. Tap again to
Disable
Latch.
The
Setup
section of the Arpeggiator window sets what kind of arpeggiator will be used and its functions:
Use the
Action
field to set the type:
Arp
,
Note Repeat
,
Rhythm
and
Pattern
for more details about these types and their additional parameters.
Use the
Step Size
field to set the note value of each arpeggiator step from
1/1
–
1/64
beats, including
T
(triplet) variations. This field is not used in Pattern mode.
Use the
Note Length
slider to set the length of the played note in each step, from
1
–
100%
.
Use the
Velocity
field to set the velocity of the arpeggiator notes. Choose
As played
,
From first note
,
Accented
,
Full
,
3/4
,
Half
or
1/4
.
Use the
Swing
field to set the amount of swing in the arpeggiator from
50%
to
75%
. Swing lets you "shuffle" your beats—from subtle to extreme.
The
Arp mode
section of the Arpeggiator window is available when the
Action
is set to
Arp
. When this action is selected, hold down a chord and the arpeggiator will play a pattern based on the notes held.
Use the
Pattern
field to set how the arpeggiator triggers the held notes.
Use the
Octaves
field to set how many octaves of the held notes the arpeggiator will cycle through.
Use the
Variation
field to apply rhythmic variation to the set pattern.
The
Rhythm
section of the Arpeggiator window is available when
Action
is set to
Note Repeat
or
Rhythm
. The Note Repeat action provides traditional MPC Note Repeat behavior. When the Rhythm arpeggiator action is selected, hold down a chord and the arpeggiator will play the held notes in a rhythmic pattern.
Use the
Spread
field to spread the timing of the held notes, creating a glissando effect.
Use the
Rhythm Pattern
field to choose the pattern played when notes are held. This is only available for the
Rhythm
action.
248
The
Pattern
section of the Arpeggiator window is available when the
Action
is set to
Pattern
. When this arpeggiator action is selected, hold down a single note to trigger a melodic phrase. As you change what note is held, the melodic phrase will be transposed.
Use the
Pattern
field to choose the pattern.
The
Settings
section of the Arpeggiator window offers additional options to control the arpeggiator.
If you have a sustain pedal connected, you can enable
Sustain Pedal Latches
to use it to control latching.
Use the
Latch Mode
setting to set the latch behavior. When set to
Reset
, adding a new note(s) will reset the currently latched note(s). When set to
Add
, new notes will be added to currently latched notes.
Click
Close
to close the Arpeggiator window.
249
Auto Sampler
You can now capture and convert any plugin preset or external instrument preset into a Keygroup sampler patch.
To open the Auto Sampler window,
click the
menu icon
(
≡
), select
Tools
, and click
Auto Sampler
.
Sample Source Information
The
Track name
and
Program name
fields show the target track and program that will be sampled. This will be automatically selected as the active track and program when Auto Sampler is opened.
Use the
Record from
field to select an external or resample input to record from:
To capture the output of a plugin,
simply select a Plugin track before opening Auto Sampler.
Note:
When a plugin track is selected, the Auto Sampler will only sample the plugin track, regardless of the setting in the
Record From
field.
To capture a preset from an external instrument such as a sound module,
select the
Input
that the external instrument is connected to.
Note Range
Use the
Min note
and
Max note
settings to determine the lowest and highest notes used to create the sampler patch.
Use the
Note stride
to determine the range of notes that each sample will cover. For instance, a note stride of
5
means that every 5 notes will utilize a different sample.
Check the
Extend min/max notes
box to sample all the way to the lowest and highest notes, regardless of the
Min Note
and
Max Note
settings.
250
Velocity
Tap the boxes next to
Layers 1
–
4
to select how many layers will be used to create the sampler patch.
Use the
Velocity
value sliders to set the velocity of each layer.
Sampling
Use the
Note length
slider to set the length of the sampled note in seconds.
Use
Tail
slider to set the length of the Audio Tail in seconds. This will add extra seconds to the end of the resulting audio file. This is useful if you are capturing samples whose sounds exceed the defined audio length
(e.g., long reverb or delay, one-shot samples with long decays, etc.). We recommend using an audio tail of at least a couple of seconds.
Use
Base name
to set the naming convention for the samples that will be created by the Auto Sampler.
Looping
Use the
Enable looping
field to select how the resulting samples can or cannot be looped:
•
Off
: The sample will not loop.
•
Forward
: You can hold down the
pad
to cause that sample to repeat from the
Loop Position
to the end of the sample. Release the
pad
to stop the repeating playback.
•
Reverse
: You can hold down the
pad
to cause that sample to play in reverse, repeating from the end of the sample to the
Loop Position
. Release the
pad
to stop the repeating playback.
•
Alternating
: You can hold down the
pad
to cause that sample to play from the
Loop Position
to the end of the sample and then play in reverse until it reaches the
Loop Position
again. This will repeat as long as you are holding the pad down. Release the
pad
to stop the repeating playback.
Use the
Loop start
and
Loop end
sliders to set the starting and ending points in the sample where the loop will occur.
Use the
Crossfade
slider to set the amount of crossfade between the loop end and loop start in seconds.
Use the
Crossfade Type
field to select
Equal Power
or
Linear
crossfade.
Under
On completion
, check
Make current program
to load the completed sampler patch as the current program.
Under
Info
, the
Session Duration
field provides an estimate of how long the auto sampling process will take.
Click
OK
to initiate the auto sampling process. A Progress window will appear. Click
Cancel
to stop the auto sampling process. Any samples already created will be retained.
Click
Cancel
to close the Auto Sampler window without continuing.
251
Crossfade Looping
You can now add real-time crossfade looping to sample playback.
To apply crossfade looping to a sample:
1.
Click the
menu icon
(
≡
), go to
View
>
Mode
, and click
Sample Edit
.
2.
Make sure the loop
Lock
setting is set to
Off
.
3.
Click the
Loop
menu to select the
Forward
(
FWD
) loop mode.
4.
Make sure there is at least 10 samples of space between the
Start
point and
Loop
point.
5.
Use the
X-Fade
field to set the length of the crossfade in samples.
6.
Click the icons next to the
X-Fade
field to select a
Linear
(straight lines) or
Equal Power
(curved lines) crossfade.
7.
Press
Pad A16 – Play Continuous Loop
to hear the crossfade applied to the sample.
Mode Selection Shortcut
You can now press and hold the
Menu
button on your MPC X, MPC Live or MPC Touch and press a pad to select a menu mode. The pads follow the 4x4 layout of the Mode Menu.
Q-Link Navigation Enhancements
Q-Link functionality has been enhanced in the following modes: Main Mode, Track View, Next Sequence, Grid Editor, and Audio Edit Mode.
Set the
Q-Link Mode
to
Screen
in these pages to access the following controls:
Use
Q-Link Knob 2
to adjust the playhead position.
Use
Q-Link Knob 3
to scroll through the waveform in the large waveform display.
Use
Q-Link Knob 4
to zoom in or zoom out at the playhead position.
Note:
For MPC Live and MPC X in standalone mode, the
Zoom
and
Scroll
Q-Links are only available in the Grid
Editor and Audio Edit Mode.
Split Events
You can now easily split note events, useful for creating intricate hi-hat parts or quintuplet/sextuplet motifs or drum beats.
To split note events,
click the
menu icon
(
≡
), select
Edit
, select
Track
and click
Split Events
. Select one of the preset number of events (2–9), or click
Split Events…
to open the
Split Events Setup window.
In the
Split Events
window, you can do the following:
Use the
Into
field to set the number of events to divide into, from
2
–
32
.
Select
Only selected events
to only divide the selected note events. When unchecked, all note events in the track will be split.
Click
Do It
to proceed with splitting events.
Click
Close
to exit the Split Events window.
252
Updates in MPC 2.4
New Features
AIR FX Bundle
MPC software now includes the AIR FX Bundle—a collection of 28 effects designed with ease of use in mind with all new touch-interface layouts. These effects include the legendary AIR Creative FX collection that has been used by countless professionals as part of Pro Tools
®
software since Version 8. They also include 10 new plugins that have been expertly designed by the DSP gurus at AIR Music Technology.
16 classic effects from Pro Tools
®
now available include the following:
AIR Distortion
This effect is a multi-type distortion that adds color to your audio signal with varying types and amounts of distortion.
Parameter
Mode
Drive
Output
Mix
Value Range Default Value
Hard, Soft, Wrap Hard
0 – 60 dB 15 dB
0–100% 100%
0–100% (dry-wet) 100%
Tone Pre-Shape -100 – 0 – +100% 0%
Tone High Cut
Stereo
1.00 – 20.0 kHz 20.0 kHz
Clipping Thresh.
-20.0 – 0.0 dB FS -10.0 dB FS
AIR Enhancer
This effect enhances the low and high broadband frequencies of the audio signal.
Parameter
High Gain
Low Gain
Output
Freq. High
Freq. Low
Harmonics
Phase
Value Range
0.0 – 12.0 dB
0.0 – 12.0 dB
- Inf – 0.0 dB
1.0 – 10.0 kHz
40.0 – 640 Hz
0.0 – 12.0 dB
+ (positive),
- (negative)
Default Value
0.0 dB
0.0 dB
0.0 dB
3.16 kHz
160 Hz
0.0 dB
+
AIR Ensemble
This effect applies fluid, shimmering modulation effects to the audio signal.
Parameter
Rate
Depth
Value Range Default Value
0.01 – 10.0 Hz 1.00 Hz
0.00 – 24.00 ms 6.00 ms
Width
Mix
Mod. Delay
0–100% 100%
0–100% (dry–wet) 75%
0.00 – 24.00 ms 0.00 ms
Mod. Shimmer 0–100% 50%
253
AIR Filter Gate
This effect chops your audio signal into rhythmic patterns with variable filtering, amplitude and panning.
Parameter Value Range Default Value
Pattern
Rate
Swing
Mix
Filter Mode
Filter Cutoff
Filter Reso
Gate Attack
Straight, Pulse, Pumper, Marching,
Fader, Offbeats, Off+Pan, L/R Pan,
LL/RR Pan, Slow Pan, Rand Pan,
Shorter, Longer, Reverse, Random,
Keyed 1–2, Half Time, 12-Step,
Ducked, Trance 1–6, Tech 1–6
Straight
1/2–1/32, including Dotted and Triplet 1/16
50.0–66.7% 50.0%
0–100% 100%
Off, LP, BP, HP, Phaser LP
-100 – 0 – 100%
-100 – 0 – 100%
0–100%
0%
0%
25%
Gate Hold 0–100%
Gate Release 0–100%
Mod LFO Wave Random; 2–12, 16, 24, 32, 48, 64,
96, 128, 192, 256 Steps
Mod Env
Mod LFO
-100 – 0 – 100%
0–100%
50%
25%
Random
0%
0%
AIR Flanger
This effect applies a short, modulating delay to the audio signal.
Parameter
Rate
Depth
Feedback
Mix
Headroom
AIR Freq Shift
This effect shifts the audio signal's individual frequencies for unique effects.
Parameter
Mode
Frequency
Feedback
Mix
Value Range Default Value
0.02 – 10.00 Hz 0.40 Hz
0–100% 50%
0–100% 50%
0–100% (dry–wet) 50%
-20.0 – 0.0 dB FS -10.0 dB FS
Value Range Default Value
Up, Down, Up &
Down, Stereo
Up
10.0 mHz – 10.0 kHz 316 mHz
0–100% 0%
0–100% (dry–wet) 100%
254
AIR Fuzz Wah
This is a multi-effect that combines transistor-like distortion and wah.
Tab Parameter
Fuzz-Wah Mix
Order
Value Range
0–100% (dry–wet)
Fuzz>Wah, Wah>Fuzz
0–100% (dry–wet)
0–100% (dry–wet)
0–100%
Wah Filter Mode Lowpass, Bandpass, Highpass
Min.
Max
Modulation Mode
Rate
LFO
Env
Depth
0–100%
0–100%
8/4 – 16
0–100%
50%
Bandpass
428 Hz
2.07 kHz
55%
33%
On
LFO
4T
75%
0%
Default Value
100%
Fuzz>Wah
100%
100%
20 dB
3.16 kHz
0.0 dB
Off
AIR Kill EQ
This effect can zap out the low, mid or high broadband frequency from an audio signal.
Parameter
High
Mid
Low
Output
High Gain
Mid Gain
Value Range Default Value
Thru, Kill
Thru, Kill
Thru
Thru
Thru, Kill Thru
-20.0 – +20.0 dB 0.0 dB
-Inf – +12.0 dB
-Inf – +12.0 dB
0.0 dB
0.0 dB
High Freq.
Offset
500 Hz – 8.00 kHz 2.00 kHz
255
AIR Lo-Fi
This effect is used to bit-crush, down-sample, clip, rectify and mangle an audio signal.
Tab Parameter Value Range
Lo-Fi Bit Depth
Sample Rate
1.0 – 16.0 bit
500 Hz – 50.0 kHz
Mix 0–100%
Distortion Clip
Rectify 0–100%
Noise 0–100%
Anti-Alias Pre
Post
Enable
LFO / Env Wave Sine, Tri, Saw, Square, Morse,
S&H, Random
Rate
Sync Off:
Sync On:
Sync
Depth
Attack
Release
Depth
0.01 – 10.0 Hz
8/4 – 16
0.1 – 10.0 s
Default Value
16.0 bit
50.0 kHz
100%
0.0 dB
0%
0%
0.5000 Fs
1.000 Fs
Off
Sine
1.00 Hz
2T
Off
0%
0.5 s
0.5 s
0%
AIR Multi-Chorus
This effect applies a thick, complex chorus effect to your audio signal.
Parameter Value Range
Rate 0.01 – 10.0 Hz
Depth
Voices
Mix
0.00 – 24.00 ms
Default Value
1.00 Hz
6.00 ms
3, 4, 6 4
0–100% (dry–wet) 50%
Chorus Low
Cut
20.0 Hz – 1.00 kHz 20.0 Hz
Chorus Width 0–100% 100%
256
AIR Non-Lin Reverb
This is a spatial effect, designed to produce synthetic, processed ambience with special gated and reversed reverb effects.
Parameter
Pre-Delay
Dry Delay
Time
Mix
Diffusion
Width
Shape
Low-Cut
High-Cut
Value Range
0–250 ms
Default Value
0
0–1500 ms 0
0–1000 ms 250
0–100% (dry–wet) 50
0–100% 100
0–100% 50
Gated, Reverse Gated
20.0 Hz–1.00 kHz 141 Hz
1.00–20.0 kHz 9.46 kHz
AIR Phaser
This effect applies a phaser to your audio signal, for that wonderful "wooshy," "squishy" sound.
Parameter Value Range
Rate
Depth
Default Value
0.10 – 10.00 Hz 1.00 Hz
0–100% 50%
Feedback
Mix
0–100% 0%
0–100% (dry–wet) 50%
Ninety Phaser Model Vibe, Stone, Ninety,
Tron,
Offset
Phase
Rate
-180 – +180 deg.
25–400%
0 deg.
100%
Type
257
AIR Reverb
This is a spatial effect, with a wide range of reverb types to add space or room to your audio signal.
Tab Parameter
Reverb
Pre-Delay
Values
0–250 ms
Default Value
0 ms
Time
Mix
Early Reflection
Reverb
Type
Length
ER / Tail Mix
Input Width
Delay
Room Ambience
Density
Hi/Lo Freq
Hi Freq Time
Freq
Cut
Lo Freq Time
Freq
Cut
100%
1.9 s
0–100% 50%
Off, Booth, Club, Room, Small
Chamber, Medium Chamber, Large
Chamber, Small Studio, Large
Studio, Scoring Stage,
Philharmonic, Concert Hall, Church,
Opera House, Vintage 1, Vintage 2
Off
0–100%
0–100%
0–100%
0–250 ms
0–100%
100%
50%
0%
0%
0 ms
0%
0–100%
-100 – 0 – 100%
-100 – 0 – 100%
100%
0%
6.32 kHz
9.46 kHz
0%
200 Hz
1 Hz
AIR Spring Reverb
This is a spatial effect, designed to emulate the sound of a spring reverb tank.
Parameter
Pre-Delay
Time
Mix
Diffusion
Width
Low Cut
Value Range Default Value
0–250 ms 3 ms
1.0–10.0 s 4.0 s
0–100% (dry–wet) 50%
0–100% 100%
0–100% 0%
20.0 Hz –1.0 kHz 141 Hz
258
AIR Stereo Width
This effect creates a wider stereo presence in an audio signal.
Parameter
Mid
Low
AIR Talk Box
Width
Delay
Level Trim
Pan Trim
High
Value Range Default Value
0–200% 100%
0.0 – 8.0 ms 0.0 ms
-Inf – 0.0 – +12.0 dB 0.0 dB
L100 – <C> – R100 <C>
0–200% 100%
0–200% 100%
0–200% 100%
This effect adds voice-like resonances to audio signals.
Parameter
Vowel
Env Depth
Formant
Mix
LFO Wave
LFO Rate
Sync Off:
Sync On:
Value Range Default Value
OO, OU, AU, AH,
AA, AE, EA, EE, EH,
ER, UH, OH, OO
AH
-100 – 0 – +100% 0%
-12.00 – +12.00 0.00
0–100% 100%
Sine, Tri, Saw,
Square, S&H,
Random
Sine
0.01 – 10.0 Hz
8/4 – 16
1.00 Hz
2T
259
12 all new plugins from AIR include the following:
AIR Channel Strip
This specially-designed plugin combines multiple effects with a fast interface. The EQ section provides a highpass filter, low and high shelves, and a fully parametric mid-band. For dynamics, the AIR Compressor and
Gate algorithms are perfect for achieving hard-hitting drum sounds.
Tab Parameter
EQ Enable
Value Range
Enabled, Bypass
Default Value
Enabled
Output
EQ High Shelf Gain
Mid Freq
-12.0 – +12.0 dB
0.00 dB
0.0 dB
6.00 kHz
0.0 dB
40.0 Hz – 16.0 kHz 247 Hz
Gate/Comp
Low Shelf Gain -12.0 – +12.0 dB 0.0 dB
Low Shelf Freq 20.0 Hz – 1.00 kHz 100 Hz
Gate Thresh -120.0 – 0.0 dB
0 Hz
-120.0 dB
Gate Attack
-120.0 dB
0.01 – 1000.00 ms 0.18 ms
1.00 7.40 ms
Comp – -60.0 dB 0.0 dB
Comp Attack 100 us – 300 ms
Comp Release 10.0 ms – 4.00 s
AIR Compressor
This basic compressor effect changes the dynamic range of a signal by automatically reducing its gain if it exceeds a certain level.
Parameter
Threshold
Ratio
Output
Mix
Knee
Attack
Release
Value Range
5.48 ms
200 ms
Default Value
-60.0 – 0 dB -48.0 dB
1.0:1 – 100.0:1 3.9:1
0.0 – 30.0 dB 15.0 dB
0–100% (dry-wet) 100%
0–100% 50%
100 us – 300 ms 5.48 ms
10.0 ms – 4.00 s 200 ms
260
AIR Delay
This is a classic delay line effect with a variable feedback filter. Additional Ratio and Width parameters enable you to achieve a wide range of stereo delay effects.
Parameter
Time
Sync Off
Sync On
Sync
Value Range
1 ms – 2.00 s
1/32 – 8/4
Off, On
Default Value
388 ms
1/8D
Off
Feedback
Mix
Delay Ratio
Delay HPF
Delay Width
0–100% 40%
0–100% (dry–wet) 50%
50:100 – 100:50 100:100
20.0 Hz – 1.0 kHz 20.0 Hz
0–100% 100%
Feedback Damp 1.0 – 20.0 kHz 20.0 kHz
Feedback Reso 0–100% 0%
Fdbk. Reso Freq 100 Hz – 10.0 kHz 1.0 kHz
AIR Diff Delay
This is a delay line effect that is synchronized to your session tempo and uses an adjustable amount of diffusion to emulate the dissipation of echoes in reverberant space.
Parameter Value Range Default Value
Time 1/64 – 4/4
(including Triplet and Dotted variations)
1/16D
Mix
Feedback
0–100% (dry–wet) 40%
0–100% 50%
Fdbk. Diffusion 0–100% 40%
AIR Filter
This effect applies a filter to the audio signal and then applies selectable saturation or reduction to the filtered signal.
Parameter
Cutoff Freq
Reso Factor
Type
Output Gain
Saturation
Type
Saturation
Drive
Saturation
Mode
Value Range
55.0 Hz – 20.0 kHz
0.7 – 20.0
LP4–1, BP2, BP4, HP2_LP1,
HP3_LP1, HP4–1, BR2, BR4,
BR2_LP1, BR2_LP2, HP1_BR2,
BP2_BR2, HP1_LP2, HP1_LP3,
AP3, AP3_LP1, HP1_AP3
-inf dB – 0.0 dB
Resample, Bit Crush, Rectify, Hard
Clip, Distort, Overdrive
0.0 – 12.0 dB
DCF, CVF
Default Value
20.0 kHz
1.0
LP4
0.0 dB
Overdrive
0.0 dB
DCF
261
AIR Maximizer
This effect is a limiter optimized for professional mastering.
Parameter
Threshold
Ceiling
Look Ahead
Knee
Release
LF Mono
Value Range Default Value
-40.0 – 0.0 dB -20.0 dB
-20.0 – 0.0 dB FS -5.0 dB FS
0.0 – 20.0 ms 0.0 ms
Hard, Soft
10.0 ms – 10.0 s
Hard
316 ms
10.0 Hz – 1.00 kHz 10.0 Hz
AIR Noise Gate
This effect is similar to a compressor, but instead of attenuating audio signal that rises above a threshold, a noise gate attenuates audio signal that falls below a threshold by a set amount. This can help reduce background noise in your audio signal.
Parameter Value Range Default Value
Threshold
Depth
-120.0 – 0.0 dB
Denoise Filter Off, On
Denoise Thresh -120.0 – 0.0 dB
-48.0 dB
0 dB – -120.0 dB -120 dB
Off
-60.0 dB
Attack
Hold
Release
0.01 – 1000.00 ms 0.18 ms
0 – 1000 ms 250 ms
262
AIR Para EQ
This effect is a powerful four-band parametric equalizer with four independent EQ ranges, adjustable Low and
High EQ filter types, and dedicated Low Cut and High
Cut.
Parameter
High Freq
High Q
Shelf
Bell
Value Range
1.2 – 20.0 kHz
0.40 – 2.00
0.40 – 10.00
Default Value
6.00 kHz
1.00
1.00
High Gain
Shelf
Bell
High Type
High Out/In
-12.0 – +12.0 dB
-18.0 – 18.0 dB
Shelf, Bell
Out, In
0.0 dB
0.0 dB
Shelf
High Mid Freq 120 Hz – 16.0 kHz 2.00 kHz
High Mid Q 0.40 – 10.00 1.00
High Mid Gain -18.0 – 18.0 dB
High Mid
Out/In
Out, In
0.0 dB
Low Mid Freq 40.0 Hz – 16.00 kHz 247 Hz
Low Mid Q 0.40 – 10.00
Low Mid Gain -18.0 – 18.0 dB
1.00
0.0 dB
Low Mid Out/In Out, In
Low Freq 20.0 Hz – 1.00 kHz 100 Hz
Shelf
Bell
0.40 – 2.00
0.40 – 10.00
1.00
1.00
Shelf
Bell
Low Type
Low Out/In
-12.0 – +12.0 dB
-18.0 – 18.0 dB
Shelf, Bell
Out, In
0.0 dB
0.0 dB
Shelf
Output -20.0 – +20.0 dB 0.0 dB
High Cut Freq 120 Hz – 20.0 kHz 20.0 kHz
High Cut Type 6, 12, 18, 24 dB 12 dB
Low Cut Freq 20.0 Hz – 8.00 kHz 100 Hz
Low Cut Type 6, 12, 18, 24 dB 12 dB
263
AIR Pitch Shifter
This effect alters the pitch of the audio signal and can be adjusted based on the source or style of the signal.
Parameter
Mode
Shift
Mix
Value Range Default Value
Vocal, Bass, Beats,
Chords, Textures
Vocal
-24.0 – 0 – 24.0 0.0
0–100% 100%
AIR Pumper
This effect creates a rhythmic pumping effect, similar to that of sidechain compression.
Parameter Value Range Default Value
Depth
Speed
0–100% 80%
Bar, 1/2 – 1/32T 1/4
Release Shape 0–100% 10%
Trigger Offset -100.0 – +100.0 ms 0.0 ms
Attack
Hold
Release
AIR Transient
0–100% 5%
0–100% 10%
0–100% 60%
This effect is used to enhance or soften the Attack and
Release phases of audio material.
Parameter
Attack
Value Range
-100 – 0 – +100%
Default Value
0%
Attack Shape 0–100% 50%
Sustain
Output
Limit
-100 – 0 – +100%
-20.0 – +20.0 dB
Off, On
0%
0.0 dB
On
AIR Tube Drive
This effect is designed to reproduce the sound of an overdriven tube amplifier.
Parameter
Drive
Headroom
Value Range Default Value
0–100% 0%
-30.0 – 0.0 dB -15.0 dB
Saturation 0–100% 50%
Output -20.0 – +20.0 dB 0.0 dB
Clip Program Improvements
Internal Clip Program architecture has been significantly improved, allowing you to play up to 16 clip programs at the same time. Clips will continue to play when changing tracks or sequences, allowing you to seamlessly integrate them into live performance.
264
FLAC and OGG Support
You can now load and export FLAC and OGG files with MPC.
Mother Ducker
You can now apply sidechain ducking effects in MPC using the new
Mother Ducker
and
Mother Ducker Input
insert effects.
Mother Ducker
Add this effect as an insert to the track you want to have the ducking effect applied to. Use the meters to monitor the level from your trigger input and tweak the Threshold and Ratio parameters to adjust the amount of ducking.
The Attack and Release parameters can be used to sculpt the envelope of the gain reduction to achieve exactly the pumping effect you are after. Mother Ducker has eight internal buses so you can set up multiple channel strips with ducking effects from different sources.
Parameter Value Range
Ratio
Knee
Attack
Release
1.00:1 – 60.00:1 6.00:1
0.000 – 6.000 dB
1.0 – 1000.0 ms
1.0 – 1000.0 ms
Default Value
0.000 dB
10.0 ms
100.0 ms
Threshold -100.000 – 0.000 dB -6.021 dB
Gain -100.000 – +12.000 dB -0.000 dB
Auto Gain On, Off
From Bus 1–8
On
Bus 1
Mother Ducker Input
Add this effect as an insert to the track you want to use as a trigger input, such as a kick drum track.
Parameter Value Range
To Bus 1–8
Next Sequence Mode
Next Sequence Mode now remembers the next sequence change when switching to another mode.
Default Value
Bus 1
Additional Transport Controls
You can now hold
Shift
and press
Stop
to return the playhead to the beginning of the timeline.
265
Updates in MPC 2.5
New Features
Browser Audition Warp and Sync
In the Browser, you can now audition samples that have an MPC-embedded tempo in sync with the project tempo.
1.
Open the Browser by doing either of the following:
•
Click the
menu icon
(
≡
), then select
View
>
Browser
.
•
Click the
hard-drive icon
in the lower-right corner.
2.
Click the
sync icon
to toggle sync on and off. When enabled, samples will be auditioned at the beginning of the next bar of the sequence when playback is active.
Click the
warp icon
to toggle warp on and off. When enabled, samples with an embedded tempo will be warped to the project tempo.
3.
Select a sample, loop, program or project to preview, then tap the
Play
button to audition. If
Auto
Audition is turned on, samples will audition when selected.
Corrections
Sync icon
Warp icon
We adjusted the definition of the
Start Type
of Timing Correct:
Start
: The entire note event or audio track region will be nudged forward or backward so the start point aligns with the closest time division marker in the grid. You can apply this to MIDI tracks or audio tracks.
We added the following description of the
Layer
16 Levels type:
When
Type
is set to
Layer
, pads with multiple samples will play back each layer according to the
Velocity Start
and
Velocity End
settings for each layer.
266
advertisement
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project