How do you use an MPC/What are they used for?

[Moustache_Bash]

I don't know what they do. Please explain. Also, interested to know what model you use specifically.

[Bellyheart]

Most of the best hip hop was made with one. Save sounds on the pads and then sequence them to your liking and then export it. It's a great tool. iMPC is pretty full featured. Just no after touch.

[fishtankdork]

guilty confession. i knew how to use the analog mpc's. i bought an mpc renaissance 8 months ago, installed the software on my mac, and havent used it once i neeeed to get on this.
generally depending on what you want to do most people use it to sequence beats or music in production. some really awesome people use it live to add to the show. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSc2mlIyuqs baths uses an mpc 32 live, they are super mad cheap. i notice people that use mpc's for live applications use the 32's or some of the other low end ones. to be honest looking at the renaissance, without faders, i cant see it being as awesome as the other models live.
this thread is making me stare at the unused mpc right now.

[Moustache_Bash]

I've fucked with FL Studio before. They have this thing the way the drums are set up:
Snare: -----------
Bass: -----------
Hi Hat: -----------

And you can make whatever hit on the one or two/etc (the dashes). So, an MPC is the same thing? Except you can assign whatever sound you want to each row?

[fishtankdork]

umm kinda, with the renaissance it has a program that you use thats like fruity loops. you dont even have to use the mpc you just use the program, you can just sit there and input stuff. but the real magic of the mpc is jamming on the pads. it gives it a more human feel than sequencing stuff in a program. being slightly off gives it a more real feel. it dose have self qunatitizers but even those still give more "Real" vibe

[Deltaphoenix]

Well, no MPCs are analog, it is a digital sampler. So you load samples into it, from there you can do several things. You can chop the samples and assign the chopped pieces to pads. That is how you get those hiphop songs that took either an orchestra, drum breaks or motown/soul songs and could separate the notes and play them in different orders to make new melodies/parts. You could load single shot samples as well, say assigning a kick to one pad, snare another,etc or pitched sounds. You can record a sequence or program a sequence. In addition to sequencing it's internal sounds an MPC is great at sequencing other gear, it has robust midi implementation.

The older MPCs had lower sample rates which made gritty (in a good way) sounds, they really crunched the drums (MPC60).

Yeah those pads are where it is at. I don't have an MPC but I do have Native Instruments Maschine which has a lot of similarities.

[rustywire]

As a sampler/sequencer.
Mostly used for digital drums; to make head-bobbers, but also idm and musique concrete.

I own a 1st gen 60 which doesnt have any bells or whistles, and in spite of the limitations, using the machine itself as an effect makes for interesting timbres and textures (especially detuning samples) and both the sequencer timing/build quality are rock-solid. It does have send/return, in the form of an Echo Mixer i/o, which is perfect for pedals, DMMs and RRRs and EQs alke. When sound runs through it, interesting things happen. Sometimes...

[tuffteef]

you can use it for beats or chopping up loops or sampling synths or cool instruments like an omnichord and use it live


super fun

[behndy]

FORRRR PUDDDINNNNNG.

delicious, beaty puuuuuuddddddinnnnnnnNNNNGNNNNNGNGNGNGGGGGG.

[leaves turn]

You use an MPC to make this
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcxsheROd3E[/youtube]

[behndy]

good gawds i love me some Shadow.

[Moustache_Bash]

How do you guys feel about MIDI keyboard/mpc combos? Are they like multieffects? Objects of many talents master of none.....

I was looking at the Akai MPK25 (not mini), fwiw.

[Bartimaeus]

Yeah, exactly like a multieffect in that sense. Good if you need small, full featured, and portable, not so great otherwise.

Also, be aware that the Akai MPK25 is not a keyboard+MPC. It's a keyboard+drum pads. So it doesn't actually have any of the sampling or sequencing abilities, it can just trigger stuff via pads as well as via keys.

The Akai MPC60 can be considered an instrument. The MPK is just a midi data generator.

[penelope tree]

The MPX8 looks pretty good for people that just want to trigger samples.


There's also the Roland/Boss Sp series which some people find more intuitive and they contain a lot of useful effects.

[sonidero]

MPC = Midi Production Center... They are excellent Sequencers attached to a Sampler... You use the Pads to trigger the samples which you then sequence into Beats or Songs...

Don't confuse all the other Akai things that have pads with a MPC...

The MPX8SD is cool for playing samples that you load into it but it does not sequence... The MPC can sequence other keyboards with lock solid timing which is why they have been around so long...

Holla with mo questions... I've had them all...