AKAI MPC Essentials User Guide
User Guide
English
Manual Version 1.0
Table of Contents
Welcome to the MPC .................................................................................................................................. 5
System Requirements and Product Support ..................................................................................... 5
About This Manual ................................................................................................................................ 6
Important Notes..................................................................................................................................... 7
Installation ............................................................................................................................................. 7
MPC Hardware Overview ........................................................................................................................... 9
MPC Element ......................................................................................................................................... 9
Top Panel .......................................................................................................................................... 9
Quick Start ................................................................................................................................................ 12
Starting Up ........................................................................................................................................... 12
Recording a Drum Sequence ............................................................................................................. 12
Organizing Samples and Editing Note Events ................................................................................. 14
Recording a Bass Sequence .............................................................................................................. 15
Creating a Song................................................................................................................................... 17
Exporting the Song ............................................................................................................................. 17
Operation (Software) ................................................................................................................................ 18
General Features ................................................................................................................................. 19
Adjusting the Controls ..................................................................................................................... 19
Program Types ................................................................................................................................ 21
File Browser ..................................................................................................................................... 26
Mode Tab Section ........................................................................................................................... 28
Transport Section ............................................................................................................................ 30
The Grid ........................................................................................................................................... 32
Software Menus ............................................................................................................................... 38
Main Mode............................................................................................................................................ 50
Q-Link Section ................................................................................................................................. 50
Pad Bank Section ............................................................................................................................ 52
Sequence Section ........................................................................................................................... 53
Project Information Section ............................................................................................................. 56
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Program Edit Mode ............................................................................................................................. 58
Master Section ................................................................................................................................. 59
Simultaneous Play Section (Drum Programs Only) ......................................................................... 59
Mute Target Section (Drum Programs Only) ................................................................................... 60
Keygroup Play Modes Section (Keygroup Programs Only) ............................................................. 60
Key Group Section (Keygroup Program Only) ................................................................................ 61
Edit Layers Section .......................................................................................................................... 62
Filter Section .................................................................................................................................... 65
Pad Play Modes Section (Drum Programs Only) ............................................................................ 67
Velocity Sensitivity Section .............................................................................................................. 68
LFO Section ..................................................................................................................................... 68
Controller Mod Section (Keygroup Program Only) .......................................................................... 69
Pad Insert Effects Section ............................................................................................................... 69
Program Edit Mode for MIDI Programs and Plugin Programs ......................................................... 70
Program Mixer Mode .......................................................................................................................... 71
Levels .............................................................................................................................................. 72
Panning............................................................................................................................................ 72
Mute ................................................................................................................................................. 72
Insert Effects .................................................................................................................................... 72
Next Sequence Mode .......................................................................................................................... 73
Sequence Playlist ............................................................................................................................ 74
Pad Bank Section ............................................................................................................................ 74
Next Sequence Section ................................................................................................................... 75
Project Information Section ............................................................................................................. 75
Sample Record Mode ......................................................................................................................... 76
Waveform Display ........................................................................................................................... 77
Record Control Section ................................................................................................................... 78
Project Information Section ............................................................................................................. 80
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Sample Edit Mode ............................................................................................................................... 81
Waveform Display ........................................................................................................................... 82
Edit Section...................................................................................................................................... 83
Pad Section ..................................................................................................................................... 84
Settings Section ............................................................................................................................... 85
Process Section ............................................................................................................................... 86
Project Information Section ............................................................................................................. 88
Chop Mode ...................................................................................................................................... 88
Song Mode ........................................................................................................................................... 94
Sequence Playlist Section ............................................................................................................... 95
Pad Bank Section ............................................................................................................................ 96
Song Section ................................................................................................................................... 96
Edit Step Section ............................................................................................................................. 97
Step Section .................................................................................................................................... 97
Project Information Section ............................................................................................................. 97
Pad Mute Mode .................................................................................................................................... 98
Pad Mute ......................................................................................................................................... 98
Pad Group ....................................................................................................................................... 99
Project Information Section ............................................................................................................. 99
Step Sequence Mode ........................................................................................................................ 100
Pad Section ................................................................................................................................... 101
MIDI Control Mode ............................................................................................................................ 102
Effects ................................................................................................................................................ 105
Operation (Plugin) .................................................................................................................................. 106
Differences Between the MPC Essentials Plugin and Standalone Application ............................. 106
Appendix ................................................................................................................................................. 108
Keyboard Shortcuts .......................................................................................................................... 108
Effects and Parameters .................................................................................................................... 110
Glossary ............................................................................................................................................. 142
Trademarks and Licenses ................................................................................................................ 147
4
Welcome to the MPC
Thanks for choosing the MPC!
Fusing Akai Professional's legendary MPC layout and workflow with the power of your computer, MPC
Essentials is an unrivaled instrument for music production.
The essential instrument for computer-based music production, MPC Element brings powerful music-
making capability to your computer in a slimline design that's made to produce. You get cutting-edge
features, including MPC Note Repeat and Swing, along with the all-new MPC Essentials software. With
the included 1GB sound library, MPC Essentials empowers you with the essential sounds of modern
music production, and you can easily import your own sound samples. MPC Essentials can operate
standalone and can also work seamlessly with your current DAW as a plugin. MPC Element comes with
everything you need to make music right away, and, because it operates via standard MIDI, you can also
use MPC Element to control MIDI music software you already have. An 1/8-inch MIDI input and an 1/8inch MIDI output are both onboard and 1/8-inch to 5-pin MIDI cables are included.
Welcome to the MPC family.
— The Akai Professional Team
System Requirements and Product Support
For complete system requirements, compatibility information, and product registration, visit the Akai
Professional website: akaiprompc.com.
For additional support, visit akaiprompc.com/support.
5
About This Manual
This manual was written to help you get familiar with the MPC Element hardware and MPC Essentials
software.
To avoid confusion, the terminology in this manual is based on the MPC parameter names. You will find
the various terms explained in the Glossary at the end of this manual.
We also used a uniform set of symbols to show topics of particular interest or significance:
Information: Important or helpful information on a given topic.
Hardware: How to use a software feature with your MPC hardware's controls. Note that these
paragraphs are not the only parts of the manual that mention the MPC hardware.
All buttons, controls, and parameters are highlighted in bold characters throughout the manual.
Examples:
• "Press the Prog Edit button."
• "Turn the Level dial."
Specific settings or values are indicated in italic characters.
Examples:
• The Velocity ranges from 0 to 127.
• Set your Sample Play to One-Shot or Note-On.
Some parts of this manual refer to other relevant sections, which are cited in bold and italic characters.
Examples:
• Read the Important Notes section before proceeding.
• For more information about installing the necessary drivers and software, please see the
Installation section.
6
Important Notes
• Read the included Safety and Warranty Manual before using the MPC hardware.
• Before getting started and connecting devices to the MPC hardware or turning the hardware on/off,
make sure all devices are switched off.
Installation
Before installing the MPC software, make sure your computer meets the system requirements described
at akaiprompc.com. This applies whether you'll use MPC software as a plugin or standalone application.
Windows®
1. Open the folder where the downloaded .zip file is located.
2. Double-click the file to extract it.
3. Double-click the MPC Essentials installer icon. This launches a special installation program.
4. Follow the on-screen instructions.
Important: After installing the MPC software, you need to unlock the program on your computer.
Please refer to Unlocking MPC Essentials.
Mac® OS X®
1. Open the folder where the downloaded .zip file is located.
2. Double-click the file to extract it.
3. Double-click the MPC Essentials installer icon. This launches a special installation program.
4. Follow the on-screen instructions.
Important: After installing the MPC software, you need to unlock the program on your computer.
Please refer to Unlocking MPC Essentials.
7
Unlocking MPC Essentials
Follow these steps to unlock the MPC software before using it.
1. Connect your MPC hardware to a USB port on your computer.
2. Power on the MPC hardware.
3. Open the MPC software.
4. In the dialogue box that appears, click Unlock Now.
5. Enter your information in the window that appears.
6. If your computer is connected to the Internet, click Unlock Now, and enjoy your MPC!
7. If your computer is not connected to the Internet, follow these additional steps:
8. Click Use Web Form.
9. The window that appears will have your name, serial number, and software ID number. Click Save
Details to save this information as a .txt file, or copy the information from each field into another file
of your choosing.
10. On a computer connected to the Internet, go to authorizations.akaipro.com/MPC, enter the copied
information, and click Unlock My MPC.
11. Copy the unlock code from the window that appears.
12. In your MPC software, go to the window from Step 5 and click Enter Code.
13. Enter your name and the unlock code generated by the webpage.
14. Click Unlock, and enjoy your MPC!
8
MPC Hardware Overview
This chapter explains the features and functions of your MPC Element.
MPC Element
Top Panel
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1. USB Port: Use the included USB cable to connect this USB port to an available USB port on your
computer. This connection allows MPC Element to send/receive MIDI data to/from the software.
2. MIDI In: Use the included 1/8"-MIDI adapter and a five-pin MIDI cable to connect the MIDI Out of an
optional external MIDI device to the MIDI In of MPC Element.
Important: Do NOT connect audio devices (e.g., headphones, monitors, etc.) to the 1/8" MIDI In or
MIDI Out jacks. Use the included 1/8"-MIDI adapters to connect MIDI devices only.
3. MIDI Out: Use the included 1/8"-MIDI adapter and a five-pin MIDI cable to connect the MIDI Out of
MPC Element to the MIDI In of an optional external device.
4. Main: Press this button to view the Main screen in the display and software.
5. Play: Press this button to play the Sequence from the audio pointer's current position.
6. Play Start: Press this button to play the Sequence from its start point.
7. Stop: Press this button to stop playback.
8. Rec: Press this button to record-arm the Sequence. Press Play or Play Start to start recording.
Recording in this way (rather than using Overdub) erases the events of the current Sequence. After
the Sequence plays through once while recording, Overdub will be enabled.
9. Overdub: Press this button and simultaneously press Play or Play Start to enable Overdub. This
allows you to record note events in a Sequence without overwriting any previously recorded note
events. You can enable Overdub either before or during recording.
10. Undo: Press this button to undo your last action.
11. Erase: As a Sequence is playing, hold this button down and press a pad to delete the note event for
that pad at the current playback position. This is a quick way to delete note events from your
Sequence without having to stop playback.
12. Pads: Use these pads to trigger drum hits or other samples in your software. The pads are velocitysensitive and pressure-sensitive, which makes them very responsive and intuitive to play. The pads
will light up different colors, depending on how hard you play them (ranging from yellow at a low
velocity to red at the highest velocity).
13. Full Level: Press this button to activate/deactivate Full Level. When activated, the pads always play
back at a maximum velocity (127), no matter how hard or soft you hit them.
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14. 16 Level: Press this button to activate/deactivate 16 Level. When activated, the last pad that was hit
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 hit them.
In the software, in the window that appears, click the Type menu to select the parameter: Velocity,
Tune, Filter, Layer, Attack, or Decay.
You can change the pad by clicking the Pad drop-down menu in the window that appears.
Alternatively, you can press and hold the 16 Level button, press the desired pad, and then release
both.
15. Note Repeat: Hold this button down and press a pad to retrigger that pad's sample at a rate based
on the current Tempo and Time Correct settings. Vary the pressure on the pad to increase or
decrease the velocity of the notes being played.
16. Tap Tempo: Press this button in time with the desired tempo to enter a new tempo (in BPM) in the
software.
17. Pad Bank: Press and hold down this button and then press a pad with a letter (A – H) above it to
select that Pad Bank. The pad representing the current bank will be lit red while the others will be lit
amber.
18. Track Up / Down: Use these buttons to move to the next or previous instance of the MPC plugin in
your host software.
19. Mute Track: Press this button to mute the currently selected instance of the MPC plugin in your host
software.
20. Solo Track: Press this button to solo the currently selected instance of the MPC plugin in your host
software.
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Quick Start
Starting Up
1. Power on your computer, and make sure the MPC hardware driver and software are both properly
installed on your computer.
2. Connect your MPC hardware to your computer with a standard USB cable. After that, open the MPC
software.
Now, you're ready to go!
Recording a Drum Sequence
First, let's set up a Program so we can record a drum Sequence:
1. Make sure the Sequence Section in the lower half of the window shows the Program Type as Drum
and the Program as Program 001 (this is the default when you open MPC Essentials).
2. In the Project Information Section on the right, right-click the new Program (Program 001) and
enter a name (e.g., Drums).
Now, let's load some drum sounds:
1. Click the File Browser's drop-down
menu for an overview of your hard disk
structure and select a location. Doubleclick any displayed folder in the File Browser to open it.
2. Locate and select a drum sample. Click the Preview button to preview any selected audio
sample. Let's load a bass drum first.
3. Click and drag a sample onto the desired pad to assign it to the pad (this will also automatically add
the sample to the Project). To keep things simple, let's load it to Pad A01. Now, you can press Pad 1
to play the bass drum sample.
4. To create a simple drum set, repeat the above steps for other pads. We recommend loading a snare
drum, a closed hi-hat, and an open hi-hat. Feel free to add a crash cymbal, too.
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Let's record a drum Sequence:
1. Click the Rec button to activate Record Mode.
2. To start the actual recording, click Play. The pre-count will count one measure before the software
starts to record. We recommend recording only one sound (pad) at a time, especially if you aren't
familiar with playing on the pads.
3. Play a simple 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!
4. Play the snare drum part, then a hi-hat part.
5. When you're done recording, click Stop.
6. To repeat the recording, keep in mind that the pads you play in your new recording will automatically
replace existing notes played with the same pads. To prevent this, you can start again from Step 1
but click Overdub instead of Rec; Overdub lets you record additional note events over the existing
Sequence.
7. 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 pressed).
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Organizing Samples and Editing Note Events
We recommend doing some naming and editing before recording further. Let's use the software, which is
easier for editing.
The collection of drum samples you loaded earlier (and their respective pad assignments) are arranged in
a Program:
• To rename a Program, right-click the Program in the Project Information panel, and select
Rename. Enter a suitable name for the Program.
• To rename a sample, right-click the name of a sample (e.g., Bassdrum-01), and select
Rename. Enter a suitable name for the sample. Repeat this for the other samples in the
Program. This will help keep your Program organized if you add more samples to it.
In the grid, you can see your recorded note events. Click and drag a note to move it to a different position.
By default, you can position notes only by quantization values, defined by the Time Correct value. You
can change the value by clicking the Time Correct drop-down menu. We recommend working with 8 or
16 values. Hold down your keyboard's Shift key and use the arrow keys to nudge events without
restricting ("snapping") them to the grid.
Hold down your keyboard's Control key (Windows) or Command key (Mac OS X) and click and drag a
note to copy it. Double-click a note to delete it.
Velocity data can be easily edited in the velocity lane below the grid. Click a note event or place the
mouse over a velocity bar in the lane. A small round handle will appear at the top of the velocity bar.
Move the mouse vertically to change its value.
Let's make some basic edits to the sound of the Sequence.
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Recording a Bass Sequence
Recording a melodic instrument like piano or bass works differently in the software from recording drums.
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.
Let's set up a Program so we can record a bass Sequence:
1. In the Sequence Section in the lower half of the window, click the Type drop-down menu, and select
Keygroup.
2. In the Project Information Section on the right, right-click the new Program (with the piano icon
next to it) and enter a name (e.g., Bass).
Now, let's load a bass sound:
1. Click the File Browser's drop-down
menu for an overview of your hard disk
structure and select a location. Doubleclick any displayed folder in the File Browser to open it.
2. Locate and select a bass sample. Click the Preview button to preview any selected audio
sample.
3. Double-click a sample to add it to the Project. (Keep in mind that the sample is not yet assigned to a
pad.)
Let's continue to set up the Keygroup Program:
1. Click the Program Edit tab to enter Program Edit Mode.
2. In the Layer section, click the Layer 1 drop-down menu and
select the bass sample you just loaded (you'll see your drum
samples in this list, as well). Because you're working with a
Keygroup Program instead of a Drum Program, this sample is
now playable across all pads.
Tip: On your MPC hardware, press the Pad Bank D button to switch to Pad Bank D and hit 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.
15
Let's add a second layer and set the Layers' velocity ranges so our bass sounds different when played at
a higher velocity (as a real bass would):
1. Go back to the File Browser and select a different bass sample that sounds similar but a little bit
brighter.
2. Double-click a sample to add it to the Project.
3. Back in the Layer section, click the Layer 2 dropdown menu and select the new bass sample. Hit a
pad—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.
4. Set Layer 1's Velocity slider to cover the velocity range from 0 to 80, and set Layer 2's Velocity
slider to cover the range from 81 to 127.
Now when you hit a pad, the lower velocities will trigger the Layer 1 sample only, while higher velocities
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.
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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 (which we described earlier in this
chapter)!
Click the Song tab to open Song Mode. Each of the Sequences you've created in this Project is assigned
to a pad.
Click and drag a pad with the desired Sequence onto the
Sequence Playlist to the left of the pads. Alternatively, if you
prefer viewing a horizontal timeline, you can click and drag it
onto the workspace above the pads.
As a Song plays, it moves through the each Step, which has a
Sequence you assigned. Each Sequence may (or may not) be
repeated, determined by the value in the Repeats (Rpts)
column (a Rpt value of 1 means the Sequence will play through
only once).
Each Step can be set to play its Sequence at an independent tempo, determined by the value in the BPM
column. The Bars column indicates the total number of bars or measure that will elapse when playing that
Step.
Click any drop-down menu in the Sequence column to select a new Sequence for that Step. Click and
drag up or down on a Rpts value to change it.
Exporting the Song
Want to share your new Song with your friends? All you need to do is export it.
Click the File menu, navigate to Export, and select As Audio Mixdown.
In the Audio Mixdown window, you can select your mixdown settings.
• Set the Start field to 1, and set the End field to the last bar of your Song.
• Choose a save location.
Click Export to start exporting the Song.
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Operation (Software)
This chapter explains the complete features and functions of the MPC Essentials software.
Important: When using the MPC Essentials software as a plugin, its features and functions are very
similar to how it's described in this chapter but with some notable differences, discussed in the Operation
(Plugin) chapter.
Remember:
• In this manual, whenever the MPC Element can be used to control a parameter or a function, this is
explained separately in a light red box labeled Hardware.
• We strongly recommend using the MPC Element to control the MPC Essentials software; its intuitive
and fast operation will greatly enhance your workflow.
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General Features
Adjusting the Controls
Tip: If you use a computer mouse with scroll wheel, you can use it to affect some of these controls: move
your mouse pointer over the control and use the scroll wheel to change it. If you hold down your
keyboard's Shift key while doing this, you can increase the resolution.
The MPC software uses the following types of control elements:
Knobs
To set a value, click the knob, hold the mouse button, and drag the knob
up and down. Alternatively, you can edit values by using your mouse
scroll wheel.
Parameter Values
To set a value, click and hold the mouse button on the field, and drag the
mouse up and down.
Drop-Down Menus
Click the downward arrow (T) to open a drop-down menu where
you can select the desired setting or parameter.
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Switches
Switches are represented by "LEDs." If a function is active, its LED will be lit
red. To activate a function, click it. Any other LEDs in its set will be
automatically deactivated.
Buttons
Click a button to activate or deactivate its function. Buttons are red
when they are activated.
Envelope Displays
Click the respective "handle" of an envelope and drag into the
desired direction to change an envelope parameter.
Pencil and Select Box Icons
Clicking this icon will switch between Draw Mode (the Pencil Tool) and Select Mode
(the Select Box tool). When the grid is active (i.e., when you have clicked somewhere in
it), you can press your computer keyboard's 1 key to enter Draw Mode or 2 key to enter
Select Mode.
Draw Mode:
• Click once on an empty square in the grid to place a note event in that square.
• Double-click a note event to erase it.
Select Mode:
• Click and drag the box over note events on the grid to highlight them.
• Double-click an empty square in the grid to add a note event.
• Double-click a note event to erase it.
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Program Types
About Programs
A Program is a file that contains (1) a list of all samples used and (2) the
settings for each sample (i.e., pad assignments, loop points, pitch tuning,
effects, etc.) Program Edit Mode lets you edit and assign samples. A single
Project can hold a total of 128 Programs.
There are two kinds of Programs that use samples as their sound source:
Drum Programs (used mostly for creating drum parts and quickly and easily
assigning samples to pads) and Keygroup Programs (in which you can
assign one or more samples to one or more keys and play them chromatically
with a MIDI keyboard or the MPC hardware pads). Two other kinds of
Programs use MIDI data only: Plugin Programs and MIDI Programs. This
section covers how to create each Program type. To learn about editing your
Programs to your preference, see the Program Edit Mode chapter.
Drum Program
To create a Drum Program in the software:
1. Click the Main Mode tab to enter Main Mode.
2. In the Sequence Section, click the Type drop-down menu and select
Drum.
3. If the Project does not contain a Drum Program yet, a new Drum
Program will automatically be added to the Project.
If the Project already contains a Drum Program, click the + button next
to the Program drop-down menu.
4. Click the name in the Program drop-down menu, and enter an
appropriate Program name.
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To load samples into a Drum Program, click and drag a sample onto the desired pad (in the pad display
or its row in the grid) from one of the following locations:
• the File Browser
• the Project Information panel
• your computer's Explorer (Windows) or Finder (Mac OS X)
The sample will be assigned to the corresponding pad.
Tip: By following the same process described earlier, you can also load an entire folder of samples into a
Program by dragging the folder onto a pad. Each sample will be assigned to a pad in alphabetical order,
starting from the "destination" pad and ascending from there, one sample per pad.
In the software, click the Program Edit tab. With the Sample drop-down menus of Layer 2 to Layer 4,
you can assign additional samples to the selected pad. You can assign up to four samples per pad (one
for each Layer).
Remember: A Drum Program holds 128 pads: 16 pads across eight banks.
Keygroup Program
To create a Keygroup Program in the software:
1. Click the Main Mode tab to enter Main Mode.
2. In the Sequence Section, click the Type drop-down menu and select
Keygroup.
3. If the Project does not contain a Keygroup Program yet, a new Keygroup
Program will automatically be added to the Project.
If the Project already contains a Keygroup Program, click the + button
next to the Program drop-down menu.
4. Click the name in the Program drop-down menu, and enter an
appropriate Program name.
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To load samples into a Keygroup Program:
1. In the File Browser, double-click the desired sample. The sample is now loaded in the current
Project.
2. Click the Program Edit tab.
3. Click Layer 1's Sample drop-down menu to select and assign a sample to the Keygroup Program.
The loaded sample can now be played chromatically with the pads or a connected MIDI keyboard.
In the software, click the Program Edit tab. With the Sample drop-down menus for Layer 2 to Layer 4,
you can assign up to four samples (loaded into the Project Information beforehand) to create velocity
layers or make other layer-dependent adjustments.
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).
Remember: A Keygroup Program offers up to 128 Keygroups, and each Keygroup can hold up to four
samples (Layers 1 to 4). This is a total of 512 samples.
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MIDI Program
To create a MIDI Program:
1. Click the Main Mode tab to enter Main Mode.
2. In the Sequence Section, click the Type drop-down menu and
select Midi.
3. If the Project does not contain a MIDI Program yet, a new MIDI
Program will automatically be added to the Project.
If the Project already contains a MIDI Program, click the + button
next to the Program drop-down menu.
4. Click the name in the Program drop-down menu, and enter an
appropriate Program name.
Unlike Drum Programs and Keygroup Programs, which use samples
imported into the software, your MIDI Program will send MIDI messages
to an external sound module (a connected drum machine, synth, etc.).
You will need to set up the MIDI Program to do this properly. See the
Sequence Section of the Main Mode chapter for more information on
how to properly configure your MIDI Program.
By default, the volume and pan values will initially appear as ?, indicating the Program isn't sending any
volume or pan changes.
Important: If you copy a Sequence, the volume and pan values will be copied with that Sequence.
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Plugin Program
A Plugin Program lets you send your Sequences' MIDI data through a
loaded plugin.
To turn a Program into a Plugin Program:
1. In the software, click the Main Mode tab.
2. In the Sequence section, click the Type drop-down menu, and
select Plugin. The Plugin Program will automatically be added to
the Project.
3. If your Project already contains the desired plugin, click the
Program drop-down menu to select it.
If your Project does not yet contain the desired plugin, click the +
icon next to the Program drop-down menu. A new Program name
(Plugin ###) will appear in the Program drop-down menu (you can
click it to enter a new name for it). Then, click the Plugin dropdown menu, select the desired plugin from the list, and click Select
to select it or Close to cancel (in the window that appears, you can
click checkboxes to re-order your list of plugins: Sort by type or
Sort by manufacturer). Click the e button to open the user interface of the loaded plugin.
Remember: You have to specify where your plugins are located. This can be done in the software's
Preferences. See the Preferences: Plugins Tab section for more information.
4. Click the name in the Program drop-down menu, and enter an appropriate Program name.
5. Click the MIDI Ch drop-down menu to select a MIDI channel (from 1 to 16) the Plugin Program will
use. Use this setting when you are working with a virtual instrument that supports multi-mode.
6. Click the Preset drop-down menu to select a preset for your plugin.
Important: By default, some plugins do not support MIDI volume and pan.
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File Browser
The File Browser lets you navigate through your computer's internal
and external hard disks to load samples, Sequences, Songs, etc.
Using filter buttons and user-definable folders, you can easily adapt
the File Browser to your preferred workflow. You can also preview
(audition) your samples before loading them.
In the software, the File Browser is in the left area of the window. It
can be hidden or revealed by clicking the arrow (W or X) in the
lower-left corner of the window or by pressing B on your computer's
keyboard.
To get the most efficient use of the File Browser, set the file path to
your hard disk(s) first. There are five Folder Buttons labeled 1 to 5
at the top of the File Browser. Here, you can select up to five
locations on your hard disk(s) to give you quick access to your files.
Note: The File Browser does not display irrelevant files (e.g., text
documents, spreadsheets, pictures, etc.).
To set the file path:
1. Click the File Browser's drop-down menu. You'll see an
overview of your hard disk structure, which looks quite similar
to the Explorer (Windows) or the Finder (Mac OS X).
2. Navigate to the desired location. The folder's content will
appear in the File Browser.
3. Press and hold your computer's Shift key and click one of the
Folder Buttons (1 – 5) at the top of the File Browser.
Now, when you click that Folder Button again, the File Browser
will display that folder's content immediately.
You can filter the displayed files with the filter buttons. The selected
buttons will light red. Click No Filt to switch the filter function off.
Click Proj. to show only Project files. Click Seq. to show only
Sequence files. Click Prog. to show only Program files. Click
Sample to show only audio files.
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To load a Project, double-click its corresponding .xpj file in the File Browser. If your Project was created
on the full version of the MPC software and uses multiple Tracks, you will be prompted to select which
Track you want to load.
To load a single sample or multiple samples into a Project, click and drag the files onto the Pad Bank
Section, the grid, or the Project Information section. You can select a single file or multiple files in the
following ways:
• To select a single file in the File Browser, click it.
• To select multiple adjacent files in the File Browser, click the first file, press and hold your
keyboard's Shift key, and then click the last file. All files between (and including) those two files
will be selected.
• To select multiple files in the File Browser that are not adjacent, click the first file, press and
hold your keyboard's Control key (Windows) or Command key (Mac OS X), and then click any
additional file(s) you want to select. Release the Control key or Command key when you have
finished selecting the files.
Tip: You can also click and drag files from your computer's Explorer (Windows) or Finder (Mac OS X)
instead of from the File Browser.
With the Parent Directory arrow button (©, in the software, to the right of the file path)
you can exit the current folder.
In the software, the Preview button is located below the File Browser.
Important: Only audio samples can be previewed. Also, make sure that your audio hardware
is connected properly to listen to the audio file.
In the software, click the Auto Preview button to activate or deactivate the automatic preview
function. When Auto Preview is active, each time an audio file is selected, it will play
automatically. This is useful when scrolling through a list of samples (i.e., comparing different
snare drum sounds without having to load or manually preview them).
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Mode Tab Section
The Mode Tab Section contains tabs that let you switch between the software modes as well as further
control for selecting Programs, Sequences, Songs, etc. depending on the selected mode tab on the left.
This section is always visible.
The different modes are described in detail in the following sections of this chapter.
To select a mode within the software, click the corresponding tab.
Main Mode Sample Record Mode Step Sequence Mode
Program Edit Mode Sample Edit Mode MIDI Control Mode
Program Mixer Mode Song Mode
Next Sequence Mode Pad Mute Mode
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Depending on the selected mode, some Mode Tab Section menus and functions can change, described
here:
Click the Program drop-down menu to select one of your Programs in the
currently loaded Project. A Project can hold up to 128 Programs. The Program
drop-down menu is available only when Program Edit or Program Mixer tab is selected.
Cilck the Seq (Sequence) drop-down menu to select one of your Sequences in
the currently loaded Project. A Project can hold up to 128 Sequences. The
Sequence drop-down menu is available only when Main, Program Mixer, or Step Sequence tab is
selected.
Click the Song drop-down menu to select one of your Songs in the currently
loaded Project. A Project can hold up to 32 Songs. The Song drop-down menu is
only available when the Song tab is selected. See the Song Mode chapter for more information about
Songs.
Click the Screen Scroll button to switch between Scroll Mode and Page Mode.
• Depending on the zoom setting, Scroll Mode will make the screen scroll along
in the background, keeping the position marker centered.
• Page Mode will make the grid display "turn over" to follow the position marker.
Click the View button to switch between Split View and Full-Screen View.
• In Split View, the software window will show the grid in the upper half and the
mode-specific controls in the lower half.
• In Full-Screen View, the software window will show the grid only. This view is
useful if you are working with a lot of pads and need to view all of them simultaneously.
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Transport Section
The Transport Section contains various transport controls (for playback and recording) as well as bar and
tempo displays, the master level, and a CPU meter. This section is always visible.
The CPU meter shows the computer CPU usage of the actual project. Keep in mind that an
excessive use of synthesis functions such as filter and effects will increase the CPU usage.
Tip: If the CPU meter is very high, software response may slow down. Triple-clicking the Stop
button (in this Transport Section or on your MPC hardware) will send a "MIDI panic" message.
This will halt all messages the software is currently sending, and you can resume normal operation.
With the Metronome dial, you can set the volume of your metronome click.
In the software, next to the Metronome dial, click On to activate or deactivate the
metronome. It will light up red when active. Read more about the metronome in the
Click/Metro Menu section of the Software Menus chapter.
The bar and tempo display shows the actual position in bars, beats, and ticks.
You can change the Sequence's tempo by double-clicking the BPM value and entering a
value with your computer's keyboard. You can also click and drag the BPM value up or
down to increase or decrease it.
Hardware: Use the Tap Tempo button to tap in the beats per minute of your desired tempo. An amber
LED will blink, indicating the current beats. You can also press the Main button and use the Cursor
Buttons to move to the Bpm parameter. Select the desired value by using the Data Dial or the -/+
buttons. You can also use the numeric buttons to enter a value and confirm by pressing Enter.
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