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User Guide
English
Manual Version 2.11
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Table of Contents
Introduction ................................................................ 8
MPC One ............................................................. 26
System Requirements & Product Support ......... 8
About This User Guide ......................................... 8
Important Notes .................................................... 9
Setup ...................................................................... 9
1. Connection .................................................... 9
2. Installation .................................................... 10
3. Getting Started ............................................ 10
Features .................................................................... 11
Touchscreens ...................................................... 11
MPC X .................................................................. 12
Top Panel ......................................................... 12
Navigation & Data Entry Controls ........................ 12
Pad & Q-Link Controls ........................................ 13
Mode & View Controls ........................................ 14
Transport & Recording Controls ......................... 15
I/O & Level Controls ........................................... 16
Front Panel ...................................................... 17
Rear Panel ....................................................... 18
MPC Live .............................................................. 19
Top Panel ........................................................ 26
Basic Concepts ........................................................ 43
Navigation & Data Entry Controls ........................ 26
Pad & Q-Link Controls ........................................ 27
Mode & View Controls ........................................ 27
Transport & Recording Controls ......................... 28
Front Panel ...................................................... 29
Rear Panel ....................................................... 29
MPC Key 61 ......................................................... 30
Top Panel ........................................................ 30
Rear Panel ....................................................... 34
MPC Studio mk2 ................................................. 36
Top Panel ........................................................ 36
Navigation & Data Entry Controls ........................ 36
Pad & Touch Strip Controls ................................ 36
Mode & View Controls ........................................ 37
Transport & Recording Controls ......................... 38
Rear Panel ....................................................... 39
MPC Touch .......................................................... 40
Top Panel ........................................................ 40
Rear Panel ....................................................... 42
Top Panel ......................................................... 19
Rear Panel ....................................................... 21
MPC Live II ........................................................... 22
Top Panel ......................................................... 22
Rear Panel ....................................................... 25
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Tutorial ...................................................................... 44
Starting Up ........................................................... 44
Creating a Drum Kit ............................................ 44
Creating a Drum Sequence ................................ 46
Saving & Renaming ............................................. 47
Editing Note Events ............................................ 49
Making Basic Sound Edits ................................. 51
Creating a Bass Track ........................................ 53
Recording an Audio Track ................................. 56
Creating a Song .................................................. 57
Exporting the Song ............................................. 58
Operation .................................................................. 70
General Features ................................................ 71
Control Types .................................................. 71
Knobs ................................................................ 71
Parameter Values ............................................... 71
Drop-Down Menus / Lists ................................... 72
Selectors ............................................................ 72
Buttons .............................................................. 73
Checkboxes ....................................................... 73
Tabs .................................................................. 73
Sliders ................................................................ 73
Envelopes .......................................................... 74
Grid View Tools .................................................. 75
Audio Edit Tools ................................................. 76
Programs ......................................................... 77
About Programs ................................................. 77
Drum Programs .................................................. 78
Plugin Programs ................................................. 80
Keygroup Programs ........................................... 81
Clip Programs .................................................... 82
MIDI Programs ................................................... 84
CV Programs ..................................................... 85
Other Features Explained .................................. 59
Step Sequencer ............................................... 59
Drum Loops & Chop Mode .............................. 60
Pad Muting & Track Muting ............................. 62
Sampling (Recording) ...................................... 64
Sample Editing ................................................. 66
Recording Automation with the XY Pad .......... 68
Using MPC as a Controller .............................. 69
Menu ................................................................ 86
Save .................................................................. 87
Preferences ........................................................ 89
Info ................................................................ 89
Activate Plugins ............................................. 89
Wi-Fi .............................................................. 89
Ethernet ......................................................... 90
Bluetooth ....................................................... 90
Audio Device .................................................. 90
MIDI / Sync .................................................... 90
Hardware ....................................................... 91
Sequencer ..................................................... 92
Project Defaults .............................................. 93
Project Load/Save ......................................... 93
Record/Export ............................................... 93
General .......................................................... 94
Splice ............................................................ 95
Sync .................................................................. 95
Undo History ...................................................... 95
Tuner ................................................................. 95
MIDI Monitor ...................................................... 96
Mode ................................................................. 96
System Resources ............................................. 97
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Time Counter/Locate ....................................... 98
XYFX Mode ................................................... 177
Timing Correct (TC) ....................................... 100
Metronome (Click/Metro) ............................... 102
Automation .................................................... 103
Global .............................................................. 103
Programs & Audio Tracks ................................. 103
16 Level ......................................................... 104
Erase .............................................................. 105
Effects ............................................................ 106
Overview .......................................................... 106
Insert Effects .................................................... 108
Pads ............................................................ 108
Keygroups ................................................... 110
Audio Tracks ................................................ 112
Programs ..................................................... 113
Submixes ..................................................... 115
Main Outputs ............................................... 116
Send/Return Effects ......................................... 117
Pads ............................................................ 118
Keygroups ................................................... 119
Audio Tracks ................................................ 120
Programs ..................................................... 120
Submixes ..................................................... 121
Audio Mixdown .............................................. 122
Battery Usage ................................................ 123
Standalone vs. Controller Mode .................... 124
Modes................................................................. 126
Main Mode ..................................................... 127
Sequence Section ............................................ 132
Track Section ................................................... 140
Program Section .............................................. 149
Grid View ....................................................... 155
Sample Edit Mode ......................................... 180
Settings ............................................................ 182
Trim Mode ....................................................... 183
Assigning Samples ....................................... 187
Processing Slices & Samples ....................... 189
Chop Mode ...................................................... 194
Converting or Assigning Slices ..................... 197
Processing Slices ......................................... 200
Program Mode ................................................. 203
Assigning Samples ....................................... 206
Processing Slices ......................................... 207
Program Edit Mode ....................................... 210
Drum Programs ................................................ 210
Global .......................................................... 213
Samples ...................................................... 215
Envelopes .................................................... 223
LFO ............................................................. 226
Modulations ................................................. 227
Effects ......................................................... 228
Keygroup Programs ......................................... 230
Global .......................................................... 231
Samples ...................................................... 234
Envelopes .................................................... 241
LFO ............................................................. 244
Porta / Mod ................................................. 245
Effects ......................................................... 246
Clip Programs .................................................. 248
Program ...................................................... 250
Pad .............................................................. 251
Plugin Programs ............................................... 254
MIDI Programs ................................................. 255
CV Programs ................................................... 256
Anatomy of an Envelope ................................... 257
List Edit Mode ............................................... 258
Browser ......................................................... 262
Browse ............................................................ 262
Sample Assign ................................................. 265
Audio Edit Mode ............................................ 160
Track View ..................................................... 169
MIDI Tracks ...................................................... 171
Audio Tracks .................................................... 172
Step Sequencer ............................................. 173
Sampler ......................................................... 266
Sample ............................................................ 269
Slice ................................................................. 271
Pad Tap ........................................................... 272
Pad Hold .......................................................... 273
Auto Sampler ................................................... 273
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Looper ............................................................ 274
Pad Mixer ....................................................... 279
Levels .............................................................. 281
Panning ............................................................ 281
Mute ................................................................ 282
Send Effects ..................................................... 282
Insert Effects .................................................... 283
Routing ............................................................ 283
Channel Mixer ................................................ 284
MIDI Tracks ...................................................... 287
Audio Tracks .................................................... 288
Programs ......................................................... 290
Returns ............................................................ 292
Submixes ......................................................... 293
Main Outputs ................................................... 294
Pad Mute Mode ............................................. 295
Pad Mute ......................................................... 296
Pad Group ....................................................... 297
Track Mute Mode .......................................... 298
Track Mute ....................................................... 299
Track Group ..................................................... 300
Next Sequence Mode .................................... 301
Song Mode .................................................... 303
Appendix ................................................................. 326
Effects & Parameters ....................................... 326
Reverbs ......................................................... 326
Delays ............................................................ 328
Flangers ......................................................... 331
Chorus ........................................................... 332
Autopans ....................................................... 332
Tremolos ........................................................ 333
Phasers .......................................................... 333
HP (High-Pass) Filters ................................... 334
LP (Low-Pass) Filters .................................... 335
Parametric EQs ............................................. 336
Distortions ..................................................... 337
Compressors ................................................. 338
Bit Reducers .................................................. 339
Other .............................................................. 340
Glossary ............................................................. 341
Q-Link Edit Mode........................................... 306
Project ............................................................. 308
Program/Audio Track ....................................... 310
Pad Scene ....................................................... 313
Pad Parameter ................................................. 314
Screen ............................................................. 315
Pad Color Mode ............................................ 316
MIDI Control Mode ........................................ 318
Pads ................................................................ 319
Buttons ............................................................ 320
Q-Link Knobs ................................................... 321
XY Pad ............................................................. 322
MIDI Learn ....................................................... 322
Keyboard Control .......................................... 323
Ableton Control Mode ................................... 323
Pad Perform Mode ........................................ 323
SATA Drive Installation .................................... 346
MIDI Machine Control (MMC) .......................... 347
Technical Specifications .................................. 348
MPC X ........................................................... 348
MPC Live ....................................................... 351
MPC Live II .................................................... 353
MPC One ....................................................... 355
MPC Key 61 .................................................. 357
MPC Studio mk2 ........................................... 360
MPC Touch ................................................... 361
Trademarks & Licenses ................................... 362
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Addenda .................................................................. 363
Updates in MPC 2.1 .......................................... 363
New Features ................................................. 363
Exporting Expansions ....................................... 363
Snap: Absolute & Relative ................................ 364
List Edit Settings: Auto-Advance ...................... 364
Pitch Quantization ............................................ 365
Step Sequencer: Velocity Adjustment via Q-Links
..................................................................... 366
Pad Perform Mode: User Progressions ............. 366
Faster Attack for Amp Envelopes ...................... 366
Updates in MPC 2.2 .......................................... 367
New Features ................................................. 367
MIDI Control Mode: MIDI Learn ........................ 367
Humanize ......................................................... 368
Generate Random Events ................................ 370
Project Template .............................................. 372
Updates in MPC 2.3 .......................................... 373
New Features ................................................. 373
Arpeggiator ...................................................... 373
Auto Sampler ................................................... 375
Crossfade Looping ........................................... 377
Mode Selection Shortcut .................................. 378
Pad Perform Mode: Chromatic Type ................ 378
Q-Link Navigation Enhancements ..................... 378
Split Events ...................................................... 379
AIR Instrument Plugins ..................................... 380
AIR Bassline ................................................. 380
AIR Electric .................................................. 383
AIR TubeSynth ............................................. 387
Plugin Preset Support ...................................... 394
Updates in MPC 2.4 .......................................... 395
New Features ................................................. 395
AIR FX Bundle .................................................. 395
AIR Instrument Layouts .................................... 406
Clip Program Improvements ............................. 407
FLAC and OGG Support .................................. 407
Mother Ducker ................................................. 407
Next Sequence Mode ....................................... 408
Additional Transport Controls ........................... 408
Updates in MPC 2.5 .......................................... 409
New Features ................................................ 409
Splice Integration .............................................. 409
Browser Audition Warp and Sync ..................... 410
Updates in MPC 2.6 .......................................... 411
New Features ................................................ 411
Ableton Live Set Export .................................... 411
Erase Parameters ............................................. 411
Grid Automation Lanes ..................................... 412
Step Automation .............................................. 413
Submixes ......................................................... 414
Workflow Enhancements .................................. 414
Updates in MPC 2.7 .......................................... 415
New Features ................................................ 415
Ableton Live Control ......................................... 415
Akai Network Driver ..................................... 415
Configuring Ableton Live .............................. 415
Live Control Mode ........................................ 416
Control Bar .................................................. 416
Matrix View .................................................. 417
Mixer View ................................................... 418
Device Control View ..................................... 418
Q-Links ........................................................ 418
MPC X Control Map ..................................... 419
MPC Live Control Map ................................. 421
Ethernet Adapter Support ................................. 423
Improved Preferences Organization .................. 423
Updates in MPC 2.7.2 ....................................... 424
New Features ................................................ 424
MPC One Support............................................ 424
Updates in MPC 2.7.3 ....................................... 425
New Features ................................................ 425
MPC Live II Support ......................................... 425
MPC Live II Ableton Live Control ....................... 425
MPC Live II Control Map .............................. 425
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Updates in MPC 2.8 .......................................... 427
New Features ................................................. 427
MIDI Improvements .......................................... 427
Copy Pads ....................................................... 428
Custom Progressions ....................................... 429
Edit Pad MIDI Note Map ................................... 429
Global Automation Button ................................ 430
Global Timing Correct On/Off ........................... 430
Main Button Track Select ................................. 430
Expanded Pad Perform .................................... 430
Retrospective Record ....................................... 431
Single or Multi Record Arm ............................... 431
Q-Link Overlay ................................................. 431
Updates in MPC 2.9 .......................................... 432
New Features ................................................. 432
AIR DrumSynth ................................................ 432
Updates in MPC 2.10 ........................................ 436
New Features ................................................. 436
Four New Instrument Plugins ............................ 436
AIR Hype ..................................................... 436
AIR Mellotron ............................................... 441
AIR Solina .................................................... 444
WayOutWare Odyssey ................................. 449
AIR FX Bundle .................................................. 454
Standalone Audio Interface Support ................. 458
FX Racks .......................................................... 458
Drum and Keygroup Program Improvements .... 458
File Browser Enhancements ............................. 460
Key Detection ................................................... 460
Expanded CV Program Operation .................... 460
MIDI Program Renaming .................................. 461
MIDI Monitor .................................................... 461
Undo History .................................................... 461
Updates in MPC 2.10.1 ..................................... 462
New Features ................................................. 462
MPC Studio mk2 Support ................................ 462
Touch Strip and Touch FX ................................ 462
Updates in MPC 2.11 ........................................ 471
New Features ................................................ 471
MPC Key 61 Support ....................................... 471
Sounds and Favorites ....................................... 474
New Plugin Instruments .................................... 476
Insert Effect Updates ........................................ 478
Menu Editing and Shortcuts Panel .................... 480
Built-In Tuner .................................................... 481
Note Probability and Note Ratchet ................... 481
Pad Perform and 16 Levels Enhancements ...... 482
Track MIDI Perform Settings ............................. 483
MIDI Control Mode Updates ............................. 483
Workflow Improvements and Enhancements .... 483
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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 using MPC X, MPC Live, MPC Live II, MPC One, MPC Key 61, MPC
Studio mk2 and MPC Touch. There is similar documentation available for MPC products that use an LCD and for the
MPC software application. To view these user guides, click the Help menu in the MPC software, select MPC Help, and
select an option.
Note: The MPC Studio mk2 hardware acts primarily as a controller for the MPC software. Descriptions in this guide will
assist MPC Studio mk2 users in using their hardware to access different features of the MPC software. To learn more
about how to use these software features, consult the MPC software User Guide.
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.
About This User Guide
This manual should help you get familiar with using your MPC X, MPC Live, MPC Live II, MPC One, MPC Key 61,
MPC Studio mk2 or MPC Touch (from here on, “MPC hardware” unless otherwise noted). For consistency, the
terminology throughout is based on the MPC nomenclature. 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: Press the Play Start button.
Turn Q-Link Knob 4.
Tap the Mute button.
The Velocity ranges from 0 to 127.
Set the Sample Play selector to One Shot.
Tap 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.
Click the text to skip immediately to that section.
Examples: Read the Important Notes section before proceeding.
For more information about installing the necessary drivers and software, see Setup > 2. Installation.
To learn more about using send effects, see General Features > Effects > Send/Return Effects.
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Important Notes
Read the included safety & warranty manual before using your MPC hardware.
Before getting started and connecting devices to your MPC hardware or turning the hardware on/off, make sure all
devices are switched off.
To use your MPC hardware in Controller Mode (to control the MPC software):
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, install the drivers and software. Visit akaipro.com to
download the latest versions. Refer to the 2. Installation section for more information.
Setup
1. Connection
Here is just an example of how to use MPC X in your setup. Items not listed under Introduction > Box Contents of
your included Quickstart Guide are sold separately.
Headphones
(to front-panel headphone output)
Footswitch
(to front-panel FS1 input)
SD Card
(to front-panel SD card slot)
Powered Monitors
Computer
USB
drive
Microphone
Turntable
Power
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Remember to remove the protective film from your MPC hardware touchscreen!
To use your MPC hardware in Standalone Mode, just connect it to a power outlet using the included power
adapter, and power it on!
Note: We highly recommend checking akaipro.com for any available updates to the MPC software/firmware and/or
drivers.
To use your MPC hardware in Controller Mode, continue to Step 2. Installation.
2. Installation
To use your MPC hardware in Controller Mode (to control the MPC software), follow these steps to download
and install the required drivers & software:
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.
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. On your MPC hardware, check the upper-right corner of the touchscreen:
• If there is a monitor/cable icon, then your MPC hardware is already in Controller Mode.
Continue to Step 6.
• If there is 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 on the screen before your MPC hardware recognizes
the USB connection as a controller.
6. In the MPC software, click the Edit menu, and select Preferences. 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 MPC X/Live/Live II/One/Key
61/Touch ASIO). If you need to use the internal sound card on a Windows computer, we recommend
downloading the latest ASIO4ALL driver at asio4all.com.
To view the MPC software User Guide, click the Help menu in the MPC software, select MPC Help, and select
MPC User Manual.
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r
f
Features
This chapter explains the features and functions of each MPC model with a touchscreen: MPC X, MPC Live, MPC
Live II, MPC One, MPC Key 61, and MPC Touch.
Note: If you are using the MPC Studio mk2, the display does not function as a touchscreen but can be used in
conjunction with the software to select tracks, programs, and files, as well as edit samples or change project parameters.
To learn more about how to use the MPC software, consult the MPC software User Guide. This can be accessed by
clicking the Help menu in the MPC software, selecting MPC Help, and selecting MPC User Manual.
Touchscreens
Here is some general information about how to use the touchscreen on your MPC:
Tap a button or option to select it. Use the data dial or
–/+ buttons to change its setting or value.
Spread two fingers to zoom in (into a section of a
waveform, for example). Pinch two fingers to zoom out.
Double-tap a button to access advanced editing options.
In some cases, this will show a numeric keypad that you
can use to enter a value (an alternative to the data dial
or –/+ buttons). Tap the upper-left part of the screen to
retu
n to the previous view.
The top of the screen shows the toolbar, which contains
information about the current view (often the name o
the current track, sequence, audio pointer position,
etc.). Tap an item to select it.
The bottom of the screen shows various buttons that
you can use in the current view. Tap a button to press it.
To return to a previous view, either tap outside of the
window currently on the screen or tap the left arrow ()
in the upper-left part of the screen.
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MPC X
Top Panel
11
9
16
13
28
17
32
14
29 30
19
18
20
33
31
21
23
24
10
1
25
26
27
55 55
51
53
42
8
43
22
15
39 40
6
52
54
5
7
41
45
50
12
47
44
46
3
4
2
48
44
45
49
34
36
38
37
Navigation & Data Entry Controls
1. Touchscreen: This full-color multi-touch display shows information relevant to MPC X’s current operation.
Touch the touchscreen (and use the hardware controls) to control the MPC interface. See the previous
Touchscreens section to learn how to use some basic functions.
Tip: If you adjust the angle of the touchscreen, use the stand on its back panel to secure it in place.
2. Cursors: Press these buttons to navigate through the fields of menus and options shown on the screen. Press
and hold Shift and press these buttons to zoom in or out of the Grid View or Audio Edit Mode. Press and hold
Shift and press the up and down cursors simultaneously or the left and right cursors simultaneously to return
to the default zoom setting.
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3. Data Dial: Use this dial to scroll through the available menu options or adjust the parameter values of the
selected field on the screen.
4. –/+: Press these buttons to increase or decrease the value of the selected field on the screen.
5. Numeric Keypad: If the selected field on the screen is a number, press these numbered buttons as you would
on a standard numeric keypad to enter a value. Press the keypad’s Enter to enter it. (A numeric keypad with
additional operations will appear on the screen, as well.)
6. Undo/Redo: Press this button to undo your last action.
Press and hold Shift and press this button to redo the last action you undid.
7. Shift: Press and hold this button to access some buttons’ secondary functions (indicated by red writing).
Double-press this button to see which buttons have secondary functions—the buttons will flash for a few seconds.
8. F-Key: Press this button to activate or deactivate the F-Key feature. When active, the six buttons under the
touchscreen correspond to the options shown at the bottom edge of the screen. The F-Key button and those six
buttons will be lit red when active. When inactive, the six buttons under the touchscreen will access their normal
modes instead (Menu, Browser, Step Seq, Sampler, XYFX, and Looper).
Pad & Q-Link Controls
9. Q-Link Knobs: Turn these touch-sensitive knobs to adjust various parameters and settings. The display strip
above each knob indicates the parameter it is controlling. If the display strip shows a meter to indicate its value,
you can touch or turn its Q-Link knob to temporarily show its precise numerical value.
10. Pads: Press these pads to trigger drum hits or other samples in your software. The pads are velocity-sensitive
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). You can also customize their colors.
11. Pad Bank: Press these buttons to access Pad Banks A–D.
Press and hold Shift while pressing these buttons to access Pad Banks E–H. Alternatively, double-press one of
these buttons.
12. Copy/Delete: Press this button to copy one pad to another. When the From Pad field is selected, press the
“source” pad (the pad you want to copy). When the To Pad graphic (of all pads) is selected, press the
“destination” pad. You can select multiple destination pads, and you can select pads in different pad banks. Tap
Do It to continue or Close to return to the previous screen.
Tip: To quickly copy a pad, press and hold Copy, press the source pad, press the destination pad, and then
release Copy.
Press and hold Shift and press this button to delete a pad’s sample assignment. When the Delete Pad window
is shown, press any pad/pads whose sample assignments you want to clear. Tap Delete to continue or Cancel
to return to the previous screen.
13. Full Level/Half Level: Press this button to activate or deactivate the Full Level feature. When activated, the pads
will always trigger their samples at the maximum velocity (127), regardless of how much force you use.
Press and hold Shift and then press this button to activate or deactivate the Half Level feature. When activated,
the pads will always trigger their samples at half-velocity (64).
14. 16 Level / Pad Perform: 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 press them. In the screen that appears, use the Type selector
to choose the parameter: Velocity, Tune, Filter, Layer, Attack or Decay. See Operation > General Features > 16
Level to learn more.
Press and hold Shift and press this button to enter Pad Perform mode for the pads. When activated, you can
play musical scales/modes, chords or progressions using the pads while in any mode. See Operation > Modes
> Pad Perform Mode to learn more.
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15. Note Repeat/Latch: Press and hold this button, and then press a pad to trigger that pad’s sample repeatedly.
The rate is based on the current tempo and Time Correct settings.
Press and hold Shift and then press this button to “latch” the Note Repeat feature. When latched, you do not
have to hold the Note Repeat button for it to be activated. Press Note Repeat once more to unlatch it.
16. Project: Press this button to use the Q-Link knobs to adjust parameters related to the current project. Press and
hold Shift and then press this button to enter the Project Q-Link Edit Mode directly. See Operation > Modes >
Q-Link Edit Mode > Project to learn about this.
17. Program: Press this button to use the Q-Link knobs to adjust parameters of the currently selected program or
audio track. Press and hold Shift and then press this button to enter the Program Q-Link Edit Mode directly. See
Operation > Modes > Q-Link Edit Mode > Program to learn about this.
18. Pad Scene: Press this button to use the Q-Link knobs to adjust parameters that you have assigned for the
currently selected pad. Press and hold Shift and then press this button to enter the Pad Scene Q-Link Edit Mode
directly. See Operation > Modes > Q-Link Edit Mode > Pad Scene to learn about this.
19. Pad Param: Press this button to use the Q-Link knobs to adjust one parameter across all 16 pads. Each Q-Link
knob corresponds to the pad with the same number and position in the 4-by-4 layout. Press and hold Shift and
then press this button to enter the Pad Param Q-Link Edit Mode directly. See Operation > Modes > Q-Link Edit
Mode > Pad Parameter to learn about this.
20. Screen Control/Edit: Press this button to use the Q-Link knobs to adjust parameters in the currently selected
mode as shown on the screen. See Operation > Modes > Q-Link Edit Mode > Screen to learn about this.
Press and hold Shift and then press this button to enter Q-Link Edit Mode where you can assign other parameters
to the Q-Link knobs.
Mode & View Controls
Note: See Operation > Modes to learn about the different modes you can access with these controls.
21. Menu: Press this button to open the Menu. You can tap an option in the Menu to enter that mode, view, etc.
22. Main/Track: Press this button to enter Main Mode.
Press and hold Shift and then press this button to enter the Track View.
23. Browse/Save: Press this button to view the Browser. The Browser lets you navigate 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 it to your workflow. You can also preview samples before loading them.
Press and hold Shift and press this button to save the current project (including its samples, programs, sequences,
and songs).
24. Step Seq/List Edit: Press this button to view the Step Sequencer where you can create or edit sequences by
using the pads as “step buttons,” simulating the experience of a traditional step-sequencer-style drum machine.
Press and hold Shift and press this button to view your sequences using the List Edit View instead of the Grid View.
25. Sampler/Looper: Press this button to view the Sampler where you can record audio samples to use in your
projects.
Press and hold Shift and press this button to view the Looper where you can 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.
26. XYFX: Press this button to view XYFX Mode, which turns the touchscreen into an XY pad where each axis
represents the range of an effect parameter. As you move touch or move your finger on the screen, the current
position will determine the current value of the two parameters. You can use this mode to create interesting
effect automation on your tracks.
27. Pad Perform: Press this button to view Pad Perform Mode where you can assign musical scales/modes, chords,
or progressions to the pads for creative performance options.
28. Prog Edit: Press this button to view Program Edit Mode, which contains all parameters for editing your programs.
29. Sample Edit: Press this button to view Sample Edit Mode where you can edit your samples using various
functions and processes.
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30. Pad Mixer: Press this button to view the Pad Mixer where you can set a program’s levels, stereo panning,
routing, and effects.
31. Ch. Mixer: Press this button to view the Channel Mixer where you can set levels, stereo panning, and other
settings for your tracks, programs, returns, submixes and main outputs.
32. Track Mute/Pad Mute: Press this button to view Track Mute Mode where you can easily mute tracks within a
sequence or set mute groups for each track.
Press and hold Shift and press this button to view Pad Mute Mode where you can easily mute pads within a
program or set mute groups for each pad within a program.
33. Next Seq/Song: Press this button to view Next Sequence Mode where you can trigger different sequences simply
by playing the pads. This is useful for live performances, letting you change a song’s structure in real time.
Press and hold Shift and press this button to view Song Mode where you can 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.
Transport & Recording Controls
34. Play: Press this button to play the sequence from the audio pointer’s current position.
35. Play Start: Press this button to play the sequence from its start point.
36. Stop: Press this button to stop playback. You can double-press this button to silence audio that is still sounding
once a note stops playing. Quickly pressing this button three times will act as a “MIDI panic” and shut off all
voices and stop all audio processing.
37. Rec: Press this button to record-arm the sequence. Press 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.
38. Overdub: Press this button 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.
39. </> (Event |</>|): Use these buttons to move the audio pointer left or right, one step at a time.
Press and hold Locate and press one of these buttons to move the audio pointer to the previous/next event in
the sequence grid.
40. <</>> (Start/End): Use these buttons to move the audio pointer left or right, one bar at a time.
Press and hold Locate and press one of these buttons to move the audio pointer to the start or end of the
sequence grid.
41. Locate: Press and hold this button to activate the secondary functions of the </> and <</>> buttons (i.e., Event
|</>| and Start/End, respectively).
42.
Erase: As a sequence is playing, press and hold this button and then 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. See Operation > General Features > Erase to learn more.
43. Tap/Master: Press this button in time with the desired tempo to enter a new tempo (in BPM). You can set how
many taps are required in the Preferences (see Operation > General Features > Menu > Preferences to learn
how to do this).
Press and hold Shift and press this button to set whether the currently selected sequence follows its own tempo
(the button will be lit red) or a global tempo (the button will be lit amber).
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I/O & Level Controls
44. Gain 1/2: Use these knobs to adjust the gain of the incoming signal from Input 1/2 on the rear panel or Inst 1/2 on
the front panel. Use the Rear/Front switches below the knobs to determine the input. Use the level meter to
check the recording level. Be careful when setting this knob at higher levels, which can cause the signal to distort.
45. Rear/Front: Use each switch to set whether the Gain 1/2 knob above it will control the gain of the input signal on
the rear panel (Input 1/2) or on the front panel (Inst 1/2).
46. Phantom Power (+48V): This switch activates and deactivates phantom power for Input 1/2. When activated,
+48V of phantom power will be supplied to both inputs. Note that most dynamic microphones do not require
phantom power, while most condenser microphones do. Refer to your microphone’s documentation to check if it
needs phantom power.
47. 3/4 Rec Gain: Use this knob to adjust the gain of the incoming signal from Input 3/4 on the rear panel. Use the
level meter to check the recording level. Be careful when setting this knob at higher levels, which can cause the
signal to distort.
48. Master: Turn this knob to adjust the volume level of the Main L/R outputs.
49. Direct/Main: Turn this knob to adjust the balance between the input and output signals in the headphones.
Direct corresponds to the input signal—all devices connected to the inputs on the front and rear panels.
While recording, you can turn this knob all the way to Direct for zero-latency direct monitoring.
Main corresponds to the output signal—the signal sent from the Main L/R outputs on the rear panel. When
you are not recording, we recommend turning this knob all the way to the Main
volume playback signal.
position to hear the full-
50. Stereo/Mono: Use this switch to set whether the signal in the headphones is binaural (Stereo) or monaural
(Mono). When set to Stereo, the headphone signal will be split so that the input signal (Direct) is heard in the left
ear while the output signal (Main) is heard in the right ear. When set to Mono, the input and output signals are
blended into a single, summed mix, which is heard in both ears.
51. Rec Arm: Press this button to arm or disarm recording for the currently selected audio track, shown in the
display strip below the level meters (see Operation > General Features > Menu > Preferences to learn how to
set what is shown in the level meters).
52. Read/Write: Press this button to toggle the automation state for the program on the current track or for the
current audio track betwen Read (green R) and Write (red W). The display strip below the level meters must show
a program or audio track (see Operation > General Features > Menu > Preferences to learn how to set what is
shown in the level meters).
Press and hold Shift and press this button to turn off global automation.
53. Mute: Press this button to mute the program, audio track, or main output shown in the display strip below the
level meters (see Operation > General Features > Menu > Preferences to learn how to set what is shown in
the level meters).
54. Solo: Press this button to solo the currently selected program or audio track shown in the display strip below the
level meters (see Operation > General Features > Menu > Preferences to learn how to set what is shown in the
level meters).
55. Level Meters
: These meters indicate the level of the audio signal shown in the display strip below them. See
Operation > General Features > Menu > Preferences to learn how to set what is shown in the level meters.
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Front Panel
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1. SD Card Slot: Insert a standard SD/SDHC card into this slot to access its files directly using MPC X.
2. Footswitch Inputs (FS 1/2) (1/4” / 6.35 mm): Connect optional 1/4” (6.35 mm) TS footswitches to these inputs.
3. Instrument Inputs (Inst 1/2) (1/4” / 6.35 mm): Use standard 1/4” (6.35 mm) TS cables to connect these inputs to
audio sources (guitars, bass, etc.). To use each of these inputs, set the corresponding Rear/Front switch (below
the Gain 1/2 knob on the top panel) to Front.
4. Mix Knob: Turn this knob to adjust the balance between the Main and 3/4 signals in your headphones. Main is
the signal sent from the Main L/R outputs. 3/4 is the signal sent from the Outputs 3/4.
5. Headphone Outputs (1/8” or 1/4” / 3.5 mm or 6.35 mm): Connect your headphones (not included) to either or
both of these standard stereo outputs. Use the Mix Knob to determine what signal is heard in the headphones.
Turn the Headphone Volume knob to set the volume level.
6. Headphone Volume: Turn this knob to adjust the volume of the headphone outputs.
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Rear Panel
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1. Power Input: Use the included power adapter to connect MPC X to a power outlet. This must be connected to a
power outlet in order for MPC X to power on.
2. Power Adapter Restraint: Secure the power adapter cable to this restraint to prevent it from accidentally unplugging.
3. Power Switch: Press this button to turn MPC X’s power on or off. While powered on, press and hold this button
for 5 seconds to force MPC X to power off (similar to a computer).
4. USB-B Port: Use the included USB cable to connect this USB 3.0 port to an available USB 3.0 port on your
computer. This connection allows MPC X to send/receive MIDI and audio data to/from the MPC software on your
computer. It also allows any connected USB drives, SD cards, and drives connected to the internal SATA port to
mount on your computer if MPC X is in Controller Mode (i.e., your computer can access these storage devices
that are connected to your MPC X).
5. USB-A Ports: Connect USB flash drives to these USB ports to access their files directly using MPC X. MPC X
supports read and write capability for exFAT, FAT32, NTFS, and EXT4 file systems as well as read-only capability
for HFS+ file systems. (We recommend using an exFAT file system as it is the most robust one supported by
both Windows and macOS.) These USB ports supply power to connected USB devices and can also be used to
receive MIDI messages from external USB MIDI devices.
6. Inputs 1/2 (XLR or 1/4” / 6.35 mm): Use standard XLR or 1/4” (6.35 mm) TRS cables to connect these inputs to
audio sources (microphone, mixer, synthesizer, etc.). To use each of these inputs, set the corresponding
Rear/Front switch (below the Gain 1/2 knob on the top panel) to Rear. Turn the Gain 1/2 knobs to set the input
level of each one.
Note: When using the XLR connection, the mic pre-amp is automatically engaged. When using a 1/4" (6.35 mm)
TRS cable, the mic pre-amp is bypassed.
7. Inputs 3/4 (1/4” / 6.35 mm or RCA): Use standard 1/4” (6.35 mm) TRS cables or stereo RCA cables to connect
these inputs to audio sources (mixer, turntable, synthesizer, etc.). To use the 1/4” (6.35 mm) inputs, set the
Phono/Line switch to Line. To use the RCA inputs, set the Phono/Line switch to Phono. Turn the 3/4 Rec Gain
knob to set their input levels.
8. Phono/Line Switch: Set this switch to the appropriate position, depending on which Input 3/4 connectors you
want to use. If you are using the 1/4” (6.35 mm) inputs, set this switch to Line. If you are using the RCA inputs,
set this switch to Phono to provide the additional amplification needed for phono-level signals.
9. Grounding Terminal: If you are sending a phono-level turntable signal to the Input 3/4 RCA connectors and are
hearing a low hum or buzz, it could mean that the turntable is not grounded. If the turntable has a grounding
wire, connect it to this terminal.
Note: Some turntables have a grounding wire built into the RCA connection and, therefore, nothing needs to be
connected to the grounding terminal.
10. Main L/R Outputs (1/4” / 6.35 mm): Use standard 1/4” (6.35 mm) TRS cables to connect these outputs to your
speaker system. The signal sent out of these outputs is the main mix. Turn the Master knob to set their volume.
Tip: To route a program to these outputs, set its routing to Out 1,2 in the Channel Mixer when the Mixer field is
set to Programs. See Operation > Modes > Channel Mixer to learn more about this.
11. Outputs 3/4, 5/6, 7/8 (1/4” / 6.35 mm): Use standard 1/4” (6.35 mm) TRS cables to connect these outputs to an
external mixer. The signal sent from these outputs is full-volume (0 dB).
Tip: To route a program to these outputs, set its routing to Out 1,2, Out 5,6, or Out 7,8 (respectively) in the
Channel Mixer when the Mixer field is set to Programs. See Operation > Modes > Channel Mixer to learn
more about this.
12. MIDI In: Use standard 5-pin MIDI cables to connect these inputs to the MIDI outputs of optional external MIDI
devices.
13. MIDI Out: Use standard 5-pin MIDI cables to connect these outputs to the MIDI inputs of optional external MIDI
devices.
14. CV/Gate Out: Use standard 1/8” (3.5 mm) TS cables to connect these outputs to optional external sequencers.
MPC X will send control voltage (CV) and/or Gate data over this connection.
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MPC Live
Top Panel
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1. Touchscreen: This full-color multi-touch display shows information relevant to MPC Live’s current operation.
Touch the touchscreen (and use the hardware controls) to control the MPC interface. See the previous
Touchscreens section to learn how to use some basic functions.
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2. Data Dial: Use this dial to scroll through the available menu options or adjust the parameter values of the
selected field on the screen. Pressing the dial also functions as an Enter button.
3. Q-Link Knobs: Use these touch-sensitive knobs to adjust various parameters and settings. The knobs can control
one group of parameters at a time. The lights below the Q-Link button indicate the currently selected column of QLink knobs. Press the Q-Link button to change which parameter or group of parameters they currently control.
4. Q-Link Button: Press this button to change which parameter or group of parameters the Q-Link knobs currently
control (indicated by the lights above the Q-Link knobs). Each press will select the next column of Q-Link knobs.
Press and hold Shift and then press this button to select the previous column of Q-Link knobs instead.
Press and hold this button to show the QLink window over the touchscreen’s current contents. These are the same
parameters and settings as what is shown in Q-Link Edit Mode. You can tap Q-Link Edit at the bottom of the
window to enter Q-Link Edit Mode immediately (see Operation > Modes > Q-Link Edit Mode to learn about this).
5. Pads: Press these pads to trigger drum hits or other samples in your software. The pads are velocity-sensitive
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). You can also customize their colors.
6. Pad Bank: Press any of these buttons to access Pad Banks A–D.
Press and hold Shift while pressing any of these buttons to access Pad Banks E–H. Alternatively, double-press
one of these buttons.
7. Note Repeat/Latch: Press and hold this button, and then press a pad to trigger that pad’s sample repeatedly.
The rate is based on the current tempo and Time Correct settings.
Press and hold Shift and then press this button to “latch” the Note Repeat feature. When latched, you do not
have to hold the Note Repeat button for it to be activated. Press Note Repeat once more to unlatch it.
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8. Full Level/Half Level: Press this button to activate or deactivate the Full Level feature. When activated, the pads
will always trigger their samples at the maximum velocity (127), regardless of how much force you use.
Press and hold Shift and then press this button to activate or deactivate the Half Level feature. When activated,
the pads will always trigger their samples at half-velocity (64).
9. 16 Level / Pad Perform: 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 press them. In the screen that appears, use the Type selector
to choose the parameter: Velocity, Tune, Filter, Layer, Attack or Decay. See Operation > General Features > 16
Level to learn more.
Press and hold Shift and press this button to enter Pad Perform mode for the pads. When activated, you can
play musical scales/modes, chords or progressions using the pads while in any mode. See Operation > Modes
> Pad Perform Mode to learn more.
10. Erase: As a sequence is playing, press and hold this button and then 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. See Operation > General Features > Erase to learn more.
11. Shift: Press and hold this button to access some buttons’ secondary functions (indicated by gray writing).
Double-press this button to see which buttons have secondary functions—the buttons will flash for a few seconds.
12. Menu/Browse: Press this button to open the Menu. You can tap an option in the Menu to enter that mode, view, etc.
Press and hold Shift and then press this button to view the Browser. You can use the Browser to locate and
select programs, samples, sequences, etc.
13. Main/Track: Press this button to enter Main Mode.
Press and hold Shift and then press this button to enter the Track View.
14. Undo/Redo: Press this button to undo your last action.
Press and hold Shift and press this button to redo the last action you undid.
15. Copy/Delete: Press this button to copy one pad to another. When the From Pad field is selected, press the
“source” pad (the pad you want to copy). When the To Pad graphic (of all pads) is selected, press the
“destination” pad. You can select multiple destination pads, and you can select pads in different pad banks. Tap
Do It to continue or Close to return to the previous screen.
Tip: To quickly copy a pad, press and hold Copy, press the source pad, press the destination pad, and then
release Copy.
Press and hold Shift and press this button to delete a pad’s sample assignment. When the Delete Pad window
is shown, press any pad/pads whose sample assignments you want to clear. Tap Delete to continue or Cancel
to return to the previous screen.
16. –/+: Press these buttons to increase or decrease the value of the selected field on the screen.
17. Play: Press this button to play the sequence from the audio pointer’s current position.
18. Play Start: Press this button to play the sequence from its start point.
19. Stop: Press this button to stop playback. You can double-press this button to silence audio that is still sounding
once a note stops playing. Quickly pressing this button three times will act as a “MIDI panic” and shut off all
voices and stop all audio processing.
20. Rec: Press this button to record-arm the sequence. Press 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.
21. Overdub: Press this button 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.
22. Tap/Master: Press this button in time with the desired tempo to enter a new tempo (in BPM). You can set how
many taps are required in the Preferences (see Operation > General Features > Menu > Preferences to learn
how to do this).
Press and hold Shift and press this button to set whether the currently selected sequence follows its own tempo
(the button will be lit red) or a global tempo (the button will be lit amber).
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Rear Panel
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1. Power Input: Use the included power adapter to connect MPC Live to a power outlet.
2. Power Switch: Turns MPC Live’s power on/off.
3. Charging Indicator: This light (behind the vent) will turn on when MPC Live’s internal battery is charging (when
the power input is connected to a power outlet). When the battery is fully charged or when it is disconnected
from a power outlet, then this light will turn off.
4. USB-B Port: Use the included USB cable to connect this USB 3.0 port to an available USB 3.0 port on your
computer. This connection allows MPC Live to send/receive MIDI and audio data to/from the MPC software on
your computer. It also allows any connected USB drives, SD cards, and drives connected to the internal SATA
port to mount on your computer if MPC Live is in Controller Mode (i.e., your computer can access these storage
devices that are connected to your MPC Live).
5. USB-A Ports: Connect USB flash drives to these USB ports to access their files directly using MPC Live. MPC
Live supports read and write capability for exFAT, FAT32, NTFS, and EXT4 file systems as well as read-only
capability for HFS+ file systems. (We recommend using an exFAT file system as it is the most robust one
supported by both Windows and macOS.) These USB ports supply power to connected USB devices and can
also be used to receive MIDI messages from external USB MIDI devices.
6. SD Card Slot: Insert a standard SD/SDHC card into this slot to access its files directly using MPC Live.
7. Rec Vol: Turn this knob to adjust the gain of the incoming signal from the 1/4” (6.35 mm) and RCA inputs. Be
careful when setting this knob at higher levels, which can cause the signal to distort.
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8. Master Vol: Turn this knob to adjust the volume of Output 1/2 and the phones output.
9. Inputs (1/4” / 6.35 mm): Use standard 1/4” (6.35 mm) TRS cables to connect these inputs to audio sources
(microphone, mixer, synthesizer, etc.). To use these inputs, set the Line/Phono switch to Line. Turn the Rec Vol
knob to set their input levels.
10. Inputs (RCA): Use a standard RCA stereo cable to connect these inputs to a phono-level audio source like a
turntable. To use these inputs, set the Line/Phono switch to Phono. Turn the Rec Vol knob to set their input levels.
11. Line/Phono Switch:
you are using the RCA inputs, set this switch to Phono to provide the additional amplification needed for phonolevel signals. If you are using the 1/4” (6.35 mm) inputs, such as a keyboard or a sampler, set this switch to Line.
12. Grounding Terminal: If using phono-level turntables with a grounding wire, connect the grounding wire to these
terminals. If you experience a low “hum” or “buzz”, this could mean that your turntables are not grounded.
Note: Some turntables have a grounding wire built into the RCA connection and, therefore, nothing needs to be
connected to the grounding terminal.
13. Outputs (1/4” / 6.35 mm): Use standard 1/4” (6.35 mm) TRS cables to connect these outputs to your speaker
system, external mixer, etc. The signal sent out of the Master L/R outputs is the main mix. Turn the Master Vol
knob to set their volume. The signals sent from Outputs 3–6 are full-volume (0 dB).
Tip: To route a program to these outputs, set its routing to Out 1,2, Out 3,4, or Out 5,6 (respectively) in the
Channel Mixer when the Mixer field is set to Programs. See Operation > Modes > Channel Mixer to learn
more about this.
14. Phones (1/8” / 3.5 mm): Connect standard 1/8” (3.5 mm) stereo headphones to this output. Turn the Master Vol
knob to set the volume level.
Set this switch to the appropriate position, depending on which inputs you want to use. If
15. MIDI In: Use standard 5-pin MIDI cables to connect these inputs to the MIDI outputs of optional external MIDI
devices.
16. MIDI Out: Use standard 5-pin MIDI cables to connect these outputs to the MIDI inputs of optional external MIDI
devices.
17. Kensington
®
Lock Slot: You can use this slot to secure your MPC Live to a table or other surface.
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MPC Live II
Top Panel
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1. Touchscreen: This full-color multi-touch display shows information relevant to MPC Live II’s current operation.
Touch the display (and use the hardware controls) to control the MPC interface. See the previous Touchscreens
section to learn how to use some basic functions.
2. Data Dial: Use this dial to scroll through the available menu options or adjust the parameter values of the
selected field in the display. Pressing the dial also functions as an Enter button.
3. Q-Link Knobs: Use these touch-sensitive knobs to adjust various parameters and settings. The knobs can
control one column of parameters at a time. The lights above the Q-Link Knobs indicate the currently selected
column. Press the Q-Link button above them to change which column of parameters they currently control.
4. Q-Link Button: Press this button to change which column of parameters the Q-Link Knobs currently control
(indicated by the lights above the Q-Link Knobs). Each press will select the next column.
Press and hold Shift and then press this button to select the previous column instead.
Press and hold this button to show the QLink window over the touchscreen’s current contents. These are the
same parameters and settings as what is shown in Q-Link Edit Mode. You can tap Q-Link Edit at the bottom of the
window to enter Q-Link Edit Mode immediately (see Operation > Modes > Q-Link Edit Mode
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to learn about this).
5. Pads: Use these pads to trigger drum hits or other samples. The pads are velocity-sensitive and pressuresensitive, 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). You
can also customize their colors.
6. Pad Bank Buttons: Press any of these buttons to access Pad Banks A–D. Press and hold Shift while pressing
any of these buttons to access Pad Banks E–H. Alternatively, double-press one of these buttons.
7. Note Repeat / Latch: Press and hold this button, and then press a pad to trigger that pad’s sample repeatedly.
The rate is based on the current tempo and Time Correct settings.
Press and hold Shift and then press this button to “latch” the Note Repeat feature. When latched, you do not have
to hold the Note Repeat button for it to be activated. Press Note Repeat once more to unlatch it.
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8. Full Level / Half Level: Press this button to activate/deactivate Full Level. When activated, the pads will always
trigger their samples at the maximum velocity (127), regardless of the amount of force you use.
Press and hold Shift and then press this button to activate/deactivate Half Level. When activated, the pads will
always trigger their samples at half-velocity (64).
9. 16 Level / Pad Perform: 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 press them. In the screen that appears, use the
Type selector to choose the parameter: Velocity, Tune, Filter, Layer, Attack or Decay. See Operation >
General Features > 16 Level to learn more.
Press and hold Shift and press this button to activate/deactive Pad Perform mode for the pads. When activated,
you can play musical scales/modes, chords or progressions using the pads while in any mode. Use the Pad
Perform
10. Erase: As a Sequence is playing, press and hold this button and then 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. When playback is stopped, press this button to open the Erase window where notes,
automation and other sequence data can be erased from the sequence. See Operation > General Features >
Erase to learn more.
11. Undo / Redo: Press this button to undo your last action. Hold down Shift and press this button to redo the last
action you undid.
12. Copy / Delete: Press this button to copy one pad to another. When the From Pad field is selected, press the
“source” pad (the pad you want to copy). When the To Pad graphic (of all pads) is selected, press the
“destination” pad. You can select multiple destination pads, and you can select pads in different pad banks. Tap
Do It to continue or Cancel to return to the previous screen.
Press and hold Shift and press this button to delete.
13. Step Seq/Automation: Press this button to view Step Sequencer Mode where you can create or edit sequences
by using the pads as "step buttons," simulating the experience of a traditional step-sequencer-style drum
machine.
Press and hold Shift and press this button to toggle the Global Automation state between Read and Write.
14. TC / On/Off: Press this button to open the Timing Correct window, which contains various settings to help
quantize the events in your sequence.
Press and hold Shift and press this button to turn Timing Correct on and off.
15. Shift: Press and hold this button to access some buttons’ secondary functions (indicated by gray writing).
Double-press this button to see which buttons have secondary functions—the buttons will flash for a few
seconds.
16. Menu / Browse: Press this button to open the Mode Menu. You can tap an option on the Menu screen to enter
that mode, view, etc.
Press and hold
select programs, samples, sequences, etc.
17. Main / Grid: Press this button to enter Main Mode.
Press and hold Shift and then press this button to enter Grid View Mode.
18. Mix / Sampler: Press this button to view the last used Mixer Mode, either Track Mixer (default) or Pad Mixer. In
Track Mixer Mode, you can set levels, stereo panning, and other settings for your tracks, programs, returns,
submixes, and main outputs. In Pad Mixer Mode, you can set a program’s levels, stereo panning, routing, and
effects. Pressing the button multiple times will toggle between the two Mixer Modes.
Press and hold Shift and then press this button to view the Sampler, where you can record audio samples to use
in your projects.
19. Mute / Sample Edit: Press this button to view the last used Mute Mode, either Track Mute (default) or Pad Mute.
In Track Mute Mode, you can mute tracks within a sequence or set mute groups for each track. In Pad Mute
Mode, you can mute pads within a program or set mute groups for each pad within a program. Pressing the
button multiple times will toggle between the two Mute Modes.
Press and hold Shift and then press this button to enter Sample Edit Mode where you can edit your samples
using various functions and processes.
window to configure the settings for the pads.
Shift and then press this button to view the Browser. You can use the Browser to locate and
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20. Next Seq / XYFX: Press this button to view Next Sequence Mode where you can trigger different sequences
simply by playing the pads. This is useful for live performances, letting you change a song’s structure in real time.
Press and hold Shift and press this button to view XYFX Mode, which turns the touchscreen into an XY pad
where each axis represents the range of an effect parameter. As you move touch or move your finger on the
touchscreen, the current position will determine the current value of the two parameters. You can use this mode
to create interesting effect automation on your tracks.
21. –/+: Press these buttons to decrease/increase the value of the selected field in the display.
22. Tap Tempo / Master: Press this button in time with the desired tempo to enter a new tempo (in BPM). You can
set how many taps are required in the Preferences (see Operation > General Features > Menu > Preferences
to learn how to do this).
Press and hold Shift and press this button to set whether the currently selected sequence follows its own tempo
(the button will be lit amber) or a global tempo (the button will be lit red).
23. Rec: Press this button to record-arm the sequence. Press 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.
24. Overdub: Press this button 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.
25. Stop: Press this button to stop playback. You can double-press this button to silence audio that is still sounding
once a note stops playing. Press and hold Shift and press this button to stop playback and return the playhead
to 1:1:0.
26. Play: Press this button to play the sequence from the playhead’s current position.
27. Play Start: Press this button to play the sequence from its start point.
28. Master Vol
: Turn this knob to adjust the volume of the Master L/R outputs, phones output and speakers.
29. Speakers: When the Speaker switch on the rear panel is set to On, these speakers will play the current audio.
Use the Master Volume knob to control the volume of the speakers.
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Rear Panel
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1. Power Input: Use the included power adapter to connect MPC Live II to a power outlet.
2. Power Adapter Restraint: Secure the power adapter cable to this restraint to prevent it from accidentally
unplugging.
3. Power Switch: Turns MPC Live II’s power on/off.
4. Charging Indicator: This light (behind the vent) will turn on when MPC Live II’s internal battery is charging (when
the power input is connected to a power outlet). When the battery is fully charged or when it is disconnected
from a power outlet, then this light will turn off.
5. Link: Connect a standard Ethernet cable to this port to use Ableton Link and other compatible devices with MPC
Live II. See Operation > General Features > Menu > Sync for more information.
Note: You can also use Ableton Link wirelessly over a Wi-Fi connection.
6. USB-B Port: Use the included USB cable to connect this high-retention-force USB port to an available USB port
on your computer. This connection allows MPC Live II to send/receive MIDI and audio data to/from the MPC
software on your computer.
7. USB-A Ports: Connect USB flash drives to these USB ports to access their files directly using MPC Live II. When
connected to a computer in Controller Mode, you can access drives connected to this port from your computer.
You can also connect standard MIDI controllers to these ports.
8. SD Card Slot: Insert a standard SD, SDHC or SDXC card into this slot to access its files directly using MPC Live II.
9. Rec Vol: Turn this knob to adjust the volume of the inputs.
10. Inputs (1/4” / 6.35 mm): Use standard 1/4” (6.35 mm) TRS cables to connect these inputs to an audio source
(mixer, synthesizer, drum machine, etc.). In Sample Record Mode, you can select whether you want to record
either channel or both channels in stereo or in mono. To use these inputs, set the Line/Phono switch to Line.
11. Inputs (RCA): Use a standard RCA stereo cable to connect these inputs to a phono-level audio source like a
turntable. In Sample Record Mode, you can select whether you want to record either channel or both channels in
stereo or in mono. To use these inputs, set the Line/Phono switch to Phono.
12. Line/Phono Switch: Set this switch to the appropriate position, depending on which inputs you want to use. If
you are using the RCA inputs, set this switch to Phono to provide the additional amplification needed for phonolevel signals. If you are using the 1/4” (6.35 mm) inputs, such as a CD player or sampler, set this switch to Line.
13. Grounding Terminal: If using phono-level turntables with a grounding wire, connect the grounding wire to these
terminals. If you experience a low “hum” or “buzz”, this could mean that your turntables are not grounded.
Note: Some turntables have a grounding wire built into the RCA connection and, therefore, nothing needs to be
connected to the grounding terminal.
14. Outputs (1/4” / 6.35 mm): Use standard 1/4” (6.35 mm) TRS cables to connect these outputs to your monitors,
mixer, etc.). The Master L/R outputs are the same as Outputs 1,2.
15. Phones (1/4” / 6.35 mm): Connect standard 1/4” (6.35 mm) stereo headphones to this output.
16. Speaker On/Off: Use this switch to turn the MPC Live II internal speakers on or off.
17. MIDI In: Use a standard 5-pin MIDI cable to connect these inputs to the MIDI output of an external MIDI device
(synthesizer, drum machine, etc.).
18. MIDI Out: Use a standard 5-pin MIDI cable to connect these outputs to the MIDI input of an external MIDI device
(synthesizer, drum machine, etc.).
19. CV/Gate Out: MPC Live II will send control voltage (CV) and/or Gate signals over these outputs to optional
external sequencers. Use standard 1/8” (3.5 mm) TS cables to send a single CV/Gate signal per output, or use a
stereo TRS-to-dual mono TSF breakout cable (such as a Hosa YMM-261) to send two CV/Gate signals per output.
20. Kensington
®
Lock Slot: You can use this slot to secure your MPC Live II to a table or other surface.
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MPC One
Top Panel
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Navigation & Data Entry Controls
1. Touchscreen: This full-color multi-touch display shows information relevant to MPC One’s current operation.
Touch the display (and use the hardware controls) to control the MPC interface. See the previous Touchscreens
section to learn how to use some basic functions.
2. Data Dial: Use this dial to scroll through the available menu options or adjust the parameter values of the
selected field in the display. Pressing the dial also functions as an Enter button.
3. –/+: Press these buttons to increase or decrease the value of the selected field in the display.
4. Undo / Redo: Press this button to undo your last action.
Press and hold Shift and press this button to redo the last action you undid.
5. Shift: Press and hold this button to access some buttons’ secondary functions (indicated by red writing).
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Pad & Q-Link Controls
6. Pads: Use these pads to trigger drum hits or other samples. The pads are velocity-sensitive and pressuresensitive, 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). You
can also customize their colors.
7. Pad Bank Buttons: Press any of these buttons to access Pad Banks A–D. Press and hold Shift while pressing
any of these buttons to access Pad Banks E–H. Alternatively, double-press one of these buttons.
8. Full Level / Half Level: Press this button to activate/deactivate Full Level. When activated, the pads will always
trigger their samples at the maximum velocity (127), regardless of the amount of force you use.
Press and hold Shift and then press this button to activate/deactivate Half Level. When activated, the pads will
always trigger their samples at half-velocity (64).
9. 16 Level / Pad Perform:
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 press them. In the screen that appears, use the Type selector
to choose the parameter: Velocity, Tune, Filter, Layer, Attack or Decay.
Level to learn more.
Press and hold Shift and press this button to enter Pad Perform mode for the pads. When activated, you can
play musical scales/modes, chords or progressions using the pads while in any mode. See Operation > Modes
> Pad Perform Mode to learn more.
Press this button to activate/deactivate 16 Level. When activated, the last pad that was
See Operation > General Features > 16
10. Copy / Delete: Press this button to copy one pad to another. When the From Pad field is selected, press the
“source” pad (the pad you want to copy). When the To Pad graphic (of all pads) is selected, press the “destination”
pad. You can select multiple destination pads, and you can select pads in different pad banks. Tap Do It to
continue or Cancel to return to the previous screen.
Press and hold Shift and press this button to delete.
11. Note Repeat / Latch: Press and hold this button, and then press a pad to trigger that pad’s sample repeatedly.
The rate is based on the current tempo and Time Correct settings.
Press and hold Shift and then press this button to “latch” the Note Repeat feature. When latched, you do not
have to hold the Note Repeat button for it to be activated. Press Note Repeat once more to unlatch it.
12. Q-Link Knobs: Use these touch-sensitive knobs to adjust various parameters and settings. The knobs can
control one column of parameters at a time. The lights above the Q-Link Knobs indicate the currently selected
column. Press the Q-Link button to change which column of parameters they currently control.
13. Q-Link Button: Press this button to change which column of parameters the Q-Link Knobs currently control
(indicated by the lights above the Q-Link Knobs). Each press will select the next column.
Press and hold Shift and then press this button to select the previous column instead.
Mode & View Controls
14. Menu / Prefs: Press this button to open the Mode Menu. You can tap an option on the Menu screen to enter
that mode, view, etc.
Press and hold Shift and then press this button to open the Preferences page in the Menu.
15. Main / Grid: Press this button to enter Main Mode.
Press and hold Shift and then press this button to enter Grid View Mode.
16. Browse / Save: Press this button to view the Browser. You can use the Browser to locate and select programs,
samples, sequences, etc.
Press and hold Shift and then press this button to to save the current project (including its samples, programs,
sequences, and songs).
17. Track Mix / Pad Mix: Press this button to view the Track Mixer where you can set levels, stereo panning, and
other settings for your tracks, programs, returns, submixes, and main outputs.
Press and hold Shift and then press this button to view the Pad Mixer where you can set a program’s levels,
stereo panning, routing, and effects.
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18. Track Mute / Pad Mute: Press this button to view Track Mute Mode where you can easily mute tracks within a
sequence or set mute groups for each track.
Press and hold Shift and press this button to view Pad Mute Mode where you can easily mute pads within a
program or set mute groups for each pad within a program.
19. Next Seq / XYFX: Press this button to view Next Sequence Mode where you can trigger different sequences
simply by playing the pads. This is useful for live performances, letting you change a song’s structure in real time.
Press and hold Shift and press this button to view XYFX Mode, which turns the touchscreen into an XY pad
where each axis represents the range of an effect parameter. As you move touch or move your finger on the
touchscreen, the current position will determine the current value of the two parameters. You can use this mode
to create interesting effect automation on your tracks.
20. Step Seq / Automation: Press this button to view Step Sequencer Mode where you can create or edit
sequences by using the pads as "step buttons," simulating the experience of a traditional step-sequencer-style
drum machine.
Press and hold Shift and press this button to toggle Global Automation between Read and Write.
21. TC / On/Off: Press this button to open the Timing Correct window, which contains various settings to help
quantize the events in your sequence.
Press and hold Shift and press this button to turn Timing Correct on and off.
22. Sampler / Looper: Press this button to view the Sampler where you can record audio samples to use in your
projects.
Press and hold Shift and press this button to view the Looper where you can 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.
23. Sample Edit / Q-Link Edit: Press this button to view Sample Edit Mode where you can edit your samples using
various functions and processes.
Press and hold Shift and press this button to view Q-Link Edit Mode where you can assign other parameters to
the Q-Link knobs.
24. Program Edit / MIDI Control: Press this button to view Program Edit Mode, which contains all parameters for
editing your programs.
Press and hold Shift and press this button to view MIDI Control Mode where you can customize what MIDI
messages are sent from certain controls on your hardware.
Transport & Recording Controls
25. Rec: Press this button to record-arm the sequence. Press 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.
26. Overdub: Press this button 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.
27. Stop: Press this button to stop playback. You can double-press this button to silence audio that is still sounding
once a note stops playing. Press and hold Shift and press this button to return the playhead to 1:1:0.
28. Play: Press this button to play the sequence from the playhead’s current position.
29. Play Start: Press this button to play the sequence from its start point.
30. Tap Tempo / Master: Press this button in time with the desired tempo to enter a new tempo (in BPM).
Press and hold Shift and press this button to set whether the currently selected sequence follows its own tempo
(the button will be lit amber) or a global tempo (the button will be lit red).
31. Erase: As a Sequence is playing, press and hold this button and then 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. When playback is stopped, press this button to open the Erase window where notes,
automation and other sequence data can be erased from the sequence.
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Front Panel
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2
1. SD Card Slot: Insert a standard SD, SDHC or SDXC card into this slot to access its files directly using MPC One.
2. Phones (1/8” / 3.5 mm): Connect standard 1/8” (3.5 mm) stereo headphones to this output.
Rear Panel
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1. Power Input: Use the included power adapter to connect MPC One to a power outlet.
2. Power Adapter Restraint: Secure the power adapter cable to this restraint to prevent it from accidentally
unplugging.
3. Power Switch: Turns MPC One’s power on/off.
4. Link: Connect a standard Ethernet cable to this port to use Ableton Link and other compatible devices with MPC
One. See Operation > General Features > Menu > Sync for more information.
Note: You can also use Ableton Link wirelessly over a Wi-Fi connection.
5. USB-B Port: Use the included USB cable to connect this high-retention-MPC One USB port to an available USB
port on your computer. This connection allows MPC One to send/receive MIDI and audio data to/from the MPC
software on your computer.
6. USB-A Port: Connect a USB flash drive to this USB port to access files directly using MPC One. You can also
connect a standard MIDI controller to this port.
7. Rec Vol: Turn this knob to adjust the volume of the inputs.
8. Inputs (1/4” / 6.35 mm): Use standard 1/4” (6.35 mm) TRS cables to connect these inputs to an audio source
(mixer, synthesizer, drum machine, etc.). In Sample Record Mode, you can select whether you want to record
either channel or both channels in stereo or in mono.
9. Master Vol: Turn this knob to adjust the volume of the outputs and phones output.
10. Outputs (1/4” / 6.35 mm): Use standard 1/4” (6.35 mm) TRS cables to connect these outputs to your monitors,
mixer, etc.
11. MIDI In: Use a standard 5-pin MIDI cable to connect this input to the MIDI output of an external MIDI device
(synthesizer, drum machine, etc.).
12. MIDI Out: Use a standard 5-pin MIDI cable to connect this output to the MIDI input of an external MIDI device
(synthesizer, drum machine, etc.).
13. CV/Gate Outs: MPC One will send control voltage (CV) and/or Gate signals over these outputs to optional
external sequencers. Use standard 1/8” (3.5 mm) TS cables to send a single CV/Gate signal per output, or use a
stereo TRS-to-dual mono TSF breakout cable (such as a Hosa YMM-261) to send two CV/Gate signals per output.
®
14. Kensington
Lock Slot: You can use this slot to secure your MPC One to a table or other surface.
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MPC Key 61
Top Panel
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1. Display: This full-color multi-touch display shows information relevant to MPC Key 61’s current operation. Touch
the display (and use the hardware controls) to control the MPC interface. See the previous Touchscreens
section to learn how to use some basic functions.
2. Data Dial: Use this dial to scroll through the available menu options or adjust the parameter values of the
selected field on the display. Pressing the dial also functions as an Enter button.
3. –/+: Press these buttons to increase or decrease the value of the selected field on the display.
4. Q-Link Knobs: Use these touch-sensitive knobs to adjust various parameters and settings. The knobs can
control one column of parameters at a time. The lights above the Q-Link button indicate the currently selected
column. Press the Q-Link button to change which column of parameters they currently control.
5. Q-Link Button: Press this button to change which column of parameters the Q-Link Knobs currently control
(indicated by the lights above the button). Each press will select the next column.
Press and hold Shift and then press this button to view the Q-Link Configuration window. Press and hold Shift
and then press this button again to return to the Main page.
6. </> (Event |</>|): Use these buttons to move the audio pointer left/right, one step at a time.
Press and hold Locate and press one of these buttons to move the audio pointer to the previous/next event in
the sequence grid.
7. Locate: Press this button to open the Locate window, which allows you to quickly jump to specific points in your
project.
Press and hold this button to activate the secondary functions of the </> and <</>> buttons (i.e., Event |</>| and
Start/End, respectively).
8.
<</>> (Start/End): Use these buttons to move the audio pointer left/right, one bar at a time.
Press and hold Locate and press one of these buttons to move the audio pointer to the start or end of the
sequence grid.
9. Rec / Recall: 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.
Press and hold Shift and press this button to recall recently played MIDI note events when recording was
disabled and insert them into the current sequence.
10. Overdub: Press this button to enable Overdub, which 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.
11. Stop / Return: Press this button to stop playback. Double-press this button to immediately stop all sound.
Press and hold Shift and press this button to stop playback and return the playhead to the Loop Start value.
12. Play: Press this button to play the sequence from the audio pointer’s current position.
13. Play Start: Press this button to play the sequence from its start point.
14. Edit / XYFX: Press this button to view Program Edit Mode, which contains all parameters for editing your programs.
Press and hold Shift and press this button to view XYFX Mode, which turns the touchscreen into an XY pad
where each axis represents the range of an effect parameter. As you touch or move your finger on the
touchscreen, the current position will determine the current value of the two parameters. You can use this mode
to create interesting effect automation on your tracks.
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15. Grid / Step Seq: Press this button to enter Grid View Mode, where you can view and edit the note events of
each track of a sequence in a project and their velocities.
Press and hold Shift and press this button to view Step Sequencer Mode where you can create or edit
sequences by using the pads as "step buttons," simulating the experience of a traditional step-sequencer-style
drum machine.
16. Mix / Pad: Press this button to view the Track Mixer where you can set levels, stereo panning, and other settings
for your tracks, programs, returns, submixes, and main outputs.
Press and hold Shift and then press this button to view the Pad Mixer where you can set a program’s levels,
stereo panning, routing, and effects.
17. Mute / Pad: Press this button to view Track Mute Mode where you can easily mute tracks within a sequence or
set mute groups for each track.
Press and hold Shift and press this button to view Pad Mute Mode where you can easily mute pads within a
program or set mute groups for each pad within a program.
18. Automation Read/Write / Off: Press this button to toggle the Global Automation state between Read and
Write.
Press and hold Shift and press this button to disable or enable Global Automation.
19. Keyboard Control / MIDI CTRL: Press this button to view the Keyboard Control menu, where you can
customize the functions of the keyboard and wheels, including velocity response, routing, MIDI assignments,
ranges and more.
Press and hold Shift and press this button to view MIDI Control Mode, where you can use the device as a MIDI
controller and customize what MIDI messages are sent from the hardware controls.
20. Sample Edit / Sampler: Press this button to view Sample Edit Mode where you can edit your samples using
various functions and processes.
Press and hold Shift and press this button to view the Sampler where you can record audio samples to use in your
projects.
21. Timing Correct / On/Off: Press this button to open the Timing Correct window, which contains various settings
to help quantize the events in your sequence.
Press and hold Shift and press this button to turn Timing Correct on and off.
22. Undo / Redo: Press this button to undo your last action.
Press and hold Shift and press this button to redo the last action you undid.
23. Shift: Press and hold this button to access some buttons’ secondary functions (indicated by white writing).
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24. Menu / Browse: Press this button to open the Mode Menu. You can tap an option on the Menu screen to enter
that mode, view, etc.
Press and hold Shift and then press this button to view the Browser. You can use the Browser to locate and
select programs, samples, sequences, etc.
25. Main / Track: Press this button to view Main Mode.
Press and hold Shift and press this button to view Track View Mode, an overview of the tracks of each sequence.
You can also set key ranges in this mode.
26. Sounds / Favorites: Press this button to view Sounds Mode, where you can browse MPC Key 61's built-in
instruments and presets.
Press and hold Shift and press this button to view Favorites, where you can quickly select instruments and
presets that you have defined as your favorites.
27. Pads: Use these pads to trigger drum hits or other samples. The pads are velocity-sensitive and pressuresensitive, which makes them very responsive and intuitive to play. The pads will light up different colors,
depending on the current function. You can also customize their colors.
28. Pad Bank Buttons: Press any of these buttons to access Pad Banks A–D. Press and hold Shift while pressing
any of these buttons to access Pad Banks E–H. Alternatively, double-press one of these buttons.
29. Full Level / Half Level: Press this button to activate/deactivate Full Level. When activated, the pads will always
trigger their samples at the maximum velocity (127), regardless of the amount of force you use.
Press and hold Shift and press this button to activate/deactivate Half Level. When activated, the pads will always
trigger their samples at half-velocity (64).
30. 16 Level / Notes: 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 play the same sample as the original pad, but a selectable
parameter will increase in value with each pad number, regardless of the amount of force you use. In the screen
that appears, use the Type selector to choose another parameter: Velocity, Tune, Filter, Layer, Attack or
Decay. See Operation >
Press and hold Shift and press this button to activate/deactivate Notes mode for the pads. When activated, you
can play musical scales/modes, chords or progressions using the pads while in any mode. Use the Pad Perform
window to configure the settings for the pads. See Operation > Modes > Pad Perform Mode
31. Erase: As a Sequence is playing, press and hold this button and then press a pad or key to delete the note event
for that pad or key at the current playback position. This is a quick way to delete note events from your sequence
without having to stop playback. When playback is stopped, press this button to open the Erase window where
notes, automation and other sequence data can be erased from the sequence.
General Features > 16 Level to learn more.
to learn more.
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32. Copy / Delete: Press this button to copy one pad to another in Clip and Drum programs. When the From Pad
field is selected, press the “source” pad (the pad you want to copy). When the To Pad graphic (of all pads) is
selected, press the “destination” pad. You can select multiple destination pads, and you can select pads in
different pad banks. Tap Do It to continue or Cancel to return to the previous screen.
Press and hold Shift and press this button to delete.
33. Touch Strip: The touch strip can be used as an expressive control for playing and can be configured to control
Note Repeat, Pitch Bend, Modulation and more.
34. Touch Strip / Config: Press this button to cycle between control modes for the Touch Strip. Press and hold the
button to quickly select one of the control modes.
Press and hold Shift and press this button to view the Touch Strip Configuration window.
35. Touch FX / Config: Press this button to enable Touch FX control for the Touch Strip. This allows you to control
parameters from the Touch FX plugin using the Touch Strip. Press and hold this button to quickly select a Touch
FX preset.
Press and hold Shift and press this button to view the Touch FX Configuration window.
36. Note Repeat / Latch: Press and hold this button, and then press a pad to trigger that pad’s sample repeatedly.
The rate is based on the current tempo and Timing Correct settings.
Press and hold Shift and press this button to “latch” the Note Repeat feature. When latched, you do not have to
hold the Note Repeat button for it to be activated. Press Note Repeat once more to unlatch it.
37. Tap Tempo / Global: Press this button in time with the desired tempo to enter a new tempo (in BPM). Press and
hold this button to adjust the tempo manually using the data dial.
Press and hold Shift and press this button to set whether the currently selected sequence follows its own tempo (the
button will be lit white) or a global tempo (the button will be lit red).
38. Metronome / Config: Press this button to enable or disable the metronome.
Press and hold Shift and press this button, or press and hold this button, to open the Metronome Configuration
window.
39. Arp / Config: Press this button to enable or disable the internal Arpeggiator, whose rate is based on the current
Tempo and Time Division settings.
Press and hold
Shift and press this button, or press and hold this button, to configure the Arpeggiator's settings.
40. Latch: Press this button to enable or disable latch for the Arpeggiator. When latched, you do not have to hold
the keys for the arpeggiation to continue.
41. Oct - / Oct +: Press these buttons to transpose the keyboard down or up one octave at a time. The lights below
this button will indicate the current octave setting.
Press and hold Shift and press these buttons to transpose the keyboard down or up one semitone at a time.
Press and hold both buttons and press a key on the keybed to set the transposition to that value.
Press and hold both buttons and release to reset the transposition.
42. Keybed: Use this 61-key semi-weighted, velocity-sensitive keybed to input notes and aftertouch.
43. Pitch Wheel: The pitch bend wheel is primarily used to bend the notes played on the keyboard up or down. This
allows you to play phrases not normally associated with keyboard playing, such as guitar-style riffs.
44. Modulation Wheel: The modulation wheel is typically used to add variation for the sound you are playing. This
type of real-time controller was originally introduced on electronic keyboard instruments to give the performer
options such as adding vibrato, just like the players of acoustic instruments do.
45. Main Volume: Turn this knob to adjust the volume of the outputs and phones output.
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Rear Panel
2
4
8
1. Power Input: Use the included power adapter to connect MPC Key 61 to a power outlet.
2. Power Switch: Turns MPC Key 61’s power on/off.
3. Network: Connect a standard Ethernet cable to this port to use Ableton Link and other compatible devices with
MPC Key 61. See Operation > General Features > Menu > Sync
Note: You can also use Ableton Link wirelessly over a Wi-Fi connection.
4. USB-B Port: Use the included USB cable to connect this high-retention-force USB port to an available USB port
on your computer. This connection allows MPC Key 61 to send/receive MIDI and audio data to/from the MPC
software on your computer.
5. USB-A Ports: Connect a USB flash drive to these USB ports to access its files directly using MPC Key 61. You
can also connect any class-compliant MIDI device to these ports.
6. Phones (1/4” / 6.35 mm): Connect standard stereo headphones to this output.
7. Outputs (1/4” / 6.35 mm): Use standard TRS cables to connect these outputs to your monitors, mixer, etc.). The
Main L/R outputs are the same as Outputs 1,2.
8. Gain: Use these knobs to adjust the gain of the incoming signal from Input 1/2 on the rear panel. Be careful
when setting this knob at higher levels, as this can cause the signal to distort.
9
11
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for more information.
1
9. Inputs 1/2 (XLR or 1/4” / 6.35 mm): Use standard XLR or TRS cables to connect these inputs to audio sources
(microphone, mixer, synthesizer, etc.). When using a 1/4" cable, the Mic preamp is removed from the circuit, and
the Line/Inst switch can be used to set the impedance.
Turn the Gain knobs to set the input level of each one.
10. Line/Inst: Use these switches to set Inputs 1/2 to accept either a Line-level or Instrument-level sound source
when using a 1/4" connection.
11. Phantom Power (+48V): This switch activates and deactivates phantom power for Inputs 1/2 when using an
XLR connection. When activated, +48V of phantom power will be supplied to both inputs. Note that most
dynamic microphones do not require phantom power, while most condenser microphones do. Refer to your
microphone’s documentation to check if it needs phantom power.
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12. CV/Gate Out (1/8" / 3.5 mm, TS): MPC Key 61 will send control voltage (CV) and/or Gate signals over these
outputs to optional external synths or sequencers. Use standard 1/8” (3.5 mm) TS cables to send a single
CV/Gate signal per output.
13. MIDI In: Use a standard 5-pin MIDI cable to connect these inputs to the MIDI output of an external MIDI device
(additional MIDI keyboard, pad controller, etc.).
14. MIDI Out: Use a standard 5-pin MIDI cable to connect these outputs to the MIDI input of an external MIDI device
(synthesizer, drum machine, etc.).
15. MIDI Thru: Use a standard 5-pin MIDI cable to connect this thru-port to the MIDI input of an external MIDI
device (synthesizer, drum machine, etc.). MIDI from the MIDI In will be sent through this output.
16. Sustain (1/4" / 6.35 mm, TRS): This input accepts an optional momentary-contact foot pedal. When pressed, the
pedal will sustain the sound you are playing without having to keep your fingers pressed down on the keys.
17. FS2 (1/4" / 6.35 mm, TRS): Connect an optional 1/4" (6.35 mm) TRS footswitch or other foot pedal to this input.
18. Expression (1/4" / 6.35 mm, TRS): Connect an optional expression pedal to this input for adding expressive
changes during performances.
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MPC Studio mk2
Note: This hardware differs from other MPC hardware in this manual in that it acts primarily as a controller for the MPC
software. To learn more about how to use the MPC software, consult the MPC software User Guide. This can be
accessed by opening the MPC software, and then navigating in the menu to Help > MPC Help > MPC Software Manual.
Top Panel
Navigation & Data Entry Controls
1. Display: This RGB LCD display shows information relevant to MPC Studio’s current operation. Much of this
information is also shown in the software. Use the Mode and Select buttons to change what is shown on the
display, and use the data dial or -/+ buttons to adjust the currently selected setting/parameter.
2. Data Dial: Use this dial to scroll through the available menu options or adjust the parameter values of the
selected field in the display. Pressing the dial also functions as an Enter button.
3. –/+: Press these buttons to increase or decrease the value of the selected field in the display.
4. Undo / Redo: Press this button to undo your last action.
Press and hold Shift and press this button to redo the last action you undid.
5. Shift: Press and hold this button to access some buttons’ secondary functions (indicated by white writing).
Pad & Touch Strip Controls
6. Pads: Use these pads to trigger drum hits or other samples. The pads are velocity-sensitive and pressuresensitive, 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). You
can also customize their colors.
Press and hold the Mode button and press each pad to quickly jump to the mode printed below the pad in orange.
7. Pad Bank Buttons: Press any of these buttons to access Pad Banks A–D. Press and hold Shift while pressing
any of these buttons to access Pad Banks E–H. Alternatively, double-press one of these buttons.
8. Full Level / Half Level: Press this button to activate/deactivate Full Level. When activated, the pads will always
trigger their samples at the maximum velocity (127), regardless of the amount of force you use.
Press and hold Shift and then press this button to activate/deactivate Half Level. When activated, the pads will
always trigger their samples at half-velocity (64).
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9. Copy / Delete: Press this button to copy one pad to another. Use the Copy from pad field to select the “source”
pad (the pad you want to copy) and use the Copy to pad field to select the “destination” pad. You can select
multiple destination pads, and you can select pads in different pad banks. Tap Do It to continue or Cancel to
return to the previous screen.
Press and hold Shift and press this button to view the Delete Pad window, where you can delete the contents of
a selected pad.
10. 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 play the same sample as the original pad, but a selectable
parameter will increase in value with each pad number, regardless of the amount of force you use. Use the data
dial or -/+ buttons to select the 16 Level parameter.
Press and hold Shift and press this button to cycle through editing the Pad Perform Notes Type, Root Note, and
starting Octave. Use the data dial or -/+ buttons to adjust the parameter shown on the display.
11. Note Repeat / Latch: Press and hold this button, and then press a pad to trigger that pad’s sample repeatedly.
The rate is based on the current tempo and Time Correct settings.
Press and hold Shift and then press this button to “latch” the Note Repeat feature. When latched, you do not
have to hold the Note Repeat button for it to be activated. Press Note Repeat once more to unlatch it.
You can also change the note repeat rate using the Touch Strip.
12. Touch Strip: The touch strip can be used as an expressive control for playing and can be configured to control
Note Repeat, Pitch Bend, Modulation, Touch FX and more. See Appendix > Updates in MPC 2.10.1 > New
Features > Touch Strip and Touch FX
for more information.
13. Touch Strip / Config: Press this button to enable Touch Strip mode selection. Press the button repeatedly or use
the data dial or -/+ buttons to cycle between the available modes. Press and hold this button to enter Q-Link mode
for the Touch Strip.
Press and hold Shift and press this button to view the Touch Strip Configuration window.
Mode & View Controls
14. Mode: Press and hold this button and then press a pad to quickly jump to the mode printed below the pad in
orange:
Pad 13:
Sampler
Pad 9:
Next Sequence
Pad 5:
Sample Edit Mode
Pad 14:
Looper
Pad 10:
Song Mode
Pad 6:
Program Edit Mode
Pad 15:
Step Sequencer
Pad 11:
MIDI Control Mode
Pad 7:
Pad Mixer
Pad 16:
Save
Pad 12:
Media/Browser Mode
Pad 8:
Channel Mixer
Pad 1:
Track View
Pad 2:
Grid Editor
Pad 3:
Wave Editor
Pad 4:
List Editor
15. Main / Track View: Press this button to enter Main Mode.
Press and hold Shift and then press this button to enter Track View Mode.
16. Track Select / Seq Select: Press this button to toggle between viewing MIDI Tracks and Audio Tracks, and
then use the data dial or -/+ buttons to change the selected track.
Press and hold Shift, press this button and use the data dial or -/+ buttons to change the selected Sequence.
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17. Program Select / Track Type: Press this button and use the data dial or -/+ buttons to change the Program for
the selected track.
Press and hold Shift, press this button and use the data dial or -/+ buttons to change the track type for the
selected track: Drum, Keygroup, Plugin, MIDI, Clip or CV.
18. Browse / Up: Press this button once to open the File Browser, and press it again to open the Media Browser.
You can use the Browsers to locate and select programs, samples, sequences, etc.
Press and hold Shift and then press this button to move up to the previous folder while using the Browser.
19. Sample Select: Press this button and use the data dial or -/+ buttons to change the selected sample for the
current pad. Press the button again to cycle between Layers 1–4 of the pad.
20. Sample Start / Loop Start: Press this button and use the data dial or -/+ buttons to change the sample start
point for the sample on the selected pad. Press the button again to cycle through Layers 1–4 of the pad.
Press and hold Shift, press this button, and use the data dial or -/+ buttons to change the Loop Start point for
the sample on the selected pad. Press and hold Shift and press the button again to cycle through Layers 1–4 of
the pad.
21. Sample End: Press this button and use the data dial or -/+ buttons to change the sample end point for the
sample on the selected pad. Press the button again to cycle through Layers 1–4 of the pad.
22. Tune / Fine: Press this button and use the data dial or -/+ buttons to change the Tuning for the sample on the
selected pad. Press the button again to cycle through Layers 1–4 of the pad.
Press and hold Shift, press this button, and use the data dial or -/+ buttons to change the Fine Tuning for the
sample on the selected pad. Press and hold Shift and press the button again to cycle through Layers 1–4 of the pad.
23. Quantize: Press this button to quantize all note events so they fall on exact, even time intervals as determined by
the Timing Correct settings.
Press and hold Shift and press this button to quantize only the currently selected note events.
24.
TC On/Off / Config: Press this button to turn Timing Correct on and off.
Press and hold Shift and press this button to toggle between viewing the Time Division and Swing settings for
Timing Correct in the display. Use the data dial or -/+ buttons to change the selected value.
25. Zoom / Vert Zoom: Press this button and use the data dial or -/+ buttons to change the horizontal zoom level.
Press and hold Shift, press this button and use the data dial or -/+ buttons to change the vertical zoom level.
26. Pad Mute / Track Mute: Press this button to view Pad Mute Mode where you can easily mute pads within a
program or set mute groups for each pad within a program.
Press and hold Shift and press this button to view Track Mute Mode where you can easily mute tracks within a
sequence or set mute groups for each track.
Transport & Recording Controls
27. Record: Press this button to record-arm the sequence. Press 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.
28. Overdub: Press this button 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.
29. Stop: Press this button to stop playback. You can double-press this button to silence audio that is still sounding
once a note stops playing. Press and hold Shift and press this button to return the playhead to 1:1:0.
30. Play: Press this button to play the sequence from the playhead’s current position.
31. Play Start: Press this button to play the sequence from its start point.
32. Step </> (Event |</>|): Use these buttons to move the playhead left or right, one step at a time.
Press and hold Locate and press one of these buttons to move the playhead to the previous/next event in the
sequence grid.
33. Bar <</>> (Start/End): Use these buttons to move the playhead left or right, one bar at a time.
Press and hold Locate and press one of these buttons to move the playhead to the start or end of the sequence
grid.
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34. Locate: Press this button and then use the pads to add and select locator markers in the timeline. When on, tap
Pads 9-14 to set up to six locators on the timeline, and tap Pads 1-6 to jump to each locator.
Additionally, the current playhead position will be shown on the display in Bars : Beats : Ticks when this button
is activated. Use the data dial or -/+ buttons to move the playhead left or right one beat at a time or press and
hold Shift and use the data dial or -/+ buttons to move the playhead left or right one tick at a time.
To deactivate Locate, enter another display mode (such as Track Select, Program Select, etc.).
35. Automation Read/Write: Press this button to toggle the Global Automation state between Read and Write.
Press and hold Shift and press this button to disable or enable Global Automation.
36. Tap Tempo / Master: Press this button in time with the desired tempo to enter a new tempo (in BPM).
Alternatively, press and hold this button and then use the data dial or -/+ buttons to coarsely adjust the tempo.
Press and hold both Shift and this button and then use the data dial or -/+ buttons to finely adjust the tempo.
Press and hold Shift and press this button to set whether the currently selected sequence follows its own tempo
(the button will be lit white) or a global tempo (the button will be lit red).
37. Erase: As a Sequence is playing, press and hold this button and then 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. When playback is stopped, press this button to open the Erase window where notes,
automation and other sequence data can be erased from the sequence.
Rear Panel
1
1. USB-B Port: Use the included USB cable to connect this high-retention-force USB port to an available USB port
on your computer. This connection allows MPC Studio to send/receive MIDI data to/from the MPC software on
your computer.
2. MIDI Out: Use the included 1/8"-to-MIDI adapter and a standard 5-pin MIDI cable (not included) to connect this
output to the MIDI input of an external MIDI device (synthesizer, drum machine, etc.).
3. MIDI In: Use the included 1/8"-to-MIDI adapter and a standard 5-pin MIDI cable (not included) to connect this
input to the MIDI output of an external MIDI device (synthesizer, drum machine, etc.).
2
3
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MPC Touch
Top Panel
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8
9
1110
4
4
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2
4
6
4
12 13 14 15 16 17
3
21 2223
1. Touchscreen: This full-color multi-touch display shows information relevant to MPC Touch’s current operation.
Touch the touchscreen (and use the hardware controls) to control the MPC interface. See the previous
Touchscreens section to learn how to use some basic functions.
17191820
2. Display Brightness +/–: Use these buttons to increase/decrease the brightness of the touchscreen.
3. Data Dial: Use this dial to scroll through the available menu options or adjust the parameter values of the
selected field in the screen.
4. Q-Link Knobs: Use these touch-sensitive knobs to adjust various parameters and settings. The knobs can control
one group of parameters at a time. The lights below the Q-Link button indicate the currently selected column of QLink knobs. Press the Q-Link button to change which parameter or group of parameters they currently control.
5. Q-Link Button: Press this button to change which parameter or group of parameters the Q-Link knobs currently
control (indicated by the lights above the Q-Link knobs). Each press will select the next column of Q-Link knobs.
Press and hold Shift and then press this button to select the previous column of Q-Link knobs instead.
Press and hold this button to show the QLink window over the touchscreen’s current contents. These are the same
parameters and settings as what is shown in Q-Link Edit Mode. You can tap Q-Link Edit at the bottom of the
window to enter Q-Link Edit Mode immediately (see Operation > Modes > Q-Link Edit Mode to learn about this).
6. Pads: Press these pads to trigger drum hits or other samples in your software. The pads are velocity-sensitive
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). You can also customize their colors.
7. Pad Bank: Press any of these buttons to access Pad Banks A–D.
Press and hold Shift while pressing any of these buttons to access Pad Banks E–H. Alternatively, double-press
one of these buttons.
8. Note Repeat/Latch: Press and hold this button, and then press a pad to trigger that pad’s sample repeatedly.
The rate is based on the current tempo and Time Correct settings.
Press and hold Shift and then press this button to “latch” the Note Repeat feature. When latched, you do not
have to hold the Note Repeat button for it to be activated. Press Note Repeat once more to unlatch it.
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9. Full Level/Half Level: Press this button to activate or deactivate the Full Level feature. When activated, the pads
will always trigger their samples at the maximum velocity (127), regardless of how much force you use.
Press and hold Shift and then press this button to activate or deactivate the Half Level feature. When activated,
the pads will always trigger their samples at half-velocity (64).
10. 16 Level / Pad Perform: 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 press them. In the screen that appears, use the Type selector
to choose the parameter: Velocity, Tune, Filter, Layer, Attack or Decay. See Operation > General Features > 16
Level to learn more.
Press and hold Shift and press this button to enter Pad Perform mode for the pads. When activated, you can
play musical scales/modes, chords or progressions using the pads while in any mode. See Operation > Modes
> Pad Perform Mode to learn more.
11. Erase: As a sequence is playing, press and hold this button and then 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. See Operation > General Features > Erase to learn more.
12. Shift: Press and hold this button to access some buttons’ secondary functions (indicated by gray writing).
Double-press this button to see which buttons have secondary functions—the buttons will flash for a few seconds.
13. Menu/Browse: Press this button to open the Menu. You can tap an option in the Menu to enter that mode, view, etc.
Press and hold Shift and then press this button to view the Browser. You can use the Browser to locate and
select programs, samples, sequences, etc.
14. Main/Track: Press this button to enter Main Mode.
Press and hold Shift and then press this button to enter the Track View.
15. Undo/Redo: Press this button to undo your last action.
Press and hold Shift and press this button to redo the last action you undid.
16. Copy/Delete: Press this button to copy one pad to another. When the From Pad field is selected, press the
“source” pad (the pad you want to copy). When the To Pad graphic (of all pads) is selected, press the
“destination” pad. You can select multiple destination pads, and you can select pads in different pad banks. Tap
Do It to continue or Close to return to the previous screen.
Tip: To quickly copy a pad, press and hold Copy, press the source pad, press the destination pad, and then
release Copy.
Press and hold Shift and press this button to delete a pad’s sample assignment. When the Delete Pad window
is shown, press any pad/pads whose sample assignments you want to clear. Tap Delete to continue or Cancel
to return to the previous screen.
17. –/+: Press these buttons to increase or decrease the value of the selected field in the screen.
18. Play: Press this button to play the sequence from the audio pointer’s current position.
19. Play Start: Press this button to play the sequence from its start point.
20. Stop: Press this button to stop playback. You can double-press this button to silence audio that is still sounding
once a note stops playing. Quickly pressing this button three times will act as a “MIDI panic” and shut off all
voices and stop all audio processing.
21. Rec: Press this button to record-arm the sequence. Press 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.
22. Overdub: Press this button 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.
23. Tap/Master: Press this button in time with the desired tempo to enter a new tempo (in BPM). You can set how
many taps are required in the Preferences (see Operation > General Features > Menu > Preferences to learn
how to do this).
Press and hold Shift and press this button to set whether the currently selected sequence follows its own tempo
(the button will be lit red) or a global tempo (the button will be lit amber).
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Rear Panel
89
2
1. Power Input: Use the included power adapter to connect MPC Touch to a power outlet.
2. Power Switch: Turns MPC Touch’s power on/off.
3. USB Port: Use the included USB cable to connect this high-retention-force USB port to an available USB port on
your computer. This connection allows MPC Touch to send/receive MIDI and audio data to/from the MPC software.
You can power MPC Touch via the USB port only, but the touchscreen will be disabled.
4. Rec Vol: Turn this knob to adjust the gain of the incoming signal from the inputs. Be careful when setting this
knob at higher levels, which can cause the signal to distort.
5. Master Vol: Turn this knob to adjust the volume of the outputs and phones output.
6. Inputs (1/4” / 6.35 mm): Use standard 1/4” (6.35 mm) TRS cables to connect these inputs to audio sources
(microphone, mixer, synthesizer, etc.). Turn the Rec Vol knob to set their input levels.
7. Outputs (1/4” / 6.35 mm): Use standard 1/4” (6.35 mm) TRS cables to connect these outputs to your speaker
system, external mixer, etc. The signal sent out of these outputs is the main mix. Turn the Master Vol knob to
set the volume level.
34 56
1
7
10 11
Tip: To route a program to these outputs, set its routing to Out 1,2 in the Channel Mixer when the Mixer field is
set to Programs. See Operation > Modes > Channel Mixer to learn more about this.
8. Phones (1/8” / 3.5 mm): Connect standard 1/8” (3.5 mm) stereo headphones to this output. Turn the Master Vol
knob to set the volume level.
9. MIDI Out (1/8” / 3.5 mm): Use the included 1/8”-to-5-pin adapter and a five-pin MIDI cable to connect this
output to the MIDI input of an optional external MIDI device.
Important: Do not connect audio devices (e.g., headphones, monitors, etc.) to the MIDI Out. Use the included
1/8”-to-5-pin adapters to connect MIDI devices only.
10. MIDI In (1/8” / 3.5 mm): Use the included 1/8”-to-5-pin adapter and a five-pin MIDI cable to connect this input to
the MIDI output of an optional external MIDI device.
Important: Do not connect audio devices (e.g., headphones, monitors, etc.) to the MIDI In. Use the included
1/8”-to-5-pin adapters to connect MIDI devices only.
11. Kensington
®
Lock Slot: You can use this slot to secure your MPC Touch to a table or other surface.
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Basic Concepts
This chapter should help explain some fundamental aspects of the MPC universe.
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 MPC, 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 on your MPC hardware
can contain 8 audio tracks. A sequence in the MPC software 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). 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 keygroup programs, each pad
triggers a MIDI note that plays the corresponding pitch of the sample assigned to its keygroup.
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)
Track (MIDI: Keys 2)
Track (MIDI: Synth)
Keygroup Program
(Keys)
Keygroup Program
(Synth Lead)
Track (Audio: Vocals)
Track (Audio: Vocals)
Mixing
Track (Audio: Guitar)
Please take a look at the following Tutorial chapter, as well. It will walk you through the creation of a short song to
show you some of your MPC hardware’s most important features.
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Tutorial
This chapter should familiarize you with some basic MPC features. We’ll create a short song to illustrate some of the
most important features. To get the most out of this chapter, we recommend reproducing each of the described steps.
Starting Up
Make sure you have completed all of the steps described in Introduction > Setup. This includes:
• Installing the most current drivers and software.
• Connecting your MPC hardware to a power source using the included power adapter (if required) and
powering it on.
• Opening and authorizing your MPC software (if you are using your MPC hardware as a controller).
Creating a Drum Kit
Let’s start by making a simple drum kit.
Press Browse (MPC X, MPC One, MPC Live II) or Shift+Menu/Browse (MPC Live, MPC Live II, MPC Touch) to
show the Browser. Then, use the touchscreen to navigate to where your drum sounds are located:
To browse your files by location, tap Places on the left side of the screen.
Internal is the internal drive of MPC X/Live/Live II/One/Key 61.
MPC Documents is a shortcut to the MPC Documents folder on the internal drive of MPC X/Live/Live
II/One/Key 61.
If you have storage devices connected to USB ports or SD card slot of your MPC hardware, or your computer
(with MPC Live II and MPC Touch), they will appear in this column, as well.
Important: MPC hardware supports read and write capability for exFAT, FAT32, NTFS, and EXT4 file systems
as well as read-only capability for HFS+ file systems. (We recommend using an exFAT file system as it is the
most robust one supported by both Windows and macOS.)
To browse your files by type, tap Content and then tap the type of file: Drums, Instruments, Clips, Samples,
Demos, or My Files.
To browse your MPC Expansions (MPC X/Live/Live II/One/Key 61 only), tap Expansions (see Addenda >
Updates in MPC 2.1 > New Features > Exporting Expansions to learn how to export MPC Expansions from
your computer to your supported MPC hardware.
To move up one folder level, tap the folder/ icon in the upper-left corner.
To move through a list, swipe up or down, turn the data dial or use the –/+ buttons.
To select a file or folder, tap it once.
To enter a folder, double-tap it or tap Open in the lower-right corner. Alternatively, press the data dial, or press
the center cursor or Enter (MPC X), to enter a selected folder.
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To load a selected file, double-tap it, tap Load, press the data dial, or press the center cursor or Enter (MPC
X). 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 folder, select the folder (so it is highlighted in the list), press and hold Shift, and then tap
Load All in the lower-right corner.
Important: Although you can load multiple files at once, any samples you load into a project will be automatically
converted to full-quality uncompressed audio files, so they may use more storage space than they do on your
external storage device. If you are unable to load multiple files at once due to this, select fewer files and try again.
To delete a selected file or folder, press and hold Shift and then tap Delete File at the bottom of the screen.
To preview a selected sound, tap and hold Play () at the bottom of the screen.
To enable or disable the audition function and set its volume level, tap Audition at the bottom of the screen.
In the screen that appears, tap Auto to enable or disable it, and tap and drag the level slider up or down to set
the volume level. Tap Audition once more to hide the window.
To show the information for the current drive (MPC X, MPC Live, MPC Live II, MPC One, MPC Key 61), press
and hold Shift and then tap Drive Info at the bottom of the screen. The drive’s information will appear in a new
window. Tap OK to return to the previous screen.
After loading samples for a drum kit into the sample pool,
use the Sample Assign tab to assign a kick drum sound to
a pad:
1. Tap Sample Assign at the bottom of the screen. This
lets you view the pads and project’s sample pool.
2. Press Pad 1 or tap Pad 1 on the screen to select it. The
pad will be lit green.
3. Swipe the Sample Pool list up or down or use the data
dial or –/+ buttons to move through it.
4. To load a sample to the selected pad (Pad 1, in this
case) tap it in the Sample Pool list, press the data dial,
or press the center cursor or Enter (MPC X). Now, you
can press Pad 1 to play the kick drum sample.
To create a simple drum kit, repeat the above steps for
other pads. We recommend loading a snare drum, a closed
hi-hat, and an open hi-hat.
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Creating a Drum Sequence
Now that your drum kit is set up, let’s record a drum sequence.
1. Press Menu to enter the Menu, and then tap Grid View.
2. Press Tap repeatedly at the speed you want to record your sequence. Your MPC hardware will detect the rate
and adjust itself automatically.
3. Press the Rec button to record-arm the sequence.
4. Press the Play button to start the actual recording. You will hear the count-in for one measure before the
recording starts. We recommend recording only one sound (pad) at a time, especially if you’re not familiar with
playing drums on the pads.
5. Play a simple kick 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 automatically
activate Overdub; the sequence will play 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 the Stop button.
If you start recording again on this sequence, keep in mind that the pads you play in your new recording will replace
existing notes played with the same pads. To prevent this, press the Overdub button before recording instead of the
Rec button. Overdub lets you record additional note events over the existing sequence.
The Undo button functions differently while recording. 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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Saving & Renaming
We recommend doing some renaming of 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:
1. Press Main to enter Main Mode.
2. In the Program section in the lower part of the screen, tap the cursor icon on the right edge.
3. Use the virtual keyboard that appears to enter a new name (e.g., Drums), and then tap Do It.
To rename your samples:
1. Press Menu to enter the Menu, and then tap Sample Edit to enter Sample Edit Mode.
2. The Sample field at the top of the screen will show the name of a sample. Select a sample in one of the following
ways:
• When the Sample field is selected, use the data dial or –/+ buttons to change it.
• Double-tap the Sample field and tap one in the list that appears.
3. Tap the keyboard icon next to it to rename the current sample.
4. Use the virtual keyboard that appears to enter a new name (e.g., Kick, Snare, etc.), and then tap Do It.
Repeat Steps 2–4 to rename other samples.
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Now would be a good time to save your project.
To save your project, press Menu to show the Menu, and tap the Save at the bottom of the screen to open the
Save window. Alternatively, press Shift+Browse/Save (MPC X, MPC One). In the Save window, do any of the
following:
To select the storage device you want to view, tap it in the Storage column on the left.
Internal is the internal drive of MPC X/Live/Live II/One/Key 61.
MPC Documents is a shortcut to the MPC Documents folder on the internal drive of your MPC hardware.
If you have storage devices connected to USB ports or SD card slot of your MPC hardware, or your
computer (with MPC Studio or MPC Touch), they will appear in this column, as well.
To enter a folder, double-tap it. Alternatively, turn the data dial or use the –/+ buttons to move through the list,
and press the data dial, or the center cursor or Enter (MPC X), to enter a folder. You can also tap one of the
five folder buttons in the upper-right to jump immediately to those pre-assigned file paths (see Operation >
Modes > Browser to learn how to do this).
To create a new folder, tap New Folder, use the virtual keyboard that appears to enter a name, and then tap
Do It. You will immediately enter the new folder.
To move up one folder level, tap the folder/ icon in the upper-left corner.
To name the file, tap the File Name field at the bottom of the screen, and use the virtual keyboard that appears.
To save the file, tap Save.
To cancel and return to the Menu, tap Cancel. Alternatively, tap the icon in the upper-left corner.
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Editing Note Events
In the grid, you can see your recorded notes (or note events) as a sequence.
To enter the Grid View, press Menu, and then tap Grid View.
In the Grid View, you can do any of the following:
To zoom in or out, tap the magnifying-glass icon in the upper-right corner. Then, in the grid, spread two
fingers apart or pinch two fingers together. You can do this for each axis, horizontal or vertical.
To automatically set the grid to view one pad bank and two bars, tap the grid-and-magnifying-glass icon in
the lower-left corner.
To undo your last action, press Undo.
To redo the last action you undid, press Shift+Undo/Redo.
To enter a note, tap the pencil icon in the upper-right corner. Then, in the grid, tap a square.
To delete a note, tap the eraser icon in the upper-right corner. Then, in the grid, tap a note.
To select a single note, tap the select box in the upper-right corner. Then, in the grid, tap the note.
To select all notes for a pad, press the desired pad.
To move the selected notes, tap Nudge at the bottom of the screen, and then use the data dial or –/+ buttons
to shift the notes left or right. By default, you can position notes only by quantization values defined by the Time
Correct value (learn about this feature in Operation > General Features > Timing Correct (TC)).
To move the selected notes without restricting (“snapping”) them to the quantization grid, tap and hold
Don’t Snap in the lower-left corner of the screen, and then use the data dial or –/+ buttons to shift the notes. In
this case, each nudge is equivalent to four ticks.
To adjust the start point or end point of the selected notes (without changing their position), tap Edit Start or
Edit End at the bottom of the screen, and then use the data dial or –/+ buttons.
To transpose the selected notes up or down, tap Transpose at the bottom of the screen, and then use the
data dial or –/+
buttons.
To switch to the previous or next track, tap the Track field in the upper-left corner, and then use the data dial
or –/+ buttons.
To mute or solo the track, press and hold Shift, and then tap Mute or Solo (respectively) at the bottom of the
screen.
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To open the Timing Correct window, press and hold Shift, and then tap TC at the bottom of the screen. See
Operation > General Features > Timing Correct (TC) to learn about this.
To adjust the velocity of the selected notes, tap Velocity at the bottom of the screen, and then use the data
dial or –/+ buttons. The numeric value will appear on the screen.
To show or hide the velocity lane, tap the up arrow (∧) button in the lower-right corner of the screen to show
the velocity lane below the grid. Each note’s velocity is represented by a vertical bar. The higher and redder the
bar is, the higher the velocity is.
Tap the up arrow (∧) button once more to show a taller version of the velocity lane after which it will turn into a
down arrow (∨) button, which you can then tap to hide the velocity lane.
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Making Basic Sound Edits
Let’s make sure the samples are properly tuned and have good levels.
Press Menu, and then tap Program Edit to enter Program Edit Mode. Alternatively, press Prog Edit (MPC X, MPC
One), or Edit (MPC Key 61).
Press a pad to show its parameters on the screen.
To adjust its volume, tap and drag the Level knob up or down. Alternatively, use the data dial or –/+ buttons.
To make finer adjustments, double-tap the knob and adjust the larger version that appears. Tap anywhere else
to return to the previous screen.
To adjust its stereo panning, tap and drag the Pan knob up or down. Alternatively, use the data dial or –/+
buttons. To make finer adjustments, double-tap the knob and adjust the larger version that appears. Tap
anywhere else to return to the previous screen.
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 kick drum sound—tap the Samples tab so the second
square under it is lit, and then adjust the Semi and Fine knobs next to the sample name.
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The snare drum may need some reverb to give it a more spatial sound.
Tap Effects at bottom of the screen so the first square under it is lit to view the Insert Effects tab. Press the pad
with your snare drum sound to select it.
To add an effect:
1. Double-tap the desired slot. A list of effects will appear.
2. Swipe up or down to move through the list.
3. To load an effect, double-tap it. Alternatively, tap it once and then tap Select or push the data dial. Let’s try
Reverb Medium.
4. To close the list, tap Close.
To adjust the effect’s parameters, tap the pencil icon.
To empty the effect slot, tap the trash can icon. Switch the effect on or off by tapping the On/Off button for the slot.
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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.
First, let’s make an empty track.
To select a new track:
1. Press Main to go back to Main Mode.
2. Double-tap the Track field in the center-left part of the screen, and then tap Track 2 (unused) in the list of tracks
that appears.
Alternatively, tap the Track + button at the bottom of the screen until (unused) appears in the Track field.
Let’s create a new program for this track to use.
To create a new program:
1. In the Track section in the middle of the screen, tap the piano-keys icon. 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 in the lower part of the screen.
2. In the Program section in the lower part of the screen, tap the cursor icon on the right edge.
3. Use the virtual keyboard that appears to enter a new name, and then tap Do It.
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To load and edit a bass sound:
1. Press Browse (MPC X, MPC One, MPC Studio) or Shift+Menu/Browse (MPC Live, MPC Live II, MPC Key 61,
MPC Touch) to show the Browser. Then, use the touchscreen to navigate to where your bass sounds are located,
and load one to the project’s sample pool. (You can look at this earlier section if you forgot how to do this!)
2. After loading a bass sample to the sample pool, don’t use the Sample Assign tab like you did when creating a
drum program; keygroup programs are different.
Instead, press Menu, and then tap Program Edit to enter Program Edit Mode. Alternatively, press Prog Edit (MPC X,
MPC One), or Edit (MPC Key 61).
3. In Program Edit Mode, tap the Samples tab at the bottom of the screen to show the four layers of samples in the
program.
4. Double-tap the first Layer field and then tap your bass sample in the list on the left. 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, disable Pad Perform and then press the Pad Bank D button to switch to Pad Bank
D and press 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. Alternatively, you can play middle-C on an external MIDI device to hear
the sample at the original pitch.
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. Press Browse (MPC X, MPC One, MPC Studio) or Shift+Menu/Browse (MPC Live, MPC Live II, MPC Key 61,
MPC Touch) to show the Browser, 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, and in the Layer tab, double-tap the second Layer field, and select the new bass
sample. Press 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. Tap the Pan Velocity tab to show its parameters.
4. Tap Layer 1’s Vel End knob and turn the data dial to set it to 80. Do the same to set Layer 2’s Vel Start slider 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.
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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.
Once you’ve recorded it, let’s tweak the sound a bit in the Filter section:
1. In Program Edit Mode, tap the Filter/Env tab to show its parameters.
2. Double-tap the Type drop-down menu, and select a filter. Let’s try working with Lowpass 2 Pole.
3. Tap the Cutoff or Reso (resonance) knob, and turn the data dial to adjust their settings until your bass sample
sounds good to you.
4. In the Amp Envelope section, tap the Attack or Release knob, and turn the data dial to adjust their settings.
These control the overall level characteristics of the sound.
Do you want to add an effect? Do this in the Effects tab:
1. Tap the Effects tab to show the insert effects.
2. Double-tap one of the Inserts slots to show a list of available effects.
3. Double-tap the effect you want to add to your bass line, or click Close to cancel.
To adjust the settings of the effect, click the pencil icon next to its slot to open a window that shows its
parameters.
To activate or deactivate all insert effects for that program, click the All On/All Off button in the upper-right
corner.
So far, we’ve created a simple drum sequence and a bass line to go with it. Repeat this process to create a second
sequence.
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Recording an Audio Track
We’ve already created some MIDI tracks, so let’s record some actual audio for our next track:
1. Press Main to go back to Main Mode.
2. Tap the Audio tab at the bottom of the screen. Audio 001 will appear in the Track field.
3. If the channel strip is not already shown on the left side of the screen, tap Input Config (in the lower part of the
screen) or the small eye icon (in the upper-left part of the screen) to show it.
4. Connect a synthesizer or other line-level audio source to the 1/4” (6.35 mm) input/inputs on your MPC
hardware’s rear panel, and set the Line/Phono selector to Line (MPC X, MPC Live, MPC Live II), or set the
Inst/Line selector to Line (MPC Key 61).
5. Double-tap the first field (Input __) and select Input 1 or Input 1,2 (depending on your audio source) as the input
source.
6. If the second field is not set to Out 1,2, double-tap it and select that option as the output.
7. Tap the Monitor button to cycle through its three states until it reads Auto (you will hear incoming audio while
the track is record-enabled only).
8. Turn the 3/4 Rec Gain (MPC X), Rec Vol (MPC Live, MPC Live II, MPC One, MPC Touch), or Gain (MPC Key 61)
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).
9. If Solo and Mute are on, tap or press them so they are off. Also, tap the automation button so it is off/gray (not
green/Read [
R] or red/Write [W]). Alternatively, press Read/Write (MPC X), or Shift+Automation Read/Write
(MPC Key 61).
10. Tap the Record Arm button to record-enable the track. Alternatively, press Rec Arm (MPC X).
11. Press Rec to record-arm the sequence.
12. To start recording, press Play or Play Start—then play your audio source! You should hear your existing
sequence playing in the background.
To stop recording, press Stop.
Record another audio track for your other sequence: Select the other sequence in Main Mode, and create another
audio track (Audio 002) to go with that sequence.
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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).
To enter Song Mode, make sure playback is stopped, and then press Menu, and then tap Song to enter Song Mode.
Alternatively, press Song (MPC X).
In Song Mode, each of the sequences you’ve created in this project assigned to a pad. The sequence playlist is to
the left of the pads, showing the song’s structure.
As a song plays, it moves through each step of the sequence playlist. Each step contains a sequence you assigned.
Each step can be repeated, determined by the value in the Repeat column (the repeat icon; 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 global tempo. The BPM
value for each sequence may be different from the global tempo. As long as playback is set to follow the global
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 Creating a Drum Sequence chapter. We recommend tapping the SEQ/GBL button at the
top of the screen (so the button displays GBL) and entering a global tempo to ensure all sequences use the same
tempo.
To insert a step at the current position, tap Insert.
To delete the currently selected step, tap Delete.
To set which sequence plays for a step, tap the step’s Sequence field, and then turn the data dial to select a
sequence.
To set how many times a sequence repeats, tap the step’s Repeat field (next to the sequence name), and then
turn the data dial to select a number.
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Exporting the Song
Want to share your new song? Just export it first.
To export a song:
1. While in Song Mode, tap Export at the bottom of the screen.
2. In the Audio Mixdown screen that appears, do the following:
• Make sure the Start field is set to 1, and set the End field to the last bar of your song.
• Tap the Audio Tail field and turn the data dial to set it to 2 seconds.
• As you’ll likely share the song online, tap the mp3 file format option in the lower-left corner.
3. Tap Export. Choose where you want to save the song.
To name the song, tap the File Name field, and use the virtual keyboard that appears to enter a new name, and
then tap Save to start exporting.
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Other Features Explained
This chapter describes various advanced features. For a fuller explanation of these features, please refer to their
corresponding sections in the Operation 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, press Menu, and then tap Step Sequencer. Alternatively, in some modes, you can
tap the steps icon on the left edge of the screen. You can also press Step Seq (MPC X, MPC Live II, MPC One), or
Shift+Grid/Step Seq (MPC Key 61).
1. Let’s create a sequence on a new track. Tap the Track field in the upper-left corner, and then use the data dial or
–/+ buttons to select an (unused) track. Alternatively, double-tap the Track field, and then tap a track to select it.
2. Tap the Track Length field at the top of the screen to set a length for the track, and then use the data dial or the
–/+ buttons to select a length. 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.
3. Tap the Bar –/+ buttons at the bottom of the screen to select the bar whose steps you want to create or edit.
The bar number will appear in the Bar field in the upper-left corner.
4. Tap the Pad –/+ buttons at the bottom of the screen to select the pad whose steps want to create or edit. The
pad number will appear in the Pad field in the upper-left corner.
5. Press Play to start your sequence.
6. 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, press an unlit pad. The pad will light up with a color corresponding to its velocity.
To delete the note from a step, press a lit pad. The pad will become unlit.
To delete all notes from the entire bar, press and hold Shift, and then tap Clear Bar in the lower-right corner.
See Operation > Modes > Step Sequencer to learn more about this feature.
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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.
Use the Browser to locate a drum loop, and then double-tap it to add it to the current program. The loop does not
have to match the tempo of anything in the project.
To enter Sample Edit Mode, press Menu, and then tap Sample Edit to enter Sample Edit Mode. Alternatively,
press Sample Edit (MPC X, MPC One, MPC Key 61), or Shift+Mute/Sample Edit (MPC Live II).
1. Tap the Sample field at the top of the screen, and then use the data dial or –/+ buttons to select the loaded
drum loop. You can scroll through all loaded samples in the project. Alternatively, double-tap the Sample field,
and then tap a sample to select it.
2. Tap the Trim/Chop tab in the lower-left corner to switch between Trim Mode and Chop Mode. Select Chop
Mode, which will let us cut the drum loop into slices.
3. Tap Threshold, and then tap the Threshold field to the right of it. Use the data dial, –/+ buttons, or numeric
keypad (MPC X) to select a value. Alternatively, double-tap the Threshold field and use the numeric keypad on
the screen. 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.
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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. Press and hold Shift and then tap Convert at the bottom of the screen to enter the Convert or Assign Slices
window.
2. Tap the Convert To field, and then use the data dial or –/+ buttons to select New Program with New Samples.
3. Make sure Crop Samples is checked. If it is not, tap it.
4. Make sure Create New Program is checked. If it is not, tap it.
5. Make sure Create Events is checked. If it is not, tap it.
6. Tap the Bars field, and then use the data dial or –/+ buttons to select how many bars the entire sample should
use in your program.
7. Tap 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. Press Menu and then tap
Grid View to see how the sample appears in your sequence.
8. Press Play and listen to how the drum loop matches your song tempo now.
You can also edit the note events of the drum loop slices—enter Main Mode to do this. A new track with the note
events playing their corresponding slices has been automatically created. Tap the TC/clock icon at the top of the
screen to use the Timing Correct window to quantize the note events so they fall on exact, even time intervals.
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 almost no limits to what you can do.
See Operation > Modes > Sample Edit Mode > Chop Mode to learn more about this feature.
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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, press Menu, and then tap Pad Mute to enter Pad Mute Mode. Alternatively, press
Shift+Track Mute/Pad Mute (MPC X, MPC One), or Shift+Mute/Pad (MPC Key 61).
1. Press Play to play the sequence.
2. Tap the Program field at the top of the screen, and then use the data dial or –/+ buttons to select your drum
program. Alternatively, double-tap the Program field, and then tap a program to select it.
3. Mute a pad by pressing it once or tapping it on the screen. The muted pad will be lit red. You can mute multiple
pads at the same time.
See Operation > Modes > Pad Mute Mode to learn more about track mutes.
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You can also mute entire tracks by using the similar Track Mute function.
To enter Track Mute Mode, press Menu, and then tap Track Mute to enter Track Mute Mode. Alternatively, press
Track Mute (MPC X, MPC One), or Mute (MPC Key 61).
1. Press Play to play the sequence.
2. Tap the Sequence field at the top of the screen, and then use the data dial or –/+ buttons to select the desired
sequence. Alternatively, double-tap the Sequence field, and then tap a sequence to select it.
3. Each pad is assigned to a track. Mute a track by pressing the corresponding pad or tapping it on the screen. 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), tap Time Division to set
a musical timing value. Tap the desired musical value (e.g., 1 Bar). Alternatively, use the data dial or –/+ buttons. Tap
Close to close the page. Now, when you press 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 Operation > Modes > Track Mute Mode to learn more about track mutes.
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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 open the Sampler, press Menu, and then tap Sampler to enter Sampler Mode. Alternatively, press Sampler
(MPC X, MPC One), press Shift+Mix/Sampler (MPC Live II), or press Shift+Sample Edit/Sampler (MPC Key 61).
1. Connect an audio source to the input/inputs of your MPC hardware.
2. The Input ___ menu in the upper-left corner should be set to Input 1,2 (the inputs of your MPC hardware). If it is
not, then select Input 1,2.
3. Turn the 3/4 Rec Gain (MPC X), Rec Vol (MPC Live, MPC Live II, MPC One, MPC Touch), or Gain (MPC Key 61)
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. Tap and drag threshold slider to set the threshold. Alternatively, use the data dial or –/+ buttons. Set it to a
fairly low level (e.g., -50 dB).
5. Tap 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, tap the round Record button to manually start recording.
7. To stop recording, tap the round Stop button. The Keep or Discard Sample window will appear.
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In the Keep or Discard Sample window:
To name the new sample, tap the Edit Name field and use the virtual keyboard to enter a name.
To assign the new sample to a program, tap the Program field, and then use the data dial or –/+ buttons to
select the desired program. Alternatively, double-tap the Program field, and then tap a program to select it.
To assign the sample to a pad in the program, tap the Assign to Pad field, and then press the desired pad.
Alternatively, use the data dial or –/+ buttons to select the desired pad number, or double-tap the Pad field, and
then tap a pad number.
To set the Root Note for the sample, tap the Root Note field, and then then use the data dial or –/+ buttons to
select the desired note.
To save the sample, tap the Save button at the bottom of the screen.
To play the recording, tap the Play button at the bottom of the screen.
To discard the recording and return to the previous screen, tap the Discard button at the bottom of the
screen.
To confirm your selections, tap Keep at the bottom of the screen.
To edit the sample in Sample Edit Mode, tap the Edit button at the bottom of the screen.
See Operation > Modes > Sampler to learn more about this feature.
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Sample Editing
You may need to edit your newly recorded samples using Sample Edit Mode.
To enter Sample Edit Mode, press Menu, and then tap Sample Edit to enter Sample Edit Mode. Alternatively,
press Sample Edit (MPC X, MPC One, MPC Key 61), or press Shift+Mute/Sample Edit (MPC Live II).
In Sample Edit Mode:
To switch between Trim Mode and Chop Mode, tap the Trim/Chop tab at the bottom of the screen. In this
example, use Trim Mode.
To set the sample’s start point, use the first column of Q-Link knobs (when in the Screen Q-Link Edit Mode)
to adjust the start point with varying degrees of resolution. Alternatively, tap and drag the S marker in the
waveform. You can also double-tap the Start field and use the numeric keypad on the screen to enter a value (or
tap the Start field and use the numeric keypad).
To set the sample’s end point, use the second column of Q-Link knobs (when in the Screen Q-Link Edit
Mode) to adjust the end point with varying degrees of resolution. Alternatively, tap and drag the E marker in the
waveform. You can also double-tap the Start field and use the numeric keypad on the screen to enter a value (or
tap the Start field and use the numeric keypad).
To hear your edits, press Pad 10 to play the sample from the start point to the end point.
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Let’s apply some processing to the sample.
To open the Process Sample window, tap Process at the bottom of the screen.
1. Use the data dial or –/+ buttons to select the desired process in the Function field. Alternatively, tap Function
or double-tap the Function field, and then tap the desired process. Let’s select 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, tap and drag the knob in the center of the window up or down. Alternatively, use
the data dial or –/+ buttons.
To make finer adjustments, double-tap the knob and adjust the larger version that appears. Tap anywhere else
to return to the previous screen.
3. To confirm your selections, tap Do It.
To cancel the process, tap Cancel.
See Operation > Modes > Sample Edit Mode to learn more.
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Recording Automation with the XY Pad
Automating various parameters is a good way to add some motion and dynamism to your sequences.
1. Press Menu, and then tap XYFX to enter XYFX Mode. Alternatively, press XYFX (MPC X), press Shift+Next
Seq/XYFX (MPC Live II, MPC One), or press Shift+Edit/XYFX (MPC Key 61).
2. Double-tap the XYFX Location field, and select Program.
3. When you first enter this mode in a project, you will be prompted to “load” XYFX to the program. Tap Insert
XYFX to do this.
4. Tap Setup to show the Setup panel, which controls how the XY pad behaves.
5. Double-tap the Preset field, and tap an effect to select it. (These are just the effects available in XYFX Mode, not
all MPC effects.) Swipe up or down to view the entire list.
6. Tap and drag any of the knobs (Attack, Release, or Wet/Dry) up or down to set their values as desired. Below
them, you can see what parameter the X axis and Y axis control.
Note: XYFX uses an envelope to control how quickly the effect crossfades between the dry signal and wet signal.
The Attack knob determines how long it takes the completely dry signal to reach the wet signal (determined by
the Wet/Dry knob) after you touch the XY pad. The Release knob determines how long it takes the wet signal
(determined by the Wet/Dry knob) to return to the completely dry signal after you touch the XY pad.
7. Tap the automation button or press Read/Write (MPC X, MPC Key 61) to cycle through the available
automation modes. Make sure the button is red (the Write (W) option).
8. Press Play Start to start recording.
9. As you record, move your finger over the XY pad on the screen. The changes in the sound are being recorded as
automation of both the X axis and Y axis parameters.
Tip: While touching the XY pad, tap Latch in the lower-left corner to keep the marker on the XY pad even after
you release it. The marker will remain there until you touch another part of the XY pad or until you tap Latch again.
10. When you are done recording, press Stop.
11. Tap the automation button or press Read/Write (MPC X, MPC Key 61) to select the green Read (R) option.
This ensures your track uses the automation you just recorded when you play it back.
See Operation > Modes > XYFX Mode to learn more about using this feature.
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Using MPC as a Controller
If you are using the MPC software on your computer, you can switch MPC X/Live/Live II/One/Key 61 into Controller
Mode, allowing you to use it to control the software. MPC Studio and MPC Touch already operate as a controller
only.
The MPC software offers the same features and functionality as the MPC hardware in Standalone Mode but with some
notable differences, which are discussed in Operation > General Features > Standalone vs. Controller Mode.
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Operation
This chapter explains the complete features and functions of your MPC hardware.
Important:
• When accessing the secondary functions of buttons on your MPC hardware, you can do this one of
two ways: (1) pressing and holding Shift and then pressing the desired button or (2) double-pressing
the desired button. This manual describes these operations using only the first option, but both are
acceptable.
• When the left-most button at the bottom of the screen shows an upward arrow (), it means there are
additional buttons you can use when you press and hold Shift. Press and hold Shift to show the
secondary buttons, and any of them, if desired. Release Shift to return to the previous buttons.
• Almost every mode shown on the screen has 1–6 buttons at the bottom. Each of these buttons select
a different tab in that mode or perform a specific function in that mode.
• MPC X: You can press the F-Key button to activate or deactivate the F-Key feature. When active, the
six buttons under the touchscreen correspond to the options shown at its bottom edge. The F-Key
button and those six buttons will be lit red when active. When inactive, the six buttons under the
touchscreen will access their normal modes instead (Menu, Browser, Step Seq, Sampler, XYFX,
and Looper).
• MPC X: As an alternative to tapping a control on the screen to select it, you can use the cursors to
navigate through the controls on the screen. The center cursor acts as an Enter key.
• MPC Live, MPC Live II, MPC One, MPC Key 61, MPC Touch: As an alternative to double-tapping
an item on the screen to “enter” it, you can press the data dial.
• When a parameter is highlighted and has a red outline, this means that it is selected. You can then
change it by turning the hardware’s data dial or using the –/+ buttons. If the parameter is a number,
double-tap it to show a numeric keypad on the screen to enter a specific value, or use the numeric
keypad (MPC X).
• MPC Live, MPC Live II, MPC One, MPC Key 61, MPC Touch: When the touchscreen shows a
parameter or group of parameters with a gold outline (and sometimes a Q in the corner), this means
that the current bank of Q-Link knobs will control those parameters or settings. Turn a Q-Link knob
to adjust its corresponding parameter value or setting in that group. When the value has decimal
places, you can sometimes press and hold Shift and then turn the Q-Link knob to adjust the value
by smaller increments. You can also press the Q-Link button to select another group of four
parameters.
• Press and hold the any of the Q-Link buttons (Project, Program, Pad Scene, Pad Param, or Screen
Control/Edit: MPC X) or the Q-Link button (MPC Live, MPC Live II, MPC One, MPC Key 61, MPC
Touch) to see an overview of all 16 Q-Link knobs and their parameters in the QLinks window that
appears. You can then tap a column or row of knobs to select those four Q-Link knobs, and then
release the Q-Link button. See Modes > Q-Link Edit Mode to learn more about using the Q-Link
knobs throughout your project.
• MPC Studio mk2: This hardware functions as a controller for the MPC software. The controls are
designed to give you quick access to important software functions such as: track/program/sequence
select, track type, file browsing, sample editing, project parameters (Quantize, Timing Correct,
Automation Read/Write) and more. As such, descriptions in this manual for touchscreen operation do
not apply to MPC Studio. For more information on using the MPC software, consult the MPC software
User Guide by going to Help > MPC Help > MPC Software Manual.
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General Features
Control Types
The MPC touchscreen uses the following types of control elements:
Knobs
To set the value for a knob, do any of the following:
• Tap and drag the knob up or down.
• Tap the knob to select it, and then use the data dial or –/+
buttons to adjust the value.
• Double-tap the knob to show it in a larger screen. Alternatively,
press the data dial, or the center cursor or Enter (MPC X),
when the knob is selected.
Tap and drag the larger version that appears, or use the data dial
or –/+ buttons to adjust the value.
If the knob is bipolar (has positive and negative values with the
center as the default position), double-tap the larger version to
reset it to the center/0 position.
Tap anywhere else to return to the previous screen.
• Press and hold Shift while turning the data dial to adjust a value
by smaller increments.
Parameter Values
To set the value for a parameter, do either of the following:
• Tap the field to select it, and then use the data dial or –/+ buttons
to adjust the value.
When the value has decimal places, you can sometimes press
and hold Shift and then use the data dial or –/+ buttons to adjust
the value by smaller increments.
• Double-tap the field or hold your finger on it for a second. In the
screen that appears, use the numeric keypad, the data dial, or
the –/+ buttons to adjust the value. Alternatively, tap and drag
the value up or down.
You can also tap /2 to halve the value or x2 to double it.
To confirm the value and remain on this screen, tap Apply.
To confirm the value and return to the previous screen, tap Do
It.
To return to the previous screen without changing anything,
tap the gray area in the upper-left corner of the screen.
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Drop-Down Menus / Lists
To select an option for a drop-down menu, do any of the following:
• Tap the field to select it, and then use the data dial or –/+ buttons to select an option.
• Double-tap the field. In the list that appears (examples below), tap the desired option. Alternatively, use the
data dial or the –/+ buttons to select an option.
In some windows, tap the relevant button at the bottom of the screen to confirm your selection or to cancel
without changing anything.
Selectors
Selectors show all available options. One of them is always selected. The
selected option is highlighted while the others are dark.
To select an option, tap it.
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Buttons
Buttons usually have two states: selected and deselected (active or inactive, respectively).
Some may have more than two states.
To switch between or cycle through a button’s states, do either of the following:
• Tap it.
• If it is outlined in red (and is not a mute button), use the data dial or –/+ buttons.
Checkboxes
Checkboxes have two states: checked and unchecked (enabled or disabled, respectively).
To check or uncheck a checkbox, tap it.
Tabs
Some modes have buttons at the bottom of the screen that let you cycle through several
similar tabs. For instance, you could view the send level that is routed to each of four
returns—each level is shown on a separate tab. With each tap, you will move to the next
tab, indicated by the squares below it.
To select a tab, tap it. Each time you tap it, it will select the next tab.
Sliders
To adjust the position of a slider, do any of the following:
• Tap and drag the slider to the desired position.
• Tap the desired position (this works only on some sliders).
• Tap the slider to select it, and then use the data dial or –/+ buttons to adjust the position (this works only on
some sliders).
• Double-tap the slider, and then tap and drag the larger version that appears, or use the data dial or –/+ buttons
to adjust the value. If the slider controls a volume level, double-tap the larger version to reset it to 0 dB. Tap
anywhere else to return to the previous screen.
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Envelopes
To set the stages of an envelope, do either of the following:
Tip: Tap the expand-rectangle icon above the envelope to show a close-up view.
• Tap and drag a “handle” of an envelope stage in the desired direction.
• Set the numeric value of an envelope stage by adjusting or entering it as a parameter value
(described earlier).
The Envelope tab in Program Edit Mode.
Close-up of an AD-type filter envelope. Close-up of an AHDS-type amp envelope.
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Grid View Tools
In the Grid View, these four icons enable you to use different functions in the grid.
Tap one to select its mode:
Pencil: Draw Mode:
To enter a note in an empty grid square, tap the grid square.
To select a note, tap it.
To move a note, tap and drag it to another grid square.
To erase a note, double-tap it.
Eraser: Erase Mode:
To erase a note, tap it.
Select Box: Select Mode:
Note: Notes will remain selected if you switch to another mode. The selection will change, however, if you
press a pad while Hitting Pad Selects All Events is set to On.
To select a note, tap it.
To select multiple notes, tap and drag across the grid to create a box around them.
To move a note, tap and drag it to another grid square.
To move multiple notes, select them as described above, and tap and drag them.
To erase multiple notes, select them as described above, and then select the eraser tool and tap any
of the selected notes.
Magnifying Glass: Navigation Mode:
To move to another part of the grid, tap and drag it.
To zoom in or out, spread or pinch your fingers (respectively) on the grid. You can do this vertically,
horizontally, or both at the same time.
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Audio Edit Tools
In Audio Edit Mode, these six tool icons enable you to use different functions in the waveform.
Tap one to select its mode:
Marquee: Marquee Mode:
To select a track region, tap the upper third of it.
To move a track region (or multiple selected track regions), tap and drag the upper third of it left or right.
To split the track at two specific points (creating a track region on either side and between them), tap and
drag across the middle third of it to create a translucent white box, and then tap the upper third of that box.
To shorten or lengthen a track region (or multiple selected track regions), tap and drag the lower third
of it left or right.
Arrow: Selection Mode:
To select a track region, tap it.
To select multiple track regions, tap and drag across the grid to create a box that highlights them.
Double-tap the selected track regions to deselect them.
To move a track region (or multiple selected track regions), tap and drag the upper third of it left or right.
To shorten or lengthen a track region (or multiple selected track regions), tap its edge and drag it.
Eraser: Erase Mode:
To select multiple track regions, tap and drag across the grid to create a box that highlights them.
To erase a track region (or multiple selected track regions), tap it.
Scissors: Split Mode:
To split the track at a specific point (creating a track region on either side), tap that point in the track.
To select a track region, tap its left-most edge.
To select multiple track regions, tap and drag across the grid to create a box that highlights them.
Double-tap the selected track regions to deselect them.
Mute: Mute Mode:
To select multiple track regions, tap and drag across the grid to create a box that highlights them.
Double-tap the selected track regions to deselect them.
To mute or unmute a track region (or multiple selected track regions), tap it.
Magnifying Glass: Navigation Mode:
To move to another part of the track, tap and drag it.
To zoom in or out, spread or pinch your fingers (respectively) on the grid. You can do this vertically,
horizontally, or both at the same time.
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Programs
About Programs
Each track you create within a sequence is routed through 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 Modes > Program
Edit Mode chapter.
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
Drum Programs for more information.
A plugin program contains an instance of a plugin through which you can send your track’s MIDI data.
See Plugin Programs 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 Keygroup Programs for more
information.
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 Clip Programs for more
information.
A MIDI program lets you send your track’s MIDI data to an external MIDI device like a synth or drum
machine. See MIDI Programs for more information.
A CV program lets you send your track’s MIDI data to an external MIDI device that uses control voltage
(CV), like a synth. See CV Programs for more information.
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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. Press Main to enter Main Mode.
2. Next to the Track field, tap the four-squares icon, which indicates a drum
program.
3. 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, tap 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, tap the cursor icon on the right edge of the Program
section. Use the virtual keyboard that appears to enter a new name, and then
tap Do It to confirm or the gray bar at the top of the screen to cancel.
To load a sample into a drum program:
1. Press Browse (MPC X, MPC One, MPC Studio) or Shift+Menu/Browse (MPC Live, MPC Live II, MPC Key 61,
MPC Touch) to show the Browser. Find and select a sample, and then tap Load to load it to the program.
Repeat this for any other samples you want to load into the project. (See Modes > Browser to learn more about
using the Browser specifically.)
2. Tap Sample Assign to view the pads and project’s sample pool.
3. Press or tap a pad to select it. The pad will be lit green.
4.
In the Sample Pool list, tap a sample to assign it to the pad. Alternatively, use the data dial or –/+ buttons to
assign a sample and/or change the assigned sample.
To clear the assigned sample from a selected pad, tap Clear Pad.
To assign samples to additional pads, repeat Steps 3–4.
Tip: Remember that a drum program has 128 pads total—16 pads across eight banks.
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Alternatively, assign samples in a drum program in Program Edit Mode in one of these two ways:
1. Press Menu, and then tap Program Edit to enter Program Edit Mode. Alternatively, press Prog Edit (MPC X,
MPC One), or press Edit (MPC Key 61).
2. Tap the Samples to view any of the last three pages. These lets you view the samples assigned to all four layers
of the current pad as well as other parameters such as tuning, level, panning, or offset for each layer.
3. Tap a pad to select it (and play its assigned samples, if any). The pad will be lit green.
4. Tap one of the Layer fields under the sample waveform to select a layer. Tap the Sample field, and then use the
data dial or –/+ buttons to select a sample. Alternatively, double-tap the field for a layer, and then tap a sample
to select it.
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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).
To create a plugin program:
1. Press Main to enter Main Mode.
2. Next to the Track field, tap the plug icon, which indicates a plugin program.
3. 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, tap the + icon above the Program field. A new plugin program will be
created and appended with a number (e.g., Plugin 002).
4. Double-tap the Plugin field. In the list that appears, tap the desired plugin. Alternatively, use the data dial or the
–/+ buttons to select a plugin.
To sort your plugins by type or maker, tap Type or Manufacturer.
5. Tap Select to select the plugin, or tap Close to cancel.
To select a preset in your plugin (if any), double-tap the Preset field. In the list that appears, tap the desired
preset. Alternatively, use the data dial or the –/+ buttons to select a preset.
To rename the program, tap the cursor icon on the right edge of the Program section. Use the virtual keyboard that
appears to enter a new name, and then tap Do It to confirm or the gray bar at the top of the screen to cancel.
You can also use the Sounds menu to browse plugins and presets or the Favorites menu to add and select your
most-used sounds. See Addenda > Updates in MPC 2.11 > New Features > Sounds and Favorites for more
information.
To adjust the volume and panning of a track using the plugin program:
1. Press Menu, and then tap Channel Mixer to enter the Channel Mixer. Alternatively, press Ch. Mixer (MPC X),
Track Mix (MPC One), or Mix (MPC Key 61).
2. Double-tap the Mixer field in the upper-left corner, and then tap Midi Tracks.
3. Tap the square that represents the track with the plugin program to select it.
4. Tap and drag the volume slider or pan knob up or down to adjust it. After you do this once, you can adjust the
volume and panning of the plugin program normally.
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.
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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. Press Main to enter Main Mode.
2. Next to the Track field, tap the piano-keys icon, which
indicates a keygroup program.
3. 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, tap 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, tap the cursor icon on the right edge of the Program
section. Use the virtual keyboard that appears to enter a new name, and then tap
Do It to confirm or the gray bar at the top of the screen to cancel.
To assign samples in a keygroup program:
1. Press Menu, and then tap Program Edit to enter Program
Edit Mode. Alternatively, press Prog Edit (MPC X, MPC
One), or press Edit (MPC Key 61).
2. Tap Samples to view any of the last three pages. These
lets you view the samples assigned to all four layers of
the current keygroup as well as other parameters such
as tuning, level, panning, or offset for each layer.
3. Tap the Number of KG field, and then use the data dial
or –/+ buttons to set the number of keygroups in the
program (1
field, and then use the numeric keypad to enter a value (or
double-tap the Number of KG field, and then use the
numeric keypad on the screen).
4. Tap the Keygroup field, and then use the data dial or –/+
buttons to select a keygroup. Alternatively, double-tap the
Keygroup field, and then tap a keygroup to select it.
5. Tap a pad to play the sample in the keygroup. The pad will be lit green.
Tip: On your MPC hardware, disable Pad Perform and then press the Pad Bank D button to switch to Pad Bank
D and press 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. Alternatively, you can play middle-C on an external MIDI device to hear
the sample at the original pitch.
6. Tap the field for a layer, and then use the data dial or –/+ buttons to select a sample. Alternatively, double-tap
the field for a layer, and then tap a sample to select it.
–128). Alternatively, tap the Number of KG
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.
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Clip Programs
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.
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. Press Main to enter Main Mode.
2. Next to the Track field, tap the play-button icon, which indicates a clip program.
3. 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, tap 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, tap the cursor icon on the right edge of the Program section. Use the virtual keyboard that
appears to enter a new name, and then tap Do It to confirm or the gray bar at the top of the screen to cancel.
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To load a clip into a clip program:
1. Press Main to enter Main Mode.
2. Tap Edit Clips to view the pads and clip settings.
3. Press or tap a pad to select it (and play its assigned samples, if any). The pad on the screen will be lit red, and its
number will appear in the Pad field.
4. Tap the Sample field, and then use the data dial or –/+ buttons to select a clip. Alternatively, double-tap the
Sample field, and then tap a clip to select it.
To clear the assigned clip from a selected pad, repeat Step 4, but select None.
To assign clips to additional pads, repeat Steps 3–4.
Alternatively, assign clips in a clip program this way:
1. Press Browse (MPC X, MPC One, MPC Studio) or Shift+Menu/Browse (MPC Live, MPC Live II, MPC Key 61,
MPC Touch) to show the Browser. Find and select a clip, and then tap Load to load it to the program. Repeat
this for any other clips you want to load into the project. (See Modes > Browser to learn more about using the
Browser specifically.)
2. Tap Sample Assign to view the pads and project’s sample pool.
3. Tap Assign Mode so it is selected (tapping an item in the sample pool will now assign it automatically to the
current pad).
4. In the Sample Pool list, tap a clip to assign it to the pad. Alternatively, use the data dial or –/+ buttons to assign
a clip and/or change the assigned clip.
To clear the assigned clip from a selected pad, tap Clear Pad.
To assign clips to additional pads, repeat Steps 4–5.
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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. Press Main to enter Main Mode.
2. Next to the Track field, tap the MIDI-jack icon, which indicates a MIDI program.
3. 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, it will be selected automatically and appear in the Program field
below.
To create another MIDI program, tap the + icon above the Program field. A new MIDI program will be created
and appended with a number (e.g., Midi 002).
4. There are five additional settings to configure for a MIDI program: the MIDI Port, program change message
(Program Ch), MIDI channel (MIDI Ch), Most Significant Byte (Bank MSB), and Least Significant Byte (Bank
LSB). See this section to learn more.
To configure each setting, double-tap its field. In the list that appears, tap the desired option. Alternatively, use
the data dial or the –/+ buttons to select an option.
Note: You also have to configure the MIDI ports in the software’s Preferences (in the Edit Menu). See the user
guide in the MPC software to learn more: click the Help menu, select MPC Help, and select MPC User Manual.
To rename the program, tap the cursor icon on the right edge of the Program section. Use the virtual keyboard that
appears to enter a new name, and then tap Do It to confirm or the gray bar at the top of the screen to cancel.
To adjust the volume and panning of a track using the MIDI program:
1. Press Menu, and then tap Channel Mixer to enter the Channel Mixer. Alternatively, press Ch. Mixer (MPC X),
Track Mix (MPC One), or Mix (MPC Key 61).
2. Double-tap the Mixer field in the upper-left corner, and then tap Midi Tracks.
3. Tap the square that represents the track with the MIDI program to select it.
4. Tap and drag the volume slider or pan knob up or down to adjust it. After you do this once, you can adjust the
volume and panning of the MIDI program normally.
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.
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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.
To create a CV program:
1. Press Main to enter Main Mode.
2. Next to the Track field, tap the CV icon, which
indicates a CV program.
3. 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).
4. Tap the keys icon to select a Melodic operation. This
is the same as the traditional CV program operation.
There are five additional settings to configure for a
Melodic CV program: the note tracking (Note), the CV
Port, the Gate Port, the modulation wheel (Mod
Wheel), and Velocity Port.
Tap the pads icon to select a Drum operation. In this
mode, tap the four squares with note icon to assign
each pad to a specific CV port and set its data type.
To rename the program, tap the cursor icon on the
right edge of the Program section. Use the virtual
keyboard that appears to enter a new name, and then
tap Do It to confirm or the gray bar at the top of the
screen to cancel.
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Menu
The Menu lets you select any of the 21 modes, save or start a new project, set your preferences, switch between
Standalone Mode and Controller Mode (except MPC Studio and MPC Touch), or view your system resources.
To open the Menu, press Menu, or tap the icon in the upper-left corner of the screen while on the normal page of
your current mode.
When viewing the Menu, do any of the following:
To enter a mode, tap it.
Important: If a sequence is currently playing, you will not be able to enter Song Mode. Stop playback before
entering Song Mode.
To return to the previous mode, tap the gray area in the upper-left corner, or press Menu again.
To start a new project, tap New Project at the bottom of the screen.
You can also press and hold the Menu button and press a pad to select a menu mode. The pads follow the 4x4
layout of the main body of the Mode Menu.
Note: The Menu above is available when the currently selected track is a MIDI track. When an
audio track is selected, it will show an icon for Audio Edit Mode instead of Grid View.
Click a part of the screen above to skip directly to that part of this user guide.
You can also edit the Menu layout by tapping the Edit button. Once enabled, tap and drag the menu icons to your
preferred location, and then tap Edit again to save your changes. This is useful for putting your most-used modes in
the left-most column so that they are easily accessed in any mode by swiping to the right from the left edge of the
touchscreen. See Addenda > Updates in MPC 2.11 > New Features > Menu Editing and Shortcuts Panel for
more information.
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Save
To open the save selector window, tap the Save button at the bottom of the screen.
To save a project, tap Project or Project As. If a project has not been saved before, both options will open the
save path window, described below. If a project has been saved before, tapping Project will automatically
overwrite the most recently saved version.
To save the current drum program, tap Drum Program when a Drum program is selected.
To save the current plugin program, tap Plugin Program when a Plugin program is selected.
To save the current keygroup, tap Keygroup when a Keygroup program is selected.
To save the current MIDI program, tap MIDI Program when a MIDI program is selected.
To save the current clip program, tap Clip Program when a clip program is selected.
To save the current CV program, tap CV Program when a CV program is selected.
To save the current program inserts, tap Program FX Rack.
To save the currently selected sample, tap Sample when the sample’s pad is selected. If a pad has multiple
layers, the sample currently selected for the pad in Sample Edit mode will be saved.
To save the current sequence, tap Sequence.
To save the project as an audio mixdown, tap Audio Mixdown.
Use the Start Bar and End Bar fields under Audio Length to set the time range that you want to mix down.
You can add a number of seconds to the end of the mixdown to capture any ringing notes or effects (such as
a reverb tail) by adjusting the Audio Tail field.
Use the fields under Render Source and Render Options to set the parameters for the audio mixdown.
Check the Separate Tracks box to render each track of the arrangement as stems.
Use the fields at the bottom of the screen to configure the audio mixdown settings. You can set the File
Format, Bit Depth, and Sample Rate.
To save the project as an Ableton Live set, tap Ableton Live Set.
Use the Export MIDI As settings to choose how MIDI tracks and clips are exported, either as Audio files or
MIDI files. When using Plugin, Drum or Keygroup programs, you can render clips as Audio to preserve the
sound of the instruments, or render clips as MIDI data.
Check the
Include Program Volume/Pan Settings box to include these settings in the export. When
disabled, the volume and pan settings will be set to 0 dB and center (C), respectively.
Check the Bypass Program Effects Plugins box to deactivate any third-party effect plugins used with the
program for the export. When disabled, those effects will be activated.
Use the Audio Tail field to set the amount, in seconds, of extra time added to the end of the resulting audio
files.
Use the Bit Depth field to set the bit depth to 8, 16 or 24.
Use the Sample Rate field to set the sample rate to 44.1, 48, 88.2 or 96 kHz.
To close the window and return to the menu, tap Close or anywhere outside the window.
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After selecting the save type, use the following to select a save location:
To select the storage device you want to view, tap it in the Storage column on the left.
Internal is the internal drive of MPC X/Live/Live II/One/Key 61.
MPC Documents is a shortcut to the MPC Documents folder on the internal drive of MPC X/Live/Live
II/One/Key 61.
If you have storage devices connected to a USB port or SD card slot of MPC X/Live/Live II/One/Key 61, or your
computer (with MPC Studio or MPC Touch), they will also appear in this column.
To enter a folder, double-tap it. Alternatively, turn the data dial or use the –/+ buttons to move through the list, and
press the data dial, or the center cursor or Enter (MPC X), to enter a folder. You can also tap one of the five
folder buttons in the upper-right to jump immediately to those pre-assigned file paths (see Modes > Browser to
learn how to do this).
To create a new folder, tap New Folder, use the virtual keyboard that appears to enter a name, and then tap Do It.
You will immediately enter the new folder.
To move up one folder level, tap the folder/ icon in the upper-left corner.
To name the file, tap the File Name field at the bottom of the screen, and use the virtual keyboard that appears.
To save the file, tap Save.
To save the file as a project template file, tap the Save as Template checkbox to check it before tapping Save.
(This file will be shown in the Template File field in the Preferences’ Project Load/Save tab.)
To cancel and return to the Menu, tap Cancel. Alternatively, tap the icon in the upper-left corner.
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Preferences
To open the Preferences, tap the Preferences button at the bottom of the screen.
To return to the Menu, tap the icon in the upper-left corner. Changes to the Preferences are saved
automatically except for Vintage Mode (in the General tab) and Start Time (in the Sync tab).
To restore your MPC hardware’s default settings, tap Reset Preferences. In the screen that appears, tap OK to
continue or Cancel to return to the Preferences. In the next window, tap Save to save your current project before
restoring the default settings; tap Cancel to return to the Preferences; or tap Don’t Save to restore the default
settings without saving your current project.
Important: For MPC X, MPC Live, MPC Live II, MPC One, and MPC Key 61, the Preferences will appear differently in
Controller Mode than in Standalone Mode. Some of the options described in this section may be available in only one
of these modes or in a different order. For MPC Studio, consult the MPC Software User Guide by going to Help > MPC
Help > MPC Software Manual for more information on the software preferences.
Info
This screen shows current information about your MPC hardware: its current firmware version, which includes its
standalone operating system (MPC Firmware); its hardware Serial Number; and its current firmware for the Control
Surface.
To enter Update Mode, tap Update. In the screen that appears, tap Save to save your current project before
entering Update Mode; tap Cancel to return to the Preferences; or tap Don’t Save to enter Update Mode without
saving your current project.
To view legal information relevant to MPC, press and hold Shift and tap Legal Info. For complete legal information,
visit akaipro.com/product-legal.
To view detailed version information, press and hold Shift and tap Version Info.
Activate Plugins
The settings on this screen allow you to sign in to your inMusic Profile to activate purchased plugin licenses. See
Addenda > Updates in MPC 2.11 > New Features > New Plugin Instruments for more information.
Wi-Fi
The settings on this screen will determine how your MPC hardware's wireless connection works, so you can use
Ableton Link, a new technology that synchronizes beat, phase and tempo of Ableton Live and Ableton Link-enabled
applications over a wireless or wired network. These settings are available only for MPC X, MPC Live, MPC Live II,
and MPC Key 61 when used in Standalone Mode.
To activate or deactivate wireless connectivity on your MPC hardware, tap the On/Off selector. The
available wireless networks will appear in the panel below it.
To select a wireless network, tap it.
To connect to a selected wireless network, tap Connect. If the Wi-Fi network is password-protected, use the
virtual keyboard that appears to enter the correct password to connect to it.
To view the information of a selected wireless network, press and hold Shift and tap Info. The Network
Information window that appears will show the network name, IPv4/IPv6 address (including the subnet mask
and gateway), type of security, and signal strength (as a percentage).
To disconnect from a connected wireless network, tap Disconnect.
To clear the connection information (e.g., the password) from a selected wireless network, tap Forget.
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Ethernet
The settings on this screen will determine how your MPC hardware connects to a wired network using a USB-toEthernet adapter or Ethernet cable (MPC One, MPC Live II, MPC Key 61 only). This allows you to maintain a tighter
network connection when using Ableton Link or the Akai Network Driver. These settings are available only for MPC X,
MPC Live, MPC Live II, MPC One, and MPC Key 61 when used in Standalone Mode.
To activate or deactivate Ethernet connectivity on your MPC hardware, tap the Enabled box.
To determine how your MPC hardware connects to the network, use the Address Method dropdown. Select
Automatic to have your MPC hardware set the Ethernet connection, or Manual to set it yourself.
When setting the Ethernet connection manually, tap the IP Address, Subnet Mask, Gateway, and DNS fields to
input the values.
Bluetooth
The settings on this screen will determine how your MPC hardware’s Bluetooth connection works, so you can use
Bluetooth MIDI controllers (e.g., LPD8 Wireless or LPK25 Wireless) or a Bluetooth computer keyboard with it. These
settings are available only for MPC X, MPC Live, MPC Live II, and MPC Key 61 when used in Standalone Mode.
To activate or deactivate Bluetooth connectivity on your MPC hardware, tap the On/Off selector. The
available Bluetooth devices will appear in the panel below it under Available Devices. The Bluetooth devices
that have already paired to your MPC hardware will appear under Paired Devices.
To select a Bluetooth device, tap it.
To pair a selected Bluetooth device (in the Available Devices section), tap Pair.
To connect to a selected Bluetooth device (in the Paired Devices section), tap Connect.
To disconnect from a connected Bluetooth device (in the Paired Devices section), tap Disconnect.
To return an available Bluetooth device to its original state, tap Remove.
Audio Device
The settings on this screen allow you to set up an external USB and Linux class-compliant audio interface for use
with your MPC hardware. See Addenda > Updates in MPC 2.10 > New Features > Standalone Audio Interface
Support to learn more.
Note: If you are unsure of your audio interface’s compatibility, check with the original equipment manufacturer for
more information.
MIDI / Sync
The settings on this screen determine how your MPC hardware uses and synchronizes with connected USB and
MIDI devices.
Input Ports: This displays all available MIDI input ports in a list. Double-tap the keyboard icon to rename a port
to a custom name. When Global is enabled, MIDI data from this port will always go to the current track. When
Control is enabled, MIDI data from this port will be sent to MIDI Learn. When Track is enabled, this MIDI port will
appear in the list of available MIDI Inputs. Click the reset arrow to reset the MDI Port settings.
Output Ports: This displays all available MIDI output ports in a list. Double-tap the keyboard icon to rename a port
to a custom name. When Sync is enabled, the MIDI output port will send MIDI sync messages according to the
type set under Sync Send, below. When Track is enabled, this MIDI port will appear in the list of available track
MIDI outputs. Click the reset arrow to reset the MDI Port settings.
Enable MIDI Ports When Discovered: When enabled, any time a MIDI device is plugged in the Track option is
automatically enabled so the ports can be selected as an available MIDI input or output.
MIDI Control Mode Output: This determines which MIDI port the MPC hardware is using to send MIDI
messages to external MIDI devices.
Receive: This determines whether your MPC hardware receives MIDI Clock information (MIDI Clock), MIDI Time
Code information (MIDI Time Code (MTC)), communication from Ableton Link (Ableton Link), or none of these (Off).
Important: Audio recording is disabled when receiving MIDI Clock sync. Use MIDI Time Code to record audio
while receiving MIDI sync.
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A
Receive MMC: When enabled, your MPC hardware will be able to receive MIDI Machine Control (MMC)
information. When disabled, your MPC hardware will not receive this information. See Appendix > MIDI Machine
Control (MMC) to learn about this.
Send: This determines whether your MPC hardware sends MIDI Clock information (MIDI Clock), MIDI Time
Code information (MIDI Time Code (MTC)), or neither (Off).
Send MMC: When enabled, your MPC hardware will be able to send MIDI Machine Control (MMC) information.
When disabled, your MPC hardware will not send this information. See Appendix > MIDI Machine Control (MMC)
to learn about this.
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. In most cases, you should select 25.
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.
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 MID I program change message will change: a Program,
Sequence, or Track.
Hardware
The settings on this screen determine the behavior of your MPC hardware’s pads and touchscreen.
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 (see graphic here).
MIDI
Velocity
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 (MPC X only): These determine how connected
footswitches will work.
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).
Screen Brightness: This determines the brightness of the screen during normal operation: normal brightness
(Day) or dimmed (Night).
Power On Screen (MPC Live, MPC Live II only): This determines if/when a special screen will appear when you
power on your MPC Live. On this screen, you must tap and hold a button for a moment to begin using MPC Live
or it will automatically power off. This feature prevents it from powering on accidentally and wasting battery life.
You can set it to the following options:
Never: The screen will never appear.
When On Battery: The screen will appear only if you power on MPC Live while using battery power.
Always: The screen will always appear.
Tap Tempo: This determines how many times you have to press the Tap button before the new tempo is
recognized.
Flash Tap Tempo Light: When enabled, the Tap button’s light will flash in time with the tempo. When disabled,
the Tap button’s light will be off.
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.
pplied
Force
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Shift + Q-Link Press: This setting determines whether pressing Shift and the Q-Link button opens Q-Link Edit or
Cycles Backwards between the Q-Link columns.
Global Pitch Bend: Enable this option to override the pitch bend settings of all programs, so that those with pitch
bend disabled or set to different ranges will only use the Global Range instead. When disabled, all programs may
use their individual pitch bend settings.
Range Down / Range Up: Use these fields to determine the range of pitch bend in semitones.
VU Meter Source (MPC X only): This determines what audio signal level is shown in the level meters (on the right side
of the screen). When set to Main, 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).
Date (not available for MPC Studio and MPC Touch): This is the current date, formatted as Month / Day / Year.
When saving files on MPC in Standalone Mode, the file will include the current date in its metadata. If you use
MPC in Controller Mode, this setting will be overwritten with the current date of the host computer.
Time (not available for MPC Studio and MPC Touch): This is the current time, formatted as Hour : Minute. When
saving files on MPC in Standalone Mode, the file will include the current time in its metadata. If you use MPC in
Controller Mode, this setting will be overwritten with the current time of the host computer.
Time Zone (not available for MPC Studio and MPC Touch): This is the current time zone, formatted as Continent
/ City, which you can change here.
Sequencer
The settings on this screen determine how sequencing works in the Grid View and in the Step Sequencer.
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.
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.
Rec Arm: This determines the behavior of the Record Arm buttons. When set to Single, selecting a different
track will automatically arm that track and disarm all other tracks. This is the default mode and is is the same as
previous MPC releases. When set to Multi, you can tap any track's record button to add it to the group of armed
tracks. See Addenda > Updates in MPC 2.8 > New Features > Single or Multi Record Arm to learn more.
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 the 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.
To Sequence Length
To Sequence End
As played
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Q-Link Swing Control Applies TC Settings on Release: When enabled, turning the Q-Link knob assigned to
Swing and then releasing it will immediately apply that Swing setting. When disabled, you must use the Timing
Correct window to apply the Swing setting.
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.
Project Defaults
The settings on this screen determine various default values for any new project that you create.
New Project Dialog: This determines what options you see when you start a new project. When set to Off, a
new project will be empty with no preconfigured settings except for the project defaults shown here. When set to
Demo, you can choose to load a demo project (from several different genres) as a starting point or an empty
project. When set to Demo/Template/Recent, you can choose to load a demo project, a project template file, or
an empty project. You must have a project in the Template File field of the Project Load/Save tab to select a
template in this window.
Default Tempo: This is the default tempo in BPM.
Default Global Tempo: When enabled, the default tempo value will be used for the global tempo. When
disabled, 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: This determines the number of beats per bar of a new sequence (the top
number of a time signature).
Default Time Signature Denominator: This determines the value of each beat of a new sequence (the bottom
number of a time signature).
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. See Appendix > Glossary > Filter to learn about this.
Default Plugin Synth: This determines the default instrument plugin that a new plugin program will use. Use the
window that appears to select it.
Project Load/Save
The settings on this screen determine if (and how) projects are automatically saved. If you are using MPC hardware
as a controller, you can also define files to load automatically.
Auto Load File: Use this field to select a project (.xpj) or program (.xpm) to load automatically anytime you open
the MPC software. (For MPC X, MPC Live, MPC Live II, MPC One, and MPC Key 61, this option is available only
when using your MPC hardware in Controller Mode.)
Enabled: When enabled, your project will automatically save after each Timeout interval. When disabled, your
project will not be automatically saved; you may save only manually.
Timeout: Use this field to select how often your project will automatically save.
Template File: Use this field to select a project template that will load automatically when you select User
Template in the New Project Dialog window. (If you select the Save as Template box when saving a file, it will
be shown in this field.) In order for the User Template option to be available, New Project Dialog (in the Project
Defaults tab) must be set to Demo or Demo/Template/Recent.
Record/Export
The settings on this screen determine the settings for recording and exporting.
Recording Bit Depth: This determines the bit depth of recorded audio.
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.
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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.
Main: When this is selected, Export Audio will export all tracks in that sequence that use programs routed to
main 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.
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).
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 1,2–7,8 in Standalone
Mode, Out 1,2–31,32 in Controller Mode; MPC Live/Live II do not use Out 7,8 and MPC One/Key 61 do not use Out
3,4–7,8 in Standalone Mode, but displays them to maintain compatibility with MPC X, which does use them). 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). You can also set
this in Sample Edit Mode (see Modes > Sample Edit Mode > Settings).
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 set this in
Sample Edit Mode (see Modes > Sample Edit Mode > Settings).
Threads: This determines how many cores of your computer’s processor will be used to render audio. The
available range depends on your processor. (For MPC X/Live/Live II/One/Key 61, this option is available only
when using your MPC hardware in Controller Mode.)
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). (For MPC X/Live/Live II/One/Key 61, this option is available only when using your MPC
hardware in Controller Mode.)
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 Track 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 button to enter a new tempo.
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Show Q-Link Status When Touched (MPC Live/Live II/One/Key 61/Touch only): When enabled, touching the Q-
Link knobs opens a pop-up showing the current Q-Link assignments and values.
Desktop Screensaver Disable: This determines if/when your computer’s screensaver is disabled while using
the MPC software (i.e., 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).
(For MPC X/Live/Live II/One/Key 61, this option is available only when using your MPC hardware in Controller
Mode.)
Collect Usage Statistics: This determines whether or not your usage statistics will be sent occasionally to us,
enabling us to improve the MPC experience. (For MPC X/Live/Live II/One/Key 61, this option is available only
when using your MPC hardware in Controller Mode.)
Splice
The settings on this screen control integration with the Splice platform. See Addenda > Updates in MPC 2.5 > New
Features > Splice Integration for more information.
Sync
Tap the Sync field (in the center of the top of the screen) and then turn the data dial or use the –/+
buttons to set whether your MPC hardware receives MIDI Clock information (MIDI Clock), MIDI
Time Code information (MTC), communication from Ableton Link, or none of these (Off).
Alternatively, double-tap Sync and tap the desired option to select it.
This is the same setting as the Receive menu in Sync tab of your Preferences. See Preferences
> MIDI / Sync for more information.
Important: Audio recording is disabled when receiving MIDI Clock sync. Use MIDI Time Code to
record audio while receiving MIDI sync.
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. Your MPC hardware
must be connected to a wireless network to receive this information. See Preferences > Wi-Fi to
learn how to connect to a wireless network.
Undo History
Tap the clock icon to open the Undo History window. See Addenda > Updates in MPC 2.10 >
New Features > Undo History for more information.
Tuner
Tap the tuning fork icon to open the Tuner window. See Addenda > Updates in MPC 2.11 >
New Features > Built-In Tuner for more information.
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MIDI Monitor
Tap the I/O icons to open the MIDI Monitor window. See Addenda > Updates in MPC 2.10 >
New Features > MIDI Monitor for more information.
Mode
Tap this icon to switch MPC X/Live/Live II/One/Key 61 between Standalone Mode and
Controller Mode (MPC Studio and MPC Touch already operate as a controller only). In the
screen that appears, select whether you want to save your current project before
switching (Save), switch without saving your project (Don’t Save), or stay in the current
mode and project (Cancel). You cannot freely switch between Standalone and Controller
Modes without also closing your current project.
See Standalone vs. Controller Mode to learn more.
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System Resources
Tap one of these icons to show the System Resources window for
MPC X/Live/Live II/One/Key 61.
The indicators in this window show current usage statistics:
Battery: If you are using MPC Live powered by its internal
battery, the first indicator shows the current battery life as a
percentage. (See Battery Usage to learn more about MPC
Live and MPC Live II’s internal battery.)
CPU: The CPU indicator shows the current CPU as a
percentage.
RAM Usage: The Mem indicator shows your MPC hardware’s
current RAM usage.
Important: If you encounter a warning that there is not enough memory to complete an action while using your
MPC hardware, do the following to make more memory available:
Make sure all audio tracks in your project are not record-armed.
Delete samples from your project’s sample pool that were there before the warning appeared.
If you are still seeing the warning, do the following:
1. Manually undo the last action you performed before seeing the warning (you may not be able to use the
Undo button for this due to how the undo history is stored in RAM).
2. Save your project.
3. Do one of the following, and then load your saved project again.
• In Main Mode, tap the folder icon at the top of the screen, and then tap New at the bottom of the screen.
• Power your MPC hardware off and then on again.
• Press Menu and then tap the gear icon to open the Preferences. In the Preferences, tap Reset at the
bottom of the screen, tap OK, and then tap Restart to reset the Preferences.
• Enter Controller Mode and then reenter Standalone Mode.
Important: Although you can load multiple files at once, any samples you load into a project will be automatically
converted to full-quality uncompressed audio files, so they may use more storage space than they do on your
external storage device. If you are unable to load multiple files at once due to this, select fewer files and try again.
Drives: The Drives indicator shows the available storage space on any detected external storage devices or the
internal drive of MPC X/Live/Live II/One/Key 61.
To delete samples from the project (to create more free RAM space for sampling time, audio recording, etc.), tap
Purge. In the screen that appears, tap Unused Samples to delete all unused samples from the project, tap All
Samples to delete all samples from the project (from all programs, sequences, and audio or MIDI tracks), or tap
Cancel to return to the previous screen.
To close the System Resources window, tap OK, the X in the upper-right corner, or anywhere outside the window.
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Time Counter/Locate
In most of the available modes, there is a time counter at the top of the screen. This indicates
the current playhead position.
To adjust the position, tap it, and then use the use the data dial or the –/+ buttons.
To open the Locate screen and adjust its settings, double-tap the time counter.
To close the Locate screen, tap the X in the upper-right corner or anywhere outside the
window.
To move forward or backward a step, tap the Step < or Step > button, respectively.
To move forward or backward a bar, tap the Bar << or Bar >> button, respectively.
To configure your auto record settings, use the Auto Record selector and adjacent fields:
Auto Record selector: Tap the desired option to select it:
Off: Auto recording is disabled.
Punch In: You can auto record using punch-in and punch-out markers, enabling 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. 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.
Record Start: After you record-arm the track and start playback, you will 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.
Punch In: Use these fields to set the location of the Punch In marker, which is where recording will start (when
the Auto Record selector is set to Punch In).
Punch Out: Use these fields to set the location of the Punch Out marker, which is where recording will stop
(when the Auto Record selector is set to Punch In).
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You can use this screen to set time markers, allowing you to jump automatically to precise locations in a sequence.
You can set up to six time markers.
To set a time marker, tap the time counter at the top of the screen, find the desired time, and then tap Set next to
the desired time marker. The time will appear next to that marker.
To jump to a time marker, tap the number next to it (1–6).
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Timing Correct (TC)
The Timing Correct window contains various settings to help quantize the 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 Timing Correct settings:
In Main Mode or List Edit Mode: Tap the TC field at the top of the screen.
In the Grid View: Press and hold Shift and tap TC at the bottom of the screen.
In the Track View or the Step Sequencer: Tap TC at the bottom of the screen.
Note: The TC button in Pad Mute Mode and Track Mute Mode contain Timing Correct settings, but they do
not open this window. See Modes > Pad Mute Mode and Track Mute Mode to learn about those settings.
Press the TC / On/Off button (MPC Live II/One/Key 61/Studio only).
To enable or disable Global Timing Correct, tap the Global Timing Correct button. Alternatively, press and
hold Shift and tap the TC field at the top of the screen in Main Mode or List Edit Mode.
To apply the settings you selected to the current track, tap Do It.
To apply the settings you selected to all tracks, tap All Tracks.
To cancel and return to the previous screen, tap 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.
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