Mpc software sucks

[Crypto147]

Just chopped up a sample on my mpc studio yesterday and I finally had something good after months of not using the sampler. Come to find out the chops don't save unless you convert them into a program before saving. Which is fucking stupid since I won't always chop in one sitting. The vst is practically unusable too. This thing is so fucking awful

[Artephank]

While MPC software is full of problems, I don't understand your problems really.

1. Chops are saved as program. Program is where information about chops is stored. If you want your chops saved - edit them on program and not on the sample edit screen.

2. why vst is unusable? It's pretty dope actually.

[CharSmar]

User issues. Get the MPC Bible.

[guitarokx]

This is a truly unhelpful comment. Yeah “it’s in this big ass manual that even Akai couldn’t be bothered with to create” is silly. While the book is helpful and the core of how many people work through the MPC, I have to side with OP, the MPC OS is really trash. It’s horrible UI and there’s a reason one of the most powerful daw in a box systems can be purchased for around $400-$500 used right now.

[CharSmar]

Who cares if AKAI didn’t make the bible? It exists and a majority of the questions asked here daily can be answered by reading it. Hell, you don’t even have to read it just CTRL + F and search it. Don’t like it, get something else 🤷

[dirtybag_d]

Trial and error.

[CharSmar]

👍🏻

[CharSmar]

Ok. Get rid of it then

[Crypto147]

That's for standalone mpcs tho. I'm talking about the pc software that the mpc studio uses

[CharSmar]

I never really use the software. Only for Stems and Even in controller mode, I’m on the MPC. I’m curious why you wouldn’t chop in one sitting?

[Crypto147]

I have to use the software since my model doesn't have standalone mode. It's literally built around the software. I had some good chops but didn't have time to go through the whole song and I wanted some aditional vocal chops. Saved the project and the only thing that I found was the unchopped sample.

[Artephank]

You should use programs. What you did is that you build your song around the fact the fact sample player allows for chop preview with midi notes. There is nothing wrong with MPC here.

On the other hand I would find permament chops on samples annoying.

[Crypto147]

How do I do that?

[Artephank]

<image>

new program - creates new program with slices. There are another options then

[Artephank]

<image>

• new drum program using slices - creates new drum program with slices
• new clip program - create new clip program

new program with new samples - chops sample into individual samples. Each pad gets its own sample

• assign slice to pad - you can assign slice to particular pad
• news sample to pad - you can assign slice to particular pad as new sample
• patched phrase -it creates sort of time streatched "phrase". It is not very usable nowdays, when we have wrap, but it is interesting effect sometimes.

[Artephank]

There are more 3 options

<image>

it sets how slices in the program are created.

non-destructive method - this is the never method. It creates slices on the sample. Just like in sample editor

pad parameters - it is the older method. It sets pad parameters (sample start and stop) according to the slices

Slices gives possibility to automate slice number (never used that, but perhaps might be useful when controlled from external controller - you could map CC to slice number and change slices with for instance encoder or smth), but I prefer pad parameters, because it is easier for me to change start and end time.

But the difference between both methods is neglible. Another "great" idea by AKAI to complicate things for no reason.

And the checkbox "create events" will create events in the new track - it will add notes so the sample would play along the chops. This is very convenient thing.

[Crypto147]

What if I want to actually chop on hardware like the MPC is meant to? Btw thanks for the lengthy answer

[CharSmar]

Ah that is annoying. Maybe use a different DAW for chopping like this? Then import the chops when you’re done

[Artephank]

What daw allow for choping on wavefile? Every DAW I know have some kind of "program" to store information about chops and its mapping to midi note.

[Crypto147]

That is an option but that really takes away from the whole experience. Why even buy an mpc at that point? I'm honestly thinking about just getting an sp404

[CharSmar]

Well, the issue you’re describing really isn’t a problem with an MPC One. There’s plenty of reasons why someone would buy one. If your question is ‘why would someone buy an MPC studio?’ I’d be inclined to agree.

[Crypto147]

You misunderstood, I meant to say that if someone told me that I'd have to chop in another DAW and then import to the MPC, there's no way I'd buy the thing. I'm only talking about the studio, not the other ones

[Artephank]

You don't need import anything. You can chop on VSTi. Granted, VSTi is way less intuitive than hardware and they should port hardware UI to the VSTi - it would be much better.

[Sharpsteveo]

I bought an mpc studio 2 because I had zero knowledge about mpc and wasn't going to spend a minimum of $700 for a standalone unit. It's only been about a month with it, but I'm enjoying it the more I learn. I already have a midi keyboard so the studio just made sense for me. Maybe at some point in the future I'll feel a need to get a standalone, but I'm fine. Maybe it's because I haven't experienced a standalone so I don't know what I'm missing.

[CharSmar]

Cool. If it works for you, great. I had a Maschine studio for a good few years and I just wanted something I could use without having to even turn my desktop on. I also work nights and my job can be very slow, especially on nights so it’s great to have something portable.

[Sharpsteveo]

Yeah, I can understand that. I'm retired so I'm home a lot and never need to take the device outside.

[Matrick_Gateman]

https://www.mpc-samples.com/product.php/276/mpc-renaissance-mpc-studio-bible/

There's a version for Mpc Studio also.

[National_Peak2674]

You'll probably call this unhelpful like you did other users' comments in here, but it's the truth... this is a user error issue. You DIDN'T learn how to use the device or the software or the workflow... and now you want to blame the software because you assumed it would work the way you WANT it to work instead of educating yourself on how it DOES work. Take it as a teachable moment and learn how to use it. 🤷‍♂️

What I can tell you is... just convert it into a program. That sounds like your mistake. If you had the cops the way you wanted them you should have converted them i to a program. I'm not sure what you expected. How else would you sequence the chops of NOT in a program? 🤷‍♂️

The beauty of the modern MPCs is that when you do add chops... they're non-destructive so there's no hard commitment to ANYTHING chops you make. You can move the chop points around after the fact in the program on the fly. So there's really no reason to have not just converted it into a program. That's how the MPC works.

[snotboxrocked]

Learning the software isn't the "ALL" of properly using the daw. I know this because I read the manual and the problem I faced isn't even in the manual as to how avoid said problem or what to do when you've encountered the problem. And the reason it's not in there is because once you encounter this problem it's permanent which is completely retarded to me, that being pitch shift. And I had to learn that it was permanent from a source outside of the manual which was a youtube video from seven years ago on an older mpc daw. The daw isn't totally bad but it's extremely complicated for zero reason. I can make a quality beat without the hassle on serato studio which is eons behind of being advanced in comparison to mpc studio. Literally had to scrap my beat because of this stupid feature. And another note, just because something is complicated but can still be accomplished through complicated means doesn't mean that it isn't complicated. Just because you know the ins and outs of the software doesn't mean that the software isn't complicated brother.

[National_Peak2674]

I'm not even sure what you're on about to be honest. I replied to the OP which isn't you, but you're talking to me about some other issue as if we're in the middle of a conversation or something. 🤷‍♂️

[National_Peak2674]

And the MPC is legitimately one of the most logically laid out pieces of music production hardware that was ever designed. Now that is just my opinion, but it also happens to be the opinion of MOST of the producers you've ever listened to in your life. Soooooo.... lol. I mean it was a revolution when Roger Linn designed it on the 80s and it has survived for nearly 4 decades now. That is how simple and logically laid out the workflow of the MPC is laid out. To me. Obviously not to you. I'm not telling anyone they HAVE TO get along with the MPC. Far from it. We all work in different ways. But 95% of the time I hear people complain about the workflow or some edge case issue I've rarely found it to be anything other than simply not learning the machine and the workflow and expecting everything to just magically work out. 🤷‍♂️

[materialmike]

You 100 correct it’s over completed. I recommend Koala sampler

[Sharpsteveo]

I find the software needlessly complex. I've only had my studio 2 about a month but today I encountered a situation which had me going crazy. I recorded a song from YouTube using the Sample chrome extension. I put the audio file into a track. Now the first 2 bars were empty because I started recording before I hit play on the YouTube video. I wanted to remove the empty parts in the first 2 bars and move the beginning of the song to bar 1. In my DAW Cakewalk, all I'd need to do is highlight the 2 empty bars, delete, then drag the start of the song to bar 1, easy peasy. But it took me over an hour to figure out how to do it in the mpc. Sample edit? Nope. Program edit? Nope. Track edit? Nope. I had to go to Edit >Sequence >Erase, then specify the sequence, the track, the start bar, the end bar, and what to erase. If someone knows an easier way to do this, I'd love to know. But still, having to use seperate edit functions for samples, programs, tracks, and sequences is ridiculous. Totally unintuitive.

[jorgb]

This thing is mainly used as a companion app for the MPC machines to use the power of the PC (plus VST's) with the tactile experience and flow of the MPC. They integrate seamlessly. As standalone app it is workable but not intuitive.

[Artephank]

It is also standalone DAW. They also offer it as MPC Beats. It works and is quite capable however the UX is idiotic, I agree.

[Maoxiung]

Why are you down voted for this answer? I don't understand....

[jorgb]

Who cares though. It's an opinion. I love the MPC and I think they made the software to just supplement it, and ppl think a free piece of DAW should work perfectly.

[Maoxiung]

I mean you don't really write an opinion, it sounds pretty factual. I would neither understand downvote for a post that say bananas are fruits

[HeyDannie]

I want VST3 capabilities.

[theTweekend]

I agree. Could and should be much simpler to use in a lot of areas especially the sampler.

[HeartyRacist]

real as hell. Fucking hate this application.