This, they updated the GUI’s for the MPC Software on MacOS/Windows
Is anyone regularly using the audio tracks side of their MPC?
I’ve always felt that the 8 tracks is a restriction, and why wouldn’t you use a drum program and have 16 samples on pads to do the same thing?
But, I’m beginning to realise the power of the audio tracks for fast editing and chopping… but there’s not much written about them here and YouTube videos on the subject are quite rare.
Thank you Tubedigga
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Facts?!
Nobody got time for that here!
Every update sucks!
Everyone here is a world class developer and a generational musical talent being hindered by all these bugs!
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Yeah, I’ll usually have at least one audio track. Essential for anything you want to rearrange later, especially if it’s something that’s not static, like an acid line. Being able to see the whole waveform against the timeline is really useful when you’re adding effect automation. It can also be a good way to set a limit on a track - a three-minute guideline that you can plan events around, for example, even if it’s only there temporarily. Or render a few bars of drums to an audio track and then chop them around there - it’s a different workflow that can lead to different results. Sometimes a clip program will do the job, but there’s something to be said for the concrete nature of the audio track approach.
I’ve been spoiled now by the Force’s Arranger (and even if Akai don’t bring that across just being able to stream audio tracks would be a real blessing), but they’re still one of my favourite features on the One.
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Bugs:
Me personally, haven’t experienced any.
Watching buddies video, the guy from Montreal, seems like he is trying to run a bunch of stuff simultaneously. But refuses to use a computer (that could most likely handle what he wants to do AND with all the controllers he is using, could just stick the computer under his table). I find it a little much when you are taking a stripped down computer and wanting to act like a full blown computer. And then claiming DAWless. The MPC is basically a dedicated sample playback computer.
What I learned getting the Ae sysex files and listening to AMA…their whole set it pre planned. Minor tweaks are made on top of the set. But it is WELL organized and setup in a way that doesn’t over stress the gear they are using. AND they, even now with basically computer only setup, is that they have redundancy. There is backup up system in tandem in case one of the systems fails.
Even with a computer setup you need to prepared for failure during your set.
So dude is kinda being a little whiney I think.
Not that bugs are acceptable. Fixes are good for sure. Egregious bugs should not go out on release.
But the MPC is awesome 
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I use audio tracks when recording my external synths. Typically this is the initial destination for these audio clips when the song is developing. However, it has its limitation so I always end up triggering the corresponding project samples from a pad program when I’m getting closer to the finalization stage of the song.
Pros of audio tracks:
- Super convenient way to record the audio from external synths using a built in midi track as the “source”.
- Record and re-record as many times as you want, tweak the midi track, redo.
- The corresponding audio samples are automatically stored in the project and can be recalled, edited and chopped up in a program as needed.
- Can be used to monitor incoming audio live using built-in MPC effects and still recording the audio “dry”. For example, monitor a guitar using the new amp sim effect, record the audio and adjust the effect afterwards. (Contrast this with the Looper recordings, which “prints” any used effects into the resulting audio sample.)
Cons of audio tracks:
- Will abruptly cut the playback at the end of a Sequence. Forget about decay/release tails.
- Clumsy, separated workflow. Can’t mute/unmute corresponding track without switching mode.
- Any automation recorded onto an Audio track is erased when you re-record. For example, carefully “p-locked” panning programmed into the step sequencer is gone.
Pros of the pad program migration:
- You can program as much automation as you want.
- You can still use the Audio track for easy recording. Just remember to update the pad program to trigger the new sample when you re-record.
- Allows you to set the playback to one shot or program a release tail to your sample playback, making transitions between Sequences as seamless as you want them to be.
- You can mute/mess with the tracks all from the same mixer and mute screens.
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I just use Audio tracks as a throughput for monitoring and effecting external audio…
Cheers!
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It sounds like @djst and @JohntheSavage you’ve been using them how I have been using them till recently.
I think because I’ve spent more time in the MPC software lately (for easier midi/controller mapping), it’s letting me see possibilities with the audio tracks that I haven’t really noticed, or took time on, when using the hardware.
The functionality that’s there isn’t exactly life-changing, but, it’s like being able to quickly make your own chops/slices, rearrange however you want, select regions and warp them, pitch shift, alter the levels, reverse… it’s starting to feel more efficient to me than Ableton for editing audio fast.
It’d be nice to have more than 8 tracks.
I’ve been working around this by having EVERYTHING I have within the project being routed to dedicated Sub mixes that are controlled by my Launch Control. Without that, I agree, muting/unmuting just on the hardware is clunky… but it’s working great being routed to the Subs.
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This for me is the single biggest flaw of audio tracks, which os why like you I end up using the recorded tracks in pads
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You can setup the sequences on pads using the rows for groups or whatever. You have multiple pages, and you can progress through your set that way while muting segments with the pads.
Diff style than what my brain was used to. But werks really well. Just gotta organize and label stuff well.
[not that I play, or will ever play live]
Gonna add: I think it’s kind of a dead end if one is searching for one box to control all…that’s a computer. If you can organize the setup in a way that all the stuff syncs up and use the respective boxes for their functions, you’re better off.
[but I really know jack shit so easy to disregard post]
I suppose you can do this via project level a links if you’re working just on the MPC.
Or using the Subs.
But, a controller is definitely the best method I’ve tried.
Ok, troubleshooting help needed fellow MPC’ers… 
If I have Seqs running with audio tracks, and they’re 16 bars long… if I jump to another Seq early using the ‘NEXT BAR’ command, the audio keeps playing from the previous sequence.
Any ideas how to stop this happening?
In case anyone else is interested in the answer to my problem, I did find a solution.
I went into the audio in the audio tracks, used the scissor tool and made sure all audio files had a cut at each bar.
So if I had a 16 bar file, I had 16 cuts in the track.
This way the audio plays just to the end of the cut.
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Can audio tracks play freely while sequences change? Like can you put a 3 minute acapella on an audio track and have it play from the start of pressing play but keep playing as you change sequences behind it?
Also, can you record into it and have it keep recording as you play sequences behind it, for vocal recording over live sequence-changing say?
Sorry, away from the MPC to check.
I had once some strange behaviour with the length of audiotracks and sequence lengths when I lowered the tempo: the audio tracks stopped before the end of the sequence.
Changing the sequence BPM to “sequence” and back to “master” ‘fixed’ this: I guess the audio track length is somehow not always correctly updated.
If you put a long acapella into an audio track on a dedicated seq and make it, say 128bars and have no cuts/ in the sample/audio file… it should play until the end of the sample even if you change to other seqs underneath it.
It should only stop if you double press stop itself.
I’m not sure it would be the best way to work, but it should work.
Have you thought about using a Clip program for something like this?
That way you could fire segments of the vox off throughout a project (duplicate the clip program through the seqs), and you can stop them easily too.
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It upsets me to report this, but I had to make the decision to drop my MPC as the main brain of my live rig today.
After spending many hours working on the set/project, I don’t feel I can trust it.
I can’t use it completely standalone, I’ve needed 2 midi controllers (with the MPC mainly sitting on its Next Seq page), and it keeps messing up on me.
Buttons I have dedicated to Sub mutes started randomly making the sequence change last night. Then earlier, the MPC wasn’t responding to the controllers at all, I had to reboot it.
So my faith/trust in it isn’t there now.
I’ve had to spend 6+ hours today converting my MPC master project to an Ableton session. Moving to Ableton means I can keep the same workflow with the controllers, I’ve just had to add a Novation Launchpad Pro.
Honestly feel disappointed that I can’t use the MPC and have to use my MacBook on stage.
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What OS are you running?
2.10 has been really stable for me onstage, including all my MIDI mappings (I’ve got a MIDI Twister controlling synth parameters). Whereas the last few iterations of the OS have not been entirely stable for my use-case. I’m decidedly not updating to 2.11 for this reason. If it ain’t broke, as they say…
Anyway, just curious.
Cheers!