Chapter 9

Track Edit: drums

Layers, oscillators, envelopes and modulation for every pad.

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In this chapter · 10

9.1Track Edit Mode basics
9.2Global tab
9.3Samples/Oscs tab
9.4Envelopes tab
9.5Mods tab
9.6Effects tab
9.7LFO tab
9.8Utilities tab
9.9Mod Matrix tab
9.10Anatomy of an envelope

9.1IntermediateManual Track Edit Mode p.188, Drum Tracks p.188

Track Edit Mode basics

Track Edit Mode is the sound-design workbench for a track, and earlier software called it Program Edit Mode. What it shows depends on the track type. On a drum track you get every pad’s eight layers, its synthesis parameters and its insert effects. Keygroup tracks add a few more parameters (Keygroup overview: Advanced and Legacy), while plugin, MIDI and CV tracks have pages of their own (Track Edit for plugin tracks, Track Edit for MIDI tracks, Track Edit for CV tracks).

Reach a pad’s parameters

Press TRACK EDIT | TRACK SETTING. You can also press MENU | PREFS and tap Track Edit.
Press the PAD you want to edit. Its parameters appear at once.
Tap a tab at the bottom of the screen. If the one you want isn’t showing, tap the > or < arrow to scroll along.
Tap the same tab again to move to its next page, on tabs that have several, such as Samples/Oscs and Effects.

Key combinations

TRACK EDIT | TRACK SETTING: Opens Track Edit Mode.
SHIFT + TRACK EDIT | TRACK SETTING: Opens the Track Settings window.
PAD: Selects that pad and shows its parameters.Track Edit Mode, drum track

Double-tapping the Track field at the top of the screen also opens the Track Settings window. About tracks explains those settings and how the track types differ.

Which tab to reach for

Tab	Use it to	More
`Global`	Set tuning and polyphony, and decide how a pad’s layers and samples play.	Global tab
`Samples/Oscs`	Choose what each of the eight layers plays, then trim, tune, balance and randomise it.	Samples/Oscs tab
`Envelopes`	Shape level, filter and pitch over time, and choose the pad’s filter.	Envelopes tab
`Mods`	Decide what velocity changes, and how far the LFO reaches.	Mods tab
`Effects`	Add insert effects, send levels, articulations and Drum FX.	Effects tab
`LFO`	Set up two low-frequency oscillators for movement.	LFO tab
`Utilities`	Set the ramps, note counters and drift that feed the Mod Matrix.	Utilities tab
`Mod Matrix`	Build your own modulation routings across 32 points.	Mod Matrix tab

Two controls decide how far an edit reaches: Edit Zones works across pads, and Edit All Layers works across layers.

Tap the location icon beside the pad name at the top of the screen to open the Edit Zones window, which gives an overview of the selected pads. Set its Mode selector, then close the window with Close, the X, or a tap outside it.

Edit Zones modes

Mode	What your edits change
`Current`	Only the currently selected pad.
`Multiple`	All the selected pads at once.
`All`	Every pad at once.

Tap Edit All Layers to link the layers together. A change to something like the Start and End points or Semi and Fine tuning on one layer then applies to all eight layers alike, empty ones included.

Three icons at the top of the screen turn what’s on a pad into something new. The first is the Stems icon, which opens the Create Stems function in the Process Sample window and separates a sample into new stem samples.

Create Stems (Stems icon)

Vocals: A stem of the vocal elements. Tap the icon to include or leave it out, as with the other three.
Bass: A stem of the bass elements.
Drums: A stem of the percussive elements.
Other: A stem of whatever else is playing, such as keys or guitars.
Track: Chooses the track that receives the stems.
Assign to Pad: Ticked, lets you choose a pad in that track and puts the stems on its first four layers. Unticked, they go to the project’s general sample pool, which you see in the Project Info Browser.
Use trimmed sample: Trims the source sample to its Start and End points before separating it.

The second is the keyboard+ icon, which makes a keygroup from the selected sample. It lands on a new track, and that track is selected for you.

The third is the down-arrow icon beside the Track field, which opens Flatten Pad, for drum tracks only. It renders everything on a pad into one audio sample and puts that on the pad’s first layer. The render is the pad’s signal at full velocity (127) after its channel strip, so pad insert effects and warping become part of the sample. Reach for it when a pad or track is costing too much CPU.

Flatten Pad window

Pad: Chooses the pad to flatten. Pressing the pad does the same.
Audio Tail: Extends the new file by the number of seconds you set, so long reverbs, delays or slow-decaying one-shots aren’t cut off. Akai recommends at least a couple of seconds.
Edit Name: Opens the virtual keyboard so you can name the new sample. The name of the first sample is the starting point.
Do It: Confirms your choices and flattens the pad.
Cancel: Goes back to the previous screen without flattening.

From the community

To build a kick from a sampled oscillator, shape it with the envelope and add saturation and EQ, then flatten the pad with the down-arrow icon at the top of Track Edit. That prints everything to one sample on layer 1, leaving room to layer a sampled kick on top. via Elektronauts: The all things MPC thread

MPC 3 - Hip Hop Drum Programming Explained
Ave Mcree
MPC 3 drum programming filmed on a Live II: loading and chopping samples, mute groups in Track Edit, time-stretching, simultaneous play and mixing.

9.2IntermediateManual Global p.191

Global tab

The Global tab sets the ground rules before any sound shaping happens: tuning and polyphony for the whole track, plus how the selected pad responds when you play it. Come here to stop an open hi-hat ringing over a closed one, fire a stack of kicks from one pad, or make a pad step through its layers.

Whole track

Global Semi: Transposes the whole track.Range ±36 semitones
Global Fine: Fine-tunes the whole track.Range ±99 cents
Global PolyPolyphony: Sets how the track’s pads play together. In Mono, a new hit, even on the same pad, instantly cuts off any other pad still sounding in the track. In Poly, pads can overlap until you run out of voices.Range Mono, Poly

Selected pad

Pad Level: Sets the overall volume of the pad’s samples or oscillators.
Pad Pan: Positions the pad’s samples or oscillators from left to right.
Pad Tuning: Sets the overall tuning of the pad’s samples or oscillators.
Velocity Scaling: Scales incoming velocity. At 50, a note arriving at velocity 120 plays at 60.
Layer Play: Decides which layer plays on each hit. See the table below.Range Cycle, Velocity, Random, Crossfade
Random Seed: Shown when Layer Play is Random. Copy the value and reuse it to get the same random sequence again.Range 1–999,999
Sample Play: Decides how much of the sample or oscillator plays. See the table below.Range One Shot, Note Off, Note On
Pad Polyphony: Decides what happens when hits overlap. Mono and Poly work as they do in Global Poly. A number lets up to that many pads sound together, as long as voices remain.Range Mono, Poly, 2–32
Mute Group: Puts the pad in a group. When pads in a group receive MIDI notes, the last one played silences the rest. Groups work inside one track and never reach pads on other tracks.Range 32 groups

Layer Play options

Option	What happens on each hit
`Cycle` (`Cyc`)	The next layer plays: 1, 2, 3 and on up to 8, then back to 1.
`Velocity` (`Vel`)	How hard you press decides which layer plays.
`Random` (`Ran`)	One of the layers plays at random.
`Crossfade`	Layers blend under the control of modulation sources such as envelopes and LFOs in the Mod Matrix (Mod Matrix tab), for wave-sequencing or vector-synthesis-style sounds. It also offers four crossfade modes, `A`–`D`, which choose the layer from where an MPCe pad is struck.

Sample Play options

Option	How the sound plays
`One Shot`	All of it, from start to end. Suits short sounds.
`Note Off`	All of it, from start to end, after you’ve pressed and released the pad.
`Note On`	Only while you hold the pad, so your hold time sets the length. Suits longer sounds, and looping needs it (Samples/Oscs tab).

The two columns on the right link pads together, in opposite ways. Simultaneous Play makes one press trigger other pads, and Mute Targets makes one press silence them.

Simultaneous Play

Padfour fields: Each one names a pad to trigger when you press the selected pad, so one press can fire a stack of sounds such as layered kicks.

Mute Targets

Padfour fields: Each one names a pad in the same track. Playing the selected pad silences its mute targets immediately.

From the community

So repeated hits don’t sound identical, fill a pad’s layers with different hits of the same drum from a chopped break and set Layer Play to Cycle or Random. Then set the closed hat’s Mute Targets to the open hat, as on a real kit. via MPC-Tutor

Akai Force & MPC 3.9: New Drum Track Oscillators - Creative Sound Design and Sequencing
BeatWingsInVain
Up to eight oscillators on one drum pad, cycling or random layer play and a random arpeggio: creative ideas for Force and MPC on 3.9.

Build an MPC ‘Cycle’ Kit From A Chopped Drum BreakMPC-Tutor — Written for firmware 2.10+, but layer playback is unaffected: a kit where each hit varies. MPC 3 just gives you more layers to fill.

9.3IntermediateMPC 3.9+Manual Samples/Oscs p.193, MPC Oscillators (3.9 manual) p.10

Samples/Oscs tab

This is where a pad gets its sound. Each pad has eight layers, and each layer plays a sample or an oscillator, with its own independent set of the same parameters. Tap Samples/Oscs repeatedly to step through the four tabs.

Tab	Use it to
First tab	Choose each layer’s sound, and trim, loop, slice, warp or design it.
`Tune/Mix`	See the pitch, level and pan of several layers side by side and balance them.
`Velocity`	Offset a sample in time and split layers across the velocity range.
`Random`	Add variation to pitch, level, pan, offset and envelopes on each hit.

Use the Partial Preset field to keep a pad’s sound for reuse. A partial preset stores the whole state of the synthesis engine behind a pad, along with some setup parameters such as filter and drum effect chains and expressive Mod Matrix routings. Tap the three dots icon, then Save to store the current state or Load to bring one back from the internal drive or a connected external drive.

Settings window (gear icon, on any of the four tabs)

Link Slices: On, moving a slice’s start also moves the previous slice’s end, and moving its end also moves the next slice’s start. Turn it off for slices that don’t sit next to each other in the sample. Slices come from Chop Mode (Chop Mode), and Sample Edit Mode has the same button.Range On, Off
Loop Lock: On, the loop point stays on the start point. Off, it moves independently, with its own loop marker. Sample Edit Mode has the same button.Range On, Off
Zero Snap: Forces start, end and loop points onto the waveform’s zero-crossings, which helps prevent clicks and glitches. Sample Edit Mode’s 0 Snap button does the same.Range On, Off

Close the Settings window with Close, the X in the upper-right corner, or a tap outside it.

Choose a layer’s sound source

On the first tab, tap a layer number under the waveform (Layer 1–Layer 8). Its waveform fills the upper half of the screen and its settings fill the lower half.
Set the Sample / OSC selector. The rest of the tab changes to match: pitch, timing and playback controls for a sample, oscillator controls for an oscillator.

When a layer plays a sample, the display shows the active part of the waveform with a timeline above it in bars, beats and ticks. Swipe left or right to move through the waveform, and turn the bottom-most of the Q-LINKS in the fourth Q-Link bank to zoom in or out.

The S and E markers mark the start and end points, the part of the sample that plays. To move them, drag a marker, use the Start and End fields, or put the Q-Links in Screen mode: the first bank then adjusts the start point and the second bank the end point, in coarse and fine steps (The Q-Link knobs).

Sample controls: what plays

Sample: Chooses the sample for this layer. It must already be in the project’s sample pool (Browser). The trash can icon beside the field takes it off the layer.
Start: Sets where playback begins.
End: Sets where playback stops.
Loop: Sets the point playback returns to when Pad Loop is active. With Loop Lock on, this is the same as the start point.
Tail Length: Adds extra audio tail to a chopped sample: this switches the tail on and sets its total length. Use it to make an abrupt ending sound more natural or for experimental looping.
Tail Start: Sets where in the tail looping begins.
Repeats: With Pad Loop on, sets how many times the part between the loop and end points plays: 4 plays it four times. 0 and 1 only differ when Sample Play is Note On, where holding a note with 0 repeats endlessly and with 1 plays through once.
Slice: Chooses which part of the sample plays. See the table below.Range All, Pad, Slice 1, 2, 3…
Play Offset: Moves the whole Start, End and Loop frame along the sample with their spacing intact. Frame the first 1/16 note of a one-bar sample, for example, and you can move that frame to other 1/16 positions. Retrigger the sample to hear the change.
Reverse: On, the sample plays backwards. Off, it plays forwards.Range On, Off
Pad Loop: Cycles through the looping modes. See the table below.Range Off, Forward, Reverse, Alternating

Slice options

Option	What plays
`All`	The entire sample.
`Pad`	The part between the layer’s start and end points. This is also the setting that makes `Pad Loop` available.
`Slice 1`, `2`, `3`…	The slice you choose, if you’ve sliced the sample in Chop Mode.

These settings connect directly to Chop Mode (Converting or assigning slices). A slice converted as a Non-Destructive Slice keeps the original sample whole and treats the slice marker as a bookmark, so the layer’s Slice menu shows that slice’s number and you don’t end up with a separate sample per slice. A slice converted with Pad Parameters works much the same, except that the Slice menu reads Pad and the start and end points match the slice markers.

Slice Motion (icon beside the Slice field)

Motion: Plays a different slice each time the pad plays. Increment moves up one slice with each new note event, and Random plays the slices in random order.Range Increment, Random
Slice: Sets the slice to start from.
Cycles: Sets how many slices the motion plays.

To hear the slices of a chopped loop step along, tap the pad repeatedly or turn Note Repeat on and hold the pad (Note Repeat).

Pad Loop modes

Mode	While you hold the pad
`Off`	The sample doesn’t loop.
`Forward`	It loops between the loop position and the end of the sample.
`Reverse`	It loops backwards, from the end of the sample back to the loop position.
`Alternating`	It runs forwards from the loop position to the end, turns round, runs back to the loop position, and carries on like that.

The same tab also handles timing. Use it to lock a sample to your tempo, or change its length without changing its pitch.

Sample controls: pitch and timing

BPM Sync: Together with Warp, locks the sample’s BPM to the project tempo. See the table below.Range On, Off
Warp: On, changing the sample’s length doesn’t change its pitch. Off, length and pitch change together.Range On, Off
Semi: Transposes the layer, and changes the sample’s length if Warp is off. The sample’s analysed key shows beside the field and follows this value. Same control as Semi on the Tune/Mix tab.Range ±36 semitones
Fine: Fine-tunes the layer in cents, and changes the sample’s length if Warp is off. Same control as Fine on the Tune/Mix tab.
Stretch: Sets the stretch factor that shapes the warp, when Warp is on.
BPM: Sets a tempo that shapes the warp, when Warp is on.
Algorithm: Chooses the warp algorithm. Default is set under Preferences > Audio/Export (Preferences: Audio Device and Audio/Export), and a change here overrides that setting.Range Default, Pro Ten, Repitch

How BPM Sync and Warp combine

BPM Sync	Warp	Result
On	On	The sample’s BPM is locked to the project tempo.
Off	On	The sample ignores the project tempo, and `Stretch` lengthens or shortens it.
Either	Off	Lengthening or shortening the sample also changes its pitch, and vice versa.

Keeping Warp under control

Stay away from extreme Stretch values.
Keep pitch changes to warped audio small, including Semi and Fine.
Don’t warp very small regions of a sample.
Warp as few samples or regions as you can, particularly ones that start at the same moment.
Don’t trigger warped samples in rapid succession.
In a drum kit, flatten the pad so its sound no longer needs warping (Track Edit Mode basics).

When a layer plays an oscillator, the tab becomes a small synth voice. Oscillators arrived in MPC 3.9. Some types need extra content: tap Get Oscillator Content, which takes you to the Activations tab of the Preferences menu, and download the MPC Oscillator Content there. You can modulate oscillator parameters through the Mod Matrix like any others (Mod Matrix tab).

On every oscillator

Oscillator: Opens the Oscillator menu, where you choose the waveform for this layer.
Semi: Transposes the oscillator layer.Range ±36 semitones
Fine: Fine-tunes the layer in cents.
Decay: Sets how long the oscillator’s amplitude takes to decay.
Start Phase: Sets the point in the waveform where the oscillator begins when played.

Extra parameters by oscillator type

Oscillator	Parameter	What it does
Warm Sine	`Precision`	Sets how accurate the synthesis algorithm is.
Warm Sine	`Fuzz`	Brings in noise and extra harmonic texture.
Saw / Square	`Shape`	Moves the waveform between saw and square.
Saw / Square	`Tone`	At lower values, cuts high frequencies by pulling the waveform towards a sine.
Digital Saw	`Direction`	Switches between saw and ramp waveforms.
Pulse	`Pulse Width`	Changes the width of the pulse.
Noise	`Tone`	Sets the cutoff of a built-in low-pass filter.
FM2	`Level`	Sets how much FM is applied.
FM2	`FM Decay`	Sets the second operator’s decay time.
FM2	`Coarse`	Tunes the second operator in coarse steps.
FM2	`Tune`	Tunes the second operator in fine steps.
FM2	`Feedback`	Sets how much feedback the second operator gets.
RM3	`Coarse 1–3`	Sets the pitch of each operator.
RM3	`Decay 1`	Sets the first operator’s decay.
RM3	`Decay 2–3`	Sets the decay of operators two and three.
Algorithmic Waveforms and Single-Cycles	`Feedback`	Sets how much FM the oscillator receives.
Algorithmic Waveforms and Single-Cycles	`Feedback Shape`	Waveshapes the feedback signal.
Wavetables	`Position`	Picks which waveform in the wavetable plays.
Wavetables	`XFade`	Sets how smoothly one waveform moves into the next.

The oscillator controls also work with your own single-cycle and wavetable content, kept in an Oscillators folder at the root of a drive. In the steps below, LibraryFolder stands for whatever you name your own folder.

Add your own single-cycle waveforms

Get a collection of single-cycle waveforms as .wav files.
At the root of your drive, create Oscillators/SingleCycles.
Copy the library into Oscillators/SingleCycles/LibraryFolder. The folder may hold only single-cycle .wav files, with no sub-folders.
Connect the drive to your MPC.
In Track Edit Mode, open the Samples/Oscs tab, set a layer to OSC and open the Oscillator menu.
Find your waveforms under User Single Cycles > LibraryFolder and select one.

Add your own wavetables

At the root of your drive, create Oscillators/Wavetables. Each wavetable needs its own subfolder inside it.
Prepare mono .wav files of any length that meet the limits below.
Write a format.json file in a plain-text editor: for example, { "formatInfo": { "numSamplesPerSingleCycle": 2048, "numSingleCycles": 16 } }. With those values, only .wav files of exactly 16 × 2048 samples count.
Copy the .wav files and format.json into Oscillators/Wavetables/LibraryFolder. The folder may hold nothing else, and no sub-folders.
Connect the drive to your MPC.
In Track Edit Mode, open the Samples/Oscs tab, set a layer to OSC and open the Oscillator menu.
Find your wavetables under User Wavetables > LibraryFolder and select one.

Wavetable limits

Property	Lower limit	Upper limit
Channels	1 (mono)	1 (mono)
Number of Samples Per Single Cycle	512 samples	16384 samples
Number of Single Cycles	2	2048
File Format	WAV	WAV
Sample Rate	22050	96000
Bit Depth	16, 24, 32	16, 24, 32
Number of Files in a Folder	0	512

The remaining three tabs show four layers at a time, so you can compare them. On each, tap Layer 1–4/Layer 5–8 to switch between the two sets of layers. The Sample field (with its trash can icon) or the Oscillator field is repeated for each layer, depending on its source.

Tune/Mix (second tab)

MPCe: Switches individual quadrants on or off, layer by layer. Automation on a pad can set the quadrants, and the Mod Matrix can build expressive routings. See the note in Global tab.
Semi: Transposes the layer. On a sample layer this changes its length if Warp is off. Same control as Semi on the first tab.Range ±36 semitones
Fine: Fine-tunes the layer in cents. On a sample layer this changes its length if Warp is off. Same control as Fine on the first tab.
Level: Sets the layer’s volume, so you can balance the sounds on the pad.
Pan: Places the layer in the stereo field.

Velocity (third tab)

Offset: Sample layers only. Right of centre, playback starts straight away but from later in the sample. Left of centre, playback is delayed by that amount.
Vel Start: Sets the lowest velocity the layer responds to.Range 0–127
Vel End: Sets the highest velocity the layer responds to. A range of 100 to 127 means the layer answers only harder hits.Range 0–127

Random (fourth tab)

Pitch: Sets how much each layer’s pitch is randomised.
Level: Sets how much each layer’s volume is randomised.
Pan: Sets how much each layer’s stereo position is randomised.
Offset: Sets how much the time offset of a sample layer, or the Start Phase of an oscillator layer, is randomised.
All Layers: Randomises four envelope parameters across every layer: Attack, Decay, Cutoff and Resonance.
Depth: Sets the overall amount of envelope randomisation.

From the community

For a vocal stutter, chop a short phrase into equal slices (MPC-Tutor uses 32), load it on a pad with Slice set to 1 and open Slice Motion. Set Motion to Increment or Random, then hold NOTE REPEAT | LATCH and the pad. A short amp attack smooths the slice edges, and decay sets how staccato it sounds. via MPC-Tutor
Try a different oscillator on each of a pad’s eight layers at different pitches, with Layer Play on Cycle or Random. Run the arpeggiator over the pad, then resample what comes out. via BeatWingsInVain on YouTube

MPC 3.9 Update | Walkthrough
Akai Professional
Akai’s chaptered tour of the update this guide’s manual covers: oscillators, the Arranger edit menu, Insert Clip Row and per-sequence time signatures.

Wavetables on the Akai MPC: OS 3.9 Turns Keygroups Into a Wavetable Synth
Keith Crosley
An hour on wavetables on 3.9: installing your own on standalone, the format.json quirk, and sound design across 13 kinds of table.

MPC 3.9 FULL TUTORIAL
Tubedigga
Tubedigga’s 38-minute tutorial on 3.9: oscillators on every layer, per-sequence and per-clip time signatures, and the new Arranger edits.

9.4IntermediateManual Envelopes p.203

Envelopes tab

Go to Envelopes when a sound starts well but needs a different shape: a tighter tail, a filter that snaps shut, a pitch that drops. Tap the tab repeatedly to step through the amplitude, filter and pitch envelopes. On each one you can type into the fields or drag the handles on the curve. Anatomy of an envelope explains the stages and the AD/AHDS selector.

Every tab also has Velocity Modulation controls. A soft press applies very little, and a harder press applies more, according to how far up you’ve set that slider.

First tab: amplitude

Pad Level: Sets the overall volume of the pad, including its samples or oscillators.
Pad Pan: Sets the overall stereo position of the pad, including its samples or oscillators.
Amp Envelope: Shapes how the level changes over time.
AmpVelocity Modulation: How strongly velocity changes the level of the amp envelope.
Amp AttackVelocity Modulation: How strongly velocity changes the attack of the amp envelope.
PanVelocity Modulation: How strongly velocity moves the sound in the stereo field.

Second tab: filter

Type: Chooses the filter for the selected pad. The types are explained in the Glossary.
Cutoff: On low-pass and high-pass types this is the cutoff frequency, and on band-pass and band-stop types the centre frequency.
Reso: Sets how strongly frequencies around the cutoff are emphasised. Values under 80 add brilliance, and values over 80 give a boost around the cutoff that you can clearly hear.
Filter Envelope: Shapes how the filter frequency changes over time.
Depth: Sets how much the filter envelope moves the cutoff. High settings give plenty of movement, and low settings only subtle changes over time.
CutoffVelocity Modulation: How strongly velocity moves the cutoff frequency.
AttackVelocity Modulation: How strongly velocity changes the attack of the filter envelope.
DepthVelocity Modulation: How strongly velocity changes the filter envelope’s effect on the cutoff.

Third tab: pitch

Global Semi: Transposes the pad. On a sample layer this changes its length if Warp is off. Same as the Semi field on the Global tab.Range ±36 semitones
Global Fine: Fine-tunes in cents. On a sample layer this changes its length if Warp is off. Same as the Fine field on the Global tab.
Pitch Envelope: Shapes how the pad’s pitch changes over time.
Depth: Sets how much the envelope moves the pitch.
PitchVelocity Modulation: How strongly velocity changes the pitch envelope.

9.5IntermediateManual Mods (Modulations) p.206

Mods tab

The Mods tab is where you decide how your playing changes the sound. Reach for it when a pad responds the same however you hit it: velocity can move the start point, the filter, the pitch, the level and the pan. It also sets how far the LFO reaches each destination.

Velocity Sensitivity

Sample Start: How hard you have to hit before the sample’s start point moves.
Filter Cutoff: Moves the cutoff frequency straight from pad velocity.
Filter Env Attack: How hard you have to hit before the filter envelope’s attack phase changes.
Filter Env Depth: Lets velocity set how strongly the filter envelope reaches the cutoff.
Pitch: Changes the sample or oscillator’s pitch according to velocity.
Amp: Changes the sample or oscillator’s level according to velocity. Lower it so velocity matters less.
Amp Attack: How hard you have to hit before the amp envelope’s attack phase changes.
Pan: Moves the stereo position according to velocity.

LFO Destinations

Pitch: Sets how much the LFO moves the pitch of the sound.
Filter: Sets how much the LFO moves the filter’s cutoff frequency.
Amp: Sets how much the LFO moves the volume level.
Pan: Sets how much the LFO moves the panning.

The LFOs themselves are set up on their own tab (LFO tab).

9.6IntermediateManual Effects p.207, Sends p.208

Effects tab

Tap Effects to move between its two tabs. The first adds full insert effects and send levels to a single pad. The second is a drum-specific toolkit: articulations that turn a hit into a flam or a roll, and small Drum FX slots for quick colouring. Insert effects covers inserts in general.

Add an insert effect (first tab)

Double-tap an Inserts slot to open the list of effects. You can have up to four per pad.
Swipe up or down to browse. The Type and Manufacturer buttons sort the list by those categories.
Double-tap an effect or tap Select to load it. Close shuts the list.

Inserts controls

Akai folder icon: Loads a factory FX rack, a preset combination of inserts for uses such as Drums and Percussion, Voice, LoFi and Mastering.
Second folder icon: Loads an FX rack you’ve saved.
Disk icon: Saves an FX rack.
All On/Off: In the upper-right corner. Turns all four insert effects on or off together.
Arrows: Beside the slot. Move an effect up or down the chain, and neighbouring effects shift to make room.
Pencil icon: Opens the effect’s parameters. The values you set belong to this instance only, because insert effects aren’t global.
Trash can icon: Removes the effect from its slot.
On/Off: Turns that slot’s effect on or off.

Inside an effect (after tapping the pencil icon)

Trash can icon: Removes the effect from its slot.
Folder icon: Beside the preset name. Opens the file browser so you can load an effect preset.
Disk icon: Beside the insert selector. Saves a new effect preset.
-/+: Moves the effect up or down the chain, and neighbouring effects shift to make room.
On/Off: Turns the effect on or off.

Beside the inserts, the Send knobs feed the pad to any send effects you’ve loaded. The return channels then pass that audio to their assigned main output at their return levels (Send/return effects).

Sends

SendSend 1–4: One knob for each send effect. Sets how much of the pad’s signal goes to it.

Articulations, on the second tab, apply drum figures such as flams, paradiddles and other dynamic phrases to a pad.

Articulations (second tab)

Dropdown menu: Chooses the articulation for the pad or pad quadrant. See the categories below.
Speed: Sets the length of the articulation.Range 25–400%
Speed Scale: Quickly changes the speed you’ve set.Range /2, x1, x2
Dynamics: Applies velocity modulation to the articulation.Range 0–200%
Stereo: Sets the stereo spread of the articulation.Range 0–100%
MPCe: Turns on MPCe articulation control, for up to four articulations you can switch between. The 1–4 buttons then choose the pad quadrant. You can enter quadrants and X/Y values as pad automation, or reach the articulation layers through the Mod Matrix. See the note in Global tab.

Articulation categories

Default Articulations
Standard Rudiments
Dotted Rudiments
Triplet Rudiments
Rolls
Pitched Rolls
Metric Rudiments
Note Repeats

Drum FX gives each pad of a drum track up to eight more effects in simplified form, for when you want a quick change without loading a full insert. Choose an effect with the Type menu in each slot, then adjust its parameter with the knob next to it.

Drum FX types

Ring Mod
Bit Crush
Decimator
Tube Drive
Soft Clipper
Hard Clipper
Low Pass
High Pass
Rectifier
Bass Enhancer (Tight)
Bass Enhancer (Medium)
Bass Enhancer (Wide)
Wave Folder
Gain

9.7IntermediateManual LFO p.210

LFO tab

An LFO is a repeating waveform with an adjustable speed and shape, used to move other parameters. Use one when a sound needs motion that keeps going on its own. Tap LFO to switch between LFO 1 and LFO 2, or tap their headers.

Each timing control has a matching [Sync] field that locks it to the tempo. Choose a time division, where a . marks a dotted note and a T marks a triplet. Choosing None turns Sync off.

LFO controls

Wave: Chooses the waveform. See the table below.Range Sine, Tri, S&H, Saw, SawD, Sqr, Noise
Reset: On restarts the LFO from the beginning of its cycle with each note played. Off starts it at a random point in the cycle instead.Range On, Off
Fade In: Sets how long the LFO takes to reach full level after it’s triggered.
Fade In [Sync]: Locks the fade-in to the tempo. With None, the Fade In knob sets the length.
Delay: Sets the wait between the note being triggered and the LFO being triggered.
Delay [Sync]: Locks the delay time to the tempo.
Rate: Sets the LFO’s frequency. Low values can take a while to finish one cycle, and high values approach the audible range.
Rate [Sync]: Locks the LFO’s rate to the tempo. With None, the Rate knob sets the frequency.
Level: Sets the overall amount of modulation, from subtle at low values to extreme at high values.

Wave options

Wave	Character
`Sine`	Smooth modulation.
`Tri` (Triangle)	Smooth modulation.
`S&H`	Jumps to a random value and stays there until the next one.
`Saw`	Interesting filter or volume changes.
`SawD` (Saw Down)	Interesting filter or volume changes.
`Sqr` (Square)	Interesting results with hard-panning modulation.
`Noise`	Random values and glides.

To put an LFO to work, tap the Destinations button in the LFO window to show its sliders. The Mods tab has sliders with the same names (Mods tab), and the Mod Matrix can use an LFO as a source for other targets (Mod Matrix tab).

Destinations

Pitch: Sets how much the LFO moves the pitch of the sound.
Filter: Sets how much the LFO moves the filter’s cutoff frequency.
Amp: Sets how much the LFO moves the volume level.
Pan: Sets how much the LFO moves the panning.

9.8AdvancedManual Utilities p.211

Utilities tab

Come to Utilities when you’re building routings in the Mod Matrix and want more to work with than envelopes and LFOs. Ramps add extra shaping, note counters give stepped values, and drift adds free-running LFOs for subtle movement.

Parameters

Ramp Time 1/2: Set how long each ramp takes. In the Mod Matrix, a ramp gives you one more way to shape the modulation of other parameters.
Note Counter 1/2 Size: Provide stepped values for the Mod Matrix, so a parameter can change according to the number of voices you choose here.Range 2–64
Global Drift: In the Voice section. Sets the drift applied to the whole drum track.
Voice Drift: In the Voice section. Sets the drift applied to the selected pad.

See Mod Matrix tab for how to route these.

9.9AdvancedManual Mod Matrix p.212

Mod Matrix tab

The dedicated tabs cover the usual modulation jobs. Open the Mod Matrix for anything else: 32 modulation points that connect a source to a target, across eight tabs. Tap Mod Matrix repeatedly to step through the tabs, or tap a number in the row below the toolbar.

The matrix is what drives crossfading between layers (Global tab), and it can also modulate oscillator parameters (Samples/Oscs tab) and use the ramps, note counters and drift on the Utilities tab (Utilities tab). The manual’s screenshot shows LFO 1 routed to Cutoff 1, and Note Counter 1 routed to Pan.

Each modulation point, left to right

Source: Chooses what does the modulating.
Amtfirst Amount: Sets how much modulation the source applies.
Target: Chooses what gets modulated.
Direction: Sets whether the modulation is bipolar or unipolar.Range Bipolar, Unipolar
Min: Sets the minimum modulation level of the target.
Max: Sets the maximum modulation level of the target.
Via Source: Adds a second source as a further modulation shaper.
Amtsecond Amount: Sets how much modulation the second source applies.
Shaper: Adds a modifier that changes the relationship between the source and the target.
Amtthird Amount: Sets how much modulation the shaper applies.

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9.10BasicsManual Anatomy of an Envelope p.255

Anatomy of an envelope

An envelope is a control signal that changes over time. Trigger a sound and the envelope rises and falls through its stages, moving whatever it’s connected to: the level, the filter settings or the pitch. The MPC uses three types, and which one you get depends on the track and on Sample Play (Global tab).

Which envelope you get

Track	Normally	With Sample Play set to Note On
Drum	`AD` or `AHDS`, chosen with the `AD`/`AHDS` selector	`ADSR`
Keygroup	`AHDS`	`ADSR`

AHDS envelopes

Attack (Atk): the sound rises to its maximum over the time you set.
Hold: the sound stays at maximum.
Decay: the sound falls gradually to the sustain level.
Sustain (Sust): the sound stays at that level until you release the pad.

AD envelopes

Attack (Atk): the sound rises to its maximum over the time you set.
Decay: the sound falls gradually to zero over the duration you set. The Type menu decides when that fall begins.

AD decay types

Type	What happens at maximum
`Decay From Start`	The sound starts falling immediately after it reaches its maximum.
`Decay From End`	The sound holds at maximum for a hold phase before its decay phase.

ADSR envelopes

Attack: the sound rises to its maximum over the time you set.
Decay: the sound falls gradually to the Sustain level.
Sustain: the sound stays at that level until the note is released.
Release: the sound falls to zero over the time you set.

Curve controls

A Shape: Changes the curve of the Attack phase. All three envelope types have it.
D Shape: Changes the curve of the Decay phase. All three envelope types have it.
R Shape: Changes the curve of the Release phase. ADSR envelopes only.

See these stages at work on a drum pad in Envelopes tab. Keygroups in Advanced mode add a Delay stage, and can loop their envelopes (Envelopes (Advanced)).