Track Edit: keygroups & more · MPC One G2 guide

10.1IntermediateManual Keygroup Tracks p.213

Keygroup overview: Advanced and Legacy

A keygroup track spreads sounds across a note range, and Track Edit Mode lets you edit each keygroup on it. A multi-sampled instrument is the classic use: a realistic piano might use 88 keygroups, one for each sampled note. Start here to choose the engine you’re working with and the keygroup you’re editing. For what keygroup tracks are, see Keygroup tracks.

Keygroups have two editing engines, and the Legacy button at the top of the screen switches between them. With it off, which is the default, you get the Advanced synthesis engine. With it on, keygroup editing works as it did in earlier MPC releases. The tabs differ, so each section in this chapter says which engine it belongs to.

Tabs in each engine

Tab	Advanced	Legacy	More
`Global`	Yes	Yes	Global (Advanced and Legacy)
`Samples/Oscs`	Three tabs	Four tabs, adding `Random`	Samples/Oscs (Advanced and Legacy)
`Filters`	Yes	On the `Envelopes` tab	Filters (Advanced)
`Envelopes`	Amp, Filter, Pitch, Aux	Amp, Filter, Pitch	Envelopes (Advanced), Legacy keygroups
`LFO`	Four LFOs	One page	LFO (Advanced), Legacy keygroups
`Utilities/Sensitivity`	Yes	Similar controls on `Mods`	Utilities/Sensitivity (Advanced), Legacy keygroups
`KG Stack`	Yes	No	KG Stack (Advanced)
`Mod Matrix`	Yes	No	Mod Matrix (Advanced)
`Randomize`	Yes	Use the `Random` tab	Randomize (Advanced)
`Effects`	Not described	Yes	Legacy keygroups

Reach a keygroup’s parameters

Press TRACK EDIT | TRACK SETTING on a keygroup track (Track Edit Mode basics).
Press a PAD to select its keygroup, or choose one in the Keygroup field along the top.
Tap one of the tabs along the bottom. Tap it again to move through its pages, on tabs that have several.

Key combinations

PAD: Selects that pad’s keygroup and shows its parameters.Track Edit Mode, keygroup track

Controls at the top of the screen

Legacy: Switches to the Legacy keygroup editing functions. Off gives you the Advanced engine.Range On, Off (default)
Keygroup: Chooses the keygroup to edit. Choose All to edit every keygroup at once.
Number of KG: Sets how many keygroups the track has.Range Up to 128
Edit All Layers: On, a change to something like the Start and End points or Semi and Fine tuning on one layer applies to all eight layers alike, empty ones included.Range On, Off

Tap the Stems icon to separate a sample into new stem samples. It opens the same Create Stems function as on a drum track, with the same choices and purchase requirement (Track Edit Mode basics).

Tap the piano-keys icon to open the Set Keygroup Note Range window, which limits the notes that play the keygroup’s sample. The Lo Key and Hi Key fields on the Global tab do the same job (Global (Advanced and Legacy)).

Set Keygroup Note Range window

Low Key: Only notes at or above this key trigger a sound.
High Key: Only notes at or below this key trigger a sound.

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10.2IntermediateManual Global (Advanced and Legacy) p.215

Global (Advanced and Legacy)

The Global tab sets how the track and each keygroup play, before any sound shaping happens, and works the same in both engines. Come here to transpose what you play, limit a sample to part of the keyboard, or stop a sample following the pitch of the note.

Whole track

Global Semi: Tunes the track.Range ±36 semitones
Global Fine: Fine-tunes the track.Range ±99 cents
Transpose: Moves the MIDI notes sent to the track up or down in pitch.Range ±36 semitones
PolyPolyphony: Sets how the track’s keygroups play together. In Mono, a new note, even in the same keygroup, instantly cuts off any other keygroup still sounding in the track. In Poly, keygroups can overlap until you run out of voices.Range Mono, Poly

Selected keygroup

Key Group Semi: Transposes the sample.Range ±36 semitones
Fine: Fine-tunes each layer.Range ±99 cents
Key Group Level: Sets the overall volume of the loaded samples or oscillators.
Key Group Pan: Positions the loaded samples or oscillators from left to right.
Lo Key: Only notes at or above this key trigger the sample or oscillator. The piano-keys icon opens the same setting (Keygroup overview: Advanced and Legacy).
Hi Key: Only notes at or below this key trigger the sample or oscillator.
KG Polyphony: Sets how the keygroup plays. Mono lets one sound at a time, and a new one cuts off the others in the track. Poly allows overlaps until voices run out. A number lets up to that many sound together, as long as voices remain.Range Mono, Poly, 2–32
Mute Group: Puts the keygroup in a group. When keygroups in a group receive MIDI notes, the last one played silences the rest. Groups work inside one track and never reach keygroups on other tracks.Range 32 groups
Key Track: Switches the sample’s automatic transposition on or off. Off, you hear the same pitch whichever note the pads or a connected MIDI keyboard send.Range On, Off
Layer Play: Decides which layer plays each time. 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

Layer Play options

Option	What happens each time you play
`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 (Advanced)), for wave-sequencing or vector-synthesis-style sounds.

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 samples, and looping needs it (Samples/Oscs (Advanced and Legacy)).

10.3IntermediateMPC 3.9+Manual Samples/Oscs (Advanced and Legacy) p.217

Samples/Oscs (Advanced and Legacy)

This is where a keygroup gets its sound. Each keygroup 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 its tabs. The first three are identical in both engines. Legacy adds a fourth, Random, which Advanced moves to its own tab (Randomize (Advanced)).

Tab	Use it to
First tab	Choose each layer’s sound, and trim, loop, slice 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, split layers across the velocity range, and set the root note.
`Random` (Legacy only)	Add variation to pitch, level, pan, offset and envelopes.

Settings window (gear icon, on any of these 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 it.

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 of Q-LINKS then adjusts the start point and the second bank the end point, in coarse and fine steps (The Q-Link knobs).

Sample controls

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
Semi: Transposes the layer. Same control as Semi on the Tune/Mix tab.Range ±36 semitones
Fine: Fine-tunes the layer in cents. Same control as Fine on the Tune/Mix tab.

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 for the keygroup, 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.

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 use your own single-cycle and wavetable files too, added in the same way as for drum tracks (Samples/Oscs tab). In Advanced mode, the Mod Matrix can modulate oscillator parameters like any others (Mod Matrix (Advanced)).

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 remaining 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)

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, changing a sample’s 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 in the keygroup.
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 presses.Range 0–127
Root Note: Tells the MPC which note each loaded sample starts from. Smp stands for the sample’s default pitch.

Random (fourth tab, Legacy only)

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.

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A patch from nothing inside a keygroup on 3.9: oscillator, amp envelope, filter and LFO, then wavetable position through the Mod Matrix.

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10.4IntermediateManual Filters (Advanced) p.227

Filters (Advanced)

The Filters tab gives each keygroup two filters, running side by side or one into the other, with a blend control between them. Reach for it when one filter isn’t enough, or when you want the filter to follow the notes you play. Each filter has its own set of controls.

Each filter

Filter 1/2 Type: Chooses the filter for the selected keygroup. 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.
Resonance: 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.
Output: Sets the filter’s output level.
Env: Sets how much the filter envelope moves the cutoff.
Keytrack: Ties the cutoff to the pitch you’re playing. At higher levels, the cutoff reduction gets more noticeable as the pitch rises.

Shared controls

Filt Env: Icon that opens the Filter Envelope, the same one as on the Envelopes tab (Envelopes (Advanced)). An edit in either view updates the other, and the minimise icon closes it again.
Blend: Sets the mix between the two filters.
Parallel/Serial: Parallel keeps the two filters separate, side by side. Serial feeds one into the other.Range Parallel, Serial

Velocity Sensitivity (the Velocity button on each filter)

Cutoff: How strongly velocity moves the cutoff frequency.
Depth: How strongly velocity changes the filter envelope’s effect on the cutoff.

From the community

10.5AdvancedManual Envelopes (Advanced) p.229

Envelopes (Advanced)

The Advanced envelopes do more than shape one note. Each can loop, lock to the tempo, and run per voice or across the whole keygroup, so an envelope can act as a rhythmic modulation source as well as a one-off shape. Tap the tab repeatedly to step through Amp, Filter, Pitch and Aux, or tap their headers below the toolbar. Anatomy of an envelope explains the stages.

On every envelope tab

Looped: On restarts the envelope each time it reaches its end. Its length then comes from Tempo Sync, or from the total of the stage settings. Off fires the envelope once on each note-on.Range On, Off
Tempo Sync: Locks the envelope loop to the tempo with a time division, where a . marks a dotted note and a T a triplet. With None, sync is off and the stage settings add up to the loop length.
Time Scaling: Adjusts the loop length further. 100% leaves it unchanged, lower values shorten it and higher values lengthen it.
Global: Off applies the envelope to the current voice only. On applies it to the entire keygroup.Range On, Off
Delay, Attack, Hold, Decay, Sustain, Release: The envelope’s stages. Set them in the fields or drag the handles on the curve. See Anatomy of an envelope.

The Velocity To controls on the first three tabs open from a button with an arrow, and the X closes them. A soft press applies very little, and a harder press applies more, according to how far up you’ve set that slider.

Amp (first tab)

Amp Envelope: Shapes how the level changes over time.
Keygroup Level: Sets the overall volume of the loaded samples or oscillators.
Keygroup Pan: Sets the overall stereo position of the loaded samples or oscillators.
Amp AttackVelocity To, from the Keygroup button: How strongly velocity changes the attack of the amp envelope.
AmpVelocity To, from the Keygroup button: How strongly velocity changes the level of the amp envelope.
PanVelocity To, from the Keygroup button: How strongly velocity moves the sound in the stereo field.

Filter (second tab)

Filter Envelope: Shapes how the filter frequency changes over time.
Env: Sets how much the filter envelope moves the cutoff. High settings give plenty of movement, and low settings only subtle changes over time.
Type: Picks one or two filter types for the keygroup. These are the filters on the Filters tab (Filters (Advanced)), and the Glossary explains them.
Cutoff: On low-pass and high-pass types this is the cutoff frequency, and on band-pass and band-stop types the centre frequency.
AttackVelocity To, from the Filter button: How strongly velocity changes the attack of the filter envelope.
Filter 1/2 CutVelocity To, from the Filter button: How strongly velocity moves the cutoff frequency.
Filter 1/2 EnvVelocity To, from the Filter button: How strongly velocity changes the filter envelope’s effect on the cutoff.

Pitch (third tab)

Pitch Envelope: Shapes how the keygroup’s pitch changes over time.
Env Depth: Sets how much the envelope moves the pitch.
Global SemiKG Semi Tune on the manual’s screenshot: Transposes the keygroup, changing the length of a sample if Warp is off, or of an oscillator. Same as the Semi field on the Global tab.Range ±36 semitones
Global FineKG Fine Tune on the manual’s screenshot: Fine-tunes in cents, changing the length of a sample if Warp is off, or of an oscillator. Same as the Fine field on the Global tab.
PitchVelocity To: How strongly velocity changes the pitch envelope. It opens from the arrow button at the top of the panel holding Global Semi and Global Fine.

Aux (fourth tab)

Aux Envelope: Sets the shape of a spare envelope, which you can apply to other parameters through the Mod Matrix (Mod Matrix (Advanced)).

From the community

10.6IntermediateManual LFO (Advanced) p.236

LFO (Advanced)

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. Advanced keygroups have four: LFO 1 and LFO 2 run per voice and have the fuller set of controls, while Global LFO 1 and Global LFO 2 have just wave, rate and level. Tap the tab repeatedly to step through them, or tap their headers below the toolbar.

Each timing control has a matching [Sync] control 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 1 and LFO 2 (per voice)

Wave: Chooses the waveform. See the table below.Range Sine, Tri, S&H, Saw, SawD, Sqr, Noise
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.
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
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.
Wheel to LFO: Sets how much mod wheel data (MIDI CC1) controls the LFO. At 0 the wheel leaves the LFO level alone. At 100 the wheel is in full control of the LFO.Range 0–100

Destinations (tap the Destinations button)

To Pitch: Sets how much the LFO moves the pitch of the sound.
To Filter 1/2: Sets how much the LFO moves the cutoff frequency of each filter.
To Amp: Sets how much the LFO moves the volume level.
To Pan: Sets how much the LFO moves the panning.

Global LFO 1 and Global LFO 2

Wave: Chooses the waveform. See the table below.Range Sine, Tri, S&H, Saw, SawD, Sqr, Noise
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.

From the community

10.7AdvancedManual Utilities/Sensitivity (Advanced) p.239

Utilities/Sensitivity (Advanced)

Tap the tab to switch between its two pages. Utilities is where you go to make a keygroup behave like a played instrument, with glide, pitch bend and a little drift, and to set up extra sources for the Mod Matrix. Sensitivity decides how velocity and a connected MIDI controller shape the sound.

Utilities: modulation helpers

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: How much the pitch of the whole keygroup drifts.
Voice Drift: How much the pitch of the selected keygroup voice drifts.
Timbre Shift: Changes how strongly the keygroup’s tonal character is shaped.

Utilities: Portamento and Pitch Bend

Time: Sets how long the glide between notes takes.
Legato: Chooses whether pitch glides on all triggered notes or only on legato notes.
Mono Retrig: Lets the portamento retrigger on every key press when you’re using mono polyphony.
Quantize: Locks the portamento time to the project tempo.
Pitch Bend: Two fields that set how many semitones pitch bend shifts the sound up and down.

Sensitivity: Velocity To

Filter 1/2 Cutoff: Moves the cutoff frequency straight from pad velocity.
Amp Attack: How hard you have to hit before the amp envelope’s attack phase changes.
Filter 1/2 Env Depth: Lets velocity set how strongly the filter envelope reaches the cutoff.
Filter Env Attack: How hard you have to hit before the filter envelope’s attack phase changes.
Amp: Changes the sample or oscillator’s overall level according to velocity.
Pan: Moves the sample or oscillator in the stereo field according to velocity.
Pitch: Changes the sample or oscillator’s pitch according to velocity.

Sensitivity: Controller Mod

Aftertouch To Cut 1/2: Sets how much aftertouch from a connected MIDI keyboard moves the filter cutoff.
Pressure To Filter: Sets how much channel pressure from a connected MIDI device moves the filter envelope.

From the community

10.8AdvancedManual KG Stack (Advanced) p.241

KG Stack (Advanced)

A stack turns one note into several. Use Unison to thicken a sound with detuned copies, or Harmonizer to add voices at other pitches. Choose one in the column on the left to show its controls, or None for neither: you can only use one stack effect at a time. Tap the tab repeatedly to step through its three pages.

Unison (first tab)

Voices: Sets how many unison voices play.
Detune: Sets how far the unison voices are fine-tuned apart, in cents.
Stereo Spread: Sets how wide the unison voices sit in the stereo field.
Type: Chooses how the unison voices are stacked.Range Classic, Linear, Parabolic, Random

Harmonizer: pitch and level (second tab)

Note: Tap a voice’s number to turn that voice on. The manual’s screenshots show four voices.
Shift: Sets the voice’s pitch shift in semitones.
Detune: Sets the voice’s detuning in cents.
Volume: Sets the voice’s level.
Pan: Sets the voice’s stereo position.

Harmonizer: timing (third tab)

Vel Scale: Sets the ratio of the voice’s velocity to the velocity of the incoming note.
Delay: Adds a time delay between the start of the note and the start of the voice.
Sync: Sets the delay as a tempo-synced time division, where a . marks a dotted note and a T a triplet. With None, sync is off and the Delay knob sets the time.
Mix: Slider on both pages. Sets the overall wet/dry balance between the original note and the harmonised voices.

From the community

10.9AdvancedManual Mod Matrix (Advanced) p.243

Mod Matrix (Advanced)

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 the tab repeatedly to step through them, or tap a number in the row below the toolbar.

This is where the Aux envelope goes to work (Envelopes (Advanced)), along with the ramps and note counters on the Utilities page (Utilities/Sensitivity (Advanced)). It also drives crossfading between layers (Global (Advanced and Legacy)) and can modulate oscillator parameters (Samples/Oscs (Advanced and Legacy)).

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.

From the community

10.10IntermediateManual Randomize (Advanced) p.244

Randomize (Advanced)

Come to Randomize when a keygroup sounds too mechanical and you want some variation. Tap the tab to switch between its two pages: the first holds layers 1–4 and the second layers 5–8.

Each layer

Pitch: Sets how much the layer’s pitch is randomised.
Level: Sets how much the layer’s volume is randomised.
Pan: Sets how much the 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

Attack: Randomises the envelope attack on all sample layers.
Decay: Randomises the envelope decay on all sample layers.
Cutoff 1/2: Randomises the cutoff of each filter on all sample layers.
Resonance 1/2: Randomises the resonance of each filter on all sample layers. These knobs read Reso 1 and Reso 2 on the manual’s screenshot.
Total Amount: Slider that sets the overall depth of the envelope randomisation.

10.11IntermediateManual Envelopes (Legacy) p.245, LFO (Legacy) p.248, Mods (Legacy) p.249, Effects (Legacy) p.250

Legacy keygroups

With the Legacy button on, keygroups edit as they did in earlier MPC releases, with fewer, simpler tabs (Keygroup overview: Advanced and Legacy). Global and Samples/Oscs have their own sections (Global (Advanced and Legacy), Samples/Oscs (Advanced and Legacy)). This section covers the Legacy versions of the other tabs.

Envelopes has three tabs, for amplitude, filter and pitch. Tap Envelopes to step through them. On each one you can type into the fields or drag the handles on the curve (Anatomy of an envelope). A soft press applies very little Velocity Modulation, and a harder press applies more, according to how far up you’ve set that slider.

Envelopes: amplitude (first tab)

Keygroup Level: Sets the overall volume of the loaded samples or oscillators.
Keygroup Pan: Sets the overall stereo position of the loaded 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.

Envelopes: filter (second tab)

Type: Chooses the filter. 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.

Envelopes: pitch (third tab)

Global Semi: Transposes the keygroup. 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 keygroup’s pitch changes over time.
Depth: Sets how much the envelope moves the pitch.
PitchVelocity Modulation: How strongly velocity changes the pitch envelope.

LFO is a single page: a repeating waveform with an adjustable speed and shape, used to move other parameters.

LFO

Waveform: Chooses the waveform. See the table below.Range Sine, Tri, S&H, Saw, SawD, Sqr, Noise
Rate: Sets the LFO’s frequency. Low values can take a while to finish one cycle, and high values approach the audible range.
Sync: Locks the rate to the tempo with a time division, where a . marks a dotted note and a T a triplet. None turns sync off.
PitchDestinations: Sets how much the LFO moves the pitch of the sound.
FilterDestinations: Sets how much the LFO moves the filter’s cutoff frequency.
AmpDestinations: Sets how much the LFO moves the volume level.
PanDestinations: Sets how much the LFO moves the panning.

Waveform options

Waveform	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.

Mods gathers the performance settings: glide between notes, what velocity changes, and how a connected MIDI keyboard shapes the sound.

Mods: Portamento

Time: Slider that sets how long the glide between notes takes.
Quantize: Locks the portamento time to the project tempo.
Legato: Chooses whether pitch glides on all triggered notes or only on legato notes.

Mods: Velocity Sensitivity

Pitch: Changes the sample or oscillator’s pitch according to velocity.
Amp Attack: How hard you have to hit before the amp envelope’s attack phase changes.
Amp: Changes the sample or oscillator’s overall level according to velocity.
Pan: Moves the sample or oscillator in the stereo field according to velocity.
KB>FLT: Sets how much of the note value is added to the filter cutoff, so sounds get brighter as you play higher on the keyboard.
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.
Filter Cutoff: Moves the cutoff frequency straight from pad velocity.

Mods: Controller Mod

Pitch Bend: How many semitones the pitch-bend wheel on a connected MIDI keyboard covers.
Wheel>LFO: How much the mod wheel on a connected MIDI keyboard changes the LFO’s intensity.
Aft>FiltAftertouch to Filter Cutoff: How much aftertouch from a connected MIDI keyboard moves the filter cutoff.
Chp>FiltChannel Pressure to Filter Cutoff: How much channel pressure from a connected MIDI keyboard moves the filter cutoff.

Effects gives each keygroup up to four insert effects, plus send levels. Insert effects and Send/return effects cover both in general.

Add an insert effect

Double-tap an Inserts slot to open the list of effects.
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. Reorder the effects by moving the selected one up or down.
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.

Sends

Send: One knob for each send effect. Sets how much of the track’s signal goes to it. The return channels then pass that audio to their assigned main output at their return levels.

10.12BasicsManual Plugin Tracks p.252

Track Edit for plugin tracks

On a plugin track, Track Edit Mode is where you play with the instrument’s sound. You’ll see either every available parameter with its own slider or a visual version of the plugin’s interface. Plugin tracks explains the track type and Plugin instruments overview the instruments themselves.

Move a slider, or use the plugin interface, to set a parameter’s value.
The tabs along the bottom lead to the rest of the parameters.
To load a plugin preset, tap the folder icon beside the preset name at the top. The file browser opens.
To save a new plugin preset, tap the disk icon beside the insert selector at the top.

10.13IntermediateManual MIDI Tracks p.253

Track Edit for MIDI tracks

On a MIDI track, Track Edit Mode becomes a control surface for whatever the track is playing: an overview of the available MIDI CCs, each with a slider. Move a slider to set that parameter’s value. The six tabs along the bottom lead to the rest. You can also relabel the page to suit your gear. MIDI tracks explains the track type.

Reassign a slider

Tap Edit at the top right of the page.
Tap the dropdown menu of the parameter you want to change.
Scroll through the MIDI assignments with DATA DIAL or – and +, or double-tap the menu to see them as a list.

Key combinations

DATA DIAL: Scrolls through the available MIDI assignments.MIDI track, with Edit on and a dropdown menu tapped
– or +: Scrolls through the available MIDI assignments.MIDI track, with Edit on and a dropdown menu tapped

Rename a slider

Tap Edit at the top right of the page.
Tap the pencil icon next to the dropdown menu.
Type a new name on the keyboard that appears.

From the community

Track Edit on a MIDI track already lists every CC with a slider, so to control a synth there’s nothing to map. Rename the controls to match it and save the track as a template for next time. via Elektronauts: The all things MPC thread

10.14BasicsManual CV Tracks p.254

Track Edit for CV tracks

On a CV track, Track Edit Mode shows every available CV output with its own slider. Move a slider to set that parameter’s value. CV tracks explains the track type and CV/Gate covers connecting your gear.

From the community