Chapter 6
Playing & recording
Record, overdub, quantise, repeat — and play scales from the pads.
Recording sequences
Recording takes two presses: one button arms the sequence and another sets it rolling. The arming button is the choice that matters. REC | RECALL starts a fresh take that can remove what is already there, while OVERDUB layers new events on top of what you have.
Record a take
- In Main Mode, make sure
SEQ REC ARMat the bottom of the screen is on. - Press REC | RECALL to arm the sequence, or OVERDUB if you want to keep what is already recorded.
- Press PLAY to start from the playhead, or PLAY START | METRONOME to start from the sequence’s start point.
- Wait out the count-in. The manual’s tutorial gets one bar of metronome before recording begins, and Metronome has the settings that control it.
- Play the pads. Taking one pad at a time is easier while you are getting used to them.
- Keep going if you like. Once a REC | RECALL take has played through the sequence once (two bars in the tutorial), the MPC switches to Overdub by itself and keeps looping, so you can add more parts without stopping.
- Press STOP | RETURN when you are done.
Transport keys
- REC | RECALL
- Arms the sequence for recording. Recording starts when you press PLAY or PLAY START | METRONOME.
- OVERDUB
- Enables Overdub, so you record without overwriting events already there. Works before or during recording.
- PLAY
- Plays the sequence from the playhead’s current position.
- PLAY START | METRONOME
- Plays the sequence from its start point.
- STOP | RETURN
- Stops playback.
- Double-press STOP | RETURN
- Silences audio that keeps sounding after a note has stopped playing.
- SHIFT + STOP | RETURN
- Returns the playhead to 1:1:0.
- SHIFT + REC | RECALL
- Recalls MIDI notes you played recently with recording off and inserts them into the current sequence.
- UNDO | REDO
- Erases every event from the current take, back to when you pressed PLAY or PLAY START | METRONOME. The button flashes while recording.While recording
- UNDO | REDO
- Undoes the last event or events you recorded.Playback stopped
Rec or Overdub?
| Arm with | What is already recorded | When you can use it |
|---|---|---|
| REC | RECALL | Can be lost (see the warning below). The take turns into an overdub after one pass. | Press it to arm, then start with PLAY or PLAY START | METRONOME. |
| OVERDUB | Stays. New events are added alongside it. | Before or during recording. |
Recall something you played without recording
- Select the track you want the notes on. The MPC has been capturing MIDI events in the background.
- Press SHIFT + REC | RECALL, or tap
Retro Recin the pull-down menu, to capture the notes you just played.
Recording settings in Preferences
Rec Arm Behavior— whether arming a track disarms the others (Single) or adds it to a group (Multi).Place Events Recorded During Count-In at Start Point— whether pads hit during the pre-count land at the start of the recording.Note Length (Recording)— what happens to a note held past the end of the sequence.Record Pad Aftertouch Events— whether pad pressure is recorded.
All four live in Preferences: Sequencer. The MIDI Rec Erase button in the Grid Settings window also decides whether new MIDI replaces or overdubs what is there. To record into the linear timeline, see Recording arrangements.
Tempo
Every sequence stores its own tempo, and the project has a separate global tempo as well. One switch decides which you hear: while playback follows the global tempo, each sequence’s own BPM is ignored. Projects use the sequence tempo unless you change that.
Key combinations
- TAP TEMPO | GLOBAL
- Sets a new tempo in BPM from the rate you tap the button.
- SHIFT + TAP TEMPO | GLOBAL
- Switches the selected sequence between its own tempo (button lit amber) and the global tempo (button lit red).
Other places to set the tempo
| Where | Tempo | Sequence or global |
|---|---|---|
| Main Mode, Sequence section | BPM field | Sequence/Global button under the BPM field |
| Step Sequencer | BPM field | Seq/Gbl button next to the field |
| Song Mode | BPM column, per step | Seq/Gbl button |
| Pull-down menu | Tap the BPM field to open the Tempo window | — |
Related settings in Preferences
- Tap Tempo
- How many presses of the tap button it takes before the MPC accepts a new tempo. See Preferences: Hardware.
- Flash Tap Tempo Light
- Flashes the tap button in time with the tempo when on; leaves it dark when off. See Preferences: Hardware.
- BPM Detection Range
- The range of BPM values the MPC can detect, including when you tap in a tempo. See Preferences: General.
- Default Tempo
- The tempo new projects start at. See Preferences: Project Defaults and Project Load/Save.
- Default Global Tempo
- Applies the default tempo to the global tempo when on, and to sequences when off. See Preferences: Project Defaults and Project Load/Save.
Timing Correct
Timing Correct, or TC, pulls events onto a rhythmic grid. It works on note events on MIDI tracks and on regions on audio tracks, though audio tracks only get one of the four correction types.
The window does two jobs: it holds the global on/off switch, and it applies a correction to events you have already recorded when you tap Do It.
Open the Timing Correct window
| From | Do this |
|---|---|
| Main Mode or List Edit Mode | Tap the TC field at the top of the screen. |
| Arrange Mode | Tap the timing correct value above the track headers. |
| The Step Sequencer or Track Mute Mode | Tap TC at the bottom of the screen. |
| Grid View | Tap the clock icon in the bottom-left corner. |
| Track View | Hold SHIFT and tap TC at the bottom of the screen. |
| Pull-down menu | Tap and hold the TC icon. |
| Hardware | Press TC ON/OFF | CONFIG. |
Key combinations
- TC ON/OFF | CONFIG
- Opens the Timing Correct window.
- SHIFT + TC ON/OFF | CONFIG
- Turns global timing correct on or off.
- SHIFT + tap the TC icon
- Turns global timing correct on or off.Main Mode toolbar
Quantise what you have recorded
- If you only want to correct some events, select them first. This has to happen before you open the window (see the note below).
- Open the Timing Correct window.
- Choose a
Typeand aTime Division. - Adjust
Swing,Shift Timing,WindowandStrengthto taste. - Set
Eventsto choose what gets corrected. - Tap
Do Itto apply the settings, orCloseto back out.
Type
| Type | What moves | Works on |
|---|---|---|
Start | The whole note event or audio region slides forward or back, so its start lands on the nearest grid division. | MIDI and audio tracks |
End | Only the end point moves, stretching or shortening the note to reach the nearest division. The start stays put. | MIDI tracks only |
Length | Only the end point moves, so that each note’s length is a multiple of the time division, wherever the note sits in the grid. The start stays put. | MIDI tracks only |
Legato | End points move so that each note sustains until the next begins, giving one unbroken phrase from the first note’s start to the last note’s end. Notes that start together (other than the last ones) end up the same length. Choosing this disables every other option in the window. | MIDI tracks only |
The other fields
- Global Timing Correct
- The on/off button for global timing correct.
- Time Division
- The grid that events snap to. A
Tmarks a triplet value. - Swing
- Shuffles the beat, from a subtle lilt to something extreme.Range 50%–75%
- Shift Timing
- Moves all events by a number of clock ticks.
- Window
- The range around each quantise value that gets corrected. Events inside the range are quantised; events outside it are left alone.
- Strength
- How firmly events are pulled towards the grid. Low values nudge them only part of the way, for a less mechanical feel; high values are strict.
- Events
- What the correction applies to:
Allnote events, only theSelectedones, or aRange. - From / To
- With
Eventsset toRange, the locations the correction covers. You also choose the pads or keys to include.
A Q-Link can control swing too. The Q-Link Swing Control Applies TC Settings on Release setting in Preferences: Sequencer decides whether letting go of the knob applies the swing straight away, or whether you still need this window.
From the community
MPC Sequencer: Grid View, Bars, Beats, Tick, Timing Correct Explained
Bit Bender Studio
From 2021, but bars, beats, ticks and Timing Correct are unaffected by MPC 3: a clear account of how they relate in Grid View.
Metronome
The metronome gives you a click to play against and, if you want it, a count-in before recording starts. All of its settings sit in one window, called Click/Metro.
Key combinations
- SHIFT + PLAY START | METRONOME
- Turns the metronome on or off.
- SHIFT + tap
Metro - Turns the metronome on or off.Main Mode toolbar
Other ways in
- Tap
Metroat the top of the screen in Main Mode to open the settings. - Tap the Metronome icon in the pull-down menu to turn the click on or off, or tap and hold it to open the settings.
Count-In and Enable
| Value | Count-In: the pre-count | Enable: the click itself |
|---|---|---|
Off | No pre-count. | No click. |
Play | Not an option. | During playback only. |
Record | When recording only. | During recording only. |
Record + Play | When recording and when playing back. | During recording and playback. |
The other controls
- Rate
- The time division of the click.
Tmarks a triplet value.Autofollows the denominator of the current time signature.Range Auto, 1/4, 1/4T, 1/8, 1/8T, 1/16, 1/16T, 1/32, 1/32T - Sound
- The sound the click uses.Range Sidestick 1, Sidestick 2, Clap, Metroclick, Shake, Tambourine, MPC Click
- Volume
- A knob on the screen that sets the level of the click.
- On/Off
- A button in the window that turns the metronome on or off.
- Output
- Which outputs carry the click.Range Out 1,2, Out 3,4, or an individual Out 1–4
To decide what happens to pads you hit during the count-in, see Place Events Recorded During Count-In at Start Point in Preferences: Sequencer.
Note Repeat
Note Repeat turns a held pad into a steady stream of hits, which makes it a quick way to play hi-hat patterns. The rate comes from the current tempo and the Timing Correct settings (Timing Correct).
Key combinations
- Hold NOTE REPEAT | LATCH + PAD
- Triggers that pad’s sample repeatedly.
- SHIFT + NOTE REPEAT | LATCH
- Latches Note Repeat, so you no longer have to hold the button.
- NOTE REPEAT | LATCH
- Unlatches Note Repeat.While latched
Add triplet hi-hats to a beat
- Start recording (Recording sequences).
- Press and hold NOTE REPEAT | LATCH.
- Tap
1/16andTat the bottom of the screen to choose triplet sixteenths. - Press your hi-hat pad for as long as you want the hits to continue.
On a Plugin, Keygroup, MIDI or CV track, hold NOTE REPEAT | LATCH and tap Arp at the bottom right of the screen to reach the Arpeggiator, which offers Note Repeat as one of its actions.
Full Level and User Level
Normally the pads respond to how hard you play them. Full Level and User Level switch that off and give every hit one fixed velocity, which helps when you want a steady, even part.
Key combinations
- FULL LEVEL | USER LEVEL
- Turns Full Level on or off. While on, pads always play at the maximum velocity of 127.
- SHIFT + FULL LEVEL | USER LEVEL
- Turns User Level on or off. Its velocity starts at Half Level (64).
- Hold FULL LEVEL | USER LEVEL
- Sets the custom velocity that User Level uses.
Defaults for new projects
- Enable Pads User Level By Default
- When checked, all pads play at the user level by default. Unchecked, they use the standard velocity response. See Preferences: Project Defaults and Project Load/Save.
- Default Pads User Level Velocity
- The velocity pads use when the setting above is on. See Preferences: Project Defaults and Project Load/Save.
For a range of fixed velocities across the pads rather than one, use 16 Level.
16 Level
16 Level temporarily spreads one sound across all 16 pads. They all send the same note number as the original pad, but one parameter of your choice is fixed at a value that climbs with the pad number: PAD 1 gives the minimum, PAD 16 the maximum, however hard you hit them.
The sound that gets copied is the selected pad: A01 by default, or the last pad you hit.
Key combinations
- 16 LEVELS | NOTES
- Turns 16 Level on or off and opens the 16 Levels screen.
- Hold 16 LEVELS | NOTES + PAD
- Selects the pad to spread across all 16.16 Levels window open
- SHIFT + PAD
- Chooses the pad that plays the original pitch of the sample.16 Levels, Type set to Tune
Type
| Type | What the 16 pads do |
|---|---|
Velocity | Play at fixed velocities, rising with the pad number. |
Tune | Play at different tunings. Use the Original Pad field to choose which pad plays the sample at its original pitch. |
Filter | Play at fixed filter values, rising with the pad number. |
Layer | On pads with several samples, play each layer according to its Velocity Start and Velocity End settings. |
Slice | On pads with several slices, play each slice in order, starting at PAD 1. |
Articulation | PAD 1 plays the sample unchanged; PAD 2–PAD 16 play the first 15 entries in the Articulation list (Effects tab). |
Attack | Play at fixed attack values, rising with the pad number. |
Decay | Play at fixed decay values, rising with the pad number. |
Probability | Set how likely the note is to play, from lowest to highest. |
Ratchet | Play at increasing ratchet subdivisions. |
Four ways to choose the pad while the window is open
- Hold 16 LEVELS | NOTES and press the pad.
- Uncheck the
16 Levelsbox to pause the feature, press the pad, then check the box again. - Tap the
Padfield, then use DATA DIAL or – and +. - Double-tap the
Padfield and tap the pad in the list.
Pad Perform
Pad Perform turns the pads into a musical instrument by laying out scales, chords or chord progressions across them, and it stays active in any mode. It works on keygroup, MIDI, plugin and CV tracks. You can open the window on a drum track, but it has no effect there.
The touchscreen shows how the current pad bank is mapped. Press a pad bank button to see and play the rest of the map (Pads and pad banks).
Key combinations
- SHIFT + 16 LEVELS | NOTES
- Opens the Pad Perform window.
- SHIFT + tap
1-3-5 - Sets
TypetoChordsandChordto1-3-5(major/minor).Pad Perform window - SHIFT + tap
1-4-5 - Sets
TypetoChordsandChordto1-4-5(sus4).Pad Perform window - SHIFT + tap
1-3-5-7 - Sets
TypetoChordsandChordto1-3-5-7(major7/minor7).Pad Perform window - SHIFT + tap
1-3-5-7b - Sets
TypetoChordsandChordto1-3-5-7b(dominant).Pad Perform window - SHIFT + tap
Note –/+ - Shifts the pad map down or up a semitone, moving
Root Noteby a half-step.Pad Perform window
You can also tap the Pad Perform icon in the Track section of Main Mode. Along the bottom of the window, Notes, Chords and Progressions set the Type directly, and Octave –/+ moves the whole map down or up an octave.
Type
| Type | Each pad plays |
|---|---|
Chromatic | A note, one semitone higher per pad. Pads in the chosen scale are lit; pads between scale degrees are unlit. |
Notes | A note, one scale degree higher per pad. |
Chords | A chord in the key set by the scale, with its root one scale degree higher per pad. |
Chromatic Chords | A chord with its root one scale degree higher per pad, but any chord type is allowed, whatever the key. It is Chords with more freedom to step outside the key. |
Progressions | One chord of a progression. Play the pads in order or out of it to sketch a song quickly. The Chord field sets which chords are available. |
Custom | A note you assign yourself. |
Scale and octave
- Root Note
- Where the scale starts, as pitch and register. Any chromatic note across the range of the pads is available. The root pad lights differently and is highlighted on screen, so you can see where each octave begins.
- Scale Type
- The scale or mode built on the root note. Disabled when
TypeisProgressions.Range Major, Natural Minor, Harmonic Minor, Chromatic, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian, Locrian, Blues (minor), Major Bebop, Flamenco, Gypsy, Hungarian Gypsy, Persian, Pentatonic Major, Pentatonic Minor, Whole Tone
Chord (Chords and Chromatic Chords only)
| Type | Available chords |
|---|---|
Chords | 1-3-5 (major/minor), 1-4-5 (sus4), 1-2-5 (sus2), 1-3-5-7 (major7/minor7), 1-3-5-7b (dominant). The numbers are the scale degrees counted from the pad’s root. |
Chromatic Chords | Major, Minor, Sus2, Sus4, Major7, Minor7, Major9, Minor9, Augmented, Diminished |
Banks
| Setting | How the map carries across pad banks |
|---|---|
Continuous | Each bank carries on from the last: Pad 01 is one scale degree above Pad 16 of the previous bank. |
Start on Root | Pad 01 is the scale’s root on every bank. |
Build a custom note map
- Set
TypetoCustom. - Tap
Edit Note Map. - Tap a pad, or use the
Padfield, to select it. - Set its note with the
MIDI Notefield. Repeat for the other pads. - Tap
Close, the X, or anywhere outside the window to finish.
If you would rather start from a preset, Custom also offers Chromatic C1, Chromatic C2 and Classic MPC.
Add your own progressions
- Create your progressions in the MPC software on a computer. It saves
.progressionfiles inC:\Program Files\Akai Pro\MPC\Progressionsand/orC:\ProgramData\Akai\MPC\Progressionson Windows, or~/Library/Application Support/Akai/MPC/Progressionson macOS. - Make a folder named
Progressionsat the root level of an external storage device. - Copy the
.progressionfiles into it and connect the device to the MPC. It scans the folder and adds them to the list of progressions.
You can also build a progression on the MPC itself from a melodic MIDI track, with Convert to Progression in Grid View.
From the community
MPC Live 3: Scales, Chords, and Chord Progression Modes + Arpeggiator!
Chris Laps
Scale, chord and progression pad modes plus the arpeggiator, filmed on a Live III; Pad Perform and the arpeggiator are on the G2 too.
Arpeggiator
The arpeggiator handles melodic tracks. Hold a chord and it plays the notes back as a pattern or rhythm; hold one note and it can run a whole phrase, transposed to whichever note you are holding. It can also behave as a traditional note repeat.
Open it
- Select a Plugin, Keygroup, MIDI or CV track.
- Press and hold NOTE REPEAT | LATCH, then tap
Arpat the bottom right of the screen. - Check
Enableto turn the arpeggiator on, and checkLatchas well if you want to latch it. Tap either box again to turn it off.
Key combinations
- Hold NOTE REPEAT | LATCH + tap
Arp - Opens the Arpeggiator window.Plugin, Keygroup, MIDI or CV track
Action
| Action | What it does | Its own section |
|---|---|---|
Arp | Hold a chord and it plays a pattern built from the held notes. | Arp mode |
Note Repeat | Traditional note repeat. | — |
Rhythm | Hold a chord and it plays the held notes in a rhythmic pattern. | Rhythm |
Pattern | Hold one note and a melodic phrase plays. Change the note and the phrase transposes with it. | Pattern |
Setup
- Action
- The kind of arpeggiator, as in the table above.Range Arp, Note Repeat, Rhythm, Pattern
- Time Division
- The note value of each step, including triplet (
T) variations. Not available whenActionisPattern.Range 1/1–1/64 - Note Length
- How long the note plays within each step.Range 1–100%
- Velocity
- The velocity of the arpeggiated notes.Range As played, From first note, Accented, Full, 3/4, Half, 1/4
- Swing
- Shuffles the arpeggiator, from subtle to extreme.Range 50%–75%
Arp mode (Action set to Arp)
- Arp Pattern
- How the arpeggiator steps through the held notes.
- Octaves
- How many octaves of the held notes it cycles through.
- Variation
- Adds rhythmic variation to the chosen pattern.
Rhythm and Pattern
- Rhythm Pattern
- With
Actionset toRhythm, the pattern played while you hold notes. - Pattern
- With
Actionset toPattern, the phrase that plays.
Settings
- Sustain Pedal Latches
- Lets a connected sustain pedal control latching.
- Latch Mode
- What the sustain pedal does.Range Reset, Add
Probability
- Accent (%)
- The percentage chance that any given arpeggio note gets an accent.
- Normal (%)
- The percentage chance that any given arpeggio note plays with normal articulation.
Arpeggiator modifiers
- Channel Pressure
- Channel Pressure from an external MIDI controller becomes a modifier control.
- Expression
- Expression (MIDI CC #11) from an external MIDI controller becomes a modifier control.
- Aftertouch
- Aftertouch becomes a modifier control, from the pads or from an external MIDI controller.
- Mod Wheel
- Modulation (MIDI CC #1) from an external MIDI controller becomes a modifier control.
Arpeggiator modifier settings: what those controls change
| Check this box | Limit field | Range | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
Modify Time Division | Max Amount | 1–4 | 1/8 with a limit of 2 can rise through 1/8T to 1/16, the next two higher divisions. |
Modify Octaves | Extra Octaves | 1–4 | Octaves at 1 with a limit of 2 can reach 3 octaves in total. |
Modify Note Length | Max Amount (%) | 1–100% | Note Length at 50% with a limit of 20% can reach 60%. |
Modify Swing | Max Amount (%) | 1–50% | Swing at 50% with a limit of 20% can reach 60%. |
Modify Variation | Max Amount | 1–4 | Variation 1 with a limit of 2 can reach Variation 3. |
Modify Probability | Max Amount (%) | 1–100% | Probability at 50% with a limit of 20% can reach 60%. |
From the community
MPC Live 3: Scales, Chords, and Chord Progression Modes + Arpeggiator!
Chris Laps
Scale, chord and progression pad modes plus the arpeggiator, filmed on a Live III; Pad Perform and the arpeggiator are on the G2 too.
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.
Erase and Clear Track
There are three levels of clean-up here. While a sequence plays, hold the button and press a pad to take out hits as they come round, without stopping. With playback stopped, the Erase window removes chosen events from a chosen stretch of time. Clear Track wipes the current track.
Key combinations
- Hold ERASE | CLEAR TRACK + PAD
- Deletes that pad’s note event at the current playback position.During playback
- ERASE | CLEAR TRACK
- Opens the Erase window.Playback stopped
- SHIFT + ERASE | CLEAR TRACK
- Opens the Clear Track window. Tap
Clearto go ahead orCancelto back out.
You can also reach the Erase window from Main Mode: tap the pencil icon on the right edge of the Sequence section, then tap Erase.
The Erase window
- Sequence
- The sequence to erase from.
- Track
- The track to erase within that sequence.
- Bar, Beat, Tick
- The time range. The left fields set where it starts and the right fields set where it ends.
Erase options
| Option | What goes | Track types |
|---|---|---|
All | Every pad event in the time range, and its settings are reset. | MIDI and audio |
Automation | Only automation in the time range. Use the Parameter field to choose which type. | MIDI and audio |
Note | Only the pad events you pick. Press pads in the diagram of the eight pad banks to select or deselect their notes. | MIDI only |
Except Note | Everything except the note events you pick, chosen the same way. | MIDI only |
Erase part of a track
- Stop playback and press ERASE | CLEAR TRACK.
- Choose the
SequenceandTrack. - Set the start and end of the time range.
- Choose an erase option, and pick the pads or parameter if it asks for them.
- Tap
Do Itto confirm. To back out, tap the X,Cancel, or anywhere outside the window.
To remove single notes with more precision, use Grid View or List Edit Mode.
Automation
Automation records your parameter changes into the sequence, so a filter sweep or effect move plays back by itself. Each track is either writing automation, reading it, or ignoring it, and you can change that for the whole project or for one track.
The G2 has no dedicated automation button, so you set these states on the touchscreen.
Where the buttons are
| Button | Where | What it changes |
|---|---|---|
| Global automation | The toolbar of modes such as Main Mode and Arrange Mode, and the pull-down menu | Every track in the project. Tapping it makes all tracks match, even if they were set differently. |
| Track automation | Channel strips, as in Main Mode and Track Mixer | That track only. |
The three states
| State | Button colour | Behaviour |
|---|---|---|
Read (R) | Green | Plays existing automation and records nothing. Use it to protect your automation from accidental changes while recording. |
Write (W) | Red | Records automation. On the global button, this overwrites what is there. Take care not to touch the XY pad or any Q-Link assigned to an automatable parameter by accident. |
| Off | — | Ignores the automation data. |
Key combinations
- SHIFT + tap the global automation button
- Turns global automation off. Tap the button again to turn it back on.
- SHIFT + tap the track automation button
- Turns that track’s automation off.
Record automation to a track
- Set the global or track automation button to
Write(W). - For MIDI CC automation only: check that
SEQ REC ARMat the bottom of Main Mode is on, then press OVERDUB to arm recording. - Press PLAY to start.
- Move the Q-Links or the XY pad, or adjust controls on the screen.
- Press STOP | RETURN to finish.
- Set the button back to
Read(R) to hear what you recorded.
Automate an effect with the XY pad
- Press SHIFT + NEXT SEQ | XYFX to open XYFX Mode (XYFX Mode).
- Tap the
XYFX Locationfield and selectTrackto put the effect on the current track. - The first time you do this in a project, tap
Insert XYFXwhen prompted. - Tap
Setupto show the panel that controls how the XY pad behaves. - Double-tap the
Presetfield and tap an effect. The list holds XYFX Mode’s own effects rather than every MPC effect. - Drag
Attack,ReleaseandWet/Dryto taste. Below them you can see what the X and Y axes control. - Tap the automation button until it is red, which is
Write(W). - Press PLAY START | METRONOME to start recording.
- Move your finger over the XY pad. Both axes get recorded. To hold a position, tap
Latchin the lower-left corner while you are touching the pad; the marker then stays until you touch elsewhere or tapLatchagain. - Press STOP | RETURN when you are done.
- Tap the automation button to choose the green
Read(R), so the track plays back what you recorded.
Clear automation from a track
- Press ERASE | CLEAR TRACK, or tap the Sequence Edit pencil icon in Main Mode and select
Erase. - Select
Automationas the erase type. - Choose the automation parameters to erase and set the time frame.
- Tap
Do It. Only the current sequence is affected.
To draw, edit or delete individual automation events by hand, use the lane in Grid View, List Edit Mode or the Step Sequencer.
From the community
MPC Live - 3.X Track Mute Automation Needs Automation in Write Mode...
NearTao
A 3.x gotcha, filmed on an MPC Live: why track mute automation won’t record unless automation is in Write mode.
MPC3 Sends and Returns Explained (Automation and Sidechaining Too!!!)
DnC Music
MPC 3 beta on a Live II: setting up sends and returns, automating inserts, then a long section on sidechaining.
