I Think MPC One Sample Saving STINKS

I Think MPC One Sample Saving STINKS
Today I'm talking about how I think MPC One sample saving stinks! The MPC standalone series instruments feature incredibly powerful samplers! Features like time stretch, pitch shift, in depth editing, layering, and more are all present. The one feature that isn't present however, is an easy way to save the edited sample to a location on internal or external storage! The roundabout method of assigning the sample to a pad on a program, then going and saving the sample on the pad to storage is a really frustrating way to implement sample saving, and I think it needs to change. Let me know if you agree or disagree and enjoy the video :)
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• MPC One - Save Sample ...
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[@EnochLight]

If you want to sample your Pocket Operator, there is a much faster method instead of just sampling 1 voice at a time. After you start sampling, play each sound so you have a single sample with all of your PO sounds. Then go into Edit, and Slice Mode. Set slice to threshold, and assign the whole sample to a single Drum Program - voila - instant PO kit. The idea of assigning samples to a Program is the whole point of the MPC, btw (hence why saving after that stage is typically how you do it). Few people use their MPC to sample 1 sound (or several in a series) and then save it. That feature didn’t even exist until about 2.6 or 2.7 (can’t remember which).

[@luismp8548]

Like the circuit kzbin.info/www/bejne/iomtqmtmh6ZsqM0

[@EnochLight]

@@luismp8548 - sort of, except not a convoluted mess like the Circuit. 😜🤣 On a serious note - virtually all samplers that do this stole this method from the Akai MPC.

[@RosssRoyce]

What you wrote reminded me of another complication: when I chop a long sample I want to save all the chops as separate samples. I cannot just save them (!!?,) I have to again assign and create a drum kit just for the chops to be separately saved (and I have to find where, it is not a folder that I can choose!). This drove me crazy when I did three key instruments sampling my viola da gamba - I had to create a drum kit and then search and guess where the chops were saved. Only then I could open program edit for key instrument and start to draw chops for the instrument. I find this artificially complicated.

[@edtuckerartist]

The PO33 can slice too. kzbin.info/www/bejne/hZnZgaCadquiirs

[@FreeBeat]

I definitely get that, although I prefer to work sample by sample rather than by doing everything at once. Just me being weird I guess.

[@huntergalloway3944]

I’m with you FB. This bugs me so bad, and I sample single sounds all the time. I really hope they fix this soon!

[@FreeBeat]

Agreed, it seems like such a simple fix too.

[@wiggesobk]

You don't have to switch between the audio and MIDI Track. Just go straight into the sampler. After that you can go into the program edit -> sample. There you can edit your sample without even saving. The other way is like "EnochLight" already said. That's my favorite way to sample my stuff. I think it's super easy. Just make sure, after you've chopped up your sample to press and hold the shift button. It will show you the secret buttons to save and assign your slices.

[@RosssRoyce]

But I want to chop my samples and save the chops for a key instrument creation. I want to just save them where I want. But no, I cannot. I ave to assign them to a drum kit and then search and guess where my chops are saved! If I have a chance and find them, only then I can open key instrument program edit and start to assign chopped sample by chopped sample to a keyboard area.

[@FreeBeat]

Right, but I want to be able to save my samples directly from sample edit rather than having to assign them to a program first haha.

[@wiggesobk]

@@RosssRoyce i've never used it that way. But i'm sure there's a faster way to chop it. Maybe you can try a different sample recording type (like hold or tab). You still have to create a program but your slices are created by the way how long you hold the pad. I hope that make sense.

[@RosssRoyce]

@@wiggesobk Thanks, this could be useful for melodic sample chops but in my case I take an instrument, viol (like cello with 6 strings) and make one long sample playing the viol’s whole range jumping every 3rd or 4th interval, so in all around 24 sounds. Chopping them should be precise by hand but it’s very easy. So a save the chops button would have really simplified what I do at this stage.

[@wiggesobk]

@@RosssRoyce ah okay now i get it. I think in that case there is no other way how to do it like you already did.

[@unclemick-synths]

One subtle thing: Save vs Keep. Save saves a WAV as a separate entity but doesn't assign it. Keep assigns the sample and saves a WAV as part of the project. The latter is a bit risky because it gets deleted if it's not used and you purge. I tend to Save then Keep.

[@RaverOperatorGeeza]

Yeah, same. Keep, then assign and edit, export my edits

[@FreeBeat]

Yeah, my problem is that I want to sample, then edit, then save directly lol.

[@sinewaymusic]

I agree now when you mention it. The whole idea of the MPC is to quickly make new songs, so if you're sampling, you're typically doing it to add to the existing drumkit, or to make a new one. I'm guessing that this is how workflow is designed - it's meant to be about building or adding to a drumkit, not working with individual samples. The scenario where you'd work on individual samples is when recording audio tracks/loops. I'm just guessing here but that's what I'd guess was the idea of the workflow.

[@FreeBeat]

Yeah, I'm quickly realizing that the way I use the MPC one is not at all how it was designed haha.

[@dr.papadopolis7171]

Buy a sampler

[@rogercosseboom]

@@dr.papadopolis7171 bRuH tHe MpC iS tHe BeSt SaMpLeR EvR!

[@RoofElmao]

we should have save button in edit sample for sure

[@FreeBeat]

Absolutely!

[@GerenM63]

My gawd! I don’t even think saving on a Roland device is that bad!

[@magnuseriksson8081]

Nothing is easy on Roland gear when it comes to creating your own sounds

[@GerenM63]

@@magnuseriksson8081 It's the reason I got rid of my last Roland product, and likely won't own another, except maybe some Boss pedals -- they've at least managed to keep their stomp boxes pretty simple (though some of the loopers and voice processing pedals are bit quirky). In all fairness, I do have to say that there is one recentish Roland product that is easy to create on, that that's the SH-01 GAIA. Sound design on that is so straightforward! And while relatively simple but Roland standards, saving your work is stupid, in that global settings are baked into every preset you save. Why they don't let you save global settings separately is beyond me.

[@FreeBeat]

That's funny, on my SPD-SX everything is quite straightforward 😂

[@isaiduncleisaiduncle]

well atleast you showed me how to save my sample....lol it would be wayyyy easier if they did make an option in the edit mode so i can just spend a couple hours recording samples and chopping. Lets hope they are listening. good video. great discussion

[@FreeBeat]

Thanks so much!

[@RosssRoyce]

I wrote a comment of the exact same rant as yours 3 days ago. This probably means that it’s two of us missing something 😆 OR: Akai, just put a SAVE button, on sample edit, chopped chops saving and key instruments sampling!!!!

[@FreeBeat]

Just a simple save button, that's all we want 😂

[@dustyaudio]

My workaround is to fill the pads/banks with samples then save the drum program to the sd (“Programs Folder”>new folder!) What you are asking for makes sense and seems like it should be right there. As a new mpc user I feel a lot of the “learning curves” are just legacy stuff that Akai can’t get away from for whatever reason, just a guess tho

[@FreeBeat]

Yeah, it seems like such a simple thing! Thanks for watching :)

[@Frogdealer]

You're right. Beside that I want "select all events" in the grid view and/or copy sequence without midi events, also copy track into another sequence.

[@night_speed]

I've never been big into sampling either. I bought the original Korg Electribe es1 about 20 years ago as my first piece of electronic gear. I knew very little about gear in general nor did I own a computer or have internet so "going DAWless" wasn't exactly a workflow choice and I wanted a drum machine/groovebox to go with my collection of guitar pedals and 4 track cassette recorder. I went with the ES1 based on the short description in a Sam Ash catalog and how it looked lol. Long story short, watching your videos this past year has inspired me to dig it out of the closet and dust it off after 2 decades because I've been GASing for a sampler and a i thought that would be a good piece of advice for people dealing with GAS. Instead of spending money on something new, maybe there is a piece of gear hiding somewhere that for whatever reason got dismissed or tossed aside and forgotten. Dig it out and see what happens. You might be pleasantly surprised. I've learned so much since I put the ES1 to bed indefinitely and now it's like I just bought a new instrument. And a bonus for me because next to the ES1 was a 1987 Alesis HR16 that I bought at a record/thrift shop for 15 bucks also around 20 years ago. The power supply was a diy hack job as well as the socket itself was on its way out so I really only played with it a couple of times before it crapped out for good. But again now that I have a lot more experience with electronics and soldering and building eurorack modules I ordered a new power supply(which was probably the trickiest part because it uses an odd plug) and fixed the socket as well as clean all the buttons and slider contacts. Now I have a pretty sweet vintage drum machine that's a little different in a sea of 808,909, Lindrum sample sounds. I must say the HR16 is definitely an underrated little drum machine. Lots of sounds all with control over pitch and panning, velocity sensitivity,quantization for live recording, song mode etc. And a funny little quirk is that the instructions are all printed inside a lid on the top of the machine so you can never lose the manual. This space is often used to mount switches as the HR16 i guess lends itself well for circuit bending. If I had another one I'd consider it.

[@FreeBeat]

Interesting! Maybe I'll have to give one a shot.

[@terrytorain5364]

This is actually why I'm still waiting for the roland sp 404 mk2 to be available in stock again at guitar center so I can trade-in my mpc one!

[@ThinkerThunker]

You bought an MPC One to sample ONE sample at a time? That's like buying a car because you needed a glove box. But then hate having to unlock the car to get to it.

[@jabbysammich]

No it's more like buying an expensive car that brands itself as great for storage, but it having a glove box that you can't close, so you have to put your license and registration in the trunk with your spare tire and sports gear. Not a dealbreaker, but obviously not ideal

[@SvenFx-22]

I’m not understanding assigning my chops and slices to the pads from a king sample. I sampled 16 PO sounds and chopped them up now I’m confused how to get that kit saved as a drum program on my sd card

[@FreeBeat]

Yeah, it really confused me as well. I believe you have to save it to the project first, but I could be wrong. I still get frustrated trying to sample on the MPC. Thanks for watching :)

[@Whatshisface813]

I’m watching this almost a year later, and I don’t think that they fixed it. I just recently got my first MPC, and I tried chopping up a vocal track which they make it so easy and seamless into 16 sections or regions I think they’re called. But how do I assign each region to a pad quickly and effortlessly. Like I said I’m still learning, so maybe I’m missing something, but I’m looking for tutorial videos on how to do that.

[@unclemick-synths]

I need to go digging in my MPC playlist. There's a sneaky way to get to save from Sample Edit but I've forgotten it and need to look it up anyway because I'm back to recording.

[@FreeBeat]

I've looked for a while and I can't find anything, I'll be eagerly awaiting your reply hahaha.

[@unclemick-synths]

@@FreeBeat I couldn't find the video but I experimented and confirmed that when you assign the edited sample to a pad, saving the project saves the samples. So, the workflow is; sample, edit, assign to a pad, then save the project. Not only that but as far as I can tell purge doesn't delete the sample from the SD card. For other projects those WAVs are available from the project's data folder (if you unhide project data folders). When I'm having a sampling session that's not for a specific song I think I'll just save that project in my samples folder.

[@Mr__Fogg]

@@unclemick-synths I've got totally sucked in to this debate as I was thinking of buying and MPC 1 but this issue is putting me off at the moment!

[@RosssRoyce]

The lack of save button on Sample Edit, and the lack of Save Separate Chops samples button makes the creation of a Key Instrument a hell. I have to assign the chopped sample to a drum kit to manually look for where my saved chops may be. If, and only IF, I find them, then I could go to my Key Instrument program edit and start to assign them to keyboard areas. This is RIDICULOUS! I want to just chop a sample, save the individual chops as separate samples WHEREVER I WANT, and use these as I please!

[@FreeBeat]

I didn't even think about saving in terms of key groups, I can see how that would be ridiculously frustrating!

[@RosssRoyce]

@@FreeBeat It’s pity because once done the instruments sound super glorious, and you don’t have to buy them! I tried to make an instrument like this just from assigning the chops to a drum kit (to spare me the creation of key instrument), and this works for the pads when every chop is a note on the scale, but once you hook a keyboard the notes are not in order!! If you create a key instrument all the notes are in order - because you gave manually each chop a keyboard range… You can sample your guitar this way, your favorite iPad or analog synth, a piano, anything. And you don’t need to have a chop for every note, you can assign a few (as many as you wish) keys per sample. Only good luck with finding where your chopped samples will be saved to start with 😅

[@Drrolfski]

There is actually an auto-sampler build in to make key groups from external sources but you need to know how to set it up: kzbin.info/www/bejne/kKmtYqR5bd50npo

[@TryASMR]

I agree! Thank you for explaining how to save. ^^

[@FreeBeat]

Thanks for watching!

[@kernelpaniiic]

I usually sample to a program for the song I am currently making, I rarely need to export an individual sample, because I don’t reuse the same samples often. Unless I am making a drum kit of course, in which case I would save the entire program.

[@magnuseriksson8081]

Really? So if you collect a lot of great sounds you do not think, months or a year later you will use those again in a different song in a different combination? That's the whole idea for me with creating your own kits and collecting your own sounds to be able to create your own thing

[@FreeBeat]

I definitely understand that workflow, but sometimes I like to sample new drums and synths ahead of time to come back and use in projects later.

[@magnuseriksson8081]

I thought sampling was MPCs main Thing?? That is bloody unreal that you can save it when you are done.

[@FreeBeat]

Yeah it seems sort of silly lol.

[@leoopokat8235]

it been like this 4ever good luck on fixing this

[@FreeBeat]

Yeah I'm slowly learning this haha. Thanks for watching!

[@dannystephenson4957]

Totally agree bro

[@CrisRose]

MPC's long winded save method is my least favourite thing about my MPC Live. I sample into my MPC when I make interesting sounds or bars using other synths for later use - essentially dedicated Sound Design sessions. I've taken to sequencing them via midi on the MPC, extending the sequence by a bar or 2 if sounds have to ring out, then sampling them using Detect and stopping manually. Then I have to save the file straight to the SD card as it is, and leave it like that. What I'd like to be able to do is use the audio track to record a quantised 4 or 8 bar loop and save it straight from that screen, then record the next. Or edit it, then save it straight from there. I like the visual interface of the MPC, but I'm probably going give the Octatrack a go too and see if the MPC survives long term. I don't have much time to play with my Synths - every minute I spend trying to get things archived is less actual plat time.

[@guitarcrap4523]

Did Akai ever fix this? its been 6 months...

[@fellpower]

Now imagine, HOW BAD my MPC is...u sample, u edit, u build a song - and the damn thing CRASHES the whole time....so, i dont use the mpc anymore, till they fix the crashes...

[@FreeBeat]

Interesting, I haven't had that many crashes. Have you tried a new SD card or reinstalling firmware updates?

[@middle_pickup]

Did they fix this?

[@teddybearasaurus]

Gonna get a new sp404 mk2? I believe in Akai fixing it. Maybe someone knows something we don’t 🤷🏽‍♂️

[@I.O.M.]

Maybe an SP in someone’s future.

[@FreeBeat]

Possibly! It definitely looks like an interesting piece of gear, I've never used anything quite like it.

[@teddybearasaurus]

I mean you aren’t wrong😂

[@teddybearasaurus]

I think it is especially interesting to ios producers cause of the usbc sampling

[@aceishigh3093]

I think you can use the Resampling input in the looper or sampler and save that to SD card

[@skylerdarkavelifinesseflow7115]

I get it.. But it doesn't quo on quote suck just because you want an update just to save to the SD card. I love how the MPC "uno" operates 😂

[@brianmatthews232]

well done, lets hope Akai are listening as well?

[@SonicScholar]

Dude just go to program or track edit and click ‘Save’. How hard is that?

[@HarryLoveTV]

Entirely missing the point. By the same token how hard is it for Akai to add options to what and how data is saved? It’s the most primordial requirement in any computerised equipment and a powerhouse like the new MPCs should have all options covered for saving & exporting samples / programs / etc

[@SonicScholar]

@@HarryLoveTV but it’s right there in the front of the screen. Literally, click the pencil icon in the track sequence and ‘Save’ is right there. You can save it right to a folder on your SD card or internal storage in 2 clicks. It’s really straightforward. Unless you are talking about something totally different.

[@FreeBeat]

I shouldn't have to leave the sample edit screen to save the sample that I'm editing. If I'm having a big sampling session I don't want to have to toggle back and forth between sample edit and the main project view, especially because I might not even be working on a project.

[@SonicScholar]

@@FreeBeat with all due respect, I think you’re just being a bit pedantic. As far as I’m concerned, the MPC has the best workflow of any groove box out there.

[@FreeBeat]

@@SonicScholar I think it boils down to how clearly different people prefer different ways of working haha.

[@HarryLoveTV]

Agreed. It’s one of the really big downfalls of the new MPC range. They’ve always had slightly annoying ways of saving back to the older machines but not like this and as you point out, the new ones are particularly and unnecessarily long winded. It could be so much easier as it could be implemented via a simple software update. Older machines gave the option to save all programs+samples+sequences together or individually - so even the mpc1000 had a much better way to back up samples or projects - I think it Akai need to put effort into making the file management a joy to deal with because as it stands it is a total ball ache. My other issues with the newer MPCs are the general amount of menu diving and the awkwardness of changing parameters for multiple samples - fully possible but slightly hazardous because if you select all/multiple pads then make an edit its too easy to forget all those pads are selected and make a change that can mess up everything by affecting all pads. It’s particularly bad if moving start & end points on a sample. I personally think the “browser” menu should be reworked to cover file management in a more intuitive way. people use MPCs in so many different ways that it makes little sense to impose a particular style of workflow (as some suggest there is a ‘supposed to’ way of using the MPC). Even finding the samples after saving projects could be easier. I noticed that if I make a revision to a project, I then have to save another new duplicate project which then saves all samples another time with little to no options of how samples/programs/midi are saved. Making kits would be a lot more fun if this was better implemented

[@FreeBeat]

You bring up a good point about the supposed MPC workflow. It seems as the MPC standalone devices add more and more features, they become more and more proper DAW replacements. However the workflow still tries its best to be just a beatmaking device.

[@jabbysammich]

If I work for MPC I would be embarrassed by this issue and would work to fix it ASAP. Yes it's not a total dealbreaker for the device, and yes there are other ways to work around it, but it's such an obvious thing to include on a (very expensive) device that brands itself as a full sampler, and you can save pretty much everything else. I just don't get it...

[@brianmatthews232]

Maybe the ability to create functions to user assigned buttons?

[@trevormalcolm4328]

Just the procedure of saving, (songs, tracks, programs etc…) is a total pain in the §€%# on the MPCs!

[@FreeBeat]

At least there is a master save button for projects haha.

[@johnruschulte2593]

The Whole File System is Rubbish it ruins the whole experience. It seems like it is the one constant in all the updates from birth.

[@FreeBeat]

Yeah it's definitely quite confusing haha.

[@Drrolfski]

Yup, it's worse than Windows 95

[@robertosantiagomp]

And the click noise of the clip program also a big problem.

[@FreeBeat]

I haven't played around with clip programs yet, maybe I'll give those a shot soon.

[@FUTABA-kg]

I own MPC Touch and it is complex as HELL and that's why I rarely use it....

[@FreeBeat]

Thanks for watching!

[@robertosantiagomp]

Just ran into this problem yesterday when creating loops tho happens also

[@FreeBeat]

Thanks for watching!

[@unclemick-synths]

One more thing... I find it slightly less inefficient to create the program up front when I'm doing individual samples e.g. playing a riff on my bass guitar. I rarely use audio tracks so my wishlist for Akai is to be able to trigger the sampler in time with the beginning of the sequence for the times I do care about being in sync from the start of the sample e.g. if I don't actually play a note on the first beat.

[@FreeBeat]

That would actually be pretty cool!

[@deanisplemoni]

Don't you just.... hold Shift and Save?

[@FreeBeat]

Unfortunately that only saves The current overall project you're working on, no matter what screen you hit it from.

[@deanisplemoni]

@@FreeBeat dammit. I'll have to play around tonight. Seems another comment had a good solution but. Damn that MPC workflow.

[@djq-bik9937]

I notice this yesterday lol..akai please fix

[@SonicVibe]

I reach for my blackbox or sp for samples pocket operator ko sometimes

[@FreeBeat]

The black box does look pretty cool!

[@SonicVibe]

@@FreeBeat today got a tamcast dp008ex for recording it’s pretty sick also it masters your tracks

[@psynautic]

You can skip this whole process, by sampling everything you want, sample editing and then saving the project to your sd card. The samples are all in you project folder!

[@Drrolfski]

Sure but that's not how you want to organize your sample library

[@psynautic]

@@Drrolfski right but you just put the mpc onto controller mode and organize the samples real quick while the SD card is mounted. or pull the sd card out. it's an extra step but it isn't a deal breaker.

[@Drrolfski]

@@psynautic It's an extra step that is completely unnecessary. Saving and file management in MPC is just pre-Windows 95 -level retarded.

[@CrisRose]

@@Drrolfski "windows 95 level retarded" is my new go to clap-back. Thanks for that.

[@drewhjava]

Go to sampler, start sampling, hit all the samples you want, leave a little space in between, go to sample edit, chop the samples and create a new drum program.

[@FreeBeat]

Right, but what if I don't want a new drum program? What if I want to sample individual sounds and just store them on the device to assemble different kits later? Thanks for watching!

[@jaydeepalmer]

Ditch this and go back to the po33 lol

[@FreeBeat]

I definitely need to get a new PO-33 either way hahaha.

[@dr.papadopolis7171]

In my opinion mpc one is a great drum machine and that's basically it

[@dr.papadopolis7171]

Why I have to get the new 404

[@huntergalloway3944]

Because it’ll go with the MPC very well! More mangling and hands on controls!

[@LeekowalskiWalker]

lol

[@EnochLight]

In my opinion you’ve completely missed the plot.

[@FreeBeat]

It's also a great arranger and overall workstation, just some minor details that detract from the experience.

[@chahioliphant2793]

You corny

[@sammusic036]

oki first you talk 2 much 2nd your journey in sampling is nothing yet you dont know how to be creative in live situations on the pads 3th every project what you save you can say where you wanna save it usb or sd card and the whole project after saving stands on the card simpel hahah what do you think i take my sd card go to the studio and OEPS SOUNDS ARE missing nope because it is saving on a SD CARD .. the mpc is the best sample machine ever and this future mpc al the new ones the workflow is amazing you can make a e.p 12 tracks every day finished with vocals on it master ready every day tell me a machine who can do that dont share information if you dont know what you are talking about it sounds strange