Swing drums when Making beats - Akai Mpc 2000XL

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[@dadivozo656]

Since a long time ago I have been working on a song. Had done all of the drums unquantized. My friend, though, listened to the almost finished track and thought it was way too loose. So I decided to try get the loose sound while using some time correct. Then this tutorial comes in handy. Thank you. Hopefully the track will come alive tonight.

[@mpchead]

Good luck with it, thanks for tuning in

[@WaxDat8800]

Swing = timing + velocity. The velocity part of the equation is so important but many people forget to discuss that part of the equation.

[@Labyrinth1010]

No. You’re describing groove, not swing. Swing is timing, only. It has nothing to do with velocity.

[@WaxDat8800]

@@Labyrinth1010 nope. Velocity will influence swing.

[@Labyrinth1010]

@@WaxDat8800 no, you’re mistaken. Swing has nothing to do with velocity. This is basic music theory stuff. Google will bring up a ton of articles on what swing timing is. Not one of them will mention velocity.

[@WaxDat8800]

@@Labyrinth1010 again. You are wrong. Velocity affects how swing is perceived or felt. You can call it groove or feel or whatever but this is easily testable. Notated the same way but played with dynamics…the swing will be heard and perceived differently. This is where dynamics comes into play. This is what most people miss.

[@Labyrinth1010]

@@WaxDat8800 actually, no. You’re wrong. You’re confusing swing with groove and feel. They’re not the same thing. Feel free to look up what swing is. You might learn something. You might learn that velocity and sun Maja r nothing to do with it. This isn’t an opinion, it’s a fact.

[@MrBlueHaze]

One of the ways J Dilla did it also. Marlow has shown us all along.

[@mpchead]

Just trust your ears

[@MrBlueHaze]

@@mpchead And the numbers

[@fuckooo]

This is one of the best tutorial vids I've seen on the subject

[@mpchead]

Wayne Kerr ✌️thanks bro

[@-.s-.s5800]

I think the same bro !

[@weneedkapitol1013]

These are the type of gems I've been searching for for years. Appreciate you dropping this knowledge Marlow

[@BeatsByGemsmiff]

Great Vid bro...Never underestimate the power of doing tutorials you may have done before but wit a little new twist to it...you get new followers/subs everyday not everyone will go through your old content, i say this cos you mentioned that theres only so much tutorials one can do on the Mpc (when you changed the name of the channel)...which i agree but tutorials are very essential..keep em coming Bless up 🙏🏾

[@robysanto2761]

Appreciate you sharing your knowledge. 🙏

[@johndillon92]

I really appreciate your videos they are very informative and easy to follow. I followed what you did in the MPC Beats Daw and it worked perfectly. Thank you

[@sagradothesound]

Amazing tutorial, I learned so much! The simplicity of the delivery 👌🏽

[@charlesatwork]

This is the exact tutorial I’ve been looking for for months. Thank you.

[@gryphonriehm-eagle3181]

Incredible tutorial! Always been intimidated the the MPC’s. You just killed a lot of that anxiety. Thanks buddy!

[@sesse4844]

Nice to see something about the 2kxl. Really helpful. Hope to see more stuff like these.

[@mlhbro]

This goes right next to your video on the different types of chops as among the most helpful, practical advice on beatmaking.

[@jaymac6831]

Thanks for sharing the knowledge bro...great vid

[@velllla]

Your drums looks sooo ready to go, like awesome!!! Maybe someday i can go like this, Dope man 👊🏻👊🏻👊🏻

[@lovejazzloverap]

One feature also really helps with the swing: having good rhythm lol

[@jerrypizzini]

The new gen that are trying to make hip hop should see this video.

[@DJDAMIAN72]

Scrawny Exactly, these type of drums all sound the same, like a lazy drunk drummer, all the OG 80’s & 90’s hip-hop heads I know including myself hate this fkn weird nerdy sound!

[@MAJFUNKSTAR]

L. D. Exactly!

[@0Dylek]

Naild it, The simplest way to set your swing.

[@ooolrait]

you, sir are a rarity in the tutorial biz. you actually make insanely good beats

[@ChainsTheChef888]

This video is golden for sampled type producers, you nailed it with the tips, even tho i've always produced beats on digital, never analog, i'm loving the mpc's they give a certain feel to the whole thing

[@almadixon-cider31]

Brilliant!

[@LHundo]

Thanks man! Very helpful tutorial. I been trying to figure out how to use the swing on my mpc. Respect ✊🏽

[@jcmuzik]

Love this!

[@beadlebamford9999]

Once you dropped those samples: Instant Fire! 💯

[@mrwahh44]

This is a very dope video. One of the best!

[@generalg7092]

DOPE VIDEO!! keep em coming

[@MrBlueHaze]

Well done mpc 2000xl was my first mpc years ago. Simple is best a lot of times. I may add that you could shift individual notes in the step edit mode. Everyone has come a long way. I learned a lot from you God bless.

[@nostetic6020]

Great help brother 👊🏿🙌🏿

[@williamjohn-charles7101]

this video alone helped me so so damn much thank you man thank you

[@bliss3174]

Valeu Marlow!

[@guillaumecarteret1642]

Thanks for the swing method !

[@BillyKostka]

This one was so helpful. Thank you!

[@johncortese4002]

I wanted to thank you Iv learned a lot of the MPC from you. Thanks agin for your vids

[@mpchead]

Thanks for tuning in

[@TheNathtube]

Dope tutorial method is even sweeter on the 3000. Blue XL looks fresh

[@REMRODFILMS]

figured it out on my live! this is amazing! Game changer!

[@clementprigent9141]

Thanks for this! peace

[@MrBlueHaze]

Great tutorial though when you shift the kicks you could adjust the region timing before the shifting so all notes after the one are adjusted. You most always want the first kick on the one and everything afterwards shifted.

[@gizzie3]

Can someone elaborate a bit on this? I always shy away from adding swing to my tracks particularly for this reason.

[@MrBlueHaze]

@@gizzie3 Go to 1/16 setting hit the pad for the kicks, next select the region timing and select 1:01:10 or something to 2:04:95 if you are on a two bar loop and hit do it. This way the first kick stays on the 1. 1:01:00.

[@azsymtoi]

@@gizzie3 in order to achieve the feeling of swing you need to have a fixed point (the first kick) so the shifted once act counter to it. Otherwise if your whole kick track is simply shifted it won’t be swing, as much it would be just shifted and not starting on the one. The particular Dilla swing is the relation between shifted (swung) elements cotrasted by fixed (quantized) elements. Hopefully this makes sense, as understanding like this helped me a lot. P.s. velocity is also essential (as mentioned in this great video) kind of like an XY axis. ✌️

[@slowflowlowlow]

Awesome

[@PatrickGregoryDaniels]

I'm diggin the video swag.

[@vakaman1]

sweet bro, respect and thanks

[@christopherstillman7157]

Great Stuff !!

[@FazersOnStun]

Great video man, really helpful!

[@DJ279V]

I have been so used to creating manually that I never knew how to do this. Thx for showing as I may use this periodically!!

[@mpchead]

Glad it helped ✌🏼

[@DJ279V]

​@Marlow Digs I tried it tonight on a beat that had a drum loop, split it up, shifted the snare to sound close to the original loop (pre-cut) and it worked. Thx!!

[@Webzterr]

Same process for me too. Each drum sound on a separate track then shift them earlier or later to taste!

[@IDONTPLAYENT]

Great video

[@freemindas]

Great tutorial !

[@AComplexWave]

Шикарный дядька! Спасибо тебе за то , что ты рассказал, это очень крутой секрет в работе с MPC !! Добра тебе

[@blvckatomz9921]

Thanks my dude!

[@rapidiot]

Kool stuff thanks

[@ChainsTheChef888]

i like the mpc's metronome, it sounds so crispy in the ear drums i don't know

[@Peat030]

You could use it as a perc sound

[@Since-em2vy]

OMG THANKS A LOT❤

[@joeyparedes15]

thank you man! i’ve been taking a break from ableton and i’ve been focusing on my mpc 2000XL and its a nice change of pace 👍🏽

[@kri8beats778]

I'm the opposite, really miss my MPC (just a 1000 but I love it), it's in another country, waiting for a friend to come bring it to me once this BS is over hahaaaa

[@guillaumecarteret1642]

Same, with the XL you can really shape the beat ! Like drawing on paper oppose to draw on the computer !

[@joeyparedes15]

@@guillaumecarteret1642 bro facts ! the arrangement on the mpc is perfect and smooth

[@Metamophisis]

Dope video 🥁🔥🎧👀

[@beatrocka5]

Slick!

[@DJOTCUTS]

man Ive been playing keyboard along with this for like an hour..lol! (A# min) I do believe...Beautiful beat!

[@The_Sonic_Ally]

shhhhwinggg it yeah !!

[@rollatorskatemovies6738]

great advice

[@ElanBrio]

Dope

[@GodsPoetryProductions]

Goat

[@redblackrecords5156]

the mpc2000xl sounds rounder and heavier than my mpc2500, so when you drop the kicks and snare on xl it looks better.

[@SULSABEATS]

Hey Marlow! Love your channel. Do you have a similar video to this for your workflow on the newer mpc’s when swinging drums? You mention here that you split out different hits to different tracks, but tend to keep it in one track on the newer mpc’s. Would be cool to see what you do there. Peace Sos✌️

[@simonyricools]

Wow, I didn't know until now that the 2000 could shift notes backwards and forwards like that.

[@mpchead]

Easy

[@mgbeatzmoreno]

Muito obrigado quando der faz mais tutoriais

[@KM-hh1kn]

🔥🔥

[@olatunjimason]

Hello Marlo! Thanks for demonstrating your technique with the MPC 2000xl. I use to have that machine for almost 20 years, but I got misplaced when I moved from a house into an apartment builing 2019. After this video, I've learned how to do some new techinques that weren't used before when I had it!! It just makes me want to save and reinvest in another MPC 2000xl. The one thing I curious about is did your MPC 2000xl come with an effects board where you could add special effects to your sounds? Mine didn't when I purchased it 2001.

[@djfingersflores]

i enjoyed this video, bravo.. but after all these years of using the MPC i never used the "track" feature. I just made more sequences if i wanted any type of change ups or dropouts in my beats... PEACE

[@DJFurio]

Nice vid. This is more about manual swing. Have you made any tutorials on using the auto swing setting ie not having it set to 50 which is no swing and everything dead on beat?

[@mpchead]

I don't use the swing that much, maybe 59 could be a good swing for me.

[@frederickcollay2483]

Try your swing at 63!

[@_tyrelljr]

Man, when you were playing the kick and snare something made me hear the bassline of My Name Is from Eminem lol

[@mpchead]

Got a similar swing

[@kennethbeavers6903]

@MarlowDigs I couldn't really see your display sceen. I noticed the settings you used were 6 snare,3 Hi Hat, 5 Kick. Did any of the numbers have a negative or plus sign next to them? I'm trying to apply this method to the MPC Live 2

[@mpchead]

there's no - or + sign, just the earlier and later option.

[@kennethbeavers6903]

@@mpchead ahhh ok thanks

[@kennethbeavers6903]

@Marlo Digs-mpc head can you do a video applying this method to the MPC live ?

[@mpchead]

I think there's one in the channel already

[@natancopeincraft]

So there is no way to apply seperate swing for each drum sound in a stock kit? Or is it only possible to change the shift for each drum sound, and have only on swing setting applief for all of the tracks in that stock kit? When I change the shift on a drum, it won't let me put it back to 0 for some reason, unless I press the undo button, before I go on to the next sound, and I can't figure out how to apply swing separately to each sound in the kit on the MPC One?...SBN RESONATE

[@blazekush174]

Could you please answer one question? What about bass and percussion? What about quantization/time shifting in these two cases? Especially with bass. Thank you

[@duart310]

So do you always bypass the swing % setting completely and only use the shift technique?

[@2gunzfilms425]

I do this...but i do it later in pro tools when i import.

[@tinktwiceman]

Great video! Do you quantize your bass notes when you play basslines?

[@mpchead]

Hey thanks for tuning in. No I don't quantize bass notes.

[@maarawoe]

Maybe you should try moving the individual elements / hits by using the step edit. Although not as visual as on newer mpc's, still a nice approach for dealing with the individual hits.

[@mpchead]

That is going in deeper and with more details but I didn't wan't to extend the video.

[@randomrandy3059]

I like this method because you get to shift each hit differently. Its a bit more time consuming, but if you know what you're doing it wont take much time.

[@multipreach2674]

I can't believe I've only just found this out, thanks man.

[@thew1zrd]

Hi Marlow - great tutorial! What is the simplest way to do this on new MPC’s (mpc x)? I understand there is way more fine tuning, but I find for a beginner like me, the fine tuning sometime makes it more difficult to sound natural. I like the simplicity of the 1/2/3/4/5/6/etc swing and hope there is a way to duplicate it on the X. Thanks

[@mpchead]

I just nudge notes in the grid view, it's basically the same thing.

[@SarcasticBlocu43]

👍

[@arexpressionsphoto]

Another video to love, thanks. I do love playing with this method. I have a question about the other swing method on the later MPC’s, though. Sometimes I set swing to 60 or so, save the project, then when I shutdown and restart the MPC, it doesn’t save the swing amount I had set. Am I missing a checkbox in preferences or something? This really sucks because I make accompanying beats on other instruments with identical swing amounts, but when I recall both beats on both machines, I have to reset the MPC swing every time because it’s defaulted to 50 again. Remedy? Appreciate you.

[@mpchead]

I think that is a bug probably. did the midi notes also changed?

[@arexpressionsphoto]

@@mpchead No. everything saves fine, but the swing. Does yours save the swing per project? Thanks.

[@HOLLASOUNDS]

Reasons Regroove mixer is supposed to do this function.

[@SunsetRC]

Will the MPC Touch work the same way? Or does the 2000XL have a particular sound to it you like.

[@mpchead]

All machines have a sound to them but it's more than that, it's about limitations and connection to the machines you own, I like working with the 2000XL.

[@ruffneck718]

Ok man, you just made me pull out my old MPC2000XL and start making music again; I just purchased an new replacement pad sensor. My MPC was purchased in 2002. Thank you so much. Question...should I worry about using very old record samples to sell beats? Or since they are almost 50 years old I'm in the clear? I know you are not a Lawyer but if anyone else can commit would be nice. RockSteadyAlways.

[@mpchead]

I don't sell beats, but I think that is something that the artist that buys the beat needs to sort out.

[@p-branesproduction6663]

The law is like 100 years or something. Maybe a little more. But I don't recall if google it. I sample what ever cuz I'm not selling them.

[@vasyavasili4713]

tried to do exactly the same of MPC500 but it sounded all over the place... could it be that swing was on at 50% when i was recoding drums and in your example swing is off?! hmm

[@marcusturner142]

Are you generally sampling your drums into the MPC or uploading from card? Great video as always and thanks for sharing your swing techniques.

[@mpchead]

sampling everything 99% of the time

[@marcusturner142]

@@mpchead Thanks so much, I am doing the same with my XL!

[@Mpcbeatz]

Once you changed the swing and timing theres no undo option when you added to much and your whole loop is destroyed is there a way to change it back to the original

[@mpchead]

just do the same thing again to bring the drums where you want them to. If you moved the snare EARLIER by 6 you can move it back to 0 whenever you want during the the whole process.

[@seiya_multi_creator]

Can I make swing by 2000 classic?

[@randomrandy3059]

what are those cables? the colored ones. I need some just dont know what they're called. TIA.

[@mpchead]

just normal audio jack cables, I use them to send or receive sound from the Force

How do you mix your produced instrumentals sell after recording everything?

[@mpchead]

I mix while I produce, so once I reach the end of the beat all the levels are in place and added EQ. I don't mind that the beat sounds dirty, not going for an award, I keep it close to what I like.

[@ayyubfaiyaz3368]

I wish I knew how to make beats. This machine seems as though it would teach me because it doesn't make the beat for me like most other drum machines and software

[@SpeareBeats]

How can u do this on a Akai MPK connected to FL?

[@creaturous3628]

Do you still have this blue mpc? Or did you sell it because i recentlt bought one that looks just like it

[@mpchead]

I got it

[@horvathjanos9636]

Best Swing : Off Timing :)

[@cs14producoes]

Yo!

Do you turn swing off when recording drum loop samples

[@mpchead]

yes, I don't use swing at all

[@vubeatz]

I don't use shift timing, I always do that manually on step edit :v

[@mpchead]

vubeatz so you work with a formula already? Like you know where to drop the midi?

[@vubeatz]

@@mpchead I often record just without any swing and I adjust notes if I'm not happy about their's places :)

[@jackyong815]

Love it! ❤️⁠ ⁠ In this year the 100th anniversary of Chinese Communist Party #CCP, thrilled to know Akai is owned by Grande of China #MadeInChina2025 #BeltAndRoad #BeijingOlympics2022 #OccupyMars2024 🇨🇳⁠🇨🇳⁠🇨🇳

[@ulitalivaa6047]

How do you do this on MPC software? The shifting notes

[@mpchead]

Nudge notes, in the grid

[@ulitalivaa6047]

Marlow Digs - mpc head thanks

[@omzinho7672]

hey guys, does anyone know if this timing shift is possible on the mpc1000 jjos 3.16? Cannot seem to find it at all :(

[@mpchead]

Should be

[@omzinho7672]

i found i can access the grid and move individual hits around the bar line. but there is no way to do it to all the notes in timing correct. theres only mpc swing percentage. interesting 🤔 @@mpchead

[@mpchead]

@@omzinho7672 if you go to the time correct window there's no Later or earlier options?

[@omzinho7672]

nope, strangely there is only the swing setting (note value and swing%) @@mpchead

[@justkizzit]

personally all you need to do is shift timing the hihats

[@kennethbeavers6903]

Yeah but shifting all the parts such as he did gave the whole drum track a totally different vibe

[@mpchead]

Yeah that works too

[@juliusperseus8612]

so annoying. cant find these menu on the renaissance even though i have latest software