samplers
Akai · Sampler and sequencer

MPC1000

Sample, chop onto pads and record sequences with swing.Based on Akai's official manual (OS 2)

Sampling

Sample a record or a synth

  1. Connect the source to RECORD IN (on the back).
  2. MODE + 5 (RECORD).
  3. Input: ANALOG. Mode: STEREO, MONO L or MONO R. Move with ▲ ▼ and change values with DATA.
  4. Press play on the source and set the level with REC GAIN while watching the meter.
  5. Threshold: recording starts when the signal goes above it. Time: a bit more than you need.
  6. F6 (RECORD): waits for the signal. F6 START begins right away.
  7. F6 STOP. In «Keep or Retry» hold F4 to listen, F2 RETRY to do it again, hit the pad in «Assign to pad» and F5 KEEP.

Resample what's playing

  1. MODE + 5 (RECORD). Input: MAIN OUT.
  2. Raise the Master level to 0 dB in MODE + 10 (OTHER) → F1 GLOBAL. It ships at −12 dB.
  3. Play what you want to record and use F6 as when sampling.

Edit and chop

Trim a sample (TRIM)

  1. MODE + 6 (TRIM) and pick the Sample with DATA.
  2. Set St (start) and End with DATA. SHIFT + ◄ or ► picks which digit you change.
  3. Listen with the pads: 13 loops, 14 plays up to the point, 15 from the point, 16 the whole sample. 1…12 play from St to End.

Apply the trim and other edits

  1. In TRIM press F6 (EDIT).
  2. Pick Edit: DISCARD (removes what's outside), DELETE, SILENCE, EXTRACT (new sample), NORMALIZE, REVERSE, TIMESTRETCH or PITCH SHIFT.
  3. F5 DO IT.

Chop a loop (SLICE)

  1. In TRIM, F5 (SLICE). Number of region: 2 to 64.
  2. F5 DO IT. Pads 1…12 play the slices. Adjust Region, St and End.
  3. F4 (CONVRT): Convert to SLICED SAMPLES and «Create new program: YES».
  4. F5 DO IT: each slice lands on a pad starting at A01.

Make a sample loop

  1. MODE + 6 → F2 (LOOP) and set Loop to ON.
  2. The pad must be in NOTE ON: MODE + 7, WINDOW on field 1.

Programs and pads

Create a new program

  1. MODE + 7 (PROGRAM).
  2. On the Pgm field press WINDOW → F3 (NEW).
  3. Name it and F5 DO IT. It starts empty.

Assign a sample to a pad

  1. MODE + 7 → F1 SAMPLE.
  2. Hit the pad.
  3. On field 1 pick the sample with DATA. There are up to 4 layers (1–4) and Range to switch layers by velocity.

Choose ONE SHOT or NOTE ON

  1. MODE + 7, hit the pad and press WINDOW on field 1.
  2. Play Mode: ONE SHOT plays the whole sample (drums). NOTE ON plays while you hold (loops, long notes).

Set a pad's tuning, level and envelope

  1. MODE + 7 → F1 SAMPLE: Lvl (level) and Tune.
  2. WINDOW on Lvl: Attack, Decay and Dcy md. END works well for drums.

Filter a pad

  1. MODE + 7 → F2 FILTER.
  2. Hit the pad and pick Type (LOW PASS, HIGH PASS, BAND PASS…), Freq and Reso.

Choke open and closed hi-hats (mute group)

  1. MODE + 7 → F3 PARAMS.
  2. Set the same Mute group number on both pads.

Delete samples you don't use

  1. MODE + 7, SAMPLE page → F6 PURGE.

Sequencing

Record a sequence

  1. Press MAIN. In Sq pick an «(unused)» sequence and check Tr and Pgm.
  2. Hold REC and press PLAY START: you get one bar of count-in.
  3. Play the pads. With Loop ON it keeps recording on top when it wraps around.
  4. STOP.

Add on top (overdub)

  1. Hold OVER DUB and press PLAY START.
  2. Play the new part. STOP to finish.

Undo the last take

  1. Press UNDO SEQ (it lights after recording): removes the last take.
  2. UNDO SEQ again brings it back.

Erase notes

  1. While overdubbing, hold ERASE and the pad: its notes are erased while you hold them.
  2. Stopped: ERASE opens the window. Hit the pads to erase and F5 DO IT.

Quantize and swing (T.C.)

  1. On MAIN, stopped, press F1 (T.C.).
  2. Note value (1/16 by default) and Swing% (50 = straight; 54–60 adds groove).
  3. F4 CLOSE to record that way. F5 FIX corrects what's already recorded.

Set the metronome

  1. On MAIN press F2 (CLICK).
  2. Count in, Rate, In play and In rec.

Set the tempo

  1. On MAIN, go to the tempo field (♩; «BPM» in the demo) and turn DATA (30 to 300).
  2. Or press TAP TEMPO four times in time.

Change the length

  1. On MAIN, Bars field → WINDOW → Change Bars.
  2. New bars and F5 DO IT.

Program step by step (STEP EDIT)

  1. MODE + 14 (STEP EDIT).
  2. Press REC or OVER DUB: OVER DUB lights up.
  3. Move with ▲ and ▼ and hit pads to enter notes.
  4. STOP to finish.

Copy or delete a sequence

  1. On MAIN, Sq field → WINDOW.
  2. F5 COPY, pick the destination and F5 DO IT. Or F2 DELETE and F5 DO IT.

Build a song (SONG)

  1. MODE + 16 (SONG) and pick an «(unused)» Song.
  2. Go down with ▼ to «(end of song)» and turn DATA to add steps. Reps = repeats.
  3. PLAY START.

Playing live

Use Note Repeat (rolls in time)

  1. With the sequence playing, hold TAP TEMPO and a pad: it repeats following the T.C.
  2. While you hold it, F1…F6 change the note value: 1/8, 1/8-3, 1/16, 1/16-3, 1/32, 1/32-3.
  3. To latch it: TAP TEMPO + SHIFT. TAP TEMPO again releases it.

Play every hit at full velocity

  1. FULL LEVEL: it lights up and everything plays at 127.

Use 16 Levels

  1. Hit the pad you want.
  2. 16 LEVELS. Type: VELOCITY, TUNE, FILTER, LAYER, DECAY or ATTACK.
  3. F5 (TurnON): the 16 pads play that sound at 16 levels.
  4. 16 LEVELS again to turn it off.

Switch sequences live

  1. NEXT SEQ: the pads pick a sequence; it switches when the current one ends.
  2. F4 SUDDEN switches right away. F6 CLEAR cancels.

Mute tracks

  1. TRACK MUTE: each pad mutes a track (track 1 is bottom left).
  2. Hold F6 SOLO and hit a pad to hear only that track.

Stop all sounds

  1. STOP three times quickly.

Switch pad bank

  1. A, B, C or D: each bank is 16 more pads of the program (A01–D16).

Effects, saving and system

Add an effect

  1. MODE + 12 (EFFECT) → F1 SELECT. Pick FX1 or FX2 with DATA and F5 SELECT.
  2. MODE + 8 (MIXER) → F3 FXSEND. Hit the pad and set the send to 1 or 2.

Save everything

  1. MODE + 3 (SAVE). Save to: MEMORY CARD.
  2. Type: SAVE ENTIRE MEMORY.
  3. F6 DO IT and then F5 DO IT.

Load

  1. MODE + 2 (LOAD). LOAD from: MEMORY CARD.
  2. WINDOW to pick the folder and file.
  3. Load with F6 DO IT.

Stop the demo loading at power on

  1. MODE + 2, WINDOW on «LOAD from».
  2. Autoload OFF and F4 CLOSE.

Transfer files over USB

  1. MODE + 2 or 3 → F4 USB. The MPC shows up as a drive on the computer.

Set the screen contrast

  1. Hold SHIFT and turn DATA.

How to play it

Mouse or touch

Play it: it sounds and the screen changes like on the machine.

Hold a function button for a moment and it latches for the next one, so you can do combos with one finger.

Keyboard

1pad 132pad 143pad 154pad 16
Qpad 9Wpad 10Epad 11Rpad 12
Apad 5Spad 6Dpad 7Fpad 8
Zpad 1Xpad 2Cpad 3Vpad 4
⇧ Shift
SHIFT
Esc
MAIN
Space
PLAY START / STOP
Arrows
◄ ► ▲ ▼ (cursor)
+ −
DATA

How to read this cheat sheet

MODE + 5 means: press MODE (it blinks) and then pad 5. The yellow names above the pads are the modes. REC + PLAY START: hold REC and press PLAY START.

DATA is the big wheel: it changes the highlighted field on screen. The arrows ◄ ► ▲ ▼ move the cursor. MAIN always takes you back to the main page.

What you sample and record lives in memory: it's lost at power off unless you save it to the card. And UNDO SEQ only undoes the last take.

A simulation of Akai OS 2, with simplified pages.

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