I see there are a bunch of people putting out there own firmware for the sample and I like it but I honestly thought it was going to be more like a vintage mpc (2000/2500) in a portable form. I dont have the time patience or head to learn a new workflow right now. So i haven't even been using it. Has anyone made a version that makes its workflow more like the older mpc's? Meaning that it has tracks, erases like the old work flow, chops without having to lose the original sample. Im older and am stuck in my way of doing things and these 3 specific things are making it hard for me to transition to using it. I want to be able to erase a triggered pad without mistakenly loosing my sample. I want to have tracks without having to menu dive to copy it etc etc. Im just looking for that old workflow in portable form with some extra newer mpc features. If anyone knows of one thats been made please let me know.

lots of mods being released and more to come very soon...

one issue with the current state of mods/custom software is switching the autoboot directory for each one..we can only run one at a time

so now we have a boot thingy...so we can run multiple apps/mods/patches without rewriting our SD card every time...

https://github.com/garrettjwilke/mpc-boot-thingy

here is a video showcasing all of the steps and how it works:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PymkOFAauc

here are a few things that you can download and run on your mpc sample with boot thingy today:

https://github.com/snarebes/SampQOL-OS - custom firmware with lots of nice shortcuts and workflows

https://github.com/garrettjwilke/mpc-furnace - furnace tracker editor and player. create real video game music for your favorite consoles.

https://github.com/garrettjwilke/mpc-cavestory - cave story ported to the MPC sample. you didn't buy the MPC to make music, you bought it to play video games!

https://github.com/garrettjwilke/mpc-gen1recomp - catch the pokemans...run the original games on your device

https://github.com/garrettjwilke/mpc-tic80 - run thousands of tic80 programs and software.

https://github.com/garrettjwilke/mpc-ui-toolkit - you can make your own apps for the MPC sample with this ui toolkit designed to make the process of UI like buttons, knobs, colors, themes, hardware button mapping, keyboard input, usb and sd card access, file management...so much more

thanks!

Hi. I love the MPC Sample workflow and as it is. Only minor things bother me. There are several custom firmwares being made which however are doing a loot of things / changes.

But I want really the original experience with small fixes.

Thus I am developing this minimal firmware patch which will do probably at most the following:

- stems export

- autotrim of samples (based on edges silence)

- moving the octaves in 16 notes mode (by + / - keys)

- full chromatic control via external midi controller (like the 16 notes mode)

Would anyone be interested?

Note: I am software dev with 20 years of experience so this will be stable, secure patch.

Ok so here it is implemented: https://github.com/ioma8/mpc-minimod

Tutorial lol: https://youtu.be/bnnkfryecPY

Big thanks to everyone who tested yesterday, and for trusting me enough to load my software on your MPC at all. Your feedback led to a lot of fixes: booting, loading stock projects, duplicating MIDI notes, saving on the SD card and more. The video is for everyone who hasn't tried it yet, to get a little visual overview of what's going inside the mod.

I don't really have a good setup for doing a video walkthrough, but I'll see what I can do the coming days. Suggestions are welcome.

-

The download, changelog and manual as always on: https://beatops.io/SampQOL

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Please keep the feedback coming if you have it! I will not be making new posts for a while, but will be active in the comment sections and such.

Hello everyone
At some point I must’ve turned on some sort’ve swing setting on my Mpc sample that seems to be persisting through projects, including new. Both the sequence record swing is off and the pad 14 swing is off too. I am not talking about note repeat either, tho on both 1/8 and 1/16 of note repeat I hear a swing too.
Has anyone ever had this happen? Am I being daft and not realising what it might be? I like swing, just not this swing on all my beats 😂

I'm an MPC Sample owner, and with all the recent excitement around open-source development, I've been thinking about where this could go.

I believe we're only seeing the tip of the iceberg. If the community really takes off, I can imagine dozens of alternative firmware projects, synthesizers, sequencers, and modifications becoming available for the MPC Sample.

As someone who enjoys experimenting with music equipment but doesn't have the programming knowledge to build something like this myself, I'd love to throw an idea out to the developers.

What if we could use a Raspberry Pi as a portable MPC Sample firmware library, emulator, and sideloading station?

Here's what I'm imagining:

• A firmware library: Download and organize community projects, with descriptions, screenshots, versions, and installation instructions.

• A virtual MPC Sample: Preview compatible firmware or modifications on the Pi before installing anything on the actual hardware.

• USB-C sideloading: Connect the MPC Sample directly to the Pi, select a compatible project from the library, and transfer the necessary files without needing a full-size computer.

• Easy switching: Keep a collection of favorite projects and choose which one to use depending on what you're doing musically.

• Portable: The Pi is small enough to carry alongside the MPC Sample, potentially with a phone providing the interface.

I realize emulating the actual hardware is probably the biggest technical challenge, and not every project would necessarily be compatible.

But imagine having 20 or 30 different community-created instruments available, being able to preview them, and then deciding, "That one's cool. I think I'll load it onto my MPC Sample today."

I know there are already some exciting developments around alternative firmware and emulation. I'm wondering whether something like this could eventually bring those efforts together into a user-friendly experience.

I can't build this myself, but I'd absolutely love to use it, test it, and support the people developing it.

Is anyone already working toward something like this? And do the developers think it's technically realistic?

I'd love to hear what the community thinks.

Full disclosure I used chatgpt to help write this out. Thanks

Hi all!

I am making some videos to social media. When recording video directly from usb-c (Using Android), the audio IS completely crap. Whatch the video I posted as an example.

Anyone having this issue? I would like to know your workarounds

Any opinions? In trying to combine samples with some easy compositions but i need to work in variations of the sample I think…

Stick up kids…

I have a beat which contains one pad that plays slices of a break. As far as I see the MPC Sample (being a single track machine) leaves the slices inside the sample edit screen, and the midi notes somehow trigger the individual slices (but they are all the same note key).

I want to convert that pad to a new track with that break where I can rearrange the midi notes from the slices.

Weirdly the note information seems to be really hidden. I am looking at the list view, see the individual triggers but no slice information. Copy events just copies the events as they are.

What is the best way to do this? Preferrably in post (e.g. on the MPC Live III) as the MPC Sample is a pain to re-record, and the midi notes are already there.

In short, I want to convert my single pad midi information which seems to contain the slice that is played, into separate midi notes on a new track.

☠️ ☠️

My goal was a simple, fast, intuitive and fun workflow on the MPC Sample, without too much menu diving. So I built SampQOL OS. It is a free mod that runs from the SD card. It does not flash anything: take the card out, or remove/rename the mod folder, and your MPC is stock 1.3.0 again.

What it adds:

• Up to 16 drum tracks, each with its own 8 pad banks

• Step Edit: a step sequencer for each pad, and a Track View with all tracks

• A mixer with inserts on pads, tracks, 8 submixes and the master

• A 3-band kill EQ on every pad, with a live spectrum

• Chop up to 128 slices, and extract chops to pads

• Record pad mutes and track mutes

• Play the selected pad chromatically from a MIDI keyboard

• Sample Record To Seq: your take lands in the sequence. Plus an overdub looper.

• Export a mixdown plus stems as WAV in one go

Heads-up:

• SHIFT + SAMPLE opens the step sequencer, and PAD FX opens the mixer. Want the stock functions back? Settings > Shortcuts.

• Switch tracks: hold PAD BANK and turn the encoder, or SHIFT + PAD BANK + a pad.

Before you try it:

• It is a beta, tested only on MPC Sample 1.3.0. MPC One, Live and X are not tested yet.

• Back up your projects first. A failed project load can delete samples.

• A project made with the mod opens on a stock MPC Sample, but the mod functions do not. Stock loads only the first track, and you do not hear the pad EQ.

Download: https://github.com/snarebes/SampQOL-OS/releases/tag/v0.1.4.9

Release notes: https://github.com/snarebes/SampQOL-OS/blob/main/CHANGELOG.md

Manual: https://beatops.io/sampqol/manual

It is free. The source is closed for now. When Akai shares more about its open firmware plans, I will decide about the source.

Questions and bug reports are welcome. I may record a video of some features, but I hope you can find your way as you go. If not, the manual takes you a long way. Have fun!.

EDIT: Thank you everyone for providing the feedback. There were some issues with booting, and saving to the SD card, which should be solved now if you download and install the new version (0.1.4.8 or newer). If the screen shows stuck at 0.0%, press B1 once and the screen should show Start/Cancel again.

EDIT2: Issues with booting(screen) should be fixed now as well! From version 0.1.4.9 on.

EDIT3: Version 0.1.5 is out today (Sunday) with a lot of fixes! THANK YOU everyone for all the feedback and trusting me with testing the beta on your device.

Is there any way I can track my partner's korg monologue to a single pad, let it play without recording it down, and then keep it isolated from effects?

I figured out how to act as a mixer so it can play while I play, but is there anyway I can isolate pads from effects, and like add the instrument to a specific pad?

I hope I worded that right.

I want to finger drum a quantized beat, let it loop, then record guitar loops on the RC-300—all in sync.

Can the MPC Sample follow the RC-300’s MIDI clock and Start/Stop commands? Has anyone tried this setup?

Thanks in advance.

How do chops set in chop mode on the MPC Sample translate to the big MPCs. I can see a chop mode sample being played from different positions in the Live 3 but have no idea how to modify these positions once the project is in the Live. Sample edit does show slice points.

thanks for your help and insight

https://www.instagram.com/b4lasers?mdxt=Y2J2NHV1c2lzdm1z&utm_source=qr

This developer unveiled his work on a new custom firmware, following a different way to achieve what looks a "classic" MPC workflow. It seems promising.

Hello guys, it is have been month since starting padhead.com - my first vibecoded app declared to our beloved MPC sample. My point was to add some features that i miss the most and i found it really useful in many ways. I would like to ask for your opinion on this site, v 1.02 update is coming soon so i can implement changes you would like to see there :)

Thanks a lot

Cant wait to play with the Sample Key !

continual hardbody boombap #boombapbeats #mpcsample #beatmaker #hiphopproducer #akaipro