Features
This chapter describes the functions of MPC Sample’s connections and controls. Click on the picture to jump directly to the selected control.
For more information on using some of the features described below, proceed to the following Operation chapter.
 Battery Icon This icon shows the current battery life of MPC Sample. If this icon is green, the battery has between 100% and 30% charge. If the icon is amber, the battery has between 29% and 15% charge. If the icon is red, the battery has between 14% and 5% charge. If the battery is blinking red, the battery has less than 5% charge and needs to be connected to power immediately.
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 Charging Icon This icon shows the current battery life of MPC Sample. If this icon is green, the battery has between 100% and 30% charge. If the icon is amber, the battery has between 29% and 15% charge. If the icon is red, the battery has between 14% and 5% charge. If the battery is blinking red, the battery has less than 5% charge and needs to be connected to power immediately.
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 Meters These meters display the main output volume level, or the input source level when recording a sample. If the meter consistently lights up in the red during playback, adjust the volume of your samples. If the meter consistently light up in the red while recording, reduce the volume of your audio input source directly, or by turning down the REC GAIN knob for audio connected to the AUDIO IN connection on the rear panel.
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 Speaker This built-in speaker plays audio when nothing is connected to the PHONES or AUDIO OUT connections on the rear panel. Adjust the volume of the speaker by turning the MAIN VOLUME knob.
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 Microphone This built-in condenser microphone allows you to easily sample anything. For more information on recording samples and adjusting the microphone settings, see the Sample Record Mode chapter.
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 SHIFT This button provides access to secondary functions on MPC Sample. Press and hold it and then press another button or pad to access its secondary function. These are printed below the selected control, and are highlighted in the descriptions below.
When viewing parameters and menus on the Display, if the Shift icon (
 ) is visible you can press and hold this button to access additional parameters for control using the K1–K3 Knobs or B1–B3 Function Buttons. |
 K1, K2, K3 Knobs Turn these knobs to adjust various settings and parameters as shown on the display.
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 Fader The fader can be used to adjust various pad and kit parameters. By default, the fader adjusts pad volume.
Press and hold SHIFT and press PAD 9 – FADER to select a different parameter to control. See Menus > Fader for more information.
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 ERASE This button is used to erase samples, sequences, events, and automation.
To erase a sample from a pad, stop playback in Sample Mode, then press and hold this button and press a pad. If playback is active, press and hold this button and then press and hold a pad to erase note events from that pad on the current sequence. While in Step Edit Mode, you can also press and hold this button and then press a pad to erase all events from that pad.
To erase automation, select the pad that contains the automation you want to erase. Then, press and hold this button and move the K1–K3 Knob for the parameter with recorded automation. If the FADER is set to control a parameter with automation, you can also move the FADER while holding ERASE. A menu will appear on the display for confirmation. Press the B3 Function Button to continue, or press the B1 Function button to cancel.
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 NOTE REPEAT Press this button to engage Note Repeat mode. When enabled, pressing a pad will cause it to sound repeatedly at the set time division. Use the B1–B3 Function Buttons to set the current division.
You can also press and hold this button to temporarily engage Note Repeat. Release the button to disengage Note Repeat.
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 SAMPLE SELECT Press this button to open the sample browser, where you can browse and select a sample to add to the current pad from the internal drive or a connected microSD card (not included).
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 TAP TEMPO Press this button at a regular interval to set a new project tempo. You can also press and hold this button in any mode and use the ENCODER to adjust the project tempo from the BPM pop-up.
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 Pads These 16 velocity-sensitive pads with poly-aftertouch are used to trigger samples and sequences, and perform other functions. See the Operation chapter to learn more about using the pads in each mode.
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Mode
The buttons in this section determine the current function mode of MPC Sample. You can learn more about these pages and functions in the Operation chapter.
 SAMPLE Press this button to open Sample Mode. Here, you can trigger your samples, view and edit their parameters, and more.
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 SEQ
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 PAD FX Press this button to activate Pad FX mode, where you can use the pads to trigger effects that are applied to your entire sequence.
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 KNOB FX Press this button to activate Knob FX mode, where you can use the K1–K3 KNOBS to adjust effects applied to specific pads, freeing your pads for other uses.
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Pad Play
The buttons in this section determine the functionality of the pads while in Sample Mode. You can learn more about these functions in the Pad Play chapter.
 CHOP Press this button to activate Chop Mode. When activated, the sample on the selected pad is automatically chopped by the selected chop type (Threshold by default), and the pads are assigned to trigger each available slice.
To return to Trim Mode, press the CHOP button again.
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). LOOP LOOP: Press this button to activate loop playback for the current pad. While activated, triggering the pad initiates the loop, which plays between the Loop Start Point (set using the K3 Knob while Loop Mode is active) and the Sample End Point. Loop mode is indicated on the Sample page by the loop icon (
 ).
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). MUTE Press this button to activate Mute mode for the pads in Sample Mode. While activated, press a pad to mute it, which prevents its sound from being heard during playback, but does not remove any recorded events from the sequence. Muted pads are lit red, while unmuted pads are lit yellow.
You can also press and hold this button to temporarily engage Mute mode. Release the button to disengage.
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 16 LEVELS Press this button to activate 16 Levels mode for the pads. While activated, the currently selected sample is copied across all 16 pads, with the selected 16 Levels TYPE determining how the sample changes across the 16 pads. 16 Levels mode is indicated on the Sample page by the 16 icon (
 ).
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 SAMPLE RECORD Press this button to enter Sample Record mode. In this mode, you can record audio from connected sources to create your own samples. See the Sample Record Mode chapter for more information.
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 SEQ RECORD Press this button to enter Sequence Record mode. See the Sequence Mode chapter for more information.
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Tip: The buttons’ LED states provide additional information on what functions are active, available, or unavailable.
If a function is currently active, the associated button is brightly lit. For example, when you are in Sample Mode, the SAMPLE button is brightly lit.
If a button is available to be used but not active, it is dimly lit. If a button is not available to be used, the LED is completely off. For example, if you are in Sequence Mode, you cannot access the Chop or 16 Levels functions, so those buttons’ LEDs are off.
When you press and hold SHIFT, buttons that have available secondary functions are dimly lit in red if they are inactive, or brightly lit in red if they are active. For example, if you are in Knob FX Select Mode, the button is brightly lit in red. This will remain brightly lit in red as long as you are in this mode, whether or not you are holding SHIFT.
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