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MPC One+ and MPC One G2, from Akai’s FAQ

What else the FAQ lists as new on the G2

• Processor. Up to four times the performance of its predecessor, with faster project loading.
• USB-C. A cable is in the box, and the port works as a host or a device, so the same socket can take a MIDI controller or flash drive, or connect to your computer (USB-C and USB-A).
• USB audio and MIDI. 24 channels of audio to and from a computer in standalone mode, and 32 channels of MIDI in both directions (USB audio).
• More plugins at once. Up to 32 instances of plugin instruments in standalone mode (Plugin instruments overview).
• Internal drive over USB. In Controller Mode your computer can reach the internal drive through USB-C, which makes backing up projects, samples and expansions easier (Storage and drives).
• Ableton Live Control Mode. Available over USB-C (Live Control Mode).
• MPC 3 only. The G2 does not work with the MPC 2 software. It can open MPC 2 projects, with the conversion described in MPC2 vs MPC3, and the FAQ adds that it reads projects, programs and sequences from older MPC hardware.
• MPE keyboards are not compatible.

What’s in the software, and what costs extra

• Expansions. The FAQ lists Classic Drum Machines, Percussion Tools, Acoustic Drum Tools, Marco Polo - LoFi Boom Vol 1, F9 Apollo - Retro Drum Kits, Welcome to ATL Melodics, Welcome to ATL Songstarters, Welcome to ATL Kits and Producer Kit Essentials.
• Plugins. The manual documents eight instruments as included with your MPC: Bassline, Electric, Hype, TubeSynth, DrumSynth, Mellotron, Solina and WayOutWare Odyssey (Plugin instruments overview).
• Stems separation is sold separately, according to the FAQ.
• The Pro Pack is not included. The FAQ says you can buy it at a 50% discount with a code from the My Offers tab of the inMusic Software Center, then activate it in Menu > Preferences > Activations (What the Pro Pack is).

Headline specs, from the manual

How things are written

Badges at the top of a section

Basics

What you need from day one.

Intermediate

Worth learning once you’re comfortable making tracks.

Advanced

Deeper editing and specialist features.

MPC 3.10+

A feature that version of the MPC software introduced or changed noticeably (What’s new in 3.10, What’s new in 3.9).

Manual

The heading and printed page where Akai’s MPC 3.10 user guide covers this topic. The manual has no section numbers, so the heading is the reference. A citation marked “3.9 manual” points to update notes that the newer edition dropped.

Callout boxes

• Note — a limit, a caveat or something worth knowing.
• Warning — anything that could lose your work.
• Tip — a practical shortcut that follows from how the feature works.

Rear panel, left to right

Front edge

A basic setup

1. 1Make sure everything is switched off.
2. 2Connect your monitors to Main Outputs, or your headphones to Phones.
3. 3Connect any line-level sources you want to record to Inputs.
4. 4Connect the included power adapter to Power Input and a power outlet, and secure the cable with the restraint.
5. 5Carry on with Powering up.

The first start-up

1. 1On the welcome screen, tap Next.
2. 2On the help screen, tap Got It. Its QR code links to Akai’s user guide, and you can bring it back any time from the Toolbar in the Menu (The Toolbar).
3. 3When asked to connect to the internet to check for the latest software, tap Let’s Go. Tick Don’t show this again first if you’d rather not see the prompt again. Akai recommends staying up to date: see Firmware updates.
4. 4Choose from the list of demo projects, which cover a range of styles and show off the G2’s sounds, or tap New Project at the bottom of the screen to start fresh.

What New Project gives you

• A single drum track with samples loaded on Pad Bank A.
• A Q-Link screen layout set up to control settings and features in Main Mode.
• AIR Reverb and AIR Delay loaded on Returns 1 and 2.

Two ways to run the G2

Standalone Mode

The G2 runs by itself with its own operating system. This is what you get by simply powering on, and it’s what this guide is about.

Controller Mode

The G2 works with a computer. Switch with the Mode icon in the Menu’s Toolbar. You can’t move freely between the two modes without closing your current project, so save it first (The Toolbar, Controller Mode).

Update over Wi-Fi

1. 1Press SHIFT + MENU | PREFS to open the Preferences.
2. 2Open Wi-Fi, turn the On/Off selector on, tap your network and tap Connect (Preferences: Wi-Fi and Bluetooth). Enter the password with the on-screen keyboard if there is one.
3. 3Open Info.
4. 4Tap Update.
5. 5Select Online Update. The G2 downloads and installs the latest update by itself.

The three options under Update

What the Info screen shows

MPC Firmware

The current firmware version, which includes the standalone operating system.

Serial Number

Your unit’s hardware serial number.

Control Surface

The current firmware of the Control Surface.

Bring in an MPC2 project

1. 1Save a new copy of the MPC2 project.
2. 2Load the project in the Browser (Browser). The Project Import dialog appears.
3. 3Set the Import field. It starts on All Sequences.
4. 4If you chose Selected Sequences Import, tick the sequences you want from the list.

The Import field

How All Sequences converts tracks

Arrange Mode

• Three selection modes. MRQ for a free-form marquee across tracks, TRK for one track lane and ARR for the whole arrangement (Editing arrangements).
• New and renamed edits. Loop to Marquee Selection and Duplicate (Insert) join the quick menu, and Delete is now Delete Bars (Editing arrangements).
• The loop brace takes focus. Tap it, then move it with DATA DIAL or – and +; hold SHIFT to change its length. A Loop icon brings it back on screen if it’s out of view (Arrange Mode).
• Edit while it plays. Arrangement edits other than Paste now work during playback.
• Less scrolling. The view follows newly duplicated or pasted events, and zoom and scroll positions are recalled and saved with the project.

Everything else

• Track Mixer. The Channel Mixer is now called the Track Mixer throughout the software (Track Mixer).
• Track Settings from Main Mode. They now open from the Track Edit selector (Track Edit window).
• CV port menus. They list CV 1–CV 16 on every MPC and mark the ports your hardware lacks as unavailable (CV/Gate). The Pro Pack’s Advanced CV Track Edit shows all 16 and greys those ports out (Advanced CV track edit).
• MPK controllers. The MPK mini IV and MPK mini Plus II now have dedicated scripted integration (USB-C and USB-A).
• MPC 3 desktop software. No longer in beta. Projects made in standalone mode on versions 3.4 to 3.10 won’t open in the older MPC 2.15 desktop software (Controller Mode).

G2 hardware support

• USB audio. Up to 24 channels in and out over USB, for more multi-channel recording and routing with class-compliant devices. Open Preferences > Audio Device and change USB Audio Channel Count from 8 In / Out to 24 In / Out. The manual’s Preferences chapter calls this setting USB Audio Channel Out. See USB audio and Preferences: Audio Device and Audio/Export.
• USB-C host and device. In standalone mode you can connect USB audio interfaces, MIDI controllers and storage devices directly, with no computer (USB-C and USB-A).
• Ableton Live Control Mode. Works directly over the USB-C port (Live Control Mode).

The new function keys

Inserting a clip row (Pro Pack)

Clip Row

Which row of clips to insert.

Playhead Position

Where in the arrangement the row goes.

Bars

How many bars to insert the row for.

Bars follow longest Clip in Row

When checked, the bar length comes from the longest clip in the row. When unchecked, the Bars field sets it, and clips longer than that are cut short.

Close popup on action

When checked, the Insert Clip Row window closes automatically.

Replace

Overwrites what’s already in the arrangement with the clip row.

Insert

Adds the clip row at the playhead and pushes the existing arrangement forward.

Use an oscillator

1. 1Select a drum or keygroup track.
2. 2Press TRACK EDIT | TRACK SETTING.
3. 3Go to the Samples/Oscs tab.
4. 4On any layer, set the Sample / OSC selector to OSC. The tab changes to show oscillator parameters.
5. 5Pick a waveshape in the Oscillator field. More parameters appear depending on the type you pick.
6. 6If an oscillator type needs extra content, tap Get Oscillator Content. This opens Preferences > Activations, where you can download the MPC Oscillator Content.

Add your own single-cycle waveforms

1. 1Get a collection of single-cycle .wav files.
2. 2At the root of your drive, create Oscillators/SingleCycles.
3. 3Put your library in its own folder there, as in Oscillators/SingleCycles/LibraryFolder/waveform1.wav. A library folder must hold only single-cycle .wav files, with no sub-folders.
4. 4Connect the drive to the G2.
5. 5In Track Edit Mode, go to Samples/Oscs, set the layer to OSC and open the Oscillator source drop-down.
6. 6Pick a waveform under User Single Cycles > LibraryFolder.

Add your own wavetables

1. 1At the root of your drive, create Oscillators/Wavetables. Wavetables must go in sub-folders of this folder.
2. 2Put your mono .wav files, which can be any length, and a format.json file in a library folder, as in Oscillators/Wavetables/LibraryFolder/format.json. A library folder must hold only .wav files and the .json file, with no sub-folders.
3. 3Connect the drive to the G2.
4. 4In Track Edit Mode, go to Samples/Oscs, set the layer to OSC and open the Oscillator source drop-down.
5. 5Pick a waveform under User Wavetables > LibraryFolder.

Wavetable limits

Create a clip with its own time signature (Pro Pack)

1. 1Go to the Arrangement & Clips section of Main Mode (Main Mode: the arrangement and clips section).
2. 2Select an empty clip slot.
3. 3Set the Time Signature fields.
4. 4Tap Create Clip.

Change an existing clip’s time signature (Pro Pack)

• Use the Time Signature field at the top of the screen in Clip Editor Mode (Clip Editor Mode).
• Or use the Time Signature Numerator and Time Signature Denominator fields in the Clip Settings window. To open it, tap and hold a filled clip slot in Clip Matrix Mode and tap Clip Settings, or tap the Clip Number in the header of the Arrangement & Clips section and tap Settings.

From the outside in

Project

What you load and save. Saving a project stores its samples, tracks, sequences and songs together (The Save window).

Sequence

A piece of music with its own length in bars, time signature and, if you want, its own tempo. A project can hold many of them (Sequence section).

Track

One part within a sequence. Each sequence is made up of tracks, and a project can hold up to 128 of them. A track holds its own sound source as well as its notes: in MPC3, tracks and programs are one thing (MPC2 vs MPC3).

Pad and pad bank

A drum track has 128 pads: 16 at a time on the panel, across eight banks, A to H (Pads and pad banks). Each pad has its own sample assignment and settings.

Layer

Each pad can trigger up to eight samples or oscillators, one per layer (Samples/Oscs tab).

Sample

A snippet of digital audio, mono or stereo, that you record or load from the Browser. It can be trimmed, looped, pitch-shifted or processed, then assigned to one or more pads (Sample Assign).

The six track types

Turning sequences into a finished track

• Build a timeline in Arrange Mode, which works like a DAW.
• Chain sequences into a playlist in Song Mode.
• Trigger sequences live from the pads in Next Sequence Mode.

Main Mode at a glance

Toolbar

Along the top: project name, time counter, Timing Correct and metronome.

Shortcuts

Down the left: five icons that open your most-used modes.

Mixer Strips

Next to the shortcuts: channel strips you can tap to expand.

Sequence

Top right: the current sequence and its details, such as tempo and length.

Track / Arrangement Views

Below that: the selected track or the notes recorded on it, depending on which header you tap.

Function Buttons

Along the bottom: New Track, SEQ REC ARM, Track –/+, Mute and Solo.

Look around the drum track

1. 1If you’re not in Main Mode, press MAIN | TRACK VIEW. The Track view is selected.
2. 2Tap the track header and make sure the drum track is selected.
3. 3Hit each PAD in turn. You hear its sample and see a simple waveform editor where you can adjust the start and end points. Double-tapping this area jumps to Track Edit Mode.
4. 4Tap the Arrangement header. This view shows everything recorded on the track, and double-tapping it opens Grid View.

Record a drum sequence

1. 1Check that the SEQ REC ARM button at the bottom of the screen is on.
2. 2Press REC | RECALL to arm the arrangement for recording.
3. 3Tap the Arrangement header so you can watch your notes appear.
4. 4Press PLAY. The metronome counts in for one bar, then recording starts.
5. 5Play a simple hi-hat pattern on one PAD. Akai suggests sticking to one pad at a time if you’re not used to playing drums on pads.
6. 6Don’t stop. The sequence is two bars long; after that it loops back to the start and Overdub comes on by itself, so you can keep adding notes.
7. 7Play a kick drum part on its PAD.
8. 8Play a snare drum part on its PAD.
9. 9Press STOP | RETURN.

Made a mistake? Press UNDO | REDO

• With playback stopped, it undoes the last event or events you recorded.
• While recording, the button flashes, and pressing it erases everything from that take: all events since you pressed PLAY or PLAY START | METRONOME.

Save your project

1. 1Press SHIFT + LOAD | SAVE to open the Save window. The options on it vary with the type of track you have selected.
2. 2Tap Project As to save a new file.
3. 3In the Storage column, tap where to save. Internal is the G2’s internal drive, MPC Documents is a shortcut to that folder on the internal drive, and any connected USB drive or SD card is listed too.
4. 4Double-tap a folder to go into it, or tap New Folder, type a name on the on-screen keyboard and tap Do It. You go straight into the new folder.
5. 5Tap the File Name field and name your project on the on-screen keyboard.
6. 6Tap Save.

Make a bass from the 808

1. 1With the drum track still selected in Main Mode, press PAD 5 to select it.
2. 2Double-tap the sample area in the Track view. Track Edit Mode opens.
3. 3Tap the Global tab.
4. 4Tap the keyboard+ icon at the top of the screen. The 808 sample becomes a keygroup track, added after your existing tracks.
5. 5Press MAIN | TRACK VIEW to return to Main Mode.
6. 6Select the new keygroup track. The pads are now in Pad Perform mode, so they play the sample melodically (Pad Perform).
7. 7Check that SEQ REC ARM at the bottom of the screen is on.
8. 8Press REC | RECALL to arm the arrangement for recording.
9. 9Press PLAY and record a bass part on the pads.
10. 10Press STOP | RETURN when you’re done.

Add a plugin instrument

1. 1In Main Mode, tap + New Track at the bottom-left corner of the screen.
2. 2Select Plugin. A new plugin instrument track is added after your existing tracks.
3. 3Use the Plugin field to pick a plugin.
4. 4Use the Preset field to pick a preset.
5. 5Check that SEQ REC ARM is on.
6. 6Press REC | RECALL to arm the arrangement for recording.
7. 7Press PLAY and record a melody on the pads.
8. 8Press STOP | RETURN when you’re done.

Create the track and record an instrument

1. 1Press MAIN | TRACK VIEW.
2. 2Tap + New Track at the bottom-left corner of the screen, then select Audio.
3. 3Select the audio track in the Track view, then tap the icons at the top of the Channel Strips to expand them.
4. 4Tap the I/O tab of the track’s channel strip.
5. 5Tap the Monitor field and turn DATA DIAL until it shows Auto. You’ll now hear your input whenever the track is armed for recording.
6. 6Connect a line-level source to the 1/4” (6.35 mm) Inputs on the rear panel (Connections).
7. 7Make sure the Audio In field is set to the input or inputs you used.
8. 8Press REC | RECALL to arm the arrangement for recording.
9. 9Play your instrument. You should hear it and see the signal arrive on the track.
10. 10While you play, turn REC VOL to set the input level. The meter shouldn’t be peaking constantly.
11. 11Press PLAY or PLAY START | METRONOME to start recording, and play along with your sequence.
12. 12Press STOP | RETURN to stop.

Load a sample from the Browser

1. 1Press LOAD | SAVE to open the Browser.
2. 2On the left of the screen, tap the Content header to browse by content, then tap Samples to list the samples included with the G2.
3. 3Tap the Search bar and type “Vocal” on the on-screen keyboard. The list narrows to samples marked as vocals.
4. 4Scroll the list by swiping or with DATA DIAL.
5. 5To preview a sample, tap and hold its Play icon. Tap Audition at the bottom of the screen for preview settings such as volume and auto-audition.
6. 6When you find a sample you like, tap Load to Pool to add it to the project’s sample pool.
7. 7Press MAIN | TRACK VIEW.
8. 8In the Track section of your audio track, tap Edit Audio. Grid View opens.
9. 9Tap Browse Samples to open the Add Sample window.
10. 10Use the Sample field to pick the sample you loaded. With Place at start checked it goes at the start of the sequence. Uncheck it to choose another position; you can also move the sample freely afterwards.

Make the sequence longer

1. 1Press ARRANGE | SOUNDS to open Arrange Mode.
2. 2Adjust the loop brace so it covers both bars of your sequence. Drag either end to move Loop Start or Loop End; drag the middle to move both together.
3. 3Tap Duplicate. The sequence doubles to four bars, and the loop brace moves onto the new bars. You may need to zoom to see them all.
4. 4Tap Duplicate again to go from four bars to eight.

Insert a new section

1. 1Move the loop brace so it covers two bars starting at bar 5.
2. 2Tap the Bars:Beats:Ticks field and turn DATA DIAL to put the playhead at the start of bar 5.
3. 3Tap the Pencil Edit button at the top of the screen.
4. 4Tap Insert Blank Bars. Two empty bars appear at bar 5, with a four-bar phrase on each side.

Fill it by copying your drums

1. 1Tap your drum track to select it.
2. 2At the bottom of the Arrange screen, tap the up arrow (∧) to expand the Arrangement Track Editor. It’s a full grid editor, the same as Grid View.
3. 3Tap the box icon to use selection mode.
4. 4Drag your finger over the drum notes in the two bars before the empty ones.
5. 5Hold SHIFT and tap Duplicate. The notes are copied to the next available beat marker.
6. 6If they need to move, tap Nudge at the bottom of the screen and turn DATA DIAL until they start on the downbeat of the bar.

Fill it by recording something new

1. 1Tap the Loop button at the top of the screen to turn looping on.
2. 2Drag the loop brace so it covers the two new bars.
3. 3Tap a track header on the left of the screen to select the track to record on. If SEQ REC ARM was on in Main Mode, this also arms the track. Otherwise double-tap the track header and set Rec Arm to On in the Track Settings window.
4. 4Press REC | RECALL to arm recording.
5. 5Press PLAY. Recording starts at Loop Start and switches to overdubbing when it reaches Loop End.
6. 6Record a new melody on the pads.
7. 7Press STOP | RETURN when you’re done.

Try the grid

1. 1Select your drum track in Main Mode, then press GRID EDIT | STEP SEQ to open Grid View.
2. 2Tap the pencil icon at the top of the screen, then tap a square in the grid to add a note.
3. 3Press UNDO | REDO to undo it, then SHIFT + UNDO | REDO to bring it back.
4. 4Tap the eraser icon, then tap the note to delete it.
5. 5Tap the select box at the top of the screen, then tap another note to select it.
6. 6Tap Nudge at the bottom of the screen, then turn DATA DIAL to move the note left or right.

Everything else you can do in Grid View

Set levels and panning

1. 1Press TRACK EDIT | TRACK SETTING to open Track Edit Mode.
2. 2Press a PAD to show its parameters.
3. 3Drag the Level knob up or down to set its volume, or tap it and use DATA DIAL or – and +.
4. 4Set its stereo position the same way with the Pan knob.
5. 5Repeat for each pad. Akai suggests spreading bright sounds, such as cymbals and snare, a little across the stereo field.

Tune the kick

1. 1Press the PAD with your kick.
2. 2Tap the Samples/Oscs tab until the second square under it is lit.
3. 3Adjust the Semi and Fine knobs next to the sample name.

Add reverb to the snare

1. 1Tap Effects at the bottom of the screen until the first square under it is lit. This is the Insert Effects tab.
2. 2Press the PAD with your snare.
3. 3Double-tap an effect slot. A list of effects appears.
4. 4Swipe up or down to look through the list.
5. 5Double-tap Reverb Medium to load it. You can also tap it once and tap Select, or press DATA DIAL.
6. 6Tap Close to close the list.

Once an effect is loaded

• Tap the pencil icon to adjust its parameters.
• Tap the On/Off button for the slot to switch it on or off.
• Tap the trash can icon to empty the slot.

Record a sample

1. 1Press SHIFT + SAMPLE EDIT | SAMPLER to open the Sampler.
2. 2Connect an audio source to the Inputs on the rear panel.
3. 3Make sure the input menu in the upper-left corner is set to Input 1,2.
4. 4Play your source and turn REC VOL to set the level in the meter. It shouldn’t be peaking constantly.
5. 5Drag the threshold slider to a fairly low level, such as -50 dB, or use DATA DIAL or – and +.
6. 6Tap Arm to record-arm the Sampler.
7. 7Play your source. Recording starts as soon as the level reaches the threshold. You can also start it by hand with the round Record button.
8. 8Tap the round Stop button to stop. The Keep or Discard Sample window appears.

The Keep or Discard Sample window

Trim it

1. 1Press SAMPLE EDIT | SAMPLER to open Sample Edit Mode.
2. 2Tap the Trim/Chop tab at the bottom of the screen until you’re in Trim Mode.
3. 3Set the start point by dragging the S marker in the waveform. You can also double-tap the Start field and use the on-screen keypad, or use the first column of Q-Links when they’re in Screen mode, which adjust it at different resolutions.
4. 4Set the end point the same way with the E marker, the End field or the second column of Q-Links.
5. 5Press PAD 10 to hear the sample from the start point to the end point.

Process it

1. 1Tap Process at the bottom of the screen. The Process Sample window opens.
2. 2Set the Function field to Pitch Shift with DATA DIAL or – and +, or double-tap the field and tap it. This transposes the sample without changing its length.
3. 3Drag the knob in the centre of the window up or down to set the amount, or use DATA DIAL or – and +. For finer control, double-tap the knob and tap anywhere else to return.
4. 4Tap Do It to apply, or Cancel to back out.

Chop a drum loop

1. 1Press LOAD | SAVE and find a drum loop in the Browser.
2. 2Tap Load to add it straight to the kit, if a pad is selected on a drum track, or tap Load to Pool to add it to the project’s sample pool.
3. 3Press SAMPLE EDIT | SAMPLER.
4. 4Tap the Sample field at the top of the screen and pick the loop with DATA DIAL or – and +, or double-tap the field and tap it.
5. 5Tap the Trim/Chop tab in the lower-left corner until you’re in Chop Mode.
6. 6Tap Threshold, then tap the Threshold field beside it.
7. 7Set a value with DATA DIAL or – and +, or double-tap the field and use the on-screen keypad. The lower the threshold, the more slices you get. Aim for a slice marker on every transient peak.
8. 8Press the pads to hear the slices: Pad A01 plays Slice 1, Pad A02 plays Slice 2, and so on.

Turn the slices into a track

1. 1Hold SHIFT and tap Convert at the bottom of the screen. The Convert or Assign Slices window opens.
2. 2Tap the Convert To field and select New Drum Track Using Slices.
3. 3Make sure Create Events is checked.
4. 4Tap the Bars field and set how many bars the whole sample should fill.
5. 5Tap Do It. Each slice goes on its own pad, with a note event that plays the slices in their original order.
6. 6Press GRID EDIT | STEP SEQ to see the result in Grid View.
7. 7Press PLAY and hear the loop follow your song’s tempo.

Where to go from here

• Press MAIN | TRACK VIEW and tap the TC field at the top of the screen to quantise the new note events in the Timing Correct window (Timing Correct).
• Move the note events around to create a new playback order for the slices.
• Edit each slice in Track Edit Mode, adding effects or filtering a selected slice (Track Edit Mode basics).
• Convert the chopped sample to an audio track instead, with the Audio Track from Samples option in the Convert menu (Converting or assigning slices).

See what the Q-Links are doing

1. 1Hold Q-LINK | EDIT to open the Q-Link window, where you can switch Q-Link modes and view the current controls.
2. 2If you’re new to the G2, turn on Q-Link Status. Touching a Q-Link then shows a pop-up on the right of the screen with its controls and values.
3. 3Release Q-LINK | EDIT to close the window.
4. 4Press Q-LINK | EDIT to move to the next bank.

Program a sequence with the pads

1. 1In Main Mode, tap the sequence name to select it, then turn DATA DIAL or press + to switch to Sequence 2. It shows as (unused) until you edit it.
2. 2Select your original drum track.
3. 3Press SHIFT + GRID EDIT | STEP SEQ to open the Step Sequencer.
4. 4Tap the Bars field at the top of the screen and pick a length with DATA DIAL or – and +.
5. 5Tap Bar –/+ at the bottom of the screen to choose the bar you’re editing. Its number appears in the Bar field in the upper-left corner.
6. 6Tap Pad –/+ at the bottom of the screen to choose the pad you’re editing. Its number appears in the Pad field in the upper-left corner.
7. 7Press PLAY. The current step is marked in green.
8. 8Press an unlit PAD, or tap an unlit step marker, to enter a note at that step. The pad lights in a colour matching its velocity. On the screen the step marker lights blue, with a bar showing the velocity.
9. 9Press a lit PAD to delete the note on that step.

Mute pads

1. 1Press SHIFT + TRACK MUTE | PAD MUTE to open Pad Mute Mode.
2. 2Press PLAY.
3. 3Tap the Track field at the top of the screen and select your drum track with DATA DIAL or – and +, or double-tap the field and tap it.
4. 4Press a PAD, or tap it on the screen, to mute it. A muted pad lights orange. You can mute as many as you like.

Mute tracks

1. 1Press TRACK MUTE | PAD MUTE to open Track Mute Mode.
2. 2Press PLAY.
3. 3Tap the Sequence field at the top of the screen and select a sequence with DATA DIAL or – and +, or double-tap the field and tap it.
4. 4Each pad now stands for a track. Press a PAD, or tap it on the screen, to mute that track. It lights orange. You can mute several at once.

Record an XY performance

1. 1Press SHIFT + NEXT SEQ | XYFX to open XYFX Mode.
2. 2Tap the XYFX Location field and select Track, which adds the effect to the current track.
3. 3The first time you enter this mode in a project, you’re asked to load XYFX to the track: tap Insert XYFX.
4. 4Tap Setup to show the panel that controls how the pad behaves.
5. 5Double-tap the Preset field, swipe through the list and tap an effect. The list holds only the effects available in XYFX Mode.
6. 6Drag the Attack, Release and Wet/Dry knobs to taste. Below them you can see what the X and Y axes control.
7. 7Tap the automation button until it’s red, which is the Write (W) option.
8. 8Press PLAY START | METRONOME to start recording.
9. 9Move your finger over the XY pad. Your movements are recorded as automation of both axes.
10. 10Press STOP | RETURN when you’re done.
11. 11Tap the automation button to select the green Read (R) option, so the track plays back what you just recorded.

What the knobs do

Wet/Dry

Sets the wet signal that the effect fades to when you touch the pad.

Attack

How long the fully dry signal takes to reach that wet signal after you touch the pad.

Release

How long the wet signal takes to fade back to fully dry when you let go.

Build a song

1. 1Make sure playback is stopped.
2. 2Press MENU | PREFS and tap Song.
3. 3Tap Insert to add a step at the current position. Delete removes the selected step.
4. 4Tap the step’s Sequence field and turn DATA DIAL to choose its sequence.
5. 5Tap the step’s Repeat field, next to the sequence name, and turn DATA DIAL to set how many times it plays. A value of 1 plays it once.
6. 6Repeat until the playlist holds your whole song. The Bars column on the right shows each step’s length.

Export the song

1. 1In Song Mode, tap Export at the bottom of the screen. The Audio Mixdown screen appears.
2. 2Make sure the Start field is set to 1.
3. 3Set the End field to the last bar of your song.
4. 4Tap the Audio Tail field and turn DATA DIAL to set it to 2 seconds.
5. 5Tap the mp3 file format option in the lower-left corner if you’re sharing the song online.
6. 6Tap Export and choose where to save the song.
7. 7Tap the File Name field and enter a name on the on-screen keyboard.
8. 8Tap Save to start exporting.