Chapter 4

Tracks

Six track types, and what each one is for.

0/8

In this chapter · 8

4.1About tracks
4.2Audio tracks
4.3Drum tracks
4.4Keygroup tracks
4.5Plugin tracks
4.6MIDI tracks
4.7CV tracks
4.8Track View

4.1BasicsManual About Tracks p.42, MPC2 vs. MPC3 p.8

About tracks

Every sequence in a project is made of tracks, and one project can hold up to 128 of them. A track’s type decides how it sounds and what it is for, so the first thing you choose for a new track is which of the six types it will be.

MPC3 no longer separates tracks from programs: both now live in a single track container (MPC2 vs MPC3). To shape a track’s sound in detail, see Track Edit Mode basics.

The six track types

Type	What it does	More
Audio	Records audio from an external source, or resamples another track to make a sample.	Audio tracks
Drum	Plays one or more samples and stores the settings for each, such as pad assignments, loop points, pitch tuning and effects. Mostly used for drum parts and for putting samples on pads quickly.	Drum tracks
Keygroup	Plays one or more samples chromatically from a MIDI keyboard or the pads, and stores the settings for each, such as pitch tuning and effects.	Keygroup tracks
Plugin	Holds an instance of a plugin, which your track’s MIDI data can play.	Plugin tracks
MIDI	Sends your track’s MIDI data to external MIDI gear, such as a synth or drum machine.	MIDI tracks
CV	Sends your track’s MIDI data to external gear that uses control voltage, such as a synth.	CV tracks

Add a track

Press MAIN | TRACK VIEW, or press MENU | PREFS and tap Main.
Tap New Track at the bottom of the screen.
Tap a track type. It joins your project straight away. For more options, tap Advanced instead.

Advanced options

Type: The type of track to add.
Number of Tracks: Adds several tracks of that type at once.
Input: Audio tracks only: which inputs the track uses.
Ascending: Audio tracks only, and only when you are adding more than one. Ticked, the input climbs from track to track, so the first uses the source you chose (Input 1, say) and the next uses Input 2. Unticked, they all share one source.
Record Enable: Audio tracks only: tick to have the new track record-enabled automatically.
Input Monitoring: Audio tracks only: the monitoring behaviour.Range Off, On, Auto, Merge

To turn a track into another type, tap the track type icon or track number in the Track section of Main Mode, then choose from the five other types (Track section).

Each type also has a Track Settings window, listed in its own section below. You can open it from the panel with the combo here, or by tapping and holding the track name in the Track section of Main Mode, or by double-tapping the track header in the Track Mixer or Arrange Mode.

Key combinations

SHIFT + TRACK EDIT | TRACK SETTING: Opens the Track Settings window for the current track.

From the community

MPC 3 | Overview
Akai Professional
Akai’s 33-minute tour from the public beta: Main Mode, one-to-one tracks, the XL channel strip and the Arranger. Some screens have moved since.

MPC track types guide - Choosing the right one
Bit Bender Studio
A chaptered run through each track type and when to choose it; it predates the G2, but the track types carry over.

4.2BasicsManual Audio Tracks p.44

Audio tracks

An audio track holds a recording rather than notes. Record into it from an external source, or resample another track to make a sample. For a first go, try Your first audio track; to edit the regions you record, see Grid View with audio tracks.

Track Settings

Track name: Tap to rename the track on the virtual keyboard. Do It confirms; the grey bar at the top of the screen cancels.
Position: Moves the track to a different place in the list, shifting the other tracks around it.
Rec Arm: Arms the track for recording or disarms it.Range On, Off
Monitor: Sets how the track is monitored. See the states below.Range Off, In, Auto, Merge
Audio Input: The source the track records from.
Audio Output: Where the track’s sound goes.
Color: Changes the track’s colour.
Delete Track: Removes the track. It is at the bottom of the screen.
Reset Strip: Resets all the track’s mixer settings. It is at the bottom of the screen.
–/+: Move to the previous or next track, from the bottom of the screen.

Monitor states

State	What you hear
`Off`	Never any incoming audio.
`In`	Incoming audio, whether or not the track is record-enabled.
`Auto`	Incoming audio only while the track is record-enabled.
`Merge`	The input all the time, along with playback of recorded events.

From the community

MPC 3 Vocal Recording/Mixing Workflow | XL Channel Strip
RAUL
Using the XL channel strip on vocals in MPC 3, with the presenter’s own mixing approach.

4.3BasicsManual Drum Tracks p.45, MPC Oscillators (3.9 manual) p.10

Drum tracks

A drum track is the usual home for drum parts. It holds a list of samples and the settings for each, and it makes putting samples on pads quick. You have 128 pads to work with: 16 pads across eight banks.

Load a kit

Press LOAD | SAVE to open the Browser (Browser), or press MENU | PREFS and tap Browser.
Tap the Drums content icon on the left to see the factory kits. Alternatively, go to another location and tap the four-squares icon above the file list so only kit files show.
Select a kit and tap Load to put it on the track.

Load samples and assign them to pads

Press LOAD | SAVE to open the Browser. If an empty pad is selected, you can tap Browse in the Track area instead.
Select a sample and tap Load to load it. Repeat for any others you want.
Tap Sample Assign to see the pads and the project’s sample pool (Sample Assign).
Press or tap a pad to select it. It lights green.
In the Sample Pool list, double-tap a sample or press DATA DIAL to assign it. You can also drag it from the list straight onto a pad.
Repeat for other pads. To take a sample off the selected pad, tap Clear Pad.

Assign samples in Track Edit Mode instead

Press TRACK EDIT | TRACK SETTING to enter Track Edit Mode, or press MENU | PREFS and tap Track Edit.
Tap the Samples/Oscs tab, which shows the samples on all eight layers of the current pad, plus other per-layer parameters depending on the page (Samples/Oscs tab).
Tap a pad to select it. Any samples on it play.
On the first Samples/Oscs tab, tap one of the Layer 1–8 fields under the waveform. On the other tabs, tap Layer 1–4/5–8 to switch between groups of layers.
Tap the Sample field and turn DATA DIAL or use – and + to choose a sample. Alternatively, double-tap the layer’s field and tap a sample.

Track Settings

Track name: Tap to rename the track on the virtual keyboard. Do It confirms; the grey bar at the top of the screen cancels.
Position: Moves the track to a different place in the list, shifting the other tracks around it.
Rec Arm: Arms the track for recording or disarms it.Range On, Off
MIDI Input Port: The port the track takes MIDI from. All Ports accepts incoming data from anything connected. To see and edit the ports, go to Preferences > MIDI / Sync.
MIDI Input Channel: The channel the track takes MIDI from. Any accepts every channel.Range Any, 1–16
MIDI Send: Sets where the MIDI data goes, so one track can pass its MIDI on to another.
MIDI Monitor: Sets how the track’s MIDI input is monitored. See the states below.Range Off, In, Auto, Merge
Color: Changes the track’s colour.
Delete Track: Removes the track. It is at the bottom of the screen.
Reset Strip: Resets all the track’s mixer settings. It is at the bottom of the screen.
–/+: Move to the previous or next track, from the bottom of the screen.

MIDI Monitor states

State	Input	Recorded events
`Off`	Not monitored. Handy with keyboards that have Local Control active.	Heard
`In`	Always monitored, whether or not the track is armed	Not heard
`Auto`	Monitored while the track is armed	Heard
`Merge`	Always monitored	Heard

From the community

Getting Started on MPC One G2 | Making a Beat
Akai Professional
A track built from the ground up on the G2: choosing and editing sounds, then layering tracks.

MPC 3 - Hip Hop Drum Programming Explained
Ave Mcree
MPC 3 drum programming filmed on a Live II: loading and chopping samples, mute groups in Track Edit, time-stretching, simultaneous play and mixing.

4.4BasicsManual Keygroup Tracks p.47, MPC Oscillators (3.9 manual) p.10

Keygroup tracks

A keygroup track lets you play samples chromatically, from a MIDI keyboard or the pads. One keygroup may be all you need, but you can add more to build something complex from multi-samples, such as a real piano.

Assign samples

Press TRACK EDIT | TRACK SETTING to enter Track Edit Mode, or press MENU | PREFS and tap Track Edit.
Tap the Samples/Oscs tab, which shows the samples on all eight layers of the current keygroup, plus other per-layer parameters depending on the page (Samples/Oscs (Advanced and Legacy)).
Set how many keygroups the track has with Number of KG.
Choose one with the Keygroup field.
On the first Samples/Oscs tab, tap one of the Layer 1–8 fields under the waveform. On the other tabs, tap Layer 1–4/5–8 to switch between groups of layers.
Tap a layer’s field and turn DATA DIAL or use – and + to choose a sample. Alternatively, double-tap the field and tap a sample.

Limits

Number of KG: How many keygroups the track has.Range 1–128
Layers: Each keygroup can hold up to eight samples, so a track can hold 1024 samples in total.Range Layer 1–8

Track Settings

Track name: Tap to rename the track on the virtual keyboard. Do It confirms; the grey bar at the top of the screen cancels.
Position: Moves the track to a different place in the list, shifting the other tracks around it.
Rec Arm: Arms the track for recording or disarms it.Range On, Off
MIDI Input Port: The port the track takes MIDI from. All Ports accepts incoming data from anything connected. To see and edit the ports, go to Preferences > MIDI / Sync.
MIDI Input Channel: The channel the track takes MIDI from. Any accepts every channel.Range Any, 1–16
MIDI Send: Sets where the MIDI data goes, so one track can pass its MIDI on to another.
MIDI Monitor: Sets how the track’s MIDI input is monitored. See the states below.Range Off, In, Auto, Merge
Color: Changes the track’s colour.
Transpose: Sets how far the track is transposed.
Delete Track: Removes the track. It is at the bottom of the screen.
Reset Strip: Resets all the track’s mixer settings. It is at the bottom of the screen.
–/+: Move to the previous or next track, from the bottom of the screen.

MIDI Monitor states

State	Input	Recorded events
`Off`	Not monitored. Handy with keyboards that have Local Control active.	Heard
`In`	Always monitored, whether or not the track is armed	Not heard
`Auto`	Monitored while the track is armed	Heard
`Merge`	Always monitored	Heard

From the community

MPC 3 Standalone Tutorial: How to Make Keygroups for your One Shot Samples & Sounds
Bolo Da Producer
Making a playable keygroup from your own one-shots on MPC 3 standalone.

4.5BasicsManual Plugin Tracks p.49

Plugin tracks

A plugin track holds one instance of a plugin, and the track’s MIDI data plays it. Pick the plugin and a preset in Track Settings. The included plugins are covered in Plugin instruments overview, and their controls appear in Track Edit for plugin tracks.

Track Settings

Track name: Tap to rename the track on the virtual keyboard. Do It confirms; the grey bar at the top of the screen cancels.
Position: Moves the track to a different place in the list, shifting the other tracks around it.
Plugin: Opens the Plugin window to choose the track’s plugin. Type or Manufacturer sorts the list by type or maker, Select picks the plugin, and Close cancels.
Preset: Chooses a preset from the loaded plugin.
Rec Arm: Arms the track for recording or disarms it.Range On, Off
MIDI Input Port: The port the track takes MIDI from. All Ports accepts incoming data from anything connected. To see and edit the ports, go to Preferences > MIDI / Sync.
MIDI Input Channel: The channel the track takes MIDI from. Any accepts every channel.Range Any, 1–16
MIDI Send: Sets where the MIDI data goes, so one track can pass its MIDI on to another.
MIDI Monitor: Sets how the track’s MIDI input is monitored. See the states below.Range Off, In, Auto, Merge
Color: Changes the track’s colour.
Transpose: Sets how far the track is transposed.
Delete Track: Removes the track. It is at the bottom of the screen.
Reset Strip: Resets all the track’s mixer settings. It is at the bottom of the screen.
–/+: Move to the previous or next track, from the bottom of the screen.

MIDI Monitor states

State	Input	Recorded events
`Off`	Not monitored. Handy with keyboards that have Local Control active.	Heard
`In`	Always monitored, whether or not the track is armed	Not heard
`Auto`	Monitored while the track is armed	Heard
`Merge`	Always monitored	Heard

From the community

Akai Pro MPC Series | Free MPC Plugins Are Missing From The Activations List on MPC 3Akai Professional — Why Hype, TubeSynth and the rest don’t appear in Activations on MPC 3, and where to find them instead.

4.6IntermediateManual MIDI Tracks p.50

MIDI tracks

A MIDI track sends its data out to a synth, a drum machine or other MIDI gear. Beyond the usual routing, it can send a program change and a bank change when it plays. See Sequencing external MIDI gear for connecting things up.

Track Settings

Track name: Tap to rename the track on the virtual keyboard. Do It confirms; the grey bar at the top of the screen cancels.
Position: Moves the track to a different place in the list, shifting the other tracks around it.
Rec Arm: Arms the track for recording or disarms it.Range On, Off
MIDI Input Port: The port the track takes MIDI from. All Ports accepts incoming data from anything connected. To see and edit the ports, go to Preferences > MIDI / Sync.
MIDI Input Channel: The channel the track takes MIDI from. Any accepts every channel.Range Any, 1–16
MIDI Output Port: The port the track sends MIDI to. To see and edit the ports, go to Preferences > MIDI / Sync.
MIDI Output Channel: The channel the track sends MIDI on.Range Any, 1–16
MIDI Send: Sets where the MIDI data goes, so one track can pass its MIDI on to another.
MIDI Monitor: Sets how the track’s MIDI input is monitored. See the states below.Range Off, In, Auto, Merge
Program Change: Tick to turn on program changes.
MIDI Program Change: The value the track sends when it plays. Double-tap the field, type on the number pad and tap Do It.Range 1–127
Bank Change: Once program changes are on, tick to turn on bank changes too.
MIDI Bank MSB and MIDI Bank LSB: The bank change values.
Color: Changes the track’s colour.
Transpose: Sets how far the track is transposed.
Delete Track: Removes the track. It is at the bottom of the screen.
Reset Strip: Resets all the track’s mixer settings. It is at the bottom of the screen.
–/+: Move to the previous or next track, from the bottom of the screen.

MIDI Monitor states

State	Input	Recorded events
`Off`	Not monitored. Handy with keyboards that have Local Control active.	Heard
`In`	Always monitored, whether or not the track is armed	Not heard
`Auto`	Monitored while the track is armed	Heard
`Merge`	Always monitored	Heard

From the community

MPC LIVE 3 - Connecting MIDI & Record Hardware Synths (MIDI)
Ave Mcree
Setting up, sequencing, sampling and recording a hardware synth over MIDI, filmed on a Live III.

4.7IntermediateManual CV Tracks p.52, CV Tracks p.120

CV tracks

A CV track sends its MIDI data to external gear that uses control voltage, such as a synth. It runs in one of two ways: Melodic, with one set of ports, or Drum, where each pad can go to its own CV port. Wiring is covered in CV/Gate, and further editing in Track Edit for CV tracks.

Track Settings

Track name: Tap to rename the track on the virtual keyboard. Do It confirms; the grey bar at the top of the screen cancels.
Position: Moves the track to a different place in the list, shifting the other tracks around it.
Rec Arm: Arms the track for recording or disarms it.Range On, Off
Type: Selects how the track operates. Melodic behaves as CV tracks did in previous MPC versions. Drum lets any pad output on any CV port.Range Melodic, Drum
CV Port: Melodic only. Tap the field, then turn DATA DIAL or use – and +. The list runs CV 1–CV 16, and ports the G2 doesn’t have are marked unavailable (CV/Gate).
Gate Port: Melodic only. Set it the same way.
Mod Wheel Port: Melodic only: the port for the modulation wheel. Set it the same way.
Velocity Port: Melodic only. Set it the same way.
Note Priority: Melodic only. Set it the same way.Range Note, Last
Edit Map: Drum only: assign each pad to a CV port and a data type.
MIDI Input Port: The port the track takes MIDI from. All Ports accepts incoming data from anything connected. To see and edit the ports, go to Preferences > MIDI / Sync.
MIDI Input Channel: The channel the track takes MIDI from. Any accepts every channel.Range Any, 1–16
MIDI Send: Sets where the MIDI data goes, so one track can pass its MIDI on to another.
MIDI Monitor: Sets how the track’s MIDI input is monitored. See the states below.Range Off, In, Auto, Merge
Color: Changes the track’s colour.
Transpose: Sets how far the track is transposed.
Delete Track: Removes the track. It is at the bottom of the screen.
Reset Strip: Resets all the track’s mixer settings. It is at the bottom of the screen.
–/+: Move to the previous or next track, from the bottom of the screen.

MIDI Monitor states

State	Input	Recorded events
`Off`	Not monitored. Handy with keyboards that have Local Control active.	Heard
`In`	Always monitored, whether or not the track is armed	Not heard
`Auto`	Monitored while the track is armed	Heard
`Merge`	Always monitored	Heard

From the community

Getting Started with MPC Live III | CV Playground
Akai Professional
Tefty’s deep dive into modular and CV tips, filmed on a Live III; the G2 gets eight CV channels from its four 1/8-inch jacks.

4.8IntermediateManual Track View p.264

Track View

Track View gives you the tracks of the current sequence as a stack of horizontal strips, one per track, so you can work on tracks and sequences at the same time. Swipe up or down to move through the list, or use the Track field at the top of the screen.

To open it, use the combo below, or press MENU | PREFS and tap Track View.

Key combinations

SHIFT + MAIN | TRACK VIEW: Opens Track View.
Hold SHIFT + tap Arm: Arms more than one track at a time.In Track View
Hold SHIFT + tap Duplicate Track: Makes an identical copy on a new track straight away.In Track View
Hold SHIFT + tap TC: Opens the Timing Correct settings.In Track View
Hold SHIFT + tap Click: Opens the Metronome settings.In Track View
Hold SHIFT + tap Track Settings: Opens the Track Settings window for the current track.In Track View

Holding SHIFT brings up Duplicate Track, TC, Click and Track Settings at the bottom of the screen. See Timing Correct and Metronome for what TC and Click open.

Top of the screen

Track: Selects the track in focus.
Time counter: Shows where the playhead is (The time counter and Locate).

Bottom of the screen

Button	What it does
`New Track`	Adds a track (About tracks).
`Rec Arm`	Arms the sequence for recording.
`Track –` and `Track +`	Select the previous or next track. You can also tap a track in the main part of the screen.
`Mute`	Mutes the current track.
`Solo`	Solos the current track and mutes all the others.

On each track strip

Input: Sets the track’s MIDI or audio input or inputs. For MIDI you can also choose the channel.
Output: Sets the track’s MIDI or audio output or outputs. For MIDI you can also choose the channel.
Key Range: The range of incoming notes that reach the track, shown on the keys diagram. Tap the low and high fields and turn DATA DIAL or use – and +, or tap Learn and play the notes on a connected MIDI device. Not on audio tracks (Key Ranges Mode).
Arm: Record-enables the track, so the MIDI input records here when you start recording.
Monitor: Tap to step through the monitoring states below.Range Off, In, Auto, Merge
Level slider: Sets the track’s level. The meter above it shows the current level.
Pan knob: Sets the track’s stereo panning. Not on CV tracks.
Solo and Mute: Solo or mute this track.
MIDI Filter: Opens the Track MIDI Perform Settings window, described below.

Monitor states

State	Input	Recorded events
`Off`	Not monitored	Heard
`In`	Always monitored, whether or not the track is armed	Not heard
`Auto`	Monitored while the track is armed	Heard
`Merge`	Always monitored	Heard

Track MIDI Perform Settings

Note Range: Note Min and Note Max set which notes pass; anything outside them is not heard on the track. Tap Learn and press the note you want for each value, or set the same range from the Keyrange fields in Track View.
Velocity Range: Velocity Min and Velocity Max set which velocities pass; anything outside them is not heard on the track.
MIDI CC Filter: Tick a message type to let it through the track. Unticked, the track ignores it. The list is below.

Messages the MIDI CC Filter covers

Message	Meaning
`CC1`	Modulation
`CC2`	Breath
`CC3`	Undefined
`CC4`	Foot
`CC5`	Portamento
`CC7`	Volume
`CC10`	Pan
`CC11`	Expression
`CC64`	Sustain On/Off
`CC65`	Pmento (Portamento) On/Off
`CC66`	Sost (Sostenuto) On/Off
`CC67`	Soft Ped (Soft Pedal) On/Off
`CC68`	Legato Switch
`CC128`	Pitchbend
`CC129`	Channel Pressure
`CC130`	Program Change
`CC131`	Aftertouch