Akai MPCX User Manual page 166

Pad
The upper half of the touchscreen shows the clip
waveform. The lower half shows the editing controls.
The waveform display shows the "active" section
of the clip waveform. Swipe left or right on the
waveform to move through it.
Above the waveform is the timeline, shown in
bars, beats, and ticks.
The green marker and red marker are the start point
and end point (respectively). These two points
define the region of the sample that will be played.
To move the start point or end point of the
selected region, do any of the following:
•
Tap and drag the S or E marker left or right.
•
Use the Start or End fields shown below
the waveform.
•
Use the first row of Q-Link knobs (Layer 1 Start) to adjust the start point or the second row of Q-Link
knobs (Layer 1 End) to adjust the end point. The right-most Q-Link knobs (12 and 16) provide coarse
adjustment. The left-most Q-Link knobs (9 and 13) provide fine adjustment.
Use the Zoom + or Zoom – buttons at the bottom of the touchscreen to zoom in or out (respectively) of the waveform.
Below is a brief step-by-step process so you can get familiar with setting up a clip. Continue reading the rest of this
chapter to learn how to use the parameters in this window.
To assign and edit a clip:
1. Assign a sample to a pad using the Program tab (described earlier). For example, start with a four-bar drum loop.
2. In the Pad tab, note that the BPM field has a value, which is automatically detected.
If the Warp button is not already on, tap it. The Warp function keeps the loop in time with the sequence tempo or
the master tempo.
3. If you need to edit the loop's tempo manually, do any of the following:
•
Tap the BPM field, and then use the data dial or –/+ buttons to change the value.
•
Double-tap the BPM field, and then use the numeric keyboard that appears to enter a value.
4. Let's shorten the loop to a two-bar loop by doing any of the following:
•
Tap and drag the start point (S) or end point (E) marker.
•
Tap the beat, bar, or tick value of the Start or End fields, and then use the data dial or –/+ buttons to
change the value.
•
Double-tap the beat, bar, or tick value of the Start or End fields, and then use the numeric keyboard
that appears to enter a value.
Set the locations properly to ensure the loop's timing is correct—neither too short nor too long. When the loop
repeats, it should feel seamless.
5. If the Fade button is not already on, tap it. This applies a very small fade-in and fade-out at the start and end of
the clip to prevent "clicks" and glitches if start point or end point is not at a "zero-crossing."
6. If you need to edit the loop's pitch manually, do any of the following:
•
Tap the Coarse or Fine slider, and then use the data dial or –/+ buttons to change the value.
•
Use Q-Link Knobs 1 and 2 (Layer __ Semi Tune and Layer __ Fine Tune) to change the value of the
Coarse or Fine sliders.
•
Double-tap the Coarse or Fine slider, and then use the numeric keyboard that appears to enter a value.
The Coarse slider adjusts the pitch in semitones. The Fine value adjusts the pitch in cents. You will hear the pitch
adjust in real time.
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