Programs are the building blocks of the MPC workflow. You can think of a Program as an instrument. Just as with a band, multiple instruments are sequenced together to create a song. The MPC Series has 6 different types of Programs: Drum, Keygroup, Plugin, MIDI, Clip and CV. In this article, we're going to discuss the properties of each and how they can be loaded into your Project. Let's jump in!

Guide Contents


MPC Project Breakdown

MPC is very modular by design. The fundamental elements, starting from largest to smallest, are Songs, Sequences, Tracks, and finally Programs.

The basic breakdown of the MPC workflow is illustrated by this diagram:

A Song is a finished product comprised of Sequences arranged in various orders. You can think of a Sequence as a part of your Song, like a chorus, verse, or bridge. Each Sequence is made up of Audio or MIDI Tracks. MIDI Tracks host Programs.

As you can see, Programs are the smallest cell in this workflow. To put it simply, the program is your instrument like a drum kit, bass, or synth. Let's take a closer look!

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Drum Programs

Drum Programs are the most common program type and essential to the MPC workflow. Drum Programs are a collection of samples, assigned across 16 pads to form a playable kit. Your MPC comes with many pre-built programs each with its own style and sonic texture like House, Hip-hop, and Trap and are accessible from the Browser.

While you can create your own Drum Programs with imported samples we're going use an internal kit for the purposes of this tutorial.

1. Before loading a Drum Program, we have to designate a Track. To do this, press the Main button.

2. In the Track region, you will see 6 icons each representing different program types.

3. Tap the Drum icon.

4. With the Track now assigned, press the Browse button.

5. Go to the Content tab and tap on Drums.

6. All of your included Drum Programs will be listed on the right, shown as XPM files. As you scroll through, the MPC will audition each kit.

7. When you find a Drum Program you like, select and load it to your Project.


8. Go back to the Main mode and double-tap on the Drum Program field.


9. A list of all the Drum Programs currently loaded into your Project will appear. This is especially useful when you're auditioning different kits for your MIDI patterns. Go ahead and select a Drum Program from the list.


10. You'll notice that the 16 pads light up, signaling that they now contain samples and settings (pad assignments, loop points, pitch, effects, etc.). To view, rearrange, or replace the samples in your Drum Program, press the Browse button and tap on the Sample Pool tab. Press a pad to select it and double-tap a sample from the Sample Pool list to assign it.


For more information on how to create a custom kit, check out this tutorial:

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Plugin Programs

Plugin Programs are virtual instruments that can be played like a keyboard. The MPC comes with 3 internal Plugins Bassline, Electric, and Tubesynth each with their own bank of presets (sounds). When you load a Plugin Program, the MPC's pads will become a chromatic piano-roll. Change the Bank to adjust the pads' octave.

Let's take a look at how to load a Plugin Program:

1. Press the Main button.


2. Select the Plugin icon in the Track region.


3. Your default plugin will load. Double-tap the Plugin field to select a different plugin. For this example, we'll be using Tubesynth.


4. Now that the Plugin is selected, we need to select a Preset. Double-tap the Preset field to view all your options.


5. Tap once to load the Preset.


6. By default, the pads will be mapped to Notes mode in Pad Perform. To edit the pad assignments or disable Pad Perform, press the icon at the bottom right of the display. Use the Octave +/- buttons at the bottom of the display to increase the pad's playable range.


Note: Only Banks A-C are available while Pad Perform is active. To use the pads as a chromatic keyboard spanning from Bank A to Bank H, select Off in the Pad Perform settings. While Pad Perform is deactivated, Bank A and B produce very low notes so depending on the preset you may not hear anything or just low warbling noises. Bank C and above are in the auditory range.

Check out this video for more information on how to configure the pads using Pad Perform :

7. You can adjust the Plugin parameters from within Program Edit. The GUI (Graphical User Interface) is useful for customizing your Plugin's sound.


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A Keygroup Program will take a sample and pitch it across all of the keys on your MIDI controller or the pads on your MPC. For example, you could turn a single bass note sample into an entire playable bass program.


Keygroups are useful for adding melodic elements to your songs or creating pitched layers to your drums.

To create a Keygroup Program:

1. Press the Main button.


2. In the Track region, you will see 6 icons each representing a different program type. Press the Keygroup icon.


3. Press the Browse button and tap on the Content tab.


4. Tap the Samples icon to view all internal samples.


Note: Use the Search Directory to narrow the available options in the Browser.

5. As you scroll through the list, the samples will audition. When you find one you like, double-tap it to load it to the Sample Pool.


6. Press the Sample Assign tab to view the Sample Pool.


7. You can load the sample to your Keygroup Program by pressing a pad and then double-tapping the sample in the list. You'll see the sample automatically populate all 16 pads.


Note: You must have Bank A selected in order to assign your sample this way.

8. By default, the pads will be mapped to Notes mode in Pad Perform. To edit the pad assignments or disable Pad Perform, press the icon at the bottom right of the display. Use the Octave +/- buttons at the bottom of the display to increase the pad's playable range.


Note: Only Banks A-C are available while Pad Perform is active. To use the pads as a chromatic keyboard spanning from Bank A to Bank H, select Off in the Pad Perform settings. While Pad Perform is deactivated, Bank A and B produce very low notes so depending on the preset you may not hear anything or just low warbling noises. Bank C and above are in the auditory range.

Check out this video for more information on how to configure the pads using Pad Perform :

9. If you need to make adjustments to your Keygroup Program, press the Program Edit button or icon in the Menu display. Program Edit has a variety of different parameters (Filter, Envelope, LFO, etc.) to further customize your Keygroup Program. You can also add 3 additional sample layers to your Keygroup to build an instrument rack for fuller-sounding programs.


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Clip Programs

A Clip Program uses several samples that can be looped. Each clip (sample) can be assigned to a pad, which you can press to trigger the clip according to a quantization setting. This lets you create intriguing, layered performances by launching different combinations of clips together. If you've ever used Ableton Live before, this will be a similar workflow to the Session view.

By default, the 16 pads are divided into four columns of four pads. Each column represents a Mute Group; when 1 pad is playing a clip, all other pads in that same Mute Group are turned off. This enables you to launch a clip without having to manually stop other clips that are similar. For instance, pressing Pad 2 may launch a bass clip. You could then press Pad 6, which launches another bass clip and simultaneously stops the loop on Pad 2. This way, you’ll never be playing two bass clips at the same time.

The four-column pad configuration described above is just a default setting to make things easy (e.g., you could use the first column for drum clips, the second for bass clips, the third for keyboard clips, and the fourth for vocal clips). You can use Program Edit mode to assign pads to any combination of Mute Groups you want. It's an intuitive way to remix on the fly!

To load a Clip Program:


1. Press the Main button.


2. Select the Clip icon in the Track region.


3. Press the Browse button and go to the Content tab.


If you're using an X or Live you will see a Clip icon. Tap this to audition the different pre-loaded Clip Programs. Double-tap to load a Clip Program to your Project.

If you're using a One, you'll notice that there isn't a dedicated Clip folder in the Browser. You can either create a Clip Program using your own samples or install the MPC 2.0 Clip Launch Pack found in your Akai account under My Registered Products. Follow this guide for more information on how to export expansions to the MPC hardware for use in standalone mode:

4. When you've decided on a Clip Program, double-tap it to load it to the Project.

5. Return to the Main mode and double-tap the Program field to select the newly added Clip Program.


6. If you need to make edits to your Clip Program or want to configure the Mute Groups differently, navigate to the Program Edit view. Check out this demo video to see Clip Programs in action:

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MIDI Programs

MIDI Programs are used to send MIDI Note, CC, Program Change and various other performance controls to the MPC's MIDI Out ports. These, in turn, can be routed to the MIDI Input of an external device (synth module, drum machine, audio interface, etc.). An important thing to distinguish is that MIDI Programs do not generate audio signals themselves. Instead, they send performance data to an external device that will execute the incoming commands to produce sound.

MIDI Programs are the only MPC Programs that can send MIDI data to the MIDI Out ports.

To create a MIDI Program:

1. Enter the Main mode.


2. Tap the MIDI icon in the Track region.


3. Tap on the Track View icon to open the I/O settings. Double-tap the MIDI Output Port field to select the MIDI Out Port that your external device is connected to. For example, if your hardware is connected to the MPC's MIDI Out Port A, select MPC A.


4. In the MIDI Output Channel field, select the MIDI Channel (1 through 16) that your external device is set to receive on.


5. By default, the pads will be mapped to Notes mode in Pad Perform. To edit the pad assignments or disable Pad Perform, press the icon at the bottom right of the display. Use the Octave +/- buttons at the bottom of the display to increase the pad's playable range.


Note: Only Banks A-C are available while Pad Perform is active. To use the pads as a chromatic keyboard spanning from Bank A to Bank H, select Off in the Pad Perform settings. While Pad Perform is deactivated, Bank A and B produce very low notes so depending on the preset you may not hear anything or just low warbling noises. Bank C and above are in the auditory range.


6. If you want to sync clock and transport controls, open the MIDI/Sync Preferences from the Menu page. Select MIDI Clock under Send and enable Send MMC. This will ensure that the MPC and external gear are using the same tempo and the play/stop commands are synced.

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CV Programs

This section only pertains to the MPC X, MPC Live MKII, and One.

A CV Program lets you send control voltage (CV) signals and/or Gate data to an external sequencer with standard 1/8” (3.5 mm) cables. The MPC's pads and Q-Links can be used to send performance controls to an external device that accepts CV.


CV Programs have 4 hardwired attributes CV Port, the Gate Port, the Mod Wheel, and Velocity Port that can be configured to a multitude of controls. Here's a quick rundown of the available settings:

  • CV Port: Applies 1 volt per octave pitch (0V-5V) corresponding to MPC pads C5-G1. The MPC pads or an external MIDI Controller can be played to control the pitch of an oscillator.
  • Gate Port: Pressing a pad will produce 5V signaling an ON state. When the pad is released, the port will revert to 0V signaling an OFF state. This can be used to trigger an envelope or for note on/off control.
  • Mod Wheel: The Mod Wheel of a connected MIDI controller or the designated Q-Link on your MPC will send a value of 0V-5V depending on its position. Just as with MIDI modules and CC messages, this can be used to automate different parameters in your modular system.
  • Velocity Port: The pads will send 0V-5V depending on how hard the pads are hit. This could be used to control the volume level of an oscillator.

To create a CV Program:

1. Press Main to enter the Main Mode.



2. Next to the Track field, tap the CV icon, which indicates a CV program.


3. If the project does not contain a CV program yet, a new CV program will be added automatically to the project and appear in the Program field below. If the project already contains a CV program, it will be selected automatically and appear in the Program field.


4. To create another CV program, tap the + icon above the Program field. A new CV program will be created and appended with a number (e.g., CV 002).


Note: If you want to use multiple CV Programs in one Project, be sure to create a new Track for your new CV Program. Otherwise, all changes made to one CV Program will be reflected in all other CV Programs.


5. Assign your track attributes and the designated CV ports that will output voltage to your modular system.


Check out this in-depth tutorial to see how to create, sequence, and automate CV programs:

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