inMusic Support

CONTENTS

• How do I register and redeem the included software with the Hammer 88 Pro?
• Installing MPC Beats
• Configuring your Hammer 88 Pro in MPC Beats
• Scanning the AIR Plugins into MPC Beats
• Loading a Sample Pack to a Drum Program
• Using Standalone Plugins

How do I register and redeem the included software with the Hammer 88 Pro?

The software licenses included with your M-Audio Hammer 88 Pro are redeemed via the inMusic Software Center when your Hammer 88 has been registered.

For a complete step-by-step guide on registering your hardware and redeeming your included software, be sure to follow the guide linked below:

inMusic Software Center | How To Redeem Software Included With inMusic Hardware

Installing MPC Beats

The MPC Beats software is the heart of the MPC workflow. MPC Beats allows you to create dynamic sequences with your AIR plugins and Sample Packs that can be recorded, arranged, and mixed into tracks.

The MPC Beats installer is located in the M-Audio Software Manager and does not require an authorization code to use. Simply install the software and start making music!

1. Open the inMusic Software Center.
2. Click on the Free Software tab to view all your installers.
   
   
3. Find the MPC Beats installer under the Apps section and click the Download button to the right.
   
4. Once the download completes, click Install to begin the installation
   
5. The MPC Beats Installer will automatically open. Follow the onscreen prompts to complete the installation.
   
   
   
   

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Configuring your Hammer 88 Pro in MPC Beats

Now that you have installed the included sound content, let's connect the Hammer 88 Pro and launch MPC Beats!

1. First, connect the Hammer 88 Pro to your computer with the provided USB cable.
2. Press and hold the DAW button (#5) on your Hammer 88 Pro keyboard.
   
   
   
   
3. Using the Encoder directly below the OLED screen (#8), scroll to “MPC” and then press the Encoder to select it.
4. Press and hold the Shift button, and press the Global button.
5. Using the Encoder directly below the OLED screen, scroll to PC, and press the Encoder to enter into selecting your OS.
6. Use the Encoder select Mac if you are using macOS, or Win if you are using a Windows OS.
   
   Your transport controls, faders, knobs, and DAW shortcuts will now have messages mapped for MPC Beats.
   
   To provide the most versatile controller, the Hammer 88 Pro series has 2 modes: Preset and DAW mode.
   When in DAW mode, all of the controls will be used for controlling DAW functions and controls.
   When in Preset mode, all of the controls will be used for controlling Virtual Instrument parameters and controls.
   
   
7. Open MPC Beats from your computer's Application or Program folder.
   
   
   
   
8. MPC Beats will list a selection of project templates and demos to get you up and running with the software. If you prefer to start with a clean slate click on Empty Project.
   
   
   
   
9. If you're new to MPC and would like to find out more about its features and functions, click on the Open Help or Watch Videos buttons at the right!
   
   
   
   
10. Let's open the MIDI/Sync Preferences to ensure that the Hammer 88 Pro is enabled as an active MIDI input device. Navigate to the Preferences menu and click on the MIDI/Synctab.
    • MAC: Select MPCBeats > Preferences
    • PC: Select EDIT > Preferences
11. The Input Ports section in MIDI/Sync Preferences will display all available MIDI input ports in a list. Devices will automatically appear in the list when connected provided that Enable MIDI ports when discovered is set to ON.
12. Enable Track for the following Input Ports:
    • Hammer 88 Pro
    • MIDIIN3 (Hammer 88 Pro)
13. Enable Track for the following Output Ports:
    • Hammer 88 Pro
    • MIDIIN3 (Hammer 88 Pro)
      
      
      
      By default, the Hammer 88 Pro's Input Port will be set to Track. Let's take a look at the different input modes and how they can be used:
      • When Master is enabled, MIDI data from this port will always go to the currently selected program in your project.
      • When Control is enabled, MIDI data from this port will be sent to MIDI Learn.
      • When Track is enabled, this MIDI port will appear in the list of available MIDI Inputs that can be selected in your track's Channel Strip or in Track View.
14. If you plan on using MPC Beats as an external clock with the Hammer 88 Pro's Arp or Note Repeat functions, you'll need to enable Sync next to the Hammer 88 Pro Output Port. Additionally, activate Sync Send. Click on the Sync Output field and select MIDI Clock.
    
    

Now that your hardware is set up, let's take a look at how to access your included sound content!

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Scanning the AIR Plugins into MPC Beats

Before using your AIR plugins in MPC Beats, we'll need to scan them into the software.

1. Navigate to the Preferencesmenu:
   • MAC: Select MPCBeats > Preferences
   • PC: Select EDIT > Preferences
2. Choose the Plugins tab.
3. Add a check to the first available box on the left, then click on the browse box at the end of that row to navigate to your plugin installation location.
   
   
   
   
4. To scan for the plugins, click on the drop-down menuat the right to browse and then select your plugin folder's pathway.
   • Mac: Library/Audio/Plug-ins/VST
   • PC: C:/Program Files/Steinberg/VstPlugins
     
     
5. Double-click the folders to load them into the Plugin Manager pathway. Select the last folder with one click and choose Open.
6. Select Rescan All. After the process is finished the Plugin Manager will notify you. Press OK.
   
   
   
   Now, all included plugins will be accessible in the MPC Beats Software! You can load your new plugins by creating a Plugin Program and clicking the Plugin field. A Browser will appear with your MPC plugins and AIR plugins.
   
   
   
   Can't see the plugin GUI? Just click on the Explode icon to the right!
   
   

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Loading a Sample Pack to a Drum Program

MPC Sample Packs will be automatically loaded into MPC Beats after installation. To access your Sample Packs, click on the Media Browser icon on the bottom right of the software, or press the "B" key on your QWERTY keyboard.

All Sample Packs will be shown as an icon under the Expansion tab. Click on the Sample Pack icon to view its samples and pre-configured drum kits.

Note: If you do not see any icons under the Expansions tab, it's likely that the Sample Packs have not been installed yet. In this case, open the M-Audio Software Manager from your computer's Application or Program folder. Click on the Software tab to view your downloads. Click the Install button to the right of a Sample Pack to install the sound content.

You can load a sample or drum kit by clicking and dragging the file from the Browser directly to the pads.

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Using Standalone Plugins

The AIR team has released standalone software versions of the Hybrid, Mini Grand, and Velvet plugins. These apps will install on your computer when you run the plugin installers from the M-Audio Software Manager. These standalone programs are great to play with if you're not looking to use a DAW and just want to plug in the Hammer 88 Pro and make some noise!

1. Connect the Hammer 88 Pro to an available USB port on your computer.
2. Open your Application or Program folder and click on Hybrid, Mini Grand, or Velvet.
3. The software interface will open and connect to your Hammer 88 Pro.
   
   
   
   Note: If the software is not responding to the Hammer 88 Pro's keys, click on the Settings gear icon and enable the Hammer 88 Pro under Active MIDI Inputs.
   
   
   
   
4. You can access different sounds by clicking on the preset field. A drop-down menu will appear with all available presets. Click on a name to load the patch into the software.
   
   
   
   
   
   Fine-tune and customize your sound by moving the virtual knobs and parameters with your mouse. Click the Save button to save your changes as a User preset.
   
   

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