I Know Im Asking Alot!

[bonitabasics12]

i know im asking alot here, but would someone please make a super short tutorial for me on how you personally would use swing on the mpc, i've used it but i want my shit to be SLUMPED out like dilla or exile, please just a quick little video with a drum beat and then a focus on the mpc screen showing how you'd do it, you dont even gotta keep the video up just long enough so i can see it, thanks yall peace

[Rafferty]

umm, I don't have a video camera so I can't make you a video. I probably wouldn't anyways. But my advice is take the long road---experiment with the settings on your mpc. Use quantize, then try banging a beat out without quantize and try to achieve that same swing you're going after. You gotta put in the work. No shortcuts. Read your manual. Peace.

[bonitabasics12]

read my manual? manuals suck dick.......thanks though, and i never use quantize on my drums, i figure quantize is the total opposite of swing but i guess if you program it right itll work, ill def. expierment with it

[Rafferty]

uh, maybe you mean something different from what I mean when I think "swing" ... well wait, let me rephrase that. Once you quantize your drums, you can apply swing to them. People talk about "that MPC swing" and what they're talking about is the quantize function with ... what the hell is it called, groove? Anyways yeah, sometimes I'm all about no quantization and doing it all human, but sometimes I want that swing (I hope you and I define that word the same way) and I'll quantize everything, and dial in the groove. Or whatever it's called.

[dyllemma]

in the SEQUENCER go to TIME CORRECT and hit OPEN WINDOW and theres a swing function in there. you can adjust the percentages for each track i believe.

[[grimeshine]]

that "swing" your talking about isnt a function on the mpc. The swing that dilla and those guys was all natural. no quantizing.

[Rafferty]

grime, everyone always says that, but is it really true? I mean, it could be... but is it? Is there an interview or something?

Hey wait... I'm still not sure we all mean the same thing when we say 'swing'. Becuse swing is, in fact, a function on the MPC, as dylemma pointed out. But maybe what you meant is: "That [Dilla sound] you're talking about isn't a function on the MPC" and yup, that's true. Like, at least for me, my MPC doesn't have a Dilla button on it ANYWHERE, and believe me, I've looked.

But the general agreed-upon definition of the word 'swing' is something only a jazz drummer can show you. So just give up now.

[[grimeshine]]

Originally Posted by Rafferty

grime, everyone always says that, but is it really true? I mean, it could be... but is it? Is there an interview or something?

Hey wait... I'm still not sure we all mean the same thing when we say 'swing'. Becuse swing is, in fact, a function on the MPC, as dylemma pointed out. But maybe what you meant is: "That [Dilla sound] you're talking about isn't a function on the MPC" and yup, that's true. Like, at least for me, my MPC doesn't have a Dilla button on it ANYWHERE, and believe me, I've looked.

But the general agreed-upon definition of the word 'swing' is something only a jazz drummer can show you. So just give up now.

its true. no doubt in my mind. Thats one aspect that makes those producers so great is the fact that they have such an amazing swing. I know the mpc inside and out, and there are swing functions, but that "MPC swing" isnt a setting thats gonna give you that lazy dilla feeling. I dont remember the last time i used my quantize tool on the mpc.

(and raff, im drummer hah. I recently quit my job and im playing session drums for a couple bands in studios and live on tours. Not jazz though. unfortunately they are going to europe in september, and i still have my senior year of highschool left. Im gonna enjoy the job while i can. i make 550 bucks every third show. )

[bonitabasics12]

i gotta say, dilla def. was fuckin with other stuff other than just ideas.....just playing drums out live the reg. tempo he had mapped out couldn't have been how he got some of his slumped out drums......some joints he did really sounded waaaaaaay to slumpy for that

[Rafferty]

agreed, 'slumpy' is a good word. But you can get some stuff by combining swing settings with snares that don't swing, or are a little late etc... buut yeah I hear what you're saying. I agree that ultimately you don't wanna lean on quantization; I guess I'm just saying it has its place.

grime I know you're a drummer, I have that mp3 of yourself you upped a while ago. That's awesome you're getting to play live drums, what's the band?

EDIT: another point I could make, if pressed, would be that quantize is relevant in a historical context. Or some shit like that. in hip hop's development, I mean. I don't know whether that's at all relevant in a more general context though.