MPD16 pads - How do you use it?

Paul881

Paul881

Look Mom, I can play!
I am now the proud owner of an Akai mpd16 drum pad controler. Cool piece of kit, can tap out my rhythms to my hearts content now :cool:

The question I have is that is is a 16 pad device in a matrix of 4 x 4 so for optimum work flow, how would you arrange the drum beats? Top row base drums, next row toms, next snare and botton row cymbals? Or left to right? Or what?

As the device is switchable accross two banks, that gives 32 sounds. How would you recommend I arrange my hits?
 
The way the MPC2000 default settings are organized always served me pretty well -- it goes like this:

Kick in the lower left hand corner with a snare right next to it horizontally. The other two pads (directly above the kick and snare) can be other snares, rim shots or whatever. The other corner (the lower right) is for the hihats ---open, closed, half-closed and half-open. The third row from the bottom is typically the tom row with the fourth row for cymbals and assorted percussion.

That's for a standard drum kit and as you have already discovered there are no rules ---
 
Thanks for the reply, appreciate it. Especially that it was your 100th post ;)

That all makes sense to me, I'll give it a go. And rules are meant to be broken, right? :)

BTW, I love Chicago, is Buddy Guy's "Legends" blues club still open?
 
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