Guide

How to chop a sample for the MPC Sample

Chopping is cutting a recording into short pieces and putting them on pads so you can replay them in a new order. This is how to do it quickly and land it on your MPC Sample.

Pick the right part

Look for a passage without vocals or busy drums: an intro, a break, a held chord. In the sample chopper the suggested loops marked INTRO or NO DRUMS are a good start.

Lock the tempo first

Chops land right when the loop length matches the tempo. Set the BPM (tap it if needed), lock the loop and slide it until the first chop sits on the downbeat.

Choose how to chop

Grid gives equal slices, great for loops you want to rearrange. Hits cuts on the strongest transients, good for drums and stabs. Threshold catches every hit above a level. Manual lets you place every cut yourself.

Play, then record a take

Play the pads until a pattern sticks, then record a take over the metronome. Each take can be exported with the kit.

Export and load

Export the kit and follow how to load a custom kit on the MPC Sample. The whole loop also lands on its own pad, ready to warp.

Clear your samples

Sampling someone else's record in a release needs permission. For samples you can use freely, search public-domain recordings with DIG inside the chopper.