Looping sequences with program changes

There has been a small change with the XL model concerning putting a program change in the track properties on the main screen. The former model would re-send the program change when the sequence looped back to the beginning. The XL model does not do this. It only sends the program change once at the start of the sequence. This had been a problem with the former model since re-sending the program change would revert a synth's patch back to what was stored making knob changes over looped sequences impossible.

If have found it preferable to avoid using bank changes (use program changes only) and put the program change on the track properties on the main screen. This avoids having to put the bank/program change in the sequence itself, since when there, it will always get retransmitted when the sequence loops. There are a few ways to avoid using a bank changes. Some modules/effects will make use a program map (see your manual for use of this) to avoid using bank changes. Another way is to put all the patches in the same bank. That way you can change patches without having to change banks by use of program changes.

If you have to put bank/program changes inside the sequence and have the sequence on loop mode, the midi module you are triggering may skip the note data in order to perform the program change.  This is due to the midi module, NOT the MPC.   Since we all want the modules to be on the correct program when you load new sequences, we would like to have them there.  The solution is usually to add a new bar at the beginning of the sequence that doesn't have note data, but just program changes.

Now if you are like me and work mostly with 2 or 4 bar sequences in loop mode, there is a way to add this to send the program changes without interfering with your favorite method of mayhem.  Go ahead and add the extra bar at the beginning of the sequence.  You can do this by highlighting BARS: X and hitting OPEN WINDOW.  Set After Bar: 0 and Number of Bars: 1.  Select INSERT.  You now have you extra bar inserted at the beginning.  Place your Program Changes in this measure (if you need to insert Bank Changes, go here).  Next, go to main screen and highlight LOOP: ON and click on OPEN WINDOW.  Set First Bar: 2.    Now when you hit PLAY START, the sequence plays from the beginning, sending the Program Changes, and loops back to the 2nd measure.   This plays the Program Change bar only one time while looping the rest of the measures. This also works with any length of sequences (like 8 bars long and looping 5-8, so you could use data in the first half).

Note: this applies to using a sequence with LOOP: ON. This would not affect you if you are doing long linear style sequencing since you can place bank/program changes at the beginning with a blank bar.