Wavetables on the Akai MPC: OS 3.9 Turns Keygroups Into a Wavetable Synth

The Akai MPC just became a wavetable synth! With the MPC OS 3.9 update (and the new MPC 3 desktop software), Akai added oscillators — including a wavetable oscillator with custom wavetable import — to Drum and Keygroup tracks. In this video, I walk through how wavetables actually work on the MPC: enabling the oscillator, installing your own wavetables, the format.json quirk, and a deep dive into sound design across more than a dozen wavetable categories. To make this painless, I built the KRC MPC Wavetables Collection — 2,156 wavetables preformatted for the Akai MPC, just $10 — and added a free Akai MPC version of my Free Wavetables collection (1,600+ wavetables). Everything in the intro track (besides most of the drums) was made with these. ─── WHAT YOU'LL LEARN ─── How to enable oscillator/wavetable layers in MPC key groups (OS 3.9 / MPC 3) How to install custom wavetables on standalone MPCs and the MPC 3 desktop software The format.json requirement (samples-per-frame + frame count) and how to work around it Designing sounds with up to 8 oscillators, crossfade-as-time morphing, and the mod matrix A tour of 13 wavetable categories: Bézier, choir, split, polygonal, M-series, microwaved (Waldorf-style), phase distortion & more ─── GET THE WAVETABLES ─── 🌊 KRC MPC Wavetables Collection (2,156 wavetables, $10): https://www.wavetables.lol/l/mpc-wave... 🌊 FREE MPC Wavetables — snag the free version of KRC Mathwaves wavetable sampler, then scroll to the bottom of the product page for the Akai MPC version: https://www.wavetables.lol/l/free?lay... ─── ABOUT MPC 3.9 WAVETABLE SUPPORT ─── 🎛️ Akai MPC OS 3.9 — free update adding oscillators + wavetables to Drum & Keygroup tracks on standalone MPCs and Force: https://www.akaipro.com/sounds-and-so... 💻 MPC 3 Desktop software (~$99): https://www.akaipro.com ─── RELATED KEITH VIDEOS ─── 📺 My Korg multi/poly playlist:    • Korg multi/poly: Reviews, Patches, Tutoria...   📺 The Lo-Fi Destruction of Audio Damage Traverse, Ascent & Descent:    • Audio Damage Traverse, Ascent & Descent: B...   📺 Wavetables & Wavefield with Seth Watson:    • Talking Wavetables and Wavefield with Seth...   ─── MORE FROM KEITH ─── 🌊 KRC Mathwaves (160,000+ wavetables, $29 — including the Varieties of Noise sample library): https://www.wavetables.lol/l/wavetables/ 🌊 Free Wavetables Sampler (1,600+): https://www.wavetables.lol/l/free?lay... 🎹 Korg multi/poly Patches (90 performances, 105 programs): https://www.wavetables.lol/l/multipol... 🎻 KRC Orchestral Impressions (38,000+ wavetables): https://www.wavetables.lol/l/orch?lay... 👻 Liminal Space reverb plugin (CLAP/VST3): https://www.wavetables.lol/l/liminal-... #AkaiMPC #Wavetables #SoundDesign #MPC3 #WavetableSynthesis #MPCWavetables #Synthesizer #MusicProduction #BeatMaking #SynthSounds #KRCMathwaves #MPCSynth #Akai ─── ABOUT ─── Keith Crosley makes videos about synthesizers, wavetable synthesis, sound design, and music production. He's the creator of KRC Mathwaves, a collection of 160,000+ wavetables for synths like Serum, Vital, Korg modwave, Korg multi/poly, and more. 🔗 KRC Mathwaves: https://www.wavetables.lol/l/wavetables 🔗 Subscribe:    / @kcrosley   ─── CHAPTERS ─── 00:00 Intro: the Akai MPC is now a wavetable synth 01:34 A new product: KRC MPC Wavetables Collection (+ free version) 03:20 The intro track, made entirely with MPC wavetables 04:25 Which MPCs support this? Wavetables in MPC 3 / OS 3.9 06:17 Oscillator layers in key groups: up to 8 oscillators 09:48 How to install custom wavetables (standalone MPC) 11:53 How to install wavetables in the MPC 3 desktop software 14:23 The format.json quirk: why wavetables need matching frames 18:07 Sound design & idiosyncrasies (no 3D view, typing values) 23:49 Crossfade as time: morphing wavetables with few frames 25:33 One amp envelope? Faking layers with the pitch envelope 27:17 A tour of the wavetable categories begins 28:08 KRC Bézier wavetables 30:19 Adding motion with an LFO + a dual-oscillator patch 34:46 Choir wavetables (vocal sounds from old rompers) 37:31 Split wavetables (soft-sync-style effects) 39:49 KRC Math Vol. 4: sawtooth variations (exp., log, polygonal) 41:52 M-series (mathematical series) wavetables 43:47 New MPC filters: Jura and Iona low-pass models 47:06 Polygon Redux: polygonal waveforms 48:08 KRC Synth: zero-crossing / classic synth waveforms 50:55 Sorted wavetables: bright sort & MEL sort 53:10 Microwaved wavetables (Waldorf Microwave emulation) 54:40 Phase distortion wavetables 57:25 Unison, panning & stereo 58:23 Wrap-up: get the wavetables at wavetables.lol