MPC2000XL Kit Builder

This is an app that I built with Chat GPT for converting assorted samples into native MPC 2000XL SND format, and batch editing parameters.

I have another app which is an S330 floppy disk reader/converter called S330-Archiver. A lot of features in this app are built around output from that program, but it doesn't require it to be useful. That was just my super specific workflow.

This whole project came about because a friend of mine gifted me a ton of S330 sample disks, and chicken systems translator just read them as white noise. After days and days of troubleshooting we finally got the archiver app working. I didn't really want to manually import thousands of samples and format them one by one on the MPC, so I created this tool.

You will need some sort of way to transfer data from your Mac to your MPC. I use a ZuluSCSI Pico2 Slim DB25 adapted to HD50 plugged into the back port. Burning the SND and PGM files this app creates onto floppy disks would work too, I just haven't tested it.

MPC2000XL Kit editor has some fun features that even the MPC doesn't have, such as a multisample workflow for chromatic instruments, the ability to merge two mono samples into stereo (select them and go to edit in the top bar), and the ability to batch edit sample and program parameters, among many other quality of life improvements.

This app has already saved me a ton of time formatting samples, and I hope it will work for you too! (Literally, I don't know how to code so I really hope you can run this on your machine. It seems like chat did an ok job...)

Anyways, here's some shit that chatgpt wrote about the app:

Unofficial project. This software is not affiliated with or endorsed by Akai Professional or Roland Corporation. No factory/commercial sample libraries are included.

What it does

• Loads WAV, AIFF, FLAC, MP3 and MPC SND audio.
• Displays a 64-pad MPC-style editor with four banks and editable pad/sample parameters.
• Builds complete MPC kit folders with .PGM plus .SND or .WAV sounds and METADATA.CSV.
• Imports existing MPC programs for editing.
• Saves/opens Kit Builder projects.
• Provides waveform Start/End/Loop editing, Normalize, Bake Trim and sample preview.
• Builds Chromatic Programs across all 64 pads, with an editable/auditionable preview before export.
• Builds Multisample Programs from ordinary audio or S-330 patch/root-note metadata.
• Uses S-330 root-note metadata to initialize Chromatic Program original-key selection when available.
• Supports per-parameter "Apply to all populated pads" from a parameter control's right click context menu.
• Uses copy-on-write SND export: duplicated pads share a sound while their SND-specific settings remain identical, but a changed variant automatically receives its own exported SND.

Copy-on-write sample variants

Duplicating a pad does not immediately duplicate the audio file. If the duplicate keeps identical SND-specific settings, both pads can share one exported sound. If Sound Level, Sound Tuning, Beat, Start/End, loop settings, Normalize/Bake Trim results, or other SND-specific state diverges, Build MPC Kit exports a separate sound variant and points only the affected pad(s) at it.

Program-only export intentionally writes only the PGM. Use Build MPC Kit when changed sample/SND data must also be written.

Requirements

• macOS 12 or later.
• Apple Command Line Tools, which provide Swift/SwiftC and Python 3.
• afconvert, included with macOS, is used for supported compressed/non-PCM source conversion.

The application uses Cocoa/AppKit and AVFoundation for its native macOS UI and previews.

Install a release

1. Download the ZIP from the repository's Releases page.
2. Unzip MPC2000XL Kit Builder.app.
3. On first launch, macOS may identify it as unsigned/unnotarized. Review the source, then go to Privacy & Security in System Settings, scroll to the bottom, and select "Open Anyway".
4. Choose an audio folder/S-330 archive, add individual audio files, or open an MPC program/project.
5. Edit the pads and use Build MPC Kit… for a complete export.

Typical S-330 workflow

1. Archive the floppy with S-330 Archiver.
2. Open the resulting archive/folder in MPC2000XL Kit Builder.
3. Use Build Multisample Program… for S-330 patch-zone translation, or select a sample and use Build Chromatic Program….
4. Audition and edit the resulting pads.
5. Use Build MPC Kit… to write the PGM and corresponding SND/WAV files.

Building from source

Source/App.swift
Source/backend.py
Resources/template.pgm
Resources/AppIcon.icns
scripts/build_app.command

On a Mac:

./scripts/build_app.command

The distributable app will be created in build/MPC2000XL Kit Builder.app.

Notes on MPC compatibility

The project targets MPC2000XL-style PGM/SND workflows and DOS-style 8-character sound names. Keep independent backups of original audio and test important exports on your own MPC/reader before deleting source material.

Reporting bugs

Please include the app version, macOS version, what source format you used, the build mode (normal/chromatic/multisample), and exact steps to reproduce the issue. Do not upload commercial sample-library audio unless you have permission to redistribute it.

License

MIT. See LICENSE.