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MPC 3000 Kit Maker

A free kit builder and kit creator for the MPC 3000. Drop your own sounds on the pads and export a .PGM program with its sounds, sized to fit the machine's memory.

MPC 3000 // Kit makerReady
Program:NewKit
Bank:A
Sounds:0/64
Memory:0.00 MB of 1.8 MB
Pad bank
A13
A14
A15
A16
A09
A10
A11
A12
A05
A06
A07
A08
A01
A02
A03
A04

Drop a sound on a pad, or click an empty pad to choose a file. Drop several files to fill the following pads. Press a loaded pad to hear it. The switch above each pad sets how it plays: Poly lets hits overlap, Mono cuts the previous hit, and Note off plays only while the pad is held.

Output options
Machine memoryInstalled RAM
Export is blocked above this limit
ChannelsMono halves memory
Stereo keeps panning inside samples
Silent tailsSaves memory
Trim cuts silence below -80 dB

The MPC 3000 names each sound after its file, so sound and file names are kept to 8 characters.

Sample memory0.00 MB of 1.8 MB
0 of 64 pads

Have a modern MPC expansion instead? Use the Expansion Converter →

Step by step

How to build a kit for the MPC 3000

  1. 01.Sounds

    Drop sounds on the pads

    Drag audio files onto the pads, or click an empty pad to choose a file. Use the A, B, C and D buttons to reach all 64 pads. Press a loaded pad to hear it.

    Reads WAV, plus the formats your browser can decode

  2. 02.Memory

    Stay inside the memory

    Choose how much memory your machine has. The meter shows what the kit needs; mono and trimmed tails make it smaller. Export is only possible when the kit fits.

    2 MB standard, 4, 10, 16 or 32 MB expanded

  3. 03.Export

    Export and load

    Name the program and export a ZIP with one .PGM and its .SND sounds. Copy the files to a DOS-formatted 1.44 MB floppy or a SCSI disk the MPC 3000 can read, and load the .PGM.

    Output: ZIP with the .PGM and its .SND sounds

Documentation & FAQ

Questions and answers

Has this been tested on a real MPC 3000?
Not yet. The .PGM and .SND files follow the format the MPC 3000's own operating system writes when it saves a program (OS 3.08, and the same in Mansell Labs' Vailixi 3.50), including every default of a new program. Until a kit has been loaded on a real machine, treat it as a beta, and let us know how it goes.
Which audio files can I use?
WAV files of any bit depth and sample rate, including 24-bit and 32-bit float. Other formats such as MP3 and FLAC work when your browser can decode them. Everything is converted to 16-bit, 44.1 kHz .SND sounds, which is what the MPC 3000 plays; it cannot load WAV files itself.
Why are the sound names only 8 characters long?
The MPC 3000 names each sound after its file, and the program finds its sounds by those names. A floppy or disk written by a computer keeps plain 8-character file names, so every sound gets one that survives the copy.
Can I set tuning, decay or mute groups here?
No. Besides placing sounds on pads, the Kit Maker only sets each pad's poly mode (Poly, Mono or Note off) and leaves every other setting at the machine's default. Those settings are better adjusted on the MPC 3000 itself, while you listen to the beat.
Which note does each pad play?
The same note it plays in a new program on the machine: pad A01 is note 37, A02 is note 36, and so on through bank D, the same layout as the MPC 2000XL. Sequences recorded with the default pad assignment line up with the kit.
Will a kit fit on a floppy?
A 1.44 MB floppy holds about 16 seconds of mono audio, so small kits fit on one. Larger kits are best moved on a SCSI disk or a SCSI disk emulator. The meter shows the kit's size, which is close to what it takes on disk.
Are my samples uploaded?
No. The sounds are read, converted and packed into the ZIP in your browser. Nothing is sent to a server.