Build a Song with Reusable Module Groups : MPC Mod-Synth

This tutorial shows you how to create reusable instrument groups and arrange a song with three tracks: melody, bass and kick drum.

The normal patching workflow stays the same. You build instruments and connect cables on the module canvas. The optional Song timeline controls when your sequencer patterns play.

Requires MPC Mod-Synth 0.9.76 or newer.

1. What Is a Module Group?

A module group combines several modules into one compact card. It can contain an instrument, an effect chain or another reusable part of your patch.

A group can provide:

Inputs and outputs for connecting it to other modules.
Up to eight main parameter controls.
An Open button for editing its internal modules.

You can save a group as an .mpcgroup file and insert it into other patches.

2. Build a Simple Synth Instrument

Add these modules to your canvas:

Oscillator
Filter
ADSR envelope
VCA

Connect their signal paths:

Oscillator Audio → Filter Audio input
Filter Audio     → VCA Audio input
ADSR output      → VCA level/control input

The oscillator generates the sound, the filter shapes its tone, and the envelope controls its volume through the VCA.

For testing, add a Step Sequencer and Audio Out:

Sequencer Pitch → Oscillator Pitch
Sequencer Gate  → ADSR Gate
VCA Audio       → Audio Out

Start with a low output level. Adjust the oscillator, filter and envelope until you have a useful sound.

3. Turn the Instrument into a Group

Open Menu → Module groups.
Select New group.
Enter a name, such as My Synth Voice.
Select the Oscillator, Filter, ADSR and VCA.
Leave the Step Sequencer and Audio Out outside the group.
Press Create / update.

Keeping the sequencer outside the group lets you reuse the instrument with different sequencers or other note sources.

Choose the Group’s Connections

Select Exposed ports and make these connections available on the group card:

Group connection	Internal module port
Pitch input	Oscillator Pitch
Gate input	ADSR Gate
Audio output	VCA Audio output

Ports that already have cables connected to modules outside the group must remain exposed.

Add Main Controls

Select Main controls and choose useful parameters, for example:

Oscillator waveform
Filter cutoff
Filter resonance
Envelope decay
Envelope release

These controls adjust the original parameters inside the group.

Close the panel to return to the canvas. Press Open on the group card whenever you want to edit its internal modules.

To fold it again, use Menu → Module groups, select the group and choose Fold / open.

4. Save Your Reusable Module Package

Open Menu → Module groups.
Select My Synth Voice.
Press Save group….
Choose a location and save the .mpcgroup file.

The file includes the group’s modules, parameter settings, internal connections, exposed ports, main controls and embedded sample data, if used.

Connections to modules outside the group are not included.

Use the Group in Another Patch

Open the destination patch.
Go to Menu → Module groups.
Press Insert group….
Select your .mpcgroup file.
Connect its exposed inputs and outputs.

Inserting a group adds it to the current patch without replacing the existing modules. You can insert the same group several times and adjust each copy independently.

Tip: To distribute several groups as a collection, put their .mpcgroup files and a short README into a ZIP archive. Extract the ZIP before inserting the individual group files.

5. Prepare Melody, Bass and Kick Instruments

For this tutorial, create:

One copy of My Synth Voice for melody.
Another copy for bass.
A simple kick instrument.

Rename the two synth groups Melody and Bass.

For the bass, choose a darker filter setting and use lower sequencer notes.

Create the Kick Group

Add a second instrument consisting of:

A sine-wave Oscillator
An ADSR envelope
A VCA

Connect:

Oscillator Audio → VCA Audio input
ADSR output      → VCA level/control input

Set the oscillator to a low pitch. Use a fast envelope attack, short decay and zero sustain for a short percussive sound.

Group these modules as My Kick. Expose the ADSR Gate input and VCA Audio output. Useful main controls include oscillator tuning, envelope decay and output level.

This creates a simple synthesized kick. You can also use the supplied Paper Kick group from the example package.

6. Add Three Sequencers

Add three Step Sequencer modules and name them:

Melody sequence
Bass sequence
Kick sequence

Connect them as follows:

Sequencer output	Destination
Melody sequence: Pitch	Melody group: oscillator Pitch input
Melody sequence: Gate	Melody group: envelope Gate input
Bass sequence: Pitch	Bass group: oscillator Pitch input
Bass sequence: Gate	Bass group: envelope Gate input
Kick sequence: Gate	Kick group: envelope Gate input

The kick does not need a Pitch connection for this example. Its tuning is set inside the kick group.

7. Mix the Instruments

Use two Mixer modules to combine the three audio signals:

Melody Audio ──→ Mixer 1 input 1
Bass Audio ────→ Mixer 1 input 2

Mixer 1 Audio ─→ Mixer 2 input 1
Kick Audio ────→ Mixer 2 input 2

Mixer 2 Audio ─→ Audio Out

Keep the levels low initially, then balance melody, bass and kick.

8. Enter Your Patterns

Try these MIDI note values:

Sequencer	Number of steps	Note values
Melody sequence	8	60, 63, 67, 70, 67, 63, 62, 67
Bass sequence	4	36, 36, 43, 39
Kick sequence	4	Any values; only Gate is connected

Set Probability to 1.00 on all three sequencers so every step plays. A Gate length of approximately 0.50 is a useful starting point.

9. Open the Song Timeline

Open Menu → Song timeline.

Set:

Use song timeline: on
Loop song: on
Tempo: 120 BPM
Song length: 8 bars

The timeline is an arrangement view. Each track belongs to a Step Sequencer or Piano Roll module; the sound still comes from the instrument connected to that module.

The timeline currently uses its own internal tempo and a 4/4 time signature. No separate Clock module is needed.

10. Capture a Clip for Each Track

Select a sequencer in the timeline’s module dropdown, enter the settings below, then press Capture pattern.

Repeat for all three sequencers:

Source module	Clip name	Start bar	Length	Steps/beat
Melody sequence	Melody A	1	8 bars	4
Bass sequence	Bass A	1	8 bars	2
Kick sequence	Kick A	1	8 bars	1

For Step Sequencer clips:

4 steps/beat produces sixteenth notes.
2 steps/beat produces eighth notes.
1 step/beat produces quarter notes.

The kick now plays once per beat.

Capture pattern stores a snapshot of the source module’s pattern. If the pattern is shorter than the clip, it repeats to fill the clip’s duration.

11. Play Your Song

Press Play from start.

All three tracks now follow the timeline’s tempo. You can close the timeline and adjust sounds on the canvas while the song plays.

Return to the timeline and press Stop to stop the arranged sequencers. Delay and reverb tails may continue to decay.

The timeline controls only sequencers that have clips. Other sequencers in the patch retain their normal behaviour.

12. Create a Gradual Arrangement

To let the instruments enter at different times, select each clip and change its placement:

Track	Start bar	Length
Melody	1	8 bars
Bass	3	6 bars
Kick	5	4 bars

Press Update clip after each change.

This creates a simple build:

Bars 1–2: melody only.
Bars 3–4: melody and bass.
Bars 5–8: melody, bass and kick.

You can also drag clips horizontally to move them by whole bars.

Duplicate places a copy immediately after the selected clip. Make sure the song is long enough to contain it. Clips on the same track cannot overlap.

13. Edit the Notes in an Existing Clip

Captured clips are independent snapshots. Changing notes in the source sequencer does not automatically change existing clips.

To update a clip:

Select the clip in the timeline.
Press Load into module.
Close the timeline.
Edit the notes in the original Step Sequencer or Piano Roll.
Reopen the timeline.
Select the same clip.
Press Recapture notes.

Use Update clip for placement, length, name and transpose changes. Use Recapture notes to replace its stored pattern.

14. Save the Complete Song

Save the complete patch as a native .mpcpatch file.

This preserves the instruments, groups, connections and timeline arrangement. Saved songs load stopped; open the timeline and press Play from start when ready.

Use .mpcgroup files for reusable instruments or effects, and .mpcpatch files for complete setups and songs.

Current Version Notes

Groups and song arrangements require version 0.9.76 or newer.
Groups cannot contain other groups.
The timeline currently supports Step Sequencer and Piano Roll patterns.
Song transport uses internal tempo; external MIDI-clock synchronization is not yet implemented.
Arrangement edits stop playback. Press Play from start after editing.
The Community plugin needs an update before accepting the new group/song patch format. Local saving and loading are available.