Issues with Disappearing Sound

Hello!

I am new with the MPC 2000XL - using it to sequence a drum machine and 2x synths - while also using it as a drum machine.

Ive setup everything up and its working - but Ive gotten a weird issue that I cant figure out what it could be.

So I have recorded 2 tracks with my synths - and 2 tracks on the MPCs own sampels.

When i play track1 (2 kicks), track 2 (synth), track 3 (synth) - works fine - no issues.

But when i start adding track 4 - which has Hi hats claps and some other things in the MPC - after the 3rd bar all the sampels chokes on the MPC, the synths are still going but no drums from the MPC.

Its like it chokes both tracks from the MPC and even if i pause the MPC the pads now have no sounds, if i change from DRUM1 to DRUM2 everything works again - but same thing happens if i play track 4 to 3 bar, then DRUM2 stops working.

If i reload the samples where back to square one.

So the issue is only with track 4 - and made all the samples poly and even if i only play track 4 - it stops playing after 3 bar and there are no sounds from the pads or sequence any more.

Anyone here that have an idea what it could be?

polyphony? sounds like you are hitting those limits. how long are you samples? is there extra silence at the end of the samples that is ringing out eating polyphony?

i believe you can only play 32 internal sounds at the same time.

Thanks for the super fast response man!

Ive located the problem after another read in the manual about the MIDI settings of the sampler.

I changed the program settings from "Program Change:RECEIVE" to "Program Change:IGNORE"

This resolved the problem - not sure why - but now it loops.

Any idea of what it could be? Could my synths be sending anything? They shouldn't tho...

Its 16 sounds loaded on the MPC - and only 4-5 of them are playing - so its not the limit of how many sounds it can play at the same time.

yea sounds like your synth was sending a program change which would reload the program assigned to whichever DRUM program you were using.

this is a weak part of the mpc - powerful if you learn how to hack it but also leaves a bit to be desired depending on how you expect it to behave.

I actually recreated the issue with the MIDI In cable disconnected from the MPC - still same issue.

Can the synths send signals via the MIDI Out on the MPC?

And what does the program change do? I cant find any solid information about exactly what its for.

While its solved, its nice to understand the issue so I know the limits of the machine. I love it, more than anything I've ever used before, dont know what it is about the MPC2000 but it just fits but I hate spending 2 days only troubleshooting

*I also disconnected all MIDI cables - disabled all tracks except for the 4 (the one that stops) and it still does the same thing when program change is on receive

that was gonna be my next suggestion - unplug the midi in to the mpc.

the program change message could be in the track itself.
check your tracks, in the bottom right next to PGM, is there anything set there?
it could also be recorded in the step editor.

im also getting confused - you said that changing the setting on the mpc fixed it, but then you say it is still not fixed? what led you to believe it was fixed? just confused what exactly you are experiencing.

PGM is set on OFF

I tested another thing, MIDI volume:RECEIVE and Program Change:IGNORE - same issue.

MIDI volume:IGNORE and Program Change:RECEIVE - same issue.

I have to turn both of them off for it to work as normal.

I think i must have recorded a program change in that track? Can you do that? And how can you remove that?

Not sure how the step editor works..

Still going thru the manual

go into step edit and then hold go-to and hit the key for next event. check all the events in all tracks that there are no program changes recorded.

you have to be sure to scroll by 'next event' and not step, in case the event is in-between quantisation steps. there might be better ways to sort of filter the events you are looking for, but i'm not entirely sure. the manual will definitely help in this case.

it might even be faster to just delete the track that is causing the problem and re-record it.

Yes! I found the issue!

This was in the step editor:

CONTROL CHANGE: MAIN VOLUME : 0

Twice! In random positions.

Thanks for the help man - I didn't know you could record the master volume change - how did I accomplish that? Or rather, how do you do that?

Just hit record and turn the knob?

Tapedeck nailed it. He said exactly what I had to do a few months ago when I ran into this exact problem. BTW I do not know what caused it when it happened to me. Obviously, I caused it,I don't know what I did.
I did run thru step edit and found the problem.

Thanks for the help man - I didn't know you could record the master volume change - how did I accomplish that? Or rather, how do you do that?

Just hit record and turn the knob?

i guess so - anything that the modules transmit via midi could get recorded.
glad you figured it out.
fyi main volume is usually cc07, so if you are using some sort of custom mapping, it could cause weird interactions between gear.