Technical questions for the MPC2000xl and the MPC2000
By WellWell Sat Dec 23, 2017 4:49 pm
Hello!

So I use my MPC 2000 XL with Roland Tr-909 -- everything working nice, MPC as master, 909 slave (also the other way around) --

One thing I can' t figure out:
how to put pattern changes of 909 into MPC??

best way for me would be to have simple a new track on MPC with different 909 patterns.
I just need it for pattern changes, NOT to record (to play patterns form 909);

---please help!!!!
if nobody can help with 909 -- what about other drum machines?

thanks,
Chris
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By The Jackal Mon Jan 08, 2018 9:13 pm
I wouldn't be surprised if the 909 predates the concept of Pattern Changes; have you read the manual to see if it supports such a function? I imagine it wasn't implemented, as most Roland gear of that era hadn't even moved from DIN Sync to MIDI yet, so I would think any MIDI functions the 909 does support would be limited.
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By The Jackal Mon Jan 08, 2018 9:16 pm
But hey man, that's what I always liked about my old drum machines: the pressure & thrill of pushing the right buttons and finding the right patterns on time, the happy mistakes that sometimes come up when you select the "wrong" thing.

Music is supposed to be fun & interactive, you're supposed to push buttons! Add some human automation to the mix!
By WellWell Tue Jan 09, 2018 6:49 pm
Hey,
thanks for your kind motivation!

yeah 909 transmits Rhythm pattern, song selection, etc. (according to manual) --
so it should be done with mpc..???

sure I love to push buttons -
but you can still push those if the songs are structured in MPC - don't have to worry about muting sounds or pattern changes - this is getting complicated if you have two drum machines banging because you only have to concentrate on these.

mostly I write songs in those two machines... (and later structure other stuff to that in mpc;) - or like you said: real time pattern change...
would be nice to have hands on record desk (+ effects + some sound changes on drum machines) when recording..
sure it's still uplifting for some real techno... bringing in patterns real time;

using the mpc-pads for 909 results in "flanging effect", pretty unusable...
but I prefer the 909 sequencer, also for external instruments mode (where real time changes of patterns can be recorded into mpc-sequencer);

so it would be great to automate those patterns (written on 909 sequencer) and have a song structure of drum machines on the mpc-sequencer and not rely on song mode of drum machines ---

hope there's somebody out there who has done that & can help...
on mpc I tried everything with program change on, etc. - still no results...
I can play patterns from 909 (with flanging problem) but no chance to record pattern changes...