Midi mute tracks - jjos2XL

Hey all,
I've been raking thru the Posts in search of any discussion about midi sequencing external hardware and implementing track mutes.
As yet I have not found this discussion posted directly.

I'm using the midi A B C D ports out with MPC2500 as master, all four external machines are set to slave. Works prefect ofcourse to start / stop all my other gear.
But opening up the track mute screen, no control to mute the external gear.
My work around currently in a fader volume dip on my mixer. That's fine, but is there something I can do to get the track mute function to work over midi?

Your assistence is awesome!

Always worked for me on the 1000, but wait --

Are you talking about muting sequences on tracks in the MPC sequencer or tracks on the sequencers in the external gear? The only control the MPC gives you over external sequencers is STOP, START, CONTINUE and midi clock. The only way you can stop the audio from an external sequencer track from the MPC is the way you've been doing it with midi volume (unless, of course you stop the sequencer).

If you want to use the MPC track muting to do this you would first have to record those external sequences into the MPC sequencer and run a whole master sequence from there with all the clock/realtime dissabled so the external sequencers are never started and all the triggering comes directly from the MPC sequencer tracks.

Bugger... I thought that might be the case.
I don't want to record my external machines because I loose sound quality, I did try it and I loose character and quality. So MPC as master keeps everyone in check. But it would be nice to use the MPC for more then that...

I have just picked up an Octatrack, I could see how that goes as master... But it only has standard single midi out in thru. Which is why the four outs on the MPC rule!

All good, I'll just work from each machine once play is hit on MPC. Thanks for clarifying

No that's not what I meant.

I'm not talking about recording the audio, I'm talking about recording the midi sequence from the external sequencer into the MPC sequencer. Then playing the midi back into the synth from the MPC without the synth's internal sequencer running.

Of course, that assumes that the synth has a sequencer that generates midi. If not, then yes the only option would be recording or sampling the audio.

Ok interesting... Rec the midi as sequenced from my other instraments.
Would be ok if my other gear was just a single midi unit.
But they are not, they are multi tracked units all getting the clock from my mpc.

Eg.
Spectralis - is running seperate drum tracks, kick, snare, hats, toms etc as well a three synth lines.
Oberkorn - is running a single midi track, but it has slew functions I would not want to loose.
Minitaur - is running a single midi track, lfo is being midi clocked.
Octatrack - running 8 seperate tracks.
...Some other midi clocked FX also
...Keyboard for use on all

I'll keep it in mind, but right now it seems epic to re record all the sequences into he mpc as I don't think the mpc will send all those tracks to each indipendant track in each instraments.... Ehhhh

Well, first of all if part of your "thing" is doing live manipulation of the other sequencers in playback you're not going to get that by canning their midi into an MPC sequence track. Of course you can do all the manipulation you like while making the midi recording but once it's in there you won't be able to do much besides mute and unmute (I can't remember if realtime transpositon is possibe as I've never done that on an MPC).

If the externals have multiple tracks you can just transfer those to seperate tracks in the MPC. As far as getting the recorded midi tracks back to their respective voices on the different units, you would have to channelize. The Emagic can help here if you route the specific midi channels from the input where the MPC is connected to the respective outputs for each synth. This is how I do it with an MTP.

I don't remember for sure off hand but I know some of those manufacturers in your list spread multiple voices/functions across multiple midi channels. If so, you will have to route all those channels to the single midi output feeding the synth.

Hey thanks for the feed back. I'll keep it in mind down the track I think.
I'll just use the MPC at the master time source tying everything together right now till I complete everything then I'll have a rethink. It's a pitty I can't use he mute tracks as I'd like, but the fader dip will work. Using the MPC as a master sequencer for the multi instramental synth/drum/sampler units would be a very forward thinking adventure.
Perhaps something to consider for sure.

maybe better ask this specific question in the jj os forum ...

the original akai os had that midi mute bug at sometime, where it would not mute external midi instruments. this got fixed (somehow, bcause it broke something else i can´t remember right now) in the newer akai os versions.

what you want to accieve is the classic use of an mpc! sequence several (multitimbral) sound modules and should work with jj os also.
you can set every track to midi abcd and channel 1-16 so you have 64 midi tracks on seperate channels. and you can dig in even further if you use msb and lsb messages on this midi tracks.
transfering your midi tracks from your other gear is also not that difficult (but maybe a bit time consuming depending on the machine and the way you choose).
do you have a daw or are only using hardware? if you have a daw you could multitrack all your midi tracks on seperate midi tracks and then simply usb them to the mpc. then you have to load all this midi tracks and rearrange the ports and channels to fit the routing.
maybe also check the manuals of your other gear to what extend they are multitibral when using an external sequencer. (the mpc for instance can control up to 64 midi channels at a time, even if just one track can be active! the other way round the mpc can only receive one midi channel at a time and is not multitimbral in that respect).

feel free to ask further questions, as this topic could be confusing.

peace, jo

I excited to finally stumble onqa challenging post that applies to what im trying to do.

I'm not an expert with midi, but have been around the block a couple times. I have an MPC 2500 sequencing samples from the unit itself while its the master clock for a jv 1080, nanobass synth, tetra, and a sub 37. I feel like from what I've read that I could manipulate the sub 37 with midi CC, even if I'm running the sequencer of the sub 37 without recording its midi notation to the sequence in the MPC.

I'm not sure but I feel like you could program a pad bank (or a couple buttons you never use) on the MPC to send midi messages of "mute" to each respective instrument (if the instrument has a mute switch). If said instrument doesn't have a way of sending mute messages, I would try to substitute "mute" for midi channel switch. So instead of muting your instruments you set them to not be recieved by the MPC. GOOD LUCK.