Note Length/Duration Gate?

So when in grid edit or step edit, you can make it so any notes added have a duration set specific to the TC value, so if you are TC'd at 1/6th notes, and then any notes entered in Grid/Step mode will have a fixed duration of (i believe) 24ticks. This is how a lot of early digital sequencers worked such as the Roland MSQ sequencers.

I like entering midi information this way sometimes, as I'm not very good on the keys, so my timing is usually a little off no matter what. If I want clean programming, especially on chords, I want the durations to be fixed and even...HOWEVER, my favorite way to sequence on the MPC is to leave a sequence looping in record mode and record in notes from my external keyboard. Is there any way to gate/quantize note durations to TC values while in record mode??? I can't quite get as creative by entering steps in manually, I have more of an improvisational approach to midi sequencing. A friend who used to use the MPC told me there is a way to do it, and said he remembered it being called "note length gate". I can't find anything like this on the MPC or in the manual. Any help would be appreciated!

you will only hear fixed duration during playback (yes in record mode). It won't cut'em as you play keys if that's what you mean.

Thanks guys,
I did look at all the forum postings that come up on the google search. However none of it really addresses what I am saying though...I know how to edit durations in step mode as well durations in grid edit in JJOS, I also know about duration editing using Seq Edit. I use all of these essentially as a workaround to what I am asking about. I like to leave the sequencer running and overdub midi notes on the fly, maybe to a beat thats already recorded or to the click. That way I can really feel out the rhythm and TC will even out any timing issues BUT it does NOT even out the durations! FYI I know to press window in step mode to set the durations to TC value...this works perfectly but only when manually inputting notes in step mode or grid mode -- but not while the sequencer is running only when it is stopped and rec/overdub is lit.

Not trying to be stubborn or annoying but I've been an MPC user for years and have never been able to figure this out, I just want to know if its even possible!

As I said - during recording you won't hear notes being affected by TC, BUT in playback (when loops back) you will hear during same recording. Press [Window] on Grid or Step on main screeen to set that up

Well that is strange. Because I have tried that a billion times and it doesn't work that way for me. Like I was saying, it only fixes the durations to TC values if I enter the steps in manually --when the sequencer is not running. Bummer, I have no idea why this function won't work for me.

ancaja123 wrote:Well that is strange. Because I have tried that a billion times and it doesn't work that way for me. Like I was saying, it only fixes the durations to TC values if I enter the steps in manually --when the sequencer is not running. Bummer, I have no idea why this function won't work for me.

yup sorry, it used to work like I said... now I fired up MPC and I see it does not truncate duration of notes being played live... it's like all is written AS PLAYED...

you can report to jj, I'll do that if I will find time and be sober... lol

whoa interesting if it used to work like that...I would love to get my hands on an mpc with that feature, I'm not a fan of the typical step sequencer, i like to do everything real time with quantize. That being said i like the mechanical sound of step sequencing especially when it comes to note lengths. it works great for bass lines on my AX 60

Bugfix wrote:

ancaja123 wrote:Well that is strange. Because I have tried that a billion times and it doesn't work that way for me. Like I was saying, it only fixes the durations to TC values if I enter the steps in manually --when the sequencer is not running. Bummer, I have no idea why this function won't work for me.

yup sorry, it used to work like I said... now I fired up MPC and I see it does not truncate duration of notes being played live... it's like all is written AS PLAYED...

you can report to jj, I'll do that if I will find time and be sober... lol

Can you explain further how this feature worked? Did it simply fix the notes to one specific duration according to the TC value or did it adjust the durations to the nearest 1/16?

I've figured out this is how the quantize works in Renoise and Ableton and I love it...I just cannot use my computer as my main sequencer. Maybe if I had a desktop.