Share your knowledge on these two classic MPCs
By GryphonP3 Tue Jul 22, 2014 1:36 am
Hey guys, just had a quick question about using the MPC as a MIDI slave. I use my Cirklon as the master clock, and I was wondering (since I record sequences on my MPC directly on my MPC60) if its possible to have the MPC60 slaved to the Cirklon and have some way of it switching sequences via some incoming MIDI command (such as a program change maybe?) so that I can hit play song on my Cirklon, and have scenes on the Cirklon set up to transmit a MIDI message to the MPC60 upon scene changes (the Cirklon can transmit program changes, etc. on scene change) so that it can chain the MPC's stored sequences together in time with the Cirklon? Cheers!

Edit: I guess to put it more simply, is there any way to change MPC60 sequences via external MIDI?
User avatar
By SimonInAustralia Tue Jul 22, 2014 4:22 am
I don't think it is possible, in that I have not seen anything like that, though that doesn't mean it is not there somewhere.


You can change Programs in the MPC60 Sound Generator section via Program Changes.

I think that Program Changes into the MPC60 Sequencer section just record as Program Changes into the sequence, and are sent out to the MPC Drum Program or MIDI port assigned to the current track.


A possible workaround might be to use a footswitch input, assigned to '+', and then leaving the MPC cursor in the sequence number section at the top of the Main Screen. Maybe you could send a pulse to the footswitch input, somewhere near the end of a sequence before you want it to change sequences, and then a footswitch input would make it advance to the next sequence when the current sequence finishes.

Not sure if a straight audio pulse type signal would trigger the MPC footswitch input, or whether it might need a little bit of additional circuitry to turn the audio pulse into a short-to-ground type signal before it will trigger the footswitch input.

This is also no good if you want to move the MPC cursor around to different positions on the MPC Main Screen, or if you want to open other MPC screens while it is running.
User avatar
By SimonInAustralia Tue Jul 22, 2014 3:43 pm
Maybe a MIDI Song Select message will change the sequence?

The MPC60 MIDI Implementation Chart says that the MPC60 Sequencer Section recognizes MIDI Song Select messages, but that might just record them into the MPC60 sequencer and pass them through to external MIDI devices, rather than changing sequences within the MPC60 sequencer?