HELP WITH PRO TOOLS MPC MIDI DECISIONS

hey guys im new to midi and i have never used pro tools before until recently, i dont know how to setup pro tools to sync with my mpc, i currently sync my mpc with my korg triton with mpc as master. i have a korg m3 module tho. i want to be able to sync my korg m3, korg triton, my mpc2000xl and pro tools, im sure its possible, i have a mbox pro 3, i know for sure i want to use the mpc or pro tools as mater. i wanted to know WHICH IS BETTER? should the mpc or PT be master.

i also did some research about MTC and midi baat clock, and discovered that with mtc you have to set the tempo on all devices, if so i know i dont want to use MTC cuz that can get annoying adjusting 4 devices just to record a fast sequence that i have to slow down to play.

also a question thats not relevant to the above information is this, are the compressor/gate/limiter effects in pro tools powerful enough to beef up an 808 real nice (my main intention is to get a smooth long full 808 bass)? or should i buy a dbx compressor and assign it out through the mpc and into pro tools, i heard hardware compression is more powerful but with technology nowadays it almost hard to tell sometimes. i know that does not have to do with MPC's alot and its a more pro tools oriented question but any useful information would be greatly appreciated.

yeah man pro tools is part of mpc talk because this day and age you are bound to want your beats on a computer for further editing, burning onto disk, uploading to the internet, or mastering .. all that.

Compression is often talked about, and is situational. you want to beef up your 808, well compression may not be the way to do so but it also may very well be the way... when using pro tools or a DAW you have many effects from various EQs, to maximizers, and all that good stuff... so basically it is trial and error until you figure out what is your style. it's trial and error.


as for midi synching gear, there are MANY threads around the forums talking about setting up your hardware rig to the computer especially pro tools since it is so popular. One other option is to have your gear set up how you already have it and only run audio into pro tools... you press play like you normally do on your gear and just before that you push record in the computer. Keep it simple... your entire house doesn't always need to be started and stopped by the click on one button.

as for hardware compressors vs software compressors... it aint really like that. garbage compressors will sound garbage, good quality ones will sound good... and that only applies if they are used for the proper purpose. for example, a boss guitar pedal compressor wont sound good on smooth vocals... catch my drift? so really that is up to you to decide by trying out different things.

i have found that DAWs don't usually like running as slave, so set PT up as Master, feed that to MPC, then sync everything else from the mpc.

As debauch says, you really don't even need to sync PT to the MPC, especially if you are not running simultaneous vsts/midi sequences from PT. My experience (and my only good experience with PT), is that if you just record your mpc straight in, then set the tempo to the correct number in PT, it lines up perfectly. Might not always the be the case, especially on longer songs that could drift, but it worked for me without any sort of sync - I still was able to edit along the grid once I set the tempo to match.

THANKS GUYS, I APPRECIATE ALL THE FEEDBACK, ESPECIALLY THE TALK ON COMPRESSORS AND SUCH.
OKAY, I HAVE PRO TOOLS MIDI OUT GOING TO MPC MIDI IN THEN MPC MIDI OUT GOES TO TRITON MIDI IN, BUT I NOTICED THAT WHEN I SEND THE TRITONS MIDI THRU TO MY KORG M3 SOUND MODULE, IT WONT CONTROL IT BUT IT WILL WORK IN SYNC, I WANT TO BE ABLE TO CONTROL IT AS WELL AS SYNC THE SEQUENCER, THE MIDI OUT CONTROLS BUT DOESNT SYNC. I WAS WONDERING IF I COULD SEND THE TRITONS MIDI THRU TO THE M3's IN AND THEN USE THE TRITON'S MIDI OUT PORT INTO MY MBOX MIDI IN SO IT WILL GO INTO THE MPC, INTO THE TRITON AND THRU TO THE M3.....?? IS THAT POSSIBLE?????


I HONESTLY DONT KNOW HOW TO USE PRO TOOLS (I START CLASSES IN JANUARY), I HAVE A FRIEND WHO IS A ROOKIE WHO DID MY SETUP FOR ME BUT WE BOTH ARE UNABLE TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM.


THE MAIN REASON I WANT TO MIDI SEQUENCE WITH PRO TOOLS IS BECAUSE I WANT TO BE ABLE TO USE EFFECTS REAL TIME, FOR EXAMPLE A REVERB ON A KICK TO SEE HOW IT WUD SOUND WHILE MAKING A BEAT SINCE THE MPC I HAVE DOESNT HAVE THE EFFECTS BOARD, I WANTED TO MAKE UP FOR IT IN PRO TOOLS, BUT SINCE MIDI DOESNT TRANSMIT AUDIO, DOES THE MBOX RECEIVE THE AUDIO AT THE SAME TIME (I HAVE ALL MY INSTRUMENTS GOING INTO A MIXER AND OUT INTO THE MBOX) ?????????????

SO TO SUMMARIZE MY TWO QUESTIONS ARE:
1. HOW CAN I GET MY M3 TO RECEIVE MIDI INFO AND BE CONTROLLED BY MY TRITON AT THE SAME TIME?
2. IS IT POSSIBLE TO PUT PRO TOOLS EFFECTS ON A SOUND THAT I AM USING FROM MY EXTERNAL SOUND GENERATORS WHILE MIDI SEQUENCING IN PRO TOOLS?

IF ITS NOT POSSIBLE THEN I MIGHT AS WELL DO IT OLD SCHOOL LIKE ONE GUY SUGGESTED AND DO AUDIO TRACKING, I HEAR ITS EASIER TOO.


THANKS NOGGINJ, I DIDNT FULLY UNDERSTAND WHAT U SAID UNTIL AFTER I TYPED THIS REPLY, I WOULD STILL LOVE A RESPONSE FROM EVERYONE THO, TO SEE WHAT FITS ME THE MOST.
THANKS MR_DEBAUCH

First realise that to record / mix anything, you are going to be doing audio-tracking at some point. At some point, you have to record it all...you can't set your entire setup any time you want someone to listen to your song, do you? So get it in your head early that a big part of RECORDING is ...RECORDING. Not trying to be harsh, but I am amazed how many cats don't understand that very basic principle.

I'm still kind of confused by what you want.

Make some decisions, give clear answers and we'll try to work it out for you:

1) Which sequencer do you want to use, MPC or ProTools?
2) Which controller do you want to use, aka, would you rather bang on the MPC pads or use a keyboard, or maybe both?
3) Which machines will produce sound, the Triton, MPC, M3, or all - I don't know if you are just using one as a controller.

Now here's my first suggestion, just shooting in the dark here based on what all you have typed.

ProTools as sequencer.
Triton as controller (plays notes for triton, and m3)
MPC sending MPC-made beats as audio, M3 sending audio, triton doing the same.

Whatever the scenario, the sequencer provides the MIDI OUT to a lot of devices

Triton Midi OUT -> PT MIDI IN (so it can be the main controller)
PT MIDI OUT -> Triton MIDI IN (so it can sequence the Triton sounds)
Triton MIDI THRU -> M3 MIDI IN (so PT can also sequence the M3 sounds)
M3 MIDI THRU -> MPC MIDI IN (so PT can send sync to MPC)

Your Triton now needs to be set up so that whatever sounds you want are on whatever MIDI channels you want, and then your M3 also need to be set up to receive on different midi channels. At the most basic, set Triton to only receive MIDI channel 1, and the M3 to receive only MIDI channel 2. Now you can make two tracks in PT, one going to channel 1 and the other to channel 2.
PT is also hopefully sending a sync signal to the MPC.
I imagine you can turn the keyboard OFF on the Triton, so it only transmits midi. This then gets into PT, and redistributed to the correct box, Triton or M3.

The other side of the scenario is that now all of your sound modules (MPC, M3, Triton) need to get AUDIO into PT.
So all the audio outs of all your gear goes into PT (Mbox or whatever).

You would monitor the PT output, and nothing else. This way, all the sounds are coming in, being processed by protools (fx, etc), and then you are hearing the PT main output.

Keep in mind, that's a lot of cables to plug in, a lot of routing to do, and potentially a lot of latency to deal with. If you really don't know how to use PT, I suggest starting much simpler. I imagine you can get ONE piece of gear working, so now get TWO pieces working together. Then add a piece...then another. If you are really new to this, trying to learn an MPC, a Triton, PT, and the ins and outs of MIDI routing is a little overwhelming right now.

There's your technical explanation, since you asked.

My opinion, though?
Forget ProTools for sequencing, use it only for recording, and use your MPC as a sequencer...the 2000xl is probably the greatest MIDI sequencer ever made. That setup would be Triton MIDI out->MPC MIDI IN, then both MIDI outs of MPC to Triton and M3. Again, turn off Triton keyboard to internal sounds and set each device on different channels.

THANKS NOGGINJ FOR YOUR REPLY, I APOLOGIZE FOR BEING LAZY AND NAIVE AS BETWEEN THE TIME I POSTED THAT LAST QUERY AND NOW, IVE LEARNT QUITE A BIT, IVE COME TO THE REALIZATION THAT PRO TOOLS REALLY ISNT NECESSARY FOR SEQUENCING AS U SAID IN YOUR REPLY.

MY SETUP IS NOW AS U SAID IN YOUR LAST PARAGRAPH,
"MY OPINION..."
TRITON MIDI OUT TO MPC MIDI IN
MPC MIDI OUT A & B TO TRITON AND M3 IN.

I GOT IT TO WORK WITH MPC AS MASTER RUNNING BOTH M3 AND TRITON SEQUER RECORDING AND PLAY BUT I AM UNABLE TO PLAY THE M3 WITH THE TRITON THROUGH THE MPC.

IF YOU COULD GIVE ME A FULL EXPLANATION AS HOW TO GET THIS WORKING IT WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED AND IM SURE I WOULD BE ABLE TO TAKE EVERYTHING ELSE FROM THERE, I WAS JUST REALLY CONFUSED AT FIRST.
THANKS AGAIN

MPC MIDI OUT -> M3 MIDI IN
Triton MIDI OUT -> MPC MIDI IN

Put the M3 to receive on channel 2.
Setup an MPC track to transmit on channel 2.
Play Triton Keyboard, hear M3 sounds.
Record sequence in MPC, playback, M3 continues to play.

If you got the Triton to work, it's the exact same process for the M3, so what is the problem?

Also if you are throwing the Triton Sequencer into the mix as well, I'm going to have to start backing out because I have 0 experience with that, and I still don't understand why you don't just use the MPC as seq. Either way, with the MPC having two midi outs the triton sequencer thing should be a non-issue.
If you need help with the Triton sequencer you would be much better off in the Triton forums if there is one.

If all else fails you could try the caps-lock key.

thanks noggin j, i got everything working in sync, i feel like ive accomplished something, lol, thanks for all your help and everything i appreciate it alot! because alot of people in jamaica are clueless when it comes to midi, and i only knew 1 guy who was good at midi setups and he is on tour for a few weeks, anyways thanks again man i really appreciated your quick responses.

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Glad you got it working!