recording samples from a cd player

i just bought the y-audio cables that hook up my cd player to the mpc and i can't get it to record the stuff playing off the cd player. i would be able to hear stuff from the cd player only when i insert the red and white cables a certain way. and yes, i am on the sample mode and i hit the record button. do i need a certain kind of audio hook up for this? is this where i'll need a mixer, or is this method just impossible to do?

Hmmm, you should be able to do it, and from how it sounds, it sounds like it's set up correctly. Not to be too obvious, but are the rca part of the Y cables in the "record in" on the MPC? And the 1/4 part in the "line out" of the cd player? You had to have gotten those adapters too for the rca's since they wouldn't fit. Hopefully this will help. What did you mean by:

"i would be able to hear stuff from the cd player only when i insert the red and white cables a certain way"

what certain way was that?

I take samples off of my CD player but I dont use the "Y" cable to do it. I use RCA's with 1/4'' adapters on the other end. I hook up the red and white RCA's to my CD player, and hook up the other end to my MPC "record out" with the 1/4" adapters. That way you get sound from both the left and right channels. Try this, it should work. I hope my advice can be of some help...Peace

What's the rest of your setup? How are you monitoring your sound? Through headphones or monitors?

Connection should be- CD player out>MPC record in>MPC stereo out>to mixer/monitors in.

When you're in record mode on the MPC, you should be able to hear your CD player or whatever you're about to sample.

i'm using headphones now... i just realized that i would get some sound off the cd player but it would be soft. my cd player doesn't have a line out but would a headphone jack work as fine? it's just a portable one just to let everyone know...

You need a way to amp the signal. This is why you'er barely hearing anything if at all when you sample from the cd player. You may have better luck using a playstation or x box system. Or even bertter yet at least a home stereo system.