pro midi setup help me out please

hello brand new to the mpc forum. i recently purchased the blue 2000xl for $985 good price?? brand new!!
I NEED SOMEONE WHO KNOWS MIDI WELL..

i currently own 6 sound modules. a triton studio keyboard and a motif es keyboard. a 8x8 midiman patchbay,and new to the family the 2000xl.
1 mackie 1604 vlz pro mixer. a patchbay. digidesign 002r, avalon 737 pre,and a trident stereo pre.
HERE ARE THE QUESTIONS..

#1 how would a midi chain be set to have the mpc control all the synths (all 8 meaning the keyboards as well.) and also record playing on either of the keyboards on the mpc's sequencer?

#2 how can i use multiple sequencers ?? say i make a drum pattern on the mpc . then play some keys on the trton.can i also use the tritons sequencer?or the motif's sequencer as well ? is there a clock that needs to be set ? i do not know if that is possible though.

#3 if you had all this stuff and all the cables how would you do it?

i have asked this question on other forums and have never got it answered . i hope i came to the right place. if any more info is needed ask away.
thanks in advance it is greatly appreciated.

no one has a answer for me .. c'mon guys...

Ok, this is a pretty easy one....


If you have a MIDI Man 8x8 you are pretty flexible, however to utilize it you are going to need to have an Computer Seqencer to route MIDI IN to MIDI OUT. However whats the point then of the MPC. As for using multiple sequencers at once. I would say NO. Whats the point when you have a MPC with 32 Midi Chanels!!!!!

For me, I would set it up as if you don' t have a PC or MIDIMAN. That will get you into the basics of Setting up MIDI then you should be able to customise your setup as you wish.

You need to choose which Keyboard will be the MASTER controller of all your others. This will go into MIDI IN A on your MPC and play the notes.

You want to run all remaining 7 synths off a single MIDI OUT on the MPC, which will give each a 2 midi channels to use each... So from the MIDI OUT connect to the MIDI IN on the Synth, then from the MIDI THRU on the SYNTH route another cable to the MIDI IN on the next synth... You can chain all your devices together like this easily, and assign each one its own MIDI channel... You could then use the Spare MIDI OUT on the MPC to send into the PC or for a DEDICATED MIDI OUT for a Synth Module running in Multi-Mode needing all the 16 channels.

Now, if you wanted to connect up to the MIDIMAN 8x8 this is what I would do. Use the same setup as above, except for Synths and Modules you need full controll over for editing via PC interface, or your other external sequencers, you can connect them directly to IN&OUT combinations on the 8x8 (this is because they send and recieve midi data)

Same for the MPC give it a set of IN/OUTS so that it can send recieve Midi Clock & Sync data. Now, you have to remember that you need to USE your PC Sequencer to Control the routing of the IN/OUT interfaces on your 8x8 in the same way that a MPC has MIDI Through settings. (unless your 8x8 has a stand alone program) You might even be able to send Data comming in from the MPC to all MIDI OUTS using the through setting but that defeats the purpose.

So in summary, if your synth is only recieving midi data why not chain it off the back of another module using the MIDI THRU and save yourself a cable. But, for devices requiring MIDI IN/OUT or using nearly all 16 channels give it a dedicated connection. And once you decide to connect the MPC to the PC you need a way of routing all the MIDI to the appropriate MIDI OUTS on your 8x8 Interface.

I hope this helps..

How did you have it set up before???
What sound mods do you have??
I would have all the boards pluged in and daisey chained together in the the 8x8 and have the MPC synced up to protools. This will allow you to use the MPC for drums, and pro tools for keyboard sequencing, at least this is how i have it set up. It all depends how you work, I need the monitor to see my keyboard sequences because I am far from gifted with a keyboard, with that visual vs. step edit you can sure as hell fake the funk. I would scratch using the MO or Triton sequencers. My question is how the hell do you have all the gear and no clue about midi?

synths.....

-triton studio (keyboard)
-motif es (keyboard)
-red sound elevata
-emu turbo phatt(fully exb'd out)
-access virus xl rack
-roland xv-5050
-studio electronics tone chameleon
-roland jp-8080

currently i have all modules in the midiman 8x8's outs going individualy cabled to each modules midi in.the keyboards midi outs go to the 8x8's ins
controlling all the modules on preset channels.

i already have had the question answered by a friend.
the correct way would be to have each of the keyboards midi go into the mpc's a&b then out to all synths how i just explained above.

i know a little about midi not guru but enough to make a damn daisy chain.

my question mainly revolved around the fact that i wanted to use the mpc's sequecer for my keyboards.

i appreciate the responses . and i may incoporate some of the suggestions.


thanks,
H3rB$oe
hip hop

damn you got some nice equipment, you spent all that money on
gear, spend some money on a midi class

i know basic midi.

I would use the computer as the main sequncer rought every thing trough the 8x8 including the MP. Use your new MPC for just drum and sample sequnces save them as MIDI files load them into your coputer software and then use your MPC as a sound module. Next add Keys, FX, Bass whatever you want from your other machines through the software. The MPC is a lot easer to get creative jucies flowin for drums and samples and this way each machine has at lest 16 useable dircet channels. O be prepared to do some MIDI Bank and patch creating for all your devices in the software.

the reason i want to be able to use the external sequencers is because computers crash. i do like using pro tools sequencer though and i do it that way sometimes...


good info thx..

"computers crash" i don't understand that . Midi sequncing with a computer is extemely relayable, but I have read that Miding up with pro tools is not an easy thing to do.

maybe use the mpc for drum's and slave a pc/mac along side running the 8 other deivces from the midiman. then you can bang out your beats by hand. and visually do all the other parts onscreen.

if you need further help, pm coocoo1 with your questions

did the way i posted not sound right??

remember i want to control all synths with the mpc's sequencer.
then i want to play keys from either of the keyboards playing any of the other synths sounds onto the mpc's sequencer.

i dont wanna unplug then plug stuff back in.

my computer is reliable mac g4 dual 1.25 along side with pro tools using my digi 002r midi is simple.

the reason i would want to know how to crete this midi chain without a computer is because what if the computer was in the shop? orwasnt working for some odd reason?my pc crashed. so it's sort of a "back up plan"

i have not recieved my mpc 2000xl yet . i'm waiting hopefully in the next day or 2. when i get it i will attempt to make this happen. if anyone else has suggestions go for it!!! this is alot of gear so there's alot of different ways to do this..


thanks all.
h3rb50e

basic:
MPC in A to 8x8 out
mpc out A to 8x8 in

7 modules midi ins to midi out 8x8 (set to different midi channels)

keyboards you want to play midi outs to 8x8 in. (local modes on/off depending if you want to always have the mpc on when you play.)

Assign the keyboards midi out to the mpc's midi in through the 8x8

assign the mpc's midi out to each of the sound modules.

if programable, make an alternate routing so the computer sequencer can be used (I assume it's a midi interface?)

It's best to not use thru's if you can avoid it, but if you need more outs on the 8x8 you can do a couple.

you can only use the 8x8s routing funtions with a computer sequncing software. Stand alone it only functions as a thru box. Either way using the MPC as the master limits you to only 32ch and it's a waste of a 8x8 and some awsome gear. Now if I'm wrong please someone learn me some thing new because I would love to be able to use my 8x8 with out a computer