Technical questions for the MPC2000xl and the MPC2000
By thaCuRsee Mon Apr 18, 2011 9:21 pm
Is it possible to sync my 2k classic to my computers sound card just using a 1/8 to 1/4 RCA? If so what would i have to do to sync it with audacity?
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By peterpiper Tue Apr 19, 2011 11:46 am
@biggamehit: I think you rather mean the other way. Audiopaths doesn't transmit midi (for sync).

Thats true if you talk about the audio outs but there not when we talk about smpte (wich is an audio signal).


Ok. there are different ways to sync the mpc with other gear (pc too).

1. via MIDI and the MTC (MIDI Time Code) or MIDI Clock signal
2. via SMPTE and its TS Jack

So the answer to the question is. Yes you can sync your MPC without using the MIDI cable. BUT you'll need the SMPTE option on the MPC AND if you want to record in stereo you need at least 1 extra audio in on your soundcard AND the software need to support SMPTE (also known as LTC) and audacity doesn't AFAIK

IMO you should sync via MIDI cable

peace
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By nogginj Tue Apr 19, 2011 3:54 pm
iTunes 'sync' has totally ruined the audio equipment definition of 'sync'.

I think most people come here asking 'how can i sync it to my computer' meaning 'how do i get the stuff from the sampler onto the computer'.

For that, you are almost there. Just plug your mpc's main outs into your computer's input, fire up audacity, hit 'play' on the mpc and hit 'record' in audacity.
Then you can 'record' your tracks into audacity... not 'sync' it.

Most people around here use the word 'sync' to mean making sure two pieces of equipment run at the same speed.

If you really meant 'sync' in the proper use of the word, then no, you can't do it without midi (or tape sync but that is a different story).

Geek moment: if you did have the smpte chip, you could 'stripe' a sync track into audacity just like people have laid sync tracks to tape. But i don't really think that is what you want and it might not help too much, and again, you've got to have the chip installed.
By thaCuRsee Tue Apr 19, 2011 6:03 pm
yeah my bad i didnt mean to actually SYNC it but yeah im just trying to record a live instrumental into audacity, i have RCA from MPC to stereo jack, should i be all set? I also have a mixer and every size variation of rca cables.
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By peterpiper Tue Apr 19, 2011 6:25 pm
Damn! words.... communication..... fail.......

Well when we talk about THAT kind of sync than it has nothing to do with audio signal but rather files and in that case. Yes you can save your sequences and songs in a format called MIDIfile on a floppy, zip disk, MO disk, or a data card (if your 2000 have a card reader installed. Then you need a floppy, zip, mo or cardreader inside your PC to copy it to the PCs HD. Many DAWs can load this MIDIfile so you can run the sequences from there.

Same for the Soundfiles but you should save your soundfiles on the MPC as WAV cause thats a format all VST sampler plugins can handle.

BTW I dont know what you really want to do so you should tell the people why you want to 'sync" your mpc to the pc.



EDIT:^^ok understand it now

peacce
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By Fung45 Tue Apr 19, 2011 7:35 pm
nogginj wrote:iTunes 'sync' has totally ruined the audio equipment definition of 'sync'.

That was around way before itunes. I used to sync my old mp3 player which had a AAA battery in it using windows media player. rebuild_db + Chinese ipod shuffle replica with 8gig micro sd is my savior. I get what you're saying though. People throw around terms like 'sync' and 'encode' all the time and Steve Jobs isn't helping. Podcasts used to be called streaming audio before apple invented the term podcast.
By thaCuRsee Tue Apr 19, 2011 7:38 pm
peterpiper wrote:Damn! words.... communication..... fail.......

Well when we talk about THAT kind of sync than it has nothing to do with audio signal but rather files and in that case. Yes you can save your sequences and songs in a format called MIDIfile on a floppy, zip disk, MO disk, or a data card (if your 2000 have a card reader installed. Then you need a floppy, zip, mo or cardreader inside your PC to copy it to the PCs HD. Many DAWs can load this MIDIfile so you can run the sequences from there.

Same for the Soundfiles but you should save your soundfiles on the MPC as WAV cause thats a format all VST sampler plugins can handle.

BTW I dont know what you really want to do so you should tell the people why you want to 'sync" your mpc to the pc.



EDIT:^^ok understand it now

peacce


yeah i tried transferring the files but i would rather just record live into the computer. I organize my music in a few sequences and do the live track mutes..i just want to be able to do it live but my computer/audacity isnt picking up what my mpc is playing at all
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By peterpiper Tue Apr 19, 2011 9:03 pm
Fung45 wrote:
nogginj wrote:iTunes 'sync' has totally ruined the audio equipment definition of 'sync'.

That was around way before itunes. I used to sync my old mp3 player which had a AAA battery in it using windows media player. rebuild_db + Chinese ipod shuffle replica with 8gig micro sd is my savior. I get what you're saying though. People throw around terms like 'sync' and 'encode' all the time and Steve Jobs isn't helping. Podcasts used to be called streaming audio before apple invented the term podcast.


Yes it was used before (even before mp3 players) I remember the term was used with PDA back in the 90s but its so confusing reading about "sync" in a forum with musical technical background and it doesnt mean temposync but datasync. Even if english is not the motherlanguage :)

peace
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By nogginj Tue Apr 19, 2011 9:13 pm
i realise the term isn't itunes specific, but i still think the mass-proliferation of said software is probably where most people around here get the term from. doesn't matter, we are all on the same page.

to the op...you've got the right idea and the right equipment.

plug the mpc main outs into the audio input of your computer...whatever that may be.

then go into audacity preferences and make sure you recording source is set to that input.

hit record on audacity.

hit play on mpc.

just stick with it you sound like you know what you're doing just maybe missing the proper software configuration. hell you could have the cable plugged into the wrong place, check that too.
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By Fung45 Tue Apr 19, 2011 9:53 pm
nogginj wrote:i realise the term isn't itunes specific, but i still think the mass-proliferation of said software is probably where most people around here get the term from.

90% of the world is PC so most people probably saw the term on the most common media player in the world Windows Media Player before itunes existed. Peace.
By thaCuRsee Wed Apr 20, 2011 1:03 am
nogginj wrote:i realise the term isn't itunes specific, but i still think the mass-proliferation of said software is probably where most people around here get the term from. doesn't matter, we are all on the same page.

to the op...you've got the right idea and the right equipment.

plug the mpc main outs into the audio input of your computer...whatever that may be.

then go into audacity preferences and make sure you recording source is set to that input.

hit record on audacity.

hit play on mpc.

just stick with it you sound like you know what you're doing just maybe missing the proper software configuration. hell you could have the cable plugged into the wrong place, check that too.

haha i just figured it out..it was the software configuration...thanks for everything and sorry for all the confusion, my b!
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By peterpiper Thu Apr 21, 2011 11:51 am
Fung45 wrote:
nogginj wrote:i realise the term isn't itunes specific, but i still think the mass-proliferation of said software is probably where most people around here get the term from.

90% of the world is PC



??
peace
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By Fung45 Thu Apr 21, 2011 6:55 pm
peterpiper wrote:
Fung45 wrote:
nogginj wrote:i realise the term isn't itunes specific, but i still think the mass-proliferation of said software is probably where most people around here get the term from.

90% of the world is PC

??
peace

"a report published in the first quarter of 2008 found that Apple had a 14% market share in the personal computer market in the US"
Old stat from wikipedia which only includes the US.
I rounded up from 86% but Africa is huge and mostly PCs. My point was the term sync when referring to creating database files on portable media players was around way before itunes, and many people were familiar with it.