MPC 1000 on the way - optimum set-up with current gear???

Hi - I am a new MPC user and hobbyist beat-maker looking for advice on how to best setup my gear.

My current setup is as follows:

Korg EM-1
-MIDI IN/OUT/THRU
-This is my current "brain". I program drums and bass on this and use the 2nd synth track to control the Venom. Does the MPC make this obsolete?

Electro-harmonix V256 Vocoder
-MIDI IN

Korg K25 Midi Controller
-MIDI OUT
-I use this keyboard to send midi for pitch correction and vocoding to the V256, though I would want to program this with the MPC.

M-Audio Venom Keyboard
-MIDI IN/OUT
-Has an audio interface/mixer for the on-board synth plus 2 additional inputs. So currently the EM-1 and the V256 outputs go here and I can mix and listen to everything through the Venom master out.

I would like for the MPC 1000 to be the new brain of my set-up and control as much of the other gear as possible.

I have never done it, but I believe with my current setup I can record to my PC via the Venom's USB out.

Any advice on how to best hook up what I have with my new MPC 1000 would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance!

ditch the midi controller. use your venom keyboard instead.

have the midi ins/outs of vemon and em1 going to the ins/outs on the 1k.
place the vocoder in on the midi through on the em1 (or get a midi hub). when you hit a key or twist a knob on the venom or em1 it can be recorded as midi on the 1k, and then can play back sounds on those instruments.

if you can run all the audio signals through the venom, then go for it. i don't know anything about how it works. failing that, grab a mixer and have a stereo aux channel go into the venom audio interface for sending signals into your DAW.

lots of good info here:
http://tweakheadz.com/rigs.htm

shredkeenan wrote:Does the MPC make this obsolete?

Not exactly. Its useless as a MIDI sequencer with an MPC sitting next to it... But you might still find the EM-1 useful as a sound module if you like its sounds. Just MIDI it up with the MPC if that's the case. You could also sample your favorite EM-1 sounds into the MPC and use them that way.

you're going to need some fresh guitar picks to make this work %100

Thanks for the advice - I hadn't thought about getting rid of the midi controller, I assumed that the midi channels on the MPC were segregated but if I can set it up to control from 1A to 2B that is great! That will clear up my table space a bit.

What's this about guitar picks konc3pt???