How to use 2000xl as a drum module triggered by Roland SPD-3

I need to be able to use the MPC live and trigger sounds from it with drum pads (Roland SPD-30)

I have not been able to find any solid MIDI implentation info in the manual or on the web.

Where do I set the MIDI channel receive option so I know how to configure the SPD to send to the MPC?

Any step by step help on how to accomplish this seemingly simple task would be hugely appreciated. I have had no problems using the SPD to control numerous other devices... but the MPC 2000xl is tough to figure out.

Thanks

The MPC will use the incoming MIDI notes to control/record-into the currently selected MPC sequencer track, there is no need to set the SPD to any particular MIDI channel in normal usage.

The SPD will output a specific, preset, MIDI note number for each pad, you will need to setup the desired MPC sample, for each MIDI note coming from the SPD, onto MPC pads which match the SPD MIDI note numbers, within an MPC Program.

You need to work out what the particular MIDI notes are that the SPD is outputting, and use those MIDI note numbers to setup the samples that you want the SPD pad to play, within the MPC Program.

The MPC pads are setup with a particular MIDI note to MPC pad layout/assignment, you could use the default MPC pad layout, and place the samples for the SPD MIDI notes onto the correct MPC pads, wherever they are placed in the default MPC pad layout/assignment, or you could modify the MPC Pad layout/assignment so that the samples/MPC pads that are triggered from the SPD are laid out on the pads together, and next to each other, for example.

You can also probably modify the SPD setup so that each pad outputs a different MIDI note number to what the default is, so you can set the MIDI note numbers that are output from the SPD to match any MPC pad assigned MIDI notes that you would like.

So the layout of MIDI note numbers coming from the SPD, and the layout of MIDI note numbers for MPC pads, can probably all be setup however you choose, there is no particular correct way, as long as it triggers the MPC samples you want, from the SPD pads that you want.

Thanks for the reply. I understand the paradigm and the concept, but it is not clear to me specifically how to make this work, despite having used the drum pads to control countless drum machines and samplers other than an MPC.

I have of course a MIDI cable from the SPD out to the MPC MIDI in.

- Is there a default MIDI channel that the MPC is on? Typically devices are on channel 10 but the MPC does not appear to be receiving on any channel. The MPC has a bank of samples loaded, and I have used the SPD on every channel and scrolled through every note # and have not been able to trigger a single sample.

- Are there any global settings for MIDI (not for tempo slaving etc) channel receive and those types of settings? I have scoured the manual and every menu page and also the MIDI implentation info and there seems to be nothing like this.

What would really help is if you or someone could just offer me a step by step list of how to do this. To make it simple... my SPD is sending on channel 10, and I am only trying to trigger right now say 4 sounds, that are on the bottom four pads of bank A.

Thanks again... it is pretty discouraging to see how non-intuitive this is.

infrasound wrote:Thanks for the reply. I understand the paradigm and the concept, but it is not clear to me specifically how to make this work, despite having used the drum pads to control countless drum machines and samplers other than an MPC.

I have of course a MIDI cable from the SPD out to the MPC MIDI in.

- Is there a default MIDI channel that the MPC is on? Typically devices are on channel 10 but the MPC does not appear to be receiving on any channel. The MPC has a bank of samples loaded, and I have used the SPD on every channel and scrolled through every note # and have not been able to trigger a single sample.

- Are there any global settings for MIDI (not for tempo slaving etc) channel receive and those types of settings? I have scoured the manual and every menu page and also the MIDI implentation info and there seems to be nothing like this.

As I said above, the MIDI channel doesn't matter, the MPC will respond to any incoming MIDI channel, in normal usage.

infrasound wrote:What would really help is if you or someone could just offer me a step by step list of how to do this. To make it simple... my SPD is sending on channel 10, and I am only trying to trigger right now say 4 sounds, that are on the bottom four pads of bank A.

Thanks again... it is pretty discouraging to see how non-intuitive this is.

An MPC Program defaults to using the MIDI note numbers 37/36/42/82 for the lower four pads on bank A.

You need to either...

- change the MIDI note numbers, in the MPC Program, for these four pads, so that the MIDI note numbers assigned to the MPC pads match the MIDI note numbers being sent from the SPD pads.

or

- change the MIDI note numbers being sent by the SPD pads, to match those 4 default MIDI note numbers that are assigned to those 4 lower bank A MPC pads in the MPC Program.


You also need to make sure the currently displayed/selected MPC track, in the MPC Main Screen, is set to play an internal drum program, as setup above.

Thanks... I have tried those and every possible note value and nothing gets triggered... I can of course tap the pads on the MPC and hear the sounds... I have doublechecked all cables and tried an alternate MIDI cable... at a loss as to what else to do. I also initialized all parameters on the MPC. I suppose there is not some sort of menu option on the MPC to "enable" MIDI receive? Just seems strange that nothing is getting through.

infrasound wrote:Thanks... I have tried those and every possible note value and nothing gets triggered... I can of course tap the pads on the MPC and hear the sounds... I have doublechecked all cables and tried an alternate MIDI cable... at a loss as to what else to do. I also initialized all parameters on the MPC. I suppose there is not some sort of menu option on the MPC to "enable" MIDI receive? Just seems strange that nothing is getting through.

No, there is no MIDI receive enable menu option, for normal usage like this, it should default to receiving on all MIDI channels.


Do you know exactly which MIDI note numbers are being sent from the SPD pads?

From the SPD manual, check what the MIDI note numbers being sent from each SPD are...

MIDI Settings for a Kit (KIT MIDI)
Here’s how to make MIDI settings for each individual kit.
Choose MENU-MIDI (p16)

The KIT MIDI screen appears.

NOTE # TAB
NOTE#
OFF, 0–127
MIDI note number transmitted by each pad.

You need to determine exactly which MIDI note numbers are being sent from each SPD pad, before you can setup the MPC Program to respond correctly.

The SPD might be sending MIDI note numbers that are outside of the MIDI note number range of the MPC internal drum program, for example.

Yes I tried the note #'s for the pads, as well as just for the sake of being sure, scrolled through every possible note value on the SPD... also have tried various channels and GLBL.

When you hit the lower 4 bank A MPC pads, which you are trying to use from the SPD, do they make the correct sounds when played on the MPC itself?

What exact MIDI note numbers is each SPD pad set to send out?

Have you set these same MIDI numbers to the lower 4 bank A MPC pads, in the MPC program?

Or, have you tried setting the SPD pads to the MIDI note numbers 37/36/42/82 that the default MPC program uses for those 4 lower bank A MPC pads?



Also, is the S: field on the MPC Main Screen set to DRUM1?

On the MPC Main Screen, if you move the cursor down to the S: field in the Track Data area, where it should be set to DRUM1, and if you then press the Open Window button, you can check the MPC MIDI Input Receive channel, it should be set to ALL.

You can also press the MONITR tab, to check that the MPC is receiving MIDI messages from the SPD.

Yes the sounds I am trying to trigger on the MPC using the SPD30 as a controller play fine when just on the MPC itself.

Yes pad 1 on MPC is 35, pad 2 is 36, pad 3 is 42, and pad 4 is 82.
The SPD 30 is set to send on MIDI channel 10 and I have set 4 pads on the SPD30 to trigger the same note numbers as what the MPC is set for.

Also I have tried every available MIDI channel and note number on each channel, scrolling through just attempting to get anything to work at all and have triggered nothing from any possible note value/pad/channel.

Ah! This monitor page is what I have been wanting to see... however despite making sure receive is set to all and opening the midi monitor page, I see no activity. I guess the MPC no good... I tried two known good cables. I use the pads extensively with other machines... hmm. Thanks for the great help... it seems I just have a bum MPC.

Next thing I would do would be to plug another MIDI device, like a MIDI keyboard, into the MPC to see if I could test the MPC MIDI input, to make sure it works correctly.

Then I would test the MIDI output of the SPD, plugging it into a computer MIDI interface, and running a MIDI monitor program on the computer to display exactly what is coming out of the SPD on each pad hit.


Another thing you might want to try, is the MIDI gate time for each pad, in the SPD MIDI setup, maybe longer MIDI gate trigger times might make the MPC respond?...

G.TIME
0.1–8.0, ALT
Duration of the notes transmitted by each pad.
The gate time corresponds to the time between when a key is pressed and released on a MIDI keyboard (the time between note-on and note-off ). You can specify a gate time in the range of 0.1 seconds to 8.0 seconds. If you choose ALT (Alternate), note-on and note-off messages will be transmitted alternately each time you hit the pad

Ok so I now am getting sound/triggering! Strange that it is working all the sudden... I have nooo idea... maybe there is an issue with the MPC... I will continue to test it...

thanks so much for the help... super helpful to know I can monitor the midi traffic/channel...

cheers.

Good that it is working, not sure what the problem was, maybe something not set right somewhere, and in playing around with everything you managed to get it all set right.