word up, first post and im unhappy with my 1k

hello to the forum, i've had my 1k for about a month, i've pretty much hammered it and learnt the system. But from day one i've had a problem, every other time i boot up the drum/midi option locks up and wont change from drum track, neither will it allow me to alter the program name on the main page, anybody else had this problem? And to preempt anyone saying it, this is being done when the MPC isnt playing, and im running os v1.4 Also does anyone know if Akai will add MIDI data to the record function? seems a bit pointless to me not to be able to record controller data and have my synths tweaked, i cant do it all by hand.....
from Midi Production Centre (MPC3000) to Music Production Centre (MPC1000), does this mean they strip it of its MIDI capabilities?
Any help appreciated, and i've been through the usual akai channels, to no avail.....

I can't explain the buttons not responding, could it be a stuck button somewhere, or damage?

MIDI sequencing is all there and it works for me. For example, I have my Kawai K5000S set to Local Off and wired up to In A and Out A, MIDI Thru set to "by track" (MIDI Mode). When I select 1A in the Channel field of the Track, the MPC passes what I play on the keyboard straight back thru to the synth section.
If I record, the MIDI is recorded to the track and plays back exactly as I played (but with time correct, which I need!), and looks right in Step Edit (with track in MIDI mode).
Overdub works too, e.g. play on first pass, add bend & mod on the overdub pass, etc. Or insert bank and program changes in Step Edit. So, maybe you better tell us a bit more about what you're doing and what you're expecting to happen..!

I think you are talking about trying to record and sequence parameters such as cuttoff for triggering an external synth. You are correct the Mpc 1000 cannot do this. It isnt much of a drawback for me because I use it alongside software that does that for me. If you needed this you probably should have researched before purchasing. I am not sure but I think the MPC 4000 can do this. May want to ask someone in the 4000 section of the forum for that answer though...

"record and sequence parameters such as cuttoff for triggering an external synth. You are correct the Mpc 1000 cannot do this"

Funny, my MPC1000 does. I just even double checked by recording and playing back a filter sweep across a 2 bar looping seq with the Waldorf Q.

Make sure you are not filtering these messages in the MPC1000.
Make sure you have the external gear set to send AND receive these messages.

My MPC2000xl used to receive strange ghost CC messages from my Nord Lead 2 - I'd open up the step edit page and watch these controller messages appear and i wasn't touching the thing - minor inconvience - plus age and wisdom taught me to turn "send controller messages" off in the Nord Lead or any other synth connected until I was actually ready to record a filter sweep ~

Oh yeah and I sold both of them - I've sence bought a 1000 but really stopped using hardware synths (I just sold my Virus on http://www.craigslist.com) - why? Do I have to give you a REASON

OK that was stupid

But anywayz - You know, you may just want to make sure all your locals are on or off and your synths aren't send messages you don't want them to - the MPC can send any kind of Controller messages to your hardware but the internal sampler has no idea what your talking (see the midi implementation in the back of your 1000 manual)

and my final thought on the subject - It's not what the MPC can't do, but what it can do!

That's deep, Nice one donis.

mpc3000 wrote:Make sure you are not filtering these messages in the MPC1000.
Make sure you have the external gear set to send AND receive these messages.

I would just add to that: get to know your synth(s), know what MIDI they're sending, from the manual, or use a MIDI diagnostic program if you have to e.g. http://www.midiox.com/ . It's possible that turning a knob on the synth sends out a chunk of SysEx that doesn't get recorded properly - though I haven't heard anyone say this. (My K5000S sends normal controllers.)

But the original question did seem to suggest it wasn't working, and we know it does - it's crucial to me, I checked the manual before I bought, if it didn't work I would have dumped my MPC1000 by now. The internal sample engine has its limitations, doesn't even support MIDI Volume, but that's a separate question.

soundenjineer wrote:But from day one i've had a problem, every other time i boot up the drum/midi option locks up and wont change from drum track, neither will it allow me to alter the program name on the main page, anybody else had this problem?

Could this be the initial Program01 loading? I don't remember for certain how this works, but the default Program01 will not allow you to change from drum to midi and will not allow you to make adjustments of amp envelopes to samples, etc. If you create a new program and switch the tracks in question to the new program, the changes should become available.

soundenjineer wrote:Also does anyone know if Akai will add MIDI data to the record function? seems a bit pointless to me not to be able to record controller data and have my synths tweaked, i cant do it all by hand.....

The MPC 1000 has all the functionality of the old MPCs as far as MIDI is concerned. (though some of the tweakery is lost, such as clock speed and some other junk I never really used on my 2k) You can insert pitch bends, CCs, sysex data, whatever. You just have to know what the particular CCs and Sysex strings are for individual tweaks on your synth. The other option is to simply do a sysex dump of setup info from your synth to the 1k on a blank sequence. Shouldn't be more than a bar, I'd think. Trim it as necessary, but when recording be sure to turn looping off so you don't write over the beginning of the dump string. Set the MPC to record and send the dump. Build a new sequence out of the original complete sequence in song mode with the sysex dump sequence tacked onto the beginning. It's pretty simple once you know the flow, and doesn't require you to insert obscure CC/Sysex data in step mode.

-tank.

soundenjineer wrote:Also does anyone know if Akai will add MIDI data to the record function? seems a bit pointless to me not to be able to record controller data and have my synths tweaked, i cant do it all by hand.....
from Midi Production Centre (MPC3000) to Music Production Centre (MPC1000), does this mean they strip it of its MIDI capabilities?
Any help appreciated, and i've been through the usual akai channels, to no avail.....

You can record midi data! If you can't record midi data, something is wrong with your machine. Even the manual states that it can be done from the sequencer. Any midi data can be recorded such as cutoff, res, env, or whatever.

You should be able to change from drums to midi with no problems. I think your machine isn't configure right or some is wrong with your machine. Check the global settings.

whew! a lively forum and no doubt, thanks to all for replying, i should have been a little more specific, but hey it was my first time.
anyway, as regard the sticking OS it seems to not allow the parameter to change from drum to midi on the main screen, and vice versa with the program selection on the main seq page (though if i hit Window and go to the program page i can now switch from here), this happens only every other time i boot up, (which i know is strange in itself, but...) and for the info i have autoload turned off, so no default program is being used.
and for the MIDI problem, i should have stated it wasnt sequencer info i cant record, i thought that would be obvious:) but i have a waldorf xt i use as the main synth and i have tried to record controller info (cut off, res, mod etc) but it doesnt seem to get through. i've checked the usual MIDI filter, and Local settings, so its not that. But according to my manual there are x's nearly across the board in the MIDI implementation, which means it doesnt accept this info, but only standard program change, pitch etc. Any further help appreciated, and of course thanks so far!

I went for the MPC so i didnt have to use software, as after 10 years on cubase, vsti's, Fruityloops and the rest i have had enough of messing with a PC's inadequacies and staring at these screens when all i want to do is make beats, the laptop is still used solo but is mainly relegated to compiling samples and progs for my lush little MPC........

There are two different MIDI Implementation charts in the manual, one for the Sampler section (with all the X's) and one for the Sequence (with a lot of O's). The short version of what we were saying is that we see the sequencer record and play back MIDI controllers very nicely, so we're still not sure exactly what your problem is here.

"for the MIDI problem, i should have stated it wasnt sequencer info i cant record, i thought that would be obvious:) but i have a waldorf xt i use as the main synth and i have tried to record controller info (cut off, res, mod etc) but it doesnt seem to get through. "

Not sure what you mean by "sequencer info" - the sequencer info (what it records) IS MIDI, even if it came from the Pads or you entered it by hand. It sends MIDI to its internal sampler engine or to an external device, depending on the Track settings.

Let's have a look at the manual * ... looks like standard MIDI Control Changes for parameters, e.g. filter cutoffs are CC# 50 and 60. (Nice!)

- After you try to record controller info, what do you see in Step Edit? Anything? If there's nothing there at all, then your Microwave must not be sending it. Try a MIDI monitor if you can, make totally sure it's sending the MIDI out, before you start blaming the MPC.

- If you enter a bunch of CC#50 messages into Step Edit with different values (0-127), and send them to the Microwave, does Filter 1 cutoff change? (This assumes you have the correct MIDI port and channel set - hitting pads produces sounds.)

One of those two things must surely work, right?

If I send controller info (e.g. tweak the Resonance knob) from my Kawai K5000S to the sequencer through the MPC, while recording a sequence, I can then see it in Step Edit (loads of CC# 80-something messages). When I send it back to the K5000S, it's read correctly, and the Resonance changes as expected.

Good troubleshooting advice: break the big problem down into little pieces. It is sending the right MIDI? Receiving OK? I hope you're not offended by this stuff, but we know it works in general, so we're trying to help you find the problem with your setup...

But thanks for reminding me about the Waldorf stuff - I last looked at them before I had any other synths, forgot how nifty they are. Hope they make it out of liquidation.

* ftp://ftp.waldorf-gmbh.de/microwave2/do ... .3%20E.pdf

Damn, you sweep the resonance on the K5000s? I Rarely do because it is so easy to go overboard!

elmacaco wrote:Damn, you sweep the resonance on the K5000s? I Rarely do because it is so easy to go overboard!

I should have added carefully, sometimes at the same time as cutoff (to control the res. freq.)
I'm not hooking that thing up to expensive speakers unless I have the compressor/limiter in between.

on my korg ea1. i can only record one parameter at a time. im not fully indepth in midi but have an intermediate understanding. its says it uses contolers #99/#98. then each knob has a value for data msb.

99/98/3-(50 cutoff) level. thats what it looks like in the step view.

to stereoroid, your the man, i dissembowelled my setup, cut out the kawai K1 controller from the MIDI setup and directly hooked up the waldorf to the MPC, and bugger me it worked first time....

many thanks for that, im off to sweep the hell out of my noises.....

respect to one and all, next time you hear from me i'll have beats up for checking.....