New to MPC 1000...Need some help

OK, I have finally jumped on the mpc ship, but I need some help first. So I got it all powered up and I have the 32mb flash card installed and noticed several samples already on there so I thought I would load them and play them just to see if everything is working, and well...IT IS NOT!!!

I am using a Digital (SPIDF) wires (OUT) and IN to my presonus firebox. Is something wrong. I went to MODE-->LOAD--> scrolled through and went to a folder called drums and then pressed the right arrow button and saw all the files and when you scroll through them you can press play to hear a sample. When I press play, I hear nothing on my monitors. Please help!!! Am I missing some other hookups or wires??? Just an FYI, I already have my Axiom 25 hooked up to the same presonus firebox using the midi cables and I tested that and it worked.

please help as I really want to get started on this!!!!

One more thing....with the presonus firebox, the included midi wires allowes both midi and digital (if current owners know what I am talking about). Does the red represent in or out?

Also, here is my setup if this helps.

-MacBook Pro
-Axiom 25
-MPC 1000
-KRK RP8's
-PreSonus FIREBOX
-Ableton Live 7 & Reason 4.0

If you guys need anything else, let me know...

Some things to check -

Did u make any adjustments in the Firebox Control utility panel for that soundcard on your computer - from analogue to digital?

The MPC operates at 16-bit, 44kHz only - make sure your soundcard default settings are set the same.

Are you using the correct cable? - you need coaxial cable not RCA cable - coaxial cable looks the same as RCA cable.

MPC-(SPDIF Out) -> Soundcard (SPDIF In)

If your still struggling then also try using analogue inputs/outputs of card / MPC instead of digital to check the card is OK.

Well the only thing I changed on the Audio Interface was under hardware settings there is a field called Clock and the default is set to Internal and I changed it to SPIDF as the manual mentioned. As for the remaining settings, ie; the 16bit stuff, is that changed under the MIDI and Audio setting in the Macbook Pro? Also is the MPC 1000 not a 24 bit???

I have made sure that the wires I am using are digital ones coming from the OUT and going into the IN on the midi wires (Red)

Anything else?

The MPC1000 outputs at 16 bit not 24 bit - so check your samples are 16 bit, 44100.0 Hz and your SPDIF settings on the card are setup to receive the same - you do this in Audio Midi Setup on your Mac - by default it will probably be 6ch-24bit -> change it to 6ch-16bit.

When using analogue output, the analogue settings on the card don't need to be the same but when syncing SPDIF digital they have to be exact.

Also check the firebox mixer panel that Spdif is selected - it should be in your applications folder and should look like this :

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/jul05/images/presonusfirebox01.l.jpg

Also another way to check is to isolate the problem and miss out the soundcard completely and go analogue out from MPC direct to your monitors KRK RP8's just to be sure you can hear your samples - if ok then add the soundcard.

Go analogue out from mpc -> sound card -> KRK's (checkout page 25 of firebox manual) - if ok

Go digital SPDIF A/A.

PS
Also check you have the latest drivers and firmware from their website - http://www.presonus.com/firebox-downloads.html
Control Panel v1.1, mixer Panel v1.1, Firmware v2.0

Yes I actually did grab all the latest drivers and firmware last night.

With the mixer issue, which SPIDF selections should I choose? According to the image you gave me, I see 3 areas (Headphones, Mixer, Playback) as well as 2 channels labelled SPIDF.

I think my Audio/Midi setting are wrong and they might be reading something else then what you have so I will look into that as well. Do you think it would be just easier for me to aviod using the SPIDF Cables and just use MIDI Cables. Only problem then is the wire set that came with the firebox has a male connector that goes onto the firebox with a IN/OUT for SPIDF and IN/OUT for MIDI and currently my Axiom 25 is using the MIDI ones.

why not just use standard 1/4 connections?

poundaproblem wrote:why not just use standard 1/4 connections?

OK, So as you know, and sorry for saying this...BUT I AM A NEWBIE...lol!!!

So the back of the MPC is like this[img]C:[/img]
In case you can't see this here is the link where I got it.
http://www.zzounds.com/item--AKAMPC1000

Where would the 1/4 cables come from and go into where in the firebox?
Again here the link for the firebox back view
http://www.zzounds.com/item--PRSFIREBOX


Again sorry for the simplicity of all this!!! Just extremly frustrated that I got everything else working except this one piece![/img]

mudlogger wrote:The MPC1000 outputs at 16 bit not 24 bit - so check your samples are 16 bit, 44100.0 Hz and your SPDIF settings on the card are setup to receive the same - you do this in Audio Midi Setup on your Mac - by default it will probably be 6ch-24bit -> change it to 6ch-16bit.

When using analogue output, the analogue settings on the card don't need to be the same but when syncing SPDIF digital they have to be exact.

Also check the firebox mixer panel that Spdif is selected - it should be in your applications folder and should look like this :

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/jul05/images/presonusfirebox01.l.jpg

Also another way to check is to isolate the problem and miss out the soundcard completely and go analogue out from MPC direct to your monitors KRK RP8's just to be sure you can hear your samples - if ok then add the soundcard.

Go analogue out from mpc -> sound card -> KRK's (checkout page 25 of firebox manual) - if ok

Go digital SPDIF A/A.

PS
Also check you have the latest drivers and firmware from their website - http://www.presonus.com/firebox-downloads.html
Control Panel v1.1, mixer Panel v1.1, Firmware v2.0

OK, So basiccally I have checked my settings under the audio/midi settings and the audio input is set to 44100 Hz 6ch-24 bit and I can not change it. On the audio out it is 44100 Hz 8ch-24 bit and again I can n ot change it.

I think I will just test this whole thing with 1/4 cables!!!

Don't worry - everyones been there.

I think 1/4" cables are the way to go until you get SPDIF sorted - follow the diagram on page 25 of the presonus manual.

MPC - (stereo out L + R) -> Presonus - Line In (3 + 4) -> KRK's (Presonus Main Out 1.L + 2.R)

Make sure everything is set back to analogue in the Control Panel.
In the Mixer Panel - channels 1/2 are highlighted in playback + mixer output (main) and all the sliders are up - just like the picture on my previous post.

Can you please show me a pic of the control panel cause I think I am seeing something totally different. I would show you what mine looks but I have no idea how to.

Now, would going 1/2 reduce the quality as opposed to spidf? I have heard both sides to this and I am confused now.

This is the control panel.

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/jul05/i ... ox03.l.jpg

Let me know what options you have available for clock source.

1/2 will have a little background noise (hardly audible) compared to SPDIF - some people prefer it (analogue) because it sounds warmer. SPDIF has zero background noise - its a cleaner, more pristine sound.

it reads "SPDIF" and nothing else is checked off. Is there a way I can attach 2 screen shots on here or jusy send them over to you? Maybe I am missing something and you can see it rather then me. I wanted to show 3 screen shots on the control panel, mixer, audio/midi setting.
[/img]

Did you already check the beats played without the soundcard? - from MPC to KRKs?

What options do you have available for clock source other than SPDIF?

Send them to me at ontherig (at) gmail (dot) com

sent it over