MPC 4000 Record Timing Issue - Help :(

This has stumped me as i expected the 4k timing for midi and recording to be timing but experiencing a problem and have isolated it to the MPC 4000. I do have a new AudioFuse 16rig interface, but i don't believe this is the issue based on the following testing done below.

Im using the MPC 4000 to sequence a kick sample from my S2400. I noticed when recording into Ableton that the audio recording is drifting backwards over time very slightly but becomes pretty bad after about 20 secs of recording.

My Ableton settings at 44.1k sample rate, and 32 buffer size. I've turned off midi clocl sync in the S2400, and MPC and Ableton. Im doing all the sequencing via the MPC 4000 and recording into Ableton Live. The midi triggering seems audibly tight. I've only enabled the one audio input that receives the kick from the S2400 in my soundcard settings to reduce chances of latency.

To record, i press record on my daw, have the metronome going, and then press play of the MPC. I have warping turned off and then will manually line up the recorded kick to the first beat to run the test.

The drift is there every time. I also tried this test in Reaper and got the same result.

When i instead sequence the kick in the S2400 and dont use the MPC, i got a tight recording.

Is this a known problem - really surprised to see this?

strangely if i make the MPC 4k slave, and S2400 master clock - and the S2400 is still being sequencing the MPC 4k - the recording is tight.

so it seems that the MPC 4k is not tightly triggering the midi from the S2400 when the MPC 4k is the master clock, very odd. i can live with this but expected the MPC to be rock solid for this sort of thing.

sorry can't work out how to edit my post here.

this is a major problem the MPC 4000 is clock is not stable over time across all midi connections. Whilst i can get drums to record consistently via the S2400 clock, my Behringer Cat and Korg Prologue drift out of time. Likewise, if i record the midi into my S2400 and switch connections (i.e. dont use the MPC 4k) the S2400 records are stable. it has to be the MPC 4000. Devastated as the reason i bought the MPC 4000 was to have a stable midi control centre. I must be doing something wrong but i can't work it out.

Can old MPC's midi timings go buggy when the machines are old? Im not reading this to be a problem online.

Thanks - with any MPC, not using any clock, would you expect this to happen?

I mean all the outputs at least are drifting in sync if that makes sense. So it could just be that the MPC 4k clock and DAW clocks are just different. But does seem weird my S2400 doesn't have this issue and aligns with my DAW.

Trying to get my USAMO to work again as another year. Someone on Facebook said I need a sample accurate midi clock.

with this manual setup
(pressing here, pressing there to get going)
-without anything synced/clocked (by MTC or MIDI clocks)
you'll always end up with drift

Thanks - can I just understand that a bit more?

So to be clear:

1. MPC 4k internal clock is sequencing 3 midi instruments.
2. The DAW is just being used to record the 3 midi instruments sequenced the MPC
3. The DAW is also set to the same BPM but no sync
4. I press play on the MPC, and record at any point.
5. I line up the first recorded beat to the beat 1.1 in the DAW for all tracks manually.

When I have done the same steps above with my S2400 as the sequencer, this lines up perfectly, can record 7 min straight no issues.

Why then doesn't the S2400 drift?

Or are you saying no one machine clock will be the same? So MPC 4k at 120 bpm can never lineup to Ableton without a sync?

And finally if there was a sample accurate sync (e.g. ERM) between Ableton and the MPC should that solve the issues I'm seeing? I.e. a stable clock will ensure all machines/software align?

Sorry for the questions, find this stuff a cluster ****.

Cool, will try and get my USAMO sync working when back from my trip away.

or use SMPTE, or MTC - or ADAT

you sure your internal (MPC) clock is set at 44Khz too ?
(if that's what you set your computer @- if i read correctly)

Am I tripping or are SMPTE cables wildly expensive? Seeing $500 - $1500

Check the length of the cable offered, some are very long
Cables specified for 8k Video are indeed quite expensive, but for your purpose a regular 75Ohm BNC cable will do, no need for the high frequency type.

i seem to b e getting a better result with midi now - i didnt have 'Receive MMC' switched on when Ableton acting as the master clock. still get a drift happen when the MPC 4k is the master and MMC is also switched on. whether that's because when MPC is master it captures the swing better My main aim is to preserve as much of the MPC and S2400 sound as possible, including the swing and timings.

Anyways fact i seem to be able to record with Ableton as the master ok is positive. will look into get a BNC cable in the feature.