What would you like to be able to do on an MPC4000?

MPC 4 ME wrote:perform a track transpose and move back; you say?

Right, just move the data to a new track, make sure it is set to type:INST, use the transpose feature to change notes, open window and apply FIX to make the change, and copy the data back. You can only transpose an octave at a time, but you can keep doing this after applying the FIX. I sometimes use this method to change sequenced notes to another value.

You can also use pad control to change the pitch non-destructively.

adrian wrote:Try looking up Feline1's post about the MPC4000 and sysex. Feline had all kinds of problems.

I'm familiar with that one. It is quite a bit of work, but I've been able to get some things to work so far. Would be easier with a controller. There must be a software tool I can use to change values like a knob. MIDI-OX just sends single values.

renegadebliss wrote:The BCR series does do Sysex. The Behringer utilities that are provided DON"T allow you to program it, but they included a "Learn" button
on the BCR series and if you press the "Learn" button, it will take a quite long Sysex string, or even series of Sysex strings.

So that doesn't help you with something like the 4000, since the 4000 won't "Send" the sysex when you change the parameter on the 4000. But luckily we have a lot of smart people who have reversed engineered the firmware and have figured out what's going on and have made their own free program to allow you to program Sysex from a GUI without haveing to use the "Learn" button.

If you go to yahoogroups and join the BC2000 forum, you'll find a program called "BC Manager". It's a WIndows only program:
http://f1.grp.yahoofs.com/v1/8N_JR65vPU ... Man100.zip

Great info. I've also been eyeing the Bitstream 3x. I saw your name in their forum, did/do you have one of these too? Looks pretty badass and has some really cool and usefull MIDI features. The only downside I see on it compared to a BCF is the tiny non-motorized faders if you wanted to use it for Mackie mode. Plus it looks like they still provide updates. Wonder if we can get the source code for that one. I'll prob get one of the two, so just wondering what your thoughts are.

owenb wrote:"the thing I would like most now in 2008 for the MPC4000 is for Akai to release the Adobe FrameMaker files for the Reference Guide, so that I could merge in all the changes for the (14? or sthg) OS Updates and make a proper definitive reference guide that you could rely on."

this is pretty shocking, can't we at least try and do something about this? write some polite emails? Its really pathetic there isn't even a proper manual for such a complex beastie - nthey shoulda t least support you to do their work for them

but knowing your record of diplomacy, I have to ask, you didn't upset them by calling them a bunch of fukking twat-arsed cokk sucking wankers did you Feline? javascript:emoticon(':lol:')

O

lol no I am always sweet and pleasant when I email Akai (not that I have bothered for years).

Robert Ray in their US service department sent me a free new hard drive too at one point, which was very nice of him. I think was was maybe early 2006? I made sure to let him have a redux of all the bug reports to date. Nothing ever came of it though.

There WAS going to be a further OS update from Akai, because some of us even HAD a beta of it and there was even a screen shot on the Japanese site of "OS 1.71c" or sthg at one point.
However, hilariously, Akai subsequently denied all knowledge of it ever existing! wierd.

In terms of the boards contributers the only person I found who was capable of actually understanding akais sys ex implementation was the guy writing the new version of aksys.
http://walco.n--tree.net/projects/aksy/ ... syReleases

I asked the board repeatedly for help trying to sort out sysex stuff for a realtime controller as this would make the mpc a super power but no joy.

He is the only guy on the board I could find who knows his stuff concerning sysex.
Check him out.
And if u have any luck let me know I spent 2weeks trying to get it to work and no joy, its bloody complicated though as certain commands have to be sent before you can control certain parameters

g

And yeah I moan like a mother about the 4k as its a brilliant piece of kit hampered but a poor U.I. and as a professional musician that means increasing my risk of getting rsi which is a career killer. It also means things which could take less time take more time which is less productivity less money.
So yeah I moan!
The best thing JJ has done to the 1k is improve the U.I to increase productivity. In my opinion.
g

Funk it. After reading all day about the Bitstream 3X, I went ahead and grabbed one off ebay. That thing is a beast and should be able to do ANY custom command. A lot of gear relies on sysex functions, so I'm surprised more MIDI controllers don't have that ability. It has some other cool stuff that I wish the MPC did like midi LFO and an arp.

Hopefully you guys just suck at sysex and everything can be controlled. If so, this controller could be used to dial in most parameters you get on screen with ak.sys (plus more). Would be much easier to work with dedicated controls. Plus, you could then record automations not possible before. The sysex documentation is pretty easy to understand if you read it carefully. The problem would be if it plain doesn't work like people have claimed. In that case, the next step would be to figure out a way to sniff data being sent over USB through ak.sys and find out where the documentation is wrong.

we are just crap I would guess as walco seems to be getting results with aksys.
If you get this to work then we should all give u cash!
g

McSmooth wrote:Funk it. After reading all day about the Bitstream 3X, I went ahead and grabbed one off ebay. That thing is a beast and should be able to do ANY custom command. A lot of gear relies on sysex functions, so I'm surprised more MIDI controllers don't have that ability. It has some other cool stuff that I wish the MPC did like midi LFO and an arp.

Hopefully you guys just suck at sysex and everything can be controlled. If so, this controller could be used to dial in most parameters you get on screen with ak.sys (plus more). Would be much easier to work with dedicated controls. Plus, you could then record automations not possible before. The sysex documentation is pretty easy to understand if you read it carefully. The problem would be if it plain doesn't work like people have claimed. In that case, the next step would be to figure out a way to sniff data being sent over USB through ak.sys and find out where the documentation is wrong.

For me, it's not really about sucking at Sysex... i't's about working 12-16 hours a day..
when I do finally get off the computer, I'm straight into making music..

I'm very interested in this abilty to dynamically change the loop position of a sample via sysex. I dread getting involved with sysex as its never brought me anything other than misery - but the possibilties of this feature for longer samples - combined with real time modulating of say; start time, pitch, volume, filter and delay settings, while keeping the whole thing clocked to midi are pretty wild...

even Ableton 6 doesn't seem to do it properly

so, please report back

First of all, I'd like at least 128 Note Polyphony (At 96 Khz). Also, if the USB ports had greater flexibility, for instance, USB Midi Support and Better interface options for storage other than Aksys for better file transfer options to a desktop, this would be a plus (Unless, of course, it already exists, and I am just unaware). Of course, that Sysex stuff would be hot, indeed. Also, in the perfect world, if it could read more audio formats from proprietary software formats it would be crazy, but that's probably a stretch. On a side note going back to that USB/Midi thing, It would be great if they could somehow experiment with a way to get the most benefit from using the MPC's sequencer while using it to trigger softsynths because it would be great to benefit from the MPC sequence resolution (PPQ) in the fullest sense while triggering software sounds. Be that as it may, 128 note polyphony by itself, would alright by me. Reub.

feline1 wrote:
ANYWAYS -
the thing I would like most now in 2008 for the MPC4000 is for Akai to release the Adobe FrameMaker files for the Reference Guide, so that I could merge in all the changes for the (14? or sthg) OS Updates and make a proper definitive reference guide that you could rely on.

If someone has Adobe Acrobat 8 you can do this!!!! Just take all the Manuals and combine them. Anyone have Acrobat?

DUh, I don't mean just appending all the pages,
I mean going back into the original source text and updating it to take account of all the changes.

Combining all the PDFs into one big PDF could help too, you know If everything is "hyperlinked", that is. But this could take awhile so I dont blame you for not trying :=)

two buttons Increment decrement

THis should be underneath the jog wheel.
I hate it when manufacturers leave this out.
basic ergonomics again.
g

Feline if you go through all the manuals and list the pages you want from each in order I'll edit the PDFs and make one big edited manual.

EDIT: I see someone already mentioned acrobat before I read the whole thread.

Man, search for my post in the 5000 forum.
I made certain to post long feature request list in like every post.