Exchange tips and tricks for the Akai MPC4000
By sd-cd Mon Jul 07, 2014 8:27 am
Hi,

I have no issues syncing Ableton Live (7) with MPC 4000. MPC master, Live slave.
When I press Play or Stop on MPC, Live reacts.

With the same settings on MPC tried to sync MPC to Studio One and it doesn't seem to work. At all.
I tried to set different options for a few times, doesn't work, Studio One doesn't react to MPC "transport" buttons (Play), MPC doesn't react to Studio One.
Already watched Youtube videos, read Internet. I think I set Studio One options fine. Maybe I set MPC options incorrectly but which?
What could be wrong?

Thanks.
By sd-cd Mon Jul 14, 2014 1:42 pm
dustymaestro wrote:I'm guessing you don't want to hear that studio one doesn't send midi clock or time code.


So what does it mean in practice? That it can't be slave to MPC?
By sd-cd Tue Jul 15, 2014 3:41 pm
I got reply from Presonus Support's Drexel (which was very helpful btw):
"(...)
I am sorry that you are having this issue but I will do my best to assist you.

The reason why you are having this issue is because in any midi setup, Studio One has to be the master. Your setup works with Live because Live can act as a slave in a midi setup but Studio One cannot. I hope this helps.

Thank you,

Drexel Brooks
Technical Support Representative"

Ok I will try syncing it this way, via MTC suppose:
http://www.mpc-tutor.com/mpc-logic-tutorial-syncing/

Btw is this true?
"3. I don't like having the MPC slaved cuz the groove goes out the window and you'd might as well just sequence it on the DAW if you did that."
http://www.gearslutz.com/board/6169358-post2.html

Basically this setup seems to be working fine. Studio One is a master, MPC slave. I set MPC like this, by trial and error:
>>>Sync In<<<
Checked, Mode:MIDI CLOCK
Sync in: MIDI IN-II
Frame rate:30
Sequence start time:00h00m00s00f00
Unchecked, Receive MMC (Midi machine Control):OFF

>>>Sync Out<<<
Unchecked, MIDI clock: OFF <<<<< I can set this one differently and it still works.
Checked, MIDI time code: MIDI OUT-B <<< the same as above
I guess I don't know what Sync Out is about :mrgreen:

Unchecked, SMPTE: OFF
Frame rate:30
Checked, Send MMC (Midi machine Control):MIDI OUT-B.

...
Oh - and it doesn't seem to sync to MTC.

Thanks

Adam
By dustymaestro Tue Jul 15, 2014 6:44 pm
No the mpc doesnt lose its groove if you use it as a slave. You are simply telling it to play.

You will lose the feel if you track the drums in different passes. When you record the mpc either just go stereo and mix in the mpc or group the rhythm track together. Try to record it in one shot. If you have other sounds like pad, strings etc. record that in another pass.
By sd-cd Tue Jul 15, 2014 8:12 pm
dustymaestro wrote:No the mpc doesnt lose its groove if you use it as a slave. You are simply telling it to play.

You will lose the feel if you track the drums in different passes. When you record the mpc either just go stereo and mix in the mpc or group the rhythm track together. Try to record it in one shot. If you have other sounds like pad, strings etc. record that in another pass.


Ok, thanks. So is there any advantage of setting the MPC as a master (when possible)? Or it's only matter of comfort?
Or is there any disadvantage of using it as a slave then? (instead of recording the stereo or grouping the rhythm tracks).

sd-cd
User avatar
By SimonInAustralia Wed Jul 16, 2014 8:31 am
sd-cd wrote:Basically this setup seems to be working fine. Studio One is a master, MPC slave. I set MPC like this, by trial and error:

>>>Sync Out<<<
Unchecked, MIDI clock: OFF <<<<< I can set this one differently and it still works.
Checked, MIDI time code: MIDI OUT-B <<< the same as above
I guess I don't know what Sync Out is about :mrgreen:

Sync Out is about sending sync signals out of the MPC into something else.

As you are sending sync from Studio One, as the master, into the MPC, as the slave, you are only using the incoming sync within the MPC to make it work with Studio One, you are not using any outgoing sync from the MPC to make it work, so you shouldn't expect the MPC Sync Out settings to make any difference.

The MPC Sync Out settings would only make a difference to something if it was connected to, and synced to, an MPC sync output.


sd-cd wrote:Oh - and it doesn't seem to sync to MTC.

Are you setting Studio One to send MTC to the MPC, instead of MIDI Clock, and are you setting the MPC Sync In to MTC, with the same frame rate as the MTC being sent from Studio One?
By sd-cd Wed Jul 16, 2014 11:27 am
dustymaestro wrote:I'm not 100% sure. I keep the mpc as a slave. I have read a few problems with slaving different daws.

Thanks for helping me.

SimonInAustralia wrote:Sync Out is about sending sync signals out of the MPC into something else.

Thanks, now it's clear.

SimonInAustralia wrote:Are you setting Studio One to send MTC to the MPC, instead of MIDI Clock, and are you setting the MPC Sync In to MTC, with the same frame rate as the MTC being sent from Studio One?

Not sure. I have to check it when I'm at home.
Does the MTC vs MIDI clock make a difference?

sd-cd
By sd-cd Thu Jul 17, 2014 8:49 pm
SimonInAustralia wrote:Are you setting Studio One to send MTC to the MPC, instead of MIDI Clock, and are you setting the MPC Sync In to MTC, with the same frame rate as the MTC being sent from Studio One?

Ok, I have checked. I set Studio One to send MTC to the MPC (not MIDI Clock).
And I set the MPC Sync In to MTC but the frame rates were different. I set them the same now (30 fps) and now it works fine.
Thank you!