Cubase-like custom drum mapping on the MPC 4000?

Hi Guys, I'm new to this forum.

I played with my friend's MPC2000xl then bought my MPC 1000 for portability. However, I'm drooling over the MPC 4000's capabilities. I've been using computer-based sequencing for years every since I've started making real beats. Currently, use Cubase as a central sequencer to control all of my synths via an 8x8 midi interface.

Cubase is the best software sequencer I've ever used and it has every feature I could ever want on a computer sequencer except one thing, EASE OF USE!!!!! Sure, I can get my beats done with it, but it's tedious and time consuming and by the time I finally figure out how to do something while working on a beat (technical obstacles), that creative flow I once had for it is gone. There's nothing in the world like creating a beat on the MPC, Nothing!!! You have to experience it for yourself!!!!

Now, the one think I like about Cubase is it's drum mapping capability. Cubase allows me to create a new custom drum kit by mapping, say a kick from my Triton sound module, a snare from my MC505, high hats from my Motif, and so on... all in the same kit. My question is, can the MPC 4000 do that?!!!! I know the MPC 4000 has a drum matrix sequencer edit mode similar to Cubase but can it what I just mentioned above? Of course you can assign drum samples to pads and do that, but I'm speaking only in terms of a sequencer prospective where I control other sound modules via MIDI.

The MPC 4000 has (just about) every feature I could dream of in an MPC and I hope to get one one day. Hopefully, it can do the drum mapping like what I just mentioned above. It would also be nice if the MPC 4000's OS and USB supported an external 8x8 midi interface. Then I could totally ditch my Cubase and use the MPC 4000 as the core sequencer. Otherwise, I'd use it in conjunction with Cubase. Make the beat and record the track mutes on the MPC 4000, then lay the melodies on Cubase and sync it all together. If I could create custom MIDI drum maps on the MPC 4000, then I can play my custom kit on the MP's pads or a MIDI keyboard. Then I could record each drum sound on a separate track as usual. That's where the track mutes begin to play an important role. I can hit a pad to mute my MC505 kick, hit another pad to mute my motif's high hats, and so on..... Get the idea? That would allow me to make beats so much easier and really FEEL them at the same time, nodding my head to the sequence and stimulating the creative flow!!!!!

Any input from you guys would be sincerely appreciated.

Thanks.

Ok, maybe my previous post was too long and confusing. Therefore, I'm going to simplify my question. I'm not sure how many of you are familiar with Cubase. However, it allows you to create your own custom drum kit by keymapping different drum sounds from different MIDI sources. For example, a kick drum from the drum kit on my Motif, a snare from a specific drum kit on my MC-505, a high hat from a certain kit on my Triton Rack. Then you can use all of these different drum sounds from these different MIDI sources as one custom kit. My question is, will the MPC 4000 allow me to do that.

Sorry for the novel in my previous post, just wanted to explain my intentions and make my question understandable.

Thanks.

Hi, direct answear is well Yes but it's not like Cubase custome drumkit midi mapping..

you can do kustom keymapping, set each pad to whatever note you wish in any manner desierd..

but to do what you want to do = layer dif sounds from dif machines on one note/pad
you'll need to set it up so that the sounds you want in the: Trinton, MC505, Motif and whatever all respond to that same note, so if you can arrange the kits within these units then Yes,

but you might be just better of running four tracks within the MPC & mute/solo/unmute anything you want whenever you want and its all recordable, internally /externally

each track can send data on two seperate midi channels aswell if it helps ..

If I understand, what you are trying to do is send multiple midi channels i.e. mapped midi notes from a single track in the 4K. The 4K can send duplicate data to two different channels from one track, That's about it. I fooled around with cubase a few years ago and understand what you are talking about. I don't think the MP can do the drum map thing.

Thanks guys for your input. I really appreciate your response. If the MPC 4000 can't do the keymapping exactly like Cubase, then I guess I'm out of luck unless I sample my drums and assign them to the pads as a work around solution but that would be redundant. Eventhough it would be easier if it could do Cubase-like drum mapping, I think I already have another work around solution in mind. Since I'm going to use the MPC as a sequencer anyway, I'll just record the drum sounds from each source on a separate track. I'm used to creating custom kits and playing all of the sounds together simultaneously on a keyboard and recording it all into Cubase. Since I'll be putting the snare, cymbals, and bass drum on separate tracks in the MPC, I want be doing that anyway. I'll just record each sound one at a time. Afterall, that's the way it should be done.

With the MPC, the possibilities are endless. If you get stuck, there's always a work-around solution. It just requires a bit of thinking. I can actually get things done on a simple platform to work with like the MPC. Drop a tight beat in 5 minutes on the MPC where it would take 3-4 times as long on the computer. I can't wait to get a 4000. I hope I can get one slightly used on ebay with 8 outs, 60-80 GB hard drive, and CDRW for under 2 G's. Because of depreciation, buying one of these things new is a total rip off!!!! $2799 for the Plus version? NO WAY!!! And you don't get the 8 outs!!!

Thanks again. Your input was very helpful and highly appreciated.

I think, once you start using using the MP and you start to build your library, you prolly use your triton less and begin to do the majority of you beats from within the MP.

Actually, I have the "Triton Rack" sound module that has the sounds of the Triton. My main sequecences are recorded into Cubase. I agree. My plan is to make the MP the main interface for the nuts and bolts of my main beat and still use the sounds from my other sound modules in addition to samples in the MP. Since I have so much gear that an 8x8 midi interface is a must, I plan on using the MPC in conjunction with Cubase since the MPC 4000 is limited to 2 MIDI ins and 4 MIDI outs. Have the MPC syncronized with my computer and Presto----Mega Studio!!! That is of course, if there's no MIDI clocking issues which is my second concern!!!!!

I bought my MPC 1000 and tried to sync it to a laptop running Cubase only to find out the MPC 1000 doesn't sync to MTC and only syncs to MIDI clock. THe result was no success. The computer and the MPC didn't sync perfectly because the computer's sequence was slightly behind. I checked and the settings of both devices were correct, which brought me to the conclusion that there's a clocking issue. I know the MPC 4000 syncs to MTC. I wonder that if my MPC 1000 synced to MTC, would I not have had that problem and came out with perfect timing? Hopefully, the MPC 4000 will sync perfectly with a computer sequencer since it can sync to MTC.

kvmoore wrote:I bought my MPC 1000 and tried to sync it to a laptop running Cubase only to find out the MPC 1000 doesn't sync to MTC and only syncs to MIDI clock. THe result was no success. The computer and the MPC didn't sync perfectly because the computer's sequence was slightly behind. I checked and the settings of both devices were correct, which brought me to the conclusion that there's a clocking issue. I know the MPC 4000 syncs to MTC. I wonder that if my MPC 1000 synced to MTC, would I not have had that problem and came out with perfect timing? Hopefully, the MPC 4000 will sync perfectly with a computer sequencer since it can sync to MTC.

You have to be aware of the 'latency' issue here. A computer is *slow* in throwing out the audio data. The delay you experienced may not have been a sync issue, but actually be an *offset* issue. Even with perfect sync (that is, when both machines keep perfect time related to eachother), it is possible that due to latency one of them is a little ahead of time. This offset could be in the range of 1 to 500 msec.

This is a known problem and afair Cubase has an offset field for this in the sync dialog (old cubase vst user talking here, knows nothing about sx). This offset field can be used to fix the audible offset between the audio and midi engines.

I know nothing about SX. I use Cubase VST 32 5.0 . when I performed these sync tests, I used only MIDI tracks and external synthesizers, no internal software synths and no audio output from the computer. I used Cubase only as a MIDI sequencer controlling external hardware. I audio output came from my mixer so I'm not sure if it's latency but I will play with this offset field and see if it makes a difference.

Thanks for your helpful feedback.

Well I had a similar problem with Ableton's Live4 sequencer software. I used only MIDI tracks in Live, and used one track to trigger a drum sound on external hardware. I also told Live to emit MIDI clock, which I used to slave a drum machine to. On that drum machine I had another track running, triggering an internal drum sound.

In an ideal world both drum sounds would completely overlap, since both Live4 and the drum machine are in sync, right? Well, forget it. Live's MIDI output was very, very late. I got drum flam sounds, really huge delays. (between 10 and 100 ms I guess). So even though Live emits MIDI clock, its MIDI note output was late when compared to its own clock. Nuts. That did it for me.

That is exactly the problem I'm having. Cubase's MIDI output is late compared to my MPC 1000 when synced to MIDI clock. Huge audible delay!!! I wonder if MTC would solve this problem? I was able to sync my Multitrack hard disk recorder to Cubase using MTC with total success. It would be nice if I could do the same with the MPC 1000. Has anyone tried to MTC sync an MPC 4000 (slave) to a computer software sequencer (master) with success?