TRACKING ISSUES? COMBINING THE 2500 W/ A KEYBOARD?

i am currently using an MPC2500 w/ a Korg TR 61Key Workstation/ Keyboard. to combine the two i simply plug 2 1/4" cables from the "audio out" of the Korg straight into the "record in" on the MPC using the and use the "record" function on the MPC in order to play melodies etc. from the Korg. (i'm basically playing a drum sequence in the MPC while in record mode then playing keys from the Korg in realtime, hoping i get it right, then assigning the sample to a pad) i'm really confused how to properly combine the two in order to complete a project the RIGHT way. i feel i am missing something, possibly a mixer? my process is difficult because i feel that i should track each instrument into some type of mixer i.e. (drums, melodies, basslines, etc.) in order to properly mix & master my beats. this is my roadblock, the talent is there, it's just the technical that has been killin' me.

Wow, I'm a little confused as to what you are trying to do. First of all, let's not try to record into the MPC. What you are going to want to do is, go out and pick yourself up a mixer. You'll then go from your audio out into the inputs on your mixer. For example... inputs 1&2 should be used to the outputs of your MPC. Inputs 3&4, use them to plug in your keyboard. The master outputs on the mixer should be plugged into your reciever or monitors or whatever you are using for audio. Now.... You'll want to midi your MPC and keyboard together. Plug a midi cable from the MPC's midi out 1 into your keyboards midi in. I'm not sure how to "slave" your keyboard but you may have to do that. Some instruments automatically slave themselves. This is almost how I have my shyt setup. I know that you can make midi tracks on the MPC but you still have to have the unit you are controlling plugged into whatever you are using for audio. I know this sounds confusing because I am confusing myself now but, try this and you'll eventually see what I am talking about. If you need anymore help, hit me up. Just tryin' to help.

There are two ways to record your keyboard:

1) Record your MIDI events/notes into the mpc onto tracks in the mpc that you designate for MIDI and then let your mpc fire off these events back to your keyboard when you hit play. This way you can send your keyboard's audio to wherever you want whilst being in sync with your other tracks. I send the audio of my keyboard to channels on a mixing desk and have the 8 outputs from the mpc going into another 8 channels of my mixing desk, then plug the audio out group channels (or direct channels) from my mixing desk into the audio in's of my soundcard. You can then mess with the EQ and drop in insert effects, etc for each channel as much or little as you like before recording onto separate tracks in your DAW... that's just one way.

To set up midi:
Go to MODE + PAD 9 and on the MIDI tab make sure Active track receive channel is set to your keyboard's MIDI OUT channel or ALL and that Soft Thru is OFF. Connect your keyboard's MIDI OUT to the mpc's MIDI IN (e.g. 1) and the mpc's MIDI OUT (e.g. 1A) into your keyboard's MIDI IN. Go to the main screen on the mpc and select a new track and under MIDI (bottom right), select your midi out channel (in this case 1A). Hit record and play yo sheit.

2) Another way is to (like you), record straight into the mpc as a sample. You can still record the midi events first (turn off TC if you like, unless you don't want the 96ppq effecting your timing) and let the midi events fire off your keyboard whilst you record onto a separate audio track.

Not sure how much of this helps you, but I thought I'd bang on a bit
Come to think of it, there are more than TWO ways to record your keyboard... but here's two that I can think of

thanks alot for the feedback. it was very helpful.