can it do this? [Immediate play mode and next sequence pads]

Hey all, I've been reading up on the MPC and JJ OS and it all sounds good. But, there's one thing I really want to do and I can't tell from the docs exactly how it works. So, let me explain what I want it to do and someone let me how it really works.

I want to have a bunch of midi sequence patterns that are variations of each other, and I want to trigger all of them in real-time from the pads--the basic next sequence page stuff. But, I want them to switch back and forth and keep in position--like a fill on a drum machine.

So, here's the question--I know that the JJ OS has the Next Sequence: Immediate Play mode, but is that how it works? Is it a mode you turn on and then all sequences switch that way? Or, are you only setting Immediate Play for that individual sequence and I would have to go through and set it for all of my sequences (not that big of a deal), or is it just setting it for the current one, and I would have to set it each time (a big deal). So which is it, and can I do what I want to?


Also, as a side question, can you trigger the sequences from external midi, so I could use another controller to switch between the sequences, like with the Korg padKontrol?

Thanks for any help!

this is a good question and i would like to know too. i havent explored this function yet

bob3k wrote:I know that the JJ OS has the Next Sequence: Immediate Play mode, but is that how it works?

yes. this will do what you want. it's a global setting, not sequence-specific.

Also, as a side question, can you trigger the sequences from external midi, so I could use another controller to switch between the sequences, like with the Korg padKontrol?

not in the NEXT SEQUENCE screen. this has been requested but never implemented.

but... there is the 'SEQUENCE CHANGE BY PROGRAM CHANGE' option in the MIDI screen. i haven't worked with this too much so i'm not an expert. maybe someone else knows better exactly how this functions. if your controller can send program changes it might work.

Awesome! Thanks for the info. Looks like I'm off to spend some money.

bob3k wrote:

want to have a bunch of midi sequence patterns that are variations of each other, and I want to trigger all of them in real-time from the pads--the basic next sequence page stuff. But, I want them to switch back and forth and keep in position--like a fill on a drum machine.

Yes. The Next Sequence will definitely let you do this. As a matter or fact, I think it's brilliant the way this feature was implemented and I have plans to submit a future request for OS2XL to JJ to allow the next sequence events to also be recordable, just like the track mutes. That would allow you to record your live "next sequence" changes and I think that would be a wonderful new way to program a song.

I wonder why the heck most modern-day drum machine manufacturers/OS software developers have gotten away from pattern variation/fill-in style song programming like those found in the Roland TR808 (pattern play mode) and Alesis SR16.

is this referred to as quantised tracks mutes? like switch between clips in ableton. i thgink they just implemented this on the mpc5000, the feature on the mpc1000 cuts the sound off, when u track mute, as oppsed to letting the last sample play out after a track mute.

nanoloop wrote:is this referred to as quantised tracks mutes? like switch between clips in ableton. i thgink they just implemented this on the mpc5000, the feature on the mpc1000 cuts the sound off, when u track mute, as oppsed to letting the last sample play out after a track mute.

in the TRACK MUTE screen hit WINDOW ->
Mute/stop of one-shot sample: set it to THROUGH

this option is also in MODE + PAD 10.

nanoloop wrote:

is this referred to as quantised tracks mutes? like switch between clips in ableton. i thgink they just implemented this on the mpc5000, the feature on the mpc1000 cuts the sound off, when u track mute, as oppsed to letting the last sample play out after a track mute.

Next sequence in "immediate play" mode is very similar to quantized track mutes but it deals with switching to different sequences (patterns) as opposed to tracks within a single sequence. The sequence switches would be quantized in "immediate play" mode, which is wonderful. The only downside to this is the next sequence events cannot be recorded into the sequencer. Therefore, you cannot record your live changes.

On the other hand, track mute events in the track mute screen can be recorded into the sequencer but they are not quantized in the JJ OS2 and OS2XL, unfortunately. You're right, it's a new feature on the MPC5000, but it hasn't been implemented on the 1000/2500 JJOS. However, that could also be a great alternative feature request to recordable next sequences. If this was to be implemented, I think it would also be nice to have "track mute groups" as well "pad mutes" so each track can be set to a mute group and each pad on the "track mute screen" would correspond to a mute group and each pad on the "pad mute screen" (which would be a newly added screen) would correspond to a specific pad within a selected or currently active track. Since the track mute events are already recordable, then all of these features would also be recordable as well. I think all of this is currently on the MPC5000 and it would be wonderful if it was added to the JJ OS as well, both OS2 and OS2XL. Now that I think about it, this would probably be a better idea than "recordable next sequence events" as far as a feature request to JJ goes.

Sooty_G wrote:

in the TRACK MUTE screen hit WINDOW ->
Mute/stop of one-shot sample: set it to THROUGH

this option is also in MODE + PAD 10.

Yes, that's true. This will prevent the samples from cutting off. However, the track mutes are still not quantized when you hit the pads.

but if you use mute groups to record mutes instead then those pad triggers can be quantized is that right?

FredFrank wrote:but if you use mute groups to record mutes instead then those pad triggers can be quantized is that right?

hmmm, very interesting. good thinking!

i never work with mute groups but in theory this should work.
you could mute pads with this method but not tracks, however.

but as long as your whole program is set to the same mute group should still have the same effect, i dunno i haven't tried it yet

Fred Frank wrote:

but as long as your whole program is set to the same mute group should still have the same effect, i dunno i haven't tried it yet

True. However, in the real world, chances are drum programs are going to utilize more than just one mute group (open and closed hats for examples). I use mute groups all of the time in my drum programs and I sometimes use maybe 3 or 4 different mute groups in a single program. I'd have a mute group specific to a certain type of drum sound I'm using, like having a long 808 boom kick and another short hard 808 kick cut each other. The kicks would be assigned to the same mute group but a different mute group from the ones the hi-hats are assigned to. That way, the drums want interfere with each other.

So to some it up, you could probably get away with assigning an entire program to a single mute group for programs with looped samples or drum loops. However, I find it impractical for drum sample programs (drum kits) in which you would use multiple mute groups for specific drums. So again, MPC5000 features such as "track mute groups" and "pad mutes" and "quantized track mutes" in the track mute screen are idea for this type of thing and they would be a very welcome implementation for the MPC1000/2500 with JJ OS2 or OS2XL.

oh for sure, anything to make it happen in a more convenient way is a good thing in my mind I'm not one of those who believe that work arounds are better than just having said feature, your post made me think of something else though. I guess you could have a program dedicated to mutes and set up the pads so that instead of having them all use one mute group they could use all the different mute groups that you need for that paticular track essentially allowing you to use only one program to mute all of your mute groups, that is if it's possible again I haven't tried this, but if you can have different mute groups in one program then the mute program could be a nifty utilty.

Yeah. I don't know if this will work but I might mess around and try this just for fun and see if it works. I'm not sure if it will work though. I think the mute groups only work within a program so if I have a separate drum program (using the different mute groups) and I have another separate mute program (also using the different mute groups), then the mute groups would probably have no effect.

The reason for this is because I did something similar to this using two different drum programs. For instance, I might have one long 808 kick drum program in which all of the pads use the same mute group (lets say mute group 3 for example). I might also have another drum program with a few kicks that also use mute group 3. Now, I would sequence the two programs and play the kick drums from both programs. Now, since the long 808 kicks from the first program and the other kicks from the second use the same mute group, you would think they cut each other out. Actually, this doesn't happen. Therefore, the kicks between the two programs would conflict with each other (and probably blow a speaker in the process!! hahaha). On the other hand, if all of the kick drums were within the same program and assigned to the same mute group, there would be no problem between them. I'll still try out the mute program idea just for the fun of it and just play with it a bit though.

cool let us know how it goes, that's very intresting how that kick mutes situation you described turned out, you'd think it's not suppose to work that way, it almost sounds like a bug