Recording MPC 500 Beats To DAW Through Audio Interface Using

I got my MPC 500 about a month ago and I've learned how to use it in the first few days that I started on it. I've sampled music from classic soul to indie rock, to chillwave, to rock. I've made a few beats that I really want to put out there for sale and for my own use, but I don't know how to get them onto my computer (MacBook Pro) Guitar Center told me that I needed MIDI cables and those didn't work for what I was trying to do (I learned that MIDI was only for the sequences, yet Guitar Center keeps telling me I need them) I tried doing it using the USB but that didn't work either (the beat was a .all file) I now know of cables that plug into the back of the MPC and into the audio interface or the computer. I don't know what these cables are called but I saw them in a YouTube video doing exactly what I want to do. Does anyone know of these cables? What are they called? Thank you for any assistance you can offer!

I always check out this website before buying music software - www.producesound.com - My personal favourite is ableton live 8 because it's easy to use whilst also being able to do some very complex editing tasks.

lucysan wrote:I always check out this website before buying music software - http://www.producesound.com - My personal favourite is ableton live 8 because it's easy to use whilst also being able to do some very complex editing tasks.

Ableton Live 8 is what I use as well. An interface to record the mpc into ableton and you're good to go.

You'll probably ultimately want MIDI cables and Audio cables, you'd be best off with 1/4" TRS balanced cables.

Interfaces that would serve your purposes start around $150-$300. The more expensive ones will have more inputs and outputs which you might want if you ever get any hardware synths or an MPC with multiple outs.

And yep, you can't go wrong with Ableton.

First off, Guitar Center are a bunch of salesmen looking to make money and will tell you wrong things just so you can look stupid and come back and spend more money. You don't need MIDI unless you plan to sync your MPC with the clock on your DAW.

I'm sensing that you just want to work in the box and then export to your computer, so I'll just say that there are many ways to get your music out, so easy you'll slap yourself for not doing it in the first place.

1- You can just connect the audio out of the 500 into the audio in of your interface and record in realtime into your DAW.

2- You can resample your song into a single wave file (yup, a huge sample), hook up the USB of your 500 into your Mac and export it. (no interface used at all). You can also record your songs into seperate tracks and export one by one if you want to tweak it more into your DAW for more advanced mixing.

3- You can load up your CF card from the 500 and swap it into your Mac (if it has a card reader).

4- You can record your beats onto a CD recorder and then toss the burnt CD into your Mac to be ripped.

See, no MIDI what so ever. But cop them anyway, you might have a great VST playing that you'll want the 500 to sync with. Makes life easier than trying to sync it yourself. Only thing is figuring out how to map out the functions to be slaved.

What do you mean by #1? Is that with the 1/4" cables?

And how would I resample the whole thing as one big file?

Thanks for the help everyone, I'll look into Ableton and order the cables today. Thanks again!

What the **** you mean what I mean by #1? The Main Outs is what I mean, and yes the 1/4" plugs nah mean. You mean to tell me you wasn't meaning to read the manual? What are you on drugs?

Well take this with you to the grave homeboy, read the subject on Recording The Main Outs and you'll see what the **** I'm talking about resampling and don't have me come down there for you either tough guy!!

lol thanks for the help. I have to downlaod the manual, I don't have a physical copy of it. Every bit I learn helps me out a lot, so thanks for the tips and assistance!

Oh yeah. pin that pdf to the desktop when the machine is on and you learn like 10X quicker.