MPC 5000 direct recording - no way to have count in?!!!

Hi there,

Ive just purchased the mpc5000 and have been hanging out with the manual, but i think i may have a problem.
one of the main reasons i bought the 5000 was the direct recording feature (not the HD recording - but recording to a pad)

It seems that you can only start the recording by hitting the record button.

That is, i cant have a count in, get my self sorted and play a synth line over the top and it plays back in time.

The recording starts the moment you hit record - so therefore i hit record, then hit play, i get a count in, then the sequence plays,
therefore the recording is hopelessly out of time, and four bars too late.

The only way i can see that it will work is if you press record in time and start playing instantly as i have seen on youtube.

If i cant do this, then the direct feature is useless if you are working on your own, unless you are beatboxing and have the mic in your hand and can basically 'punch in' the recording in time...

Am i missing something here? - please tell me i am...

Many thanks from a forum newb..

Matt.

Record the part as a midi track first until you are happy with it. Then look into recording that as a sample and assigning to a pad. Mute the midi track and you still have something to go back to if necessary.

Why not use the threshold when recording? That way the recording only starts when the 5000 receives a sound above set threshold level.

Your totally on point with your question! A big wish for the next OS is to have the direct recording feature improved. This could be so cool, because at the moment this feature is mostly unfinished. It's so unfinished on the 5000 that you nearly can't find any infos on the feature itself in the whole web.

Biggest drawback: there is no reason why the direct recording does not start in sync with the first bar the same time as the count in is over, like you record a sequence. At the moment we have there a count in (even selectable modes), but the recording does NOT start at all after it.

1. Instead you have to hit "record" manually, totally independet from the sequencer. This double activity (hitting record the right time and playing the synth free) often makes it hard to play right. Moreover, you don't get the start always 100% on the start point of the sequence too, so I always have to trim and edit the massive sample (ugh!).

2. Other unfinished thing is, why doesn't get the recorded sample always automatically assigned to the first note of the sequencer? Because after the recording you always have to record a "note on" message to the first note of the sequence, meaning you have to do 2 recording sessions for direct recording. One time the sample, second time the MIDI/sequence data.

Both things, a synced recording with the sequence and putting the pad sample to the first note of the sequence automatically (note length should be as long as you record the sample) would solve so much useless fiddling around... the recording would be always right, everytime, no work to be done!

PS.: Threshold recording only makes sense when you play the first note on the start. And you have to fiddle again with the exact start points of the sample to get it perfect in sync with the sequence.

Whatabout a foodswitch?

A footswitch doesn't make the recording start exactly in sync with the sequence either. That way it's still aim, shoot and trim.

update: footswitch doesn't even start the direct recording :/

you can configure "rec/punch in" in the footswicht settings, but it doesnt work.

how about making a 1 bar sequence with just 1/4 note closed hat and start the song with it. theres your count.

psr wrote:how about making a 1 bar sequence with just 1/4 note closed hat and start the song with it. theres your count.

well, there are many ways of getting a count-in, but none of them will start or trigger the direct recording. you still have to press the direct recording button manually. the use of count in should be that the recording starts after the count-in, automatically. but instead the sequence gets played or records midi only, no punch in or audio direct recording. there is no "arming" possible for direct recording (as supposed by the thread starter). I just don't get why.

you will need 2 persons: one at the mpc who pushes the recording button (the audio rec. will start instantly on the push) and another one to play the instrument or synth. I did not manage to do both at once right, out of recording the hardware synth on a midi track to the sequence before. but it takes much away of the instant live feeling and I have other instruments without midi, so yeah, its pain in the ass.

I really would like to see some improvement there - or a guide how it's properly done!

i guess they assumed peeps would just use the hd recorder.. poo heads they are for no updates...

Jauly wrote:the next OS

It would be sooo nice to have a feature to record x bars , instead of x seconds. My RS7000 can do that, so I don't have to worry about how many seconds I need.
Most of the time you need x bars of recording ...

Thanks to Michael Burman via synthesizerforum.de, there is a little work around to get a "hands-free" direct recording: We just have to assign "F6" to footwsitch, then we can start/stop with it in direct recording menu bar!

Jauly

I cannot seem to find that MPC5000 HD recorder synced start info anywhere (synthesizerforum.de, google, etc)..

Do you have a link to or a copy of that article or whatever it was because I think it has been deleted already.