Bug reports & end-user support for Akai's MPC Software 'controllers' including the new MPC Studio 2, the MPC Touch, MPC Renaissance & original MPC Studio and MPC StudioB lack.
By spooner Sat Apr 13, 2013 2:54 pm
Fellow beatmakers and extra terrestrials...

BACKGROUND

I've had my Ren since February 2013, i use it with a macbook which i ensured was up to the required OS, spec and ram to handle the Ren. I installed, then underwent all the software updates and got to work on some tunes with pleasing results...

So I currently have 8 projects stored in my macbook via the mpc software (in that they all show up in the left hand column, when viewing projects in 'mpc documents').

All my projects have been made with very basic use of the Ren. In rare cases I have used the expansion software for a few extra sounds/notes and i have added a stereo sample from a technics SL1200 in one project, but never exported anything to or from a DAW or used any other plug ins or hardware as a midi track. I have used only the wavs and sounds that are available exclusively in the factory software. So we're talking basic drum trax here...

PROBLEM

The more projects i got on the go, and the more sequences i began to attach to each project, it seemed that sometimes when i would return to work on any project the next day, when flicking through sequences with the wheel, they would glitch heavily on first playback. This would happen especially during the transition from one sequence to another and it sounded as if my beats were colliding/loosing time.

This now happens every time i load a project, but after a minute or two later the sequence playback seems to return to normal. It's almost as if i have to jog through each sequence first and allow it to 'mess up' before i can get accurate timing and playback of all sequences second time around...

QUESTION

Does this sound familiar to any other users? Given the nature of this problem (and that my problem is concerned with very basic functions), how am I ever supposed to use the Ren in a live context where I would need to open up different projects quickly on demand and be able to jog through sequences first time without the glitches? This never happened with the (far cheaper) mpc 1000! Surely for £700 one would expect more dependability from akai?

Thanks, in anticipation
By spooner Tue Apr 16, 2013 9:42 am
It would appear so... Thanks for the reply, can't say i'm exactly pleased that somebody else is having the same problem as me (with brand new equipment!?!) but at least this appears to be a software problem and not to do with my set up! would've been nice to have had a reply from somebody at akai ! we are talking about very basic functions here... lets hope the next update addresses this problem... Akai ?

Still in anticipation...
User avatar
By WKempton Tue Apr 16, 2013 4:40 pm
I've had similar problems with my laptop. After opening an old project, the sequencer starts to act jumpy and so on. For me, I narrowed it down to a certain sample in that project and actually the filter in that certain sample. After turning the filter off, everything is fine after that. I just resample that sound with the filter and problem is "solved".

This might be some sort of problem with the usage of processing power and the filters. Same projects work fine with my main computer which has better processor, although you see a cpu spike with that computer also.

As MPC "re-saves" every sound in that project to its own folder, it cannot be a file problem where a third party wav sound would be corrupt in some sort of way. I also skimmed thru a programs XML-file and everything seems to be normal in it too.

Definately a some sort of bug.