MPC Ren sequencing hardware

So I saw a couple of older posts but they weren't too informative and most of them were from the OS 1.2.

How is the Ren at sequencing hardware? I was considering getting a 4000 or 2500 with JJOs to start doing stuff OTB because I'm tired of dealing with latency once things get to a certain point (Especially when playing through a keyboard instead of the 16 pads.) Then I thought, well, if the Ren can send a good clock and keep the timing tight, I could use the laptop and Ren just as a midi sequencer and let the outboards deal with all the sounds, thus dealing with a minimum of latency. While good in theory, I see lots of people have timing issues when sequencing outboard gear from Ableton, and most software in general.

Anyone have success sequencing multiple sound sources from the REN?

Thanks in Advance.

The Ren doesn't send tight midi clock or tight midi for that matter. I've used it to sequence my various keyboards and synths but the midi drifts like a mutha!
There are work-arounds though...

1) Get a midi clock device which will keep good time.


2) Adjust the timing of your midi tracks once recorded into your DAW of choice

3) Troubleshoot the slacking midi culprit. Actually, much of my midi drift came when I had an elaborate setup with the Ren routed into Reaper and then controlling midi hardware. This could have been the problem. Simplify!

Hopefully that helps in some way.

Peace

Thanks for the info.

So I decided to get off my lazy ass and try sequencing my Roland Fa-06 through the Ren (standalone software) myself. It sequenced the Roland fine, if there was any jitter it was within a couple of milliseconds as I couldn't tell any timing issues, though I did get the feeling it could have been just a fraction of a bit tighter. I don't know, that might have been all in my head too as I was expecting a bit of jitter, it worked well enough. What I haven't tried yet is have some drum sounds running in the Ren while sequencing the Roland to see if there is any latency, check if the hits line up. I also want to see if it can do all this and sequence my Motif at the same time. As far as sequencing the Roland by itself it did the trick. I'm getting so tired of latency one I get past a certain point of VST's going, that this hardware route is definitely a godsend.

Anywayz, I should have checked myself first before asking on the forum. Thanks for the insight on how it does in Reaper.

Peace.

I was able to get everything synced. I had both my motif and roland fa-06 running off the Ren's midi outs and then I had Ren drum program running too. I had to set latency really low though for the audio so it could keep up with the sequenced midi, so I can't get crazy with VST's or Ren Drum Programs if I'm going to keep it in time with the hardware. I had the Ren hooked up to my laptop and then took the stereo outs of it along with my Motif and Fa-06 stereo outs and tracked out into my VS-700 I/O box running Sonar on my desktop in one pass. Still makes me want a MPC 4000 though as I can't get crazy with the Ren if I'm going to use it to sequence hardware (due to latency for the Ren's audio.)

I have an MPC Touch and a Roland FA 06... I'm still fairly new to the MPC world.. so were you able to utilize the songs from the roland in the MPC software? I struggling to figure out how to place the instruments over my MPC drums.. any advice guys? Thanks