MPC 60 -> amp -> mobo soundcard with 1/4 to 1/8 ms adapter

I just recently got an mpc 60 from a friend. I have a edirol pcr 50 hooked up via usb cable, as well as a peavey amplifier that goes with a Yamaha guitar.

I have a built in soundcard for my motherboard which accepts 1/8 inch mini stereo.
It is an AC’ 97 audio codec.

The ALC655 is compliant with the AC’97 (REV 2.3) Codec and supports six channels audio codec designed for PC multi media systems. It provides three analog line-level stereo inputs with 5 bit volume control: Line_in (currently plugging mpc into this), CD (my speakers output), and aux (is this for send return lines?). It also supports s/pdif output function and operates from a 3.3 volt power supply.

The peavey amplifier is a transtube (I assume transitor tube amplifier) it is 15 watts, 7.7 volt rms ( rotations per mili second?) and 4 ohms (the circuitry resistance in the meter kilo second standard?)
Rite below those specs it reads 120 vac (voltage alternating current) 60 hz and 40 watts
I assume 120 vac (voltage alternating current) 60 hz and 40 watts is for the amplification signal’s output.

The amplifier from peavey also says transtube rage serial number 08218643 MFG LOC-04 JFJ24.

Here is my problem. I have 2 1/4 cables from the mpc to the mini stereo w/ a 1 / 4 to 1 / 8 mini stereo adapter . When I record in cubase after I have sequenced the drums on the mpc there doesn’t appear to be a balanced line because I can hear the faint sound of drum hits (does this just mean equal voltage for an equal line level?) between the 1/4 to the ministereo adapter unit and then into the computers soundcard.

I have considered just having one channel and going mono from the mpc 60 to the amplifier then out to the adapter then into the computer. I’m afraid I mite fry my computer or the mpc or the amplifier. Is using the amplifier as a go between a wise choice to boost line level noise? I don’t have the cash rite now to buy a soundcard or monitors to go w/ the ¼ soundcard so please do not recommend this. Thank you for your help.

I’m hoping someone can tell me if I can’t turn the amp up past a certain level without destroying the computer, mpc, or amp but can still use it to get mpc 60 sequenced drums to the cubase sx.

Could I just as well transfer the seq, wav, = ?prgm all from 3 1/2 floppies or zip disk and drump them into cubase?

I have also thought about recording the 1/4 outputs into a tapedeck and then playing the tape deck through the mini stereo . Anyone tried this, and can your ear perceive a fatter/warmer analogue sound? Is this a better route to take then transfering via diskette?

rokuez wrote:I just recently got an mpc 60 from a friend. I have a edirol pcr 50 hooked up via usb cable, as well as a peavey amplifier that goes with a Yamaha guitar. ?

All cool so far.

rokuez wrote:I have a built in soundcard for my motherboard which accepts 1/8 inch mini stereo.
It is an AC’ 97 audio codec. ?

Typical on board sound card chipset. Nothing special and more or less developed for cheap sound generation compatibility with a wide array of software. With the exception of CUBASE.

rokuez wrote:The ALC655 is compliant with the AC’97 (REV 2.3) Codec and supports six channels audio codec designed for PC multi media systems. It provides three analog line-level stereo inputs with 5 bit volume control: Line_in (currently plugging mpc into this), CD (my speakers output), and aux (is this for send return lines?). It also supports s/pdif output function and operates from a 3.3 volt power supply.

In other words it's a bog stock AC97 compatible sound card like many other.

rokuez wrote:The peavey amplifier is a transtube (I assume transitor tube amplifier) it is 15 watts, 7.7 volt rms ( rotations per mili second?) and 4 ohms (the circuitry resistance in the meter kilo second standard?)

RMS = Root Mean Square, an old Federal Trade Standards way of measuring power dissipation into a device. In this case the device being your amplifiers 4 Ohm impedance speaker.

rokuez wrote:Rite below those specs it reads 120 vac (voltage alternating current) 60 hz and 40 watts
I assume 120 vac (voltage alternating current) 60 hz and 40 watts is for the amplification signal’s output.

120 VAC = your alternating current mains power supply. 60 Hz = the rate at which your mains current alternates between + and -. 40 watts being the power consumption of your amplifier.

rokuez wrote:Here is my problem. I have 2 1/4 cables from the mpc to the mini stereo w/ a 1 / 4 to 1 / 8 mini stereo adapter . When I record in cubase after I have sequenced the drums on the mpc there doesn’t appear to be a balanced line because I can hear the faint sound of drum hits (does this just mean equal voltage for an equal line level?) between the 1/4 to the ministereo adapter unit and then into the computers soundcard.

Sounds like a bad cable between your MPC and SOUNDCARD.

Or you have not selected the correct drivers and routing for your soundcard within CUBASE.

Or your sound card has an in-appropriate quality of ASIO driver to select within CUBASE.

Consult the CUBASE documentation for more info on routing and driver selection ( which is quite different between each major version VST, SX1, SX2 and SX3 )

rokuez wrote:I have considered just having one channel and going mono from the mpc 60 to the amplifier then out to the adapter then into the computer.

No... you'll possibly fry the sound card with too hot a level from the amp.

Also.

Most smaller guitar amps are not designed to take the line level signal from an MPC60 which is by nature, very hot. Thus the input stage of your amp if connected in this regard would possibly distort quite bad.

rokuez wrote:Could I just as well transfer the seq, wav, = ?prgm all from 3 1/2 floppies or zip disk and drump them into cubase?.

Maybe better to record your MPC60 as audio. Conversion of MIDI data, samples and sequences will quite a fiddle.

rokuez wrote:I have also thought about recording the 1/4 outputs into a tapedeck and then playing the tape deck through the mini stereo . Anyone tried this, and can your ear perceive a fatter/warmer analogue sound? Is this a better route to take then transfering via diskette?

You could try this. As an effect the tape may provide a satisfying saturated fatness that makes it worth while.

In reality ? Check the cable between your MPC60 and AC97 card is indeed working correctly.

Also that your AC97 card is indeed compatible with CUBASE.

Again, CUBASE likes to work with ASIO driver equipped sound cards.

If your card doesn't have a true ASIO driver then things may not work properly and cause you all manner of grief.

You could also try using another audio recording application that works well with standard windows wave drivers; IE one that doesn't need ASIO drivers and see if your experience changes for the better. ( ADOBE Audition/Cool Edit Pro comes to mind ).

Hope this helps.

Rohan.

When I have cubase sx open and I am in the mixer section and am running a drum loop. I can faintly hear the loop playing from the mpc 60. I hear a lot of line noise. Basically I can hear the mpc 60's drum hits but the line noise appears from my hearing to be around the drum hits.

"Maybe better to record your MPC60 as audio. Conversion of MIDI data, samples and sequences will quite a fiddle. " hmm there is not a program out there that can take the pgrm file the midi data and multiple wav files and make it all big .wav sequence?

i don't understand how the asio drivers for a garbage mobo soundcard effect its performance in cubase.

Also when I turn off the mpc what memory goes away? The sounds are gone, r the sequences still there?

rokuez wrote:When I have cubase sx open and I am in the mixer section and am running a drum loop. I can faintly hear the loop playing from the mpc 60. I hear a lot of line noise. Basically I can hear the mpc 60's drum hits but the line noise appears from my hearing to be around the drum hits.

Sounds like your lead is bad or the input of the sound card has a problem.

You could also have a look at the control panel aplet for your sound card too and make certain that it's line input is enabled correctly. ( IE, not the MIC selected by default as the main input device ).

rokuez wrote:i don't understand how the asio drivers for a garbage mobo soundcard effect its performance in cubase.

Bad sound driver = bad performance, limited communication with hardware and a whole host of other issues.

Particularly with SX as it relies heavily on ASIO driver communication with hardware for optimum sound card latency performance and in some cases, possible I/O configuration.

rokuez wrote:Also when I turn off the mpc what memory goes away? The sounds are gone, r the sequences still there?

The MPC ram work space RAM isn't battery backed.

Power off = memory loss.

Save all your stuff before you power the box off.

Now... back to the sound card issue.

It's best to consider the option of starting to save up for a decent one....

MAUDIO and ECHO AUDIO come to mind on the PC as brands that will work well with CUBASE SX and not give you too much grief.

Their lower end stuff is worth a look at.

Good luck.

Rohan.