Garageband + Midi from mpc2000xl

I've used the search feature and found a topic dealing with midi recording into garageband via a midi interface but I have a different question.

Is it at all possible to export the midi recording file (program included) into garageband? (Example, saving the midi events onto a zipdisc then exporting it from the zipdisc into my computer) Because at the moment I am lacking a midi interface and I am trying to track out each individual track separately into either garageband and/or logic to eq them separately. Sorry If this has already been covered.

Never mind, ended up stumbling onto the answer playing around with it. for future reference, You can load the midi sequence into garbage band, but Im guessing the samples must be in .wav because garageband is using the default flute midi instrument.

Side-note, be careful and have the original on backup, i just corrupted my files some how now the mpc says "can't find file" and it has >W.seq for some reason at the end of it, i'll try and fix it once i get back in......****!

Ronin wrote:Because at the moment I am lacking a midi interface and I am trying to track out each individual track separately into either garageband and/or logic to eq them separately.

Make life easier for yourself, get a midi interface even if its a one midi I/O job.

Then you can try this... tracking your midi sequences straight from the MPC to Logic.

viewtopic.php?f=11&t=97274

clint246clint wrote:

Ronin wrote:Because at the moment I am lacking a midi interface and I am trying to track out each individual track separately into either garageband and/or logic to eq them separately.

Make life easier for yourself, get a midi interface even if its a one midi I/O job.

Then you can try this... tracking your midi sequences straight from the MPC to Logic.

http://www.mpc-forums.com/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=97274

Yea, only reason i don't have one yet is I have a peasants salary due to bill's and what not, but I know there is a "broke-man's" fix to these things, I just need to keep stumbling across em. but thanks for the link man!

Be careful putting your mpc files onto a computer, because computers don't handle long filenames like the MPC does.

You have to make sure your filenames are 8 characters or less or the computer will just eat them up.

Also, mac's put a lot of hidden files on the medium which can cause it to become unreadable on the mpc.

Finally, MIDI IS NOT AUDIO! Getting the MIDI into Garage band is completely unrelated to tracking out your beat.
You can very easily export your midi files to Garage band, but like you said, it will just play the flute sound. And no, you cannot easily export your audio programs into Garage Band. You would have to find a virtual sampler, and rebuild the program in it to match exactly what you had in the mpc, and then it still wouldn't work right. Even if they are waves.

What you are talking about doing has nothing to do with MIDI. Start muting those tracks and recording audio into garage band.

You will get it, and it's actually much easier than 'exporting' anything. Just do yourself a favor, unplug the midi cable and focus on getting the sounds your MPC makes into Garage band via AUDIO cables. Yes you can do midi syncing later but that is only going to help you edit later, and keep everything in time, but is definitely not necessary to track out your beat.

Good luck!

Ronin wrote:

clint246clint wrote:

Ronin wrote:Because at the moment I am lacking a midi interface and I am trying to track out each individual track separately into either garageband and/or logic to eq them separately.

Make life easier for yourself, get a midi interface even if its a one midi I/O job.

Then you can try this... tracking your midi sequences straight from the MPC to Logic.

viewtopic.php?f=11&t=97274

Yea, only reason i don't have one yet is I have a peasants salary due to bill's and what not, but I know there is a "broke-man's" fix to these things, I just need to keep stumbling across em. but thanks for the link man!

$40 midi sport uno (midi to usb)
http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/Uno.html

nogginj wrote:Be careful putting your mpc files onto a computer, because computers don't handle long filenames like the MPC does.

You have to make sure your filenames are 8 characters or less or the computer will just eat them up.

Also, mac's put a lot of hidden files on the medium which can cause it to become unreadable on the mpc.

Finally, MIDI IS NOT AUDIO! Getting the MIDI into Garage band is completely unrelated to tracking out your beat.
You can very easily export your midi files to Garage band, but like you said, it will just play the flute sound. And no, you cannot easily export your audio programs into Garage Band. You would have to find a virtual sampler, and rebuild the program in it to match exactly what you had in the mpc, and then it still wouldn't work right. Even if they are waves.

What you are talking about doing has nothing to do with MIDI. Start muting those tracks and recording audio into garage band.

You will get it, and it's actually much easier than 'exporting' anything. Just do yourself a favor, unplug the midi cable and focus on getting the sounds your MPC makes into Garage band via AUDIO cables. Yes you can do midi syncing later but that is only going to help you edit later, and keep everything in time, but is definitely not necessary to track out your beat.

Good luck!

Yea, I've noticed the file name issue. BUT I think I found a fix for it, when the file is ported into my computer for some odd reason it changes the name of the file to >W.(whatever the extension may be), but last night I tampered around with it and went into the Load/Save screen and went to the "rename" option and changed it back to what the file was previously named and it worked on my mpc again.

Don't get me wrong, and I apologize for not making my post clear. I know MIDI isn't audio, but I was wondering (and I'll test this out once I get home) if I could save the sample's onto the zip in .WAV format, Port the Midi events & .Wav files into garageband and see if it will work. But I see what you are saying.

And Maybe it's due to my novice knowledge of garageband but I used my audio interface to put the sounds in, and if I do a 1 track with all sounds being played it records perfect. but when I try to track out, thats when I run into complications. example...

My song in the mpc goes like this...
Sequence 1 = Intro
*Track 1 = Sample
|----> Pad 2 Mutes Pad 1 when struck
Tempo 47.0
Bars 4

Sequence 2 = Verse_Solo
*Track 1 = Sample
|-----> Pad 4 Mutes pads 9 & 10
|-----> Pad 9 Mutes pads 4 & 10
|-----> Pad 10 Mutes pads 9 & 4
Tempo 147.0
Bars 4

My actual Verse Sequence is a variation of Sequence 2, with separate tracks for *Stiks, *Snares, *Kicks, *Bass

When I start out in Garageband I put the tempt to 47.0 hit record and at the same time record on the MPC to get the metronome kicks synced, but garageband always tends to record a fraction of a second AFTER the mpc plays. which tends to eff the recording up a bit.

then when I try and record the other sequences, they never tend to match up properly so thats what led me to try and port in the midi sequences along with the sounds, but I'll tinker around with garageband more once I get home, I've just only recently decided to show it some attention and was surprised at it's functions, lol yea yea yea I know I should've been payed attention to a free recording program but I was use to using Soundbooth and was experimenting with logic.

dcook79 wrote:
$40 midi sport uno (midi to usb)
http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/Uno.html

thanks man, I've been on Amazon looking up midi to usb and I think I might just spring for one.

Ronin wrote:but I was wondering (and I'll test this out once I get home) if I could save the sample's onto the zip in .WAV format, Port the Midi events & .Wav files into garageband and see if it will work. But I see what you are saying.

nogginj wrote:And no, you cannot easily export your audio programs into Garage Band. You would have to find a virtual sampler, and rebuild the program in it to match exactly what you had in the mpc, and then it still wouldn't work right. Even if they are waves.

So unless you want to basically redo everything you've already done in the mpc AGAIN in a virtual sampler in garage band, and then still have it be wrong, just forget about 'exporting' or 'transferring'. ;]

As for your problem, it is a 'sync' issue. you are just not lining your individual tracks up properly once they are recorded.

What some people do, good idea, is to have every recording start with a snare or a click on the down beat, then a measure of silence, then the actual track starts. This way, you can just line the clicks up later and everything will be in sync. This is similar to how in movies they make that big black board go CLACK so they can sync up different cameras later.

The other option is MIDI sync which is a totally different technique all together, and doesn't even apply since you don't have a midi interface. So, play around with that if you ever feel like it, but you can do everything you want to do, right now, with no extra hardware, just a little editing later.

nogginj wrote:Be careful putting your mpc files onto a computer, because computers don't handle long filenames like the MPC does.

You have to make sure your filenames are 8 characters or less or the computer will just eat them up.

you sure it's not the other way around... I thought it was mpc limitation to how many characters a file name consist of ?

nogginj wrote:

Ronin wrote:but I was wondering (and I'll test this out once I get home) if I could save the sample's onto the zip in .WAV format, Port the Midi events & .Wav files into garageband and see if it will work. But I see what you are saying.

nogginj wrote:And no, you cannot easily export your audio programs into Garage Band. You would have to find a virtual sampler, and rebuild the program in it to match exactly what you had in the mpc, and then it still wouldn't work right. Even if they are waves.

So unless you want to basically redo everything you've already done in the mpc AGAIN in a virtual sampler in garage band, and then still have it be wrong, just forget about 'exporting' or 'transferring'. ;]

As for your problem, it is a 'sync' issue. you are just not lining your individual tracks up properly once they are recorded.

What some people do, good idea, is to have every recording start with a snare or a click on the down beat, then a measure of silence, then the actual track starts. This way, you can just line the clicks up later and everything will be in sync. This is similar to how in movies they make that big black board go CLACK so they can sync up different cameras later.

The other option is MIDI sync which is a totally different technique all together, and doesn't even apply since you don't have a midi interface. So, play around with that if you ever feel like it, but you can do everything you want to do, right now, with no extra hardware, just a little editing later.

I see,
I've been thinking about the "Clack" thing for a little while but just didn't implement it, but i'll try it out tonight. thanks for the tips.

konc3pt wrote:

nogginj wrote:Be careful putting your mpc files onto a computer, because computers don't handle long filenames like the MPC does.

You have to make sure your filenames are 8 characters or less or the computer will just eat them up.

you sure it's not the other way around... I thought it was mpc limitation to how many characters a file name consist of ?

the MPC does have a character limitation (especially when naming samples, I've come across this) but it's just eff'n ridiculous as to how sensitive my computer is when dealing with files created and named on my mpc.

konc3pt wrote:

nogginj wrote:Be careful putting your mpc files onto a computer, because computers don't handle long filenames like the MPC does.

You have to make sure your filenames are 8 characters or less or the computer will just eat them up.

you sure it's not the other way around... I thought it was mpc limitation to how many characters a file name consist of ?

I'm 100% positive. It's not an MPC limitation, it's a filesystem limitation. For some reason, within the MPC, you can get around it and call your files whatever you want, however many characters you want.

Once you bring them into a computer, the filesystem is much more strict and those extra characters get gobbled up into glitchiness.

nogginj wrote:

konc3pt wrote:

nogginj wrote:Be careful putting your mpc files onto a computer, because computers don't handle long filenames like the MPC does.

You have to make sure your filenames are 8 characters or less or the computer will just eat them up.

you sure it's not the other way around... I thought it was mpc limitation to how many characters a file name consist of ?

I'm 100% positive. It's not an MPC limitation, it's a filesystem limitation. For some reason, within the MPC, you can get around it and call your files whatever you want, however many characters you want.

Once you bring them into a computer, the filesystem is much more strict and those extra characters get gobbled up into glitchiness.

i see