Confused with MIDI... using MIDI and Micro X

I know this has been covered a lot but I'm still stumped and just want someone to straighten this out for me because I've been reading forever and trying everything and still can't get this hooked up. I have a Korg Micro X, an MPC1000 (and protools with an mbox). I'm not even trying to work the mbox into this equation but thought I'd mention that I have one in case it might help.

I'm trying to midi up the MPC and the Micro X so I can use the MPC as a master.... and use Micro X sounds with the MPC sequncer. What I did is connect the midi outs to the midi ins on both pieces of equipment. I turned the local control off on the keyboard and made the appropriate adjustments in midi/sync mode on the MPC. I know the audio cable has to hook up to somewhere... but I don't know where. I should mention that I don't have a mixer. Do I need one? And also, if I do get a mixer... I believe the AUDIO OUT from both the MPC and the Micro X go to the AUDIO IN on the mixer... correct? And if so... where does the AUDIO OUT of the mixer get plugged into? Remember, I want to use the MPC as the sequencer NOT Pro Tools. So do I plug the AUDIO OUT on the mixer to the AUDIO IN on the MPC?

So basically....

#1: is the following correct if I have a mixer?

MPC MIDI OUT to MICRO X MIDI IN.
MPC MIDI IN to MICRO X MIDI OUT.
MPC AUDIO OUT to MIXER AUDIO IN.
MICRO X AUDIO OUT to MIXER AUDIO IN.
MIXER AUDIO OUT TO MPC AUDIO IN.

#2: Exactly what purpose does the mixer serve in this case?

and

#3: Can I record sounds from the Micro X into the MPC and use the MPC's sequencer without a mixer???

Thanks in advance!

you should plug both mpc and x audio outs into your m-box. if you get a mixer, plug mpc and x to mixer, mains from mixer to in on m-box, and alt buss on mixer to audio in on mpc, main outs on m-box to monitors

Hey man, thank you so much for the speedy reply...

Okay, so I guess it's a good thing I mentioned the Mbox. However, please excuse my ignorance, but I'm still not quite sure I understand completely. Sounds like you know your stuff well, and that probably made perfect sense to you... and probably should have to me too... but I'm a little new to this and need things explained in Laymen's terms sometimes.

So you say plug the MPC and Micro's outs to the M-BOX ins.... but then what? I'm assuming I need to feed the audio back to the MPC somehow so I can record the actual audio sounds from the synthesizer to the MPC. What exactly does connecting the Audio OUTS of the devices to the MBOX INS do here... technically speaking? I understand if I plug my Micro and MPC into the MBOX I can record tracks all day long in Pro Tools, but that's not what I'm trying to do here. So if there some other way I can use the MBOX to use the MICRO X sounds with the MPC it would be greatly appreciated if you could give me a bit more info.

Thanks.

when you plug everything to your m-box you can record, edit, and transfer to your mpc by USB as a wav file, load it up, and voila youre on your way. you can also mix in the mac and monitor easily.

if you use a mixer, the alt buss will allow you to pump tracks routed there back to your mpc directly

"if you use a mixer, the alt buss will allow you to pump tracks routed there back to your mpc directly"
Thank you.... that quote right there does answer my question about the mixer...

And now comes the part where you're probably gonna want to strangle me... hehe. But thanks for bearing with me. Anyone else who has any expertise in this area... please feel free to jump right in....

Okay, so I think you're talking about recording all the sounds from the MPC and the Keyboard into Pro Tools as an audio file... and then saving them as audio (wav) files. Then taking those wav files and loading them back into the MPC as samples via USB, and then assigning those samples to pads. This is not really what I want to do, as I can just connect the Micro X directly into the MPC's main inputs and record sounds from the keyboard to the MPC in the forms of samples... and then I just assign the sample to a pad.

Let me try to explain exactly what I want to do... maybe that would help you help me. So for example: Say I want to lay down a basic two-bar drum pattern using the MPC pads, alone... with nothing but preloaded sounds. And THEN after I have my two-bar drum pattern, I want to be able to record a two-bar melody in REAL-TIME using the Micro X's onboard sounds, directly to a new track in the same sequence... as the drum pattern is looping. In other words, I want to record a couple of bars worth of sounds from the synth the same way as you would record a couple of bars if you were overdubbing or recording from the MPC's main screen using the pads... but I want to use the synth instead. Does this make sense?? Maybe I don't even need midi for this. Still confused... but feel like I'm getting close =).

are you able to sequence the x from the mpc over midi? do you even understand what im describing? do you know the difference between midi and audio?

Yes, I definitely know the difference between audio and MIDI. I used to use Reason for a long time, and have slowly been picking up some hardware. I guess my confusion with MIDI in this case, is where and when does the MIDI become audio? I realize that MIDI is just binary data, but at some point that binary data needs to be turned into recordable audio. I thought maybe that's what the mixer was for... to get the MIDI sounds and feed them back into the MPC through the main inputs as audio. But I'm probably completely wrong.

But to answer your question if I'm able to seqence the X from the MPC over MIDI... No, I can't. I hooked in the MIDI cables... from the X to the MPC but can't hear any sounds from the X. The only way I have been able to use the X with the MPC is by connecting the X's audio outs to the MPC's audio input and then by sampling the X as straight audio in Record mode.

Mannnn... I know you got the answers for me, dude... lol. Just a matter of trying to get on the same page here.

Maybe the answer I'm looking for is just... it's impossible without a mixer because I need to feed the audio back into the MPC in order to hear tones generated by the X???

Ahhhhh!!!!!!

well you can always connect the Korgs audio out to the input of the MPC and turn the input monitor on. Then you can hear both and keep them synced with MIDI

Poundaproblem... thanks man. I'd actually like to try that. I know it's a lot to ask, but it would be appreciated more than you know if you could explain that in greater detail. Like from start to finish.... I understand the cable connections (MPC midi out/in to Korg midi in/out.... Korg audio outs to MPC audio ins) but like all the different setting I would neet to use...

Thanks.

are you aware of the steps you must take configuring your mpc so that it sends midi to your x? are you aware of the settings that need to be set on the x to recieve midi from your mpc and play a note for you? like prob said you kin jack yer x in to the mpc and turn on monitor

Ah man, thanks guys for putting up with me and for having so much patience. I'm just waitng for someone to be all like, "man maybe you're just too stupid for this kind of stuff!".

So yeah, I know the settings for the MPC. I read the manual pretty thoroughly and watched a gang of youtube videos on how to connect a midi keyboard to the MPC, but they always lost me when they were like, "now go from the MPC output to the MIXER input!"... because I don't have a mixer!! I couldn't find any instructions for a mixerless setup.

Maybe you're right and it is an issue is with the Korg. I turned local control off so the notes wouldn't double play... but I couldn't find anything else in the manual as far as settings for the X to receive midi from the MPC. I should go back and triple check that right now.

My original goal was to be able to.... from the MPC's main screen (not record mode), simply record sounds from the Korg into the MPC, over a drum track created with the MPC, using nothing more than the Korg, the MPC, and some headphones (and cables). So the conclusion I've come to is that you can't hear both the MPC Drum Pattern and the Korg at the same time without a mixer. After much experimentation, here are my results:

I can hear midi notes and sounds played from the Korg and recorded into (and sequenced by) the MPC if I connect headphones to the Korg...but then I can't hear the MPC drum pattern. And I can hear the drum pattern that I created on the MPC if I hook up headphones to the MPC... but don't hear the Korg sounds. I've tried everything.

So basically if I don't want to use Pro Tools, but I have a mixer... I can midi the Korg to the MPC... and output the audio from both devices to the mixer inputs. Hook up my headphones (or monitors) to the stereo outputs on the mixer to hear what I've got. And if I want to record what I've got... I can connect the mixer's main outputs to the MPC's inputs and record the song as a sample... or if I want to use Pro Tools then I can just connect the mixer's output to the input of the MBOX and record in Pro Tools.

Is my conclusion correct???? Or am I missing something...

does ur mixer have a send or aux? you could plug the send out on the mixer into the input on mpc that way you dont have to be unplugging cables, u just turn a knob

midi is obviously over your head... just record what you play on the micro-x as audio into your mpc and sequence accordingly. audio out to audio in. end of problem.

Orrr... perhaps reading thoroughly is over YOUR head. I explained what I want to do, what I tried, and what my results were. What you suggested doesn't work if I want to record from the MPC main screen.... only from record mode.