MPC5000 reviews, bug reports and fellow user support on the most recent standalone, hardware MPC from Akai
By BxJaze Tue Aug 04, 2009 5:09 pm
Been a while since I've posted, since 2.0 has been keeping me happy but here's my issue:


I control VSTs/RTAS's via my M-Audio Keystation midi'd into the MPC. So for argument's sake, let's go with Sampletank as an example.

Anytime I hit record on the MPC and record a performance, everything sounds fine. However as soon as I stop the sequence and press play, the master volume of Sampletank shoots up.

Anytime I fire up Sampletank the master volume is at 127 by default. If i record with it like that, and turn it down afterwards, the next time i press play it shoots back to 127. So you figure maybe it's doing that cause that's the volume it was at when I intially recorded, right? Well, i shut down Pro Tools (8 M-powered btw), started it back up and loaded Sampletank. before doing anything I turned the volume down to about 80. Hit record on the mpc and as soon as the 4-countdown clicks were through, it shot right back to 127 without me even entering a single note.

Any ideas?
User avatar
By Jaytim3 Tue Aug 04, 2009 7:44 pm
U need to control the volume of the synths and sounds on the mpc.
Press [MODE]+[MIXER](pad7) and then go to trackmixer by pressing F2 from there u can control the volume of each track.
User avatar
By scd Tue Aug 04, 2009 9:17 pm
BxJaze wrote:Been a while since I've posted, since 2.0 has been keeping me happy but here's my issue:


I control VSTs/RTAS's via my M-Audio Keystation midi'd into the MPC. So for argument's sake, let's go with Sampletank as an example.

Anytime I hit record on the MPC and record a performance, everything sounds fine. However as soon as I stop the sequence and press play, the master volume of Sampletank shoots up.

Anytime I fire up Sampletank the master volume is at 127 by default. If i record with it like that, and turn it down afterwards, the next time i press play it shoots back to 127. So you figure maybe it's doing that cause that's the volume it was at when I intially recorded, right? Well, i shut down Pro Tools (8 M-powered btw), started it back up and loaded Sampletank. before doing anything I turned the volume down to about 80. Hit record on the mpc and as soon as the 4-countdown clicks were through, it shot right back to 127 without me even entering a single note.

Any ideas?


The MPC sends out a CC7 MIDI volume message with value 127 each time you press Play or Record + Play. A lot of of software sequencers use 90 as value for 0 dB (which you want). So this is causing the jumping fader. Unfortunately there is nothing to stop the MPC doing that, it is a global thing and can't be turned off. Unless you set up an autoload folder where every sequence track has a CC7 value 90 programmed at the start (not at the very start of the track, then the global CC7 message wins, but at a few ticks after 01.001) (you can do that in Edit mode).
But I am pretty sure you can filter out CCs in Sampletank? In Logic you can. That would stop that behaviour too, but you can't use the MPCs faders and knobs anymore then to control your software. Unless you can filter out that specific CC7 message.

Hope this helps.

Boele
By 4dahaterz Tue Aug 04, 2009 11:30 pm
scd wrote:
The MPC sends out a CC7 MIDI volume message with value 127 each time you press Play or Record + Play. A lot of of software sequencers use 90 as value for 0 dB (which you want). So this is causing the jumping fader. Unfortunately there is nothing to stop the MPC doing that, it is a global thing and can't be turned off. Unless you set up an autoload folder where every sequence track has a CC7 value 90 programmed at the start (not at the very start of the track, then the global CC7 message wins, but at a few ticks after 01.001) (you can do that in Edit mode).
But I am pretty sure you can filter out CCs in Sampletank? In Logic you can. That would stop that behaviour too, but you can't use the MPCs faders and knobs anymore then to control your software. Unless you can filter out that specific CC7 message.

Hope this helps.

Boele


Boele, is there anyway that we can request this in the next update, because im sure many of us prefer not to have this happen when we hit play.
User avatar
By scd Wed Aug 05, 2009 6:24 am
4dahaterz wrote:
scd wrote:
The MPC sends out a CC7 MIDI volume message with value 127 each time you press Play or Record + Play. A lot of of software sequencers use 90 as value for 0 dB (which you want). So this is causing the jumping fader. Unfortunately there is nothing to stop the MPC doing that, it is a global thing and can't be turned off. Unless you set up an autoload folder where every sequence track has a CC7 value 90 programmed at the start (not at the very start of the track, then the global CC7 message wins, but at a few ticks after 01.001) (you can do that in Edit mode).
But I am pretty sure you can filter out CCs in Sampletank? In Logic you can. That would stop that behaviour too, but you can't use the MPCs faders and knobs anymore then to control your software. Unless you can filter out that specific CC7 message.

Hope this helps.

Boele


Boele, is there anyway that we can request this in the next update, because im sure many of us prefer not to have this happen when we hit play.


It's in the requestlist already. I don't like it either. But one of the engineers said once there is little chance they will change this.
User avatar
By DEWYZEMAN Wed Aug 05, 2009 10:58 pm
^^^You have to adjust the volume first on the the MPC, hit play so the volume changes on your plug in or sound source can be pick up , then record on the MPC its a pain but thats how it works no biggie.
User avatar
By topheavy Fri Aug 07, 2009 10:04 am
I'm having a similar problem with a Novation K Station connected to the 5000. When I press record on the 5000 the first few notes come in at a massive volume. Even when the keyboard's volume is turned down to Zero.

It doesn't happen straight away....bout an hour into a session. Very Annoying. I'm considering some professional MIDI Cables with the proper pins wired to see if that will do the trick.

Hoping to incorporate Cubase 4 this month so hope I don't encounter the same problems

Let us know if you have solved it.

:)
By BxJaze Fri Aug 07, 2009 10:20 am
Well I'm not sure about "solved" but the good thing for me is that I found my Q1 fader controls the master volume of Sampletank as well as the master volume of NNXT in Reason 4. Haven't even had time to try anything else, but maybe the Q1 fader is linked to a CC# that is commonly assigned to master volume functions of plugins?

:?:

(btw make sure your track has MIDI turned on when trying this)
User avatar
By scd Fri Aug 07, 2009 3:09 pm
Jauly wrote:Interesting thread. What is the purpose of the MPC 5000 sending out the MIDI volume?


I think originally this came from the idea the the 5k acts as master and that you can mix down your tracks in your software with the 5k, hence the "default" values send out to be sure you always start out with the initial setting.

But I disagree with this view :) It should have been at least a global choice or something. It's not only level but also panning (CC10) that is send out each time you press play or rec+play by the way.

We'll see what happens with it in the future. It is in the requestlist.
By golfzerosafari Fri Aug 07, 2009 4:39 pm
Jaytim3 wrote:U need to control the volume of the synths and sounds on the mpc.
Press [MODE]+[MIXER](pad7) and then go to trackmixer by pressing F2 from there u can control the volume of each track.



DEWYZEMAN wrote:^^^You have to adjust the volume first on the the MPC, hit play so the volume changes on your plug in or sound source can be pick up , then record on the MPC its a pain but thats how it works no biggie.



The answer???
By jpeele Thu Aug 13, 2009 8:16 pm
Thanks. I was looking for an answer to this problem. Going into the mixer and using track mix to control it works just fine. Not hard to do at all. I didn't ever know that was there.