Benefits of connecting mpc to imac via midi...?

Hey whats up Mpc Students and professors! I am wondering what i can benefit from by using midi or SMPTE to connect from my mpc 2kxl to my Imac /Intel/Snow Leopard.

I have a midi to midi to usb cable and im not sure what i would use it for and what features that would open up for me by using the mpc with my imac somehow...? Searched first of course because Lampdog(a genius) schooled me on the forums..,lol,couldnt find any relative info to help me out.

You would use MIDI to send/receive data like notes, automation, tempo etc. If you have any software on the mac the midi connection would allow communication between the software and hardware.

Thanks for the quick reply "Poundaproblem"=) What would be an ideal program on the imac for use with the mpc? And SMPTE..? What would the use of that be for?

No problem man. Theres an endless list of software. Its really about what you are setting out to do. Check any major music supply website and check their software/DAW section and you'll see what I mean. A common one is Reason. I personally use it because its a straight-forward interface and theres some pretty decent sounds. I use it more as a sound module than anything else. I'm on a 1000 tho so no SMPTE for me

So if im understanding correct ...I would be able to dump sounds from my Imac into the Mpc? And also from Mpc to Imac? If i made a backbone beat in garageband and did the drums on the mpc, could i use midi from the mpc to imac to sync the timing up properly? Thanks again brotha.

Yes and no, the MIDI connection would be transferring the data of whats being played. So lets say you have the sample on the MPC and the drums on the Imac. Thru a MIDI connection you can play them both in sync. But if you took your MPC to a friends house and loaded the file you would see the that the drums are gone. The MIDI data is still there but the audio is still in the host. This is why when using Reason I sample the sounds into the MPC once im done. I like to have everything in one location.

Just remember this one general rule of thumb. MIDI is not audio, just data.

If ya dont mind ,i would like to learn more about it from you . So if its okay could i ask for your help from time to time? Thanks again brother

No prob man, shoot me a PM whenever.

That means alot to me bro, Amor 1 brotha!

I think u can use MIDI to SEND/RECIEVE data. But u need to have a software to connect the mac and midi.

Scotty Traxx wrote:I think u can use MIDI to SEND/RECIEVE data. But u need to have a software to connect the mac and midi.

So how would you do it if you were trying to link your mac with your mpc 2kxl? Just curious bro,thanks

Regarding SMPTE:
SMPTE is another way of sync...its really useful with tape, since a tape machine doesn't have midi sync. It's basically a way of converting a 'sync' signal to an audio signal (think an oldschool modem), recording it, then playing it back, and having the mpc sync to the recording perfectly.

So it might not help you much if you are not using tape, and the most important thing, you probably don't even have it installed. MPCs come with the jacks, but to use it you have to install a smpte chip.

Regarding MIDI Sample Dump:
I have at one point used an old version of soundforge to do 'midi sample dump' which is what you keep asking about (transferring sounds via midi from/to the mpc).

it's worthless, and you should really just forget that it even exists. If you insist, it's on page 183 of the manual.

i used it with my s20 and it took about 10 minutes for one 3 second loop. I basically did it because I was 14 and had the same questions you had, just wanting to do it to do it, but once I learned, I moved on and never did it again.

nogginj wrote:Regarding SMPTE:
SMPTE is another way of sync...its really useful with tape, since a tape machine doesn't have midi sync. It's basically a way of converting a 'sync' signal to an audio signal (think an oldschool modem), recording it, then playing it back, and having the mpc sync to the recording perfectly.

So it might not help you much if you are not using tape, and the most important thing, you probably don't even have it installed. MPCs come with the jacks, but to use it you have to install a smpte chip.

Regarding MIDI Sample Dump:
I have at one point used an old version of soundforge to do 'midi sample dump' which is what you keep asking about (transferring sounds via midi from/to the mpc).

it's worthless, and you should really just forget that it even exists. If you insist, it's on page 183 of the manual.

i used it with my s20 and it took about 10 minutes for one 3 second loop. I basically did it because I was 14 and had the same questions you had, just wanting to do it to do it, but once I learned, I moved on and never did it again.

Its interesting to hear about these things from such skilled users. The reason im so curious is because i have a whole bunch of drum kits & samples on my HD that i want to be able to drop into my Mpc for use, and then i was hoping that after i create a song on the Mpc i could just send it to the imac somehow without having to play the song thru from the mpc from the audio outs...

TL;DR - I think you are expecting this to act like a newer MPC.

You have in your possession a powerful device for the recording studio, not the iPod. Know what I mean?

When this thing came out in the 90s, 'drag and drop' only existed on home computers.

Point is, it aint an ipod. You can't just connect to the mac over usb and everything is easily exchangeable from machine to machine...again, it was designed for the 'recording studio'...you've got to record it.

All these features you want though are standard on the newer mpcs...drag and drop samples, maybe even bounce to disk (don't quote me on that, I dont own a new mpc). You got to consider why you chose to use the old one over the new ones, cause it sounds to me like you want an mpc 1000/2500.

HOWEVER, you can upgrade the machine with a card reader instead of a disk drive, then you can just 'drag and drop' samples to the card, then load those up in the MPC (assuming they are the correct format). You still have to physically take the disk out of the drive, swap it to a usb card reader connected the computer (you'll need that too), and do the drag and drop there.

It's all a very personal choice, and trust me, that's a badass box you got there, but it aint designed for the iPod generation like the new ones are. Personally, I would never trade my XL for a new MPC with drag and drop, but then, I like the process of recording and I only transfer to/from computer for backup purpose.

I hope that comes across without sarcasm (hard on the internet), it really sounds like you are confused to exactly what it is you have, and I'm just trying to break it down in a very basic way.

EDIT for encouragement:
Just want to restate that you have a very capable MPC, and if you can get used to it, you will love it. I think if you just redirect your mindset from 'trying to connect a computer to another music computer', and instead think of it in terms of 'connecting a tape deck (the computer for recording) to a musical instrument (the mpc)', you will be walking down the right path.

nogginj wrote:TL;DR - I think you are expecting this to act like a newer MPC.

You have in your possession a powerful device for the recording studio, not the iPod. Know what I mean?

When this thing came out in the 90s, 'drag and drop' only existed on home computers.

Point is, it aint an ipod. You can't just connect to the mac over usb and everything is easily exchangeable from machine to machine...again, it was designed for the 'recording studio'...you've got to record it.

All these features you want though are standard on the newer mpcs...drag and drop samples, maybe even bounce to disk (don't quote me on that, I dont own a new mpc). You got to consider why you chose to use the old one over the new ones, cause it sounds to me like you want an mpc 1000/2500.

HOWEVER, you can upgrade the machine with a card reader instead of a disk drive, then you can just 'drag and drop' samples to the card, then load those up in the MPC (assuming they are the correct format). You still have to physically take the disk out of the drive, swap it to a usb card reader connected the computer (you'll need that too), and do the drag and drop there.

It's all a very personal choice, and trust me, that's a badass box you got there, but it aint designed for the iPod generation like the new ones are. Personally, I would never trade my XL for a new MPC with drag and drop, but then, I like the process of recording and I only transfer to/from computer for backup purpose.

I hope that comes across without sarcasm (hard on the internet), it really sounds like you are confused to exactly what it is you have, and I'm just trying to break it down in a very basic way.

EDIT for encouragement:
Just want to restate that you have a very capable MPC, and if you can get used to it, you will love it. I think if you just redirect your mindset from 'trying to connect a computer to another music computer', and instead think of it in terms of 'connecting a tape deck (the computer for recording) to a musical instrument (the mpc)', you will be walking down the right path.

I understand and i do really appreciate your words! I have learned quite a few things about this beast over the past years, you can see i have been a member on this site for awhile now,ever since i bought her(lol)! Im also sure there is many many things i have not even yet discovered about it to...I just wanted to make sure i hadnt missed anything huge like a drag and drop option after years of playing like your example of the tape deck..which i might add is a great example. I hope to discover more about it with the help of knowledgable users like your self.

Thanks again,
Me