Wiring MPC to hardware and DAW

So you want to use your mpc and synths the same way you did before, and use your DAW to capture the idea and turn it into a finished song, right?? (that's the way I do it)

If that's so, then you have two general approaches. The first one is the simplest.

First approach:
- leave everything in your current system (MPC, synths, effects, mixer) connected exactly like it is.
- buy a simple interface with two input channels and a MIDI input.
- connect your mixer's record or aux output to your interface's inputs.
- connect one of your MPC's MIDI outputs to your interface's MIDI input. You will use that to sync Live to your MPC

Second approach:
- replace your mixer with a bigger interface with multiple inputs and outputs, at least one MIDI input, and a built-in digital mixer. (for example I use a MOTU 828mkII)
-connect all your equipment's audio outputs to your interface. (you may need a patchbay because you have a lot of gear and it will be hard to have it all connected at once)
- connect your interface's main outputs to your monitors
- connect your interface's secondary outputs to the MPC input. You will use this for sampling your synths and effects into the MPC.
- connect one of your MPC's MIDI outputs to your interface's MIDI input. You will use that to sync Live to your MPC


When you're done connecting everything, you can use Live to capture your song... In the first method you will have to record each track in series (mute all other tracks, record the kick drum, then mute the kick and record the snare, then mute the snare and record the synth lead, and so on.....). With the second method, you can record up to 8 (or more - depending on which interface you get) tracks at once. You can also integrate software synths, samplers, and effects more easily with the second method.

Hope this helps.

And I accept cash and credit only...

mp3 wrote:Second approach:
- replace your mixer with a bigger interface with multiple inputs and outputs, at least one MIDI input, and a built-in digital mixer. (for example I use a MOTU 828mkII)
-connect all your equipment's audio outputs to your interface. (you may need a patchbay because you have a lot of gear and it will be hard to have it all connected at once)
- connect your interface's main outputs to your monitors
- connect your interface's secondary outputs to the MPC input. You will use this for sampling your synths and effects into the MPC.
- connect one of your MPC's MIDI outputs to your interface's MIDI input. You will use that to sync Live to your MPC

When you're done connecting everything, you can use Live to capture your song... In the first method you will have to record each track in series (mute all other tracks, record the kick drum, then mute the kick and record the snare, then mute the snare and record the synth lead, and so on.....). With the second method, you can record up to 8 (or more - depending on which interface you get) tracks at once. You can also integrate software synths, samplers, and effects more easily with the second method.

Of course it helps!!!! Thanx a lot!
I did a draw for you about my set up now and what you suggest to see it clearly. Please check it if I did somethong wrong.
It's very important, that the midi keyboard has to communicate eighter the Ableton (MacBookPro) and the synths too. With my setup, I could put every synth to a different MIDI chanel, and different track, so just step to another track I coud control the next synth. In your setup how is this working?

here is the draw:
http://kepfeltoltes.hu/110107/121246891 ... es.hu_.jpg



A képet a Képfeltöltés.hu tárolja. http://www.kepfeltoltes.hu

Something happend with the picture, here comes again:

http://kepfeltoltes.hu/110107/107527107 ... es.hu_.jpg


A képet a Képfeltöltés.hu tárolja. http://www.kepfeltoltes.hu

mp3 wrote:- replace your mixer with a bigger interface with multiple inputs and outputs, at least one MIDI input, and a built-in digital mixer. (for example I use a MOTU 828mkII)
-connect all your equipment's audio outputs to your interface. (you may need a patchbay because you have a lot of gear and it will be hard to have it all connected at once)
- connect your interface's main outputs to your monitors
- connect your interface's secondary outputs to the MPC input. You will use this for sampling your synths and effects into the MPC.
- connect one of your MPC's MIDI outputs to your interface's MIDI input. You will use that to sync Live to your MPC

A lot of friends recomend the MOTU 828mkII. (I've read about that the most popular interface), so it looks like that is the One I have to get it. It has very good FX that's 1 reason why they like it, right? It's quite expensive so I have to get some money for that....
What about the MOTU UltraLite-mk3? It' smaller (half rack), but it's got everything what I need, what do you think?

Your diagrams look perfect. Glad I could help.

With my setup, I could put every synth to a different MIDI chanel, and different track, so just step to another track I coud control the next synth. In your setup how is this working?

I have Ableton Live and softsynths, an Alesis Fusion, Ensoniq ASR-X, and Sony DPS-F7 (it has a built in monosynth and 808/909 emulator) and I use my 1000 to sequence them all. I also use my Fusion as my keyboard controller for softsynths. Right now I have to unplug and replug MIDI connections (my audio connections all go into my patchbay and/or 828).

I could daisy chain everything to my 1000 and just set the MIDI channels like you do, but unplugging and replugging is good for me because mentally it helps me to not have everything connected all at once - I can concentrate more on the device(s) I'm using at that moment. At some point in the future I will upgrade to the 2500 to have more MIDI/audio outputs, but that's not really a priority right now.

Gregbase wrote:A lot of friends recomend the MOTU 828mkII. (I've read about that the most popular interface), so it looks like that is the One I have to get it. It has very good FX that's 1 reason why they like it, right? It's quite expensive so I have to get some money for that....
What about the MOTU UltraLite-mk3? It' smaller (half rack), but it's got everything what I need, what do you think?

actually the 828mkIII is the one with effects. the mkII is the older one that doesn't have effects. I have never used the mkIII or the ultralite, but I have had a great experience with the 828mkII. No problems at all, it just does its job and I don't have to worry about it.

The reason I prefer 828 over the ultralite is that the 828 has an ADAT input/output. With the ADAT, you can easily expand the 828's audio inputs/outputs with an ADAT converter like the Alesis AI3 or Frontier Design Tango 24. So it has room to grow, the ultralite doesn't.

The main thing I love about the 828 is that I can still use it as a mixer/audio router without having to turn on the computer.

mp3 wrote:

Gregbase wrote:A lot of friends recomend the MOTU 828mkII. (I've read about that the most popular interface), so it looks like that is the One I have to get it. It has very good FX that's 1 reason why they like it, right? It's quite expensive so I have to get some money for that....
What about the MOTU UltraLite-mk3? It' smaller (half rack), but it's got everything what I need, what do you think?

actually the 828mkIII is the one with effects. the mkII is the older one that doesn't have effects. I have never used the mkIII or the ultralite, but I have had a great experience with the 828mkII. No problems at all, it just does its job and I don't have to worry about it.

The reason I prefer 828 over the ultralite is that the 828 has an ADAT input/output. With the ADAT, you can easily expand the 828's audio inputs/outputs with an ADAT converter like the Alesis AI3 or Frontier Design Tango 24. So it has room to grow, the ultralite doesn't.

The main thing I love about the 828 is that I can still use it as a mixer/audio router without having to turn on the computer.

I learned something new again. I didn't know that mkII doesn't have a built in effect and this "ADAT" thing was new to me. But on the other hand, do you think that there is a situation when I need more input/output? I really don't know. I mean that is important when I want to record that much thogether, othervise if I do it separately I won't need it. Is there situation when you use that much in/out? And maybe the effect are more useful cause MPC is not famous because the built in effect (although Ableton has a tons....and I've got tons of analog guitarpedals I can use).

You would want more inputs if you wanted record, say, all 8 outs of your mpc, plus all your synths, at the same time.

yes you can do it 'track by track' one at a time, but it's SO nice to just do it all at once...no sync issue, and no redundancy, and you get to hear it as it actually is.

I wouldn't worry about FX in the recording interface...like you suggest, add them later in the DAW.

As for needing more outs, I guess if you were playing back recordings live into another mixer for more hands-on control.

Yeah pretty much what nogginj said. Don't worry about soundcard effects because you have your kaoss pad, your pedals and now you have Ableton and plugins.

I don't think you will need the extra ADAT channels, but you never know... I was just saying that if your studio expands, then the 828 can expand too. The ultralite can't. I've never needed to record more than 8 channels at once... On the other hand, with the ADAT channels, you have less need for a patchbay.

With things like mixers and soundcards, its a good idea to have more channels than you need right now, just in case your needs change in the future.

mp3 wrote:Yeah pretty much what nogginj said. Don't worry about soundcard effects because you have your kaoss pad, your pedals and now you have Ableton and plugins.

I don't think you will need the extra ADAT channels, but you never know... I was just saying that if your studio expands, then the 828 can expand too. The ultralite can't. I've never needed to record more than 8 channels at once... On the other hand, with the ADAT channels, you have less need for a patchbay.

With things like mixers and soundcards, its a good idea to have more channels than you need right now, just in case your needs change in the future.

All right guys, I'll keep your advice and instead of FX I'll buy a bigger 'simple' MOTU interface, in fact I just looked Denver's craigslist (my brother lives there) and find one mkII for 100 bucks!
http://denver.craigslist.org/ele/2141819452.html
My brothers allready wrote to him, but someone put a hold on it. If he's not getting I will!
Is there any other brands what you guys reccomend and it works flawlessly with Mac?

There are a million interfaces out there... But I can't really recommend them because I haven't used them. You will have to do your own research. Read specs, read forums, find out what users think about them, and so on.

I will mention RME Fireface (because I have used an RME before, although not that model). It has a better internal mixer than the MOTU, and better sound quality, and its also rock solid. But its also a lot more expensive.

Gregbase wrote:Something happend with the picture, here comes again:

http://kepfeltoltes.hu/110107/107527107 ... es.hu_.jpg


A képet a Képfeltöltés.hu tárolja. http://www.kepfeltoltes.hu

did you forget the midi connections in the right half?

mp3 wrote:So you want to use your mpc and synths the same way you did before, and use your DAW to capture the idea and turn it into a finished song, right?? (that's the way I do it)

If that's so, then you have two general approaches. The first one is the simplest.

First approach:
- leave everything in your current system (MPC, synths, effects, mixer) connected exactly like it is.
- buy a simple interface with two input channels and a MIDI input.
- connect your mixer's record or aux output to your interface's inputs.
- connect one of your MPC's MIDI outputs to your interface's MIDI input. You will use that to sync Live to your MPC

Second approach:
- replace your mixer with a bigger interface with multiple inputs and outputs, at least one MIDI input, and a built-in digital mixer. (for example I use a MOTU 828mkII)
-connect all your equipment's audio outputs to your interface. (you may need a patchbay because you have a lot of gear and it will be hard to have it all connected at once)
- connect your interface's main outputs to your monitors
- connect your interface's secondary outputs to the MPC input. You will use this for sampling your synths and effects into the MPC.
- connect one of your MPC's MIDI outputs to your interface's MIDI input. You will use that to sync Live to your MPC


When you're done connecting everything, you can use Live to capture your song... In the first method you will have to record each track in series (mute all other tracks, record the kick drum, then mute the kick and record the snare, then mute the snare and record the synth lead, and so on.....). With the second method, you can record up to 8 (or more - depending on which interface you get) tracks at once. You can also integrate software synths, samplers, and effects more easily with the second method.

Hope this helps.

And I accept cash and credit only...

if i dont mind manually aligning the different recordings (first method), do you need a midi connection to the DAW? or does audio drift and such play a role too? (im reading up on midi atm.. but its still vague)

AntonPD wrote:
if i dont mind manually aligning the different recordings (first method), do you need a midi connection to the DAW? or does audio drift and such play a role too? (im reading up on midi atm.. but its still vague)

Yes you can synchronize your tracks manually. Audio drift won't be significant.

You need a MIDI connection between your DAW and your other gear only if you're syncing, sequencing or controlling parameters between them. I find it to be a good common practice because there's almost always some sort of MIDI information I want to send in one direction or the other.

Gregbase:


" It's funny, but I'm not that type. I wish! to walk to the store and get a big pile of gear.

that's me:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKb1V_Qc4iA "


Dope song and video!