Which cables go where?

I'll admit I still don't get the whole concept of midi and how it works...

Hit a note on a keyboard, get a sound out of a sound source.

That's the whole concept. :]

The keyboard can be any midi keyboard (keyboard/mpc/sequencer).
The sound source can be any midi soundmaker (synth/sampler/etc).


Now, as for your problem, think about what the guys above said, don't just blow it off as some cliche that gets thrown at newbies. Really consider it.
One step at a time.

Step 1 - hook up your mpc to your novation (forget the keyboard for now). Configure your track and cables and everything so that when you hit a pad on the mpc, sound comes out of your novation. While you're at it, go ahead and sequence the notes too.

I'll leave it at that for now...come back once you got that working. One reason I say do it like this, is because what your describing sounds totally crazy, so, you need to eliminate things like user error, cable error, routing error, feedback errors, etc etc.

I guess I get the basic concept of midi then, it's just setting local control on and off for different units, midi channels, the midi thru socket, etc. that I'm not fully understanding, but unless it has something directly to do with my problem, I'll figure it out later.

I don't intend to dismiss anyone who has a suggestion for my problem. No one's even obligated to help and I appreciate anything I can get, but the reason I worded my last post the way I did was because I did everything that was suggested and made a point to post how I took those things into consideration. On top of that, it may seem like I may need some patience, but who knows if I'm even having trouble with connections. Maybe I have to reinstall drivers for my keystation or maybe I have to try to get a refund from the ebay seller who sold me the novation because the units **** up (my real concern).

nogginj, I did what you had suggested with the controller midi out-mpc midi in and the mpc midi out-novation midi in and created a new program named "program01" and recorded a sequence with type:midi and midi:1A on the main pg. Ran into one of the problems I had before- the mpc recorded the sequence, as well as the novation program, but then I wasn't able to change the novation to another program. Tried your suggestion on renaming the mpc program to an abbreviation of the novation program, "Na60", and had no luck. I also hooked up the controller to the novation without the mpc and everything works fine, and with that said, I'm assuming there's no problem with my a-station, but I'm still clueless.

^^^ TBH & IMO, I wouldn't look towards the mpc as my master sequence controller right now. I think for a beginner, it's too complicated with having to understand midi basics & routing techniques. But that's just me looking at it from another point of view.

I think the preferred method should be to use a daw as your master seq controller and slave your mpc sequences to that first. Then later on, once you feel more comfortable with working outside the box, then you can start using the mpc as the master sequence controller & roll from there.

That's why I mentioned a great deal of patience needs to be adhered to first, or all it's going to do is frustrate the sh!t outta you if you don't.

Yeah man, I actually wanted nothing to do with vst's, daw's, or anything dealing with a computer. That's just me though, I like messing around with gear instead (if I can get it to work right).

see i am with you, jvg, i use the mpc to get away from the computer. i also think that's a good route for a beginner because the computer is just another level of complexity.

but still i think you're doing too much at once. what i said was, unplug the keyboard, get the mpc ONLY triggering the novation.

Glad you tried it without the mpc, sounds like your keyb and synth work fine.

Now, try to set it up that same way but have the mpc replace the keyboard. DONT hook the keyboard up yet. On your main screen set your channel 1-a and just see if you can get the novation to make any notes on any program.

when i mentioned naming a track the progam name, that is only for a reference, that does not make the novation automatically call up the right program. to do that you set the PGM field on the main screen to a pgm number other than OFF.

But again, that can get a little complicated and even behave erratically if you do it improperly, and that's easy to do (set it improperly, that is).

also, clarify this?:

the mpc recorded the sequence, as well as the novation program, but then I wasn't able to change the novation to another program.