Tracking mpc500 to garageband?

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Tracking mpc500 to garageband?

By Felly Thu Apr 21, 2011 5:45 pm
I've been thinking about getting logic or protools and other stuff like that, but now I'm thinking I should just stick with what I know and use garageband. I'm not 100% sure what tracking out means, so correct me if I'm wrong, but basically I'm just trying to play my mpc 500, midi keyboard, and microkorg all together and create visible sequences in garageband. By tracking out, i'm wondering if theres any way I can set up mpc sequences on garageband so each track can be an individual track - for example, for a drum sequence I'm trying to have multiple tracks on garageband for kick, snare, hi hats, etc. (so I can alter them and put whatever garageband effects on them)

What equipment would I need for this? Or do I already have what I need?

Currently I have
Krk monitors
Usb Audiobox, that I play my mpc through.
Mpc 500
Microkorg
Usb midi keyboard




Lately I've just been making the entire beat on my mpc, then just recording my audiobox into audacity on my computer. However once its recorded into audacity, it's the final version and I do not like this. I definitely want to be able to see my full project on my computer and be able to master it through garageband and track things out.

Please let me know how I can do this, what I will need?

Thanks alot guys I really appreciate it
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Re: Tracking mpc500 to garageband?

By Fung45 Thu Apr 21, 2011 6:00 pm
Felly wrote:i'm wondering if theres any way I can set up mpc sequences on garageband so each track can be an individual track - for example, for a drum sequence I'm trying to have multiple tracks on garageband for kick, snare, hi hats, etc. (so I can alter them and put whatever garageband effects on them)

What equipment would I need for this? Or do I already have what I need?

...master it through garageband and track things out.

Since the 500 only has stereo outs, if you want individual sounds from the MPC on individual tracks in garageband you will have to mute all the sounds except the one you want and record that out, then the next then the next. If you had a sampler with many assignable outputs (such as the 8-outs expansion card in some MPCs) and an audio interface with multiple inputs you could do many sounds in one pass, but with the 500 no such luck. Also, you're probably talking about mixing not mastering. Mastering is something a trained mastering engineer does, usually with expensive gear or plugins. It's the final step to polish your songs before release.

Re: Tracking mpc500 to garageband?

By Mastakilla Thu Apr 28, 2011 10:33 am
The USB audio box will probably suffice for tracking out. The most difficult part is syncing the mpc with your software. It's not rocket science but you will have to learn a little bit of technical stuff about time code. Basically you're going to have to transmit MIDI Clock or MIDI Time Code to the 500. I'm on the XL so idk what clocking format the 500 accepts. I use MIDI Clock with Song position pointer to track my XL into Logic. I'm assuming this can prolly be done via usb with the 500, but idk if thats the case, idk if it has midi IN either. but basically it will have to accept midi IN via MIDI cable or USB for this to work. There will be a menu somewhere in ur manual dealing with Synchronization I'm sure. You just have to set the 500 to "accept" time code. It should tell you what format. And then somewhere in Garage Band (assuming garage band is capable of this, I'm in logic so again... idk), usually in a preferences menu, you can choose what form of time code you're broadcasting and then when you record the audio into your software sequencer, everything will be perfectly aligned. ya dig?
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