Help with equipment please!!! Command 8, MPC1000, Fantom,PT

Ok guys, I need some assistance. I have been researching and researching and researching but I cant seem to get all my equipment synced up. I have a Command 8, Mbox 2, PT LE, TT, MPC1000, Fantom X6, Avalon 737 and Macbook pro.

What I need to know is how do I set up my mpc to be synced with my keyboard without a mixer and just using what I have. Or do i need a mixer. I have the midi out of the mpc going into the midi in of the fantom and local control is off and I dont get anything. The midi may be transferring correctly but I cant tell because of my audio outputs. Is there anyway I can use the command 8 to hear the midi or do I need a mixer?

Also, from there, how do I get the beat recorded into pro tools where I can just simplify things by using pro tools for my vocal and beat recording...

The only progress I made was being able to play keyboard sounds with my mpc pads and being able to hear it with the fantom audio outs directly to my speaker. Which is useless. I NEED HELP GUYS!

RedRumNWS wrote:Is there anyway I can use the command 8 to hear the midi or do I need a mixer?

MIDI and audio are two different things, and they travel through different cables. You can't hear MIDI. You can hear a synth or sampler being controlled by a MIDI signal, but to hear and record that, you need to hook the outputs of that instrument to the ins on your MBox.

I think you need to put some stuff away and tackle your rig one component at a time. If it were me, I'd sit down with the MacBook and MBox and figure out the basics of recording, getting audio in, monitoring, overdubbing, etc. Then introduce the Control 8 control surface, and then your instruments.

Before any of that, I'd do some hard booking on recording.

sorry that was a typo, i know midi sends information which is what I was trying to say in my first post. my question is how to hear the audio from my Keyboard and mpc1000 WITHOUT A MIXER. I just want to know if that is possible. I have been dealing with pro tools, recording vocals and using the command 8 as a controller for a couple of years now so i dont need the basics on that. but I just started working with midi and mpc. Basically, I'm new to producing. I just want to know if I should consider selling my command 8 to purchase a mixer or if that is not necessary and I could just use my command 8. I don't mind using the mouse to control pro tools until I get ready to purchase another controller. Syncing the keyboard with my mpc is of higher priority right now with what I am trying to acheive.

I have recorded keyboard beats before into pro tools without any problem. I just want to know how to record sound from both the mpc and keyboard simultaneously without a mixer and being able to hear it on my krk monitors. is that possible? or am i limited to my mbox 2 ins.

Thanx for the reply nellium

OK, That makes sense. Sorry if my last post aimed too low. Unfortunately, you are limited to the two analog ins. You also have SPDIF digital I/O on the MBox and the MPC. You could try recording the MPC to the digital ins and the Fantom to analog, assuming you don't want any signal processing on the MPC before it goes to your hard drive.

Barring that, if you want to hear stereo outs from both instruments, you either need a mixer or a different audio interface with more analog ins. If you get a mixer, you can record each instrument in separate passes to their own tracks. Takes a little longer, that's all. If you can afford the mixer and the Control 8, do it. For inexpensive mixers that don't corrupt your sound, I like Allen and Heath.

ok that makes sense, looks like I will be purchasing a mixer.

So, I have two follow up questions pretty simple. Not for me but for you guys...

If i am syncing my fantom X6 to my mpc. mpc being the master, fantom being the slave. Is that possible with out the mixer? and other words, can I still transfer midi data and sync the two instruments where I can press play on the mpc and it will play the keyboard sounds. If so then I need to revisit my connection because I can play the keyboard sounds on the mpc pads but I want to be able to play the keys and have that synced with my drums and samples on the mpc. Let me know if it sounds like my connections are right but I just need to get a mixer to see that!?

Mpc midi out A to fantom midi in
mpc midi in to fantom midi out
fantom local control off
fantom mtc set to slave not master
Mpc settings agree with midi connections such as midi out A, mpc midi setting Omni A, track settings midi 1A. etc...

Probably need someone with a phantom to help me out with that one.


NEXT QUESTION

Whats a good cheap simple mixer to plug in both my mpc and phantom into while maintaing the sound quality? nellium suggest allen and heath? any models in particular? Im looking for less than 500 if possible...

Thanks a milli

mixer:

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/ZED14/

I use a Mackie, and it's not awful as long as I don't use the EQ's. However, the A&H is a step up from what I've got, IMO>

wow , no offense but i think its mind boggling that you have a avalon 737 , 1k AND x6 and you dont know what midi is...

i use the avalon as my mic pre and thats it and I just recently start using a 1k. as far as the fantom, it isn't mine its my partners but recently he has just been leaving it in my studio so I'm trying to figure out how to get everything working. I don't do everything alone, I have team whether its musicians, producers, etc...

I know what midi is sir, just dont have much experience in it.

Yea distantb... that Allen & Heath seems like it would work great with what I am trying to do. When I get one I will be back with another topic to see if it actually works.

And since you mention the avalon 737, any one has one. I wouldnt mind learning more about good settings to get a better sound. I mostly experiment with each vocalist but im sure its some eq/compressor tips out there.

Im working with a shure ksm27 so I will probably need to upgrade mics later on also.

sounds like your midi connections are right.

You can hook the fantom audio outputs directly into the 1k (analog or digital, you pick), and use the Input thru function. Then you don't need a mixer... I'm surprised nobody else mentioned that...

are you serious? so I would be able to hear the fantom and the mpc somehow out of the mpc? so that means keeping my monitors plugged into the mpc. How does the input thru function work and how do I activate it?

Input thru just passes whatever signal is at the inputs straight to the outputs. Its the same as input monitoring in the Record screen, except that it stays on. You can monitor either the analog or digital inputs, but not both. I would prolly choose digital to have a cleaner signal, plus you could still have your turntable or whatever hooked up to the analog inputs for sampling purposes.

In JJ OS1 and OS2: In the main screen hold SHIFT and press F6.

In Akai OS (and I believe the free JJ os 3.08): Press Mode -> Pad 8 then press F5.

You can also add 1k effects to the incoming signal, although I don't know why you would want to do that, the effects in the fantom are way better. You can also do realtime pitch shift to the input signal, although again, you would be better off transposing the MIDI notes in the Fantom.

Hi guys! I have a similar setup but ive also got a kaoss pad pk2, I dont have a pc atm but about 2 weeks ago i bought a mixer/interface (alesis multimix 2.0 usb) and monitors aswell as stands etc for everything, i thought i would wait and buy a pc soon for recording so that i can record each instrument on different channels etc. However i would love to record some stuff before i get the pc as i have not used the kaoss pad and the fantom for recording yet (used to make tracks on the mpc100). Any ideas of how I would get my setup temporarily working untill i get the pc? or rather what to have going trough the kaoss pad (mpc or fantom?) hope this makes sence lol. I would really appreciate some helpful respone. Thanks / Kim

onesixfour wrote:Hi guys! I have a similar setup but ive also got a kaoss pad pk2, I dont have a pc atm but about 2 weeks ago i bought a mixer/interface (alesis multimix 2.0 usb) and monitors aswell as stands etc for everything, i thought i would wait and buy a pc soon for recording so that i can record each instrument on different channels etc. However i would love to record some stuff before i get the pc as i have not used the kaoss pad and the fantom for recording yet (used to make tracks on the mpc100). Any ideas of how I would get my setup temporarily working untill i get the pc? or rather what to have going trough the kaoss pad (mpc or fantom?) hope this makes sence lol. I would really appreciate some helpful respone. Thanks / Kim

Yes, start by RTFM! !! your equipment came with its all in there...why not run fantom through mpc then mpc through kaoss pad if that makes sense

konc3pt wrote:

onesixfour wrote:Yes, start by RTFM! !! your equipment came with its all in there...why not run fantom through mpc then mpc through kaoss pad if that makes sense

Thanks thats all i wanted to know...going upstairs to rewire this mofo, cheers

cheers mate!