getting by with a basic set up

hello, I've been reading the forums and thought this would be a good place to get some advice (I hope)

My set up is mpc 2500 os 2xl, turntables, traktor scratch pro and komplete elements. Very humble but I'm having a good time with it. I'm obviously pretty new to all this so at the moment I'm sure I'm doing everything the long way round. I love sampling an keeping it old skool chopping records etc but recently I've got into using komplete 7 elements, the thing is is that I love sequencing on the mpc, I've tried ableton but didn't like the feel as much but when I'm using komplete I'm obviously left with lots of midi tracks, so far I've been converting midi to audio by resampling the sounds in komplete (which are being triggered/sequenced in the mpc) back into the mpc, creating new programs and then deleting and replacing the midi tracks with mpc drum tracks. This whole process takes so long that I'm guessing it's a stupid way, having said that I don't even have a daw (that can save), I simply record straight into traktor scratch pro. I suppose my question is (finally) if I get the paid version of ableton which will allow me to save will I take the following steps...

run my plug ins through ableton, sequence my beats in the mpc, save the project on the mpc as say 'beat 1' then save the ableton project with the same name 'beat 1' so when I load both the same projects on ableton and the mpc it'll be saved correctly the eventually track it out into ableton? sound about right?

thank you and feel very free to laugh at me.

Everything will work the way you want it, but you've just got to decide if Ableton is right for you.

I don't know why, but I can't get on with it, yet my brother loves it. Each to their own...

thanks 4 ur reply, yeah I'm not totally keen either but It's the only one I have the slightest bit of knowledge on. Just hoping it's an easy process to track out the NON midi mpc drum tracks to ableton and get everything in sync, I suppose once all tracks are tracked out it could be an easy way to play with swing by putting some just off grid....I don't even know what I mean by grid as I've only ever used ableton purely as a host for things like kore player and minimonsta so I can easily switch through midi channels.

I'm going to do some research but bearing in mind I want to sequence entirely in the mpc I really only want a something to run plug ins and to track out to. I'm sure there must be something super simple and cheaper out there?

I might even just stick with tracking midi tracks back into the mpc to convert to wav/ drum tracks...just a bit of a waste of mpc memory if I'm having to resample midi tracks that have like 16 bars of keys on, an I really don't have the patience to resample and THEN chop.

cuthbert wrote:I'm sure there must be something super simple and cheaper out there?

You could try Reaper. I don't think it's 'super simple' but it's definitely cheap.


http://www.reaper.fm/

mpc 2500 os 2xl, turntables, traktor scratch pro and komplete elements.

!!! you're calling that basic? that's an awesome setup.

an sp404 + records is basic.
if one is running a DAW your setup is not basic anymore. one's USE might be basic but his tech certainly is not.

+1 on reaper. the greatest feature set for your money if you already have a computer.

ah, thanks for the link. looks cool, shit it's 2.30 am an now it looks like I'll be getting about 17 mins sleep for the night after reading all this.

Nym wrote:

mpc 2500 os 2xl, turntables, traktor scratch pro and komplete elements.

!!! you're calling that basic? that's an awesome setup.

an sp404 + records is basic.
if one is running a DAW your setup is not basic anymore. one's USE might be basic but his tech certainly is not.

+1 on reaper. the greatest feature set for your money if you already have a computer.

Yeah, you know what, I had been reading future music magazine for about 2 hours before posting, you see what marketing does to me!

Well I'm so happy I posted and so grateful for the help, reading all about reaper now. It looks incredible for $40! everything I could ask for.

Thanks!

just one last thing, am I correct in thinking that it's not possible to send fx from an assignable out in the mpc mixer say channel 1?? (using mpc2500 os2xl)

It's no problem, nothing a resample wont fix. I just have it in the back of my mind that fx can only be carried to the stereo outs...

I think you can only use effects with the main outs, but I've never tried as I apply all my processing in the computer.

Nym would know for certain.

Nym wrote:

mpc 2500 os 2xl, turntables, traktor scratch pro and komplete elements.

!!! you're calling that basic? that's an awesome setup.

an sp404 + records is basic.
if one is running a DAW your setup is not basic anymore. one's USE might be basic but his tech certainly is not.

+1 on reaper. the greatest feature set for your money if you already have a computer.

real talk. you can get by on a dubbing cassette recorder and a belt drive turntable if you have the heart for it.

it's not what you have it's how you use it. sounds like you're on the right track.

fx are stereo outs only. some are into using the MPC fx creatively, but i find that for how i use my MPC that the envelopes and loop parameters are what i go to first. if i need fx i use vsts in reaper. the nice thing is that if you use your individual outputs and open them as different tracks in reaper you can go nuts putting all sorts of vsti fx (i use mostly freeware) on the different pad sounds as if the fx were right there in your mpc. you can even control and automate them using ccs. this is why i say your setup is way more than basic - your main limitations are going to be your inventiveness and your patience.

cuthbert wrote:My set up is mpc 2500 os 2xl, turntables, traktor scratch pro and komplete elements. Very humble but I'm having a good time with it.

That is not "very humble" setting at all. It sounds luxurious rather.
My setting: MPC-2000XL, Electribe ES-1, phono-amp, turntable, Portastudio (given to me, used as a mixer), a lot of vinyls.

Nice one nym and yeah forget I said that humble and basic thing. I'm a moron.

nope. you're excited.
morons get stuck with a bunch of sh!t they don't need!!!

just ask me in 2005!!!

that's all you need to make music...some of us including myself had to go through gear lusting phase to realize it aint about the wheel but how you ride it...yea thats how I used to manage my files between ableton and mpc or mv I had at the time. however I think in your situation you might be better off with just reaper...ableton might want to make you quit hardware and go software route