Best Way To Output Sound from IMac W/O Audio Interface?

True, an ill get back to using it for that purpouse but i just wanna focus on makin good music at this moment instead of obsessing on a perfect mix.

ralphyartis' wrote:

DJ Hellfire wrote:Besides, you're not going to be able to get your music ONTO the computer without an interface; unless of course you run both the outputs of the MPC and the computer to mixer which then outputs to an external CD burner, burn your beats to CD, and then rip them back to the computer. Long process, lots of cd's laying around, and you always have to buy cd's, unless you get re-writables.

I had a mixer with usb but i just sold it. it was great but i need the money for bills. Anyway my plan is to mix my beats all in the mpc, songs with vocals and everything. Save to my MPC HD then transfer to computer through usb when im ready to burn cds. so thats pretty simple. so the idea is using the Computer and kontakt simply as a sound module. I only need to output the sound.

I wouldn't do that. From my experience with trying this method, resampling the mpc's output causes some weird phase effect and makes the recording sound poor. Almost like when a Dj blends the same exact spot of the same record. Sounds nice for an effect but not for a mix. Just get an interface. You can get a stripped down version of Pro Tools with interface from Best Buy for $120: http://m.bestbuy.com/m/e/product/detail ... v=prodView. Probably even cheaper on eBay.

DJ Hellfire wrote:

ralphyartis' wrote:

DJ Hellfire wrote:Besides, you're not going to be able to get your music ONTO the computer without an interface; unless of course you run both the outputs of the MPC and the computer to mixer which then outputs to an external CD burner, burn your beats to CD, and then rip them back to the computer. Long process, lots of cd's laying around, and you always have to buy cd's, unless you get re-writables.

I had a mixer with usb but i just sold it. it was great but i need the money for bills. Anyway my plan is to mix my beats all in the mpc, songs with vocals and everything. Save to my MPC HD then transfer to computer through usb when im ready to burn cds. so thats pretty simple. so the idea is using the Computer and kontakt simply as a sound module. I only need to output the sound.

I wouldn't do that. From my experience with trying this method, resampling the mpc's output causes some weird phase effect and makes the recording sound poor. Almost like when a Dj blends the same exact spot of the same record. Sounds nice for an effect but not for a mix. Just get an interface. You can get a stripped down version of Pro Tools with interface from Best Buy for $120: http://m.bestbuy.com/m/e/product/detail ... v=prodView. Probably even cheaper on eBay.

Also, recording the main out limits what you can do.
So I would guess you planned on making a song out of sequences, then converting to a big sequence, then playing that sequence in the record window. Only problem, each track has to be exactly the same throughout. If you have two sub-sequences in the song, and they have different programs on say, track 2, then woop, it's all screwed up. If you have one subsequence where track 2 is muted, and another where it is not muted, woop, it's all screwed up. If you planned on muting and unmuting tracks live to make the song, woop, can't do that. Also, if your main level is at default -12db, woop, your recording is super quiet. Turn it up to 0db, and woop, everything clips bigtime, so you have to lower the level of each sound.
Woop.

So yeah, I'd suggest getting an interface, it's worth the extra money.

I have the mackie onyx blackjack, it's $150, and the out-of-the-box no-drivers-needed compatibility with mac os is great.

sciguy wrote:

DJ Hellfire wrote:

ralphyartis' wrote:I had a mixer with usb but i just sold it. it was great but i need the money for bills. Anyway my plan is to mix my beats all in the mpc, songs with vocals and everything. Save to my MPC HD then transfer to computer through usb when im ready to burn cds. so thats pretty simple. so the idea is using the Computer and kontakt simply as a sound module. I only need to output the sound.

I wouldn't do that. From my experience with trying this method, resampling the mpc's output causes some weird phase effect and makes the recording sound poor. Almost like when a Dj blends the same exact spot of the same record. Sounds nice for an effect but not for a mix. Just get an interface. You can get a stripped down version of Pro Tools with interface from Best Buy for $120: http://m.bestbuy.com/m/e/product/detail ... v=prodView. Probably even cheaper on eBay.

Also, recording the main out limits what you can do.
So I would guess you planned on making a song out of sequences, then converting to a big sequence, then playing that sequence in the record window. Only problem, each track has to be exactly the same throughout. If you have two sub-sequences in the song, and they have different programs on say, track 2, then woop, it's all screwed up. If you have one subsequence where track 2 is muted, and another where it is not muted, woop, it's all screwed up. If you planned on muting and unmuting tracks live to make the song, woop, can't do that. Also, if your main level is at default -12db, woop, your recording is super quiet. Turn it up to 0db, and woop, everything clips bigtime, so you have to lower the level of each sound.
Woop.

So yeah, I'd suggest getting an interface, it's worth the extra money.

I have the mackie onyx blackjack, it's $150, and the out-of-the-box no-drivers-needed compatibility with mac os is great.

This is true, but me personally, even with an interface, I never use a different program for a given track throughout the sequences for a beat just for the sake of song mode. For example, if on sequence one I have track 2 set to a sample program, I'll use that same program for track 2 in ALL the sequences. If I don't need that program in sequence 2 than that track just get's left blank. Coming from an XL, this is how I do it so everything stay in line. But even though the 2500 will switch between different programs on the same track (I believe), I still do it this way. As for the subsequences with mutes, well, a way around that would just be the tedious task of going through the complete song mode for each track and erase the notes you want muted or you can just mute on the fly as long as you remember what you want muted and when. But also on the 2500, it has a simple mute automation feature as well. So while you make valid points, it's things that can be worked around without an interface, which is what I was doing all the way until summer 2008 (Can't believe I waited that long)! But I had an external cd burner. Anyway, the main/only problem I see with dudes method is sound quality and overall convenience!

Thanks for the input and advice, like i said tho im not gonna be gettin an interface. Recording the main output and creating songs within my mpc is not a problem for me. I have my own method that works nicely, similar to what you guys were sayin but not quite. I use loops, before creating a longer sequence in song mode, I'll resample per track or instrument type. For example start with my drums, record a loop, then record my bass track, loop it, then piano, etc... then ill create a entirely new sequence, using audio tracks. This sequence will have all my loops on separate tracks, drums, bass, piano, etc..I can use this as an intro and or hook, then I will create a new sequence that has drums, bass, maybe leave out the piano, and this seq will be used as the verse of my beat. After creating multiple sequences each with a slight variation, I then create a big sequence or song out of these sequences. So muting tracks is not an issue or even necessary and since I'm not recording an entire large sequence in the record window I have lot of ram left for recording vocals. Instead of a 3-5 minute beat, I have loops which sample time likely adss up to less then a minute all together.

@DJHellfire Another question cause im just curious about the bad sound quality you get from recording main outputs, which ive never had a problem with. You've got the 2000xl? im not familiar with it, did you hook up cables from the main out to the record in and do it that way, or do you have an option, as you do with the 1000, in the record window to choose input from analog or main out?

ralphyartis' wrote:@DJHellfire Another question cause im just curious about the bad sound quality you get from recording main outputs, which ive never had a problem with. You've got the 2000xl? im not familiar with it, did you hook up cables from the main out to the record in and do it that way, or do you have an option, as you do with the 1000, in the record window to choose input from analog or main out?

The XL can't record it's own outputs. I've only done it on my 1000.