Reviews and questions about the entry-level MPC500
By HellWig Fri Oct 14, 2011 6:27 pm
Hello,

Please help! I'm having the most frustrating time figuring this out. I'm completely at a loss at this point, so I'm turning to you guys. Here's what I'm trying to do:
Program a sequence on the mpc that triggers a melody on my synth via midi notes, and also automatically triggers some samples I have loaded in the MPC500 at the same time during said melody.

Seems simple, but I seriously cannot get this to happen! I've tried recording the whole sequence as one track, with the sample pads triggering the sample and midi note simultaneously; when I do that, on playback of the sequence, I cannot hear the samples, only the melody from my synth.
I've also tried to have one track of the sequence handle the midi, and a second track playing only the sample pads. On playback I can only hear the synth melody again.

The ultimate goal is to program a sequence that triggers two separate melodies on two separate synths via midi, and then have some samples playing simultaneously. Since my live setup is quite elaborate, I really want as many things to be automated as possible i.e. I don't want to physically hit the pads for every sample in real time while performing. My assumption is that this is possible with a 500, but at this point I can't even figure out getting one synth to trigger along with samples :/. Losing my mind.

If anyone can be of help I would really appreciate it. I feel like I've tried every setting and configuration possible and nothing has worked as of yet. THANKS IN ADVANCE!!!
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By bliprock Sat Oct 15, 2011 1:05 am
check you programs ... every track has a program. The program has the samples assigned to pads, so if you get samples playing on that track, your half way there... Every pad has a sample assignment, in midi every pad is a midi note. So if you play a melody with midi, every pad is a different note and it wont be same pads being triggered as in your programm. make sense??? good idea is seperate tracks in the sequence,. one midi, other is sample programme
By HellWig Tue Oct 18, 2011 10:06 pm
Thanks for the reply.
I am able to play and hear the samples on the pads while the sequence is running. Even when I'm recording, everything sounds exactly how I want it to play back. But then after everything is recorded, the samples are absent when I play back the sequence. Everything else is there but the samples.

I have everything on separate tracks in the sequence - midi notes to trigger the synth on track one, samples being played on track two.

I feel like this should work, since during recording everything sounds as it should. Any advice?

Thanks again!
By HellWig Fri Oct 28, 2011 4:14 am
I was able to figure this out (in a way), due to bliprocks advice. I've started using a different program for every sequence and sample, so every element is separated.

However, I'm pretty sure something is messed up in my mpc, because, again, I can assign samples to pads within a program, hit those pads during recording and hear them just fine. then upon playback, no sound from those assigned pads. I figured out how to bypass this problem this way:

well, first i should say i figured it out because i did and experiment and tried to write the part of the sequence that was giving me trouble by using just using the step edit function; it was then i realized not all of the pads were available to choose from on the step edit. Say I wanted to insert a pad on 1.01.01; when i cycled through the available pads, only A1 thru A5 were available to choose from. Very strange. BUT, that just gave me the idea to only assign samples to those five pads, which is what I did. Since then, I've only assigned samples to these pads (A1-A5) on each program i use. And its worked, the samples are audible on playback.

so mpc5oo, try that. Create a new program, assign it to a track, set track to DRUM. Go to step edit mode, choose insert;pad, then scroll through the data wheel. If only a few pads come up as options, you're having the same problem i have. in that case, assign sample only to the pads that appear on the step edit. as long as you keep with those, everything should work.

Definitely sucks though. Good luck
By MPC5oo Mon Oct 31, 2011 7:19 pm
Thanks for your quick answer HellWig.
I'm still having some problems achieving what I want to do.

Let me explain better and maybe someone on the forum could help.
And tell me where I'm doing wrong.

I have a song made in cubase on my computer and I'd like to transfer it to my mpc500.

It's a simple one. A Beat (bassDrum+Snare) and a virtual instrument bass.
I'd like to transfer the Beat as audio, and the bass as midi.
The idea is to have the mpc playing the Beat and outputing in midi the bass part to an external sound module, so I could tweak it.

What I did:
Bounced the beat as .wav & Exported the bass as midi file.
With MpcMaid, I did export a program with the Beat sample.

I created a folder on my Mpc card with the beat sample, the .pgm file (created from mpcmaid) and added the bass .mid file.

Back onto the Mpc, I can load the pgm and play the beat sample.
The problem comes with the midi file.

It seems I can only load it in an unused sequence.
The result beeing that I can have 2 sequences.
Seq1: with the beat sample
Seq2: with the midi file outputing to the sound module
But it seems I can't play both in the same time.

From my understanding, I shall 2 create tracks. Into one sequence.
Track1:The .wav
Track2:The midi file

But i can't load the midi file onto a track.

I am actually getting quite confused. and also between tracks and sequences. Which one 'contains' the other ?


Thanks for your help!!
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By bliprock Sat Nov 12, 2011 7:28 am
ok ok ok, its a lot simpler than you guys are making it.
RTFM of course. MPC maid is a step that is not needed for a start. Make program in MPC. but before we talk bout that lets go back to the beginning.
As a rule you will want a seperate track for a midi part, like your bassline, and of course a drum track for your drums. All in the same sequence of course, so it plays together at the same time.
The MPC loads .wav and midi files. So first export them and load onto MPC500.
I actually would even export midi file for drum track as well and load samples instead of loop. will save memory and will allow you to rearrange the beat. But first deal with one problema at a time. :)
I was gonna say just copy track from one sequence to another. you can do that.But if midi import makes a sequence and midi sequence will have notes in there, so find the track and look at the sequencer to make sure notes are there. if not, you have not exported midi file correctly. So half way there right. Now set this track to midi channel number corresponding to the external synth or what ever you are using. then play. you will hear bassline right? if not check note velocity and external midi device recieve channel match. If note velocity is low you might not hear it.
now go to another track in the sequence and make this drums! load that drum loop and assign to pad. hit record +stop i think from memory and hit pad you assigned the drum loop to and that should make a sequence with that pad with drum loop at the beginning of the sequence. So when you hit start both drum loop and midi bassline will play. Of course probably not in time unless you know tempo of loop. make sure it matchs - which brings me to the point about exporting that drum beat as midi and it will always be in time. thats a bit more complicated, so get the basics sorted first
good luck