Sampling in mpc

hi i just bought a MPC 2500 ive had it for about a week now, id like to know if theres anyone out there who knows if it is possible to sample using the Digidesign Mbox 2 Factory 24-bit USB Audio Interface with 2 Mic Preamps, DI, S/PDIF Audio I/O, (copied this from net to make sure i got the right specs) and if yes what are the connections and the things i need?!? this will be very much appreciated, i really wanna get starting

yes.
simply plug 1/4" cables from the mbox outputs to the mpc inputs.

you could also use a digital/rca cable and use the spdif, but this will likely require one extra setting to check in botht he mpc and the mbox.

you should really just try it.

thank you very much i will try tomorrow, one last question i know this sounds stupid but i have my KRK monitor speakers connected to the outputs so there taken up will i be able to use the 1/4" cables in the DI line and TRS line of the m audio box to the MPC inputs and still hear sound coming out the speakers???

The outputs of my mbox, I want to use to record into the input of the mpc but still have sound playing back to me through the speakers at the same time, but the outputs of the mbox which the monitors are connected to at the back, left and right are used up by my speakers for output sound from my laptop via usb connection.

Would 2 1/4" jack spliters connected at the back of my mbox work.

By that I mean 2 TRS Cables (1/4") plugged into the mpc record in left & right and then those 2 cables going into the 1/4" jack splitter behind my mbox also my 2 speakers' TRS cables plugged into the 1/4" jacks at the same time so I can play audio from my laptop and hear the sound coming out of my speakers and through that same 1/4" jack splitter connection at the back have direct simultaneous sound going into my mpc 2500 for recording/sampling.


So in total 4 cables coming out of my mobox.

in my opinion, i wouldn't mess with splitters. they will reduce your signal level if it's going to two places at once.
also consider that in your scenario you are not talking at all about how you are going to hear the mpc.

you have a couple options.

1) cheapest / most ghetto option
when you are listening to music from your computer, leave your cables plugged from the mbox outs to the monitors. when you want to sample from your computer, plug the outputs of the mbox into the inputs of the mpc. now plug your monitors into the output of the mpc.
(actually, doesn't the mpc2500 have an audio thru? if so, you can just leave the speakers plugged into the output of the mpc, and leave the mbox outs going to the mpc ins. then you can choose audio thru or sampling to sample the mbox into the mpc.)

2) more expensive / proper option
you will need a mixer with sends. you hook the outputs of the mbox into inputs on the mixer. you do the same with the mpc. then you set the send (or mute group, if you got it) to go to the mpc ins. you can then turn up the send / turn on the mute group and send any channel (the mbox) to the mpc for sampling. depending on if you use pre/post fader send or a mute group, you might need to silence the mbox while sampling into the mpc so you don't hear it twice.
this is the way i would go. i use a mackie mixer with a mute group.

finally you dont need to get hung up on TRS cables because the mpc is not balanced anyway. TRS is mainly good for really long distances, helpful in all situations but definitely not necessary (and totally pointless in regards to an mpc).

and a final finally, use splitters if you want. its your style and i encourage you to do your own thing if you are willing to do it.

I found out that the KRK Speakers I'm using at the moment has unbalanced trs connection directly to them at the back so I can have 2 1/4" cables from my mpc 2500 stereo left right out for sound to come out through my speakers directly from the mpc, so that issue is now solved.

I can hear my mpc live, they are active monitors by the way.

I don't know if this changes things with what you just said but thanks a lot for the help.

Also what is the situation with unbalanced and balanced. So is a TRS cable balanced and is an RCA cable unbalanced

What is the difference is one better than the other, in terms of signal flow qaulity of sound and the volume is one going to be quiter or louder than the other.

I know TRS balanced cables are a lot more expensive than the unblanced RCA cable.

I can't really go out of my way to get a mixer at the moment so I'm just going to go with the direct route. I know I'm going to need 4 sets cables would one not work vice versa.

STEREO TRS JACK LEAD / BALANCED NOISELESS CABLE





I'm a complete noob when it comes to this stuff lol

guide for noobs: http://tweakheadz.com/laboratory/index.html

tapedeck wrote:finally you dont need to get hung up on TRS cables because the mpc is not balanced anyway. TRS is mainly good for really long distances, helpful in all situations but definitely not necessary (and totally pointless in regards to an mpc).

MPC2500 is balanced, actually.

Users Manual, p. 117: Specifications.

Jungleman wrote:MPC2500 is balanced, actually.

Users Manual, p. 117: Specifications.

thanks for clearing that up then.