Update to tracking in method...

In a previous post I mentioned that the way I was tracking into pro-tools was duplicating the sequence or sequences and muting everything except for one track for each sequence- laying these out in song mode and then recording into protools one track at a time - building up your layers of kick,hats,sample, snare etc to be cut in protools and assigned their own channel within pro tools -

I would like to update this now by suggesting that if your DA converter - IE Mbox or similar is not of a great quality you can use the mpc's own sampler to record you output - or input back from a mixing desk (with external synths etc running aswell).

I have found that using the 4k to do the DA conversion works really well - as we all know it's sampler is excellent and very clean (compared to an MBOX) - then you just save the whole sample you make of the 'split tracks' to a USB and import it into protools...Sounds way way way better...

Just another Idea of how to get the most out of your 4K!

If anyone wants to use this idea but dosen't get it - PM me your Questions - Peace

some one PMed me and I ended up writing a more detailed break down - here it is


Okay since you have a song structure with many different tracks and sequences (of different drum patterns) this may take you ten minutes. if your first sequence has 15 tracks copy the sequence 15 times. Then use the mute window to mute 14 of the tracks in each of the 15 sequences you have made. Leaving a different track on in each of the 15 sequences. Then go into song mode and create a song that plays each of the 15 sequences one after the other. Now open the recording window and set up yo record either the digital out or analogue in (analogue in will sound warmer _ but be careful not to overload the input). Turn your monitor out off!

Repeat this for each of your original sequences_adding them into the song.

Once you have recorded all the separate tracks as one long sample.save the sample to usb stick, and import it into a new protools session that had the same sample rate as your mpc, ie 44.1 or 48 khz.

Change the tempo of the pro tools session to match the mpc tempo. In grid mode cut the sample up and pull the cut up sections of your different mpc tracks down into their own track within protools.


They should all line up perfectly!


oh yeah remember to zoom in and look closely at the import ed sample, and trim and slide it to the start of the bar before you cut it up in grid mode.

Good luck! **** this took me along time to write on my samsung phone, fortunately i'm pretty bored at work today. Lol

That is fecking smart...!

Wow dude this is an excellent trick, you can definitely get a much better sound because you can just bypass your audio interface all together.. Can you set the 4000 to start recording at the beginning of each track so they are all starting at the same time, or do you just need to place a sound at the beginning of each track to ensure the recording starts at the very beginning? For sounds that dont start at the very beginning of the sequence. you would have to line them back up in the DAW which could make it off beat slightly. I bet doing it this way does really sound alot better than tracking it into the computer.

*edit - I tried it and it works great. need to make sure the sample rate is the same in your DAW or else the loop will be off. For tracks that dont start at the very beginning of the sequence (like the snare), you just need to add a sound in the beginning of the sequence so the recording starts at the very beginning...

Im good with my ADAT and S/PIDF.

*edit - I tried it and it works great. need to make sure the sample rate is the same in your DAW or else the loop will be off. For tracks that dont start at the very beginning of the sequence (like the snare), you just need to add a sound in the beginning of the sequence so the recording starts at the very beginning...

Glad you like the trick - not quite sure you have fully grasped it though....you don't need to put sounds at the beginning...re read my post - it's all about making a song structure that incorporates all of the elements on your beat in solo. then you record the whole song as a sample and only cut it into sections once it's in the timeline of you DAW. good luck

I would guess when you say mBox you are referring to one of the mBox versions that came in blue such as the original mBox or the mBox 2?

The Avid mBox or mBox Pro is on a whole different level compared to the 4k.

I have had a blue avid mbox and currently own a digi003- I think the 4K sounds better than both...The Z8 Sampling chip in the 4K is an awesome bit of technology - the mbox is a mass produced entry level bit of gear...don't have to agree, but do listen to the difference

grassroots wrote:I have had a blue avid mbox and currently own a digi003- I think the 4K sounds better than both...The Z8 Sampling chip in the 4K is an awesome bit of technology - the mbox is a mass produced entry level bit of gear...don't have to agree, but do listen to the difference

And none of them compare to the AVID mBox.
If you had a blue mBox it was still Digi (light blue is mBox, dark blue is mBox 2)

The AVID mBox is the dark machine gray unit and the converters on the mBox3 and mBox 3 Pro far exceed those of the 003 series.
The AVID mBox mini doesn't have the same converters as the other two.

The sound of the Z-series doesn't compare.

Funny how you called the mBox mass produced like the 4k wasn't.

? if your gonna quote me and take a jab then at least get your quotes right..

I said "mass produced ENTRY level". while the Z8 may or may not be mass produced it was never an entry level sampling chip...akai products containing the Z8 chip were several thousand dollars on release while the MBOX is available for several hundred.

Thanks for the heads up on the quality improvement in the new MBOX - I hadn't investigated it as I'm so accustomed to manufacturers changing the exterior of a unit and keeping the insides much the same - will look into that now. Peace

grassroots wrote:? if your gonna quote me and take a jab then at least get your quotes right..

I said "mass produced ENTRY level". while the Z8 may or may not be mass produced it was never an entry level sampling chip...akai products containing the Z8 chip were several thousand dollars on release while the MBOX is available for several hundred.

Thanks for the heads up on the quality improvement in the new MBOX - I hadn't investigated it as I'm so accustomed to manufacturers changing the exterior of a unit and keeping the insides much the same - will look into that now. Peace

That's cool and all but I just feel people tend to overrate the Akai Z-series.

Back when I got my 4k nothing about it impressed me sound wise.
Both the Rosetta and the PSX sounded better at 44 than the 4k at 96, even the Lucid converters sounded better.

As far as MPs the 4k stands above it's just when people compare them to the real world solutions that I disagree.

yeah I wish I could afford a Rossetta, or high end ADAT- I picked up a frontier tango for pretty cheap - and feel that it is a significant improvement over the 003 ad converters. The tango sounds pretty similar in quality to the 4K.

Hey at the end of the day I know people with a five year shitty old m audio interface that are making massive tunes that sound as good a the pro stuff - so It's what you do with what you got that counts...