Studio Set-Up, Connection Assistance, n00btits

(Once I know what I'm doing I plan to be an active member on these forums, so hopefully this topic won't remain my one and only post!)

I need some advice on how to connect my equipment/sync up with a DAW. I'm straight up oblivious! Hopefully someone is patient enough to help out.

I've gott;
Reason 4
MPC500
Old Yamaha Midi Keyboard


I need to connect my Keys and MPC into the DAW at the same time. I've got a single Xmidi usb cable, and an old no name one I've used with my keys. I get very frustrated pushing buttons in graph-like layouts so I'd like to take a more organic approach at crafting beats (I'm investing in a USB pre-amp in the coming months for bass and guitar riffs).
I'm not sure if it's possible to have the sound banks from Reason played off the pads of my MPC and record in Reason. I'm not sure if I'm making much sense! If not I still need some assistance making the MPC record in Reason. I just wanna lay down a drum beat without fiddling with graphs, and my memory card on the MPC is full!
Quite honestly I'm very dense when it comes to the technical aspects and connection issues of recording but I'm trying to learn! I've always been creating music in many fashions but I've yet to bring it all together into one product and I'm fiending to do so more than ever.




So to recap; I want to connect my MPC and Keyboard into Reason simultaneously and basically start recording. I despise clicking a mouse to lay down sounds, having them come from your fingers feels more natural for me!

Any help, and I mean ANY help in any fashion, is appreciate deeply. Thanks for reading!!!

DIE!!

crossings wrote:DIE!!

I believe it's in the forum rules that if you don't have anything constructive to say, you should not post a reply. Or something along those lines.

The "how to make a sandwich" thread is a good laugh, but there's no need to take it to all the other threads where people are asking for help.

There's people out there who are not good with technical stuff and need a hands on approach. I am usually like that for example... MIDI was a great mystery to me until i finally plugged in some cables and fiddled around with some knobs and buttons and read a few manual pages. I am laughing at myself right now and i am grateful i never asked a basic midi setup question, because now that i tried it myself, i see how piss-easy it really is.... but dude, some people learn in different ways. Some come to a forum and ask a dumb question... no need to knock them all down like that.

The dude asked in a nice way and seems like a humble guy trying to learn. Chill out man...

OP: If you want to record audio from your MPC500 and your Keyboard at the same time, you'll need either an audio interface with enough inputs, or a mixer. If you simply want to control sounds on the computer with both machines, you'll need a midi interface with enough inputs/outputs. It sounds like you want to use both machines to control sounds in reason, and use reason as the master (sequencer). Search google, youtube, this forum... for basic midi tutorials.

yeah, if your planning on recording guitar later on, get an audio interface with a midi i/o built in.

jibber wrote:

crossings wrote:DIE!!

I believe it's in the forum rules that if you don't have anything constructive to say, you should not post a reply. Or something along those lines.

The "how to make a sandwich" thread is a good laugh, but there's no need to take it to all the other threads where people are asking for help.

There's people out there who are not good with technical stuff and need a hands on approach. I am usually like that for example... MIDI was a great mystery to me until i finally plugged in some cables and fiddled around with some knobs and buttons and read a few manual pages. I am laughing at myself right now and i am grateful i never asked a basic midi setup question, because now that i tried it myself, i see how piss-easy it really is.... but dude, some people learn in different ways. Some come to a forum and ask a dumb question... no need to knock them all down like that.

The dude asked in a nice way and seems like a humble guy trying to learn. Chill out man...

OP: If you want to record audio from your MPC500 and your Keyboard at the same time, you'll need either an audio interface with enough inputs, or a mixer. If you simply want to control sounds on the computer with both machines, you'll need a midi interface with enough inputs/outputs. It sounds like you want to use both machines to control sounds in reason, and use reason as the master (sequencer). Search google, youtube, this forum... for basic midi tutorials.

it's a damn joke. grow some humor balls, dude.

i thought it was kinda harsh at first too, but that is funny!

crossings wrote:it's a damn joke. grow some humor balls, dude.

It made me laugh at first, and i noticed the smiley at the end, no worries... but the original poster might not take it as a joke... someone already called you a smartass for a similar reply in another thread. What i was trying to say is... it's all good fun, but if you make these jokes in every newbie thread a few people might not find them so funny... in particular the people asking for help. Not the best impression you can give on a forum to newcomers...

crossings wrote:DIE!!

I honestly expected a lot more flaming, it's all good though...I'm sure forums are loaded with people coming and going with ridiculous questions. Just one more, and it'll never stop

damien907 wrote:yeah, if your planning on recording guitar later on, get an audio interface with a midi i/o built in.

Recommendations??? >_<' I was looking at MobilePre it's around $200 and comes with a basic version of ProTools which is very useful to me.


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I knew this was the basic question, I just figured that the ''Getting Started'' section of the forums would be known for such posts. So I figured only people willing to help, or in need of help, would bother frequenting/posting in this section. Also I looked through the searches, it's just you can't get personal feedback to specific problems.
Baby steps over here, I apologize.




I can manage to connect my Keyboard no sweat. I'm pretty sure I synced my MPC500 correctly as well but I'm unclear on how to operate it. Do I have to assign certain sounds to pads???? (Yep, I'm a 'tard)



Thanks for the replies by the way. This is the first time since the post I've been home long enough to breathe due to some things going on, so know that I appreciate the replies even if I'm not prompt with my own.

ok, noob-tits [your word, not mine ]... basically all you need to do is plug your keyboard's MIDI OUT into your MPC's MIDI IN... and then the MPC's MIDI OUT to the MIDI IN of your computer's interface. this way your computer will be receiving MIDI signal from both instruments simultaneously. as far as learning to use your MPC, that's why it comes with a manual... we can't teach you the basics, you gotta do that part on your own. i don't use reason, but i know you can use MIDI instruments as controllers for it... you need to develop a workflow of your own though. put in your time and good luck.

crossings wrote:ok, noob-tits [your word, not mine ]... basically all you need to do is plug your keyboard's MIDI OUT into your MPC's MIDI IN... and then the MPC's MIDI OUT to the MIDI IN of your computer's interface. this way your computer will be receiving MIDI signal from both instruments simultaneously. as far as learning to use your MPC, that's why it comes with a manual... we can't teach you the basics, you gotta do that part on your own. i don't use reason, but i know you can use MIDI instruments as controllers for it... you need to develop a workflow of your own though. put in your time and good luck.

Is that possible with 2 individual USB cables going into my 2 ports or must I invest in another piece of equipment?

regular MIDI cable from the keyboard into the MPC [not usb]. and due to a lack of you having an interface, you can use the usb-midi cable from your MPC to your computer. only 1 usb cable will be used here. you may need to pickup a regular midi cable as well though if you don't have one.