MPC to ableton, effects on certain tracks

Depends which audio card you've got. Usually onboard cards aren't all that, and with a dedicated audio interface you get more routing options to and from your computer. Your choice at the end of the day, if you can find suitable cables then try it without.

alright scoobylol finally I'm all set up ready to go. I followed your diagram completely and everything works beautifully. Now how do I set this up with ableton?

kpacardo wrote:alright scoobylol finally I'm all set up ready to go. I followed your diagram completely and everything works beautifully. Now how do I set this up with ableton?

Basically what you need is an input and output through Ableton. You can do that with a single audio track if you want. You can then place all your effects on that one channel, and consider it an FX box with unlimited possibilities.

Essentially you just have to make sure everything is set up correctly in the preferences so that the sound coming from the SEND on your mixer is going to the INPUT you choose in the audio channel, and the OUTPUT from that same channel is going to the RETURN on your mixer.

But because of Ableton's routing there's a LOT more possibilities. For example there's nothing stopping you having several tracks in Ableton all receiving audio externally, being processed (even having a few send/return tracks in Ableton), being grouped and processed further, and then routing everything to the master channel, which can be used as the RETURN to your mixer.

Basically you've got a gigantic FX resource with unlimited possibilities. Your only limitation will be the connections between the mixer and your computer. But even doing it the way I've suggested will give you a lot of scope for processing, and the beauty of doing it on the send/return is that you can balance it with original unprocessed signal at any time so you don't overcook it.

If you do decide you like what's happening just in Ableton, you can also record the signal as it's being processed. Bounce it down to audio and put it back into your MPC.

I think you're going to have a lot of fun experimenting

nice, yeah experimenting will be fun. just one last thing. What was the point of connecting a cord from the assignable outs of my mpc to another channel on the mixer?

Using the assignable outputs into the mixer means you can roughly seperate your mix. Perhaps into drum, samples, percussion, vocals, other etc... Firstly it means you can use the mixers EQ to shape the sounds a little further.

But this is also important because when you're using the SEND/RETURN it means you can now apply the FX in Ableton to each of those seperately, as much or as little as you want. As opposed to applying the FX over a stereo-mix.

I suggested this because the thread title was asking how to achieve effects on certain tracks and not over the entire MPC output.

ah i see, well i'll just experiment with everything now. this should be fun.

thanks for all your help scoobylol

Anytime dude. Don't forget to share your results, and next time someone on here asks a similar question you can contribute with whatever you learn

hey scoobylol, it's been a while

I'm only asking you this now because I didn't know what really was going on back then, basically right now I have 1/4" cords connecting assignable outputs 1 and 2 to the yamaha mixer on channel 1...but they have just been sitting there doing nothing.

My main question is, how can I configure ableton now to record different tracks from my mpc? (eg. hi-hats on track 1, snare on track 2, when they are recorded into ableton it will be in sync but only recording their own separate tracks)

my second question is, what would happen if I have lets say, 16 multiple tracks? would I need more 1/4" cables to hook into more separate channels? how does this work?

thanks

You can record multiple individual tracks in Ableton, but it depends on how many inputs your soundcard has.

Otherwise just add as many new tracks as you need in Ableton, and make sure every track has the little "record" box checked at the bottom. You will have to hold down a command while you click, otherwise it will simply switch between each one.

EDIT: Also don't forget to assign the correct inputs on each channel in Ableton. For example:

Track 1 in Ableton would have the sound coming from input 1 soundcard/assignable out 1 on MPC.

Track 2 in Ableton would have the sound coming from input 2 soundcard/assignable out 2 on MPC.

And so on...

As a workaround you could of course record as many as your soundcard will allow at one time, then record the rest using the method above. So say do 4 at a time.

But this method will only work if you're going straight from you MPC into your soundcard. I don't think your mixer will have an individual output for each channel haha.

I'm not sure what you're asking with the second question dude. But you are limited to 8 individual assignable outputs on the MPC, depending on the model. There's no getting around that really, so I'd suggest grouping similar sounds together that will have similar processing.

scoobylol wrote:

EDIT: Also don't forget to assign the correct inputs on each channel in Ableton. For example:

Track 1 in Ableton would have the sound coming from input 1 soundcard/assignable out 1 on MPC.

Track 2 in Ableton would have the sound coming from input 2 soundcard/assignable out 2 on MPC.

This step right here is what I'm having trouble with. I don't know how to assign the correct inputs on each channel in ableton.

I create multiple tracks in ableton and when I press play on my MPC, the tracks record the same sounds each. In ableton, the Input type is "ext.in" and the output type is "Master" Do I have to configure it on the mpc somehow? what settings do I change? Does this have anything to do with pressing "MODE" and pad 9 for MIDI/SYNC? I don't have a midi connection though, I'm only using the 1/4" cables from the assignable outputs to another channel on my yamaha mixer like you drew up for me

sorry about asking you so many questions ahha, it's hard to explain this one..

In Ableton for each track you will see "Audio From".

Right below that you will see "Ext. In".

Below that again you will see various options for any inputs you have configured in Ableton. This will be listed as "1/2" or "1" and "2".

1/2 = recording both inputs into one track.
1 = just input one into a track.
2 = the other input into one track.

3/4 = recording inputs 3 and 4 into one track.

and so on...

If you're having trouble you should go into the preferences menu. Click on the "Audio" tab, and then next to "Channel configuration" you will be able to sort your inputs out.

Bare in mind this is completely dependant on the physical connections on your soundcard, and as I said before you might have to omit your Yamaha mixer if you want to use your assignable outputs from the MPC, because your mixer will not have enough outputs.

(If you think about it the mixer is there to collect several audio signals and route them so they only come out of a couple of outputs.)

So while on my screen I can select inputs 5 and 6 to record sound, they only exist because my hardware has 6 physical connections.

What I would suggest is that you plug your 1/4" jacks from your assignable outputs directly into your soundcard.

Also, don't forget that you have to assign your channels in the MPC to those outputs on the MPCs internal mixer.