MPC settings for ADAT multitracking ? Please help !

Hi friends. I'm trying to multitrack through the ADAT of the MPC 5000. I bought an RME interface specially for this reason and now I understand that there's something so simple that I can't figure out. Multitracking was my dream for 2 years ago and now when I made everything to make it happen - I can't make it. Would you please tell me how do you set each track (TRACK) on the MPC5000 on it's own channel so they can be detected in the DAW as ADAT channels 1-8 and record them simultaneously.

All I can do for now is to record the main outs of the MPC or each of the three synths I'm using but this way I can't track out each track individually ... There is something that has to be done on the MPC itself to separate 8 tracks on 8 channels. Please help me !

I know that our friend psr has much experience with the 5000 so I hope he'll help too. Thanks !

OK I can now record the track with the drum sounds through ADAT by giving them a Channel Out numbers from the PRG MIX menu and then selecting their ADAT mirrors in the DAW. That's fine and it works perfectly ! But still can't figure out how to give a channel out to the MIDI tracks where I have recorded the melodies from the synths .... Is it really possible ? There is no channels OUT in the TRK Mixer of the MPC , so obviously the method with the drum tracks won't work. Any ideas ?



P.S I just found that the rumor about not being able to record the MPC effects when tracking out through ADAT is true .... I put an MPC reverb effect on one of the drums I prepared to track out, but the reverb is not active. So when a sound is applied to one of the ADAT out's and you put whatever effect on this sound the effect won't be active. When I change the OUT of the sound from ADAT channel to the MAIN OU't (L/R) the effects comes in. That's not very optimistic as the exported sounds through the ADAT will be totally dry. So you'll have to add effects later when you're editing the beat in your DAW. Well ... life is not perfect as we know ...

Still can't figure out is there a way to set the midi tracks from the MPC as ADAT channels in the DAW and export them simultaneously.... Any ideas friends ?

Hi again Lampdog ! Yea the MPC5000 is not able to route an effect through ADAT and I'm positive about it. I didn't believe it too in the past but know it's in front of my eyes and ears.

Yea I believe you're right about the MIDI and ADAT. I use Kurzweil PC3, Korg Radias and Roland JV 1080. I use this setup for many years but tracked out the beats through the MAINS only. But now when I figure out how to track out the drum tracks I'm almost done, because the main problems with the latency and synchronization of the beats come from the drums and 808 SUBS which will be now exported through the ADAT too ... So now I intend to track out 8 tracks at a time and I'll leave one L/R track for one of the MIDI tracks. So that's 9 tracks simultaneously.

Hmm I'll check again if it's possible to track the 8's along with one MIDi through the stereo (the rest tracks will be muted).

But I checked your link, thanks for this, and I found some good news - "you only lose the MASTER EFFECTS on the channels that don't carry the Main Out channels, you can set up the 'normal' FX to be routed to any of the assigneable channels.
MASTER FX (EQ + Compressor) are only available on the Stereo Out."


Actually I rarely use the MASTER effects, I'm using mostly the reverbs and delays . So now what I have to learn is how to route these effects to go through the ADAT.

OK ok I found it. Actually it's a window in the Mixer Bus i see everyday but i didn't know what is for. On every chain in the effects bus you have a window to choose where the chain to be routed - L/R, 1/2, 2/3 etc ... FINE !

You have 8 mono( adat )channels or one stereo and 6 mono channel which are selected in the mixer and your DAW.

If you want to route a Midi channel you should select one of the 16 channels of midi out ABC or D(bottom right) in the selected track. You don't have to select MIDI unless you want piano roll in grid edit.

FX routing shouldn't be an issue when selected in the mixer.

CoinOP! thanks for your post. Do you mean that if I change the TYPE to be not MIDi but DRUM there is some way I can channel that MIDi track to ADAT ? Still the MIDI (bottom right) must be set to the MIDI channel that is for the synth you're using, otherwise it will not play, but the TYPE section can be changed - that's true. But is that a way to export this track to ADAT or I have misunderstood your designed ?

In the track section of the MAIN window you have the Type option where you can select MIDI for a piano roll grid or Drum for drumgrid. Midi notes will always be recorded, whichever you select, in the MPC.

If you want to record Midi in your DAW via the MPC or a Midi keyboard hooked up on your MPC you the have to select a Midi channel far bottom right. Midi notes will be recorded in your DAW reggardless of Type(MIDi/DRUM).

For Adat you have to select a channel out in the mixer page (mode-pad7) at the top of the mixer. If you have selected an FX chain in the FX box it will be recorded when tracked to your DAW.

I'm not familiar with the RME, but you do have to setup your audiocard to receive ADAT.

Sadly enough the ADAT on the 5k never worked for me because it has locked settings that aren't going to match what most people run their sessions at.

You can't get it to lock unless you reduce the quality of your session to the necessary settings of the 5k.
The 5k just wasn't important enough to make me give that up.

The ADAT on the 4k was a lot more realistically based..............and it's an older machine.