Bug reports & end-user support for Akai's MPC Software 'controllers' including the new MPC Studio 2, the MPC Touch, MPC Renaissance & original MPC Studio and MPC StudioB lack.
By youngjboy Fri Sep 14, 2012 7:29 pm
Anyone in here that has a Ren use it with a hardware keyboard...ie...motif, Fantom, etc. I am curious to see how the workflow is. All the videos that I have seen really only show the Ren running alone, chopping samples, etc....but not controlling other gear via midi.
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By IMAKEMADBEATS Fri Sep 14, 2012 7:38 pm
i use it with my korg sv1 and moog little phatty all the time. Works great...like any traditional mpc does.
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By IMAKEMADBEATS Fri Sep 14, 2012 9:06 pm
hotboi wrote:No bank changes though. But coming in 1.1 hopefully.


on the hardware...

on the software, you can.
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By Dee-J Fri Sep 14, 2012 9:29 pm
Do you sequence hardware the in midi then record it back through the unit as audio?
By youngjboy Sat Sep 15, 2012 1:39 am
IMAKEMADBEATS wrote:i use it with my korg sv1 and moog little phatty all the time. Works great...like any traditional mpc does.


I am debating if I want a Ren or not. I been using my 2500 and cubase with my hardware. My basic workflow is usually sequence with the 2500 and then record the audio mixdown of all the hardware into Cubase. My interface has 3 stereo pairs, so I do a pass with 3 tracks at a time with the 2500 synced to Cubase so that when I hit record on Cubase, the 2500 starts and all the outboard gear starts.

For example;
Pass 1, Tracks 1-3 coming from the keyboards, modules, etc
Pass 2, Tracks 4-6 coming from the keyboards, modules, etc

I roll like this until everything is tracked out. My other alternatives have been to either sequence via Cubase controlling all my outboard gear, composing the song in midi in the Cubase window and then recording to audio in a few passes......or sequence in the hardware keyboards sequencer and then record to Cubase.

My main thoughts are how the Ren is going to make my work flow more efficient. I think that the Ren would work good for sequencing the midi data, and would speed things up. Realistically, I would lay down a mult-track loop on the hardware screen and then turn to the software screen and cut and paste a song together instead of doing it in song mode like I do on the 2500 where I copy everything to multiple bars and then program track mutes. Seems it would be faster on the Ren to lay it down and then cut/copy/paste together on the screen like in a DAW. The question is then when it is time to track out, are you still stuck with doing multiple passes?
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By JAH Sat Sep 15, 2012 5:12 am
youngjboy wrote: The question is then when it is time to track out, are you still stuck with doing multiple passes?

It depends. The Ren can record 16 channels of audio (8 Stereo pairs) into your DAW. If you have more tracks than the available outputs, you can just use the MPC Ren's export track function. That is up to 128 tracks you can import these audio stems directly into your DAW.
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By JAH Sat Sep 15, 2012 5:14 am
IMAKEMADBEATS wrote:
hotboi wrote:No bank changes though. But coming in 1.1 hopefully.


on the hardware...

on the software, you can.

You mean program changes from software....
By youngjboy Sat Sep 15, 2012 5:18 am
JAH wrote:
youngjboy wrote: The question is then when it is time to track out, are you still stuck with doing multiple passes?

It depends. The Ren can record 16 channels of audio (8 Stereo pairs) into your DAW. If you have more tracks than the available outputs, you can just use the MPC Ren's export track function. That is up to 128 tracks you can import these audio stems directly into your DAW.



Well right now, I run my audio outs of my gear into my mixer or interface. Are you saying that you run your outs into your MPC first from your outboard gear.
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By JAH Sat Sep 15, 2012 6:10 am
youngjboy wrote:
JAH wrote:
youngjboy wrote: The question is then when it is time to track out, are you still stuck with doing multiple passes?

It depends. The Ren can record 16 channels of audio (8 Stereo pairs) into your DAW. If you have more tracks than the available outputs, you can just use the MPC Ren's export track function. That is up to 128 tracks you can import these audio stems directly into your DAW.



Well right now, I run my audio outs of my gear into my mixer or interface. Are you saying that you run your outs into your MPC first from your outboard gear.

I thought we were discussing what you want to do and if the Ren can accomplish it?

Your options:
1. Use your existing sound card/interface to route your MPC Ren tracks to your mixer
2. Use the Ren's virtual outs, discussed earlier, to record directly into a DAW
3. Export your Ren tracks as .wav files (or mp3s) and import into your DAW
By youngjboy Sun Sep 16, 2012 12:42 am
We are discussing that. What I am saying is that currently all my outboard racks, keyboards, etc are either running directly into my interface, or into my mixer and then into interface. Nothing is running into my 2500 except midi cables. I sequence the tracks and then the audio is going directly to my interface which the connections show in my DAW(Cubase)

What I am asking you is that are you saying that outboard gear is going to mixer and then into ren, or directly to Ren to use the 16 virtual tracks.

I am asking more questions because my local Guitar Centers have Rens in stock but no demo models, so I don't have the luxury of mousing around the software and the manual has very little info concerning controlling external sources via midi.

I have seen the videos showing how easy it is to track out when everything is in the box, but I am curious about bringing in outboard gear, and Akai hasn't really had much discussion on this, even though the unit has 4 midi outs.
By Elohimfetus Sun Sep 16, 2012 3:50 am
JAH wrote:Your options:
1. Use your existing sound card/interface to route your MPC Ren tracks to your mixer
2. Use the Ren's virtual outs, discussed earlier, to record directly into a DAW
3. Export your Ren tracks as .wav files (or mp3s) and import into your DAW


I don't have REN but I'm trying to think it through...Jah you see his issue right?

His insrtuments are outboard and not plugins which allow the 16 virtual channels, REN can't break out the audio into enough channels because it only has four analogue Ins....he has to use Audio Interface directly to the DAW. But now options 2&3 are gone. If he uses the mixer he won't have a channel per instrument or sound, that's not optimal. For outboard gear I think unless he gets an interface with more IN's he is stuck doing passes.

let's me know if I am screwing this up, I'm a humble drunk!

[edit] You probably already know this part but your outboard gear effects this too. If you only had one module or keyboard, if it has 4 outs but 16 channels and you use 8 of those channels in a sequence you will need to do another pass no matter what interface you are using. Passes are just part of the game when using outboard gear...thats part of the convenience of plugins.
By youngjboy Sun Sep 16, 2012 4:58 am
Elohimfetus wrote:
JAH wrote:Your options:
1. Use your existing sound card/interface to route your MPC Ren tracks to your mixer
2. Use the Ren's virtual outs, discussed earlier, to record directly into a DAW
3. Export your Ren tracks as .wav files (or mp3s) and import into your DAW


I don't have REN but I'm trying to think it through...Jah you see his issue right?

His insrtuments are outboard and not plugins which allow the 16 virtual channels, REN can't break out the audio into enough channels because it only has four analogue Ins....he has to use Audio Interface directly to the DAW. But now options 2&3 are gone. If he uses the mixer he won't have a channel per instrument or sound, that's not optimal. For outboard gear I think unless he gets an interface with more IN's he is stuck doing passes.

let's me know if I am screwing this up, I'm a humble drunk!

[edit] You probably already know this part but your outboard gear effects this too. If you only had one module or keyboard, if it has 4 outs but 16 channels and you use 8 of those channels in a sequence you will need to do another pass no matter what interface you are using. Passes are just part of the game when using outboard gear...thats part of the convenience of plugins.


Yeah, when i think about it, i think no matter what, i am going to have to do passes. I have a fair amount of gear and I have grown accustomed to just doing 3 tracks at a time as far as each pass is concerned to have my tracks separated and not just doing one wav file with everything on the same track. I do see and have already seen that this is a plus of doing everything in the box, but then if I was all in the box, i would just sequence with my DAW.