Sequencer limitation 100000

Hello all !
i'm using an AKAI Z8 Sampler with a lot of "Homemade" Samples on Stage - i'm quite happy with it. In my setup i use the Z8 as a slave to a Yamaha QY 100 (a kind of hendheld sequencer with additional chord recognition). Because the QY 100 has only 128 KB RAM its very difficult to use it live (delete current sequence, load new one - all very slow, arround 20 sec.)

Because i'm familiar with the "Akai-LCD-world" i'm thinking about buying a MPC 1000 to solve the problem. I'm not going to use the sampler functions (This is Z8 part), the only purpose of the MPC is to play unlooped sequences (e.g. Pad 1 sequence1 and so on)

In the documentation i read that the mpc sequencer is limited to 100.000 notes.

[b]Question[/b] : Does that mean that the number of notes in [u]all[/u] loaded seqences can not be more than 100.000 ? (Would not be much if I think of 10 Tracks in a sequence with 1600 notes in each track...)

Thanks in advance for your responses !

Regards from Hoitabuam

I think to have 100000 notes is a little much. you could always just load the sequences as one full wave file, or chop up the chorus/intro/outro/main. Then you would only have 10-50 notes tops... If all your going to use the 1000 for is triggering different sequences, then just load them as wavs onto pads...

Hello Jessiah,
thank you for the "turbo quick" reply. For me a sequence is a midi file with up to n tracks. The tracks are filled with machine control informations such as notes controllers etc.

I'd just like to use the MPC to send sequences with all those control informations to the Z8 (with a lot of controllers like pan, modulation, volume expression).

How can i load a sequence as a wave file (sequence = midi, wave = sample) ?

Thanks for a short reply.. Regards from Martin

Hoitabuam: I don't know how you use the QY100 for editing, but the MPC *could* do what you want it to. All sequences that are loaded are instanly accessible. You can have (I think) 99 sequences loaded at one time. Saving a ".ALL" file can save a whole group of sequences so you can load them all at once, as well.

However, the MPC sequence editing does not have many (almost none) editing features, like the QY series has. If you are using lots of Control Change messeges, you'd be better editing your sequence on a computer, or in the QY. (The MPC doesn't recognize cords, and doesn't do any musical operations to the MIDI aside from straight *transpose* operations). You could always transfer your .MID files from the QY to the MPC (using a card reader on a PC for example) and they should still play just fine.

If this is the case for you (using the MPC only to play sequences, but not to edit them) you might be better off with a very simple solution, like a Yamaha MDF3 or similar. It's a bit "out dated" by most gear, but it is very simple to operate and timing is tight. Other options include using a PC/MAC instead, or getting a monster sequencer like a QY-700.

I have a QY-70, which doesn't have the QY-100's memory card or instrument input. But it does allow space for 20 songs, which are always loaded and can be used any time...doesn't the QY-100 allow you to do this? Then changing between songs is instant. Unless you are using MASS amounts of control changes-- 100,000 events is very hard to hit...though it sounds like maybe you are hitting that limit?

Also, you'd loose the 480 PPQN resolution of the QY's. MPC only supports 96 PPQN.

Hello jk and all other readers !

thank you for your precise Information. The QY100 is wonderful but it has 1 (one) disadvantage : It has only 128Kb RAM. Normally I have around 10 Styles loaded for live performance, means that there are only 65KB left for Midi Files. In my songs I need the Midi File in combination with a Style, the Midi File is for the "Non-continous" Events such as Programm Changes in the middle of the song, Drum Solos etc..

I'm playing a Midi Accordion left side is Melody, right side is one finger Chords and Bass. Melody just walks tru the QY straight into the Z8, chords are controlling the styles.

With 65 KB i have to load a new file after every song, the QY100 is not very speedy (a lot of keys to press and then 20 seconds to load). Imagine : 100 people on the dancefloor waiting for the next song (click -click..)

The MPC should do the following job for me : I prepare a list of sequences, assign a pad to each sequence save it in an all file. On Stage, i just hit one pad for the next song, after 16 Songs i load the next all file.

When having 16 Files loaded in RAM i think thats more than 100000 events (all together).

Is that a problem for MPC 1000 ?

Thanks in advance for a response, Greetings from Tirol / Austria

"The MPC should do the following job for me : I prepare a list of sequences, assign a pad to each sequence save it in an all file. On Stage, i just hit one pad for the next song, after 16 Songs i load the next all file. "

This is not a problem. Actually, you may prefer to use each song as a sequence(or groups of sequences), then you can have more than 16 at once. I do 2-3 hours of work in the MPC without having to reload anything. It is much better to get everything you need in the MPC at once.

I an not sure how much midi data you need. If you use a lot of pitch bend and aftertouch, then those eash up sequencer memory pretty quick.

I know you can use the Next Sequence page to select, well, the next sequence to play. That's not quite the same as assigning a sequence to a pad, you don't have exact control over which sequence goes where, but that might not be a problem for you.

One possible "gotcha": in Next Sequence mode, the selected sequence will play in a loop until you stop it or select the next sequence.
Note that the Next Sequence limit is actually 64 Sequences, not 16 - you have 4 Pages (Banks A-D) of Sequences.

You can't assign Songs directly to pads or use a "Next Song" mode like that, but there is a way: you can chain sequences together to make a song, then if you're happy with the result, convert the Song to a single Sequence. (If you change a track's Program setting between sequences, the changes won't be converted to Program Changes, you would have to insert those manually.)

Stripping out extra MIDI events like aftertouch is a pain, unless you use another sequencer, it's best to limit what you send from the controller if you can (IMHO).

Whew!

Hy to all,

thanks for the great posts. "Midi Data amount" : I get alot of data by using specific controllers to change filters and effects in my Z8 programs, also when panning around. With this "trick" (eg. jumping from high- to lowpass) the songs loose their "sounds like midi" character.

The problem with the qy100 is that i can only load 1 song in addition to the styles. I think i'll just try to load 20 or 30 big? (100KB) sequences to the mpc.

With the Z8 it's also possible to play sequences but i have to control them via sysex messages (:-<< and the Z8 loves to "hang" on Stage when playing sequences (just a few seconds, sometimes, somewhere, no rule)

Mayby there's someone knowing more about the 100000 Notes limitation ?

Greetings from Tyrol !

The limitation is likely to be the total midi data whether it is a single sequence, a set of sequences for 1 song, or a set of songs that have only one sequence each.

" I think i'll just try to load 20 or 30 big? (100KB) sequences to the mpc"

Not possible. If each of your sequences (or songs) contains 100kb of data, then there will only be room for a single one. The MPC2000XL has the largest capacity at 300k of any hardware sequencer that I know of and that seems like it would limit you to a degree.

I would seriously evaulate the amount of midi data that you are using. With the MPC I do not use entire linear sequences/songs, but rather break a song into basic components. For example, a song that comprises of a riff, chorus, riff, chorus, riff, riff and may be 6k in data, could be represented in the MPC as just 2 sequences, riff and chorus, and just switch between the 2 sequencs as needed. The same sequences may have embedded sysex, CC's, program changes all on their own separate tracks. and they would only be unmuted then muted as needed.

If you have a computer MIDI sequencer, look for a "thin controllers" command or something similar, that can make the controller load less heavy on sequences you recorded. If you're really transmitting so much data, the MIDI bus itself could be a limiting factor here, the raw speed of the connection is slow (31.25 kbits/sec).

The QY has "Thin MIDI CC" command...

"The QY has "Thin MIDI CC" command..."

So do the Roland and E-mu Sequencers. One of my requests for an OS update in another thread.

The 60 has this as Minimum change on the midi filter page. The 1000 doesn't have it?