MPD 18 & Ableton. Have trouble get sounds on MPD pads.

Whats up peoples. I just copped Ableton Live 8 with an MPD 18. Trying to get some sounds on the pads but having issues, syncing them. I got all the connections in Ableton preferences connected to the MPD, but sounds are still not playing on the pads. Can someone PLEASE explain how to go about this? Thanks

What sound application are you using in Ableton? The pads just send note and velocity commands to whatever the sound source is. They don't actually "hold" sounds.

If you want to just load some sounds that the pads will trigger a Drum Rack in Live's Instrument folder is the easiest thing. Just drag the one that says "Drum Rack" (It's empty). Drag and drop samples (and FX if you want) onto the individual pads from Live's browser.

In "View" on Live's top toolbar select "In/Out", then each Audio and MIDI channel will show the routing. Select "MIDI From" as either "All Ins" (default) or choose the MPD18 specifically (to make the MIDI you send to that channel exclusive and not trigger other instruments on other channels). Press the Rec Monitor button at the bottom of the MIDI channel that the Drum Rack is on.

Drum Racks start with MIDI note # 60 on the first pad, but to the left of the 16 pad grid there is a box that allows you select a group of 16 notes over 7 octaves. A MIDI controller will control whatever box of 16 are highlighted if it's pads are programmed like this

Pad 1- Note # 60
Pad 2 - Note # 62
Pad 3 - Note # 64
Pad 4 - Note # 65
Pad 5 - Note # 67
Pad 6 - Note # 69
Pad 7 - Note # 71
Pad 8 - Note # 72
Pad 9 - Note # 60 (On MIDI Channel 2A)
Pad 10 - Note # 62 (On MIDI 2A)
Pad 11 - Note # 64 (On MIDI 2A)
Pad 12 - Note # 65 (On MIDI 2A)
Pad 13 - Note # 67 (On MIDI 2A)
Pad 14 - Note # 69 (On MIDI 2A)
Pad 15 - Note # 71 (On MIDI 2A)
Pad 16 - Note # 72 (On MIDI 2A)

That's the default MIDI layout of a Live Drum Rack. Maybe the editor the MPD18 includes already has a drum rack preset (and I typed all that for nothing ), if not assign a bank off that list and save the template.

Like MeSoHordey said the main thing is a controller will control all your instruments by sending MIDI data, but they have to be assigned to the right track that has the instrument and be sending MIDI notes that the instrument will respond to.

Damn dude. Now I feel bad for my shitty-assed semi-answer.

MeSoHordey wrote:Damn dude. Now I feel bad for my shitty-assed semi-answer.

You still told him the key aspect of what he's dealing with. Even with him not saying if had some VST's I have an MPD like half a foot away so I just wrote down the Drum Rack assignments.

Man what can i say!?...really appreciate that explanation Metatron72. Thats exactly what i was trying to do. Did what u said & now the drum rack & sounds are loaded up in the MPD. Thanks
Only thing is that the sounds are random loaded up different pads all over the place
& not in order. If u have the time could explain what presets do for the MPD pad layout.
Thanks again

Ahhhh...no worries. I got it now with the presets & all. I'm a MPC guy thats trying to convert over to DAWs.

Only question i have now is how to set the MPD pads to play drums in poly, mono & or note off modes. Looks like they are in note off mode, because when i press a pad & take my finger off, the sounds cut off. How can i get it to poly or mono?
Thanks

This might sound odd but it's the way the Drum Racks are setup. To make a pad press trigger the whole sample highlight the pad and press the third circular icon on the far left of the Drum Rack. Now you have a waveform view and controls for each sample/pad. Set the release on the ADSR envelope controls to maximum.

I don't know if you've used "Slice To MIDI/Drum Rack" in Live yet. It's really dope, you just right click on a loop and will auto assign it to a Drum Rack chopped with a MIDI file to trigger it similar to Recycle. The chops can be Live built in detection routines or slices (warp markers) that you placed manually.

This is a cool walk through that involves the "Slice to..." and also explains how to set choke groups.

http://audio.tutsplus.com/tutorials/pro ... eton-live/

I had Maschine and other stuff supplant Drum Racks for me a while ago so my memory need refreshing. Drum Racks are dope as hell and very powerful for how versatile they are. (Every pad can hold a VST or VST FX like in Maschine. Easy to just drop inserts like verb on the snare only for example.)

I'll post again when I remember or find the easiest way to set polyphony per pad.

You are a big help! The release on the ADSR worked perfectly! Once again, i'm a MP2000XL & MP5000 user so this transitions to ableton is a bit of work lol.

Just checked out the "Slice To MIDI/Drum Rack"...that is dope! Definitely gonna learn more about this function later!

Since i have your help attention...Now I noticed that when i press on the MPD18 pad with a drum sample loaded in the drum rack...there is a slight delay with the sound playing when i hit a pad, to when it plays in ableton. Like i'll hit a load pad with a kick on it...half a sec later it will play in ableton.
Is there a fix for this too?

Thanks a lot!

Gaintaining wrote:You are a big help! The release on the ADSR worked perfectly! Once again, i'm a MP2000XL & MP5000 user so this transitions to ableton is a bit of work lol.

Just checked out the "Slice To MIDI/Drum Rack"...that is dope! Definitely gonna learn more about this function later!

Since i have your help attention...Now I noticed that when i press on the MPD18 pad with a drum sample loaded in the drum rack...there is a slight delay with the sound playing when i hit a pad, to when it plays in ableton. Like i'll hit a load pad with a kick on it...half a sec later it will play in ableton.
Is there a fix for this too?

Thanks a lot!

My pleasure man. Having been through what you're doing now (that first jump into software) I totally know what you're going through. "This is confusing, but each thing I figure out is like...whoa...that's crazy powerful if you...[fill in blank]"

What you're doing now is such a big part of it, translating those same workflow and feature things into their equivalents in software.

I'd have to know what your setup is to offer anything in the audio/MIDI latency you are experiencing. I see it a lot where a guy comes from an MPC and maybe doesn't know that an average computer can't run audio at a low enough latency to give anything close to the response of an MPC or hardware synth/workstation.

People invest in audio interfaces not just to have inputs/outputs and mic preamps, it's also so you have a something superior to the chip on the motherboard to generate sound and run the MIDI clock operations. On OS X you have Core Audio, but even that will only get you down to about 10ms of latency without using a USB. Firewire or PCI/e audio interface.

So if you have a PC laptop and no additional audio interface download this - http://www.asio4all.com/

ASIO is a faster protocol for audio than Direct X/WDM drivers. This one is actually emulated as you still don't have any real ASIO compliant hardware (the additional interface). So it in effect "tricks" the WDM driver into letting it talk to the OS on a lower kernel level. Because the audio operation is now a low level process (low meaning better/closer to the silicone by skipping certain OS layers).

After installing it you should be able to select ASIO4All as your driver in Live's audio preferences. Look for the sample buffer settings and start at 512. Go to 256 and see if 128 is workable. You'll be listening for clicks and pops to know the buffer is squeezed too small. Even the 512 setting should be an improvement over how it is now. (You must have a WDM/Direct X driver for that poor response time you had).

I'm still hunting for the most basic way to set the Drum Rack pad polyphony/mode. On Maschine I just turn a knob for One Shot/Legato/Poly (+ choose number of voices).

There are also more elaborate ways to go "MPC style" with Live and a controller. They just take longer to set up or make as a template. Like you can assign pads to individual samples and loop that are loaded in Live's Session view. Then you have insane amounts of control options on a per sound/loop basis.

Live is the most "doowhutyoulike" app ever, because your thread is broad with Live+MPD, I'll probably post more links and videos that show MPC style stuff in Live.

Ahhhhh the ASIO driver works VERY well!
My setup is a HP laptop with Ableton installed on it, MPD18, controller keyboard, mixerboard, MP5000 & a audiobox usb interface.

I did have the WDM/Direct X driver setup, but with this new ASIO driver installed the delay is now gone & now i have that MPC feeling with the MPD pads & samples!!!

My 1st idea was to use my MPC5K as a slave/controller with ableton. I connected it
through my USB interface, but had that same drum rack pad issue that I 1st asked you about, with this MPD18. I read about how easy/plug & play the MPD went with ableton, so i went out & copped it, but as u know...ran into the same pad issue again.
So now i'm thinking that with this new understanding of how the drum rack pad setup works with the MPD...i might be able to still use my 5000 as a controller too ....What do u think???

I really can't say thank you enough man. I really appreciate the time you put into helping get things started here! Maybe u should start writing a how to/setup book or do youtube vids to help DAWs newbies like me! lol

I actually have to go take a Cisco Comp/TIA test soon so I can explain stuff at a Good Guys or a cable company.

Explaining DAW stuff is a hell of a lot more enjoyable.

I actually had that Audiobox USB at one point. I seem to remember ASIO4All working better than the Presonus driver. But yeah WDM drivers are like 500ms like that half a second you described your latency at.

MPD's are problematic unless you put in the Fat Pads that you can buy or put silicone or stacked adhesive stickers on the underside of the pads. And I don't recall if the MPD18 has 4 selectable banks.

With the MPD having no knobs or faders (besides the one slider) you would be better off using the 5000 as a controller for Drum Racks or other software. The pads will work with proper velocity unlike the MPD18 which often has to be in full level to really not have to bash the pads with 3 fingers.

When it didn't work prior to trying the MPD it was because you didn't have an ASIO driver selected. With a 128 sample buffer and ASIO driver the MPC or MPD should trigger software sounds pretty well.

So if you did it before you must already have the MIDI cables. To have the MPC pads control Drum Racks or whatever you only need to have the MPC out to the Audiobox MIDI in. Of course use both cables to be able to have a proper MIDI sync of the MPC and Live. (I'm guessing you set that up properly before in the MPC and Live's MIDI screens) If you still like to do MIDI on the MPC pads you can make the MPC the MIDI master and Live the Slave. Set up tracks in Live to record the MIDI and route it wherever and/or send it directly to VST instrument track.

MPC Tutor, owner of this fine website has a very good e-book which includes example files for the MPC and the software and working Live together with an MPC.

http://www.mpc-samples.com/product.php/ ... eton-live/

It is so worth the $15 for the amount of time you'd save. And that it's written from an MPC perspective is perfect for your current setup.

Nice! Success with that Cisco test!

But yes indeed.... I brought that MPC-Ableton book they sell here a few weeks ago (i have their other books for the 5000 & 200xl too) Money well spent!
It helped me out with syncing the MPC with ableton. But they didn't get into how to configure the ableton Drum racks with the MPC pads, so thats where i got thrown a curve ball. But with your explanation, i can now make it happen.

Next i have to understand this warping process! lol

I looked up that "Slice to MIDI" option...see that there are a lot of presets out there for download. So that should be fun