Running multichannel audio from standalone Ren to DAW

Has anyone attempted to run the Ren/Studio in standalone mode and route audio to a DAW using an app like Soundflower?

Yes and I've successfully done it with the MPC Ren standalone running into Cubase using soundflower and my MOTU ultralite MKIII

The only issue I've had is that I can't do it with the Ren alone because you can't make an aggregate device with the Ren (though having MIDI sync go both ways might fix that in 1.4, don't know)

1) Obviously install soundflower on your computer.

2) Create an aggregate device in your audio/midi setting in OSX with your audio interface (MOTU ultralite in my case)and soundflower.

3) Set up your DAW so that it uses the aggregate device as it's audio device. This will allow you to select the soundflower as inputs for the audio tracks (input channels)you create in your DAW and your audio interface for the outputs (so you can actually hear something on your speakers)

4) Set up the MPC software to output through soundflower. You'll have to select what outputs to use, all 64 will be available but you are limited on how many you can select in the MPC preferences. I had to pick them starting at output 17 and up to get the channels matched up with the inputs in Cubase. Just experiment with playing audio and adjust the outputs until you have a signal in your DAW.

5) I chose to make Cubase a MIDI slave to get any time based fx on the channels in cubase to match up tempo wise with the MPC software.

That should do it, obviously the setup will vary depending on your DAW.

Also if you're using Ableton live you wont need an extra audio interface because you can select different audio interfaces for the input and output (a cool feature of Ableton)

This would allow you to use soundflower as the output of the MPC software and the input of Ableton, then the output of Ableton could be the MPC Ren audio interface.

In most cases you'll need another audio interface because of the Ren not being able to be made into an aggregate device and most DAW's only allowing one audio interface to be used.

Rewire does this.

MPC Software needs Rewire.

I sent that feature request to Akai exactly 1 year, 1 month ago.

I requested rewire a while ago too, it really really makes sense for parallel platform running.

Yep my post would have been much shorter if there was rewire, so +1 on that.

I like your post. I enjoy finding creative ways to use products. MPCs were not originally designed to be used they way we use them today. Classics were made with significantly less.....

Gentleman...use your MPCs. This feature request is not original, already submitted, and nothing new can be said about it that hasn't been said thousands of times.

I agree and that's why I figured out this work around.

One more thing to note: if you have the option MIDI sync with MTC vs MIDI clock because it will also follow the position rather than just the clock. In the case of Cubase it only allows itself to be slave to MTC and nothing else so I think that's a good sign on what to use if the steinberg boys chose to disable every other type of MIDI slave control.

Good thing 1.4 Master/Slave MTC Sync has returned....

JAH wrote:Good thing 1.4 Master/Slave MTC Sync has returned....

Word

JAH wrote:I sent that feature request to Akai exactly 1 year, 1 month ago.

And yet, exactly 1 month ago, you didn't seem to understand the feature, and why it was being requested, at all.

I have to wonder how much lack of understanding, misunderstanding, and personal bias, makes it's way into the feature requests you send to Akai, and how you can possibly respond if they do ask you 21 questions about features you do not really understand, or that you do not want to see implemented.

JAH wrote:

padlock wrote:you know what i mean man...

No I don't. Why would Akai implement Rewire to Logic? I could see Rewire from Reason to the Ren.

JAH wrote:What would be the point in having the Ren Rewire into Pro Tools, Logic, Cubase, etc when it is a RTAS, AU, and VST plugin? And depending on which DAW you use, these plugins transmit MIDI to said DAWs.

Can FL Studio, Reaper, Live, be used as a RTAS, AU, and VST plugin inside of Pro Tools, Logic, Cubase, etc?

JAH wrote:That sounds weird since VST has been a standard for quite some time. How is Rewire better? What advantages does it have over VST? Note that I have never used Rewire functionality. But I do used VST and never found it lacking.

JAH wrote:Good thing 1.4 Master/Slave MTC Sync has returned....