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 humco Mon Jul 22, 2013 4:02 pm
I've been across these boards and seen a ton of people ask this same question, but no one has been able to answer it. I just want to know how anyone is recording anything they make with the MPC plugin into Ableton. Specifically, is anyone able to record the MIDI sequences they're creating inside the MPC plugin as a midi sequence in ableton, or is it my only option make beats in the MPC plugin and route them to an AUDIO track in ableton (this works fine, but it's not the workflow they sold me on).
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I'll give you an example of whats happening to cause this frustration.
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First, I followed this guide to the best of my ability, since half of the options have changed; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4s4pKm3-_9A
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Next, I made a 1 bar kick drum sequence in the MPC64 plugin. In ableton, this MPC64 plugin is attached to a MIDI track by default.
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The First problem: after midi mapping the transport controls (so that abletons play is triggered by the mpc hardware play button), anytime you play any OTHER track in ableton, you'll hear that same one bar kick sequence, even though in both Arrangement view and Session view, there are NO midi tracks with midi notes programmed anywhere. This is very annoying, and the only way to shut it up was to mute the MPC64 Plugins ableton track. Just pressing record on another channel, say to record some piano on a separate track, the MPC64 just plays loud as hell in the background, even though there's no information on the MPC64 MIDI track (in ableton).
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I think this is the problem Chopchop and others are having, but they just don't know how to communicate it: Why is it so easy to build a sequence in the MPC ren plugin, but impossible to transfer it over to your DAW as MIDI? There seems to be no combination of record arm, channel select, etc to get Ableton to record MIDI information from the MPC Ren. into a MIDI track. Is this possible in Pro Tools?
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Don't get this post confused, I'm not asking how to midi map the Akai Ren, christ why on earth. I don't want to use the Ren to control battery. What I want is to be able to build an MPC Ren sequence and record it to a midi channel in ableton. I think the simple answer here is "no", but I just need someone to tell it to me straight so i can give up this stupid business of troubleshooting and get on with making limited, gimped music. I hope I don't have to explain why I would prefer the effects flexibility of a MIDI sequence in Ableton as opposed to an AUDIO one.
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WHAT IS MOST BIZARRE about this, is that when you build a program in the MPC Ren plugin, ableton will Automatically map the sounds from whatever you just built on your Renaissance pads to C1-D#2 in abletons Midi piano roll for that track, so that IN ABLETON, not having built a drum pad or anything, just dragging and dropping the MPC plugin into an empty midi track will give you the sounds from whatever you program in the MPC software on that specific MIDI tracks piano roll. Since this is the case, why will Ableton NOT JUST RECORD THOSE KEYPRESSES (C1-D#2) as they come from your custom MPC Ren sequence?!
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SO IN SHORT: When I record arm the MIDI track in ableton and play a MPC Ren plugin sequence, nothing is recorded in the ableton piano roll, HOWEVER, at the bottom of the roll (C1-D#2) are the 16 pads that I used to create the sequence in the Ren Plugin. They aren't named correctly, such as BIGKICK7 or whatever they're called in the Ren plugin, but if you click the preview button (or hit the keys at a keyboard even) you will hear the 16 pads you just programmed in the MPC ren plugin. It just makes no sense to me.
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So, is the answer just routing to an AUDIO track, and recording from there? Of is there a trick to get MIDI sequences from your MPC plugin into Abletons MIDI tracks?
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Hope I was specific enough. PC Ableton 9 suite Ren software 1.4
By StreetFighter Beats Mon Jul 22, 2013 7:55 pm
I cant see the point of using the renaissance as a plug in.
Im using it standalone mode, synced to ableton via IAC bus (mac). This way Ableton is slaved to the ren and i can sequence midi from my Max 49 into the ren-Ableton or from ren into ableton.
I play midi from the ren to a integra 7 through ableton. I can do easily everything you described here. Just run the ren as standalone synced to live. I stop using protools because for me the ren works best with Live.
By sbtst6 Tue Jul 23, 2013 5:00 am
StreetFighter Beats wrote:I cant see the point of using the renaissance as a plug in.
Im using it standalone mode, synced to ableton via IAC bus (mac). This way Ableton is slaved to the ren and i can sequence midi from my Max 49 into the ren-Ableton or from ren into ableton.
I play midi from the ren to a integra 7 through ableton. I can do easily everything you described here. Just run the ren as standalone synced to live. I stop using protools because for me the ren works best with Live.


Could u please explain how you were able to set up/run the ren as standalone synced to ableton live?

Been trying to figure this out for a while. Not really feeling using the ren as a plugin in live, just seems to clunky of a work flow. Used to use my hardware MPC's like this with ableton. Thats actually the main reason that i kept using ableton, the flow with using hardware MPCs was pretty much flawless and quick.
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By SimonInAustralia Tue Jul 23, 2013 5:11 am
sbtst6 wrote:Could u please explain how you were able to set up/run the ren as standalone synced to ableton live?

Been trying to figure this out for a while.

You tried sending sync to the IAC bus from within the MPC Software preferences, and enabling the IAC bus for incoming sync in the Abelton MIDI preferences?
By andreat668 Tue Jul 23, 2013 11:15 am
1- go to audio midi sutup and select show midi window (from the window drop down menu)

2- double click on the IAC driver icon (red one)

3- thick device is online and the plus button, rename it Virtual MIDI Port

4- go to Live Midi Preferences and set iac virtual midi port to track on and sync

5- open the mpc software, preferences, midi tab, under midi mapping set iac driver virtual midi port for the desired midi out port.

6- Under the sync tab (mpc preferences) set send> midi clock and to>iac driver virual midi port.

Thats it, go back to live click the external button and press the play button of your mpc.
Now the 2 app are synced.

If you want play virtual instruments within your mpc pads just select a midi track, the corresponding midi port and arm your midi track in Ableton Live.
By andreat668 Tue Jul 23, 2013 11:24 am
Now my question is which would be the best method to route audio from the ren standalone to ableton live, without using soundflower or jack osx (clunky workflow and too much latency).

At this point i would kill for having some sort of virtual audio channels in standalone mode or at least REWIRE god damnit!!!

So i can sequence midi shit from the mp and send audio to Live audio tracks at the same time.
By humco Tue Jul 23, 2013 1:50 pm
Streetfighter - It's good to know it can be done (midi sequences can be transferred between the MPC and ableton), but I don't have a motu or an integra 7, I've got this cheap ass focusrite that's been unplugged and replaced by the Ren. Also, I'm working exclusively on pc; this whole IAC bus thing has stopped me from much syncing in the past (took weeks to figure out how to sync two abletons together on pc). With these two limitations in mind (pc + Ren as sound module), do you still think I can get this midi problem fixed without buying new equipment?
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I'll try using the standalone and fiddle with it for a few hours, I'll come back to post if I make any serious progress, but I see this holding me up for awhile, until
A. I get a decent sound module
B. I get a mac (literally just for this godsend IAC bus crap)
C. Figure out a workaround on PC
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If anyone can point me towards a good PC version that does the same thing as this MAC IAC bus, I'd be delighted. I know I've seen people mention them in these forums before but I haven't been able to dig it back up. Also, are the PC copycats sound, or are they just high latency imitations of the Mac IAC program?
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Andreat - I'll try to follow your process, maybe I can just sync up the Ren standalone with ableton via USB. Doubtful, plus I'll just have your instructions as a guideline, since they're obviously MAC instructions, and not PC.
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I had someone tell me only use the Ren as a plugin, so I've been bent on that for a few weeks. It will be nice to return to the standalone, have really burned out on the plugin lately, maybe just using the standalone will clear things up.
By andreat668 Tue Jul 23, 2013 3:05 pm
My bad, ive tough you got mac osx.

Anyways the process is the same, instead of using the iac virtual bus, just use midi yoke or trp loop midi.

Once you got one of these virtual midi driver you can set up the mpc software and Ableton Live as described above.
By humco Tue Jul 23, 2013 3:09 pm
WHAT! I've used midi yoke before, to set up some Touchable and other ipad apps. The fact that I'm self taught is really showing...it's always the simple things I miss ><;
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Thanks so much for the help, I'll figure it out when I get home later, if it works out I'll leave a closing statement, but thanks regardless!
By andreat668 Tue Jul 23, 2013 3:11 pm
Im thinking even JACK should have virtual midi busses but im not shure,you may check it.

Or probably the easiest config is connecting a midi cable from the Ren to your focusrite soundcard, like this you are going to use your soundcard audio outputs instead...
By humco Tue Jul 23, 2013 3:16 pm
Thanks, that'll be plan B if i can't get Loop MIDI to work.
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Loop MIDI seems to support x64, trying that now. I think it was back in my live 8 days that I used midi yoke / ox, not sure if they'll work on 9 x64.
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I'll look at Jack too
By humco Tue Jul 23, 2013 3:51 pm
New equipment it is... Mind blown, can't get these midi applications to work properly, but I'm giving up for a bit. Several days of music have been lost already, to this troubleshooting, I need some production time and I'm just going to use the MPC Ren as a plugin in ableton, then record as audio to an audio track. I'm a programmer, dual math and physics degree, but I can't figure this shit out for the life of me. My focusrite is super cheap, no MIDI ports on it. My buddies got a Tascam that he'll let me borrow later, but like I said I'll just deal with recording as audio for now..
Maybe I'll waste more morning energy tomorrow on it, but this has been an ongoing headache for too long. Thanks for pointing me on the right path tho fellas.
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going to lunch, eff.
By humco Wed Jul 24, 2013 9:31 pm
I noticed that I can't get off firmware version 1.01, driver version 2.9.48. Are these the correct versions, do I even have 1.4?
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I manually downloaded the 1.4 update and the installer wouldn't let me update anything, saying it was already updated. So I manually installed without the installer, and nothing changed. Then I uninstalled and reinstalled, still nothing. So does firmware 1.01 under preferences > hardware > show hardware info mean I'm running MPC software v1.4? I feel like an ape smashing random keys. Read the manual again today, what a ****.
By andreat668 Wed Jul 24, 2013 11:46 pm
That should be the firmware of your hardware, which is non dependant from the software version/revision installed into your computer.

Mine says the same: 1.01.

Open your mpc software and search into the main drop down menu something like credits or info/general info (im guessing cause aint got windows).

Now you should have a white window, the akai mpc logo which says your software version/revision, running in 32 or 64 bit.

Also on the top right you can see, scrolling down, the name of the developers.


Seems that sometimes the mp soft get esotheric shit, when i updated to 1.4 i got weeks of crashes every few minutes...after i did some minor osx updates, some terminal's tweak, updated the vintage plug-in folder and now im not having crashes at all since couple of days.

Anyways if you got serius issues just wipe out your os and reinstall everything.
Thats a brutal but effective way, most of the time.