Do use the mpc studio/ren as your daw or plugin

I was wondering what seems to be the general consensus on here what seems to have the best workflow to you? Using the mpc studio/ren as a daw or as a plugin

Standalone all the way.....only time it really needs to be used in a DAW (IMO) is for mixing a final product (if that is what you choose to do).

Agreed with JAh.

One caveat though... U can only realistically mix in a daw if your song is 8 tracks or less because of the virtual output limitation. Impossible to do a proper mix with say 24 tracks or more. This thing needs more virtual outputs badly, if its going to be optimal for mixing. Printing stems is a work around, but not optimal.

But still agree, if and when there are more virtual outs ill start using mine more. And would compose standalone more for the most part. But mixing would always need to happen in a daw for me.

Same to me... Both.

Eyalc wrote:Agreed with JAh.

One caveat though... U can only realistically mix in a daw if your song is 8 tracks or less because of the virtual output limitation. Impossible to do a proper mix with say 24 tracks or more. This thing needs more virtual outputs badly, if its going to be optimal for mixing. Printing stems is a work around, but not optimal.

But still agree, if and when there are more virtual outs ill start using mine more. And would compose standalone more for the most part. But mixing would always need to happen in a daw for me.

You can actually make that up to 16 mono tracks. But you are also just talking about a single recording pass. You can do multiple passes.....

Additionally, you can EXPORT up to 128 tracks and import into your DAW.

There are many alternatives and solutions. You just have to find what best works for you within the confines of how the software is designed today.

JAH wrote:There are many alternatives and solutions. You just have to find what best works for you within the confines of how the software is designed today.

Agreed. Both workflows have their definite advantages and disadvantages with the current MIDI (non multi-timbral and no controller mode for DAW use) and audio (no audio tracks for standalone use) limitations of the Ren software. My workflow prefers DAW integration, others' may not. Do you.

JAH wrote:ou can actually make that up to 16 mono tracks. But you are also just talking about a single recording pass. You can do multiple passes.....

Additionally, you can EXPORT up to 128 tracks and import into your DAW.

There are many alternatives and solutions. You just have to find what best works for you within the confines of how the software is designed today.

Agree, we had been exporting the tracks - awesome to have 128. Works in our workflow to a point, just not as seamless as having more virtual outs. Would be SO much easier. Can't really tweak the music while recording vocals - have to tweak, re-export, and continue... like I said, works, just not optimal, and can kill a vocal session vibe.

The 128 export tracks has been awesome for instrumentals though! We've also been moving our MPC 5000 tracks, loading them in the software and exporting from there. That's been great.

And also have looked at the mono tracks. Works for our drums and bass, but everything after that is stereo instruments / samples. So we still hit the limit pretty quickly. Which is why we started exporting. Akai has said this is a popular request, so hopefully it will hit their development agenda soon.

But not complaining, well, yeah, I guess I am. lol More virtual outs is my number one request, and after they add it, I will shut up complaining for good.

I use the ren strictly in standalone mode. Mixing as well.

Never understood running it in a daw or why you would want to run a sequencer inside of a sequencer. Lol. Thats just me though

TommyTench wrote:I use the ren strictly in standalone mode. Mixing as well.

Never understood running it in a daw or why you would want to run a sequencer inside of a sequencer. Lol. Thats just me though

Just mixing and vocal tracking is why I would run it in a sequencer, because I want the notes to be available for tweaking. Composing? Naw, can't quite get my head around a sequencer in a sequencer.

Thx for the feed guys

I'm running standalone as well, since I lost plug in ability in Pro Tools 11

Just sync REN up using MMC and have it track externally until I'm ready to print those tracks back in.

i use it standalone, but not as a "daw"

I have had my studio for less than a week but have only used the controller and the MPC software so far. I have not tried it with my DAW yet. I still have outdated DAW software and just got new system so not even going to install it. I ordered Sonar X2 and will give that a soon.

Im daw. as the audio ends up there.. So i figured i mite aswell make it work straight into the daw as audio...
Dont need drag and drop audio as i record it straight in like a legacy mpc..
And i only ever record the drums as seprate tracks So the virtual outs are enough for me!! haha
kik snare and hihats and whats ever other drum stuff take up all virtual outs except the last stereo pair..
My sample/melody chops just use the last virtual out and i duplicate the daw track as i move onto the next sample chop(just use same virtual out assignment in mpcrenpgm)...

All arranging and mixing is done in daw... It does it 50 times better and faster...

I dont need audio track feature as the daw does it... Much better too....
I pretty much only use audio tracks...

My style doesn't use quantize so tc isn't a issue for me either...

Basically the the ren is just a sampler only...

dazastah wrote:Im daw. as the audio ends up there.. So i figured i mite aswell make it work straight into the daw as audio...
Dont need drag and drop audio as i record it straight in like a legacy mpc..
And i only ever record the drums as seprate tracks So the virtual outs are enough for me!! haha
kik snare and hihats and whats ever other drum stuff take up all virtual outs except the last stereo pair..
My sample/melody chops just use the last virtual out and i duplicate the daw track as i move onto the next sample chop(just use same virtual out assignment in mpcrenpgm)...

All arranging and mixing is done in daw... It does it 50 times better and faster...

I dont need audio track feature as the daw does it... Much better too....
I pretty much only use audio tracks...

My style doesn't use quantize so tc isn't a issue for me either...

Basically the the ren is just a sampler only...

What do you mean when you say you duplicate the daw track?