MPC2000XL & Triton MIDI Question

OK -- I am new to the 2000xl but I am not new to producing...

I have the MPC2000xl setup with my Triton Pro and my Emu px-7 with the mo phatt card running midi.

Question 1: If I do a sequence on my MPC with midi sounds from the Triton and EMU.... I save it as a Sequence in the MPC... if I turn off the Triton, mpc, emu and turn them back on.... will the MPC call up the sounds? or is that info lost... (i haven't turned off the triton cause I am affraid that I will lose info) --- what is the best way to run the external machines... all in sequence / pattern mode?


Question 2: If I do a sequence in the MPC and use midi from the triton (playing the keys on the triton) and save it ---- then create a new sequence in the MPC --- do I have to create a new sequence on the triton so that the sounds won't change?

I tried doing this without creating a new sequence on the triton and the sounds didn't change back to the other sequence...

EXAMPLE:

MPC sequence 10 - track 3 - 1a-5device which is a horn on the triton track 2 in sequence mode....

MPC sequence 12 (a new layout) - track 3 1a-5device is a piano on the triton track 2 in sequence mode...

when I go back to MPC sequence 10 I get the piano where the horn should be... So, is there a way (in the triton) to allow the MPC to call up the Horn... the on 12 it would call up the piano --- automatically changin the banks? or do I have to create new sequences on all machine when I want to do a new sequence on the MPC?

Your answers to these questions will help me out greatly and I am sure will benifit others too...

Thanks,
Low

your question one...

when selecting which sound to use off keyboards/modules use the pgm option on the mpc to select which sound you want to use. you have 128 to choose from when doing it that way. if the sound you want is above 128 you gotta select it using the keyboard/module. then when you save the file in the mpc, when you load it back up the pgm you selected will call up the sound in the keyboard/module instead of you havin to assign all the sounds back. but when you save in the mpc, whatever midi information you've done saves so your work shouldnt be lost...

make any sense?

The easy thing to do is save your MPC sequence/song & program, the Triton program that goes with it & the Emu program all with the same name, so you can easily find the bits that go together on each machine.

Also, look in your Triton & Emu manuals about receiving midi program changes/commands . You can then insert the relevant numbers in your MPC sequence in step edit mode.

Oh yes ...... & find out from the Triton manual how to save your work on it so you can switch the machine off.

yeah that makes sense... and I just tried it.... but for a test I created a new sequence in the MPC -- use the same sequence in the triton and changed the PGM on the new sequence... follow me so far? Then went back to the other sequence on the MPC and the PGM was still 66 but played the sound from the other sequence... must be something in the midi setup... cause what I am trying to do here is make it where I can use the same sequence pattern on the triton over and over... the mpc would automatically change the sound in that sequence for it's own sequences... lol... am I making and sense?

so featherboy --- are you saying to create new sequences on every machine... then save them on each machine? That makes the most sense but is it possible to just turn them on... set the emu and the triton to sequence mode (not the saved sequences)... turn on the mpc - load sounds, .pgm, seq's and songs... and the mpc would make the triton and the emu switch banks to pull up certain sounds for the sequences created in the MPC?

please keep in mind i play keys on the triton - program the beats on the mpc (along with sound effects etc.) -- I usually pull the emu as a tone gen. and punch the pads on the MPC.

Do a sys ex dump from the Triton and EMU into the MPC, this will save all the settings from them on the MPC(patches, volume,etc.)

ok - I did a midi dump from the triton... but my question still stands... do I have to change sequences in the EMU and the Triton everytime I do a new Sequence (aka new instrumental track) in the MPC?

I know this sounds like it sounds... and I know that tech. I should prolly create new sequences in all machines and save them all with the same name... but I am trying to see if there is a quicker - easier way...

Yeah, sys ex like I said. I'm assuming you're doing all the sequencing in the MPC, so lets say you have 4 sequneces setup, each with different instruments, save sys ex messages for each sequence and when you switch sequences in the MPC it will tell the EMU and Triton to switch up to.

ok... well I am bangin my head into the wall... lol... I have data dump -- is that the same thing... *dumb question I know* but the manual doesn't touch on sys ex... so I am guessing that if I go to the GLOBAL section of the triton and Choose Midi in the menu options... DATA DUMP is what I see... along with dump seq. - dump program - Dump All... that's what I did...

im working with the exact same setup as you.

First, on the mpc, I save my sequences and pgm(if i sampled something on the mpc I save a pgm, otherwise you dont have to)

On the triton, save a .seq file(are you in seq mode?) You should be in seq mode, and assign a program to track one, even if you only use one sound, this way you can save the settings. Occasionally i will save seq & pcg if i am worried that some programming information needs to be saved (like if i wrote a new program in program mode and dont want to change it if it was used in a previous track). So most of the time just save a .seq If you want to be safe, save .seq and pcg or if you sample into the triton, save ALL(this way you save samples and multisample setups)

on the emu you can save it 2 differnt ways. You can save a "multi", however on the emu there are only 64 of these slots available.

OR to get more available slots; you can save a sequence. however with this second option there is a catch. first assign the appropriate sounds on each track- you then have enter midi data into the tracks so that they register that they have been used and do not revert back to default settings(not remembering the patch assinged to the track) after you turn it on and off. So you have to hit record on the EMU sequencer, and hit a pad, switch to the next track and do the same until you have done this to all tracks you used for sounds(bassically saving notes on each track so the sequencer recognizes the track was used and also saves the patch used)....then save the sequence.

Basically you have your files organized like this

MPC= main sequence file (where you actually record your sequences) and if you use the mpc sampler for any sounds you need to save pgms.

triton=just save .seq -> used as a multi setup in seq mode, not actually a midi file containing notes you composed; when you make your beats you DO NOT need to run the triton sequencer or hit the "rec" button or nothing like that.

emu= save to memory to either a multi, or to a user sequencer spot; this is also a multi setup file you have to save.

do not get confused with .seq, etc. your main midi file should be the mpc, where you compose everything.......you just need to save "multi setups" on the triton and emu, and they just happened to be called sequence files, they are not actually sequences.....get it?

IN the end you are gonna have to save settings on each machine...unless you sample say the triton, or emu into your mpc. Ive tried midi dump, yes it works, but its difficult when you have to manage 2 other pieces, and if you dont want to worry about "screwing it up and loosing your sounds" then i would recomend saving on each piece of equipment. Its not that big of a pain when you get use to it. BE SURE TO NAME EVERY FILE THE EXACT SAME NAME SO YOU REMEMBER WHAT FILES YOU NEED. and on your mpc sequences, name the track "emu bass" or "triton strings" or "mpc drums" so that way when you load up the beats sequence file, you know what you have to do to find the necessary sounds.

Check out the LINK www.offhook.greatnow.com/studio1.jpg

( you might have to copy it into your browser)

peace

yeah that's what's up!

Thanks for taking your time to post all that info... sad part is I figured it out already... lol... but hey that's a good look for sho! Yeah I was trying to be a lazy azz bum and go around all that... I was searching for the short cut... lol... I thought maybe the MPC could do that... but no big deal... I love this machine man... it opened up a whole new world to my thing thing.

I am going to post the first joint I made off the mpc on here today... if you like that old school west coast gangsta ass dr. dre feel then you'll love this one...

Low

oh and hey thanks again man... we are the manual ya dig... it's up to us now... each one teach one... werd up!

OH SWEET... I peeped your set up... I would like to hear what you got coming out the box... look like you working with all the right tools... you got the mo phatt card in your px-7 ? I love the drums... I still sample drums but most of the drums I sampled were off my emu... I got some other ish too...

^^^yeah man, i got the mophatt card and the zr-76 card.

I sample those emu drums too...apply a little filters sometimes. I use the basses alot too.

I got a few tracks on soundclick, but they arent really up to par on what im doing now; they are kinda old.

I got a new track i just recorded with my guy, ill post it later and let you know-its an east coast flavor with violins.

peace

BTW you have a nice website, who did that for you? im workin on getting mine up.

I actually designed it... I hate doing websites though... I do graphics and all that... just too time consuming... I would rather be bangin out beats and ish...

^^^yeah thats true. ITs takin me forever, feels like work to me.