New to the MPC1000, need help with signal path/set up.

Hi hoping someone can shed some light on getting started. I only really have experience with production in the box. Im planning on investing in some gear, which would comprise of a few synths and drum machines, which i would have going into a midi patchbay. I imagine this would then feed into the midi inputs on the mpc. I would then like to add a mixing desk with hardware effects (reverbs, multieffects etc) and so i can have some hands on eq too. This is where i get confused. The mpc would then be able to send separate tracks out of its audio outs, into separate channels on the mixer right?, which would then go into an audio interface which would then be connected to my speakers and computer. Would i connect the balanced stereo output of the mpc to a stereo channel of the mixer and have that as my master, then dedicate the other unbalanced outputs to other channels? and this would then be either sent out of the desk as a stereo master or i could send the individual channels to the interface for arranging seperate tracks later with ableton (depending on my requirements)? Have i missed/misunderstood anything? Also how would i add more audio outs on the mpc if i want to send more than 4? Cheers

Yep, you pretty much got it. The stereo outs of the MPC is your main outs, so you can master inside of it and send it out to your DAW or mixer. The other six outs can be used to track out the numerous tracks a song may contain. With the 1000 you can track out 8 tracks at a time into your mixer or the audio interface if it has 8 inputs.

I suggest taking some paper and a pencil and draw out the signal map. Usually, I draw some squares and label which device it is, and then take a blue marker that represents the Inputs and a red marker to represent the Outputs and use that as a guide to hook up all my stuff. Certainly saves the headache of disconnecting and connecting undesired cables.

Ill-Green wrote:The stereo outs of the MPC is your main outs, so you can master inside of it and send it out to your DAW or mixer. The other six outs can be used to track out the numerous tracks a song may contain. With the 1000 you can track out 8 tracks at a time into your mixer or the audio interface if it has 8 inputs.

It only has 6 outputs in total, not 8.

SimonInAustralia wrote:

Ill-Green wrote:The stereo outs of the MPC is your main outs, so you can master inside of it and send it out to your DAW or mixer. The other six outs can be used to track out the numerous tracks a song may contain. With the 1000 you can track out 8 tracks at a time into your mixer or the audio interface if it has 8 inputs.

It only has 6 outputs in total, not 8.

So it only has 4 extra outputs plus the main outs =6?

faply wrote:Im planning on investing in some gear, which would comprise of a few synths and drum machines, which i would have going into a midi patchbay. I imagine this would then feed into the midi inputs on the mpc.

You might only need your main controller keyboard/synth going into the MPC MIDI input, it depends on whether you want to record the MIDI output from each device into the MPC.

You would send MIDI out from the MPC to the synths/drum machines.

You only have two MIDI outputs on the MPC1000, which is where you might use a MIDI patchbay, or you might just link multiple devices to a single output, using MIDI thrus on the devices if they have them.

faply wrote:The mpc would then be able to send separate tracks out of its audio outs, into separate channels on the mixer right?, which would then go into an audio interface which would then be connected to my speakers and computer.

I would connect the output of the mixer to the speakers, and the output of the audio interface to the mixer.

faply wrote:Also how would i add more audio outs on the mpc if i want to send more than 4? Cheers

You have 6 outputs, you can not add any more, you need a different MPC for more outs.

You can, as mentioned above, bounce down to a WAV file inside the MPC, and transfer that to the DAW, or record in multiple passes (using some sort of sync).

Ill-Green wrote:

"SimonInAustralia wrote:

Ill-Green wrote:With the 1000 you can track out 8 tracks at a time into your mixer or the audio interface if it has 8 inputs.

It only has 6 outputs in total, not 8.

So it only has 4 extra outputs plus the main outs =6?

Yes, main stereo pair, and 4 assignable outs.

Thank you for your replys. Good to know im on the right track. 'Simoninaustralia' what are the benefits of plugging the mixer into the speakers and the audio interface into the mixer? Thanks

faply wrote:what are the benefits of plugging the mixer into the speakers and the audio interface into the mixer?

If you plug the output of the mixer into the speakers, then you can use and listen to the MPC without the computer turned on, without an audio application running, and without the audio interface inputs record enabled (or in some sort of audio interface routing/monitoring mode.

But if it works OK for you the way it is, there isn't necessarily any need to change it, that is just the way I would do it.

cheers man.

Also just to clarify. If i was to use the motu express xt. The analogue synths plug their midi outs into the XT, and then the midi ins would go back into the synths. So would this mean that i would need to leave one extra 'midi in' free so i could send the midi data back out from the mpc, and would this single midi channel be able to send data to all the others? giving me midi out and in capabilities for up to 7 instruments on an 8 in/out XT?

faply wrote:Also just to clarify. If i was to use the motu express xt. The analogue synths plug their midi outs into the XT, and then the midi ins would go back into the synths. So would this mean that i would need to leave one extra 'midi in' free so i could send the midi data back out from the mpc, and would this single midi channel be able to send data to all the others? giving me midi out and in capabilities for up to 7 instruments on an 8 in/out XT?

The MOTU Express XT is really designed as a 8-in/8-out MIDI interface for a computer.

It will not work directly as a MIDI interface for the MPC1000.

It can be setup as a MIDI router, to send MIDI from particular MOTU Express XT inputs to particular MOTU Express outputs, if you want.

But what do you want, why are you using it?

The MPC1000 only has a pair of MIDI outputs, each of those MIDI outputs can send 16 individual MIDI channels of MIDI data, so you have 32 MIDI channels being output from the MPC1000, in total, to work with, along with each MIDI output being able to send MIDI sync as MTC or MIDI Clock.

Adding the MOTU Express XT will not give you any additional MIDI channels to work with, but might let you distribute those 32 available MIDI channels in a different way than using the MIDI thru ports built into a lot of equipment to daisy chain multiple MIDI devices off of the two MPC MIDI ports.

You would still probably have to connect the MOTU Express XT to a computer when initially setting up it's internal routing patches, or when editing them.

In terms of having to connect both the MIDI ins and the MIDI outs of every synth to the MPC, this is not always necessary, and with the 2 MIDI inputs on most MPCs, not often possible.

Basically i would like to sequence a number of midi fitted analogue synths and drum machines with the mpc. So i was hoping i could connect the synth midi outs to the XT, and then the midi outs of the xt back into the synths leaving one midi in port and one midi out port available. These i would use to receive and transmit data to the mpc and also back out using the 16 seperate channels a midi cable allows you to transmit data on. The audio for each synth would then go into my mixer.

I would then have a mixer channel as a sort of sampling master channel which i could feed other live instruments into, which would then feed into the 'record in' on the mpc. Enabling me to quickly capture and sequence audio data from the midi synths or anything else mics etc.

Iv decided to get the mpc 2500 too.

I appreciate your time man.

faply wrote:Basically i would like to sequence a number of midi fitted analogue synths and drum machines with the mpc. So i was hoping i could connect the synth midi outs to the XT, and then the midi outs of the xt back into the synths leaving one midi in port and one midi out port available.

You can physically connect the synth MIDI ins/outs to the MOTU Express XT like this.

But, you have to work out how the MIDI signals will be routed internally inside the MOTU Express XT, and which channels the synths are on, when setting it up as a MIDI patchbay, so that the setup works as you expect.

faply wrote:These i would use to receive and transmit data to the mpc and also back out using the 16 seperate channels a midi cable allows you to transmit data on.

Yes, and on the MPC you set a track to a particular MIDI output and MIDI channel, in order to play a particular sound on a particular synth.

That MIDI output and channel would be going into the MOTU Express XT.

The MOTU Express XT has to be setup to send that particular MIDI output and MIDI channel to the synthesizer you want it to play, the MOTU Express XT does not know this, you have to tell it.

Do you want it to go directly to the synth you want to play?

Or does it go to all the synths exactly the same, and each synth is set to a different MIDI channel, so only the synth on the channel you have chosen responds and plays?

And if you are connecting the MIDI outputs of 7 or 8 synths into 7 or 8 of the MOTU inputs, you have to decide where you want that MIDI data to go once it is inside the MOTU, and you have to setup the MOTU to route it the way you want.

Lots of ways off setting MIDI gear up is possible, and can work, depending on what you want to do.

faply wrote:The audio for each synth would then go into my mixer.

I would then have a mixer channel as a sort of sampling master channel which i could feed other live instruments into, which would then feed into the 'record in' on the mpc. Enabling me to quickly capture and sequence audio data from the midi synths or anything else mics etc.

OK, so you are using the mixer as a input sub-mixer for your external gear into your MPC stereo inputs, that should work.

Do you also plan to use the mixer to monitor through, to connect your speakers to, and to listen to the outputs of the MPC through?

You mentioned MIDI fitted analogue synths, and drum machines.

How many MIDI channels does each respond to?

Are you sending MIDI sync to the drum machines, to sync the sequencers of the drum machines to the MPC sequencer, or are you going to send MIDI notes from the MPC sequencer to play individual sounds from the MPC?

This might give you some idea of where to start, by mapping the 16 available channels on each of the 2 MPC MIDI output, or 32 separate MIDI channels in total, that you have to work with at a time, and working out where you are going to send sync.

Right so the motu can deliver if i spend some time setting up the midi channels. Thats great.

Do you want it to go directly to the synth you want to play?
Or does it go to all the synths exactly the same, and each synth is set to a different MIDI channel, so only the synth on the channel you have chosen responds and plays?

Yeah, it would go straight to each synth. Not sure what you mean by 'it goes to every synth the same' each synth would be playing its own part.

Do you also plan to use the mixer to monitor through, to connect your speakers to, and to listen to the outputs of the MPC through?

I think so yes. I will be dedicating most of the mpc's time to running midi sequences which will in turn be resampled back into the mpc and outputted back into the mixer to be further effected if needed. Otherwise just outputted through the stereo outs of the mpc as default.

Another thing im unsure over is, i reckon ill be getting an allen and heath zed 24 mxer. If it has usb does that mean getting an audio interface would be superfluous? (i was thinking of the audiofire 12 because the mixer has pre amps already) or is that just a stereo out on the usb?

Sorry if im spreading the subject matter too thin.