MPC1000 recording offbeat / Mystery issues

So I've had the blue MPC1000 for about 12 years. (the one with the crap pads) A couple years ago it started acting up right before a tour and we bought a newer black model. I've started wondering if my settings were just off and maybe I overreacted when switching between different JJ and Akai software just kinda lost my mind in the stress of having to prepare for the trip.

So this week I got it out of the closet (I've decided to only use it as a sequencer now) and started messing around with it. The pads are all whacky and out of time and certain ones triple hit and others barely work. OK. So I need new pads. They arrive tomorrow. (I got the gray fat ones.)

But in the mean time... I set everything up and have been running tests to see if I can get it somewhat in order. The pads that are fine trigger as they should. But when it plays back it's all off. (Yes, I checked the timing-correct.) Lets just believe me when I say that I'm a musician and that I'm on-beat, so that is not the issue. Now I'm thinking it's not the pads.

Then I started trying it with other triggers. Sounds fine, but again, plays back off. Ran a few controllers into it and played it with those. Things seem awesome. But they are not. The machine is recording notes off beat.

What do you MPC people think this is? I'm feeling like I should have just bought a new one now instead of blowing 200 on pads for a unit that might be totaled. Any experience with this? I'm sure there are a ton of threads like this, but I couldn't find any that were similar enough. So sorry if this is the most asked question ever or something.

Thanks in advance for any ideas / or suggestions on how I should proceed.


-Sheriffderek

Is it doing it with timing correct turned off?

If timing correct is on, what settings are you using?

Did you hold the Erase key when powering on, after changing the OS, the reset all the settings to default?

I have never had my timing correct turned off before. I just turned it off and recorded a few bars and it was perfect. Also, the setting was 1/8th notes and no swing before.

So, that is interesting... but like I said, I've never had to turn it off before. I usually have it on 16th notes because that's about as fast as I ever need. Sometimes I add a little swing.

When I reset the MPC (today) I held play to check memory only. The 128 expansion was moved to another unit and I don't really need it for this new setup.

I will reset it with erase to see what happens next. When I went through trying to fix this a few years ago (I tried everything I could think of, and multiple times) I probably reset everything all of the ways...

But the correct being off... and then things working pretty perfectly is a good clue for sure in this mystery. Does that bring anything else to mind? Thanks!



UPDATE: holding erase didn't seem to trigger anything special. It looks like I currently have JJ 3.12 on this unit.

You sure it is off, and it is not you that is off?


Have you tried setting TC to 1/16 or 1/32 with swing off/50%, and see if that if what it was like previously?

Is the time signature set to 4/4, and is that what you are expecting?

make sure strength is at 100% and not 0% in T.C

and shift timing at O .

berlin wrote:make sure strength is at 100% and not 0% in T.C

Yes, check here for details on what the Strength parameter does...

http://www7a.biglobe.ne.jp/~mpc1000/128xl/strength.htm

Timing Correct Strength%

Strength controls how rigidly the track will be quantized.

In other words, a 0% setting will not quantize the track at all, whereas a 100% setting will cause every note to snap perfectly into position within the beat.

Settings closer to 0% will allow note timing to be more relaxed and true to the original performance, while settings closer to 100% will make the track more precise.

@SimonInAustralia - There are a lot of things I am not sure of, but I AM sure that my hands are capable of hitting a pad in 1/8th note intervals with more than +/- 5% accuracy. This should be more than enough to round up or down. Like I said, I've been using this machine for 12 years / have made albums with it - and toured with it many times. It's been a few - but I know how it should behave. I haven't just forgotten how to tap buttons. I promise.

Time signature is at 4/4

I have tried all of the the timing choices. (with swing at the default 50%)

@berlin I have no strength options because I haven't put JJXL on this unit.

I am thinking of only using this to sequence a few other modules, so I don't really need the advanced functionality, and honestly - I'm afraid to drop $123 bucks on a machine that might have motherboard issues or something. ( I wish that JJ was transferable )

I'm have better luck this morning. Playing the pads with an MS2000 seems to be working just fine... although it wasn't last night, which worries me.

The new pads should arrive in a few hours. I'll check all of the connections then, and hope for the best or at least some kind of clue or something to lead us to the core of the problem.

Thanks for your suggestions so far!

Have to ask the stupid questions when trying to troubleshoot remotely.

postcoitus wrote:UPDATE: holding erase didn't seem to trigger anything special. It looks like I currently have JJ 3.12 on this unit.

Maybe try updating it to JJOS Free 3.16, or put the Akai OS on, just to see how it goes with a different/updated/reflashed OS?

Well, I removed the 3.12 or whatever was on there... and then put it back to Akai, and THEN - put on 3.16 and now things seem to be just fine (besides the pads) So... Maybe it was a bug in that jj version or it was garbled.

So I'll see if everything is A+ with the new pads.

Thanks for the moral support.