Newbie Question about connecting Midi Keyboard

Hi all...this is my first post and very new to this game.

I have the Edirol PCR-30 Midi Keyboard and the MPC Studio.

I want to play sounds from the MPC on the keyboard but not too sure on the connections. Can I solely use the usb from keyboard to pc or do i need to use the midi in/midi outs also??

Thanks in advance!!!!

The MPC Studio is a USB controller for MPC Software running on the computer.

The MPC Studio MIDI in/out ports are an external USB MIDI interface for the computer, including MPC Software.

You can either connect the keyboard to the computer directly via it's internal USB-MIDI interface, using a USB cable, or via 5 pin DIN MIDI connectors into a computer MIDI interface, such as the MPC Studio MIDI input.

You just need to make sure that the computer MIDI ports that you are using, either the MPC Studio MIDI in/out ports, or the internal PCR-30 USB-MIDI port, are shown, and selected, in the list of Active MIDI Inputs in MPC Software Preferences/MIDI.

Not sure about the PCR-30, and whether you need drivers to suit your computer OS. If they are not already installed, and/or if it doesn't work automatically, you might need to download PCR-30 USB-MIDI drivers to suit your computer OS, and install them, before the keyboard will be available to the computer, and therefore MPC Software.

Thanks for your reply.

Yes i can see the PCR listed in the Midi section on the MPC software but just cant get any sounds from the keyboard.

Seeing that i see it listed in midi means i'm almost there....i will play around with it.

Thanks

Have you setup a track/program in the MPC to play sounds from the MPC pads, and are they making sound when you hit them?

If so, maybe try using the octave down button on the PCR-30 to see if the sounds are set to play from MIDI notes further down the keyboard.

What sort of track/program are you using?

Yes i have sounds when hitting the pads. I should be selecting Midi as the type at the drop down, where it says track right??


I will try again in a few hours when I get home from work...but from what you have said I think I know where I went wrong.

Only set It To midi when Using external synth (meaning a synth that has sounds on board) with drum program, and plugin u can also use Your midi controller go To preferences/midi/select your edirol(should be listed in there,with your USB port) select it, and try to use it with the bank plugin (set to plugin) press,the + symbol below there u can choose which plugin choose the bank pick a sound start playing...
works????

yeah, if you have your keyboard connected through usb, it should just pop up on the list in Preferences, and you should be able to check it off.

Ace Boog wrote:Yes i have sounds when hitting the pads. I should be selecting Midi as the type at the drop down, where it says track right??

No.

As mentioned above, a MIDI track is for recording MIDI onto, that is then used to send out of MPC Software to control external MIDI sound devices.

If you are trying to playback samples or software instruments from within MPC Software, then you have to set the track type to Drum or Keygroup to use the internal MPC Software sample engine, or to Plugin to use a software instrument plugin inside MPC Software.

If you use Drum or Keygroup as the track type, then you have to setup the Drum or Keygroup Program, that you assign to that track, to playback the samples you want, on the pads/MIDI note numbers that you want them to be triggered by. If you use a Plugin track type, then you have to load a software instrument plugin onto that track, and set the plugin up to play the sounds that you want.

The external MIDI keyboard sends MIDI note on/off messages into the MPC Software sequencer, in the same way that the MPC Studio pads send MIDI note on/off messages into the MPC Software sequencer. You have to setup the track and program/plugin within MPC Software, or external MIDI sound source if using a MIDI track, to play the samples/sounds that you want, from the MIDI notes received from either the MPC pads or the external MIDI keyboard.

Thanks for that ... Makes more sense now. Not as easy as I first thought.

Just picked up the Sampling Laid Bare manual, think I need too step back and read up on a few things lol

An external MIDI keyboard, when used to input MIDI note on/off messages into the MPC Software sequencer, is no different to using the MPC pads to input MIDI note on/off messages.

You need to set it up the MPC Software to playback sound from some source, such as an MPC Drum or Keygroup sampler Program, from a software instrument Plugin, or from an external MIDI sound device, in response to MIDI note on/off messages coming from the MPC Pads or an external MIDI keyboard/controller, before the external MIDI keyboard will have any sound source to trigger from pressing it's keys.