MPC60 only playing back one note from synth after recording

Hey everyone,

I used to have os2.02 on the MPC60, and have since upgraded to 3.10. I have a Moog Little Phatty Stage II (a keyboard synthesiser). By doing a "midi handshake" between these devices, I was able to play keys on the Moog while the MPC was "recording" in a sequence, and then after my take, the MPC would play back the notes I played on the Moog.

After upgrading to 3.10, I have had an issue where I set the devices up the same (I think) and the MPC only plays back the first note I played. In fact, it plays this same note for all the midi events (keys) I pressed during recording. This is my set up;

- I have the track set up as MIDI as opposed to DRUM, the channel is set to 2B Synthesiser (my Moog is through Midi input 2).
- The MPC is in local mode, as is the Moog.
- Soft through is turned off on my MPC (when turned on, it seems like the Moog plays the notes continuously without turning them off, like a feedback loop)
- Volume receive and Program receive is OFF on MPC.

Thoughts?

Also, if I want to record mod wheel and other data, do I set the Pass Event to "YES" for each type of data I want to record? What's the best way to do this without overloading the ol' 60?

How many midi channels does the Moog have?

What midi channel is the Moog set to receive on?

What midi channel is the MPC sending data to the Moog on?

Finally, is the Moog monotimbral or multitimbral?

Don't know much about the Moog, but the answer could lie therein...

The Little Phatty is monophonic and monotimbral.

chaseaston wrote:I used to have os2.02 on the MPC60, and have since upgraded to 3.10. I have a Moog Little Phatty Stage II (a keyboard synthesiser). By doing a "midi handshake" between these devices, I was able to play keys on the Moog while the MPC was "recording" in a sequence, and then after my take, the MPC would play back the notes I played on the Moog.

That is not called a 'MIDI handshake'.

chaseaston wrote:- I have the track set up as MIDI as opposed to DRUM, the channel is set to 2B Synthesiser (my Moog is through Midi input 2).

Setting an MPC MIDI track to 2B sends MIDI out of that MPC track on MIDI channel 2 through MIDI output B, it is nothing to do with the MPC MIDI input 2.

You would have to setup the synth to respond to MIDI channel 2, if sending MIDI to it from an MPC track set to MIDI output 2B.

If the synth is setup to respond to MIDI channel 1, and connected to MPC MIDI output B, then you should set the MPC MIDI track to send it's output to 1B.

chaseaston wrote:- The MPC is in local mode, as is the Moog.

Leave local set to On in the MPC, that is the internal connection between the MPC pads and the MPC sound engine.

You should possibly turn local mode to Off in the Moog. That disconnects the internal MIDI connection between the Moog keyboard and the Moog synth engine, and sends the MIDI output of the keyboard to the MIDI output of the Moog only, and makes the Moog synth engine respond to incoming MIDI from the MIDI input only.

That way it will send MIDI into the MPC, and the MPC will send that MIDI to whatever MIDI channel and MIDI output as set on the currently selected MPC MIDI track.

chaseaston wrote:- Soft through is turned off on my MPC (when turned on, it seems like the Moog plays the notes continuously without turning them off, like a feedback loop)

Leave soft through set to On in the MPC.

That means that the incoming MIDI to the MPC is sent out of the specified MIDI channel and MIDI port on the currently selected MPC track.

chaseaston wrote:Also, if I want to record mod wheel and other data, do I set the Pass Event to "YES" for each type of data I want to record? What's the best way to do this without overloading the ol' 60?

It shouldn't overload the MPC60, you should be able to leave all of the event types enabled.

I didn't want to give it to him on a plate...I wanted to make him think about the questions posed and the answers lol.

But I'm sure dude will appreciate the comprehensive answer from Simon.

A "midi handshake" isn't when the MPC's midi out is connected to the Moog's midi in, and the Moog's midi out is connected to the MPC's midi in? I wanna make sure my terminology is correct.

- Thanks for your advice on the midi channels. I set it all up again today, and I still had my track channel as 2B for midi (because my Moog has always been on channel 2) and the output 2 (B) of the MPC is connected to the midi in of the Moog.
- I left both devices on local mode, because I want to hear the Moog as I play it when recording.
- WHAT I DID CHANGE was turning soft through on. I also tried turning the sustain control option on the MPC off just in case.

I seemed to have success for about two minutes, until this happened...

In the TEMPO/SYNC menu, I had set my midi clock out to output B. I did this in the hope that the LFO and ARP would sync to the MPC. This happened well for about two minutes, until abruptly, the LFO went really fast, then as I messed around a little more, the Moog just stopped playing notes all together! Even when I pressed the keys on the Moog!

I have a feeling this is an issue with the Moog. Thoughts?

Sounds like your creating a MIDI feedback loop.

You want local "off" on the Moog.
When using a synth as a MIDI controller and sequencing it at the same time, you have local off on the keyboard. It sends data to your sequencer and the sequencer sends the data back to your synth. That way the synth only receives one set of notes .

If the Moog has "soft thru" switch that off to stop the MIDI clock looping back round and messing up timing.

And did you switch "Drums" to "MIDI" on the main page like Simon suggested ?

I did get a result in the end, but there was still weird stuff happening. The Moog (or MPC?) wasn't able to cope with much mod wheel processing, and would often wig out after a while. So, I just kept it simple, and things were cool. I know this is an MPC forum, but for those interested, all I did was use the "LFO Reset" feature of the Moog so that the LFO started each time I pressed a key. This way, I got the same oscillation each time I pressed a key. http://www.moogmusic.com/OSv3.1

The Moog doesn't have "soft thru", but what you're saying about the local mode makes a lot of sense. Maybe the reason the Moog is wigging out when I give it too much processing is because it is receiving midi from itself as well as the MPC. What would be the symptoms of that sort of routing error with an external synth?

The only problem I have with turning local mode off on the Moog is that I can't hear my playback when recording. But if both of you suggest that I should do it, then there is obviously a way around that...

Yes, I switched "Drums" to "Midi".

Yes, with both local on in the synth, and soft thru on in the MPC, the mod wheel data (and other MIDI data) would be being sent directly from the keyboard, and other controls, to the synth engine, internally, as well as out the MIDI port, into the sequencer, then back from the sequencer to the synth engine.

The synth engine would be receiving the mod wheel data (and all other MIDI data) directly, as well as the same data slightly delayed after going through the sequencer.

I can imagine that it would cause problems in the synth engine.

It would also double trigger MIDI notes being played on the keyboard.


There are two ways to set it up and use it...

1. Local off in the synth, soft thru on in the MPC. This means that the synth engine does not receive MIDI directly from the keyboard, only from the sequencer, and you should be able to play the synth engine from the keyboard when the sequencer track is set to the MIDI channel and output that the synth engine is set/connected to. You should be able to hear the synth when recording into the MPC sequencer, if the MPC track you are recording onto is set to send MIDI out on the MIDI channel that the synth engine is set to respond to, and to the MPC MIDI output port that the synth MIDI input is connected to.

2. Local on in the synth, soft thru off in the MPC. This means that the synth engine does receive MIDI directly from the keyboard, and you can play the synth engine directly from the keyboard at all times. The MIDI being sent out from the keyboard into the MPC will be recorded, but it will only send the MIDI back into the synth engine when the recorded sequence is being played back.


If you only have a single MIDI sound device hooked up to the MPC, the second way will probably work OK.

If you have more than one MIDI sound device hooked up to the MPC, and you want to control more than one MIDI sound device from the keyboard, you would probably have to do it the first way.


I would do it the first way, as I have more than one MIDI sound device to use with the MPC, so to me, that is the right way to do it.

The second way might be fine for you.

chaseaston wrote:The Moog doesn't have "soft thru"

It does...if MIDI MERGE/DIN IN: is set to either DIN OUT or DIN/USB OUT, it will operate as soft thru, you should make sure it is set to NONE.

All of that makes so much sense. Thanks Simon. I will report back once I have tried what you advised.