Forum to discuss all matters relating to the MPC1000 and MPC2500 operating systems created by 'JJ' (all versions).
By djboyko Thu Nov 27, 2014 2:01 pm
Hi Guys,this is my first post here as i just finally bought the precious MPC 2500 few days ago.It has jjosxl2 3.45 ,120 hdd and 128 ram(can't be better).
So here is the story:
Ideally ,what i wanna do is to connect as slaves:Roland XV 5080(128 voices,multitimbral sound module),Roland TR-8 and Roland sp 808ex(mostly to use its effects and the virtual analogue synth).Before I used the Arturia beatstep sequencer and Alesis MMT 8 8 track sequencer. Beatstep was ok to do step sequencing in real time but only to 1 midi channel at a time. MMT 8 is able to play 8 tracks at a time but they need to be recorded previously(can't act as a step sequencer).
All the 8 midi tracks form Roland xv 5080 are assigned to the 1-8 audio outputs and plugged to 8 channels to ALLEN^HEATH zed 14 mixer,so i can control each track with the fader on each of those 8 channels in the mixer.
So the question is how the MPC 2500 jjos2 xl.345 can do that? Till now i was able to assign midi channels from 1 to 8 to each track(set as Chord) but i can't figure out how to play all the 8 at the same time and use the mpc 2500 as step sequencer.Please help me!
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By bliprock Sat Nov 29, 2014 4:46 am
Beatstep has a global channel option so you can use that, but depends on what mode you have the midi pass through, either by active track or by channel.
beatstep into mlc, then the rest gets the mpc out.
That is how i do it.
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By bliprock Sat Nov 29, 2014 4:50 am
why use MPC as step sequencer when you have a beatstep? So use the beat step into the mpc and then pass through to synths. you can record this.
The mpc can send more than 8 so go crazy, like I said it depends on what mode you have midi wise, I prefer active track myself. Then choose track in sequence that is assigned to a midi channel already and you have total control and can step sequence live to any synth channel you want. I am doing right now as i just bought the beatstep today.
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By bliprock Wed Dec 03, 2014 2:15 am
You mean sequence 8 tracks at once from the beatstep?
No just the track that is active or what ever track is being sent from the beatstep.

The MPC will still send 8 tracks of midi at once but controller / sequencer will only be the one track you choose.

I just record and then go to next track
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By bliprock Tue Dec 09, 2014 2:18 am
If you map the beatstep to separate channels and then set up MPC in midi track mode (or what ever its called, I am at work right now) where the MPC passes each midi channel though to tracks 1-16 then you can indeed control more than one midi channel. But the beatstep can only sequence on one channel at a time, so you can control more than one channel but not sequence more than one.
That is why I use the other mode and use active track.

Protip - Map the Beatstep to send out a midi note from pad in controller mode and you can then set up the MPC to change track in the MPC midi setup. This allows you to actually tell the MPC what track is active and you do not have to touch the MPC to change tracks. I do this but means you can not sequence at same time unless you make it for certain channel only, as notes from sequence change your MPC track. I just turn this off and on depending on what I am doing, sequencing or tweaking.. So I sit on couch and change tracks and the tweak CCs as I go. then turn it off to sequence something.
By allank Wed Dec 17, 2014 4:01 am
It's called Multi Timbral mode.. .

The protip is awesome.. I'm going to set that up on my novation zero... I have so many buttons without use.. and in a live scenario (not that I really gig anymore so just "studio-live").. would be awesome..
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By bliprock Fri Dec 19, 2014 2:15 am
yep thats the one, multitimbral mode. I do no use that mode and just use the JJOS button control mode. The control mode lets me assign incoming midi notes to select the channel the MPC is on, so this way I can then not use multitimbral mode and just pass CCs through to what ever synth on what ever channel and its more flexible. Of course the only draw back is that the Arturia beatstep sequencer will change tracks if it uses the same note. So I kind switch the button mode off to sequence then turn it back on for CCs

Oh yeah in case I was not too clear for the OP - the Beatstep can only sequnce one track at a time unless you say key split the notes out to different channels at the same time and have multitimbral mode on