Using the 4k sequencer multitimbrally, but just for MIDI.. ?

Hey all,
just got my 4k back from a friend and swapped the 1k I was using as my "DAW" while it was away, the 1k is back at the closet for now.. But while the 4k was away, I got more intimate with the 1k with JJOS, and I absolutely fell in love with the multitimbral mode on the JJOSXL. Is there any way to have a similar MIDI control scheme with the 4k?

In case you don't know how the mutitimbral MIDI mode works in JJOSXL, let me explain: Once engaged, every incoming MIDI command (notes, bends, ccs etc) affects the targets on the first 16 tracks, according to the sending MIDI channel. So, to illustate a bit:
* a MIDI note sent from port A / channel 1 = triggers a note on track 01
* a MIDI note sent from port A / channel 6 = triggers a note on track 06

This happens regardless of track type (ie. if track contains a prog, a sound triggers, but if a track is MIDI only, MIDI note is triggered to the defined port/channel from midi out).

Now I'm still quite a novice with the 4k, but if I'm reading the manuals correctly, such a feature does not exist on the 4k? Only thing that comes close to this is a multi, which can be controlled from several MIDI channels simultaneously.. But AFAIK a multi cannot contain MIDI tracks, only internal sampler programs, right? Which would mean that for controlling my other MIDI gear via ext MIDI input, I'd be tied to using the "active track"?

Maybe I need to keep the 1k as a MIDI hub in addition to having the 4k.. but would be hella redundant really I dunno, even a way to MIDI ctrl map a track selector for the 4k would help alot, any ideas how to do this? Sysex-only, eh?

Thanks in advance for any insight you guys might have on the subject!

you can set this up in the 4000 if I understand you correctly. I Do this sort of thing all the time.
Cheers,
Ian

Ian Canefire wrote:you can set this up in the 4000 if I understand you correctly. I Do this sort of thing all the time.
Cheers,
Ian

Hi Ian! Could you describe the routine? As far as I know, you can't pass MIDI input to different tracks without switching active track.

Hey, thanks for the responses!

Yes, exactly my problem: how to control 16 MIDI outputting tracks on the MPC multitimbrally, without switching the active track. Controlling a multi from 16 MIDI channels is supported yes, but talking about external MIDI device sequencing..

I am starting to come to the conclusion that the MPC paradigm is not the best possible for external sequencing, which is evident when one looks at how poorly you can create/manipulate MIDI programs (ie. MPC programs that are neither internal drum or inst programs/multis but external MIDI control ones).. If Akai only had thought to include a "MIDI Ext Inst" program type, I could do awesome multis that combine internal and external sounds..

Unless I have missed something - There's nooo way to include a MIDI only program inside a multi, correct?

I started dabbling with this a bit more, and turns out I don't even know how to setup a multi to receive multitimbral MIDI control! Anyone care to help out a bit? I created a multi with 2 parts, assigned diff. drumkits to the different parts, and assigned diff MIDI input channels to them both, but only the first part plays (I have the MIDI active channel set to ALL in my settings).. I am certainly missing something here :p

EDIT: Okay, so setting my MIDI input port from SEQUENCER to INT-B gave multitibral MIDI remote control, but how on earth do you record what you play after that, since the MIDI data is no longer routed to the sequencer??

Hi Tsu,
I started to get lost. Please explain a bit more clearly, do not fear the length of the post. Literally tell me the names of the events or the external gear or the parts in the external gear you are trying to control. I hope I have not misled you with my initial reply.

I know drums can be funny because usually a drum is on Midi channel 10 and specific drum kit surfaces (Snare, Tom 1,2,3,4, Ride) would need specific ctrl numbers associated with each surface. But maybe you are not getting that deep.

I never use my mpc pads. I plug a synth keyboard in A (for the keyboard and the knobs to control the MPC4000 parameters) and a Drum machine in B (So that I can use the drum pads I prefer)

I make sure that the multi has the internal parts organized for internal sounds to be played.
For external sounds I make sure that in the main screen, in the TRACK area, I have the Midi out (ABCD) properly set to the appropriate external units part (1-16).
In the Midi screen on the MPC I make sure that the MIDI OUT is set to send to either A,B,C,D or ALL



In the map page I have the external controllers going to the sequencer. Not to INT A, B. Or straight thru the MPC to the Midi outputs.



What points am I missing abot your method?
Thanks,
Ian

Thanks for getting back to this. I'll try to explain what I'd like to do once more.

I'd like to use something similar to a korg padkontrol, to create a pad bank (on the padkontroller) with pad 1 triggering a C3 note to MPC MIDIOUT A3 (Config of MPC Track 1), pad 2 triggering a processed snare sample from Program02 (internal MPC program / Config of MPC Track 2), pad 3 triggering a G1 note to MPC MIDIOUT B1 (Config of MPC Track 3), pad 4 sending a MIDI CC value of 0/127 to MPC MIDIOUT D16 (Config of MPC Track 4), and so on..

This kind of setup can be configured on the MPC 1k/2k5 using JJOS because it has a "Multitimbral MIDI input mode" ie. it accepts incoming MIDI data from all channels and mirrors incoming MIDI data to the bindings/routings of internal MPC tracks 1-16, and, most importantly, this works regardless of which active track is currently selected on the MPC. Everything is also recorded by the sequencer, meaning I can record up to 16 different instruments simultaneously, on the fly, without mucking about to change tracks etc. This way, I can play drums, basslines, and fx tweaks intuitively and spontaneously, effectively being able to create a multitrack songpart/loop in just a single sequencer pass.

I am trying to configure the MPC4000 to function like this, but am unable to get it working.. ATM I can only control either:
- 1 track at a time (ie. controlling only the active track of the MPC sequencer)
- multitimbrally, but only within a multi (ie. no ext MIDI device control) and with the sequencer bypassed (ie. no data gets recorded, only played back)

Hi there,

I didn't read the whole topic but i give you a link to this conversation , if you don't mind having a headache, (the same kind of config start with my discussion, "Lau " )

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=174951