Anyone here successfully using their MPC 4K to control....

Ableton Live4 and Reason 2.5?

I'm able to use my MIDI keyboard to control these programs when I hook up the keyboard directly to my computer...but if I connect this same keyboard to the MPC's MIDI In and then route the MPC's MIDI out to the computer, Live or Reason doesn't pick up any incoming MIDI messages. I'm trying to use the MPC's pads, sliders, and knobs to bang out my beats in Live and/or Reason.

Are there some MIDI settings on the MPC I must modify so the computer will recognize it? I read both the MPC and the Live manual regarding this problem but I can't seem to find a solution. Can you guys help me out?

Hi Summer,

In MAIN, route the track output to the MIDI output port that is connected to the computer (OUT-A > OUT-D). Make sure the MIDI-inport you use for the MIDI keyboard is routed to Sequencer in the MIDI > routing page and that you have selected the correct MIDI port in your software.
This should be enough to play Reason / Ableton with the pads and the MIDI keyboard at the same time.

To use the Qlink sliders you must let them transmit a ctrl change nr. You can set this up in the Qlink setup > Send (F2) page. In Live or Reason you can assign these same ctrl numbers to the parameters you'd like to jam with. You can record the slider/knob movements and when you're done with that parameter, assign the slider/knob to a different controllernumber for a different parameter in Ableton/Reason, and so on.

The pads can also be routed directly to MIDI out-A in de MIDI routing page. But this will not work for the MIDI keyboard and Qlink section. And also, if you use the first method you can use the pads and the keyboard to play with the MPC sequencer by routing the track to a part.

Cheers!

I don't know what I'm doing wrong but I can't seem to get these programs to receive MIDI messages from the MPC. It's odd cause if I take the MPC out of the loop and connect the keyboard directly to my computer's MIDI input port I'm able to play the synths with my keyboard. But the second I make the MPC the master controller nothing happens.

Anyone experience this and got a fix?

In MAIN, did you check the channel of the track? Does it match with the MIDI keyboard's channel? The channel of the keyboard is overwritten by the MPC output channel. Set to ALL or match.

You can change the pad channel in the pad assign window btw.

bleepfreak wrote:In MAIN, did you check the channel of the track? Does it match with the MIDI keyboard's channel? The channel of the keyboard is overwritten by the MPC output channel. Set to ALL or match.

You can change the pad channel in the pad assign window btw.

Yes I checked. Everything is set to channel 1 and yet the results remain the same....zilch...nothing...nada! Even if I set the channel to "Any", no message is sent when I press the pads or hit notes on the keyboard.

I've even unplugged the keyboard from the MPC and just left the MPC by itself hooked up to my computer thru MIDI and yet I still can't play any notes with the pads or send out any other messages via MIDI.

This is getting to be very frustrating. I've been trying to accomplish this feat for the last 2 days and so far I'm getting nowhere fast! :

Could the problem be that the MIDI Out ports (A-D) on the MPC are bad? (I hope not). It's messed up how I can run the keyboard alone and it works fine but the second I bring the MPC into the mix as the main controller nothing happens. It kinda defeats the purpose of the MPC being the brain to my studio if I can't use it to control external gear. Anyone come across this problem before?

Summer2000 wrote:

bleepfreak wrote:In MAIN, did you check the channel of the track? Does it match with the MIDI keyboard's channel? The channel of the keyboard is overwritten by the MPC output channel. Set to ALL or match.

You can change the pad channel in the pad assign window btw.

Yes I checked. Everything is set to channel 1 and yet the results remain the same....zilch...nothing...nada! Even if I set the channel to "Any", no message is sent when I press the pads or hit notes on the keyboard.

I've even unplugged the keyboard from the MPC and just left the MPC by itself hooked up to my computer thru MIDI and yet I still can't play any notes with the pads or send out any other messages via MIDI.

This is getting to be very frustrating. I've been trying to accomplish this feat for the last 2 days and so far I'm getting nowhere fast! :

Could the problem be that the MIDI Out ports (A-D) on the MPC are bad? (I hope not). It's messed up how I can run the keyboard alone and it works fine but the second I bring the MPC into the mix as the main controller nothing happens. It kinda defeats the purpose of the MPC being the brain to my studio if I can't use it to control external gear. Anyone come across this problem before?

Keep at it check your midi setup on Reason or Live (I have both) what is your I/O midi card? I use my digi 001 no problems and with Live I just click the midi set key then set the pad to make it the controller and turn it off. Reason I haven`t set up yet I use got it. But from experience it will turn out to be one simple step you miss or procedure that is screwing things up. I never blame the gear unless it is old and shorting out. It is something I just didn`t know how to do at the time. It`s called trial and error with some basic midi experience. Keep at it and someday you can help the next guy on here with the same problems.

You master the gear, you can do it.

This is definitely a configuration issue, and not a physical problem with
your MPC, unless your Midi Out Ports don't work. Tried plugging the MPC
into something other then a computer and make sure that it is triggering
that synth. Their is a whole setup on Midi Routing in the MPC that you may
have to get into, but if you haven't changed them yourself, then they should
be set correctly already.


Are you on a PC or a Mac?

If a PC, have you installed Midi OX (http://www.midiox.com/)?

If so, when you bring it up, do you see any input coming into the computer
from the MPC? You should be able to see any incoming Midi messages.

If so, then in Live, do you see the I and O that stands for Midi Input and Midi Output? When you hit the pad, do you see the "I" light up?

If those aren't lighting up, hitting the "Midi" Learn button isn't going to help out.


It's all about elimination. Remove the Computer and add a synth. That
way you can see if it's the MPC or Computer.

If that works, then you know to concentrate on the Computers setup.

If that doesn't work, then you know to concentrate on the MPC's setup.


Follow up with which of the above 2 stesps work and which sound card you are using, to proceed further.


Cheers,

Dave

Hold the fort!!!!

I figured it out !!!!!!!

What I was doing was this... I was using my joystick port in the back off my computer for my MIDI input. Now this will work fine with my MIDI keyboard but not with the MPC. It just happens that the Soundblaster Live 5.1 Platinum audio card (which I'm using) comes with a 5 1/4 breakout box which give me access to the following in/out ports: Mic, headphones, aux, spdif, and not to mention of all things MIDI-IN/MIDI-OUT!!!! Now when I connect the MIDI wires from the MPC to those slots the computer immediately receives the messages!!!!!

I'm so happy you guys just don't know. I was racking my brains the last few days trying to figure this out and now my problem is solved!!!!
WOOOHOOOOOOO

Hopefully my discovery will help out another newjack who may run into the same problem down the line.

Big thanks to bleepfreak, Blue Haze, and renegadebliss. I appreciate you guys taking the time to lend a bro a hand and being so patient with me!!!!! Good looking out.

Summer2K