I'm using a Midi Solutions Footswitch Contoller
http://midisolutions.com/prodfsw.htmIt's flexible because you can program it, but also complicated because you can program it!
But once you have it set up - it's a single function footswitch that is very small if you don't want to drag a large midi pedal set up on stage.
I've got this working so that it sends record MMC to the Live, however the Live has some details that have derailed my goals of using it as a live midi looper.
1) The MMC for record is 'interpreted' by the MPC as either 'record' or 'overdub' depending on where you are in your loop - and you can't control this like you can with the actual buttons. It's too stoopid to use live.
2) The MPC always switches to overdub mode after the first pass of the loop. You should have the option to turn that off and always replace until you choose to punch out. This is a big one for me.
I understand that 95% of hardware and software automatically switch to overdub, but it's not how tape loops worked, which should be the template for any live looping device. I also understand that the MPC Live was not intended for live midi looping. But live midi looping is a ****-ton of fun. Record midi - loop it, tweak hardware during looping (can't do that with audio loops). It's just so much fun live.
There should be an option to stay in record/replace mode despite hitting the start of a loop. The audio looper lets you do this, so I'm going to experiment with that next.
Anyone who has used tape loops on stage would understand the value of keeping a loop in record/replace mode, because you can play on top of your tracks and jam out a four bar pattern for as long as you want, and when you feel you've nailed a really cool groove, you just punch out. At that point, your last (best) four bars are what will loop for the rest of the song. You make this creative decision 'after' you hear your performance. The current method of automatically switching to overdub is based on making a creative decision 'before' you have started your performance.
Live creative options Is why people pay for expensive Squarp/Cirklon type gear. I might do that.
The manual states that overdub protects you from accidentally recording over a beat, but it doesn't stop you from accidentally doubling up garbage on your track, AND you can't elegantly fix that as you can with record/replace.
If you record into your midi track and that first note is too soft. With record/replace, you just keep playing until you correct that note, and then punch out. Problem solved right away. But since the Live will 'always' switch to overdub - the feature of 'record/replace' really only applies to 95% of your track - there is nobody who can switch from overdub to replace mode fast enough to replace that soft note on the first beat. If you screw up your first note - you have to stop your performance and wipe the track and start over. Fine in the studio of course, but not for live use. I don't want to undo my whole performance because of one note - I want to keep my flow.
That fact that record/replace only applies to 'most' of your loop makes it a weird arbitrary feature. You 'can' punch in to replace, but just not on that first beat. . . ? really ? am I missing something?
Everything I'm talking about of course is for live performance, not studio, where stopping, deleting, and undoing is fine.
The option to turn off overdub would make the MPC a much more fun midi looper.
