Exchange tips and tricks for the Akai MPC4000
By BeatBoy Wed May 15, 2019 9:24 am
Hi There

I was wondering if it was possible to sent stop start commands to remote sequencers via the MPC4000?

Like in this video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQ9bL_Iy044 (I am not interested in keeping in sync - just sending stop start commands - eg 1 min 20 in the video)

I have tried to send the following commands via a SYSEX in the MPC4000 (Master) to the slave (external sequencer) but nothing happens

F0 7F 0D 06 01 F7 = MMC STOP
F0 7F 0D 06 02 F7 = MMC PLAY

maybe the 0D part is wrong ?

MMC Message Format
An MMC mes­sage is ei­ther an MMC com­mand (Sub-ID#1=06) or an MMC re­sponse (Sub-ID#1=07). As a SysEx mes­sage it is for­mat­ted (all num­bers hexa­dec­i­mal):

F0 7F <Device-ID> <06|07> [<Sub-ID#2> [<parameters>]] F7
Device-ID: MMC device's ID#; value 00-7F (7F = all devices); AKA "channel number"
Sub-ID#1: 06 = command
Sub-ID#2:
01 Stop
02 Play
03 Deferred Play (play after no longer busy)
04 Fast Forward
05 Rewind
06 Record Strobe (AKA [[Punch in/out|Punch In]])
07 Record Exit (AKA [[Punch out (music)|Punch out]])
08 Record Pause
09 Pause (pause playback)
0A Eject (disengage media container from MMC device)
0B Chase
0D MMC Reset (to default/startup state)
40 Write (AKA Record Ready, AKA Arm Tracks)
parameters: <length1> 4F <length2> <track-bitmap-bytes>
44 Goto (AKA Locate)
parameters: <length>=06 01 <hours> <minutes> <seconds> <frames> <subframes>
47 Shuttle
parameters: <length>=03 <sh> <sm> <sl> (MIDI Standard Speed codes)


Has anyone got this to work?
any help would be appreciated!
By CharlesRandolph Thu May 16, 2019 12:34 pm
On the MPC 4000

Press MISC
Then F2 (Sync)
Under Sync Out: Turn SEND MMC to MIDI A, B, C, D, or ALL
Press MAIN Button
Press Play


Make sure the sync is off
Make sure you've selected the proper MIDI OUT port
Make sure your MIDI cable works.


On your other Machine

Go to your other device and set it up to receive MMC
By BeatBoy Thu May 16, 2019 12:58 pm
Thanks Charles
I already have both machines synched - works perfectly

But what I want to do is send a stop message to external sequencer while mpc is in play mode

For this I believe I need to use a sysex command
I have tried F0 7F 7F 06 01 F7 (MMC STOP) but the remote machine doenst stop playing
By BeatBoy Thu May 16, 2019 1:06 pm
Thanks Tiger - got both synched using MTC

If you look at the video I posted . 1 min 20 mark you will see what I mean (eventhough the electribe is master)

Stopping external sequencer while master is in play mode

tiger001 wrote:the MPC4k should send MMC start/stop commands itself when MTC activated, no?
Last edited by BeatBoy on Thu May 16, 2019 1:23 pm, edited 1 time in total.
By CharlesRandolph Thu May 16, 2019 1:27 pm
BeatBoy wrote:so if u look here

press start on electribe - mpc starts
then he presses button on box, and mpc stops, but electribe is still playing

this is what I am looking to replicate via sysex - what the red button does


I have no idea how to do it. Perhaps that's why he made the device, because he could not find another way to do that. My suggestion is that you buy it. Cost: $158.94 to the US: https://www.audiowerkstatt.de/en/midi-restarter-v2
By wavejockey Fri May 17, 2019 5:43 am
but if you'd be able to send the sysex command through a third party solution (to the respectiv device) than that should work, no?

i use novation controllers/keyboards to program sysex strings to remote command EMU/YAMAHA samplers, works great

### IF the MPC listens to sysex commands, that is (the Live/X don't) ###
(but since i had good experience with the MPC4k recording sysex strings, i think that will work)

so, to monitor the correct command, setup like charles suggested and monitor on PC/MAC (through a MIDI monitor program like MIDI-OX) to see the correct sysex string
By BeatBoy Fri May 17, 2019 11:43 am
thanks for your replies

does anybody else know how to achieve this with the mpc4k?

i dont know how to set up midiox to view mmc messages
all the screnshots are missing here
https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=82327

i have used the following sysex as an event
[ F0 7F 00 06 01 F7 ] -- Stop

but the remote sequencer doesnt stop

sync out:
midi clock on
send mmc on
sync off

when using mpc in slave mode, there is no sysex string coming in
i have changed the MIDI routing: MIDI-IN I -> Sampler A - but no sysex received

it should however be possible
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PngH1TE_dA
he also used the same hex
https://www.dropbox.com/s/71crq2qvd378z ... s.pdf?dl=0
eg start= F0 7F 7F 06 02 F7