Weird "legato" bug with MPC Live and using Yamaha controller

Ok, Let me first say I absolutely love my MPC Live. I've been using samples and midi for a long time and really comfortable using this machine at this point.

I'm using 2.5 on my MPC Live and this is really strange... it's been happening for awhile. I have a couple of synths I can use as a controller into my MPC live. I'm just using standard midi cables on all three (not usb). Two of the three are working fine. The third one is doing some weird stuff. It's a newer Yamaha MX61. The best description of the problem is that no matter how I play, the notes are always being recorded as "legato". So Say I'm playing a bassline into the live by using that controller to trigger keygroup samples on the MPC. It sounds great when tracking in. Samples are playing correctly, shouldn't be any problem... but on playback, it's all kinds of wrong, missing notes, double triggers, just crazy stuff. So I check the midi grid and can see that the notes have been recorded in as legato or like sustained all the way the sequence. In other words, a note that I played stacatto, is tracked in like I am holding down the sustain pedal or something. It won't release until the next note is played. It's nutty.

I've gone through both menus several times, I have physically removed the sustain pedal, I've googled the problem, etc. No luck anywhere. I have a feeling it might be something on the Yamaha MX61 side, because my other synths (Arturia and an older Yamaha SY77) are tracking in just fine. I'd like to fix because the MX61 is the ideal controller for me due to its' location and portability.

Any ideas out there before I call Yamaha?

Thanks!

you will have to look into the midi implementation of that synth and how it handles note off and all the other assorted midi controls. You could have the mod wheel up and not know it or something sending stray info.

Thanks man, I think you are on the right track. Been doing a bit of poking around and made a few more discoveries but far from successful.

1) It doesn't seem to be related to any of the knobs or wheels. I have disabled all of them on the MX61 controller and no change.

2) Using that same controller into Reaper DAW does not mirror the effect, it's only happening on the MPC Live

3) I am reasonably sure the effect is the Legato setting, I have never used this type of control but it seems to act exactly like I might expect. I don't think it's just "note off" because a stacatto note will initally track stacatto UNTIL I play the same note after - then it reads as a long bar. Not sure how else to describe this without making a video at some point. I suppose it could be somehow related to a portamento setting, but I don't remember porta controllers writing the note "longer" it just happened in the synth engine.

4) The midi implementation on the MX61 is a disaster, seems to be a whole booklet of different configs and such. I had never really looked it over in the past and now I need a PHD to get through it all. Actually I probably just need the time and patience to dig through it but damn....this is annoying. Also, as far as I can find the LIVE has not posted their midi implementation online.

Any other thoughts out there?

Thank ya.

chameleoned wrote:... Also, as far as I can find the LIVE has not posted their midi implementation online.

Any other thoughts out there?

Thank ya.

True, AKAI is making a great secret about the MIDI integration.

One thing: are you controlling the MPC onboard synth'?
If so: Check out the Arpeggiator setting (page 337 of 2.5 manual). I had a similar issue in the past. I was wondering about strange recording behaviour of the internal synth. Maybe the arp setting creates a "legato" style pattern... just a though

Solved! Thanks for the tips people. I found the answer just poking at different things (including the arp functions- thank you!).

Short answer, the problem lies in the "layer" function on the MX61. Turning off layer eliminated the legato notes. Longer answer: MX61 boots up in a sort of multi-timbral mode with 16 voices associated with each "performance". Voices 1&2 are the primary voices that show when opening any performance. Voices 1 and 2 can also be Split, Layered or neither. Many of the performances have layered voices as their default. Turning off the layer button fixed the bad midi data I was recording.

No idea why this is the case, but I am sure it has something to do with the midi integration on both ends. The YamahaMX61 is a weird animal. I love the lightweight, portability and sounds on the thing but the architecture is wonky. Not sure I would buy it again knowing what I know now - but I won't be selling it anytime soon.

Thanks all.