Network MIDI setup, HOW????

Glad you got it to semi work. Seems like it would work, if Akai Pro wrote a driver for logic, like they did for Ableton. However if a person doesn't have an interface with MIDI i/o. They could use a 5-Pin DIN to USB MIDI cable.

I wonder if a USB-MIDI cable would work? I think it would have to be ethernet but the only USB MIDI stuff I have to try is either my AMT8 (would need a driver) or my MIDISport UNO which I think also needs a driver. I haven't tried controlling them over DIN MIDI yet. When I got my Live I rerouted everything out of my AMT8 and into the Live so everything is connected there and if I wanted to try to go through the AMT8, Id have to take my rack apart and recable the whole thing again. And that would also mean I have to keep the AMT8 in standalone mode so I could route the MPCs output to the individual ports so each one only responds when it gets messages for its particular channel. Im trying to keep the computer stuff out of it until I need to record the final piece.

Ill have to dig into the MMC stuff. I know Logic can receive it fine, probably needs some tweaking on the MPCs end and Logics. When you advance or rewind in Logic, the MPC doesn't follow the position it stays at bar 1, or rather the very last tick of the last bar of the song. For some reason when you hit stop and go back to start, instead of stopping on 1.1.1.1, the MPC stops at like 128.4.932 or whatever your last bar is. Plays and syncs fine though, and if you skip ahead in Logic and say start at bar 40, the MPC will start there, it just doesn't advance when its stopped.

Have you tried exploding your tracks and saving the project to your desktop or a folder on your computer? You need to be connected to the MPC software. I don’t **** with the mpc plugin/software in logic, too janky and frustrating. Once you have the files saved on your desktop just drag and drop them right into your logic file. Make sure you set the BPM in logic before dropping the files. From there you should be good to go.

I’m not sure if this is exactly what you’re trying to do but I hope it helps.

The 5-Pin DIN to USB MIDI cables do work. Used one on my MPC 2000XL when I was archiving everything.

TheEastSideStory wrote:Have you tried exploding your tracks and saving the project to your desktop or a folder on your computer? You need to be connected to the MPC software. I don’t **** with the mpc plugin/software in logic, too janky and frustrating. Once you have the files saved on your desktop just drag and drop them right into your logic file. Make sure you set the BPM in logic before dropping the files. From there you should be good to go.

I’m not sure if this is exactly what you’re trying to do but I hope it helps.

I can't, that would leave my tracks playing from my E-Mu, and synths and my effects returns out.
When I can, the Live only plays as many tracks as it has outputs and the rest is handled by my other stuff.
I have to use the group outs on my mixer so Im limited to capturing 4 tracks at a time (my E-Mu is a whole recording pass on its own), so they all need to be in sync and lined up when they get into Logic for mixing down. I supposed I could hook the direct outs on channels 1-8 back up and run those into my converter and do 12 at once.

How many channels of audio are tracking?

Monotremata wrote:I can't, that would leave my tracks playing from my E-Mu, and synths and my effects returns out.
When I can, the Live only plays as many tracks as it has outputs and the rest is handled by my other stuff.
I have to use the group outs on my mixer so Im limited to capturing 4 tracks at a time (my E-Mu is a whole recording pass on its own), so they all need to be in sync and lined up when they get into Logic for mixing down. I supposed I could hook the direct outs on channels 1-8 back up and run those into my converter and do 12 at once.

CharlesRandolph wrote:How many channels of audio are tracking?

I reconnected the direct outs to my ADA8200 so the most Ive done is 12 at once right now. A track will usually end up with 16-18 when its done. That includes the instruments plus effects returns. The minimum is usually 10, thats the 6 outputs from the Live and 3-4 from my Emu and sometimes the Microwave. The Microwave usually gets sampled though unless its specifically doing a long drone or noise track.

I'm curious what the advantage of the network is over just regular 5-pin MIDI and MMC.

Bezo wrote:I'm curious what the advantage of the network is over just regular 5-pin MIDI and MMC.

To keep myself free of having to use a computer, Im running everything from the Live, which means the two MIDI ports went quick. No way to send sync to/from a computer at that point. This way I don't have to turn on shit other than my rack of gear and the Live to jam whenever I want to. And in controller mode, I can still use Sound Diver and the Mac to edit my synths when I need to through the Live's MIDI ports. Im just using my audio interface/Logic now as a tape deck now. The network just lets me sync shit without having to have everything connected to my AMT8. Although this morning I ended up doing that anyways haha. I have too much crap with MIDI ports, and anything over 3 in a chain is bad. Everything is plugged back into the AMT 8 on its own separate port, and I have it in standalone mode routed so the port the MPC is using controls all the rest. Stuff comes in from the MPC and goes to every other port, but since all my shit only responds to a specific channel, I don't have a MIDI mess going on. The only thing I use multimode on is my sampler, so thats channels 1-4 so its easy to manage. The Microwave on port 2 is set to channel 5, the Blofeld on port 3 is channel 6, etc..

This is why I went in the box. Managing a standalone MIDI network is no longer productive.

Monotremata wrote:To keep myself free of having to use a computer, Im running everything from the Live, which means the two MIDI ports went quick. No way to send sync to/from a computer at that point. This way I don't have to turn on **** other than my rack of gear and the Live to jam whenever I want to. And in controller mode, I can still use Sound Diver and the Mac to edit my synths when I need to through the Live's MIDI ports. Im just using my audio interface/Logic now as a tape deck now. The network just lets me sync **** without having to have everything connected to my AMT8. Although this morning I ended up doing that anyways haha. I have too much **** with MIDI ports, and anything over 3 in a chain is bad. Everything is plugged back into the AMT 8 on its own separate port, and I have it in standalone mode routed so the port the MPC is using controls all the rest. Stuff comes in from the MPC and goes to every other port, but since all my **** only responds to a specific channel, I don't have a MIDI mess going on. The only thing I use multimode on is my sampler, so thats channels 1-4 so its easy to manage. The Microwave on port 2 is set to channel 5, the Blofeld on port 3 is channel 6, etc..

Charles- I wouldn’t say all that. You’re using a 4000 for its specific work flow just as him using his vintage sampler. There’s a lot of an experience with using the live and other standalone gear. You may be a different type of user but I see exactly where mono is coming from. There’s no reason that his system will be any less productive than your workflow or anyone else’s. The most productive work flow I’ve had is a mpc live and a mini ak.... any opinion on that just a opinion, but personally I was able to dig into the fundamentals of programming and actually playing keys, etc. however not much finished product was produced. As an “artist” there is a spectrum that is no cookie cutter fit.
You may work from of an “industry” setting but other are out here trying to really challenge their mind and get creative.

Yeah sometimes its a headache but when it all works, it works hah. Im just as happy in the box, I have been for years pretty much. I could do everything with just the Live at this point. But I got lotsa toys, so Im gonna use em! I went back this way because Im just tired of playing the catch up game with the computer. Any day now my Mac Pro is going to get dropped, and there is no way I can play on the Mac Pro team anymore and the rest of their stuff just isn't up my alley as a computer in general. I gotta have my 'workshop' in place whether I have a computer or not, just like it was when I first started this whole thing back in the 90s with my Portastudio.

I have nothing against his setup. I used to work like that. That's why I know managing a large MIDI network is counter productive for me. From Cabling, Routing, Swapping Out Gear, Back up sound setting, Dealing with Bulk Dumps. Returning gear because of the way they've implement MIDI, Project Archiving, Project Recall, Constant Trouble Shooting, Constantly re patching, Multi passes causing the user to recheck the sync and realign inside the computer.

Not to mention having a larger enough mixer and audio interface, with enough inputs and outputs, etc. I've been there 1000%. When it work well it's a beautiful thing. But when it doesn't, it's a living hell. If you throw in deadline, changes, other things, it can driver a person looney. Also I still run a Hybrid setup, however I just removed 90% of the head ache. At some point, we stop working the gear, and it starts to work us.

Let's not forget collaborating in your space. If you ever want to see, how well oiled your setup is. Get someone else in there and try to explain your setup.

Cockdiesel wrote:Charles- I wouldn’t say all that. You’re using a 4000 for its specific work flow just as him using his vintage sampler. There’s a lot of an experience with using the live and other standalone gear. You may be a different type of user but I see exactly where mono is coming from. There’s no reason that his system will be any less productive than your workflow or anyone else’s. The most productive work flow I’ve had is a mpc live and a mini ak.... any opinion on that just a opinion, but personally I was able to dig into the fundamentals of programming and actually playing keys, etc. however not much finished product was produced. As an “artist” there is a spectrum that is no cookie cutter fit.
You may work from of an “industry” setting but other are out here trying to really challenge their mind and get creative.

CharlesRandolph wrote:Let's not forget collaborating in your space. If you ever want to see, how well oiled your setup is. Get someone else in there and try to explain your setup.

I cannot get most folks I jam with to understand how the MPC Live/X works... let alone the rest of the setup! The problem is real

Monotremata wrote:

Bezo wrote:I'm curious what the advantage of the network is over just regular 5-pin MIDI and MMC.

To keep myself free of having to use a computer, Im running everything from the Live, which means the two MIDI ports went quick. No way to send sync to/from a computer at that point. This way I don't have to turn on shit other than my rack of gear and the Live to jam whenever I want to. And in controller mode, I can still use Sound Diver and the Mac to edit my synths when I need to through the Live's MIDI ports. Im just using my audio interface/Logic now as a tape deck now. The network just lets me sync shit without having to have everything connected to my AMT8. Although this morning I ended up doing that anyways haha. I have too much crap with MIDI ports, and anything over 3 in a chain is bad. Everything is plugged back into the AMT 8 on its own separate port, and I have it in standalone mode routed so the port the MPC is using controls all the rest. Stuff comes in from the MPC and goes to every other port, but since all my shit only responds to a specific channel, I don't have a MIDI mess going on. The only thing I use multimode on is my sampler, so thats channels 1-4 so its easy to manage. The Microwave on port 2 is set to channel 5, the Blofeld on port 3 is channel 6, etc..

Ahh, OK. I thought maybe the timing was better.

I use a MOTU MIDI Express XT. Works as a standalone interface too for when I'm not on the computer. Live, keyboard controller & synths for a small band vibe. I do it less the more comfortable I get with Studio One, but I sketch with this set up.