How to easily record hardware synth

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How to easily record hardware synth

By Dromen Mon Jul 06, 2020 1:09 am
I've got an mpc one and a deepmind 12d synth.
I've always used vsts with presets and it's it's a great workflow with no issues. But I've moved on and want to make my own sounds, but I really enjoy the mpc software. My question is how do I record my synth?? Here's what I do
Create a midi track.
Play midi notes
Create audio track
Record audio track.
Is that the only way to do it??

I'd prefer to use the midi notes since it can quantize it vs me just doing it into an audio track where I'm not always on time ha.

Re: How to easily record hardware synth

By BeatWilson Mon Jul 06, 2020 5:07 am
Record patterns via midi. after recording the patterns you like, make a song in song mode. after done making a song, convert to sequence. Assuming all your pads are on one program, after converting to sequence, explode the track with all your drum pads so there in seperate tracks. then arm your audio track, and record your entire songs midi into audio at once instead of pattern by pattern. After If you are using ableton.... you could export it now as an ALS. Then master/mixdown within ableton or tweak whatever needed.

This is one of my workflows. Im assuming others do this time to time aswell.

Re: How to easily record hardware synth

By Plex Mon Jul 06, 2020 3:06 pm
Often I just sample or resample what I play live or from a MIDI track. Edit the sample and assign it to a clip track. If I have all clips together, put FX on it, right volume, pan, etc. I copy the sequence x times and build a song just from the clip track.
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Re: How to easily record hardware synth

By Lampdog Mon Jul 06, 2020 3:40 pm
Plex wrote:Often I just sample or resample what I play live or from a MIDI track. Edit the sample and assign it to a clip track. If I have all clips together, put FX on it, right volume, pan, etc.

Yep, THIS.

While I’m working on it I’ll leave it as a midi track, all gear on, seq/edit on MPC X.

When done and happy with synth playback I use the above method Plex mentioned.

Re: How to easily record hardware synth

By Cockdiesel Mon Jul 06, 2020 3:47 pm
Interesting. I haven’t messed with the clips since like the first month I got it. I think they did an overhaul on clips but that might be easier than tracking everything out.

Re: How to easily record hardware synth

By Drew Hamlett Mon Jul 06, 2020 5:45 pm
What I've been doing with Roland Fantom is record midi as usual, then record that into an audio track when I'm done with the sequence. Then mute the midi tracks, but keep them around if you ever need to go back and change something. You can just arm the audio and hit record.
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Re: How to easily record hardware synth

By NearTao Mon Jul 06, 2020 6:31 pm
Drew Hamlett wrote:What I've been doing with Roland Fantom is record midi as usual, then record that into an audio track when I'm done with the sequence. Then mute the midi tracks, but keep them around if you ever need to go back and change something. You can just arm the audio and hit record.


Bonus points if you keep the program change info in there so you can get back to the same sound easily. One problem is that it'll do the Program Change from other tracks as well, even if the track is muted... so YMMV.

Re: How to easily record hardware synth

By Drew Hamlett Mon Jul 06, 2020 7:02 pm
NearTao wrote:
Drew Hamlett wrote:What I've been doing with Roland Fantom is record midi as usual, then record that into an audio track when I'm done with the sequence. Then mute the midi tracks, but keep them around if you ever need to go back and change something. You can just arm the audio and hit record.


Bonus points if you keep the program change info in there so you can get back to the same sound easily. One problem is that it'll do the Program Change from other tracks as well, even if the track is muted... so YMMV.


Oh yea for sure. I write all my scenes on Roland Fantom. I then name my project in MPC starting with the scene number. So "C034 - Project Name" in MPC and "Project Name" in Roland Fantom. I can recall the whole project pretty easy.

Re: How to easily record hardware synth

By BeatWilson Mon Jul 06, 2020 9:43 pm
biomaskin wrote:
BeatWilson wrote:.. you could export it now as an ALS.


Wait, I can export my MPC One project as an Ableton compatible ALS file? :shock:


once your song is one sequence you click the folder icon on the top of the main menu. it has a save as option but if you look on the right it has a ALS option. then from there you can get tech with it, or whatever ya need since it will be exported in separate tracks.

i find this the easiest way. not recording pattern in midi, then in audio then assigning it to a pad, assigning the pad to play then moving to the next sequence and doing similar workflow... sorta prehistoric. :Sigh:

record all midi to each sequence as midi only then once the song is made up, convert to sequence, then explode drums, record audio from midi into audio track and your done. i find this way i dont have to normalize over and over if clip by clip.... its better than assigning piece by piece.... shits clownin... Like yeah ive done it when i want to half finish a project, but usually these days i finish my patterns in the mpc in one day whole day. im not doing it in bits and pieces which im assuming alot of you are with your mpc lives "on the go" turning em off and on.

i just sit in the studio and do it all in one run.

Re: How to easily record hardware synth

By robleighton22 Tue Jul 07, 2020 9:13 am
Making want to revisit clips. I usually do midi first, then record audio and chop to a drum program or record the patch using autosample. Autosample is good if the synth doesn't need automation, or chopped drum program if I want to include recorded automations. I see chopped audio the same as rearranging / chopping audio track in Ableton arranger. I use an audio track in my MPC sometimes before doing the chop. Thinking using clips may be a smarter alternative.

Re: How to easily record hardware synth

By eLuSiVeMiTe Tue Jul 07, 2020 7:16 pm
Another option is to autosample and create a keygroup. Ive been doing this a lot as saving patches on most of my hardware means taking a picture and setting it back up.

Never been a fan of recording audio in mpc and tend to track out to reaper and record all the hardware live
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Re: How to easily record hardware synth

By Lampdog Tue Jul 07, 2020 8:11 pm
eLuSiVeMiTe wrote:.....saving patches on most of my hardware means taking a picture and setting it back up.


One of the reasons I went with Subsequent-37, I can save/import patches.
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