Pre-purchase questions: Automate input effects?

Hi There,

I couldn't find a definitive answer on this - can the MPC Live automate input effects and engage effects in time with a sequence?

I use a vocoder live but need to automate delay parameters as well as engage it at specific points in songs. I'm also assuming delay repeats can be beat-synced?

Cheers

Ben

To anwer you 2nd question: yes, Delay repeats can be beat synced on many of the Delay plugins.
First question: yes+no: Only tracks that contain Midi information can be automated, for example program Tracks, synth plugin tracks and also the 8 audio tracks...The inputs/subgroups/master contain no Midi, so the parameters that you tweak for example in realtime —-while—- recording cannot be changed. But, when you record your signal dry, just throw it in an audio track or a program afterwards and everything can be automated after it has been recorded..

Thanks for the answers, much appreciated.

elstebbano wrote:First question: yes+no: Only tracks that contain Midi information can be automated

So to clarify, a MIDI track can only automate plugins on its own track - is that right?

elstebbano wrote:But, when you record your signal dry, just throw it in an audio track or a program afterwards and everything can be automated after it has been recorded.

Do you know if you can automate that while singing live (and playing)?

Or can you route inputs to a plugin program and use a MIDI track to automate that?

I guess sequencing something like an H9 would work but it's obviously a lot more expensive.

Cheers

I can’t answer both of you questions, because I don’t record anything into the mpc, but maybe someone else does..

I think you haven't gotten much of a response because this is a fairly confusing and nuanced topic...

I will start with, everything I will express here is for standalone. I hardly use controller mode, and the software may be different in some of the regards that I am going to explain.

So let's start with the current bad news. As of the latest firmware, you cannot record automation for the input, sub mixes, returns, or master track. This may be addressed in the future, but for the time being they do not have automation lanes, so they are either on or off. This doesn't prevent you from assigning q-links and controller things by hand, but this isn't what I think you are going for.

The above said, you can setup one or more midi tracks, and use it to send out midi, cc, etc... and if you're using external instrument or effect that will respond to midi you can absolutely automate this data and then record through either sampling, looper, or audio tracks.

I suspect some or all of these problems will be addressed in the future now that they have reworked how midi is handled, but I'm also not going to hold my breath for it to show up any time soon. For the time being, if you're looking to do automation on input I'd suggest doing it through outboard gear, or making the changes through q-links in realtime by hand and see if that can work for you.

Otherwise, maybe somebody else out there will have a different suggestion?

Thanks all, explanations very much appreciated. Cheers