How to control an external device ?

Hi all !
I'm relative new to the MPC Key 61. My goal is to use the MPC Key 61 to control the start and stop of an arranger (Korg PA4X).

I've tryed to use the midi learn of the MPC Key, but I guess this controls the midi flow in the opposite directions, that is, when I want an external controller to control the MPC Key, which is the opposite of what I'm trying to achieve.

In other words, in some way I've succeded to play the arranger Korg from within the MPC Key, but when I want for example to stop the arranger, I have to operate on the arranger itself. Anyway, on the MPC Key, when I enter the Midi Monitor page, I can see that when I press the Start/Stop button on the Korg, the midi message will be listed.

Now, I guess it's only a matter of "replicate" that midi message from within the MPC Key and send it to the Korg via the midi channel.

The Korg seems not to have a "learn midi" functionality. I've connected the devices with two midi cables as usual (MPC midi OUT --> Korg midi IN, Korg midi Out --> MPC midi IN ).
On the Main page of the MPC Key I use a Midi instrument on channel 1. The Korg "listens" on all channels.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Best regards,
Sergio

Hi,
To control start and stop its not only midi...
Its midi time code ( MTC ) or Midi Clock...
i am not shure wish one you need it depends on the Korg.
So one of them has to be Master and the other slave.
You have to put midi clock in the Menu of Bothe ( ON ).
than in the Menu of the Korg put the Korg for Exemple on Slave ( ON )and on the Menu of the Akai MPC Key
put Master ( ON ).
Now when you start the Master, the Slave is following.
If the Korg has to start and stop everything than make the configuration in Vice Versa.
Where to find the Configuration
In the Settings of Sync ( Synchronisation )
I hope i could help..
Its not easy becaause of the Language ( I am from Germany) .

With the Midi Channel you cannot control start and stop.
With the Midi Channel you control: Notes, Panorama, Volume, Effects and so on.

"...The Korg "listens" on all channels..." seems to be the issue.
My Korg M3 listens to either a certain channel (1-16) or GM, which can be set to whatever. It can listen to all channels at the same time, but in "Combi" mode only if the voices are adressed accordingly.
In short - Did you set the global Midi Channel on the Korg to 1 (...as the AKAI is set to 1) too?
In the M3 I have to enable also which type of Midi data is transferred - minimum should be notes of course - just checked, similar in the Pa4X: Voice Processor > Midi In Channel

[EDIT]
I'm quite there : page 918 here:
https://www.kraftmusic.com/media/owners ... Manual.pdf
[/EDIT]

Thanks all for the answer so far - vielen Dank lieber Felixku (means: many thanks dear Felixku)

The PA4X has 16 midi channels as midi in. In a "slave" configuration, they set the instruments that should be played via midi in by the remote master keyboard (in this case by the MPC Key 61). One (or more) of these midi channels of the PA4X can be set to "Global".

Similary it has 16 midi out channels, which are designated to send midi signals by different instruments (when set as master).

I've succeded to stop and play it via the MPC Key 61, using the MPC transport buttons ( play, stop ). I have to set the clock signal of the PA4X as "external midi".

What I don't know (yet) is how to trigger the 4 drum fills in, the 4 style variations and the drum break of the PA4X from within the MPC Key 61. On the PA4X these variations are triggered by pressing the dedicated buttons. I really hope that they can be triggered with an appropriate Midi CC (Control Change). In this department I have to investigate further.

One thing that remains to me "obscure" is the meaning of the toggle buttons on the MPC Key 61 by the midi preference page ( menu-->preferences). These are buttons on the touch screens, and are labeled "global", "sync", and "track". I don't really know which midi behaviour each "button" controls. I think it's time to read the MPC Bible - or also the manual..

Have a nice day,
Sergio

Really informative ! Many thanks Lampdog ! I have really appreciated your answer

Lampdog wrote:Thanks to giacecco!

Yes indeed, thousand thanks giacecco !!!

Hmm.. not really there.
From the Korg user manual, theoretically the various fills in/variations and the fill break could be triggered by sending a program change on the control channel.

So, how can I send a program change from within the MPC Key 61 ?

I've set a midi instrument. I've choosen the midi port ( and checked the midi/sync preferences ) and I've set the midi channel (16) that is the same channel I've set on the Korg as control channel.

I see I could set a program change on the midi instrumen ( and MB and LB ). But now I'm confused:
- The korg manual states that I need a program change but no mention about MB and LB
- I don't find on the MPC Key a way to send a program change by pressing, for example, a pad. What it seems it can send are Control Change and Notes. May be with the Q-Controls ?
- what is the purpose of setting a fixed program change at the midi instrument level on the MPC Key ? Something like this, I remember, I've often done on cubase, so that a midi track sends at the beginning of the sequence a fixed program change in order to set a particular instrument (program) on the remote device.

But this is not what I'm looking for. I' would like to control the Korg PA4X from within the MPC Key 61 so that I can not only trigger the chords (and this I've got to work), but also trigger the fills in, for instance, and record that events.

I'll further investigate. But I start to guess that "control a remote midi device" from within the MPC Key is someway limited on just basic messaging..