By _mk_
Wed Feb 04, 2026 1:06 am
Impossible tracking.
Hi guys, I'm new here. I tried to see if this topic had been discussed yet and if there had been any recent discussions, but I couldn't find any resolution. So, I try to explain it.
I've tried several times over a long period of time to have Logic Pro (latest versions, Mac with OS Sequoia 15.7.3, Logic Pro 11.2.2) working in sync as master and my MPC 2500 as slave. I've read and seen almost everywhere this is the correct way... Some people assume Logic can also be slave, but in that case I don't know how and I haven't found any tutorials.
What I need is to have my production on separate stereo audio tracks, all starting from the starting point so all the work done on the MPC is transmitted to Logic perfectly (NB: I mean at least for each program, so for example: the main chop track separate from the drums track, etc.). This to be able later to record other instruments and vocals on the DAW and start working on the tracks moving on to post-production.
But even if there is indeed synchronization between Logic and the MPC (meaning that if I press Play or Record on Logic, the MPC is driven and the track is recorded correctly), the tempo of each track has a variable latency (obviously very slight) that ruins all the groove work done in the MPC and also ruins the sense of doing it right there.
I can even upload a video and show you that each track behaves slightly differently and seems random. For example, the main kick is recorded early, the HH late... What's more, if I run three loops of 8 bars, what I recorded doesn't even loop perfectly.
I can already hear this problem (less pronounced) if I compare a playback controlled by Logic vs a playback started directly from the MPC.
Telling the truth, this is why over the years I have been abandoning the idea of working standalone with the 2500. I've already wasted 2 days researching the problem and haven't solved much... Who knows how many other times I've done it and the workflow is slow and always tricky. After all, one of the magic of the MPC is in the groove that comes from the machine and how it works within it. I'd even give up on having separate drum tracks, but it's impossible to mix a song professionally without at least having separate programs.
I even considered yet to about not using the system of synchronizing Logic with the MPC (recording some program loops and then manually trying to sync the tracks recorded separately in Logic). But in certain contexts, without the precise start, it's impossible to really get everything right... and again, I personally do not find the reason to do it like this.
Do you have any experience? If it weren't a solvable problem, do you know if modern MPCs (like the X), for example, handle this type of work avoiding problems?
I need the flexibility in studio to being able to have separate final tracks coming from any outboard, microphone, or virtual instrument to achieve a professional mix.
I'm hoping for some suggestion because I really like the sound of the 2500. Thanks in advance.
Hi guys, I'm new here. I tried to see if this topic had been discussed yet and if there had been any recent discussions, but I couldn't find any resolution. So, I try to explain it.
I've tried several times over a long period of time to have Logic Pro (latest versions, Mac with OS Sequoia 15.7.3, Logic Pro 11.2.2) working in sync as master and my MPC 2500 as slave. I've read and seen almost everywhere this is the correct way... Some people assume Logic can also be slave, but in that case I don't know how and I haven't found any tutorials.
What I need is to have my production on separate stereo audio tracks, all starting from the starting point so all the work done on the MPC is transmitted to Logic perfectly (NB: I mean at least for each program, so for example: the main chop track separate from the drums track, etc.). This to be able later to record other instruments and vocals on the DAW and start working on the tracks moving on to post-production.
But even if there is indeed synchronization between Logic and the MPC (meaning that if I press Play or Record on Logic, the MPC is driven and the track is recorded correctly), the tempo of each track has a variable latency (obviously very slight) that ruins all the groove work done in the MPC and also ruins the sense of doing it right there.
I can even upload a video and show you that each track behaves slightly differently and seems random. For example, the main kick is recorded early, the HH late... What's more, if I run three loops of 8 bars, what I recorded doesn't even loop perfectly.
I can already hear this problem (less pronounced) if I compare a playback controlled by Logic vs a playback started directly from the MPC.
Telling the truth, this is why over the years I have been abandoning the idea of working standalone with the 2500. I've already wasted 2 days researching the problem and haven't solved much... Who knows how many other times I've done it and the workflow is slow and always tricky. After all, one of the magic of the MPC is in the groove that comes from the machine and how it works within it. I'd even give up on having separate drum tracks, but it's impossible to mix a song professionally without at least having separate programs.
I even considered yet to about not using the system of synchronizing Logic with the MPC (recording some program loops and then manually trying to sync the tracks recorded separately in Logic). But in certain contexts, without the precise start, it's impossible to really get everything right... and again, I personally do not find the reason to do it like this.
Do you have any experience? If it weren't a solvable problem, do you know if modern MPCs (like the X), for example, handle this type of work avoiding problems?
I need the flexibility in studio to being able to have separate final tracks coming from any outboard, microphone, or virtual instrument to achieve a professional mix.
I'm hoping for some suggestion because I really like the sound of the 2500. Thanks in advance.