Mpc/keyboard question

so i spent some time today hooking up a keyboard that i am borrowing from my friend for a while untill i can aford one. i got all the midi cables and settings hooked up correctly, thanks to the manual.(!!)

anyway, my question is this:

say i record a bassline played by the keyboard on the mpc, using the keyboards sounds. then i want to use the keybaord in to add something else, maybe some strings or a pad. when i change to the new instrument, obviously, it changes the instrument from the bassline too.

is there a way to use multipple instruments from the keybaord into the mpc?

what kind of keyboard is it?

every instrument has to be on its own midi channel. that simple

And place each instrument on it's own track.

Smoove03 wrote:every instrument has to be on its own midi channel. that simple

This is simply untrue. All you have to do is set up keygroups for each instrument spaning lets say 1 octave each (just for an example). Make a seperate program for each instrument and place each one on its own sequencer track, then assign each track to the same midi input and make sure your keygroups arent overlaping. After you have this done you can have each 8 different instruments (or kits) of your choice accross 8 octaves, and be able to edit each instruments sequence individualy because its on its own track. You can also play instruments together and save recording time (hands in seperate octaves). And since you gave each instrument its own program and part by default (because you need a new part for each program), you can independently mix and filter each instrument in the mixer window and even assign it to a seperate out on the 8 outs.. 8 outs 8 octaves.. interesting eh? If you need me to clarify just let me know..

PEESH!

Lampdog wrote:And place each instrument on it's own track.

This isnt necissary in all cases (but recomended). If you are using an external mixer you can seperate your instruments into keygroups span accross and are seperated by a pad bank or set of pad banks for orgazational purposes that emulate seperate tracks (be sure to use the cromatic sequence style). Then you can go between each instrument in the sequence editor simply by switching through pad banks. And the reason I say an external mixer is because, if you select program and hit the kg mix button you can assign each sound in your pad bank keygroups to a seperate output on you 8 outs and use external fx on each through your mixers aux sends for each channel. You can also make it assigning outputs to and keygroups easy if your making keygroups for instruments and not drums by using the zone option in program mode. You can even use this type of setup with the technique I mentioned above and use multiple tracks for sequencing. Most of this individual post is realy just MPC semantics but could work out with a keyboard if you like the style. Personaly I would agree with the supreme modirator because of my methods.. but your style is your own.

good luck..

Reason why I left my answer simply as "Place each instrument on it's own track" is because VERSATYL seems like he is just getting into all of this (possible NOVICE) and doesn't know that much about it, I didn't wanna confuse the issue and take it any deeper than it had to be.

Multisample talk, too deep for this topic.
Keygroup talk, too deep for this topic.

V never even said what keyboard or MPC?

"is there a way to use multiple instruments from the keyboard into the mpc?" Read up a bit on Midi

Again, WHAT keyboard and MPC are you working with V? That would REALLY help people to give you the advice you need.

Smoove03 wrote:

Smoove03 wrote: every instrument has to be on its own midi channel. that simple

Lampdog wrote: And place each instrument on it's own track.

I agree with lampdog on the tracking, but every instument doesnt have to be on its own midi channel.. thats just a waste of midi channel and keyboard. Obviosly you didnt read my post or you didnt understand it smoove. I would be more than happy to explain any steps or details..
I use a 4000 but this technique can easily be transfered to a 2000xl aswell, and all of the other mpcs actualy because they all have the same midi and tracking architecture.. all that would be different would be the buttons to a very small degree because each mpc has a program and mixer button.

Here it is again..

threshed wrote:This is simply untrue. All you have to do is set up keygroups for each instrument spaning lets say 1 octave each (just for an example). Make a seperate program for each instrument and place each one on its own sequencer track, then assign each track to the same midi input and make sure your keygroups arent overlaping. After you have this done you can have each 8 different instruments (or kits) of your choice accross 8 octaves, and be able to edit each instruments sequence individualy because its on its own track. You can also play instruments together and save recording time (hands in seperate octaves). And since you gave each instrument its own program and part by default (because you need a new part for each program), you can independently mix and filter each instrument in the mixer window and even assign it to a seperate out on the 8 outs.. 8 outs 8 octaves.. interesting eh? If you need me to clarify just let me know..

PEESH!

If this is repeated you can have up to 16 split keyboads with up to 128 seperate keygrouped instruments all through 1 midi cable, and all on thier own sequencer track for track muting and editing ease. Instead of just being limited to 16 instuments on 16 tracks and having to switch your midi channels around to expand you use of instruments, which would be the case if you limited yourself to one instrument per midi track.

i didnt know that. is that really easier then just seperate channels? i read your post all the way through. but never knew that....

Smoove03 wrote:i didnt know that. is that really easier then just seperate channels? i read your post all the way through. but never knew that....

Yeah way easier cuz you dont have to keep switching your channels to play different instruments which realy helps the creative flow. And having it seperate into the tracks like that emulates a seperate midi channel. I also use this technique for drum using just the MPC, but I make one large program by choping a choice break I constructed with a kit of my own construction and resampled (3 bars is nice). I chop the break into whole bars, 1/2 notes, 1/4 notes, 1/8 notes, 1/16 notes, and even 1/32 notes. And I group them by size and place each size in a differnt pad bank. Then set the whole program to one shot by going into in the progam menu and hiting zone and applying one shot to the whole zone. You can make a track for each size if it makes you feel less cluttered but switching pad banks is just as good. Then its drum madness.. you can realy makes some interesting layerd and technical breaks. If your not up to all the work though just make a 4 bar break and use reigon to slice into single shots and make a midi pattern to match the break. copy the midi pattern to a seperate track so it stays intact. Keep it in your clip board and then just paste as you go (individual bars, segments, or the whole break). Then just edit away. The first drum method is more for live drum programing and the second is more for step sequencing. They work great together. But if you a programer that likes the sp303 style sample cut off where you hit a pad and it cuts off the break exact for no overlap then chop your break like so. For a break with 16 steps you will want to make 16 different slices of the original break. For each slice you will chop off one more 1/16 off of the front of the break so each of the 16 slices except for the origan of course, is one 16th smaller than the last. This gives you a different starting point for each sample. Assing one per pad in a single pad bank. Then go to the pitch window in the program section (in the 4000), and set all the pads to the same mute group. Now your ready for battle. This technique simulates beat jugling like mad. And ofcourse all of these drum techniques can be used with the piano by using the method I listed ealier. Mix and match these styles to tap your MPC's full potential in a way that brings out your full potential. Esspecialy if your using a keyboard becaus you can access all of these so easily and program them all at the same time LIVE. Oh I also recomend using full level when sequencing especialy with the drums and then changing the velocities for a more human feel. Hope this opens some doors for yall.

peesh!

Sorry I implied that you didnt read the post smoove.. i was just confused by your repost..

THRESHED

Just wondering. Did anybody tried any of this out?

As soon as I get my shit out of hock I will.
Life sucks.

threshed wrote:

Smoove03 wrote:every instrument has to be on its own midi channel. that simple

This is simply untrue. All you have to do is set up keygroups for each instrument spaning lets say 1 octave each (just for an example). Make a seperate program for each instrument and place each one on its own sequencer track, then assign each track to the same midi input and make sure your keygroups arent overlaping. After you have this done you can have each 8 different instruments (or kits) of your choice accross 8 octaves, and be able to edit each instruments sequence individualy because its on its own track. You can also play instruments together and save recording time (hands in seperate octaves). And since you gave each instrument its own program and part by default (because you need a new part for each program), you can independently mix and filter each instrument in the mixer window and even assign it to a seperate out on the 8 outs.. 8 outs 8 octaves.. interesting eh? If you need me to clarify just let me know..

PEESH!

...but if you assign differnt midi channels to your instruments, you can control the volume, filter cut-off, modulation (and other stuff that's midi channel specific), independently for your instruments. which is nice for mixing with a midi fader box!