1000 timing sloppyness proven

Getting off the topic, but my MPC seems to slave great to Nuendo (Cubase same difference). Emu on the other hand, fugedabouti.

MEDWAY, have you tried exporting an SMF to your DAW and using the MPC like a module? I know you said you put it the 2500 and it helped.

I guess that makes the MPC a fancy writing tool, but I do that pretty frequently...

sleepersriddle wrote:

jfunk wrote:there's certainly a lot of horse sh*t being spoken in this thread.... so here's my fiddy cents:

os 1.x didn't have nearly as much of a timing problem as os 2, which means all this talk about processors is ****. i'm pretty sure that when you upgrade to os 2, the processor remains unchanged (...or maybe it morphs into a 386??)

if you want to hear real bad timing.... slave your mpc to something else. i tried to track a stereo mix into cubase (with cubase as master), and the 'swing' turned into more of a drunken stumble... sounded like complete ****. ended up using the mpc's internal clock, which kept time ok. and no, cubase wont midi sync to an external source, so you have to just record it and line it up later.

i think someone mentioned the addition of time stretching and slicing features as a potential cause... well neither of these are active when you are playing back, so i don't see how they are relevant. all they could possibly do is take up a little extra ram (of which i usually have plenty to spare).

on os 1.x i reached the polyphony limit well before timing became an issue, so rhythmic complexity shouldn't affect this either.

thats all from me, just wanted to vent about this issue!! bring on a bug fix akai!!

i agree about slaving to cubase, but i would blame the pc's operating system and midi interface. if i slave my mpc to something tight (like my machinedrum) the timing sounds fine. (though i haven't thoroughly tested that.)

i'll take you're word for it... but i'm using macbook pro with an m-audio firewire audiophile and a short midi lead, so i don't reckon its the computer. i'll give it a go with logic 7 (which is 100% native to the new macs) and see how i go.

Austin_tacious wrote:Getting off the topic, but my MPC seems to slave great to Nuendo (Cubase same difference). Emu on the other hand, fugedabouti.

MEDWAY, have you tried exporting an SMF to your DAW and using the MPC like a module? I know you said you put it the 2500 and it helped.

I guess that makes the MPC a fancy writing tool, but I do that pretty frequently...

I havent tried that. My method now does what I need so I'll stick with it. thx for the idea tho.

yeah man. I find step editing to unbearable on the MPC and often export the SMF to polish a seq in Nuendo. I use it differently, but based on the symptoms, you may find it as a resolution, especially if you have a MIDI interface with timestamping. Most MOTU units do and the Digidesign MIDIio. Good luck.

I'm only gonna post once here, as I don't even often get on MPC Forums anymore, but just wanted to say:

I've been running a 1k almost since it first came out, and have to say I've never had a regularly recurring timing problem whatsoever, synced to hardware, Cubase or anything else. And I've synced using various MIDI interfaces, without ever having timing slip. MIDI Clock is supposedly "not as good" as MTC but I've never had a problem even once.

I have, however, experienced the phasing issues and also slow-down in dense arrangements, (basically with lots of CC data for MIDI tracks controlling outboard synth filters, etc) at least under OS 1. With OS2 I've seen no problems other than those **** directory errors that overwrite your files with corrupt data.

Which is a horrible bug, but apparently the "delete and resave anew" workaround is good for now.

Anyway, others may have issues but I can honestly say that my 1k is basically bug-free.

-tank.

OK just to let you guys know about this 1K and 25K timing comparaison there is a post in the 25k forum with pics of the cpu,s and they a identical match , so its confirmed the 1K and 25K have the same CPU , from this i think we can gather that its really just sloppy coding really and Akai need to tighten the 1k up
http://www.mpc-forums.com/viewtopic.php?t=53199

cyklops wrote:OK just to let you guys know about this 1K and 25K timing comparaison there is a post in the 25k forum with pics of the cpu,s and they a identical match , so its confirmed the 1K and 25K have the same CPU , from this i think we can gather that its really just sloppy coding really and Akai need to tighten the 1k up
http://www.mpc-forums.com/viewtopic.php?t=53199

Thanks for the heads up. This means we should have MTC then too.

im pretty sure we will, as well as recording track mutes and autochromatic...

And start point modulation as a realtime effect. You can assign start point to velocity, which you can then do 16 levels with. I want it on the slider or some other CC. That's all I want. I'd give the old guy $50 just to put that in the OS.

ucacjbs wrote:Yup, I recreated it. Sounds just like a MIDI jitter problem to me.

It's easy to recreate. Start a new sequence, set the loop length to 1 bar, and on the first track just place a full-level snare hit (I used nuskool, pad 6) on each quarter note. Replicate this exactly on track 2, and then hit play. On mine at least, you get the phasing effect every few bars or so on one or two of the snare hits.

Still love the 1k, though - for me it's the workflow...

I was syncing logic to my mpc1000 with mpc as master and logic shows the incoming tempo and it is all over the place. Very poor tempo timing. I was trying to record it back into some audio tracks I had recorded sync with it and it would not do it with any accuracy. Reverse the situation making logic the master and all was well. I've just started getting deeper into the MPC1000 and I am extremely disapointed. For a grand it seems double its reasonable price.

Mike

madelefant wrote:

ucacjbs wrote:Yup, I recreated it. Sounds just like a MIDI jitter problem to me.

It's easy to recreate. Start a new sequence, set the loop length to 1 bar, and on the first track just place a full-level snare hit (I used nuskool, pad 6) on each quarter note. Replicate this exactly on track 2, and then hit play. On mine at least, you get the phasing effect every few bars or so on one or two of the snare hits.

Still love the 1k, though - for me it's the workflow...

I was syncing logic to my mpc1000 with mpc as master and logic shows the incoming tempo and it is all over the place. Very poor tempo timing. I was trying to record it back into some audio tracks I had recorded sync with it and it would not do it with any accuracy. Reverse the situation making logic the master and all was well. I've just started getting deeper into the MPC1000 and I am extremely disapointed. For a grand it seems double its reasonable price.

Mike

which OS version are you running?

distortedtekno wrote:which OS version are you running?

2.x

Mike

madelefant wrote:

ucacjbs wrote:Yup, I recreated it. Sounds just like a MIDI jitter problem to me.

It's easy to recreate. Start a new sequence, set the loop length to 1 bar, and on the first track just place a full-level snare hit (I used nuskool, pad 6) on each quarter note. Replicate this exactly on track 2, and then hit play. On mine at least, you get the phasing effect every few bars or so on one or two of the snare hits.

Still love the 1k, though - for me it's the workflow...

I was syncing logic to my mpc1000 with mpc as master and logic shows the incoming tempo and it is all over the place. Very poor tempo timing. I was trying to record it back into some audio tracks I had recorded sync with it and it would not do it with any accuracy. Reverse the situation making logic the master and all was well. I've just started getting deeper into the MPC1000 and I am extremely disapointed. For a grand it seems double its reasonable price.

Mike

what is your proof that timing error is not caused by your computer midi interface?

Hopefully in the future they add MTC to eliminate that problem. My money is on JJ.

sleepersriddle wrote:what is your proof that timing error is not caused by your computer midi interface?

Going through the same computer interface (Emagic MT4) whether MPC is master or Logic is master. So how could that be the factor?


Mike