ESX-1 users: Help with Program Changes

I'm finally getting around to trying to control my ESX-1 completely through my MPC1K and I'm having a hell of a time. I'm just going to start with one question though:

How are you guys getting your MPC to switch out banks in your ESX-1? For example, I want to do the following:

MPC - "Sequence 1" - record sequence using drum part on "Bank A4" in ESX.

MPC - "Sequence 2" - record sequence using drum part on "Bank A5" in ESX.

Have MPC song mode play back SEQ1 - SEQ2 - SEQ1 and have it switch back and forth between BANKS A4 & A5.

Right now I am able to record sequences using one bank, but I can't get the MPC to send change messages to the ESX to change banks. I've read both manuals and tried both entering program changes in the MPC using step edit and setting the "PC" setting on the main screen to the program I want in the ESX, but it's not working. If anyone is able to do this please post as detailed an explanation as possible (including your midi cable routing and all settings. Thanks I really appreciate it.

last night I hooked up the 2000xl to the esx 1, hoping I could control esx1 sounds with the mpc pads........after changing midi channels on both machines for half an hour I couldn't trigger no sounds.

you should be able to do this.
try setting the program to no.1 and click window. there should pop up a page that let's you choose the program and bank( or program/bank, don't really know.) the sound is coming from. i don't excactly know if that's what it's for, but i remember when the 2.0, akai, os came and people said this would simplify making beats as they'd be spared remembering all the details and ish.
don't know if the jj os has got it and i haven't checked it yet, but i reckon it does since it was such a plus for people doing midi.
unforntunately i don't have my mpc with me atm and i've seem to lost my akai s900 powercable, so i'm not able to test this

good luck and please report back with how it went.

props to the finger wrote:you should be able to do this.
try setting the program to no.1 and click window. there should pop up a page that let's you choose the program and bank( or program/bank, don't really know.) the sound is coming from. i don't excactly know if that's what it's for, but i remember when the 2.0, akai, os came and people said this would simplify making beats as they'd be spared remembering all the details and ish.
don't know if the jj os has got it and i haven't checked it yet, but i reckon it does since it was such a plus for people doing midi.
unforntunately i don't have my mpc with me atm and i've seem to lost my akai s900 powercable, so i'm not able to test this

good luck and please report back with how it went.

I have to run to work so I don't have time to check this now, but I just flipped on the MPC and saw that the window button does bring up the bank screen, so this is probably it. I'll definitely let you know when I give it a try. Thanks!!

Did you set the mpc to send program changes??

Also the ESX only recognizes a program change through the Keyboard part no.1 . So If you are not sending your program change to the keyboard part you won't get a change.

Now, let's say your not using the keyboard part no1 and in your example you said it was for the drum part. You can either put the sample on the keyboard part or just use the keyboard part for the program change. If You need a step by step walk through on how this works I can help you out......but first thing's first program changes are only recieved through keyboard part no.1 on your ESX1

OK, I did a little test and here's what happened. Thanks to everyone for your patience.

1. Midi cables connected (in's & outs of MicroKorg to MPC1K, midi in on ESX to midi thru on MK)
2. Midi slave/masters assigned accordingly on MK, MPC, ESX
3. Sequence change to program change on MPC set to ON
4. ESX and MK midi set to channel 10.
5. I assigned different drum sounds to A4 and A5 on my ESX. Saved.
6. SEQ1 on MPC set PC to 4 as per ESX manual (hit window, changed bank select to YES)
7. Play out ESX A4 drum parts (using MK) and record to SEQ1 on MPC. (Recorded 2 Bar.)
8. SEQ2 on MPC set PC to 5 (hit window, changed bank select to YES).
9. Play out ESX A5 drum parts (using MK) and record to SEQ1 on MPC. (Recorded 2 Bars).

Now things get weird.

10. Now that I have 2 different SEQ with two different drum banks recorded I go to Song mode and set play list to:

SEQ1 x Repeat 1 --> SEQ2 x Repeat 1 --> SEQ1 x Repeat 1

Result:

SEQ 1 plays using bank A4, but it plays 3 bars instead of 2 bars.
SEQ 2 starts up and switches banks to A5 and plays back 2 bars.
SEQ 1 changes back to A4 but only plays 1 bar.



Any thoughts?

P.S. Upright: I didn't really get what you were saying. What I'm trying to do is get the MPC to switch banks (A4 to A5) when it changes SEQ's. What do you mean when you say program changes only work for the keyboard parts. I guess I do need that walk through. Sorry.

Well it sounds like you have gotten your ESX to do the program change.

Upright wrote:Well it sounds like you have gotten your ESX to do the program change.

Yeah, but it's still screwed up. The sequences don't change correctly for some reason. I can't figure out what setting is causing this. Any ideas?

It's unusable as is.

If You turn program changes off does song mode work like it should?

Upright wrote:If You turn program changes off does song mode work like it should?

If I turn off program changes, song mode just uses what ever bank the ESX happens to be on (i.e. A4 or A5).

Also, I tried upgrading to 4.73 and I'm still having the same problem.

I also tried taking the MK out of the loop and just hooking up the ESX-1 to the MPC, but I still have the same problem.

I also discovered that program changes for drum parts only work on channel 10. I thought I read that in the manual, but it's confirmed. No other midi channel will work.

Any other suggestions? I'm stumped.

Murahachibu wrote:
I also discovered that program changes for drum parts only work on channel 10. I thought I read that in the manual, but it's confirmed. No other midi channel will work.

What page in the manual did you read this on?




because just like I stated earlier in this theard page 89 states that program changes are recieved through keyboard part 1 ,so this could very well be your problem. Make sure you read page 89 "Setting the Midi Channel of each part" section 4 will explain.

Upright wrote:like I stated earlier in this theard page 89 states that program changes are recieved through keyboard part 1 ,so this could very well be your problem. Make sure you read page 89 "Setting the Midi Channel of each part" section 4 will explain.

I see the sentance that you indicated. What I tried to do is make 2 tracks per SEQ. 1 track was assigned to midi channel 1 (the keyboard track) and the other track was on the drum channel 10. I played a couple of notes (with no samples assigned) on midi track 1 and assigned a program change to the bank I wanted to switch to. On the track I played out the drum beat I wanted. I did the same thing on the 2nd SEQ but with a different bank assigned to the program change on the keyboard part.

I then tried to string the SEQ together in sond mode as per before. Unfortunately I have the exact same results as before.

Have you been able to successfully switch banks using program changes. If so, could you let me know how you have it set up?

Thanks!

Murahachibu wrote:Have you been able to successfully switch banks using program changes. If so, could you let me know how you have it set up?

Thanks!

I just did the same little test you did and my banks switch just fine... in both song mode and when I switch the sequences from the main screen.

Do a simple test using only keyboard part 1 .....let's not try to do more than 1 track until we can figure out what you are doing wrong. So for now forget about anything that you have assigned to the drum parts and lets work with the keyboard part only. So (1) put some samples on the keyboard part 1 (2) hook the ESX directly to you mpc and use track 1 (3) then try to do a program change using 2 different sequences and try to change banks

Let me know what happens

First off, thanks to everyone who helped - especially Upright.

PROBLEM SOLVED! The answer is a mystery, but the problem is solved. I tried everything I could think of and finally in a last ditch effort, I turned OFF midi synch on the MPC. That's right, OFF. (It was set to midi-clock before). After that, everything synch's up perfectly. Despite midi synch being off on the MPC, it still acts as the master.

Also, for the record, despite what the ESX manual says, program changes can be turned on for drum tracks as well and the ESX will switch banks accordingly.

I even had 3 midi tracks going. ESX drums on track 1 (Midi Channel 10), ESX Keyboard 1 (Midi Channel 1) and my Microkorg (Midi channel 3). Absolutely no problem. ESX was chained through the Midi thru with the MK hooked to the MPC midi ins and outs.

Damn that took a lot of effort.

pheew!!!1 I'm glad everything finally worked out!!1 I'll have to look into recieving program changes through the drum channels.