potential tip: tracking idea

Antonym wrote:tbonus, i've had poor results when resampling the MAIN out. i've compared a resample to an analog out to a digital, and the three comparisons are interesting. digital is of course the most pristine by nature. resampling sounds scooped, like something is missing.

I'd be amazed if recording the Main Out was anything but digital. The record level knob is disabled when recording Main Out, and so the incoming level of the signal is dictated by the Master Level set Other / Global. This defaults to -12db. So the same sample recorded via Main Out will be 12db quieter. This *could* be the cause of any percieved degredation.

I haven't actually done any tests to confirm this of course

Rozzer wrote:

Antonym wrote:tbonus, i've had poor results when resampling the MAIN out. i've compared a resample to an analog out to a digital, and the three comparisons are interesting. digital is of course the most pristine by nature. resampling sounds scooped, like something is missing.

I'd be amazed if recording the Main Out was anything but digital. The record level knob is disabled when recording Main Out, and so the incoming level of the signal is dictated by the Master Level set Other / Global. This defaults to -12db. So the same sample recorded via Main Out will be 12db quieter. This *could* be the cause of any percieved degredation.

I haven't actually done any tests to confirm this of course

that's what I was thinking also. Have you tried setting it to 0db yet?

Because as I just posted on the last page, SPDIF-to-SPDIF does not work.

thedvs01 wrote:has anyone actually tried the spdif out to spdif in thing yet? did it work?

edit: nevermind I just tried it, it doesn't work at all.

it must mute the digital output when you select digital in for the recording source

Ah i see, well it looks like thats the end of that, if anyone has a work around post it up,

but i as well was under the impression that setting the input to MAIN OUT on the mpc record was the actual sound, cuz its not going anywhere, I don't know why they would send it back and forth thru the converters, extra work for no reason at all.

I just tried recording the Main Out with Master Level at 0db and it sounded perfect. I can't see why you'd need to loopback the spdif output even if you could.

Rozzer wrote:I just tried recording the Main Out with Master Level at 0db and it sounded perfect. I can't see why you'd need to loopback the spdif output even if you could.

really?
i swear there's been multiple times where i've resampled the main outs and comparing the results to the original, the resampled wave ALWAYS sounds noticeably weaker.

hmm, i'll try it again in case i didn't have the master level at 0db,...

i think what happens is that it bypasses the master effects out? i don't know - all i know is that i resampled a version of "the brink" a while back and posted it up here, and previewing the wav compared to playing the actual sequence on the mpc was VERY different, even when i tried to match the volume from the mpc.

too bad about the spdif though. that'd have been convenient.
oh well - i guess you could always just use 2 very short quarter inch cables and do it that way

Hmm. Recording Main Out records the effects too, so that's not it, unless the 1000 is different to the 2500, which seems unlikely.

Some things to check for when recording Main Out:

1. Anything that is routed to the Individual Outputs will not appear in the recording.

2. If the Master Level is set to anything other than 0db on the Other/Global page, the recording will be quieter than the original. For example, if Master Level is setto -6db, the recording will be 6db quieter.

3. Make sure the signal coming from your MPC Main Outs is not clipping. The best way to do this is having the Master Level set to 0db and using the Pad 8 Mixer to reduce the level of your programs. If you can't be bothered using the mixer you can use the Master Level to avoid clipping, but bear in mind point 2 above. Clipping can only be indicated by an external mixer, as the MPC doen't have output meters.

4. This is a biggie. If you use the Master EQ and Compressor, remember to turn them OFF after you have recorded (or if you are tracking, turn them off BEFORE you record), otherwise your newly recorded sample will have the same EQ and Compressor applied TWICE, which is unlikely to sound nice!

5. If you are recording a mix of your song, make sure you are recording in Stereo. If you are tracking, I recommend Mono.

you know, i'm probably just doing something wrong
luckily it's not something i have to use that incredibly often, so i probably just f'd up once or twice and falsely base my conclusions on those trials

Antonym wrote:i guess you could always just use 2 very short quarter inch cables and do it that way

not positive, but I think that might create a feedback loop

only if you have MONITOR On

or INPUT THRU

^^^ Sitting in front of my MPC 1k right now, monitoring from Classic K 240's by KSM Resampled 3 snare samples, 2 bass samples and 4 vocal samples. No difference (with the main output set to 0 db, not -12 db) noted. I think it resamples the main outs digitally to begin with. The "scooped out" sound you described is likely due to -12 db setting. (Change this setting in Mode + Other under "Global" tab.

Sanova wrote:

thedvs01 wrote:has anyone actually tried the spdif out to spdif in thing yet? did it work?

edit: nevermind I just tried it, it doesn't work at all.

it must mute the digital output when you select digital in for the recording source

Ah i see, well it looks like thats the end of that, if anyone has a work around post it up,

but i as well was under the impression that setting the input to MAIN OUT on the mpc record was the actual sound, cuz its not going anywhere, I don't know why they would send it back and forth thru the converters, extra work for no reason at all.

well i would imagine it would have to mute the dig out if recording dig in, to avoid feedback loop. ...surely nym tried this b4 posting it

TBonus76 wrote:interesting... I wonder what causes that diffrence between the digital outs and sampling the main outs.

Digital outs are straight digital while main outs go through d/a converters.

i think he means in the record screen, where you select 'Main outs'.