Syncing 3000 with Cubase

so i want to sync my 3k with cubase sx3 (the mpc being the slave), tried both mtc and midi clock, but i can't get the mpc to follow the cursor position properly. whenever sx3 loops to the start of a loop the 3k drops out.

my 3k is OS 3.03 (yes, i'll get the mansell labs upgrade)
soundcard: RME Firefac400
Intel based dual core PC

Has anybody got an mpc3k synced correctly with cubase?

Did you set the pre roll so it has time to sync up?

no, i'll give it a shot, will this solve the looping problem?

I've used mtc with Nuendo (pretty much the same as Cubase, but w/ more features). I think whatever you're looping in cubase is making the mpc jump back to the time at the beginning of the loop, throwing the mpc off and causing it to drop out. MTC is smpte code over midi cables and is not meant to handle constant rewind/loops back to 0:0:0:00.

Try creating a song in cubase, repeating the looped event to however you want the song to last. I usually put a blank bar in Cubase/Nuendo at the start of the song, and a blank bar at the start fo the mpc song. this will allow to catch up and synced up machines should both start on cue.

- D

So are you saying that if the loop does not go back to 00:00:00 the mpc will not drop out? or that basically there's no way of looping both cubase and the mpc simultaniously

I'm not sure, I'll have to check later - but I think the mpc, while playing a looped bar, also keeps the time code running for as long as you're playing - it doesn't jump back to 0:0:0:00 everytime the bar starts over. With cubase, a simple loop behaves differently - say you got 2 bars looping, everytime it starts the 2 bars over, the software jumps back to 0. If you take that 2 loop bar and repeat it like 80 times in the timeline and hit play, the mpc will sync up with however long your cubase song in the timeline is. Hope this makes sense.

- D

so no way of syncing to cubase playing a loop? thats frustrating

I was thinking maybe midi clock w/ cubase as master. I never tried it, but I see you didn't have any luck that as well.

- D

Mine syncs properly and loops fine.

Step 1: configuring cubase
Cubase (start menu) -> Transport -> Sync Setup
- MIDI Clock Out to whatever

Step 2: configuring the MPC
MPC COMMANDS -> TEMPO/SYNC -> SOFT KEY 1 (Sync)
- Sync In Mode = MIDI CLOCK
- Press SOFT KEY 1 (SyncIn=ON)

Step 3: synchronizing
- MPC BUTTON -> MAIN SCREEN
- Cubase -> PLAY

Like derekam says, the MPC will not have its position changed by the loop in Cubase - however it will take its starting position into account.

yeah, as long as i don't choose "midi clock follows project position" or whatever it's called, the mpc syncs just fine to cubase. problem solved

i heard you can also syn to MAC or PC using the digital output on the mpc to a SP/Dif on your soundcard ?? Not tried it yet !!!

UK Starski wrote:i heard you can also syn to MAC or PC using the digital output on the mpc to a SP/Dif on your soundcard ?? Not tried it yet !!!

Yeah of course you can it's the same thing as would do normally only you need to change your settings to SPDIF in Pro Tools or what ever recording program you have and change your cables