Technical questions for the MPC2000xl and the MPC2000
Byaudiodevil Mon Jun 21, 2004 11:40 pm
Hi all, Im new here!
Pretty advanced MPC user, however I only have 1 problem thats bugging me!
When the MPC is on, with no midi out selected, the "play start" button works fine, and starts as soon as i press it.

However, when I sync it upto any other device and use the MPC as a master, there is a slight half a second delay from when I press play to when the machine actually starts.

Anyone else in here had this problem??
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By Phatz Mon Jun 21, 2004 11:42 pm
Welcome in Fam........
What are you sync'n up with the Mp?

Byaudiodevil Tue Jun 22, 2004 12:31 am
Hey, thanks man.

Im synchin up an old Roland G600 arranger keyboard, but I also tried synching up 1 MPC2000xl to another (coz I got 2) and still the same problem.
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By featherboy Tue Jun 22, 2004 3:24 pm
The delay is probably part of the syncing process.....the MPC is looking through the midi chain to make sure everything starts together.

Is it actually a problem? I can only imagine a situation where you want to play the MPC in a DJ set where you'd need it to start exactly on the split second you press start.
A lot of people who are using the MPC to play a lot of external gear will put a bar of silence at the start of our tracks to make sure the MPC's clock is fully up & running before any notes are played.

Don't forget how much midi sequencing power is in the MPC. You could transfer the sequences in the G600 into the MPC & then just use the G600 as a sound module & master keyboard.

As you've got 2 MPCs have you checked both give this same delay when used as a master?
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By trupro Tue Jun 22, 2004 6:07 pm
Actually, that ish is a big problem. I had a 2000StudioPlus,and it would happen randomly. But I always had the same synths plugged in, and always synced the MP to ProTools. So, I felt the problem would pop up randomly, usually after laying lots of sequence data down in the MPC.
Akai boasts a note capacity that seems like a blatant lie, at least for the 2000. But you say you have an XL. I am sorry that I have no answers to offer, only that I have experienced this on my previous machine.
It really was annoying when syncing, because although I gave it ample preroll time to lock up, it would still pause at beat 1/ bar 1 start point.
Real whack. I bought a brand new XL and haven't had the problem since.
But it would be good to figure this out, cus that should not happen. Ever.
And it does, way to often, apparently.
These things are supposed to be professional machines, and quite honestly, they don't function the way they should.
Perhaps the OS gets glitchy, and can somehow be tweaked after a while. For instance, with a synthesiser, you factory reset it like once a year, when it gets a little glitchy. Can something like this be done with an MPC?
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By Phatz Tue Jun 22, 2004 9:51 pm
I used to see the same problem when I would hook the 2kxl to the computer via the midi connecters.......it would start but it would miss like the first bar of the music........a friend told me to take it off of midi time code and put it on the midi clock.........need less to say I have gotten my first bar of music back.........I hope everything works out for all of us
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By binger0 Wed Jun 23, 2004 2:38 am
yeah u have to sink em to midi clock. It should work fine after that.
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By trupro Thu Jun 24, 2004 8:14 pm
So, midiclock is more solid than MTC at 30 frames? I'll give it a go.
Thanks.

But, still, I have seen this problem go down on numerous MPCs where,
synced or not, you get a slight pause right after you hit play/start,
before the sequence actually kicks in.

By Dos Fri Jun 25, 2004 5:45 pm
Midi Time Code locks to time.
Midi Clock locks to bars and beats.

MTC sends a timing message ie. xHours xMins xSecs xFrames
Midi Clock sends 96(think its 96) pulses per bar regardless of time.
So you'd usually use Midi Clock especially if your seq. changes tempo.
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By Smoove03 Fri Jun 25, 2004 7:29 pm
i've had the same problem happen a couple of times but it fixed itself. it would happen until i was actually done with that beat. there was something i was doing with that particular beat that had it delaying. but when i would start a new beat it would be fine. im not sure, but these guys are probably right. good luck 8)
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By trupro Wed Jun 30, 2004 5:42 pm
Smoove, that sounds like the same problem I witnessed, and the thread-starter was referring to. It may be overload on capacity of midi notes, or very complex beats with different swing settings for many separate tracks in the MPC itself. It even seems to copy those problems to a copied sequence. I only seen it go down with my old 2000, and thankfully, my new XL is all good.

Smoove & AudioDevil: Do yall have 2000s or XLs?

Good looks all, for that Beat Clock info...
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By DSTRUCT Wed Jun 30, 2004 11:03 pm
yeah man, on my 2000 that ish happened to me too. I wasnt even midied up to anything. it hasnt happened in a few months but itll be back................................................................... :evil:
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By masterpiece Thu Jul 01, 2004 5:16 am
Keep in mind that when you hit PLAY/START, your rewinding any track to the beginning and then it'll play. The mpc needs time to rewind. Suggestion; press play?
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By pt3r Thu Jul 01, 2004 6:59 am
rewind ? It's technically changing the value of a trackpointer to 0. I don't think that explains the delay.
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By Smoove03 Thu Jul 01, 2004 5:34 pm
trupro wrote:Smoove, that sounds like the same problem I witnessed, and the thread-starter was referring to. It may be overload on capacity of midi notes, or very complex beats with different swing settings for many separate tracks in the MPC itself. It even seems to copy those problems to a copied sequence. I only seen it go down with my old 2000, and thankfully, my new XL is all good.

Smoove & AudioDevil: Do yall have 2000s or XLs?

Good looks all, for that Beat Clock info...



yea cause when i would use around 4+ different instruments from my module on the same beat it would start delaying...

i use the 2000 :wink: 8)