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Importing Ableton midi files into the MPC2000xl: possible?

Posted: Sun Apr 21, 2013 2:34 pm
by mattianlaseppia
Hello

I'm trying to import an Ableton midi file (ultra simple, just to check, notes, no automations) into the MPC2000xl and I'm not able to do this

When I load the Ableton midi file into the MPC I get "Error at 0000:7E21" and the MPC freezes and I need to turn it off and on again

Why that?
Is there any workaround?

What's different in Ableton midi files? Every other DAW I tried doesn't give me any problem... but unfortunately I prefer to work with midi in Ableton, so it's not really an option to use another DAW to do that...

Thanks

Re: Importing Ableton midi files into the MPC2000xl: possible?

Posted: Sun Apr 21, 2013 2:39 pm
by v00d00ppl
Try to use external instrument and play the midi sequence directly into the MPC and then save the sequence to disk.

Re: Importing Ableton midi files into the MPC2000xl: possible?

Posted: Sun Apr 21, 2013 2:55 pm
by mattianlaseppia
v00d00ppl wrote:Try to use external instrument and play the midi sequence directly into the MPC and then save the sequence to disk.
Yes but there will be a lag between when I hit play in Ableton and rec in the MPC, I already tried recording MIDI directly in the MPC but the timing is screwed

If I do more attempt I can get near to the right timing, but that means I have to try 4/5 or more time till I can make them start almost simultaneously... which is a pain and I lose a lot of time

Re: Importing Ableton midi files into the MPC2000xl: possible?

Posted: Sun Apr 21, 2013 4:02 pm
by v00d00ppl
Are you using external instrument ? What do you want .midi file for? Drums? What is one the midi track in love you are trying to record?

Re: Importing Ableton midi files into the MPC2000xl: possible?

Posted: Sun Apr 21, 2013 4:20 pm
by mattianlaseppia
v00d00ppl wrote:Are you using external instrument ? What do you want .midi file for? Drums? What is one the midi track in love you are trying to record?
What's the difference between using external instrument and sending the midi using a midi out?

The point is that if I want to record midi from Ableton to the MPC I need to push at the same time play in Ableton and record in the MPC... I'm human, there's no way I can do that at the exact same time

I don't see the reason for the other questions, now I'm sending a drum pattern but I'd like to be able to do this to transfer all the sequences done in Ableton into the MPC so they go together with the ones in the MPC

Is that clear?
Let me know if you need more informations

Re: Importing Ableton midi files into the MPC2000xl: possible?

Posted: Sun Apr 21, 2013 4:25 pm
by ikeaboy
mattianlaseppia wrote:Hello

I'm trying to import an Ableton midi file (ultra simple, just to check, notes, no automations) into the MPC2000xl and I'm not able to do this

When I load the Ableton midi file into the MPC I get "Error at 0000:7E21" and the MPC freezes and I need to turn it off and on again

Why that?
Is there any workaround?

What's different in Ableton midi files? Every other DAW I tried doesn't give me any problem... but unfortunately I prefer to work with midi in Ableton, so it's not really an option to use another DAW to do that...

Thanks
You could try exporting all the midi files you need. Import them into the DAW you had success transferring to the MPC from before. Re export the midi files from there. Not ideal I know. It could be a type 1 type 2 file problem

Re: Importing Ableton midi files into the MPC2000xl: possible?

Posted: Sun Apr 21, 2013 4:42 pm
by mattianlaseppia
I already do that, import in Pro Tools, export, and the MPC load it fine.... except I lose all the control change automations... I don't understand why...

IS it Live that doesn't export control changes?

Re: Importing Ableton midi files into the MPC2000xl: possible?

Posted: Sun Apr 21, 2013 5:08 pm
by mattianlaseppia
my mistake.. I can get the cc messages into the MPC too...

well.. so I think I'll stick with that workaround.. even though it means exporting two times.......... using two different daws...

Re: Importing Ableton midi files into the MPC2000xl: possible?

Posted: Sun Apr 21, 2013 5:35 pm
by outsidesys
mattianlaseppia wrote:
v00d00ppl wrote:Try to use external instrument and play the midi sequence directly into the MPC and then save the sequence to disk.
Yes but there will be a lag between when I hit play in Ableton and rec in the MPC, I already tried recording MIDI directly in the MPC but the timing is screwed

If I do more attempt I can get near to the right timing, but that means I have to try 4/5 or more time till I can make them start almost simultaneously... which is a pain and I lose a lot of time
Does the MPC not send MIDI clock? If it does, send MIDI clock to Live, and tell Live to sync to it. This syncs Live's transport to the MPC.

Re: Importing Ableton midi files into the MPC2000xl: possible?

Posted: Sun Apr 21, 2013 9:19 pm
by mattianlaseppia
outsidesys wrote:
mattianlaseppia wrote:
v00d00ppl wrote:Try to use external instrument and play the midi sequence directly into the MPC and then save the sequence to disk.
Yes but there will be a lag between when I hit play in Ableton and rec in the MPC, I already tried recording MIDI directly in the MPC but the timing is screwed

If I do more attempt I can get near to the right timing, but that means I have to try 4/5 or more time till I can make them start almost simultaneously... which is a pain and I lose a lot of time
Does the MPC not send MIDI clock? If it does, send MIDI clock to Live, and tell Live to sync to it. This syncs Live's transport to the MPC.
You are talking about midi clock as if it was a feature...

I already did that and even thought I've sync gen, the midi recorded in the mpc gets shifted compared to the original

Look... no way, I have to stick using Pro Tools to do that, otherwise all the microshifts programmed in Ableton get screwed

Thanks anyway

Re: Importing Ableton midi files into the MPC2000xl: possible?

Posted: Sun Apr 21, 2013 9:24 pm
by 102455
Try it the other way around then, with Live as the master. Set the MPC to external clock.

It's also worth asking Akai, as it's their product that's having an issue.

They have a support area http://community.akaipro.com/akai_professional and also a Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/AkaiPro

Send them the file if you have to!

Re: Importing Ableton midi files into the MPC2000xl: possible?

Posted: Mon Apr 22, 2013 6:28 am
by hps909
i used to record directly to MPC 2kxl from ableton 7 using ableton as the sync master worked ok .. live 8 was terrible at syncing either way

Re: Importing Ableton midi files into the MPC2000xl: possible?

Posted: Mon Apr 22, 2013 1:24 pm
by mattianlaseppia
102455 wrote:Try it the other way around then, with Live as the master. Set the MPC to external clock.

It's also worth asking Akai, as it's their product that's having an issue.

They have a support area http://community.akaipro.com/akai_professional and also a Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/AkaiPro

Send them the file if you have to!
It is not the MPC having a problem, it is Ableton that doesn't export midi correctly. It misses some data in the header or something like that

That's why importing the clip in PT or any other DAW and then send it to the MPC, works without problems, the MPC recognize it

About the syncing, I've done that, but it is not that reliable, specially when you are sending long midi clips... the jittering induced by Ableton and by the USB midi interface, makes it unreliable so the midi notes don't always arrive to the MPC in the right position, as they where before in Ableton... and considering in my midi clips often there are a lot of micro-timing variation (i.e. I don't use the grid... I move stuff), the end result is kind of sloppy compared to the loaded midi file

BTW thanks to all, I'll stick going to PT and then the MPC... it's a pain and Ableton should fix it... it will happen? Never... but... yeah... I hope it will