Live and MPC - what's your flow?

[aqua_tek]

I'm just trying to make up my mind between JJ OS 2 or XL. Only the XL license is available at this point for the 2500 so I had to splurge on it... BUT that gets you access to all 3 OS's. Relatively easy to switch back and forth. Of course, I'd like to be able to just stick to one OS. I think, even though XL has a few more features, some of the core features were scaled down as compared to OS2... especially the Q-link slider funcionality.

So what OS are the Ableton peeps using?

[dj mush]

recently i added my mpc in my setup for livegigs.
and for the first time i really felt that i was kicking some ass!
it rocked big time and the punch still is uncomparable to anything else.

i have the 2000xl for years now, but left it a bit behind in the studio due to the
ease of some software. alltough i also really hate the mouse thing, as i'm used playing real instruments.

so for my last gig implemented the mpc...and it was a world of difference with my other gigs, alltough i used the
same tracklist.

i loaded every row of pads (or scenes as you would call them in ableton) of the mpc with the main sounds of one song
from my ableton playlist.
+ a midicontroller to control effects in ableton.
(i must add that i have implemented all my .als (for each song) into one .als!
took me some time to merge drums of different songs to one track, for the sake of saving some space on my screen...
(this will be solved with the 'group track' function in 8! yes!)

so now i can start playing the first song in .als, smoothly control all effects + midisynth tracks if i want to.
+ i can play simultaniously on the mpc with the main sounds (drum/bounced synth) from that track, but really coming from out of the mpc, so this adds the mpc feel/sound to the .als in a very 'live' way...just as i feel it, i add it...
create climaxes by muting some drums with midicontrol and playing them on the mpc, unmute when i want again.
this gave some really nice interaction with the crowd.

(and the mpc is master tempo control, ableton slaved)

i did this setup with a partner in crime.
for the next gig we'll try to do it with 2 x MPC
gonna be some kicking fun!

[starving student]

recently i added my mpc in my setup for livegigs.
and for the first time i really felt that i was kicking some ass!
it rocked big time and the punch still is uncomparable to anything else.

i have the 2000xl for years now, but left it a bit behind in the studio due to the
ease of some software. alltough i also really hate the mouse thing, as i'm used playing real instruments.

so for my last gig implemented the mpc...and it was a world of difference with my other gigs, alltough i used the
same tracklist.

i loaded every row of pads (or scenes as you would call them in ableton) of the mpc with the main sounds of one song
from my ableton playlist.
+ a midicontroller to control effects in ableton.
(i must add that i have implemented all my .als (for each song) into one .als!
took me some time to merge drums of different songs to one track, for the sake of saving some space on my screen...
(this will be solved with the 'group track' function in 8! yes!)

so now i can start playing the first song in .als, smoothly control all effects + midisynth tracks if i want to.
+ i can play simultaniously on the mpc with the main sounds (drum/bounced synth) from that track, but really coming from out of the mpc, so this adds the mpc feel/sound to the .als in a very 'live' way...just as i feel it, i add it...
create climaxes by muting some drums with midicontrol and playing them on the mpc, unmute when i want again.
this gave some really nice interaction with the crowd.

(and the mpc is master tempo control, ableton slaved)

i did this setup with a partner in crime.
for the next gig we'll try to do it with 2 x MPC
gonna be some kicking fun!

very cool, sounds like you guys are having alot of fun, would love to see some clips if you gott'em

[dj mush]

was planning to videotape my next gig
(next weekend)
i'll drop it online soon
it sure is fun

[Tone Deft]

I'm just trying to make up my mind between JJ OS 2 or XL. Only the XL license is available at this point for the 2500 so I had to splurge on it... BUT that gets you access to all 3 OS's. Relatively easy to switch back and forth. Of course, I'd like to be able to just stick to one OS. I think, even though XL has a few more features, some of the core features were scaled down as compared to OS2... especially the Q-link slider funcionality.

So what OS are the Ableton peeps using?

JJOS 1, I have 2 on preview/dual boot but I don't really need the extra features, the coolest of which IIRC are effects. I'm just not that adept with it yet. I think the OS depends on how much you want to do with the MPC. if you only want to do VERY basic stuff, stick with the stock OS. if you want better sequencing and ease of moving files around, get the JJOS. if you use most of the MPC's features get JJOS2.

my $0.0001

[aqua_tek]

I'm just trying to make up my mind between JJ OS 2 or XL. Only the XL license is available at this point for the 2500 so I had to splurge on it... BUT that gets you access to all 3 OS's. Relatively easy to switch back and forth. Of course, I'd like to be able to just stick to one OS. I think, even though XL has a few more features, some of the core features were scaled down as compared to OS2... especially the Q-link slider funcionality.

So what OS are the Ableton peeps using?

JJOS 1, I have 2 on preview/dual boot but I don't really need the extra features, the coolest of which IIRC are effects. I'm just not that adept with it yet. I think the OS depends on how much you want to do with the MPC. if you only want to do VERY basic stuff, stick with the stock OS. if you want better sequencing and ease of moving files around, get the JJOS. if you use most of the MPC's features get JJOS2.

my $0.0001

thanks Tone. I actually already decided to run JJOS because of the enhanced sequencing and Q-link capabilities (Apply Q-link to all pads? MIDI Grid Edit? that alone got me sold on it). Just undecided between sticking to XL or rolling back to OS2. I thought it would be logical for XL to be essentially the same as OS2 plus some new features. But it's not exactly that. Feels like some things were sort of left out, and it's slightly buggy. The only thing keeping me from rolling back to OS2 is that I've already started some projects on XL and I'm feeling too lazy to roll back But I'm thinking i should. I probably will, until a few updates to XL come along.

[EgAD]

I thought that os2 had those features that you listed aquatek, are they only in os2xl?

[aqua_tek]

oh yeah. os1, os2, and osxl, they all have midi grid edit and q-link to all pads.

The reason I'm torn between XL and OS2 is because they have different workflow features. Like... OS2 has more robust Q-link functionality, and overall feels more stable, while XL has better sequence editing workflow, 2 filters, sample layer velocity crossfades, among other new features.

If JJ hadn't removed Q-link to tempo and Q-link to swing and shift factor from XL, it would have been a no brainer. Also there's this REALLY annoying Q-link bug, where moving any slider or knob will override any other q-link effect. So basically having 4 q-link controllers is almost useless. This bug didn't exist in OS2. Another gripe of mine... JJ removed the ability to edit Q-link automation on grid edit from OS2 and XL... at least for the MPC 2500. I read that this is still available in OS2 for the MPC 1000.

[aqua_tek]

Has anyone tried 4 GB CF cards with their MPC 1000/2500? I know the limit is supposed to be 2 GB, but I think I read somewhere that it might be possible for some 4 GB CF cards to work as well.

I just wonder what the scenario would be if I tried a 4 GB card. Either it'll actually be able to use the full 4 GB (great), or it will cap it at 2 GB (not great but not the end of the world), or it will just not be able to read the card at all (not cool).

[Nick the Zombie]

Also there's this REALLY annoying Q-link bug, where moving any slider or knob will override any other q-link effect. So basically having 4 q-link controllers is almost useless. This bug didn't exist in OS2.

Unfortunately, this is not a bug. The ability to record more than one q-linked parameter into a sequence was removed for XL, which a lot of people are very, very upset about.

[logic_user99]

So, I've been working on my 'flow' over the last couple of days and think I've got it pretty much sorted - for the now at least. I've created a Live template for using with my default MPC setup (both files available if anyone wants them) that takes MIDI from my USB keyboard, farms it out to the MPC, and then takes the MIDI information from the recorded tracks on the MPC and splits it to the various host channels in Live! Clever, I thought.

At the moment, I'm working on getting CC# envelopes locked down, so that I can record control changes into the MPC to affect the instruments (the macros in Absynth 4 really benefit from this). And I need to get my studio space layed out a bit better; everything is still too focussed on the Mac screen.





Update - looking back at that screen cap, I can definitely get rid of three of the 'Kbd' tracks, as the MPC on recieved on one MIDI channel (although the tracks can send 1 thru 16). Can probably take out the 'MPC' strips, too, although I might put in some MIDI note limiters/velocity plugs so I can use the top range MIDI keys for selection etc in Live.

God, I should really blog this stuff!

[serge_a_storms]

So, I've been working on my 'flow' over the last couple of days and think I've got it pretty much sorted - for the now at least. I've created a Live template for using with my default MPC setup (both files available if anyone wants them) that takes MIDI from my USB keyboard, farms it out to the MPC, and then takes the MIDI information from the recorded tracks on the MPC and splits it to the various host channels in Live! Clever, I thought.

Sounds like you've been busy.

Any chance of a copy of the files? I can PM my email address.

[logic_user99]

Sounds like you've been busy.

Any chance of a copy of the files? I can PM my email address.

Yeah, man. I'm slowly getting back into it!

Not back home 'til late tonight, but I'll get the files zipped up for you. Want to PM me somewhere to send them?

[Nick the Zombie]

Wow, this looks really promising, nice work! My MPC-1000 comes in tomorrow so I may give something similar a shot after getting to grips with it.

[logic_user99]

Wow, this looks really promising, nice work! My MPC-1000 comes in tomorrow so I may give something similar a shot after getting to grips with it.

Cheers, Nick. While I am no 'MPC expert', I would say that getting into the sequencer first would be a very good idea. I jumped straight into sampling with my 500 and have only just learned the ins and outs of the step edit mode; boy am I glad that I did! I can't begin to comprehend why I didn't spend more time at the outset getting 'into' the machine.

Hope you have fun with the ol' 1k. I'm still sorely tempted to get one later in the year and stave off computer sequencing for a while. Might even stretch to the 'Kore' software edition, and run my AU synths from within that.