Akai MPC 4000 as linear sequencer in an Elektron environment
Hello,
Is anyone on this forum currently using an MPC4000 as the main linear/song sequencer in an Elektron environment?
The MPC controlling a MonoMachine, a Digitakt, a Digitone, a Heat.
Something like that.
Where the MPC could send pitch wheel information to one specific channel on the Digitone, while rocking the delay feedback on channels of the MonoMachine.
Arranging Elektron pattern changes on the Akai MPC 4000.
I use the MPC 4000 exactly as you are describing. It sends midi note and CC to an A4 and Heat. The A4 gets 4 tracks, the Heat 1. From the tracks in the 4K I can sequence notes, parameter and program changes. It works quite well! Especially with the 6 q-links on the left (which can be mapped to any parameter on a per-track basis). If you need to automate more than 6 parameters, you can do that in grid or step edit mode.
The MPC 4000 takes a little time to get comfortable with as there are many ways to integrate into a setup. I use it as my main sequencer/arranger. Everything is controled by it, and all the audio is sent into a mixer that then sends the main mix back into the 4K. That way I can resample my entire audio output and then chop it up, rearrange, and remix it. Often I repeat this cycle 3-4 times until I come up with a loop that bares little resemblance to the original. I love the 4K!
Hey man Freddy Fresh here long time 4k user, you sound like you may be able to help me.
I’m trying to see how to use the faders to step midi sequence MIDI events as in play a continues note in a 2 bar sequence of my Jupiter 8 then assign the q link faders to pitch up and down the same way you can do with an internal sound. Sure hope this is possible as at the moment I’ve tried with no luck… hope to hear back man
Freddy
Hey Freddy! In regards to what you are trying to do, I haven’t found a way to do exactly what you’re looking for. The 4K does have a step sequencing feature that uses the faders, but unfortunately it can only be applied to internal sounds. You can achieve something close-ish to what you are looking for in the grid or step edit mode, but it’s a bit slow and doesn’t work while the sequencer is running.
You can map the faders to send midi CC to the Jupiter, and affect whatever parameters on the Jupiter. You can record these changes with the sequence running and the 4K will play them back, so there’s definitely the possibility to automate external synths on the fly (this works quite well), but it’s not quite what you are looking for in terms of step-sequencing.
The closest thing I have found to what you’re trying to do is to set up a fader to control the Jupiter. Let’s say the 4K fader is mapped to the Jupiter filter. While the sequencer is not running you can use the LOCATE buttons on the 4K that are above the transport controls to navigate to the step you want to edit. Then adjust the fader to filter level you want. Push ACTIVE button below the fader, then start sequencer recording on the 4K from that position. This will record the currnet position of the fader to that step on the sequence. How long you leave it recording determines the duration of the step, so if you just want a quick stab, then turn off the sequencer immediately. Navigate to a new position and repeat! If you are using this method I recommend turning off the count-in feature of the 4K because it will just slow you down. When you are ready to listen back to your edits then turn off the ACTIVE button. Obviously this is a stop-and-go method, and you are looking for something continuous. Unfortunately, it’s the best way I have found on the 4K.
I hope I explained that clearly, let me know if you need me to clear anything up!
Man you are a stellar due for this will try only issue is I can never figure out which CC notes correspond to JP8 and when I try and record midi out data its a jumbled mess
while were on this topic have you ever figured out a way aside from note on repeat to design a template for deciated arpegiation? MPC 1000 w/JJ op does this would be so cool
Unfortunately not, I leave the arps up to other pieces of gear that have that built in. I agree though, that would be real slick!
Mapping the 4K faders/q links can be a bit confusing. Above the q links is the SETUP button that opens the menu. In there, hit F2 SEND. Navigate to the Q link you’re setting up and for “Transmit” set it to CTRL CHANGE. Then you can assign the CC value that corresponds to JP8. If you can’t find a list of the CCs for the JP8 then you might just need to go one by one and test each out and see what each value does. Also, keep in mind that all this info is saved to the MULTI of the 4K. If you switch the MULTI then you also switch the CCs mapping.
Hope this helps you out my man!
hi, i am new here, sorry to interupt, but i thibk antgrallen may actually help me and also maybe someione else is interested in same question: how can i maintain midi beat clock sent from MPC4000 to drum machine and kaos pad BUT WITHOUT start, stop and continue? More precisely, we want to make live sets with several machines but without triggering stop and start anywhere down the line of a MPC4000 master. In that case, how it would work starting drum machine independently while MOPC sends clock all the time ensuring equal BPM on all slaves?
many thx, d2k
I was able to figure out a solution to this that’s specific to the Octatrack, but hopefully it translates similarly to other gear.
To get going create a blank drum program in the 4K that will act as the “playback controller” for your device. Go to an unused track in your sequence and for OUT 1 select a new part, and then select the drum program you just created. For OUT 2 select the MIDI out port that goes to your device.
Here is the part that is specific to Octatrack: for the OT, MIDI note 71 starts playback, and MIDI note 33 stops it. By default a new drum program has MIDI 71 note assigned to pad B15 and note 33 to E15, but you can edit this. Hit the Program button and then F4 - ASSIGN. Then you can change the MIDI note numbers assigned to the pads. I recommend setting 71 and 33 to pads in the same bank, so you don’t have to navigate to another bank to start/stop quickly. Save your program to retain this setting.
Now when you press Play Start on the 4K, both devices will start like normal. While the sequence is running you can hit the pad you assigned to note 33 and the slave device (in my case, Octatrack) will stop, but the 4K keeps playing! Press the pad with note 71 and the device starts again. These notes can be recorded into the sequence wherever you want so you can start/stop your slave device in perfect sync with what the 4K is doing without having to stop the sequence on the 4K. You should be able to program entire sets this way!
If you have an OT then you should be good to go with that. Other gear might behave differently. I figured out that notes 71 and 33 behaved this way by literally going through all pad banks and hitting them to see how the Octatrack responded, so hopefully you can do the same with whatever gear you have (or look up their manuals). Hope this helps.
hey, thx a lot, these are all very usefull informations.
But in my case - we are two independent musicians and I do not want to control from mpc4000 play, stop or pause of drum machine of my partner. We just want to have midi beat clock set from mpc, so, whenever he needs to hit play on his machine, he would be in beat clock of exact bpm.
Is that possible?
You can configure OT to only receive and/or transmit clock. Menu -> Midi -> Sync. Then uncheck send and receive transport.
OT won’t send start/stop/continue and/or transmit it.
You can either make OT follow a clock by checking receive clock or you can make OT transmit midi clock by checking send clock.
…if u stop the external synced sequencers, there’s no way around to start them manually again along the still running external sync clocking…
but it’s easy to rehearse to hit the next perfect downbeat/big one…
in worst case u miss the downbeat and the synced sequencer locks in again, runs along in sync but creates a polyrhthm…
or u can proceed as @antgrallen recommended, that u make it a routine that ur partner signals u once he/she’s ready to join the synccake again and U shoot out a new start/play cc signal via a pad from the mpc…but that only means that it’s U that has to hit the next big ONE measure in the beatsync again…same same but different…
i suggest and ask…why not play all together all in one never stopped sync stream…?
is there a real need to stop the external sequencers…?
u could also easily preset all external sequencer in a way that the can run along without no need to get stopped during a longer set…
but hey, if u got good reasons, well, then i’d say…become a band and rehearse that procedure…ur mpc keeps running and all external synced sequencers jump on and off that running mpc train…just practice that…the first patterns don’t need to have full blown arrangements…
drop back in with a single element u can easily stop again, i f u missed that right spot and give it another realtime try right away again…play with such “mistakes” until it fits…
hey Schnork, thank you for your answer. please note that we do not have Octatrack nor my question was tied to OT. Maybe I just did not emphasize that enough on the beginning. But anyways - please cna you clarify what does this mean that
Blockquote OT won’t send start/stop/continue and/or transmit it.
As far as I understand Midi Clock transmits clock, start, continue and stop?
Does this mean that OT can filter out start/continue/stop?
Or this transport means MMC?
thx for your input - you are right (i think) in all you wrote.
Blockquote …if u stop the external synced sequencers, there’s no way around to start them manually again along the still running external sync clocking…
this is exactly what we like to do. and i am not sure why they did not think about it. it would be great to have that possibility, because in a complex system you do not need to think about it at all, whenever you jump in - it would be locked…
Blockquote u make it a routine that ur partner signals u once he/she’s ready
this is a no go!
Blockquote u could also easily preset all external sequencer in a way that the can run along without no need to get stopped during a longer set…
this is also solution, and achievable by just making blank patterns/presets on a slaving machines, so when he needs to stop, he actually use blank pattern.
No, midi clock basically is the tempo, midi start/stop/continue are different messages.
Not all devices or software give you control over both, though. Some combine that under “sync” or similar terms. So sync on/off basically switches clock and start/stop/continue on or off. Some devices, such as the Octatrack, Analogs and the silver boxes from Elektron allow you to just transmit clock, but not start/stop/continue or to just receive clock, but not react to start/stop/continue (which is essentially the same as filtering them out, yes).
If you have devices that combine clock and start/stop/continue, like for instance the Korg Monotribe, Volcas, Miniligue, Monologue and others, it means you either sync them and they will also react to start/stop/continue or you don’t sync them at all. So everytime you’d press play on a sequencer that transmits clock and start/stop/continue, those devices will also start their sequencer, which requires using an empty pattern if you wanted to sequence them externally, filtering out start/stop/continue (with a midi processor, midi interface with filtering capabilities or one of those simple midi filter boxes), or if your sequencer lets you transmit clock only, you don’t have to rely on those workarounds.