Had a quick check, pattern change can be set by step (in the step editor) on the MPC Live…but whether it works is another question 
Will connect it to my live rig tonight to test it and will get back to you.
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If you can edit steps to send Program Changes it should work!
I wonder if it’s a new feature, some people saying it wasn’t possible (a few months after LIVE release).
Many thanks… I’ll try it!
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Yeah so it works! tested with the Octatrack. Only issue I see is that if you place a program change msg in the middle of a bar inside the step sequencer, the MPC Live automatically sets another program change msg on beat 1 of bar 1 that cannot be deleted. I guess the thinking behind this is to have you load the right patch for when the pattern plays. Not sure if this is normal pattern change behaviour / best practice, but this seems to be the only “issue” I can see.
Btw, looks like PC msgs via the list editor were added in firmware 2.4 (according to Tubedigga), if not that any previously missing midi functionality would have been added with firmware update 2.8 the latest.
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I didn’t get that…
Isn’t it Program Change set in track’s setting?
So, best explained with images:
Step 1: setup a track as “midi track” and set the midi out + channel (my Elektron gear sends & receives PC msgs on Channel 5)
Step 2: Add an automation lane for program changes in the step sequencer
Step 3: Add your program change msg on a per step basis on the track. Note: I placed a program change msg (bank 1, program 15) on step 9, and what the MPC does automatically is it sets a PC msg onto step 1 of that pattern/track - the PC msg can be changed but that step 1 PC msg cannot be deleted as long as you are sending other PC msgs on other steps.
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Thanks, that’s very clear now!
Looks like if you want to control OT with Prog Changes you need transition sequences anyway…
Weird. I don’t understand the purpose of that annoying automated thing.
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Real question is : Why is almost every single synth manufacturer absolutely refuses to make midi program changes work the way users need them ?
With every brand I ever owned, I always had to rely on midi processing to get things to work the way I wanted because each one makes its own exotic specialty for exoctic reasons… 
Maybe I’m asking for something, sooooooo special, soooooo convoluted :
Send pchg at the step/time you want like any other midi command, be it, a note, a cc etc…
No…They just refuse…
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I am pretty new to all this… 
So, what I wanna do is pretty much what I used to do in Force, but on Octatrack, just triggering from Force.
So on Force I had a drums sequence many times in matrix view, sometimes without kick or other elements.
I can prepare similar sequences on the Octatrack.
Now the hard part is to trigger different sequences of Octatrack with different empty clips of Force.
I don t really get what exact settings I have to make on both machines for that to happen…
(Maybe is stupid, but I never did stuff like that)
coughAxoloticough
When they’re in stock, anyhow. But only 2/3 the price of the cheapest Midi Solutions option and does exponentially more stuff.
With minimal soldering skill you could even add dedicated buttons to increment/decrement pattern.
Yeah, when they are avaliable, when you added an enclosure etc etc…
The event processor is a ready to go tank you only need a midi cable and a computer to setup a fairly simple set of instruction.
I personally did not like the axoloti but it can achieve similar results for sure for anyone who want to learn.
True, I just find the MIDI Solutions stuff pretty expensive for what it does (the cheapest I’ve found the Event Processor is $130 USD and the Plus is almost $200. Compared to what you can do with something like a MidiPal clone or Axoloti or even that Retrokits cable it seems kind of steep, but their stuff is reliable and simple to use. I’ve used a Quadra Thru for years and it’s really convenient as long as your gear can power it (I’ve only had a coupe things that couldn’t).
Welcome to the world of Akai, where they always find a way to promise a great thing and then make sure there’s that last little thing that makes it infuriating in practice
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U explained great!!
I tried in on my Force… but it doesn t seem to work… still that delay for changing the pattern… 
I tried with the Tr8s and works flawlessly… but woth the Octatrack it has a quite long delay until it changes the pattern.
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That delay is coming from your Octatrack.
You gotta change the pattern change mode on your OT. To do that, press FUNC + BANK to enter Pattern Settings, there you change the pattern change mode from “P.Length” to “2/16” (or any other value you want). Unfortunately, to my understanding, instant pattern changes on the OT are only possible if the sequencer is not running - the A4 & Rytm CAN change patterns instantly.
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U r a fockin genious!!!
I really can t thank u enough!!
(If u ever need anything pls drop me a message… anything)
Somehow works perfect! Is it maybe that I have an old OT with one of the 1st os?
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Sure? Isn’t there a 2 steps offset?
When do you send the Program Change on Force ?
By default, OT should change pattern at the end of current pattern if the Program Change is sent before its end.
Not if slaved AFAIK.
With OT, dIrect pattern change is possible if you send RESTART note (35) just after Program Change : instant play.
@hausland, could you try this?
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It s just like other midi pattern sending midi to my synths . . After setting p length to 2/16 .
Perfect!!
I don’t get how it can be perfect.
Chain Behavior quantizes pattern change. With PLEN, it waits the end of current pattern, and with 2/16 it wait next odd step (1,3,5,7,etc).
So with 2/16, if you want to sync AKAI patterns with OT patterns, it can create an unwanted offset…
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I don t know, just works. I ll experiment more, but it works just like Tr8s, well.