Source
r/mpcusers•
fieldwaves

Midi Through via USB?

Hi folks - just got my MPC One and excited to learn how it all works!

I don't believe this is currently possible but I'm wondering if anyone else has managed it - I want to connect a USB MIDI controller to the MPC, then pass the MIDI signal on to my computer over USB. So that way I can control both the MPC and my DAW with one controller, then when I need to go mobile I can just disconnect the computer and I'm away. (NB: I know you can use Controller mode to control the MPC software app, but this doesn't get the MIDI into the DAW, plus entering Controller mode disable any MIDI input into the MPC itself)

I'm thinking I may need to use a USB switch to swap between MPC/computer but it'd be amazing if it's possible to just pass the MIDI through somehow and avoid an extra bit of kit.

Posted Aug 16, 2022, 11:05 AM UTC

315
psychotic_catalyst•

This is totally possible. USB can be used for MIDI, and as long as the MIDI controller software can manage multiple MIDI lanes, everything should work as expected.

2
fieldwavesOP•

Thing is though, it seems like either:

  1. In Standalone Mode, The MPC receives MIDI from the controller but doesn't send anything to the computer.
  2. In Controller Mode, The MPC does not receive MIDI from the controller; only events from the MPC itself (pads, etc) are sent to the computer.

As a slightly neat aside though, if you switch into Standalone Mode you can get MIDI out into any DAW, not just the MPC software - the screen says "Looking for Computer" but MIDI events are still sent. Just not from any attached controllers it seems...

1
Donotdistherb•

if your mpc screen says it is looking for a computer then you are not in standalone mode.

Why dont you just plug you usb keyboard to your pc ? and when you are mobile you plug it to your mpc?

On my side i run my mpc in standalone mode, with ableton. I m using a usb keyboard plugged to my PC and my PC is connected to my mpc through midi din in and out. I can do pretty much what i want.

3
fieldwavesOP•

My aim really is to have a super simple "unplug and go" setup - I use other MIDI gear so it'd be a few more things to plug/unplug if I go Keyboard -> Computer -> MPC instead. I'm trying to ditch the connection to the laptop as much as possible until I get into full heavy production mode. But that's certainly an option to explore :)

1
Donotdistherb•

so this is kinda the setup i had and for this my mpc was in standalone mode. I run with many midi gear some usb some midi din (minilogue, subphatty, digitone etc) they all directly plugged in my mpc. if I want to use a keyboard in full standalone i simply plug it with usb in the mpc or i just plug it on my pc (it is a native kontrol 49s) and i run it with ableton. in that setup ableton is just a midi mixer that send and receive things in my mpc to 1 use my keyboard and 2 use komplete as a synth that i sequence in the mpc.

My mpc is connected to my pc through midi din to an audio midi interface

2
fieldwavesOP•

Oh and also - oops, meant controller mode there, not standalone.

1
Donotdistherb•

ah yes make more sense :)

1
psychotic_catalyst•

Oh wait you're trying to send and receive between the MPC and PC simultaneously? So, one of the devices has to be the master clock, and cannot receive MIDI signals

2
fieldwavesOP•

So what I have is:

MIDI Keyboard -> MPC -> Laptop

I would like to be able to input notes on the MIDI keyboard and have them passed through the MPC to the Laptop.

It's pretty much like controller mode - but then the MPC doesn't appear to listen to any MIDI in from its own ports.

1
Jan1ssaryJames•

in the Prefs>Midi menu on mpc, does your computer show up as a midi destination.

2