Copying parts to Ableton (or any DAW) using slave

[robsnolca]

Hi all,
I am copying each part of a song to Ableton individually, for this I have my Mc-808 on slave mode and trigger the audio recording with Ableton. Now, my problem is, that the recording in never in sync, like my parts will always end up out of sync. I have played around with midi clock delay and other options and nothing seems to help. I am capturing my audio through a Lexicon Omega Audio interface using a ASIO driver...
any clues on how to copy your parts to a DAW in a way that they are in sync? Please don't suggest using the inner sampling capability of the mc-808 is incredibly annoying.

thanks guys

[nocredentails]

I have had the same problem for different reasons and i got a very simple fix for you.
Im sure your daw has a "wait for midi-imput" on it before you star recording.
I do have a hard time seeing why you dont convert your song to a midi file first...instead of trying to record live?
Not trying to belittle mate please dont take it that way, i just want to help.
but if you are recording the tracks seperately..in audio out like im thinking you are doing...your very best bet to get it all sycned is to set your daw to record upon midi output from youre 808....then asign an un-used knob or slider to an empty midi channle hit the slider/knob and play at the same time. This will trigger record and play at thhe same time.
Record from your daw and play from the 808.
Hope this helps you out.

[robsnolca]

haha hey no no worries man, I aprreciate the help 100%. I don't think ableton has "wait for midi input" or at least it doesn't seem to come up on the manual.

Hey I haven't heard of converting my song into a midi file....is this a new thing? sorry to be a pain, how do I do that?

[dr_boehm]

Hi,

if you have updated MC-808 to v1.03 then there is an export to midi file function. Have a look into the mc-808-faq on that topic.

Then use that file in ableton and record the mc-808 as audio.

Bye, Dirk.

[nocredentails]

yes it should be in the utility menu friend you can convert to midi.
Im sure that there must be a wait for midi record fuction in ableton it is a very essessencial and common nessesity.
but yeah you can def import export midi.
Get on the rolandus websight and check in there for the 808 they got manuals drivers updates.
lol it sounds mean but it would help you greatly..imensly to just spend one week getting into you 808 and seeing just what it can do.
i would also suggest learning exactly what your quantize features do take a listen to a simpe drum pattern through each preset for like 20 mins per day knowing what does what is gonna help you imensly...lol try not to do everything from your daw if you can. the beauty of the 808 is what it can do away from your computer!!!!!
CHEERS

[robsnolca]

hey thanks guys.

Hey nocredential, well I've had the 808 for 4 years and yes the reason why I bought it is cos I hate to make music with the computer itself, but obviously at some point I need to transfer the parts individually so I can make a proper mixdown of my muisc with proper eqs and fx, etc. hence the need for the DAW. I do know the machine VERY well, I did read the whole manual before I got to play with it, though I wasn't aware of the new driver release thingy which I shall try and let you know how it goes. Thanks for all the help mate.
*R

[nocredentails]

never ending battle...and budget (if you buy your software)
I recomend getting a good boss or yamaha recorder.....all the mastering effects should be head and shoulders or above what you got in vst land.


300 buck a pop for audio editing software.......you could easly buy 3-4 programs of good quality. may as well spend that money on the recorder.

Only vst i use for my master or mix is NEBULA 3....i cant say enough good things bout this whole kernel tech mumbo Jumbo!!!

^>v<

[Re-Member]

You need to sync Ableton to the MC-808's MIDI clock. It's buried in the "MIDI Sync" section within Preferences. From there, you need to light up the EXT button in the top left hand corner where the tempo and time signature boxes are. From there, also adjust the tempo manually to the match the MC-808's tempo.

After all that is done, load up either an audio or MIDI track in Ableton and set up everything to record, but don't press play on Ableton, press play on the MC-808. If the MC-808 triggers Ableton's recorder automatically, then you've set everything up right and things will be in sync. If not, then you've missed a step somewhere.

[Adekoyote]

FYI:

I synced ableton to the MC-808 and I got jittery play back...on the mc808 the bpm was 138 and on ableton it would go from 125--155...

I don't like that at all...because you can hear it while you work.

that being said. the best reason to sync ableto TO the MC808 is to take advantage of realtime recordering INTO the mc808 midi data that is coming FROM ableton.

When I am sketching/designing abeton is the master that the mc808 syncs to...when I am finished I realtime record, and then my data in the mc808 is seperate from ableton.

to me this is HUGE. in that you can use ableton to think freely and quickly. and then use the mc808 to perform those patterns independently of ableton.

I am really relieved that the roland allows for this kind of connectivity, because the synth engine rocks! you can sketch out chords and pads and drum on the parts and then flip between the patches...versus point click patch selection in ableton/vst's...now all I have to do is wait for payday to buy the tweakbook....

[DaniH]

"the mc808 the bpm was 138 and on ableton it would go from 125--155..."

You need to put the MC-808 into slave mode to fix this. The MC-808's default bpm is 138. If you do not wish to slave the MC-808 just change the bpm to the correct bpm from your host. Having the MC-808 in slave mode will work the best when transferring midi onto it.

[Adekoyote]

so in slave mode realtime record will still record??? (that would be epic)