Irregular starting point when tracking via midi.

[Arch]

Hey all... I have had a scout around for this but can't seem to find anything that helps.
I have An mbox running LE 6.4, MPC 2000xl (sampler sequencer), and an M-audio midisport 1x1. What I am trying to do is run the audio into the mbox and have pro tools recieve midi data from the mpc to know when to start recording, so that i can record each individual track in my sequences into pro tools. I can get it all set up and pro tools recieving the midi, but it seems that each track is receiving audio at different times with each recording ( i have tested this by recording the one same track multiple times... the audio begins at different times). The same happens when i trigger the mpc from pro tools and record audio in (although it is far less dramatic). The difference seems to have no regularity. I'm wondering if anyone has come across this regularity. I was using thios method with my midisport to run each different track into cool edit and it worked fine (and still does), so I am thinking it has something to do with multiple usb devices being plugged into my pc (the midisport and mbox). I have even tried swapping them between usb sockets.
If anyone has excountered this, can offer any ideas, or knows of any other posts I may have missed whilst searching, then any help would be much appreciated.

Cheers, and hope that all made sense.
Arch

[myfm]

The easiest way to accomplish recording your midi tracks to audio is to create a midi file of the sequence in the MPX and import that into your PTLE session. Use PTLE to control your sequence, not the MPX. From PTLE it's a simple matter to set up audio tracks for each midi track to record.

Even with your audio from the midi tracks, you'll still have to edit out the dead space at the beginning of the audio and quantize the audio in grid mode to bring everything together.

You are correct in saying midi doesn't playback exactly the same every time (time wise), however, the difference is very slight.

[Arch]

Thanks for that. So it's using the data from the mpc to trigger the each sound and program change then? Or is it mainly for when the playback starts and tempo changes?
I just find it weird that it worked in cool edit ok (everything tracked in time), but doing it the same way in PT didnt work. I though even if the midi signal from the MPC takes a bit for the pc to pick up, it will still play the audio in time and because it is still sending the signal when you press start. Not sure if that makes sense. Haha. Thanks for the help... I will give it a try.

[myfm]

So it's using the data from the mpc to trigger the each sound and program change then? Or is it mainly for when the playback starts and tempo changes?

Both (sort of - starting and stopping isn't a function of a midi file). When you make a midi file, all midi data is in the file (except sound data). As long as the patches are in the correct places on the MPX, all you need to do is open the midi file in PTLE and press play. Sound data can be saved and loaded using sysex (check the manual).

Even if you're using only PTLE and one midi hardware device, it's common to have the midi not completely in time with audio tracks in PTLE. You might try using the Global Midi Offset (I'm not sure if it's a feature of PTLE with the Mbox, but it's in the preferences), and the individual midi track offsets (under Windows in PTLE) will for sure work and always has for me.

[Arch]

Thanks, will give that a shot. Thanks for elaborating on the function of midi in this scenario too, I couldnt quite figure it out.

Arch

[Arch]

Just another question of any mpc users who track their stuff... With the technique above, can you retain your pitch variations (the ones stored in a sequence) in any way apart from assigning the sound to each pad and having them varied in pitch. I am wondering if there is any way that I can retain something done in 16 levels or varied with the slider when it is tracked in this way (above).

Thanks
Arch