I just picked up a used MPD32 for pretty cheap. I want to use it only for triggering drums, but I’m having an issue recording. Every time I arm a track to record in Renoise, the MPD32 keeps recording information in addition to what I’m playing. If I just arm a track and do nothing it records an M3 command as well as some delay data. Every time I move the mouse it records this.
Has anyone got an MPD and have they had any weird issues like this?
The MPD218 hasn’t given me any M3 commands, but I managed to get renoise to f**k up with twisting of the top two knobs whilst saving, seems like they are automatically assigned to something weird.
the MPD32 keeps recording information in addition to what I’m playing. If I just arm a track and do nothing it records an M3 command as well as some delay data.
M3 is MIDI after-touch / channel pressure. Sounds like one of the pads is faulty and is sending out random messages. Perhaps the unit was too cheap?
But don’t give up - try opening the Renoise MIDI panel - you should be able to see message as they arrive?
Then, in the Renoise prefs you can disable various MIDI features (hint: look for channel pressure).
Alternatively, you can filter out messages with pinpoint precision using a tool called xRules.
My mpd has a weird problem like that, some of the knobs send a continuously fluctuating signal. Shame really because it’s a great unit except for that.
I really love the pads on the MPD218, once they get worn in a bit and soften up slightly. The knobs are excellent as well, very sturdy, non breakable. I have had the occasional crosstalk and double triggering. But its so rare, not a problem unless your playing live and have long samples like a full bassline assigned to the pad that triggered when it wasnt supposed to.
It seems to me that the pros still rate the old korg padkontrol as the best pad controller out there, although I did see some peeps like anticon’s jel using the keith macmillan QNEO…
I’m not feeling the old MPC1000 style clicky buttons for pad bank, full level etc. because I know from experience on the MPC1000 that those kind of buttons do break after thousands of presses, plus they make an irritatingly loud clicking sound when pressed. In my opinion they should have made those small buttons rubbery and velocity sensitive as well, just like the pads. They could have samples or effects changes assigned to them. They are in the perfect layout for keyboard style finger drumming…would have been nice.
Also, I dont know why they limited the MPD218 to 3 pad banks instead of 4. Even with the two LEDS, they could have done 0 LEDS = pad bank1, Left LED = pad bank2, Right LED = pad bank 3, Both LED = pad bank 4.
As for the editor on the computer, it is nicely done for the most part but it should be resizable. It does not always fit on laptops with smaller screens. cuts off the bottoms of the lowest row of pads. They could have used a small LED screen and a small jog wheel or clicky dial on the unit itself as was done with the (excellently priced, rugged) vestax pad one.
But yeah, if I twist the top two knobs whilst in the keyzone editor or whilst saving it causes renoise to have massive latency on every pad press (but not computer keyboard keypress), and the problem remains even after reloading the song. I have to copy all the samples out into another instrument to get rid of the problem. Its a weird bug.
But yeah, if I twist the top two knobs whilst in the keyzone editor or whilst saving it causes renoise to have massive latency on every pad press (but not computer keyboard keypress), and the problem remains even after reloading the song. I have to copy all the samples out into another instrument to get rid of the problem. Its a weird bug.
That you have to copy out the samples, damn. That can’t be right… 
What does the Renoise MIDI panel have to say about this -
do these buttons produce MIDI, and does that MIDI look different from the other knobs, somehow?
And, are you running some tools?
I havent checked the midi panel while the problem occurs, but it seemed like one of the top two knobs was automaticaly assigned to change BPM, the other I cant remember.
the buttons I was talking about are just those clicky buttons for full level and pad bank in the lower right, they dont send midi though its a shame.
I think the only tools I have are morphsynth and custom wave and batch convert stereo-mono