How I Record & Mix Roland MC-101 Tracks in my DAW

[@grazstarr]

Sorry did I miss where you actually showed how to record from your MC101 into a daw? The video is all you editing your song in your daw...

[@GamedevFred]

Really loving these vids. Very informative and to the point. Thank you Gabe!

[@whentheleavesarefalling]

Really like the video. Rarely watch these types of tutorial from start to end, but you keep it interesting and quick.

[@JRosevelt]

AWESEOME channel, love the videos been watching them every day. BTW, you may have mentioned the answer to this already, but does MC 707 export midi so that you can manipulate the variables in DAW besides just adding effects and chopping?

[@GabeMillerMusic]

That's awesome to hear! I'd have to double check but off the top of my head, I believe it can.

[@SvenFx-22]

how did you get tracks into your daw? and what daw is that. i thought you would have a tutorial on hooking up and getting tracks from mc101 to daw

[@AppAxis]

Have you ever attempted to export the midi instead of the audio? #MC101

[@GreenHoleSun]

I suspect that it's not possible. Weird choice by Roland.

[@richardsullivan2537]

Hi Gabe, got the MC-101 after watching your videos back a few years ago. Have made a lot of cool songs on it. Now want to combine vocals and live guitar. Never liked using daws so I got a Tascam 24 dpsd. I’m trying to figure out the best way to combine everything. I bought personas studio one back in the day. Maybe I could go back to that. What daw are you using? Are you transferring the files or re-recording it into your daw. Any suggestions?

[@RodrigoBelém]

This daw is Reaper.

[@pabelote1]

Nice Video. How can you send the multitrack MC to Reaper. I can only record as a Master. Can you plz help me? Thanks

[@thombroom5515]

I are really talented! Thanks 4 this one.

[@pafcjack100]

Can you record scatter effect when multi-tracking into the DAW?

[@GabeMillerMusic]

Yep, you can. You can only have scatter affect one track at a time though.

[@pafcjack100]

@@GabeMillerMusic I see. And can you record the scatter effect as you apply it or does it have to be pre programmed in some way? Thanks!

[@tomblaze2]

Great Video - I have been curious how the ROland MC 101 would sound with stems exported and mixed in a DAW - major help

[@shottskies]

Hi Gabe or any of you other John Legends, is it possible to get each of your drum tones (up to 16) via usb to break out into individual tracks into your daw mainly for the purpose of being able to control the level of each. E.g. a track for each of kick, snare, hi hat, toms etc. I find one of the main Achilles heals of the 101 is that i haven't been able to figure out how to control this. You can change the velocity of each but they're not quite the same thing and is a bit of pain. Thanks if anyone knows

[@jaydeepalmer]

Hi, don't know if you found out yet, but the way i would do that would be to mute every drum sound except the one you want to record, and do that for every track. Hope this helps

[@teabreakbeats]

Nice video - on the panning issue - I've noticed that a lot of the presets come with some default MFX layered on - some of these may impact the perceived stereo placement (e.g ping pong delays etc)

[@waffleassembly6779]

They always set up the grooveboxes with stuff already panned all over the place. I have an ancient MC-307 and lots of stuff, especially drums are already panned. Usually it sounds good.

[@pusesewe]

Hi! Please help! I can only get 2 channels in Reaper, not the whole multitrack! I tried Audio settings, ASIO DirectSound, etc and nothing! I can only select 2 channel to input into Reaper! Good day!

[@pusesewe]

Ok i figured it out! in audio device settings, below the Enable inputs checkbox you are supposed to select the FIRST and LAST channel of the whole set of channels! I didnt realize this until now. omg thank God

[@Johnnyslash1]

How do you get the song back into the MC-101 to use live?

[@shawn1495]

I would also like to know! I’ve been making music in a daw for decades and I finally went dawless.

[@RaidersOfTheLostHeart]

great tutorial 👍🙏

[@windysynth]

Great Stuff! Question: did you sync reaper to the MC-101 clock? (if so how?) or the other way around?

[@GabeMillerMusic]

I didn't bother syncing them in this case, I just recorded the jam in, then grabbed the transient of the first kick drum and snapped it to the grid. And I did make sure that the Reaper bpm was the same and the MC-101 bpm.

[@windysynth]

@@GabeMillerMusic Thanks. that's pretty simple. I guess since you are taking short snippets anyway clock drift won't be a problem. I did find out how to sync the MC-101 to Reaper (Options>Preferences>MIDI Devices>MC-101>Send clock to this device. Then on MC-101: Utility>System: Sync Source Auto, RX StartStop On, RX Start USB ON).

[@richardsullivan2537]

@@GabeMillerMusic oh ok, I was wondering about that. Does it ever go off time?

[@Weareroses]

Is this possible with an iPad? Or I need a desktop daw?

[@GabeMillerMusic]

As far as I know, you do need a desktop DAW for this.

[@Ipsissimus]

What DAW is this?

[@GabeMillerMusic]

Reaper

[@stewboat]

Hey man, just wondering how you go about sidechaining the bass to the kick when it's not a 4 on the floor type beat? I suppose you could use an entire track for the kick alone but that seems like such a waste. Maybe I'm missing an easy workaround.

[@GabeMillerMusic]

Usually I don't use sidechain compression to get that effect while mixing, I usually use LFO Tool (either as is or set to follow a midi track) or volume automation. That way you can have the "sidechain" behave however you want, and all your drums can live on one MC-101 track.

[@stewboat]

@@GabeMillerMusic cheers man, following a phantom midi track is prob the simplest way then. I've heard a lot about ditching sidechain compression for volume automation, guess it's time I give it a whirl. Keep up the solid content, you and a few others have almost convinced me to buy this little box lol.

[@TheCircusp]

you never done a lo fi hip hop beat video on the mc 101?

[@GabeMillerMusic]

I did a short beat in my initial jams and review video, but I haven't done a proper video on some proper lofi beats yet. I'm definitely planning to in the future!

[@waffleassembly6779]

Mine definitely don't line up on the grid and the first half second is always cut off

[@Wulfcry]

Mastering he Gabe it.

[@thombroom5515]

I guess it's not just to get a MC-101 and shoot... the sounds you are using are presets or did you tune them in?

[@GabeMillerMusic]

In this case, they're presets, I haven't had the time to dive into the ZenCore synth engine yet.

[@MrMichimak]

I wonder why you prefer the Electribe over the MC101 workflow wise?

[@GabeMillerMusic]

Making songs that switch up dramatically is a bit easier, and there's more immediate access to features I use regularly. The 101 has grown on me a lot though!

[@domenicospera8314]

circuit or mc-101: which one to start?

[@GabeMillerMusic]

I did a whole video comparing them: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mmbEiqyDrayLlZI

[@thombroom5515]

You are really talented ... was my intent of course..

[@GabeMillerMusic]

Haha thanks, glad you dig the video

[@Johaaanson]

it's not about recording.

[@abdullalhazred3365]

I really like yr tracks but.... when yu say the future is USB ... aren't yu relegating everything to being just a controller?? And aren't there cheaper controllers than this? That's a lot different to just being hardware recording.

[@GabeMillerMusic]

The MC-101 isn't a controller, it's an entirely self-contained device with its own sequencer, synth engine, and drum machines. So I can make a song on the MC-101 by itself, then record it into my computer for some fine tuning, like in this video. During a jam, the only thing the computer is doing is receiving and recording four tracks of audio. That's what I mean by USB audio, which is different from USB midi.

[@abdullalhazred3365]

@@GabeMillerMusic yes but... this piece of kit is a lot of money in my country - and it's a hell of a lot cheaper to (for example tailored to your situation ) buy korg gadget for mac. I mean, what on earth are you gaining by shelling out this much money when you are only going to record into a pc anway. Btw i have an Korg E2S and MC-101 and korg gadget. At this point am thinking of selling both the hardware. Honestly, MC-101 is pretty poor at live performance and jamming. And honestly, to draw in phrases in midi is like seriously easier than programming both these hardware.

[@tannerdowning-mcadams110]

@@abdullalhazred3365 A lot of people, including me, just prefer the workflow and find hardware more inspiring to form ideas on than a computer. Just personal preference. And you're right; if you don't find hardware inspiring, you save a hell of a lot of money by just getting music software and a midi controller.