Hey everyone. Really hoping I can get some assistance here as this issue has been setting me back quite a bit since I upgraded from 303 to 404
Here's what's going on
On my laptop which runs windows xp
I have cubase, and Studio One which came with my Audiobox usb
I create my beats in the pattern sequencer because over the years I have come to appreciate being able to track out each instrument in a daw using midi to really ensure the sounds. Are exactly how I want them.

Now I have Studio One set up so when I plug the midi cable into my 303 and set the tempo in the daw to that of my sequence, it triggers playback on cue thus ensuring with multiple layers, everything matches up perfectly (on th 303 I use the c cancelor to mute all but one sound @ a time)

Now that I'm using the 404, when I set it all up the same way it doesn't play back the sequence when I hit play or record. The strange thing is the patern will automatically play when I hit the Return To Zero button

I've tried some random things to rectify this issue as its preventing me from being able to lock my recordings in on tempo, but have had no luck
Unfortunately my experience is a bit oldschool and I know next to nothing about software altho I suspect this is an easy fix and probably some setting I'm missing either on the 404 or the DAW. Ill also mention this issue seems exclusive to studio one as I have never been able to figure out the correct configuration to use midi in my Cubase. I would absolutely be willing to try it in cubase if someone is willing to assist me in getting my settings right in that daw

404 is weird man. When i set it up to my mpc i cant get it to start on time either. It seems to start like a few milli-seconds after the 1-1 bar. So if i have a kick quantised to hit on 1, you hear like half the kick drum. Ive tried everything possible and even hooked it up to other machines. The sp 808 can get the 404 to start right on time and so can my tascam multitrack. But the mpc just has that strange problem.
If its playing when you hit the Back to beginning button, maybe there is some way to change how cubase or studio one sends midi messages. Maybe its sending the back button as the play button or something. There has to be some alternate midi options to toggle through and trouble shoot.

Yeah there should be, its giving me the option of selecting midi channels, I have it set to all for in and out (in this instance I am just using midi out of course) I've changed it around to one, two three etc and it doesn't seem to make any dif.
I can also check "send midi clock" "use midi clock start" and "send midi timecode" I've tried what seems to be all combinations with no luck. I wonder if its an issue with studio one? Its just odd to me that it works fine with the sp 303.

If anyone out there has their cubase or studio one set up to do this and it works, can u upload a screen shot of the settings??

i have a 404 sx and ill give it a try tonight. Now im curious.

Thanks man. This is driving me crazy. I got this 404 in september of last year and haven't tracked out one beat! I got mad kids waiting for new shit an my 303 jus died on me so I'm in a crunch! Wish I knew software better

your going through the same shit i was going through when i first got a piece of hardware. I used to make everything in fruityloops, export each part or the entire beat separately then open em up in cubase then mix. So im used to haveing all my tracks separated and having that control. But honmestly, FUCK CONTROL. Straight up. Now that i look back i feel like a control freak compared to how i think about it now. Hats separate, kick separate, snare separate, crash separate. But now, if they are al on the same track running through a compressor with a taste of eq and it'll always sound better than a separate mix and in less time.
Just thought id throw that out there. Wish someone told me earlier.
As far as the cubase thing and my 404, i couldnt get anything going. I thin it had something to do with my usb midi setup and i have usb midi cables and i couldnt even get a signal. The midiman has drivers, the other i got from japan on ebay so it works on my mac, not on my pc, and i have cubase on the pc, logic on the mac.
So uh, i cant help you.
The only thin i could suggest is to use a middle man machine to start the 404 from cubase or studio one. Like if you have a drum machine that has midi in and out/thru, hook that up to the computer and get that working right, then send the midi out to the 404 and see if the signal works like it should. Maybe the drum machine can midi start the 404 right and the computer can midi start the drum machine right. This is what i have to do to my 404 since the mpc wont do it but my multitrack will.
Hope that helps. And excuse the typing errors. Fuck ipad typing.

Thats all folks.

Hey thanks for giving it a try man! I appreciate the effort. I'm gonna keep plugging away tryna figure this out
What's happening now after messing around with cubase is odd, I can now hit record and after a random number of bars it kicks in (not at the begining but wherever in the sequence it would normally be @ that point
I tried with a real basic piece I put together since something simple would be easier. It was three tracks, a filtered out 4 bar bass loop, a 2 bar drum break and a four bar vocal sample. After two bars the bass kicked in mid loop. After one bar the drums kicked in and after four bars the vocal samples kicked in. Obviously there's a way to work around the issue if I let it roll and just cut off say the first 4 to 8 bars but its going to annoy the shit out of me knowing it could work right esp w up to 16 seperate tracks!

I hear you about getting a great recording without tracking everything out an jus getting a good eq on the sampler its self. This is what I did for the frst 10 years I worked with the 303. But as I started working with more conventional and estabolished artists and engeneers, it became more bennificial for me and the engeneers in certain circumstances to have it all tracked out, especially if its not going to be an instrumental but a full track, I love being able to throw the acapella into my session and chop the shit out of the diferent layers to maximize the flavor the track has

Some shit ill still one track, especially beat tapes. But I gotta figure this one out. Right now half of my gear is locked up in storage, so as soon as I can I'm gonna grab one of my pieces of hardware that have a midi in and out and try your idea! Hopefully that will get me back on track. If not I might jus say fuck it an sell this 404 for a new 303 (it would be my third 303 haha I gotta find someone who does repairs I guess)
Anyway if anybody else has any advise please lemme know!

hope you figure it out man.

Thanks dude. Ill post in here if I do w the info. Keepin my fingers crossed

Could you not try using some different software.

I use Ableton Live in the same way you're wanting to use your Cubase with no problems.

I create the beat with the sp, synced with Ableton so when I press record on ableton it'll play the patterns in time etc. Haven't had any problems with it.

the only other gear I have I could use is my 303, an that for some reason was working fine. I have a keyboard w midi in and out but I haven't got a clue how to use the pattern sequencer on that thing. Its an old djxII

Is abbleton live easy to come by? I just found my old acid 2.0 cd from 99 I'm wondering if that would be easier to config due to the fact I'm thinking this approach was more popular in 99. Ima test it out 2m and if it works ill let y'all know

Also perhaps if I run the midi into my djxII input (from my audiobox usb)then into the 404 input maybe that could work? Man I'm so confused why can't shit just automatically work hah

for the mpc -404 sync dilemma you just have to have use the "play/start" button but you have to be on 01.01. of the sequence ... might have to skip to there manually with the arrows...
otherwise use an 1bar ghost pattern as "intro"

..but 01.01. and play/start should do it...