Just bought an MPC 2000XL off the floor!

Hello all! I was able to purchase a MPC 2000XL off the floor from a local pro audio retailer. This thing seems to be in really good condition externally. When I was looking towards a newer MPC like the Studio or the One in store, the sales associate brought out the MPC 2000XL, I immediately was intrigued and some would say this purchase was impulsive. I actually was looking really hard into the older models like 4 months ago but I was hesitant to get one from an online marketplace. I thought this was a great opportunity.

At the store, we tried hooking it up to speakers to test the sound/operation. Unfortunately, neither the sales associate nor myself knew how to work this MPC 2000XL & there was no sign of any sound being produced from this machine. I'm not sure if there is a confusing way of how this machine loads samples, creates "programs", pad assignments but I'm still trying to look at YouTube videos, etc to see how the MPC2000XL works.

I do believe that I can find a way to integrate this old machine and make it a great addition to my production essentials. But I do have a few things that I was hoping I could maybe get some answers from people that have had experience with these.

1. The MPC2000XL that I purchased is running the 1.14 operating system software and has a floppy disk drive. I want to do what would be the most beneficial for my production necessities. How would you all go about this situation? Should I look into replacing the floppy disk drive with something more practical like the SD card drive?
Can I just buy empty floppy disks from any store and put my own sounds on them or do I need 1.14 operating system specific floppy disks?

Another thing is: the rear panel of the MPC2000XL I purchased has the Digital I/O and the Assignable Mixouts covered or just simply not there, so I can't get to them. Is this something that can be solved so I could have access to those outputs in order to connect my MPC2000XL to my audio interface & computer?

Also, if any of you have any reason as to why I may not be getting sound or a sample to load, please feel free to help me out in this regard. I have already been making some progress navigating and familiarizing myself with the buttons and functions on the front panel.

Ready to get this wonderful product to start working!

Cheers!
Bryce C

Just curious how much did you pay?

You need to go the SCSI2SD, BlueScsi way. You will find lots of threads on this forum about it.

Floppys are a PITA. Gotek emulators are cheaper, have a look.

Bryce Carter wrote:Hello all! I was able to purchase a MPC 2000XL off the floor from a local pro audio retailer. This thing seems to be in really good condition externally. When I was looking towards a newer MPC like the Studio or the One in store, the sales associate brought out the MPC 2000XL, I immediately was intrigued and some would say this purchase was impulsive. I actually was looking really hard into the older models like 4 months ago but I was hesitant to get one from an online marketplace. I thought this was a great opportunity.

At the store, we tried hooking it up to speakers to test the sound/operation. Unfortunately, neither the sales associate nor myself knew how to work this MPC 2000XL & there was no sign of any sound being produced from this machine. I'm not sure if there is a confusing way of how this machine loads samples, creates "programs", pad assignments but I'm still trying to look at YouTube videos, etc to see how the MPC2000XL works.

I do believe that I can find a way to integrate this old machine and make it a great addition to my production essentials. But I do have a few things that I was hoping I could maybe get some answers from people that have had experience with these.

1. The MPC2000XL that I purchased is running the 1.14 operating system software and has a floppy disk drive. I want to do what would be the most beneficial for my production necessities. How would you all go about this situation? Should I look into replacing the floppy disk drive with something more practical like the SD card drive?
Can I just buy empty floppy disks from any store and put my own sounds on them or do I need 1.14 operating system specific floppy disks?

Another thing is: the rear panel of the MPC2000XL I purchased has the Digital I/O and the Assignable Mixouts covered or just simply not there, so I can't get to them. Is this something that can be solved so I could have access to those outputs in order to connect my MPC2000XL to my audio interface & computer?

Also, if any of you have any reason as to why I may not be getting sound or a sample to load, please feel free to help me out in this regard. I have already been making some progress navigating and familiarizing myself with the buttons and functions on the front panel.

Ready to get this wonderful product to start working!

Cheers!
Bryce C

Hey Bryce,

Congrats on your purchase, I have just picked up one myself after my 2K classic has stopped reading disks.
I can say straight away that it is way quicker than the 2000 classic and the lay out is much more intuitive with this revision.

These models don't come preloaded with sounds so possibly the reason you can't hear anything?

You will need to sample something or load in sounds via floppy drive or the scsi zip port via the back.
The Digital I/O board and EBFX16 do not come as standard so is blanked over with a metal panel if not installed
You can check whether the FX is installed by pressing SHIFT +7 and pushing the FX edit soft key.
If there is no card then there is a cute graphic of Mount Fuji saying no FX card installed.

Hope this helps

jzurd0 wrote:Just curious how much did you pay?

You need to go the SCSI2SD, BlueScsi way. You will find lots of threads on this forum about it.

Floppys are a PITA. Gotek emulators are cheaper, have a look.

Hi! Thanks for responding with your thoughts!

I paid $400 for this MPC 2000XL and also decided to get a 3 year warranty on it so I could potentially send it in.
I was able to load some of the sounds on the floppy disk that came with the MPC2000XL and I'm so glad I was able to hear some sound from it & test out the pads. I emailed Akai Pro and they sent me an operator's manual.
If you have the energy, could you explain the SCSI2SD, BlueSDSI that you're referring to? I see that SDSI port on the back of the MPC2000XL but I can't tell if you're recommending that I completely replace the floppy disk drive...? Is the SCSI port strictly for storing sounds, memory? Or does it route/send audio?
I suppose the ideas that I had in mind at the moment on how I was going to have the MPC2000XL work in my studio was to buy a 2in/2out channel USB interface that will allow me to connect my MPC2000XL via MIDI. I was going to keep the floppy disk drive and get a floppy disk reader in order to put sounds onto floppy disks, and save me some replacing, repairs.
I'm not too sure that I can afford some MIDI rackmount so that's why I was looking at a 2in/2out channel interface with MIDI ports. (UAD Volt 4, maybe? so I could integrate the MPC2000XL into my DAW.)

Please let me know if I'm thinking in the right direction!

Thanks,
Bryce C

Great score! Always loved they way the classic 2000xl looked.

You can replace your floppydrive for a sd card mfc and whatnot drive. That means, say if you make a beat you dont have the hassle of saving it on multiple floppy disks. Mpcstuff.com probably sells them.

jzurd0 wrote: ... You need to go the SCSI2SD, BlueScsi way. You will find lots of threads on this forum about it...

I don‘t think so... there‘s a regular IDE/ATAPI port for a multicard flash media reader. See
https://retrogearshop.com/products/akai ... lti-reader

Just don‘t mess this type of reader with it‘s (even cheaper) USB siblings.
This one features a 40pin ribbon connector.
You may need to check specs though (or search for a known compatible) because IDE and ATAPI use the same cable, but there a differences in protocol/firmware.
Anyway, it‘s much cheaper than SCSI, but eware of overpriced reader sets from eBay.

Hello to all once again!

As I won't tag anybody in this, I hope you all see this.

After doing some research, I believe it will be the best idea for me to replace my floppy disk drive with a SD Card Reader Flash Drive Kit. I'm looking at the one in this link:

https://www.mpcstuff.com/sd-card-reader ... swappable/

I'm aware that they will send me a floppy drive disk to install the 1.20 software in order to have the SD Card Reader Flash Drive installed.
This seems to be the best route to go.

My next question/concern would be how to effectively route the audio from my MPC to my DAW. As for right now, my mind is leaning towards a 2in/2out channel USB interface to connect via MIDI. I'm under the impression that this would essentially only give me MIDI control. (I would only be able to play the sounds that are on my DAW and I would use the pads on the MPC2000XL to play those. I wouldn't be taking advantage of what the MPC2000XL is known for. It would just be like any other MIDI pad controller out there.....?) Am I correct with this? I know I could just go left & right stereo out into line inputs on my Apollo Twin X. That obviously would suffice, however I feel as if I'm looking for more. I want to be able to isolate each drum element and be able to route those individual sounds into my DAW.

My MPC2000XL has the assignable mixouts covered and the FX board is not installed. How would I go about installing the 8 mix outs & the FX board? Where can I get the 8 outs? Where can I get the FX board?

Let me know what you think!

Thanks!

Bryce C

That kit from MPCstuff is one of those overpriced items
Such readers are 10-30 bucks, depending on source. I have half a dozen from trying to get rid of a Roland SP808‘s zip drive.
Back then Roland had 2 firmware versions: one with and one without the SpaceEcho effect. Only the „without“ version supported IDE card readers.
Since I wanted the SpaceEcho I tried all combinations of cards and readers and gave up after I succeeded to find a type of cards that worked, but lost content within the next couple of months... that was just too much.

If you want to spend that much, I‘d rather go with the SCSI option...

Imho the FX board isn‘t worth considering, in particular if you have an UAD system and gigs aren‘t your main concern.
Try to get an 8 channel output extension instead.

btw: mpc stuff is known to be pricey, but it’s a cool seller with a lot of knowledge and good service.

Telefunky wrote:That kit from MPCstuff is one of those overpriced items
Such readers are 10-30 bucks, depending on source. I have half a dozen from trying to get rid of a Roland SP808‘s zip drive.
Back then Roland had 2 firmware versions: one with and one without the SpaceEcho effect. Only the „without“ version supported IDE card readers.
Since I wanted the SpaceEcho I tried all combinations of cards and readers and gave up after I succeeded to find a type of cards that worked, but lost content within the next couple of months... that was just too much.

If you want to spend that much, I‘d rather go with the SCSI option...

Imho the FX board isn‘t worth considering, in particular if you have an UAD system and gigs aren‘t your main concern.
Try to get an 8 channel output extension instead.

btw: mpc stuff is known to be pricey, but it’s a cool seller with a lot of knowledge and good service.

https://www.mpcstuff.com/akai-mpc-exter ... drive-kit/

https://www.mpcstuff.com/usb-external-100mb-zip-drive/

https://www.mpcstuff.com/used-8-output- ... 0-2000-xl/

Disregarding the prices for these items, I'm under the impression these are what you're referring to. I suppose that in this case, I will be running SCSI cable out of my MPC2000XL into the zip drive reader via SCSI. The zip drive reader will enable me to select the SCSI ID so I can load sounds onto my MPC2000XL?

My 2 cents

The EBFX16 sure is not a Lexicon/Eventide BUT they do help make for a more complete system.

I didn’t experiment too much in the beginning with the FX but in time got some pleasing results and to me they provide something a bit different to higher end outboard.

This could be said for the 8 outs too.
When using the digital I/O bringing things in and out at max quality helps keep the noise floor down.

These add ons combined help you stay focussed and in the flow of using these machines, which personally is what it’s all about.
When it’s maxed out you don’t need to reach for this or that as it is all there in front of you. Just dial it in.

I think both the FX and 8 out board can be found in older machines possibly the Akai S2000/S3000?
It might be cheaper to buy one of those samplers and remove those bits rather than buy separately as they can get pricey

People need to stop destroying vintage machines by tearing out the floppy drive. The floppy is central to the experience. You need to learn to pitch up your samples so’s they’ll fit on a floppy, and you need to learn to make beats economically so’s they fit on a floppy. That’s the MPC experience. If you don’t want that experience, buy a modern inMusic branded toy, but stop destroying vintage gear. You already have the SCSI port if you don’t have any interest in learning the craft. Watch DJ Premier’s YouTube channel. A floppy is all that’s required.

Stop recommending to everyone who buys a vintage MPC that the first thing they do is tear out the floppy. It’s vandalism.

Lazarillo wrote:People need to stop destroying vintage machines by tearing out the floppy drive. The floppy is central to the experience.

Who says? Good for you if that's what you want to waste your time futzing with.

You need to learn to pitch up your samples so’s they’ll fit on a floppy, and you need to learn to make beats economically so’s they fit on a floppy. That’s the MPC experience.

No it isn't. That's file management. The MPC experience is getting samples in and making beats.

If you don’t want that experience, buy a modern inMusic branded toy,

Toy? If you're gonna hate on modern machines, please get a better line than that, because frankly it's not true, that's just rank gatekeeping. Not cool. I love my 2KXL AND my Live II. I see the Live II as the update I wanted for the 2KXL.

but stop destroying vintage gear. You already have the SCSI port if you don’t have any interest in learning the craft. Watch DJ Premier’s YouTube channel. A floppy is all that’s required.
Stop recommending to everyone who buys a vintage MPC that the first thing they do is tear out the floppy. It’s vandalism.

Not using the Floppy, or replacing it with a Gotek isn't destroying anything. Plugging a ZULUSCSI in the back is the way I went with it. I left the Zip drive in place. But BRUH - vandalism? People are trying to keep these machines alive and relevant in 2024. Working off floppies is a nightmare. They're old, unreliable and you could easily lose lots of hard work. That's not part of the experience I want and I'll always recommend people interface with their classic machines by way of ZULUSCSI and to avoid using the floppy completely. But note I said 'recommend,' as in not dictating to others what they do, or how they enjoy their machines.

Bryce Carter wrote:https://www.mpcstuff.com/akai-mpc-exter ... drive-kit/

https://www.mpcstuff.com/usb-external-100mb-zip-drive/

https://www.mpcstuff.com/used-8-output- ... 0-2000-xl/

Disregarding the prices for these items, I'm under the impression these are what you're referring to.

yes, regarding the „overpriced“ attribute. They configure packages so they are ready to use, though. With some (own) effort you can reduce costs greatly.

I suppose that in this case, I will be running SCSI cable out of my MPC2000XL into the zip drive reader via SCSI. The zip drive reader will enable me to select the SCSI ID so I can load sounds onto my MPC2000XL?

Avoid Zips (unless you have an archive based on that media). They are unreliable in a bunch of rather unpleasant ways.

The SCSI ID isn‘t controlled by a specific type of drive, it‘s set by the device on the SCSI bus, whatever that device may be.

If you have 1.2 firmware you may just add a simple IDE card reader and exchange data with your desktop by a USB card reading device for $5. It may not feature hot swapping, but a 1GB flash card represents at least 8 floppies.
To check out you don‘t even need to mount the card reader properly, velcro is sufficient.
I suggest a multi card type which gives more flexibility in media choice.
(mpc stuff mentions the SD card „problems“ in the links you posted above)

Telefunky wrote:[ a 1GB flash card represents at least 8 floppies.

1GB (1024MB) = 711.1 * 1.44MB floppies, or 10.24 * 100MB Zip disks.

stupid me lost track between disk size, partition size, floppy size and calculation