mpc2000xl afraid of future costs.

Hello,
I'm wanting to purchase an mpc 2000xl but I'm afraid of the expenses in maintaining it. Or concerned that if I had to take it to a repair shop what the charge would be to fix it. Opinions please.

It's old equipment, 15 or 16 years old, it will most likely need repair at some point. Some repairs are easy, others all but impossible as the parts no longer exist. For example MPC2000XL screens eventually die and no one makes new ones, so you'll need to hunt down a decent second hand screen somewhere = $$$ and time.

Basically if you are concerned about the costs and hassle of maintaining old gear, don't buy old gear, just stick to new gear.

Thanks,
Great advice. Along the lines of what I was thinking.

i always say, think of it like old cars.

if you can't work on them yourself or pay somebody else a lot, then maybe not a good investment.
not to mention they are not exactly fuel efficient, so you spend more on gas too.

do it cause you love it, and if it aint love, move on.

honestly man, i would go with a 1k or 2500, parts a readily available, and fairly cheap, compared to some other models. and they are updating and creating new cool os's and screens too!

you also dont have to worry about floppy dirves, as you can usb drag and drop samples to your computer.

regaurding sound qulaity that some people seem to get hung up on, the 2000xl and the 1k or 2500 doent "sound" that much different, the ease of use trumps sound a million times over between these devices imo.

I am kinda in the same boat as the OP. Really want an MPC and feel like a 1000 would suit me. They. Still produce OS updates for these machines?

Also, what's a good alternative in the sense of new gear. Somethung like an Elektron Analog Rytm?

MindFuel wrote:I am kinda in the same boat as the OP. Really want an MPC and feel like a 1000 would suit me. They. Still produce OS updates for these machines?

The third-party "JJOS" is what you should be looking at. It works for the 1000 & 2500. You should grab the free version (3.15 I thiiiiink) and start there. Every version squashes the Akai software, no question about it.

Modern pad-based samplers have gone the way of the computer. Really the MPC Renaissance/Studio or Machine are the usual suspects.
The Rytm is not a real sampler, it is an analogue drum synth with sample playback capabilities. My understanding of the Rytm is all from the first month or so, so the sample side could have been expanded.

There is a 5000 on ebay for 180. Says it crashes every now and then and the screen is dim. Would it be an good buy/easy fix?

And where would I get the 3rd patrty iOS from?

And what im really looking for is something modern that I can jump right in and start making music at the same time, still have a lot to explore.

medearis wrote:

MindFuel wrote:I am kinda in the same boat as the OP. Really want an MPC and feel like a 1000 would suit me. They. Still produce OS updates for these machines?

The third-party "JJOS" is what you should be looking at. It works for the 1000 & 2500. You should grab the free version (3.15 I thiiiiink) and start there. Every version squashes the Akai software, no question about it.

Modern pad-based samplers have gone the way of the computer. Really the MPC Renaissance/Studio or Machine are the usual suspects.
The Rytm is not a real sampler, it is an analogue drum synth with sample playback capabilities. My understanding of the Rytm is all from the first month or so, so the sample side could have been expanded.

Thanks I finally got some feedback lbvs. And I'm not a sampler. I do like to take sampled drum sounds and throw them over sounds I have made like from patches or even be able to manipulate existing sounds?

MindFuel wrote:There is a 5000 on ebay for 180. Says it crashes every now and then and the screen is dim. Would it be an good buy/easy fix?

You sure it's a 5000 and not a 500? 180 for a bust 5000 is a good price, from what I gather the HD alone is worth that. If it's a 500 on the other hand - not a good price.

It was a 5000. It sold for 300. I was thinking it was a deal just wasn't sure. But, I think I'm going to go software. I just feel comftorable knowing if something happens to my equipment that there are a lot of people working in that field who can fix it. I possibly might get an MP in the near future.