Reviews and questions about the entry-level MPC500
By samSMoP Tue Jun 13, 2017 2:12 am
Hi,

I apologize if this is a stupid question, but I am a relatively new MPC 4000 user that is considering getting a MPC 500 for travel use, and can't tell if this is possible from the manual.

Let's say that I'm in Record Mode and hit "play" on an existing sequence with a count off (drum beat, for example), but want to record new audio from Line Input 1 (a guitar track), setting the threshold so the new sample starts recording when I play on the downbeat. I can do this on the 4000, and the new samples line up very easily with the programmed sequence. Can the MPC 500 do this? Are there any issues I should be aware of?

A second question, too; understood an adapter cable would be needed, but has anyone had luck using the USB type-A jack to save data onto a flash drive? I ask because USB is more standardized/forgiving in 2017 than older Compact Flash disks from when the MPC 500 was current.

Thank you in advance!
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By Ill-Green Fri Jun 16, 2017 2:29 pm
:-D Yes it can!

Just have the sequence ready in the sequencer, go to Record Mode to arm the sampler and hit Play. The sequence will play and you can begin recording your guitar over the sequence. And its nondestructive so your guitar recording will be a long solo sample without the sequence in the background. Thats all the 500 can do though, it won't set it automatically to the sequence, you'll have to do it manually.

The USB is only for transfer to computer to MPC500. The CF reader is the only method to store and mobilize data.

Hope you enjoy it, its really a powerhouse. Have you thought about an MPC Live? That, you can use thumbdrives and SATA drives.
By samSMoP Fri Jun 16, 2017 3:45 pm
Thank you very much! This is very helpful!!

I am considering a MPC Live (the new machines are very cool), but it's really just this one feature that matters to me. I realize the MPC Live should be hypothetically more future-proof, with better DAW connectivity, and many more features; but it also may be more than I personally need. At this point, it's possible to get a MPC 500 for a very low cost, and my intention is only to have something portable to take on vacations, etc. For everything else, my MPC 4000 is still doing a very good job!
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By Ill-Green Fri Jun 16, 2017 6:37 pm
Nice! You're welcome.

Just don't treat it like a 4000, if you throw too much stuff at it, things can go wonky due to its small size. So treat it like a 3000 and things will be eazy peezy. It sure is huge what it can do though. My last album I did everything within the 500, even mastering its so powerful. During that session I learned its full potential.

Some tips are to make sure its on OS 1.31 and to give it a pad hack, which is to put MPCstuff.com's Corx underneath the rubber set of pads or diy your own with thick tape. I bought the Corx because I have shaky hands and cutting exactly to the squares on the bottom is a must. But if you got nerves of a surgeon, go diy. Doing this, makes playing on the pads much smoother and responsive because it has a manufacturer defect of a gap between the rubber pads and the sensor sheet making playing on the pads a drudgery.

Enjoy :smoker: