Share your knowledge on these two classic MPCs
User avatar
By SimonInAustralia Tue Nov 06, 2012 6:20 pm
I mentioned this in the MPC3000LE Roll Call thread, but have had a couple of people ask me for some more info, what parts were used, etc. Will add some more info on what parts I used, how it was wired up, and some photos, when I get around to it.

If you incorporate this into your MPC3000, please put some video/photos/info/etc. on what you did in here as well.



AKAI MPC3000 IB-CRT-RGB CONTROLLER VGA cable/box:


From the YouTube video description...
Akai MPC3000LE, with homemade VGA cable/box to enable switching the normal green only VGA output signal from the Akai MPC3000 IB-CRT VGA option to any combination of the red/green/blue signal lines into the VGA monitor.

Each of the sends to the red/green/blue lines of the monitor can be switched between off/on-full/on-variable.

It is just a simple homemade prototype idea with 3 switches, 3 potentiometers, a project box, a VGA cable, and a laser printed label.

If anyone makes one with a nicer engraved, or similar, metal faceplate, please make me one as well


If you look at the IB-CRT manual, you can see that out of a standard red/green/blue VGA output signal which is normally sent into a VGA monitor, only the green signal is used/connected, which is why the MPC3000 VGA display is normally green...

Image

As you can also see, the green signal is a separate signal to the horizontal and vertical sync signals, which shows that it has a separate sync signal, rather than a sync-on-green signal, as is often incorrectly stated in relation to the IB-CRT and compatible VGA monitors.

The AKAI MPC3000 IB-CRT-RGB CONTROLLER box goes into the middle of a VGA cable that has been cut in half, all pins/connections in the VGA cable pass straight through the box, except for the green signal.

Inside the box, the single green output signal from the IB-CRT is fed to the centre pins of the three red/green/blue switches.

This allows the green output signal (pin 2) from the MPC3000 IB-CRT VGA output to be sent to any combination of the red/green/blue signal inputs (red=pin 1, green=pin 2, blue=pin 3) of the VGA monitor.

When selected, the "on-full" position of each 3 position IB-CRT-RGB red/green/blue switch routes the green IB-CRT output signal directly to each of the red/green/blue inputs of the VGA monitor, the "on-variable" position of each switch routes the green IB-CRT output signal through a potentiometer each before going to the red/green/blue inputs of the VGA monitor, the third "off" position of each switch sends none of the green IB-CRT output signal to that respective colour input of the VGA monitor, thereby allowing varying amounts (or none) of each colour to me mixed in, giving a wider range of colours.

It is a very simple circuit, the potentiometer values could be better chosen for a wider range of attenuation of each colour signal.

It could also be installed internally to the MPC, but I didn't want to drill any holes in my MPC for access to the switches/pots, so I inserted it inline, within a project box, in the middle of a VGA cable.

If you didn't want the control, you could probably reroute the green signal internally inside the MPC3000 on the VGA connector daughter-board, to either the red or blue pins, as well as, or instead of, the normal green pin connection, to hard wire in an alternative VGA output colour to the standard green.

If you wanted more control, you could probably wire up and program a circuit/microprocessor to output the signal as a particular colour based on incoming MIDI CC/note/etc. messages. Then you could have it change colour from the MPC sequencer, changing colours within beat/songs, or have colours set and changed for/between each song, for example.
User avatar
By *Pilchard* Tue Nov 06, 2012 9:51 pm
Simon, while you are on the subject, do you know, is there any way to make the Mpc3000 less fussy about what monitors it will work with? Either internally or in an external box? :?:
User avatar
By SimonInAustralia Tue Nov 06, 2012 10:11 pm
Not sure about the monitors, I found one that worked 2nd hand at a computer sale, took the MPC with me, plugged into various monitors until I found one that worked.

I would be looking at the horizontal and vertical sync rates, I always suspected that maybe the rates were too old/slow for newer monitors to sync to, but never looked any further.
User avatar
By JUKE 179r Sun Jan 03, 2016 12:55 pm
Anyone else try this? I'm looking at getting a 3000 next.
By [email protected] Fri Aug 19, 2016 5:32 am
SimonInAustralia wrote:I mentioned this in the MPC3000LE Roll Call thread, but have had a couple of people ask me for some more info, what parts were used, etc. Will add some more info on what parts I used, how it was wired up, and some photos, when I get around to it.

If you incorporate this into your MPC3000, please put some video/photos/info/etc. on what you did in here as well.



AKAI MPC3000 IB-CRT-RGB CONTROLLER VGA cable/box:


From the YouTube video description...
Akai MPC3000LE, with homemade VGA cable/box to enable switching the normal green only VGA output signal from the Akai MPC3000 IB-CRT VGA option to any combination of the red/green/blue signal lines into the VGA monitor.

Each of the sends to the red/green/blue lines of the monitor can be switched between off/on-full/on-variable.

It is just a simple homemade prototype idea with 3 switches, 3 potentiometers, a project box, a VGA cable, and a laser printed label.

If anyone makes one with a nicer engraved, or similar, metal faceplate, please make me one as well


If you look at the IB-CRT manual, you can see that out of a standard red/green/blue VGA output signal which is normally sent into a VGA monitor, only the green signal is used/connected, which is why the MPC3000 VGA display is normally green...

Image

As you can also see, the green signal is a separate signal to the horizontal and vertical sync signals, which shows that it has a separate sync signal, rather than a sync-on-green signal, as is often incorrectly stated in relation to the IB-CRT and compatible VGA monitors.

The AKAI MPC3000 IB-CRT-RGB CONTROLLER box goes into the middle of a VGA cable that has been cut in half, all pins/connections in the VGA cable pass straight through the box, except for the green signal.

Inside the box, the single green output signal from the IB-CRT is fed to the centre pins of the three red/green/blue switches.

This allows the green output signal (pin 2) from the MPC3000 IB-CRT VGA output to be sent to any combination of the red/green/blue signal inputs (red=pin 1, green=pin 2, blue=pin 3) of the VGA monitor.

When selected, the "on-full" position of each 3 position IB-CRT-RGB red/green/blue switch routes the green IB-CRT output signal directly to each of the red/green/blue inputs of the VGA monitor, the "on-variable" position of each switch routes the green IB-CRT output signal through a potentiometer each before going to the red/green/blue inputs of the VGA monitor, the third "off" position of each switch sends none of the green IB-CRT output signal to that respective colour input of the VGA monitor, thereby allowing varying amounts (or none) of each colour to me mixed in, giving a wider range of colours.

It is a very simple circuit, the potentiometer values could be better chosen for a wider range of attenuation of each colour signal.

It could also be installed internally to the MPC, but I didn't want to drill any holes in my MPC for access to the switches/pots, so I inserted it inline, within a project box, in the middle of a VGA cable.

If you didn't want the control, you could probably reroute the green signal internally inside the MPC3000 on the VGA connector daughter-board, to either the red or blue pins, as well as, or instead of, the normal green pin connection, to hard wire in an alternative VGA output colour to the standard green.

If you wanted more control, you could probably wire up and program a circuit/microprocessor to output the signal as a particular colour based on incoming MIDI CC/note/etc. messages. Then you could have it change colour from the MPC sequencer, changing colours within beat/songs, or have colours set and changed for/between each song, for example.



Sir, can I please purchase this unit. If so, how can I buy it and what is the cost.
My name is Al Green, email = [email protected].
Please email me to make arrangements. I love your device. I have a MPC with the display port and I need this,\thanks
By bobby_keys Fri May 04, 2018 8:36 pm
Wow! Looks awesome. But the reason I post here is because i´ve been tinkering with the idea if this is possible with a MPC 5000? That would have been a cool project too do, even i doubt i could make one myself. So anyone know if this could be done to the aforementioned sampler?
By bobby_keys Fri May 04, 2018 8:39 pm
I´ve been searching the internet for weeks with no other result than finding information on the board for the 3000 and of course this homemade device video on youtube. There´s no way i´m gonna plunge out big money for that old one and i don´t even know if it will work with 5000.
User avatar
By JUKE 179r Fri May 11, 2018 2:40 pm
The VGA output on the 3000 is nice, but honestly, it's not really worth all the hype.
It would be dope if it was like the Roland MV where the VGA/Mouse extension card allowed for more additional options of editing but it doesn't for the 3000.
This VGA option would be cool for the MPC2000 & XL as a backup due to the screen getting the inevitable lines and burn out.