Reviews and questions about the entry-level MPC500
By fuzuku Wed Jul 16, 2014 5:53 pm
Hi!


I bought in a craiglist type service an used Mpc 500, and it came without a RAM card, the one which goes in the "battery slot". If I use the Mpc 500, if I turn it on will it give me any problems? I mean, will it cause a malfunction or crash and damage the MPC?

I am a newbie using Mpc hardware and at the moment in Latin America, where getting a hold of any Mpc is very hard.

Any help would be appreciated.
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By Lampdog Wed Jul 16, 2014 6:27 pm
No it will not damage the mpc. You can turn it on and use it.
16mb standard (maybe on the motherboard already, can 500 owners confirm), expandable to 128mb (page 107). HDD/CF is a different story/situation.

Here's the manual for your newly found love.


http://www.platinumaudiolab.com/free_st ... manual.pdf
By fuzuku Wed Jul 16, 2014 7:08 pm
Thank you so much.

Digging around I found in a selling site here in my city, a RAM card, with all the specifications which should work with the Mpd 500, but the only difference is that it is:


Class CL 2.5 instead of CL3

The card has the following specification which are the same as posted in this message board (in this link: http://www.mpc-forums.com/viewtopic.php?t=26775 ) for the 500s 1000s and 2500s except for the CL

__

Brand Kingston

Type: SODIMM

Capacity: 128 MB

PC-133

Data Transf: 133 MHZ

Bus Type: CL2.5

144 PIN

No CL3 in any of the on-line stores. And I doubt that I will find many products in the stores.

Any of you guys know if theres a major difference? (If it will work with the 500)?

Thanks!
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By Lampdog Wed Jul 16, 2014 7:41 pm
Can you return the ram in case it doesn't work?
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By medearis Wed Jul 16, 2014 7:51 pm
I took my MPC into a second-hand shop and told the computer guy that was there exactly what type of RAM I was looking for. The guy let me open up old laptops and pull out what ever looked like it would work and let me try the sticks out right in the shop!

The second stick was the winner and it is still inside my MPC to this day. Spent a whole $3.00 on it.

Check out some local second-hand/thrift stores if they deal with computers. You might be surprised too!
By fuzuku Wed Jul 16, 2014 9:36 pm
Thanks Medearis. I'll try and hit the local computer shops to see if I find the right type of stick for my 500 when the city calms down a bit (Venezuela). But I guess it will be no problem.

No lampdog, the specified stick I looked it up in an on-line shopping site, kind of an e-bay type of site here in lationoamerica, and that specific seller doesn't accept returns, devolutions. But thanks for the tip friend. Probably will be useful with other e-shops or sellers in that same site.

I was hoping that the CL 2.5 maybe would load samples or save samples slower than the CL 3, and use that one till I find the specified one, but no dice for now.


I just did a test drive in my Mpc and it's so sweet, those pads surely are different than say an MPD32 or a launchpad.

The whole thing with the RAM card was that watching youtube tutorials I had the idea that the RAM stick came from the factory and was a 16 Mb card in the slot, not internal, cuz when they showed how they changed or placed the stick "to get extra storage" in the vidz, the guys would already had the stick in and then pulled out the RAM card, and stick it back in, and I thought they were exchanging the 16 for the 128.

So thanks guys.
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By Lampdog Thu Jul 17, 2014 12:24 am
RAM is your workspace while the power is on. Meaning EVERYTHING works from RAM while power is on.

CF is for load/save/storage.

SAVE EVERYTHING before powering off (from RAM to CF).
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By Lampdog Thu Jul 17, 2014 1:42 am
In the manual there's "SAVE ENTIRE MEMORY" to be safe and sure. Use that until you start to figure out what the different type of save files are and their purposes.

All files for a single project/song/beat go in the SAME folder.

MPC cannot read across folders.

AUTOLOAD, is a folder that is autoloaded into memory when you turn on power.
You can edit/change AUTOLOAD folder to your needs anytime you want.

Maany other important things in the manual. Don't short change yourself and not check the good ole manual like some who think they are above it, and just forge on, fail, and then come right back here asking questions that most of the vets know damn well it's in the manual pages. Oh, were gonna let you know, jk.

Have fun with your machine!

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By Ill-Green Thu Jul 17, 2014 6:51 am
Yeah you should get the exact specs though I know members here that use a 256MB RAM card and worked but the 500 only reads 128MB of it while rest is wasted space. Try Amazon they had the exact RAM for $15, made in Hong Kong but so is the Akai RAM :wink:
By fuzuku Fri Jul 18, 2014 3:26 am
Thanks Lampdog. I've been going thru the manual and following step by step the indexes, these days skipping some just to get a feel of the machine, and to make sure all the features work properly (sampling, in and outs, midi master/slave, metronome, set metronome with pad, how many clicks till it's set, etc) and so far it's been pretty smooth.

These days I'm not messing with the memory, neither the RAM or CF memory, just getting a feel of my MPC. I'll probably reset it to factory when I know I won't be erasing anything important. It came with an extra CF 128MB card, and the AKAI Sample Library, so I'll be for now saving my stuff there, and in my computer.

And doing everything on the box. Sampling from the box, editing, cropping, sample stretching, etc.

Thanks Ill-Green. I read, maybe somewhere in this forum, that one (or many) of the MPCs can read more than what is specified in the RAM memory specs, due to the slots been used in the RAM simultaneously. I don't remember how it goes now, but probably you guys with more usage of the MPCs know that little trade of the craft and how it works. I'll be looking at it later.

Thanks Simon, when I'll have a chance, most def will buy AKAI brand, made specifically for the MPC500, if the double RAM memory thing doesn't work for the 500. I'll be checking it out. I want it working stable.

I'm finishing some Ableton live sets for next week, then I'm plunging deep into the MPC, and mixing my MPC time with some scratching and Ableton, and overall music stuff. Been keeping my ears wide open for any songs to sample melodies from, and kicks and snares, the usual. Then writing it down. I pretty much love the idea of doing EVERYTHING inside the MPC500 and the fact that is mobile, and can be powered by AAs.
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By SimonInAustralia Fri Jul 18, 2014 5:48 am
fuzuku wrote:when I'll have a chance, most def will buy AKAI brand, made specifically for the MPC500

I wouldn't waste my money, I would just buy cheap a cheap 256MB RAM module, that has the correct specs for the MPC500, not worth spending the extra for Akai branded RAM if it is much more expensive.
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By Metatron72 Fri Jul 18, 2014 5:54 am
^This man speaks g-o-d truth. The Akai sticks are just off the shelf RAM with a sticker slapped on.

PC 133 144PIN CL3 SODIMM 256MB

CL3 (Clock Latency) is the key. Do not gamble on a stick that does not say CL3. Unless you already own it or a mom and pop type computer store will let you try the stick before you pay. Those type of stores usually have whole shoe boxes of 256MB notebook sticks. (Some RAM with no CL label will be CL3, but don't chance it on a mail order proposition make sure the label says CL3)

If the RAM you buy meets the bolded print specs you're good to go.
By fuzuku Fri Jul 18, 2014 6:42 am
Thanks for the advice. I'll read on how the 256 mb goes with other users of the 500, the same for brand and non brand RAMs. I guess I'll go with the most stable option in the long run, and hit the stores when I have a chance and find bin RAM memories which are ok with me.