Technical questions for the MPC2000xl and the MPC2000
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By Kun Sat Mar 08, 2008 1:12 pm
I have a MPC2000xl with OS 1.07 and are going to buy a Multi Card Reader from VST Service (damn the one they have is expensive, but it is impossible to find an alternative on the net at the moment). As my OS is really old, I guess I should upgrade to OS 1.20. Some have said that OS 1.20 is included in the VST Service kit, but I'm not sure. Their site doesn't say anything about it. How am I going to upgrade if my MPC doesnt recognise the MCD anyway?

Since my 2000xl have a Zip Drive, I have no idea how to install the OS 1.20. I guess the only option would be to buy an external zip drive for my computer so I could transfer the OS from my computer to a zip disk, and then put the zip disk in my MPC to install the OS. Buying a new zip drive just for that purpose seems like a waste...

I could also hope that the card reader works with 1.07, and then upgrade via a flash card if it works. But since 1.07 is so old, I think its unlikely that it will work. It would be a different matter if I had 1.14 or something.

I might be dumb, but if I have understood all this correctly, I think the best solution would be to get one of you guys here to transfer the OS 1.20 to a zip disk for me (if you have a zip drive and OS 1.20 installed in your MPC) and then send the disk to me by mail.

I live in France, so I would prefer a person from France/Europe, but any help is welcommed. I would just get it faster and cheaper form another european. I will of course pay for the zip disk and the shipping, and also a small compensation as well if you want that.

Any MPC heads here that want to help a fellow MPC brother out?
By K-Mello Sat Mar 08, 2008 1:26 pm
Kun wrote:I have a MPC2000xl with OS 1.07 and are going to buy a Multi Card Reader from VST Service (damn the one they have is expensive, but it is impossible to find an alternative on the net at the moment). As my OS is really old, I guess I should upgrade to OS 1.20. Some have said that OS 1.20 is included in the VST Service kit, but I'm not sure. Their site doesn't say anything about it. How am I going to upgrade if my MPC doesnt recognise the MCD anyway?

Since my 2000xl have a Zip Drive, I have no idea how to install the OS 1.20. I guess the only option would be to buy an external zip drive for my computer so I could transfer the OS from my computer to a zip disk, and then put the zip disk in my MPC to install the OS. Buying a new zip drive just for that purpose seems like a waste...

I could also hope that the card reader works with 1.07, and then upgrade via a flash card if it works. But since 1.07 is so old, I think its unlikely that it will work. It would be a different matter if I had 1.14 or something.

I might be dumb, but if I have understood all this correctly, I think the best solution would be to get one of you guys here to transfer the OS 1.20 to a zip disk for me (if you have a zip drive and OS 1.20 installed in your MPC) and then send the disk to me by mail.

I live in France, so I would prefer a person from France/Europe, but any help is welcommed. I would just get it faster and cheaper form another european. I will of course pay for the zip disk and the shipping, and also a small compensation as well if you want that.

Any MPC heads here that want to help a fellow MPC brother out?


B,

If you're getting a card reader anyway, it shouldn't be that difficult to find a card reader and write the OS files onto that. Even if you had to buy a card reader to hook up to your computer to write the OS to a card, you should be talking about no more than $20USD for a USB reader/writer, which you will probably end up using in the future to transfer samples between your MPC and PC anyway.

Peace,
KM
User avatar

By Kun Sat Mar 08, 2008 1:32 pm
I already have a card reader available for me so I can transfer the OS 1.20 to a flash card.

If I install the MCD from VST Service, and are putting the flash card with the OS 1.20 in the drive that is connected to the MPC 2000xl, how am I going to be able to install OS 1.20 if my MPC doesn't recognise the MCD because I have an old OS (1.07)?

Or is the MPC made like it can recognise everything from any kind of OS (even 1.07), but not just function properly without the proper OS (1.14 or 1.20)?

By K-Mello Sat Mar 08, 2008 1:45 pm
Kun wrote:I already have a card reader available for me so I can transfer the OS 1.20 to a flash card.

If I install the MCD from VST Service, and are putting the flash card with the OS 1.20 in the drive that is connected to the MPC 2000xl, how am I going to be able to install OS 1.20 if my MPC doesn't recognise the MCD because I have an old OS (1.07)?

Or is the MPC made like it can recognise everything from any kind of OS (even 1.07), but not just function properly without the proper OS (1.14 or 1.20)?


I can't answer that for you dun. I'm not a 2kXL rockin' cat. I'm still rockin the 2k classic. If you have the 1.07 OS in your flash PROM, I don't know if it will try and load that instead of the OS from the card. If you don't, it should search for an OS on any available drive, and I'm guessing there is some way to tell your MPC to load from a drive instead of flash PROM, since how would you update the OS on the flash PROM otherwise?

Peace,
KM
User avatar

By Kun Sat Mar 08, 2008 4:40 pm
The problem is not if the MPC2000xl will load the new or the old OS.

My problem is that if a Multi Card Drive is not supported in OS 1.07 (which I have) it could be impossible for me to load OS 1.20 from a flash card. If the MPC doesn't recognise a MCD, how could it be possible to load a file (OS 1.20) from a flash card and upgrade my OS to make the MPC able to recognise MCDs?

The only solution I can think of is to get OS 1.20 on a zip disk and install the OS 1.20 before I install the MCD. The problem is that I dont have a Zip Drive that I can use to transfer the OS 1.20 to a zip disk with. I just have the internal zip drive in my MPC2000xl. So I need somebody with a zip drive connected to a computer or a zip drive connected to a mpc with OS 1.20 to transfer the OS to a new zip disk and then send me the zip disk.

If on the other hand OS 1.07 is able to recognise MCDs (but might not function properly) everything is good and I will just update the OS with a flash card. But I fear that 1.07 is a bit too old for MCDs.

By K-Mello Sat Mar 08, 2008 5:03 pm
Kun wrote:The problem is not if the MPC2000xl will load the new or the old OS.

My problem is that if a Multi Card Drive is not supported in OS 1.07 (which I have) it could be impossible for me to load OS 1.20 from a flash card. If the MPC doesn't recognise a MCD, how could it be possible to load a file (OS 1.20) from a flash card and upgrade my OS to make the MPC able to recognise MCDs?

The only solution I can think of is to get OS 1.20 on a zip disk and install the OS 1.20 before I install the MCD. The problem is that I dont have a Zip Drive that I can use to transfer the OS 1.20 to a zip disk with. I just have the internal zip drive in my MPC2000xl. So I need somebody with a zip drive connected to a computer or a zip drive connected to a mpc with OS 1.20 to transfer the OS to a new zip disk and then send me the zip disk.

If on the other hand OS 1.07 is able to recognise MCDs (but might not function properly) everything is good and I will just update the OS with a flash card. But I fear that 1.07 is a bit too old for MCDs.


If that's the case and you already have a PC, it may be cheaper to just get an internal ZIP drive and install the newer OS onto that. Hell, I've got a bunch of those laying around that I could just send you one of depending on how much shipping to France would be. Another option is if you have the equivalent of a Kinko's (copy shop) in your area, just go there and get on one of their PCs and throw the new OS on a ZIP disc. I haven't been to a Kinko's in years, but the last time I did, they used to have PCs with Zip drives in them that you could rent per minute or something like that.

Sh*t, after all the Zip and Jaz drives I have laying around my studio, I am not a proponent of buying ANY technology that you dont know you are going to use.

BUT all of that is assuming that the MPC won't recognize the MCD. You might want to just ask VST to include a Zip disk with the new OS or if the MPC will boot the OS from a card with the 1.07 installed in your 2kXL.

Peace,
KM
User avatar

By Lampdog Sat Mar 08, 2008 5:08 pm
Install 114 with the zip drive.

Install the mcd.

Install 120.
User avatar

By Kun Sat Mar 08, 2008 5:20 pm
Thanks for all the replies guys! Keep em coming

Lampdog: How can I install OS 1.14 with the zip drive if I don't have a zip drive that I can connect to a computer? This way I will never be able to transfer the OS I have downloaded to a zip disk and then put that zip disk in my MPC to update it.

My impression is that the chain is like this:

Download OS on the Internet -> Transfer OS to zip disk via Zip drive connected to a computer -> Put the Zip disk in my MPC and Update to 1.20

If I don't have the most important part in the chain (a zip drive connected to a computer) I can do nothing.

By the way, you seems to know a lot about MPC2000s, do you know if OS 1.07 will be able to recognise a MCD or not? If it does, everything is sweet as I have a card reader on a computer and can put OS 1.20 on a flash card that way.

K-Mello: If you have a Zip drive connected to your MPC2000 (internal or external) it should be a function in the load section of your MPC where you can transfer the OS to a zip disk. If you have OS 1.20 installed I would greatly appreciate it if you could send me a zip disk with the OS. I think it would cost me max $10 to get it send with an envelope. I have paypal.
User avatar

By Lampdog Sat Mar 08, 2008 6:39 pm
Format a blank zip on pc using fat/fat16 option.

Download 114
http://www.forat.com/service/
http://www.forat.com/Downloads/mpc2x114.zip
http://www.forat.com/Downloads/MPC2KXL1_2.zip

114 can handle = zip100, zip250 and zip750 and cf up to 1gb.

cf cards 1gb+ need os 120.

Unzip 114 and ONLY place the containing file(s) on the zip.

Place that zip in your mpc, install the os.

Get it outta your head, you don't need another zip to do this, you don't need 107.

Quit playin around confusing yourself and go ahead and do it.

By sixtycyclehum Sat Mar 08, 2008 6:50 pm
if im understanding correctly, he cant put the new OS on the zip disk because he cant connect a zip drive to his computer. im assuming his computer isnt 10000 years old so most likely doesnt have a scsi port. he only stated this about 3 times in the first paragraph of his last post. what is there not to understand?
User avatar

By Kun Sat Mar 08, 2008 7:56 pm
Sorry for my clumsy explanations guys.

sixtycyclehum, you've understood it correctly. I have a Macbook myself, and at work I have a computer available with a multi card reader. So if 1.07 supports MCD I can update my MPC2000xl by installing a MCD in it, and then download the OS 1.20 at work and put it on a flash card.

What I don't have, is a Zip drive that I can connect to a computer (internal, external, USB or SCSI). I don't have a computer with SCSI either.

Therefor, if 1.07 don't support MCD, I need to get hold of a zip disk (or maybe a whole drive for a PC) with OS 1.14 or OS 1.20 to be able to use the MCD I'm going to buy.

What do you guys suggest that I do? Someone here with OS 1.14 or 1.20 on a zip disk willing to sell it? Or someone here who knows if 1.07 will let me run the MCD or not?

By tharealkevdogg Sat Mar 08, 2008 9:02 pm
I am still using version 1.07 in my MPC 2000xl. I installed the cardreader with no problems what so ever, over a year and a half ago! I have never found a need to upgrade my os.....so I never have. My MPC works GREAT!

I tried to figure out the difference between 1.07 , 1.14, and 1.20
and all I could come up with is: 1.20 can recognize 1gig compact flash cards and the others can't. 1.07 and 1.14 only like no more than 8 letters when nameing files.
Hope this helps.
Don't be scarrrrred!


Kevin-
User avatar

By Kun Sat Mar 08, 2008 9:22 pm
Great! Thanks!

I just wanted to know something like this before I installed the MCD. I fear a scenario where I remove the zip drive, install the MCD then find out that I need to get os 1.14+ on a zip disk before I install the MCD. Then unmount the MCD, wait for a zip disk to arrive etc etc.

I guess I can just wait for the MCD to arrive, install it, download OS 1.20 at my work and upgrade my MPC via a flash card I put into the MCD.

By the way, the MCD at VSTservice is hot swappable right? It would be stupid to pay $150 for a MCD if its not. I would like to have a 1 gig flash card as my library of samples, and one 1gb card where I save all the beats. I need to be able to swap between them while the MPC is on.
User avatar

By Swissmaster_Cheese Sun Mar 09, 2008 9:36 pm
yes, it is hot swappable.
for less headaches, stick to 1 gig cards.

By powercut Mon Mar 10, 2008 6:30 pm
i had the same issue with updating my os. i have an internal zip and i just took the drive out my mpc, into my pc and copied the os onto a zip. then i just put the zip drive back in my mpc and updated the os from there.
i might have had to change the jumper from master to slave or something