Unofficial modifications or beta OS

-{n8}- wrote:true that,

even then. i'm looking at the roger linn site and he upgraded the mpc60 and that was fairly successful. he even added SCSI capabilities to a hardware piece that was hopelessly outdated. perhaps there could be a hardware device similar to the one roger linn made but gives USB capabilities to the mpc 2000xl (and the extra flashrom needed to hold the OS. there is an internal SCSI port that isn't usually used in most setups so maybe connect it there). no one would argue about paying for that add on with the OS.

regardess of whether that's possible or not doesn't matter. there is still the potential for something to be developed and there are thousands of people with the same equipment but are forced to use other things to get what they want out of their mpc.

i think anyone who has invested in the mpc would like to see it reach full potential. why can't we make it the best production tool, better?

why are we saying it's an old machine when akai still sells these things new? it's not like it's a discontinued product.

1-0ne

real talk.......dj shadow got a zip drive and a headphone jack on an MPC-60 I.......i want to see my MPC2kxl burn cd's

where do i find an updated OS for mpc 2000?

ESL! wrote:where do i find an updated OS for mpc 2000?

i answered that in your other post homie!

How many people would pay ten bones to go towards such a developement? I'd propbably give more as long as I knew it was legit and could see there was enough support for it. Would it be a gamble that such a project would come to fruition; yes. But, for every successfully built piece of technology, before it was built, or plans made to extend some piece of equipments service life; there were always those that didn't believe. If it's going to happen, then great , I'll support it, get involved if time permits and do the damn thing. But, if there's not enough support, I'll buy me an XL and keep rollin' like rush and get over it.

A few issues to overcome (a near impossiblity):

1) The cost to reverse engineer the machine is astounding. One would have to recoup the cost in OS update sales (talking at least 5 figures).
2) The cost of programming the machine is astounding. One would have to recoup the cost in OS update sales (again at least 5 figres). Unless a very experienced, expensive, freelance programmer would do it for free, you are not looking at a cheap solution. As much as I love the MPC, I would have to charge a lot for such complex programming that only a handful of people in the entire world even know how to do.
3) Akai releasing any source code. Akai would not release any source code if it meant someone making an older machine compete with a newer one that is actively being sold by them. Why, for any amount of money, would they sell source code to someone that could effectively put them out of business?
4) Piracy. An OS update would effectively be distributed as a file. THe MPC 2k series does not use unpiratable ROM chips like the MPC60. Why spend thousands of dollars developing an OS when it is feasible that only a few get sold and from there we know what happens. Roopesh can explain better about stealing software.
5) Competing interest. What if another company has already negotiated everything already desired here and has manged to lock everyone else out.

yo n8, you don't have the glowing voyager do you????

That it tight!!!!

in the other topic, Robin whittle of devilfish 303 fame wrote an alternative OS to the DX 7 for kicks.

Then again, he is a kook, (I mean that in a good way ;)

I don't think this is happening fellas, there are too many cheaper options.

The 60 was Roger Linn's opus, the 3000 his magnum opus, the 60 upgrade was basically porting a cut down 3000 OS to the 60, making changes for the hardware differences and a few add ons, a big difference than starting from scratch on a finished machine.

dbpost

i see your point mpc3000 & elmacaco

so from what i gather, akai has no interest here? if it meant boosting their sales even higher in a year from the sale of this OS upgrade to the mpc owners, why wouldn't they be interested?

this OS could come in the form of an expansion card (fingers crossed for USB ports). easily, the mpc has the capacity to do that with all it's mother board's data terminals. how could akai pass up such an opportunity? think of the P.R they would receive in the industry if they pulled it off. they are always criticized and known for buggie OS programming but even then, all of their newer stuff is some of the best hardware to date.

facts remain that if there is an interest, akai should be. it's their users that already own the product and have supported them for years, we've already established their is a need for an update, why wouldn't they be interested in their business yet again? we already paid for 8ins/out, fx boards and flashram. give us something to use that will really help us take it to the next level. akai must know that the 2000 and 2000xl's were some of the best selling samplers ever. it's a classic and tons of people in the industry use it as a standard tool. the money is not in the new technology... it's in what is already there. what a powerful statement that would make about hardware instruments with all the new software synths coming out and stuff... you already have the best sampler. here is a machine that has stood the test of time and only got better. studios always keep good gear and everyone who has an mpc would think about getting this upgrade.

if we could show them there is a serious interest, they can't ignore us (unless they find no interest in making a very fast, easy, profit).. bottom line.

1-0ne

p.s elmacaco, waiting till the new voyager starts shipping to canada

"The 60 was Roger Linn's opus"

Not to mention he already had the source code, the developers and the emulators. That is most of the battle.

"if it meant boosting their sales even higher in a year from the sale of this OS upgrade to the mpc owners"

I do not understand. How is developing a replacement OS for a discontinued model going to boost Akai sales?

"the mpc has the capacity to do that with all it's mother board's data terminals"

Which data terminals? I thought I knew all of them.

you disgruntled old curmudgeon you...

This is all like seeing FORD company remake an old Ford Model T fitted with a V12 hemi. It won't happen.

mpc3000 wrote: I do not understand. How is developing a replacement OS for a discontinued model going to boost Akai sales?

well if akai was smart they would know that all the buzz is about their classic models such as the mpc series (which they do realize with the advent of the 1000 and 4000). even take a look at the new products hitting the market these days... tube emulation.. classic filters.. amp molding... everyone is after a classic sound. the mpc is just that, a classic in it's own rank and already has a huge following.

here we have thousands of people that have the same machine that "does" have the ability to be expanded. they simply need a piece of hardware/software to update it. akai would be taking something already a classic and making it work better and keeping the same customers (who already proved to akai that they will pay for their products and will be even more loyal to them). how can they not make money? some of the users of the mpc might consider buying a new piece of hardware (which they will not be able to afford so they might just stick with what works) but they wouldn't even think twice about getting the update.

if it was any other piece of gear I would have to agree with you but just look at the impact the mpc has had on the industry? for quite some time, akai been known as the only name in samplers.

mpc3000 wrote: Which data terminals? I thought I knew all of them.

hehe well you know more than me about that subject but i'm just talking about the SCSI, Flashrom slots. even then, most of the boards in the mpc are just connected by one or two cables and those could easily be re-routed (depending on the depth of the update).

Lampdog wrote:This is all like seeing FORD company remake an old Ford Model T fitted with a V12 hemi. It won't happen.

LOL!!! as much as you guys can be pessimistic about the idea you must know in the back of your head that it's possible.

tell you what.... if you don't think it's possible... sign the petition and we'll see whether it is or not.

why must you completely dismiss it before even giving it a chance? have you tried yourself to update the mpc OS? tell me what brings you to such a quick conclusion?

1-0ne

If they add more features to their old products which they are making no money on, (their popularity is actually competition to their new products)

If they add features, then some people will get a 2000 and get it upgraded rather than buy a 1000 or 4000, or new 2000xl.

It will have to be a third party.

Lampdog wrote:This is all like seeing FORD company remake an old Ford Model T fitted with a V12 hemi. It won't happen.

mpc3000 wrote:A few issues to overcome (a near impossiblity):

1) The cost to reverse engineer the machine is astounding. One would have to recoup the cost in OS update sales (talking at least 5 figures).
2) The cost of programming the machine is astounding. One would have to recoup the cost in OS update sales (again at least 5 figres). Unless a very experienced, expensive, freelance programmer would do it for free, you are not looking at a cheap solution. As much as I love the MPC, I would have to charge a lot for such complex programming that only a handful of people in the entire world even know how to do.
3) Akai releasing any source code. Akai would not release any source code if it meant someone making an older machine compete with a newer one that is actively being sold by them. Why, for any amount of money, would they sell source code to someone that could effectively put them out of business?

MPC3000--Do you think you could do it? Seriously, that'd be the first step, finding someone who could (even just hypothetically) do it.

Akai releasing source code? Not going to happen. So if that is what is needed the only thing to do is find a disgruntled employee and fill him full of sake untill he gives it up.

After thinking about it long and hard, I think the issue is, and will always be, we live in a computer age... anyone with the skills to pull off an os update like this is probably already making soft synths or something like that...

The final thing is the leagal issue...in todays sue happy internet world, any web site set up to collect the money to go towards an os update could concievably be shut down on the grounds that it encourages illelgal copywrite violations (the os of the mpc is, after all, copywritten).

Im not trying to sound negative here, as I think its (in theory) a great idea

but will it happen? i doubt it..