Technical questions for the MPC2000xl and the MPC2000
By Rob_10304 Sat Jan 24, 2004 12:19 am
ok, so im going down the road of a 250MB External SCSI Zip Drive, for my future purchase of an Akai MPC 2000XL!

now from what i can see this - http://www.iomega.com/na/products/produ ... rd_id=4739

should be suitable for storing sequences, wavs. etc in from my MPC right?

and i would also like to know if i can buy a USB Zip Disk Drive, attach it to my computer, and read files i save from my MPC to the SCSI Zip Drive?, with the disk in the USB drive and vice versa???

please help, ive got alot of knowledge of all MPC shit in just a few weeks from these forums and im real close to actually having a clue what im talking about! its most appreciated, expecially to 'Brav' who always seems to drop some good advice

peace
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By BRAVO Sat Jan 24, 2004 12:44 am
:oops: hmmm, Since you gave me a little name check I'll do the honours...

From what I saw (The pic) , you'll be fine....You sound pretty clued up about what you intend to do and how your going to do it, so....Go do your thing.

The drives fine....Just make sure you get a 25 to 50 pin lead...Annnnnd, If you get the 250 drive, make sure you get the same size for your PC. For example if you get a 100, it wount read 250 disks.

One last thing......Format your zip disks as FAT....Not FAT32....SLIM 16....
FAT

Thats all for now

Brav'
By Rob_10304 Sat Jan 24, 2004 1:45 pm
thanks Brav

you know your stuff

now all i gotta do is find out where thier sold in the U.K!

:x

cheers

peace

p.s your London, U.K

any ideas where i can get one

ive looked everywhere
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By MPC-Tutor Sat Jan 24, 2004 3:10 pm
They don't sell them in the UK - in fact, they seem to only occasionaly sell them on the US web site - for the past 6 months, they did not sell them at all, before that, they stopped selling them for around a year.

Ebay is the best place to get them second hand - personally, I'd forget SCSI zip drives and install an internal IDE zip (if you must have zip), or consider a SCSI hard drive (some people are also using compact flash readers)

Or buy an XL with a zip already installed.
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By BRAVO Sat Jan 24, 2004 3:12 pm
No problem

I cant point you to any one place but computer fairs are a good place to start....Independent computer stores also work well, they can usually source that kinda stuff down (forget about PC World etc)

Maybe buy a comp mag (Computer shopper or something and check the add section for other stores.....Maybe put a few calls in from the comfort of your home :wink:

If thats still not working or proving difficult, you can always go the internal route and just stick to the external USB drive for the PC..Or go internal MPC & PC (Thats how I operate....Less plugs!)

The internal drive you'l have to fit yourself tho...Its easy...Well lets say its str8 forward if you follow the instructions. Check the step-by-step guide in the tutorial section and call it from there....The PC installation is simple.

Any other questions just holla back at me

B
By Rob_10304 Sat Jan 24, 2004 8:13 pm
ok

thanks very much people,

ill take the advice of looking through some independant Comp retailers!

and ill also look into the installation of the the Internal IDE!

one more....

'or an SCSI Hardrive' qoute the MPC Tutor!

this is news to me!, so you saying the MPC can support an external SCSI hardirve? much like a computer for storing information? do the same rules apply? just save wavs., sequences to the hardrive for reading by the MPC?

reply back people

peace
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By BRAVO Sat Jan 24, 2004 8:35 pm
Same principle..Just this time the disks dont come out :wink:

By Rob_10304 Sat Jan 24, 2004 9:29 pm
http://www.itclearance.com/cgi-bin/sh00 ... %23a97#a97

ok! (lol)

the above link is some SCSI hardrives i found at a U.K website! would they be suitable a an external SCSI hardrive fro the Akai MPC 2000XL? it doesnt specify that theyre 50 pin, but it says they will work with ALL SCSI interfaces!

holla back people

peace
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By BRAVO Sat Jan 24, 2004 10:57 pm
They'l work.......Damn there BIG

In terms of buying one, I spose in the long run it'l last -

One thing tho.....Transfering files from comp etc aint gonna happen unless you install the internal Zip drive too...Then some might argue you could jus run with the internal......... Do you interact much with your comp?

If you got the budget then fair enuff....Maybe the Compact flash reader is also a route to consider tho.

The Connection is in the cable...You have to buy a 25 to 50 pin cable seperate
By Rob_10304 Sat Jan 24, 2004 11:34 pm
yeah

i got the budget, yeah, they BIG! lol

but thats quality, yeah, your point is very valid about the whole Internal Zip Drive! and weather i may aswell get one of those, but in regards to computer interaction, i use my comp really only with Sound Forge, as in i spot a sample (or possible sample ), then import it into Sound Forge then trim, process, cut, loop etc in the realms of software. ill probably do most of the cutting etc on Sound Forge, even with my MPC present (cuz of the whole visual, monitor advantage) but ovbiously then import the sample into the MPC for sequencing, looping (and timestretching) as i read in a review the timestretch on the MPC 2000XL is meant to be pretty impressive! etc etc

get back at me

peace
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By BRAVO Sat Jan 24, 2004 11:44 pm
Rob_10304 wrote: i read in a review the timestretch on the MPC 2000XL is meant to be pretty impressive! etc etc

get back at me

peace


Yeah its impressive alrite...At keeping you waiting.....Takes for ever. U dont wanna mess with that if you working with soundforge.

I say go the internal route....Slap a zip in your PC 2....If your gonna sppend that kinda money , Id spend it more across the board. Maybe get a 2nd hard drive for the PC that you could use for backing up samples/zip disks etc rather than spending a £150 on a SCSI HD then having to buy a zip.....Then having to buy zips (Unless you just use 1 as a transfer tool) Id still keep it economical but effective...

NB- The SCSI will fire up your samples quicker tho...Secondly, Compact Flash readers are the future.

Its your call...I say check out Ebay...Simple search for SCSI Zip should turn up a few things.....If your lucky you could probably cop 2 internals for less than £40 ...2 externals for less than £60...You do the maths
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By BRAVO Sat Jan 24, 2004 11:54 pm
Or............You could stick with the Scsi HD... The way around the sample transfer thing would be to cop a SCSI to USB cable in addition the the 25 to 50 pin cable. That way, you can convert your scsi device into a USB compatible device for use with your comp.....

Of course your gonna be plugging in and plugging out things but HEY!
By Rob_10304 Sun Jan 25, 2004 3:25 pm
cheers very much Brav, on point as usual. ill definatley search for some stuff!

but you suggested i dont use the Timestretch on the MPC if i got Soundforge? thats kinda suprising! i thought the timestrecth would have been quality on the MPC! Soundforge usually results in loads of fractals and/or chorus on soundforge!

hit back

peace
By Rob_10304 Sun Jan 25, 2004 3:46 pm
ok

done some seaching (that was quick)

plan is as follows - Buy the SCSI external hardrive that i looked at,

http://www.itclearance.com/cgi-bin/sh00 ... %23a97#a97


then attatch that to the computer using a SCSI to USB connector (this one)-

http://www.cableuniverse.co.uk/catalog/ ... cts_id=190

and then load up files/samples whatever to the hardrive

then, hook up the hardrive to the MPC with a standard SCSI to SCSI cable, and bingo, problem solved in my eyes! bit expensive! but hey, im not working overtime for nothing! i thinks its a good idea!

gimmie some feedback people

cheers

peace
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By BRAVO Sun Jan 25, 2004 4:26 pm
Rob_10304 wrote:cheers very much Brav, on point as usual. ill definatley search for some stuff!

but you suggested i dont use the Timestretch on the MPC if i got Soundforge? thats kinda suprising! i thought the timestrecth would have been quality on the MPC! Soundforge usually results in loads of fractals and/or chorus on soundforge!

hit back

peace


Truss me the timestretch fucntion on the MPC is a waste of a day.
It aint all that...even if it is, by the time its done it, you probably dont even wanna make music anymore.

You might be over cooking your samples for them to start going all metalic.
you gotta try to stay in the 5-8 % mark either side really. Anything more and you start to lose the quality...Maybe try and pitch it up a tad then time stretch...But do it in Soundforge.

As for the other post regarding The SCSI HD setup, thats your call....Seems good to me (Try and get a USB 2.0 lead if you can)....

Now, just see what others have to say.....

Glad to be of assistance,

Brav