2k Classic or 500?

I am a newbie to the world of MPC's. I have been making beats on my computer for a few years now, and I am sick of staring at a screen instead of using my ears. So I am looking to get an mpc.

My budget is around $500. I had been pretty set on getting a new MPC500. But I can now score a 2000 classic with maxed out RAM and 8 outs option for $450. I might be able to talk him down to $400. Any suggestions on which one to go for?

Since I have done most of my production until now on the computer, I was wondering if the USB on the 500 would make my life much easier. Are floppies and zip drives getting hard to find these days? The guys says the 2K is in great shape. I can test it out before I buy. Any tips on stuff that often fails on that machine that I should take a look at? Thanks.

if you dont mind having only 12 pads i would go for the 500 but it is crucial for me to have 16 (2 bars chopped 8th notes lays out nicely) so i had to go with the XL. The one reason I wouldnt get the 2000 is becuz there is no zone feature i dont think so it seems like a hassel to chop (someone please correct me if im wrong here)

2k!
eight outs and max ram plus 16(!)pads can`t be beaten by the 500....I think!for me definitly the better deal............
and there`s a zone feature....

nope - i dont think you can get the zones on the 2k classic



theres no visual representation on the 500 is there, ie to show wav forms and the like ... do u have to for example cut and loop by simply listening ?

I would save a bit more and get either an 2kXL or a 1000. Just check ebay. Trust me on this one.

If you can get a really nice shape 2K Classic with 8 outs and memory, then I don't see why you'd even consider a 500. It's a dinky little piece of plastic that can run on batteries. When something can run on D batteries, you know it's not "professional". The 2K has a bigger screen, it's bigger in general, 16 pads, GOOD pads, 8-outs, ZOMGHAX SHUTTLE WHEEL WHICH NO OTHER MPC HAS! (not even the 2KXL)

The 2K is my sh*t. I love it. I got a Zip-250 drive for free without cables, bought a SCSI-2 cable at RadioShack for 9$ then I found an old Zip-100 power cable at someone's house and took it. A friend's dad is a graphic designer, so he had all the old storage mediums from back in '96-2000. I got like 10 Zip-250 disks for free, 5 Zip-100 disks, a Jaz drive, and 10 Jaz 2GB disks. You can stumble across old Zip/Jaz stuff if you look hard enough.

So the hell what if you don't have zone chopping. It's useless for my chopping style anyway (I don't like when beats actually sound chopped). The classic sas Zone Edit, which is manual zone chopping, which is SUPER easy thanks to your handy dandy shuttle wheel.

The naysayers usually have never used a 2k for more than an hour or so.

i have an og 2000, i would def say to rock one instead of a 500. the zone feature is different than the xl, but its not that bad. when i chop i don't chop to 1/8 or 1/16 notes either, so it doesnt bother me at all. the wheel is also def better than the xl.

ha,
i agree about the wheel..... its slick on the 2k-classic

Since I am not coming from an mpc background, the 12 versus 16 pads isnt a big deal to me. Here's what I see as the pros and cons of each.

500 pros:
much more memory storage (24.5 min mono)
very portable
has internal fx
USB
uses flash storage

500 cons:
only stereo outputs
weaker build quality?
maybe worse pads (though I have not compared personally)

2000 pros:
more advanced sequencer?
better pads?
8 outs

2000 cons:
much larger (less portable)
used (might have screen issue develop)
no fx
outdated memory/storage
shorter sampling time capacity

What did I miss? I'm hoping to make my decision today or tomorrow, so any more feedback would help alot. Thanks in advance.

By the way, I don't make much hip hop. I make electronica music that uses alot of samples. Something along the lines of "Justice."

P.S. Can you really hook up a 250MB SCSI zip drive to the 2kclassic? What are the load times like?

i'm with taxman on this...i'd save a little extra and go with an xl or 1000.

i found a mint (literally) xl for 550$ on craigslist. didn't have 8 outs or maxed out ram, but ram is cheap...

the deals are out there if you can be patient. best of luck.

The 8-outs board is worth at least 250$ by itself, I would never pay anything more than 350$ for an XL without 8 outs.

On top of all of that. Most 2k Classics come with 32MB expansion. If you honestly need any more than 32MB of memory to make a good beat, then your music sounds like shit, most likely. I can't recall a time where I've used any more than 9MB of it, and that was before I purged the MAIN samples before they were chopped. After that, it was like 3MB of sample time (Mono, of course).

Here's something else to factor in (not to hurt the 500 owners' fealings): I could never walk into a studio with a 500 under my arm and expect to be taken seriously. It's got the screen of a Neo Pet, it feels like it could break if you blew on it too hard, and it RUNS ON BATTERIES.

The 2k is just so much cooler in so many ways. AND it's usually cheaper. How much more could you ask for?

alistar-

you wouldn't pay more than 350$ for an xl (without the 8 outs)? where have you seen xl's that cheap? the closest i've seen was 425$ but it needed a new screen.

Maxillaa wrote:2k!
eight outs and max ram plus 16(!)pads can`t be beaten by the 500....I think!for me definitly the better deal............
and there`s a zone feature....

2000, 8 outs man. Especially because it sounds like you've already got a computer that could handle music production and mixdowns. However I would agree that saving some extra money for an xl or 1000 would be worth the wait.

evacuee. wrote:alistar-

you wouldn't pay more than 350$ for an xl (without the 8 outs)? where have you seen xl's that cheap? the closest i've seen was 425$ but it needed a new screen.

Yo! I got a really good deal on my xl. I traded a Technics 1200 TT and a nice condenser mic for it (and a few of other knick-knacks). It's surface was a little scuffed but other than that the unit was in great shape. I would give it a 9/10. If you look real good and search and be patient, you'll get a good deal. If you are in a hurry to make the purchase, go for the 2k classic.