Still not sure

Hi, I'm considering a MPC in order to jam live with friends and I'd like to talk with someone who has experience with one or more MPC devices, I'm considering a cheap blue MPC 1000. The deal I'm being offered is 400 CAD$ for a used blue and red model, in good condition, I think it comes with the akai OS.

I know that it doesn't do more than ableton live + controller, however sometimes I want to get away from the software interface...

I'd like to know if it's possible that once you get some kind of drum loop running, to sample a musician, then chop and map what you recorded and reorganize that new sample while the musician plays something else... all that of course, in a jam environnement... I don't want to stop playing.

Also, is it possible to play over a recorded loop and only hear what you play over it (like if you have a drum loop in which you want to include occasional fills.. I saw the overdub button, but that records over your current loop, is there a way of doing it without recording it?

I heard the pads on the MPC 1000 are horrible, really?? I think I shouldn't worry to much about this since I did not use other mpcs.. I'm planning to start by using the free JJ OS, I don't think I want to pay for an alternative OS.

Thanks.

i'd like to think for that price you could get a more recently used black model, getting the red and blue model always runs the risk that it has the old sh!tty pads.

i would say the mpc 1000 can handle all the stuff your talking about, the free jj os if the most basic but still pretty useful.

but to be honest... reading your post it sort of sounds like your mind is in a number of different places when it comes to actually purchasing it, the mpc1000 is a gorgeous, useful and tactile machine, but if you have doubts wether or not it might work for you, it would be best to weigh up the pros and cons of your individual needs.

Oh thanks for the feedback, my needs are for a cheap device that will replace my laptop and its controllers for when I'm bored of software and want to jam with something fresh. It's not a priority so that's why I don't want to invest much. The only hardware I have experience with are the Electribes EMX-1, ER-1, Korg KP3 and the Elektrons Machine Drum and Mono Machine. I'd love a Machine Drum to get away from the computer but it's too expensive for my needs. I'm completely bored of the Electribes, I'd rather use my own samples than use their sounds.

Since I'm jamming with a band, it would be fun to sample them in real time, it's something that I'm having trouble with with softwares, it takes a while to crop and then playback the recorded sample, and I'd like to do so without ever stopping playing.

If you guys have other suggestion of a cheap device that I could jam live with, I'd love to hear them.