Exchange tips and tricks for the Akai MPC4000
By ja-ki Sun Sep 22, 2013 12:37 pm
Hi there,

just yesterday my new Toy the 4000 arrived, I'm quite surprised at how big it is, but it fits nicely on my E4XT Ultra.
It was quite a bargain despite the huge shipping cost and taxes but nonetheless the screen is worse than I thought. I'd like to get a replacement and the only source I'm aware of is the MPC-Stuff site. Unfortunately I'm situated in Germany and I don't want to wait ages and pay unreal amounts of taxes and shipping costs for it to arrive.
Does anyone of you guys know, where I could get a replacement screen from inside the EU?

cheers and happy tapping ;)
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By MPC-Tutor Sun Sep 22, 2013 1:03 pm
No chance unless you find one on ebay. I'm not sure MPC Stuff even has that 4000 in stock anymore, you'd need to check with him.

What's up with the screen?

Don't quote me on this, but I believe a DPS16 screen is the same as the 4000 screen, you might have better luck picking up one of those.
By ntalec Sun Sep 22, 2013 1:12 pm
MPC-Tutor wrote:What's up with the screen?


This is the important question.
Are we talking about lines in the screen or that classic out of focus blurred screen?
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By Coz Sun Sep 22, 2013 2:21 pm
VST Service has got new screens but you're looking at £200+ with import taxes unfortunately.
By ntalec Sun Sep 22, 2013 5:04 pm
ja-ki wrote:It has lines (17 of them!)
So what should I do then?


Hope that you really meant it when you said it was still good deal at the price you got it.

You can do a little more fesearch to try and find out if the screen in the DSP is actually the same and shop eBay.
You definitely see people selling DSP16 screens pulled from units on eBay.

If you did get it cheap enough then just contact VST and MPCStuff to see if either actually has them and what the cost would be to ship to you.

Your only other resolve would be to sell or part out the unit and shoot for a different unit.
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By MPC-Tutor Sun Sep 22, 2013 5:13 pm
You can pick up decent MPC4000s for £400 these days, so paying £200 for a screen seems disproportionate. I think I'd rather go with ntalec's suggestion to look for another MPC4000, but make sure the screen is in great condition. Try selling the other as it is just make it clear it's got lines, or you could build a hybrid of all the best parts and sell the rest in bits and pieces. Lot's of people looking for MPC4000 parts.
By ja-ki Sun Sep 22, 2013 9:51 pm
Thanks for the replies so far!
I think it still is a good deal, as I paid with taxes, shipping about 800 Euros and it's got a CDRW Burner, a 80gb HDD, 512MB and all expansions (the adat being the most important one).
Here in Germany those units go for almost twice the price, though including a functioning display. MPC Stuff just got a few new screens left and I calculated about 200-220 Euros for a new one including shipping and taxes. What do you think of that?

edit: It would raise the price of the machine to about 1100-1150 Euros, which I guess is okay for a machine having all expansions and a new screen. I really need your opinion now :)
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By Coz Mon Sep 23, 2013 6:57 am
Do what you need to do to make it useable. There's no point spending all that cash and having to wait indefinitely for a deal on a screen. I'd personally bite the bullet and get a new one, but that's me.

In a year or two there may be no screens about at all, so bear that in mind.
By ja-ki Mon Sep 23, 2013 11:20 am
Thanks for your advice.
In my opinion, getting another MPC might be risky, as I won't know what will eventually fail. Also the screen could show is age earlier or later. So getting a new lcd would asure a long time working screen. Do you think it is difficult to exchange the screen? Got the service manual but I can't figure out whether I'd have to solder or not.
By ntalec Mon Sep 23, 2013 12:04 pm
Having owned several 2ks and lots of 2kxls and only seen a bad screen in one and that was actually purchased with a bad screen, I am a firm believer in screen failure being driven by user habits.

With that said I purchased my blue 4k new and my white 4k used, both screens show no sign of failure so I feel they are failing for a similar reason.

I'm in the US so my pricing views are different than yours but if in your Country paying the cost of the unit plus the screen goes with the market or better then go for it.
With current US prices that is more than I would pay but I'm in a different market and 4ks are turning up so cheap now it's scary.

MPCStuff has screens on eBay so that means they have them available like VST, pick one and order it.
Just be sure of the actual total cost to get it in your possesion before completing your order.
By ja-ki Mon Sep 23, 2013 12:31 pm
Thanks again for your reply.

I'm thinking the same but I'm wondering how to find out whether the dps16 screen is the same as the one on the MPC 4000. I checked the service manual of the 4000 but couldn't find one for the dps16.
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By MPC-Tutor Mon Sep 23, 2013 1:20 pm
ja-ki wrote:Thanks again for your reply.

I'm thinking the same but I'm wondering how to find out whether the dps16 screen is the same as the one on the MPC 4000. I checked the service manual of the 4000 but couldn't find one for the dps16.


Jazzcat seems to think it's possible:

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=166273
By ja-ki Mon Sep 23, 2013 1:47 pm
great find, thanks a lot. I'm not quite sure about the inverted ribbon cable to be the same case on the dps16/mpc4000 screen. There's currently one floating around on ebay for very cheap. Damn... hard decisions to make
By ntalec Mon Sep 23, 2013 1:55 pm
ja-ki wrote:Thanks again for your reply.

I'm thinking the same but I'm wondering how to find out whether the dps16 screen is the same as the one on the MPC 4000. I checked the service manual of the 4000 but couldn't find one for the dps16.


Well I mentioned the 16 since it seems to be very similar but with the amount of effort to replace the 4 k screen it would have to be really cheap and of a known condition.
Just would hate that effort to go to waste.

The pulled 16 screens I have seen were still in the bezel with the 2 ribbon cables (1 for the display 1 for the encoders) but the display one looks like the 4k ribbon.
I did one of those 12 to 2k conversions and it worked fine but inverting that cable isn't something I would recommend.
If the 16 to 4k requires inversion pass and buy new.

Best advice would be get the most out of the route you pick.
That means cost as well as effort to aquire and complete the display installation.

Coz said it best
Do what you need to do to make it useable.