Post your views and questions about the Akai MPC2500
By marceloasherq Tue Apr 16, 2019 5:10 pm
Thanks everyone! I picked up the MPC2500 on Sunday!

The person who sold it to me sent me a video prior showing that all the pads and everything works, but I think he must have deleted some of the sounds since nothing is coming out of 5 of the pads. I'll have to do some discovering to see if it's just user error on my part. Some of the sounds that ARE there are pretty cool, though, so I don't want to do a factory reset or upload JJ Free until I somehow download them.

Any beginning tips/advice (even if links to a thread on here) would be appreciated.

Thanks so much!
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By saltmcgault Tue Apr 16, 2019 6:17 pm
Here is a great places to start.

https://www.mpc-tutor.com/files/mpc-man ... manual.pdf

until you get jjos this will cover a ton of questions you may have. Seriously though jjos128xl would be the best route for you operating system and the screen is very easy to install. It's worth it. If you do buy jjos128xl do not drill a 3/8" hole in your faceplate for the contrast pod like a dumbass (me). The new XLCD screen doesn't come with a contrast pod anymore. For the prestocked drums I really wasn't a fan. You have a sampler now. Get to digging record drum breaks, kicks, snares etc. etc. that you like. Make your own library of sounds.
Have fun with that thing its a beast. :smoker:
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By selecta jo Tue Apr 16, 2019 6:31 pm
hello!

how did you listen to the samples from the previous owner? did you plug in headphones or used the main outs? possibly he had the individual outs hooked up also and you heard some sounds over that way in his video?

the samples that you can play with the pads have to be loaded from the storage (cf-card, internal harddrive or the around 16mb worth of internal memory) and then be assigned to programs where you specify which sample is played with which pad.

to backup those samples you can connect the mpc to your computer via usb - then you can mount either the harddrive or the cf-card (if there is any in the front) and access all stored data on there.
read up in the manual how to choose the active storage device in the load/save/usb menu. remember to always safe eject (or thrash the device if you are on a mac) before pulling the usb connection.

all the samples stored either on cf-card or on the harddrive are independant from the os, so even if you do a factory reset those sounds will still be there. this is also true for any stored programs.
the only place that possibly can be overwritten is the internal 16mb where some of the jj os store stuff (read on that in the jj sub forum!). also that area could possibly hold user samples if the previous owner stored something there (most often to use them with the autoload function to have some standard sounds ready loaded upon powering the machine).

have fun learning your new machine and be prepared to fiddle around a bit to get it set up for your live performances.

peace, jo
By marceloasherq Tue Apr 16, 2019 7:51 pm
saltmcgault wrote:Here is a great places to start.

https://www.mpc-tutor.com/files/mpc-man ... manual.pdf

until you get jjos this will cover a ton of questions you may have. Seriously though jjos128xl would be the best route for you operating system and the screen is very easy to install. It's worth it. If you do buy jjos128xl do not drill a 3/8" hole in your faceplate for the contrast pod like a dumbass (me). The new XLCD screen doesn't come with a contrast pod anymore. For the prestocked drums I really wasn't a fan. You have a sampler now. Get to digging record drum breaks, kicks, snares etc. etc. that you like. Make your own library of sounds.
Have fun with that thing its a beast. :smoker:



Yeah, I'd love to get the bigger screen and JJOS128XL, just don't have the cash quite yet. I'm what you call a "starving artist," haha (in other words, I'm 100% freelancing for my income).

But as soon as I get more gigs and pay off this lovely machine, I'll be looking into upgrading for sure!

Thanks!
By marceloasherq Tue Apr 16, 2019 8:07 pm
selecta jo wrote:hello!

how did you listen to the samples from the previous owner? did you plug in headphones or used the main outs? possibly he had the individual outs hooked up also and you heard some sounds over that way in his video?


I think he was using the main outs, since the video was just recorded on his phone.


selecta jo wrote:the samples that you can play with the pads have to be loaded from the storage (cf-card, internal harddrive or the around 16mb worth of internal memory) and then be assigned to programs where you specify which sample is played with which pad.

to backup those samples you can connect the mpc to your computer via usb - then you can mount either the harddrive or the cf-card (if there is any in the front) and access all stored data on there.
read up in the manual how to choose the active storage device in the load/save/usb menu. remember to always safe eject (or thrash the device if you are on a mac) before pulling the usb connection.

all the samples stored either on cf-card or on the harddrive are independant from the os, so even if you do a factory reset those sounds will still be there. this is also true for any stored programs.
the only place that possibly can be overwritten is the internal 16mb where some of the jj os store stuff (read on that in the jj sub forum!). also that area could possibly hold user samples if the previous owner stored something there (most often to use them with the autoload function to have some standard sounds ready loaded upon powering the machine).

have fun learning your new machine and be prepared to fiddle around a bit to get it set up for your live performances.

peace, jo


Wow... Thanks for such a speedy and thorough response! This forum is amazing!!

The 2500 I purchased did not come with a CF card, so I'm going to have to find a compatible one. Although it does have maxed out RAM, I don't believe there's an internal HD. Thinking about going to Best Buy today to pick up a PNY SSD. They sell 120GB SSDs for about $25!

Yeah, I'm DYING to fiddle with this thing, but I'm on a few deadlines for filmmaking projects. Haha. I can't stop eyeballing the thing.

Cheers, everyone!
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By saltmcgault Tue Apr 16, 2019 8:46 pm
saltmcgault wrote:https://www.amazon.com/QUMOX-Compact-Memory-Adapter-Reader/dp/B019REDBY6/ref=sr_1_7?hvadid=78683855420060&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvqmt=e&keywords=sd+card+to+cf+card+adapter&qid=1555447343&s=gateway&sr=8-7

If I were you I would grab 1 if not 2 of these. I wish I would have known about these adapters as soon as they came out.


don't go higher than 128gb on the sd cards that you use with this adapter though.
By marceloasherq Tue Apr 16, 2019 9:21 pm
saltmcgault wrote:https://www.amazon.com/QUMOX-Compact-Memory-Adapter-Reader/dp/B019REDBY6/ref=sr_1_7?hvadid=78683855420060&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvqmt=e&keywords=sd+card+to+cf+card+adapter&qid=1555447343&s=gateway&sr=8-7

If I were you I would grab 1 if not 2 of these. I wish I would have known about these adapters as soon as they came out.



... as it turns out, it appears that two pins in the middle of the CF reader are missing. SHOOOOOOOT.
By marceloasherq Tue Apr 16, 2019 9:45 pm
tapedeck wrote:install a hard drive and just use via usb


And if I'm reading this one website right, I can install JJOS remotely through a CF card plugged into my MacBook and the MPC plugged in to my MacBook via USB?

Thanks so much. I'm now researching what sort of SSD I can get at Best Buy that will work.
By marceloasherq Tue Apr 16, 2019 9:50 pm
marceloasherq wrote:
tapedeck wrote:install a hard drive and just use via usb


And if I'm reading this one website right, I can install JJOS remotely through a CF card plugged into my MacBook and the MPC plugged in to my MacBook via USB?


Nevermind. Looks like I misread. Can't get JJOS on there without the CF slot working properly. The seller is really cool though and said he'd pay for the repair.
By marceloasherq Tue Apr 16, 2019 10:39 pm
tapedeck wrote:i dont see why you couldn't just drag and drop the jjos file onto a harddrive on the mpc, via usb, and install that way


Good thought. Having a difficult time locating an IDE hard drive in my area. Looks like all local shops only sell SATA drives. So with a CF slot that needs replacing and no IDE drives as far as the eye can see, it looks like I will have to delay my gratification in using this device to its fuller capacity.
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By tapedeck Tue Apr 16, 2019 10:44 pm
marceloasherq wrote:Good thought. Having a difficult time locating an IDE hard drive in my area. Looks like all local shops only sell SATA drives. So with a CF slot that needs replacing and no IDE drives as far as the eye can see, it looks like I will have to delay my gratification in using this device to its fuller capacity.

you can for sure find one in an old computer. hit up craigslist. hit up goodwill. hell even amazon will sell you one.

i guess its hard for me to grasp because i still think of the 1k and 2.5k as 'modern' machines, but they are approaching more vintage status and they definitely require a little diy work to get them running.

honestly though you still made the right choice, a 2000 would have been even harder to work on.

dont give up.