Buying a fully upgraded MPC2500 - Pointless?

Hi there,

I'm going to buy a used MPC 2500 and wonder if its best to buy it fully expanded or to just buy it plain and expand it myself?

I'm only making sample based music (no synth, no crunck, no dirty south), and I'm going to run the MPC2500 together with the E-MU SP-1200 through a mixer/HD recorder before I record my songs on my computer/HD recorder. As far as I know the only expansions available to the MPC2500 is the extra memory (EXM 128mb), a harddrive and a CD/DVD drive.

Would my best (=cheapest) option be to buy a plain MPC2500 and buy the extra memory for $40 on eBay?

I can't see any reason for me to buy the CD/DVD drive. I am not going to buy all those lame Dr.Dre, Timbaland etc. beats CDs. I'm sampling everything my self from old vinyl. And I'm not going to burn my songs on a CD or DVD right from the MPC, because I will run everything through a mixer.

A harddrive could be nice, but I guess a flash card of 2GB could be enough? A harddrive will cost me max $60 anyway.


Buying a plain MPC2500 + EXM 128 + Flash Card will cost me $1200 + $40 + $50 = $1290. If I add a 20GB HD it will cost me $1350.

vs.

Something like $1,999 with all the extras.

Surly buying a plain one and add the extras I want myself is the better option? Or have I missed something? Like a expansion that is necessary? Any advice would be greatly apreciated, because I see no reason to why I should buy a fully expanded one

Does this look like a good deal? http://cgi.ebay.com/Akai-MPC-2500-w-CD- ... dZViewItem

or this

http://cgi.ebay.com/Akai-MPC-2500-MPC25 ... dZViewItem

Kun wrote:


I see no reason to why I should buy a fully expanded one

you pretty much answered your own question... I think the main advantage of having a fully expanded one is the ability to save a vast amount of projects/samples, on the machine without buying additional storage cards...
but if you can get one with 20gb cheap then that should be more than enough in my opinion...

Hehe, thank you.

I started this thread in case I had overlooked something when it comes to the expansion possibilities.

I don't know how much storage space I need, but I guess a 2GB flash card will be more than enough for me for months I guess. When I need more storage, I'll just buy a harddrive and install it myself.

What do you think of the eBay deals I listed in my thread? Is $1250 a fair price for a standard MPC2500?

I would buy one used, make sure its in good condition, and then max it out. 120 gb HD is what i have in mine i believe i think its the max size u can have hd wise.

I agree!

Maybe I don't need to buy a 2GB Flash Card, and buy a big harddisk instead. It depends on how the MPC uses the HD.

If I have a lot of samples and songs on the MPC2500, how does it manage all the information?

Will I have different soundbanks with different samples, and different songs who loads different samples. The MPC takes care of all the directories and makes sure that it easy for you to load your songs and the samples you've used in that song.

Or will everything be a big chaos without no form of system? It would be a nightmare with an enormous chaos on that little LCD screen...

I have one for sale
It has a 80 gig HD
Its in perfect condition
Im going back to software
Get at me if your interested for pics and information
[email protected]
1300$ firm

Personally I wouldn't buy a used 2500, main reason those d*mn false triggering pads.
If you buy one new at least you get a year to complain about them.
If you want to buy new VST has the best deal going $1999 fully loaded (CD/80g HD/128M/ 6 month extended warranty)

Does a high percentage of MPC2500 buyers experience this false trigger pads problem? Is it a problem you can get on the arrivel, or a problem that every MPC2500 will get after some use?

I'm a Norwegian living in France so I don't think I will get a warranty anyway. It is so much cheaper for me to buy a MPC2500 from the USA instead of Europe, and I don't think the companies in the USA will be very interested helping me if I have a problem. Having to send the unit back and forth from USA to Europe will cost a fortune and take a lot of time. So I think buying a used one would be the best option for me. Or am I totally wrong?

I am a bit worried now though...is the pad problem something I must almost expect to encounter within a year? I thought MPCs were build like tanks and lasted for years...

Ive never had the problem that is, so often disscussed in this forum, ADVERSARY has a point though, chage is inevitable and it certainly is beneficial to know when to make it. But if a bug will send you home crawling, then let me tell you, an MPC may not be for you. AKAI does have this tendancy to be quite neglegent when it comes to OS upgrades. Our only hope is JJ and Im not sure he has been able to fix this problem. F.Y.I: Im alot like you, in i get lots of drums from records, I encourage you if you do get an MPC to get a HD reguardless, just so you can archive your hard efforts as a "program" and youll find yourself coming back to favorites alot more due to its efficient navagation of samples. I also trigger (via MIDI) all my other drum machines includeing my SP and a few other modules includeing plug ins and what not, useing the mpc's ez to use sequencer. Drums sampled, eq'd, and compressed using the MPC sound so like nothing else. Truely dope! Im not saying other pieces of gear and DAWs cant achieve this, because they most certainly can, but the MPC (like other types of "hard gear") extend themselves in different routes of manipulation, that whole hardwared v.s software argument. Im not trying to sale ya on it but merely let you in on reasons why I bought it and obvious ways to use in case if you haven't thought of some of these. Have you considered the MPD 24 as another option, since you already have an SP and do use a DAW. You know the pros and cons of the 2500 unit. I love my 2500 and wouldn't trade it for anything, well other than a 4000, due to the effects options and only for that reason. The HD feature is so nice to, just load up samples when you want them and layer four samples per pad at a time really begs a more efficient (faster) and creative element to drum layering (4 drums yields fatter/different sounding drums) which is far from impossible with a DAW but often requires more time, I find, than moving around samples in DAW trying to align them so they sound right or an SP for that matter (dont want that argument SP v.s MPC however I do own em both). Many luxuries exist owning an MPC, but it sounds like you should also entertain the notion of a controller as well, like the MPD 24. You can never have too many controllers if you ask me and well, it could save you alot of money and they feel pretty cool, that is pad wise and have some pretty cool features for a controller. Haha, LOL, so no, i have never had the "polyphonic" "ghost triggering" that folks speak of (knock on wood) and ive owned my MPC for close to 3 years. peace kd

Kd wrote: But if a bug will send you home crawling, then let me tell you, an MPC may not be for you.

But if it was a bug it would be different, it's a physical design problem.
No coding in the world is gonna fix that.
Search through the 2 MPC2500 forums for "PADS" and you we start to see the increasing number of people having or who have had the problem.
The funny part is the first place a person will notice it is when they are trying to name something and keep getting wrong letters.

Kd wrote: Haha, LOL, so no, i have never had the "polyphonic" "ghost triggering" that folks speak of (knock on wood) and ive owned my MPC for close to 3 years. peace kd

The 2500 was announced Sept 05 and didn't ship until later so that's not anywhere near 3 years.

My bad that was a typo, I quess i was combining mpc experience wit that, my bad. If your trying to call me out then your mistaken, im just tryin to help you dude! Since you know so much you must find validity in my statements. If you discredit me based on an exaggerated error then so be it. Ill make sure not to "front" again. If my helps not appreciated then move on cuz since your so informed. Ive owned an mpc for a minute. im not tryin to impress you dude, peace and I wont make the mistake of wasten my time on you again hom-e.

Kd wrote:My bad that was a typo, I quess i was combining mpc experience wit that, my bad. If your trying to call me out then your mistaken, im just tryin to help you dude! Since you know so much you must find validity in my statements. If you discredit me based on an exaggerated error then so be it. Ill make sure not to "front" again. If my helps not appreciated then move on cuz since your so informed. Ive owned an mpc for a minute. im not tryin to impress you dude, peace and I wont make the mistake of wasten my time on you again hom-e.

Probably not even a MPC owner like most of the people who post here.
Then again who cares?
Kun asked the question about new or used, stock or loaded which comes down to one simple point the 2500's is not built as solid as first believed so expect some variance in reliabilty.
Not everyone's pads on the 1k failed but that didn't mean they weren't poorly designed.
The 2500 is a similar aspect not all have the pad problem but far too many for it to be dismissed.
If you every experience it you will understand why is such a bad thing.
The reason is so bad is because the 2500 has shift to pad functions so mistriggering pads will select wrong functions, wrong letters, mess up sequences, incorrectly edit samples or freeze your MPC.
Not something to lightly dismiss, something to definitely be aware of.
Other than that the only advice to give Kun would be too look at teh manual to see how the CD or HD works, then see if it's something to help his workflow.
He already covered the part about his location making a warranty have little value to him.

Adversary you got issues, im sure im not the first brotha to tell ya that. Peace hater.

Kun wrote:I'm a Norwegian living in France so I don't think I will get a warranty anyway. It is so much cheaper for me to buy a MPC2500 from the USA instead of Europe, and I don't think the companies in the USA will be very interested helping me if I have a problem.

I suppose you can get a new one in France as well? And don't be deceived by the cheaper prices due to the low dollar right now...you will probably have to pay VAT and customs when you import it from outside the EU, along with the shipping which will also be awful. You can get a 2500 here for 1400,- EUR at the moment.

Concerning the harddisk, you will have to organise your folders yourself, just like on a PC harddisk. The MPC just saves all the samples along with some organizational files holding the sequences, settings and so on. Where you put those is your business.