Reviews and questions about the entry-level MPC500
By doubleblackpaisley Wed Sep 28, 2011 9:51 am
Another case of the infamous blown MPC; in Australia we run 240v which proved to be too much for the 120v the mpc uses; Plugged in the MPC via an adaptor, pressed the power button and heard a loud popping noise. My brother turned off the machine in a panic and it obviously won't start again. Don't judge, we were excited to start using it.

I've sought out similar threads regarding people blowing up their 2000xl/3000s, I was wondering if the same information applied to the 500 in terms of blown fuses and fixability.

Any chance of repair? Or should I just start saving for a new one? =(
By Clint Wed Sep 28, 2011 1:14 pm
I think you known the answer already, but just to be clear...

You are in Australia where they run 240v.

Where did your 500 originally come from and what voltage was it designed to run on?

Have you opened the 500 to inspect the fuse/ internal circuits?
By doubleblackpaisley Wed Sep 28, 2011 2:06 pm
I purchased it from the US where I'm assuming it runs on 120v, and I'm yet to open it up and take a thorough look.

I've read it previous posts that the fuses burst at over 120v to protect the unit from frying completely. Any truth to that?
By Clint Wed Sep 28, 2011 2:21 pm
Well what do you think will happen if you run 110v appliances on a 240v mains supply?

You dont need to be a genius to work that out, open her up to inspect the damage.

Analogy: Would you put gasoline in a diesel powered truck, would you?

The 'pop' was probably your fuse blowing out to protect the circuits from damage.
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By Lampdog Wed Sep 28, 2011 4:30 pm
doubleblackpaisley wrote:Any truth to that?

Open it and find out, otherwise you'll be guessing forever.
doubleblackpaisley wrote:Say the fuses are in fact blown, any input regarding ease of repair?

Open it and find out, otherwise you'll be guessing forever.

That's the only way you will SEE for yourself what it going on.
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By mr_debauch Wed Sep 28, 2011 5:54 pm
wait a second, the mpc500 does not run at 110 or 220 volts.. doesn't it run on 9 volts? It uses a DC adapter to convert 110 volts ac to 9 volts dc .. or to convert your 240 to 9..


it would have been a matter of using an adapter with the correct voltage. (maybe your adapter is blown) test her out with batteries to see.
By dlinkwnt Fri Sep 30, 2011 7:42 am
i had a similar issue with mine just bought from the states all tho i was luky my mpc wasnt connected to the power cable when i pluged it into the the adapter/power socket.... i blew my power pack and am running on batterys but need to source a new power adapter for 240V connection

any suggestions ?
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By mr_debauch Fri Sep 30, 2011 7:53 am
dlinkwnt wrote:i had a similar issue with mine just bought from the states all tho i was luky my mpc wasnt connected to the power cable when i pluged it into the the adapter/power socket.... i blew my power pack and am running on batterys but need to source a new power adapter for 240V connection

any suggestions ?


yeah, find yourself an adapter (wall wart) that outputs the specs listed on the mpc. Make sure the mA is the same... and most importantly you should make sure the polarity is the same (if the pin/hole is negative or positive)
By dlinkwnt Fri Sep 30, 2011 8:02 am
thanx

ill just go to my local electrical store with the unit so they know what the specs are, hope it doesnt cost to much
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By distortedtekno Wed Oct 05, 2011 11:11 pm
mr_debauch wrote:
dlinkwnt wrote:i had a similar issue with mine just bought from the states all tho i was luky my mpc wasnt connected to the power cable when i pluged it into the the adapter/power socket.... i blew my power pack and am running on batterys but need to source a new power adapter for 240V connection

any suggestions ?


yeah, find yourself an adapter (wall wart) that outputs the specs listed on the mpc. Make sure the mA is the same... and most importantly you should make sure the polarity is the same (if the pin/hole is negative or positive)


Right on point. But something to note... the adaptor is ok if it can handle more than the current (mA) needed by the MPC, since the MPC will only draw the current it needs. That goes for anything needing an adaptor. As long as the amount of current draw from the MPC does not exceed what the adaptor can handle, there's no problem at all. Otherwise, the adaptor will overheat, fail, and possibly damage the unit.
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By mr_debauch Thu Oct 06, 2011 2:50 am
distortedtekno wrote:
mr_debauch wrote:
dlinkwnt wrote:i had a similar issue with mine just bought from the states all tho i was luky my mpc wasnt connected to the power cable when i pluged it into the the adapter/power socket.... i blew my power pack and am running on batterys but need to source a new power adapter for 240V connection

any suggestions ?


yeah, find yourself an adapter (wall wart) that outputs the specs listed on the mpc. Make sure the mA is the same... and most importantly you should make sure the polarity is the same (if the pin/hole is negative or positive)


Right on point. But something to note... the adaptor is ok if it can handle more than the current (mA) needed by the MPC, since the MPC will only draw the current it needs. That goes for anything needing an adaptor. As long as the amount of current draw from the MPC does not exceed what the adaptor can handle, there's no problem at all. Otherwise, the adaptor will overheat, fail, and possibly damage the unit.



yes exactly, the same also is true for wattage on power converters for import gear.
By doubleblackpaisley Tue Nov 01, 2011 8:51 am
Thanks for the information everybody; you've all been a huge help and i appreciate the assistance.

For the sake of anyone who encounters this problem in the future, it turns out the blown parts were a (relatively) easy fix although the repairs did cost me $200 (albeit at a legitimate Akai retailer). Hence, damage resulting from over-voltage should be repairable most of the time, just make sure you pay attention to the voltage required by the MPC compared to the output in your home country.