Reviews and questions about the entry-level MPC500
By carlo Wed Feb 27, 2013 11:20 pm
hi i been coming to this forum for a bit now but i joined today :-D i want to know if the mpc 500 is for me i am not new to the mpc as i used to own a mpc 2000 i got it new way back in 97 and made some great music with it but after a few years it blew up and cost me to repair it so i sold it and got a mac with logic but now i want to get an Mpc again i also ownd a lot of akai samplers in the past akai 950 SO1 and S 2000 and the 3000 xl but i want somthing small now i like to know if the 500 can sample pad sounds or can it only do like stabs and drums as when i had my Mpc 2000 i had about 8 synths midi up to it and only used the mpc for drums and its sequencer :wink: as it was rock solid and tight, and is the Mpc 500 good for playing bass samples from the pads
User avatar
By Metatron72 Wed Feb 27, 2013 11:46 pm
It can sample anything you want. You can have 128MB RAM rather than the 32MB limits you had before. So it's more space to make chromatic instrument PGM's mapping some multi samples.

4 less pads than a full MPC, limited LCD compared to other MPC's, takes batteries as a counterpoint to those first to things. And some people like the "old school" of the limited LCD (no waveform view). and chopping samples by ear and numbers on the screen.

THere like 3 guys here that post often on theirs on they love them. One even ultimately preferred it to his 1000 as he doesn't the limitations and digs how small it is.
By carlo Thu Feb 28, 2013 12:06 am
Metatron72 wrote:It can sample anything you want. You can have 128MB RAM rather than the 32MB limits you had before. So it's more space to make chromatic instrument PGM's mapping some multi samples.

4 less pads than a full MPC, limited LCD compared to other MPC's, takes batteries as a counterpoint to those first to things. And some people like the "old school" of the limited LCD (no waveform view). and chopping samples by ear and numbers on the screen.

THere like 3 guys here that post often on theirs on they love them. One even ultimately preferred it to his 1000 as he doesn't the limitations and digs how small it is.
yes thanks i also got a korg micro sampler but the think i like about the 500 as its small and it can take 128 mb and the flash cards what i was thinking of doing is using the micro sampler midi up to the mpc i was going to sell the micro sampler but the effects are so damn good in it the only bad think about the micro sampler is its not very good for chromatic instrument sampling its ok for bass stabs and drum sounds and loops thanks i am happy to hear its good for chromatic sampling with its big ram 8) yes i will buy a 500 and i already have the Mpc 500 Pc editor and i been using the Micro sampler editor also to chop samples up so the 500 small screen is not a problem for me :mrgreen:
User avatar
By Metatron72 Thu Feb 28, 2013 12:15 am
That would be a cool little pair actually. :nod:

Yeah you're used to hardware samplers if 128MB is big, but yeah it's all relative. :smoker:
By carlo Thu Feb 28, 2013 12:21 am
Metatron72 wrote:That would be a cool little pair actually. :nod:
yes your right as i can bounce soounds from the 500 into the korg and use the effects from the korg on the mpc and then sample them i know the 500 has effects but it will be cool to bounce sounds back and forth :-D yes all my old rack samplers never went to 128mb :mrgreen:
User avatar
By Metatron72 Thu Feb 28, 2013 1:20 am
I turn on my 400 and 512MB seems insane. :lol:

But on my computer I'll use like 3GB in like 5 minutes. Glad I can work either way.
By carlo Thu Feb 28, 2013 12:25 pm
Metatron72 wrote:I turn on my 400 and 512MB seems insane. :lol:

But on my computer I'll use like 3GB in like 5 minutes. Glad I can work either way.
400 ? 512 mb wow whats that :mrgreen: also the mpc 500 screen is not bad at all as my favourite sampler was the Akai 950 and it had a long small blue screen it only had 2 half mb max :mrgreen: you were forced to make it go along way
User avatar
By Metatron72 Thu Feb 28, 2013 1:52 pm
:oops: :lol:

400 and 200XL are like my most common typos I think haha. I usually catch it and fix it though. :lol:

Yeah it seemed like like the 500 was perfect for you. :mrgreen:
By carlo Thu Feb 28, 2013 2:33 pm
Metatron72 wrote::oops: :lol:

400 and 200XL are like my most common typos I think haha. I usually catch it and fix it though. :lol:

Yeah it seemed like like the 500 was perfect for you. :mrgreen:
thanks for your help making me decide yes i got it coming monday Hoorah :mrgreen: 8)
User avatar
By Metatron72 Thu Feb 28, 2013 2:38 pm
Awesome man. :nod:

If it's not already with the 128MB RAM upgrade don't buy the Akai RAM. Get any stick of notebook RAM matching this spec - PC 133 144PIN CL3 SODIMM 256MB. The CL3 is the key (Clock Latency rating) if it's not labelled at all don't get it. If it says CL3 should definitely work.

They can be found for $5-$15 easily online, or even better maybe your MPC already has the upgrade.

Have a blast with it Carlo. :-D
By carlo Thu Feb 28, 2013 2:56 pm
Metatron72 wrote:Awesome man. :nod:

If it's not already with the 128MB RAM upgrade don't buy the Akai RAM. Get any stick of notebook RAM matching this spec - PC 133 144PIN CL3 SODIMM 256MB. The CL3 is the key (Clock Latency rating) if it's not labelled at all don't get it. If it says CL3 should definitely work.

They can be found for $5-$15 easily online, or even better maybe your MPC already has the upgrade.

Have a blast with it Carlo. :-D
yes thanks i am going to buy this 128MB RAM upgrade http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/128Mb-Sample- ... vi-content very cheap :mrgreen: thanks 8) a blast it will be :mrgreen: