Reviews and questions about the entry-level MPC500
By Felix Box Wed Jan 27, 2021 10:52 pm
Okay, so I've tried sampling with it and the issue seems to lie in working with samples I recorded myself.

Wiped everything, all Programms, sequences and samples, recorded my own, played a really simple beat and immediately: voice stealing. It doesn't even let me play two tracks with only hihats on one and snares and kick on the other.

I can't really think of anything else than this thing being defective. The guy that I bought I from doesn't answer and all I can hope now is that PayPal gives me my money back :vomit:
User avatar
By NearTao Wed Jan 27, 2021 11:18 pm
it's weird that this only happens with samples you record... perhaps you're not considering some of the options in program mode? If you uploaded a project I'd be happy to demo it and see if there was anything obvious that was wrong with how it might have been setup...
User avatar
By NearTao Thu Jan 28, 2021 9:50 pm
So good news/bad news...

Good news... I am not getting the issues you are having playing on my MPC 500... it just loops fine and I am not getting any of the skipping sounds. Assuming all things are equal (and perhaps I am missing something), I set Master Level to 0db, -6db, and -12db... 0db is pretty heavily digitally clipped... but it is not creating those skipping sounds. I tried tapping out on the pads as quickly as I could on each pad to see if I could overload the polyphony and nothing there worked... I tried messing with the q-link and it didn't seem to be programmed to do anything. I power cycled a few times and just could not get it to glitch out like you did on your video.

Bad news... seems to be something on your end.

After listening again... I'm not thinking it is skipping as much as it almost sounds like the sound is playing backwards or at a high pitch... and I am pretty sure I am only hearing that on your A10 pad sample... which is *super* weird, but makes me wonder if there is something weird with the pads still. I'd be more concerned that it was the CPU if it was all of the sounds doing this... but I swear, it's only on that A10 pad sound that I hear it in your video.

Possibly culprits:
* Q-Link might be giving you a problem... if you're not used to moving it... might be worth just jogging it up and down in case it's sending data. I'd also toggle the button on and off... and maybe assign it to something just to see if it is working properly.
* Pads... I still would not rule out an issue with your pads... it's possible there is something weird causing a pad trigger, though based on how I see your program setup, it is pretty straightforward and I don't see anything that would cause the sample to play back faster.
* Memory... I'd check to see what is installed... it's possible you've got bad memory that happens to be impacting that specific sample... and if you load the same way every time... well who knows.
* Firmware... I am running 1.31... see if you are running 1.13 or 1.31. There might be a bug?

Suggestions:
* If you're handy... it might be worth taking the top of the MPC off and just seeing if there's anything spilled inside or otherwise gross, check connections, and blow out any dust... you never know.
* I'd consider removing the memory and clean the connections with some rubbing alcohol on both the memory and the contacts. Just be gentle... but there might be a strange problem there
* Possibly try changing the firmware to 1.0, 1.13, or 1.31 and see if it changes how your project plays
* Make another sequence and some new programs alongside this and see if you have the issue crop up on some other sequences and programs
* <Mode> Slider and map it to like the D12 pad and play the sequence...
* Change to bank D while playing the sequence and see if you get the issue.

I think I'm out of ideas for the moment... but if you're going to keep playing around to fix it... I'll keep seeing what I might be able to suggest.
By Felix Box Mon Feb 01, 2021 6:01 pm
NearTao wrote:So good news/bad news...

Good news... I am not getting the issues you are having playing on my MPC 500... it just loops fine and I am not getting any of the skipping sounds. Assuming all things are equal (and perhaps I am missing something), I set Master Level to 0db, -6db, and -12db... 0db is pretty heavily digitally clipped... but it is not creating those skipping sounds. I tried tapping out on the pads as quickly as I could on each pad to see if I could overload the polyphony and nothing there worked... I tried messing with the q-link and it didn't seem to be programmed to do anything. I power cycled a few times and just could not get it to glitch out like you did on your video.

Bad news... seems to be something on your end.

After listening again... I'm not thinking it is skipping as much as it almost sounds like the sound is playing backwards or at a high pitch... and I am pretty sure I am only hearing that on your A10 pad sample... which is *super* weird, but makes me wonder if there is something weird with the pads still. I'd be more concerned that it was the CPU if it was all of the sounds doing this... but I swear, it's only on that A10 pad sound that I hear it in your video.

Possibly culprits:
* Q-Link might be giving you a problem... if you're not used to moving it... might be worth just jogging it up and down in case it's sending data. I'd also toggle the button on and off... and maybe assign it to something just to see if it is working properly.
* Pads... I still would not rule out an issue with your pads... it's possible there is something weird causing a pad trigger, though based on how I see your program setup, it is pretty straightforward and I don't see anything that would cause the sample to play back faster.
* Memory... I'd check to see what is installed... it's possible you've got bad memory that happens to be impacting that specific sample... and if you load the same way every time... well who knows.
* Firmware... I am running 1.31... see if you are running 1.13 or 1.31. There might be a bug?

Suggestions:
* If you're handy... it might be worth taking the top of the MPC off and just seeing if there's anything spilled inside or otherwise gross, check connections, and blow out any dust... you never know.
* I'd consider removing the memory and clean the connections with some rubbing alcohol on both the memory and the contacts. Just be gentle... but there might be a strange problem there
* Possibly try changing the firmware to 1.0, 1.13, or 1.31 and see if it changes how your project plays
* Make another sequence and some new programs alongside this and see if you have the issue crop up on some other sequences and programs
* <Mode> Slider and map it to like the D12 pad and play the sequence...
* Change to bank D while playing the sequence and see if you get the issue.

I think I'm out of ideas for the moment... but if you're going to keep playing around to fix it... I'll keep seeing what I might be able to suggest.



Thanks for the advice. I'd really like to be more responsive on this site, but I'm right in the process of moving, which makes this a little difficult.

I'll try sending this thing back as I don't really want to have a potentially broken system sitting around when I don't have the time to figure out what's wrong with it. Q-links work fine, and the pads are also okay when I'm working with factory samples. This really only happens with samples I recorded myself.

I hope this won't be the last time I work with an mpc as I generally enjoyed the process, except for what should be obvious. Maybe I'll get another 500 or even a 1000 at some point. Who knows...