Reviews and questions about the entry-level MPC500
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By Ill-Green Wed Mar 04, 2009 4:32 pm
Since we're all interested in the open source for the 500, I wanted to chip in with this thread as a way to get everyone to let Akai know whats needed in that little box.

As for me I would like:

1- Loop Play: being able to set a pad to loop endlessly with one touch instead of the shift thing.

2- Sensor Sensitivity: adjust the sensitivity of the sensor so you can tap it like a piano instead of pounding the pads.

3- External Source/Audio Thru: ability to play a beat and the input signal at the same time.
By Emilie Wed Mar 04, 2009 6:32 pm
1- Loop Play: being able to set a pad to loop endlessly with one touch instead of the shift thing.

2- Sensor Sensitivity: adjust the sensitivity of the sensor so you can tap it like a piano instead of pounding the pads.

3- External Source/Audio Thru: ability to play a beat and the input signal at the same time.

4- A track mixer: ability to adjust volume for each track.

5- Continues sequencer: ability to do everything on it without stopping the sequencer.

6- Note repeat: fix the repeat hold (shift + note repeat), when it's on it fukks up the mute and trim menu.

7- Tap tempo: make the tap tempo usable as on the 2000xl.
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By diggin24seven Wed Mar 04, 2009 7:15 pm
Ill-Green wrote:Since we're all interested in the open source for the 500, I wanted to chip in with this thread as a way to get everyone to let Akai know whats needed in that little box.

As for me I would like:

1- Loop Play: being able to set a pad to loop endlessly with one touch instead of the shift thing.

2- Sensor Sensitivity: adjust the sensitivity of the sensor so you can tap it like a piano instead of pounding the pads.

3- External Source/Audio Thru: ability to play a beat and the input signal at the same time.


you can do both 2 and 3 already
By bedouin Wed Mar 04, 2009 8:18 pm
1) Ability to sample from the right channel in mono, just like you can with the left.

2) Remember the last used BPM on start up instead of just defaulting to 120 (I can count the number of times I've made a beat in the 120 BPM range on one hand, though I understand there's plenty of other people who do it regularly).

3) Remember to have the record monitor default to the previously used selection. Each time I record something after powering off I have to switch the monitor off since I have everything running through a mixer already.

4) Record track mutes and solos in song mode.

5) Implement auto chop. We know that on screen chopping is impossible, however it should be possible to let the 500 chop samples up with different auto sense settings (sort of like with Recycle). I understand this is oftentimes not so interesting, but occasionally it can be -- and it works well enough with clear drum breaks.

6) What's up with that flanging sound you get every once in a while? Usually on one kick or something in a sequence then it never happens again?

7) Tell people it can actually handle more than 2GB of flash since you guys implemented FAT32 (I know it can, but others should too).

8) Allow the user to push the master out slightly beyond 0db.

9) They want efx. Give me as many effects at once as the CPU in this thing can handle, not just two plus the master effect.

Ehh . . . that about it. Other than that I love the little guy.

[quote=eimer]External Source/Audio Thru: ability to play a beat and the input signal at the same time.[/quote]

You can do that already. When you're in record mode just hit play. You can even record while monitoring.
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By Ill-Green Wed Mar 04, 2009 8:57 pm
About the audio thru on the 500. What I want is to be able to work on a sample and/or program while hearing the external signal. Not just in Record mode. I want to be able to adjust tempo, trim settings, pitch, so I can sync with a record in real time.

4- Be able to turn on the unit and have everything remembered as the way I had it yesterday. No more wasting time loading.
Last edited by Ill-Green on Wed Mar 04, 2009 9:07 pm, edited 2 times in total.
By bedouin Wed Mar 04, 2009 9:01 pm
Buy a mixer :)

Seriously though, this is one of the reasons I work with an MPC and not with software samplers. Playing around with records and seeing what might or might not work, even doing primitive chops over beats is great.
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By Ill-Green Wed Mar 04, 2009 11:08 pm
I just wanted to make a thread to give reason, to Akai, why we would like to have the open source or create a new OS. Continue that thread if you want. I gave my two cents.
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By robthom Wed Mar 04, 2009 11:34 pm
Ill-Green wrote:I just wanted to make a thread to give reason, to Akai, why we would like to have the open source or create a new OS. Continue that thread if you want. I gave my two cents.


Either one is fine with me, as long as we have one.
I was thinking maybe we should pin one at the top like the bug report thread.
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By robthom Wed Mar 04, 2009 11:41 pm
bedouin wrote:
2) Remember the last used BPM on start up instead of just defaulting to 120 (I can count the number of times I've made a beat in the 120 BPM range on one hand, though I understand there's plenty of other people who do it regularly).


A sticky memory would be useful for a lot of functions to help smooth and quicken the work flow.
I just set my user default to 102 since thats around my alley.
By Emilie Thu Mar 05, 2009 6:25 am
bedouin wrote:
eimer wrote:External Source/Audio Thru: ability to play a beat and the input signal at the same time.


You can do that already. When you're in record mode just hit play. You can even record while monitoring.


Yes, but you cannot get it to work with the fx, and when you are in record mode you cannot use "the rest" of the MPC at the same time. So for live use it doesn't

diggin24seven wrote:
you can do both 2 and 3 already


Nope you have to POUND the pads, bot tap them.

Maybe we should move this to the
http://www.mpc-forums.com/viewtopic.php?f=26&t=98776
page.
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By inflict3 Thu Mar 05, 2009 9:41 am
i request stiffer pads, mine arent stiff enough! :lol: