MPC2000XL + Mac G4

Hi all, hope you can help.. sure you can!

Just got my hands on a secondhand MPC2000XL, want to use it with logic express on my G4..

I have an EDIROL F-66 soundcard and EDIROL PCR-M30 keyboard as well in my set up and want to get the most from my kit.

What is the best way of connecting said equipment? do i need to buy midi-to-usb cable? can i save kits n samples onto the mac instead of on multi floppy? Then reload saved kits next session? etc....

At the moment i record in any drum sounds from Battery on the Mac through the soundcard, then have to edit on the MPC which is quite time consuming.. Then when finishing a beat record it back through audio out back into the Mac.

As you can probably tell i am not that tech minded?!

Any suggestions will be very appreciated!!


MuchLove. SS. X

what up. what do you have on your 2kxl? i mean is it maxed out - do you have 8 assignable outs, 32mb of ram? im guessing you only have floppy, right? first, id say upgrade that because these days you will be waiting and waiting just to load samples into your MPC and what should be only 5 minutes ends up being 20. look into an external or internal zip drive OR CF card reader.

check out scsi4samplers.com

let me know what you have on your mpc....

Hey Man,

thanks so much for your reply,

i have the 32mb but not the 8 assignable outs, i have floppy and a scsi cd rom... have found places in the US that sell the outputs upgrade but am unsure if i trust myself to fit it, do ou know of anywhere over here in the UK? I would also like to add the FX Card, but dont know if its worth doing if i can get 8 outputs into the Mac n then Logic.. Will getting a midi to usb cable help me at this moment?

Thanks again for taking some time. Much Love.

well ok. you have 32mb which is great, but dont have the 8 outs, which is a bummer, but very common. id say DONT get the FX card and just save your money for the 8 outs. the FX card is only a few effects when you already have a computer AND a DAW (logic express) to put effects on your sounds once they are recorded.

as for swapping the floppy for something better i dont know whats out in UK, but im sure you'll find something. i switched my floppy to an internal 250mb zip drive. its a quick and pretty easy modification that i did and i dont think im that crafty. i got all the parts and instructions from JD @ scsiforsamplers.com for $60!

so for now id say use your MAIN outs on your MPC to record. so to do this its simply INs to OUTs. put your outs on your MPC to the INs on your Edirol. if you have a mixer it would be good to put that in between the two, but if you dont the pre amps on the edirol i think would work fine. im pretty sure that has enough inputs right? two on the front and a few in the back? so, you can only record two at a time (Right and Left can be 1 & 2), but it will get your material on your computer where your can have much much more room to tweak your song and etc.

hope this helps and good luck!