Reviews and questions about the entry-level MPC500
By djrag Sat Apr 24, 2010 4:14 pm
Hi all,

I bought a while ago a secondhand MPC from what seemed a genuine seller....way too long ago now to kick up a fuss....

Only now with some free time from work ive been able to really sit down with it and check it out...

Firstly I recorded samples from vinyl and trimmed them and could hear them fine.

Now I have tried to assign the samples to pads in a program and cant hear them,....according to the manual, and as I remember on the 2000xl, you hear them when you press the pads - I hear nothing! and subsequently, if I try to bang out a melody in the main sequence or track mode, I hear nothing. My friend has the same model and first time I tried it on his I heard everything :-(

Can anyone let me know if this is something anyone has come across before, if its easily fixable or is there a small chance I just have some option muted or something?

Finally, anyone in the UK know a place that fixes these things?


Thanks a lot!!
By J Hill Sat Apr 24, 2010 11:51 pm
Since you bought it second hand, the previous owner(s) might have had programs created that had the pads either muted. here's what I suggest

* Hit Mode + Program and check the levels on the pads for all banks, maybe they are set to mute or low levels.

If that isnt the case and you are still not receiving sound, ensure that your mixer, audio-interface and/or monitors are hooked up correctly and is receiving power. After you trouble shoot ya box and ya equipment and it stills give you no sound then this website is a great one to goto to get your MPC repaired. My friend used them once for a MPC2000xl which was damaged and they were speedy, reliable and informative in the entire process of repair.
VST Service
By djrag Sun Apr 25, 2010 11:46 am
thanks guys, I havent really messed with mute groups before, and as the controls of the 500 are different to the 2000xl which I used briefly before Im not sure if im adjusting them correctly (trying lots of things but still getting no sound)

but anyway, if I have a program saved on flash card and I dont get sound on mine, but can on my friends, then its not the MPC that has something muted its the program saved to flash card isnt it?

Im starting to think its broken to be honest :-(

Have checked levels etc and they're all fine...tried both with headphones and through amp etc...can hear things with trim mode but not in any other :-(
By J Hill Sun Apr 25, 2010 4:39 pm
Aye try this then djrag,

If you dont mind resetting to factory default do the following.

First: Press and Hold the "ERASE/UNDO" button while turning on the MPC500
Second: Release the "ERASE/UNDO" button after the display shows [MPC500 (##MB Installed)]

Where is says (##MB Installed) it will allow you to figure out rather you have the default of 16MB Ram or 128MB Ram installed.

and you should be set back to factory settings, and then see if that doesnt fix your problem. if it doesnt then refer back to the VST site and see about getting a tech to repair

Also
Djrag wrote:if I have a program saved on flash card and I dont get sound on mine, but can on my friends, then its not the MPC that has something muted its the program saved to flash card isnt it?


No because if that same program is used one 2 separate MPC's but only 1 isn't allowing sound to be played, more than likely it isn't the Program but the actually MPC
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By 3001 Sun Apr 25, 2010 5:20 pm
yea do the reset to default, but also shouldn't he turn auto load off? just in case something's up with the flash rom?

check out if you've assigned it to drum track instead of midi track? try another unused sequence?

I really couldn't see your problem being something hardware related...it seems like it has to be software....
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By jibber Mon Apr 26, 2010 6:51 am
It's just a shot in the dark... but... Full Level Button?
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By GrassHop Thu May 06, 2010 8:05 am
jibber wrote:It's just a shot in the dark... but... Full Level Button?


lol yea I 2nd that. 9/10 times after loading a project, I forget to press "Full Level"... the 500 pads are so insensitive that you really need to slam them to hear the sound unless you have Full Level lit up.