looking into buying an XL...help me out

Im thinking of buying a 2000XL off eBay sometime in the near future, and I realize that the XL has a bunch of stuff that can be added on, etc. and so i dont want to get ripped off...so im asking you guys for some help here

1) which works best (in terms of workflow, ease of use)...a card reader or the zip drive for floppies?

2) what is the latest/or best OS available for the XL?


and what are the other important things to know before buying a used 2000XL?

thanks guys, im gonna appreciate this a bunch

DPM wrote:Im thinking of buying a 2000XL off eBay sometime in the near future, and I realize that the XL has a bunch of stuff that can be added on, etc. and so i dont want to get ripped off...so im asking you guys for some help here

1) which works best (in terms of workflow, ease of use)...a card reader or the zip drive for floppies?

It depends on your workflow.

What types of media do you use when making music?

Use whatever makes the most sense to you. Files can also be stored on external SCSI drives (CD-ROM/Hard Drives) to use with the MPC 2000XL so if your unit won't be out of the studio much, you can consider those types of storage types as well.

DPM wrote:2) what is the latest/or best OS available for the XL?

If you are using Zip or floppy drives, the version you need is 1.14. If you are using an internal card reader, you need 1.20. Both of these OS versions are available at the akaipro website for free download.

DPM wrote:and what are the other important things to know before buying a used 2000XL?

The LCDs are notorious for developing lines in the display and becoming useless over time. There are currently no "new" replacement LCDs available for the 2000XL. However, you can pull them from other machines (MPC 2000 or MPC 2000XL) or from Z4 or Z8 samplers or DPS12s.

A forum member is working on getting a compatible LCD manufactured, but I would wait to see the availability of these screens before buying a MPC 2000XL with a bad LCD to fix yourself.