MPC for Rock

I would say 400-550 at most...I would be really stretching my dollar at 600, it would have to be mint condition with all upgrades...also at 600 you only $200 away from 2500...recently folloed ebay auction 2500 sold for $725 with few options

stay away from blue 1000, unless they have pad replacment kit installed already...there is no way of telling by just looking at the picutres...but if that's all you got to work with then pads were replaced if they're other color than gray...also stay away from black 1000 with silver back panel where all the I/Os are...this model is the same as blue and needs a pad replacement kit.

it is very important to make sure to get the 'updated' pads.

and i dont mean like a sensitivity upgrade... the entire pad mechanism needs to be replaced. i think as time goes by more and more 1000s have had this done, as the first generation pads just die out. so chances are a 'used' mpc 1000 might already have this done. BE SURE though.

a little history, the original 1000s came with pads that were like, 'separate'....each pad was it's own little device. they then changed it to a mechanism where there is one big 'plate' that all the pad sensors sit on (like all other mpcs).

it was only an issue with the 1000, but it's a necessary fix.

TheMadHatter wrote:Im going to go for a used MPC1000 as a 1k is a little more than I can spend right now.

What does a used MPC1000 generally go for?(In decent condition) Looking online I see anywhere from 350-600.
The blue ones always seem to be cheaper, are they an older model?

I am generally against used but the Tascam I bought at a pawn shop for 79 was in perfect condition. Sometimes I will record a guitar track, play it through my PA, and jam on drums along with it. Its a great tool for writing/messing around. I love the warmth of tape and vinyl.

and yea my intentions are to use it as a drum machine/tool. Like the links I posted above, I like the trashy acoustic samples arranged in a way that somebody normally wouldn't play drums.

Buy a used MPC, but have patience. If you live near a big city, you can get a new model MPC 1000, in new condition (including box and manuals with plastic still on the screen) for between $400-500. But you have to take your time. There are a ton of people selling "like new" older models where the old pad designed pads are failing. That upgrade to the newer model pad sensors will set you back about another $200 bucks.

All blue models that have not been upgraded separately will have the old pad design. My understanding is that all black model MPCs with the black back panel have the new pad sensor design. But you should check yourself if possible. You can do this by taking the edge of the pad and pulling it slightly. If the next pad over pulls with it, it's the newer design. If it doesn't then it may be the older design.

Finally, don't let anyone try to convince you that the upgraded memory is worth all that much. There are tons of models of 256MB ram that work, and non of it is that expensive. I see craigslist ads all the time where the seller thinks the memory and a 2GB CF card are worth an extra hundy, and it's BS.

So, $400-$500 (big city or ebay). New pads. And if the seller still has the box and manuals, then it is an indicator that they took care of the machine a little better.

Hope this helps.

Alright I will keep that in mind there are several used MPC1000s in the used section of guitar center. Unfortunately most of them don't show the back panel, but there is a number to request additional information.

TheMadHatter wrote:Alright I will keep that in mind there are several used MPC1000s in the used section of guitar center. Unfortunately most of them don't show the back panel, but there is a number to request additional information.

It used to be that GC used prices on MPCs were just ridiculously high. But these days I occasionally find a decent unit for a decent price. Make sure you know the basics though because they generally can't answer any questions. Make them turn it on and check the memory and OS yourself if possible. If it's got a paid JJOS and the memory expansion, you've scored. The benefit with GC is that you have 30 days to return the unit for any reason. This gives you plenty of time to bang on it and try to find problems.

yea amen, its still on you to do the research if you get from guitar center. they probably might not have any idea what the pad upgrade is and will tell you 'oh yea its got all the upgrades' just to sell it to you.

but its true lately i have been hearing not so bad things about used gear they sell, so you could be lucky.

Yea I wont ask them about any upgrades as they probably wont even know, but I can do a quick check over the phone and see what color the back panel is. Before I buy ill check out the return policy to make sure I can return it if its faulty.

Man im excited its gonna be my bday present to myself lol

fyi a well known user around here is selling one on ebay at a good price
viewtopic.php?f=12&t=148341

is this ok to post? its not my auction....mods feel free to remove.

besides what's already been said, once you got the unit in front of you its good idea to make sure all buttons work, same goes for outputs, and record in

tapedeck wrote:fyi a well known user around here is selling one on ebay at a good price
viewtopic.php?f=12&t=148341

is this ok to post? its not my auction....mods feel free to remove.

hellfire is solid, and that's good price for fully expanded unit

Have you considered an acoustic drum simulation nthing, like Addictive Drums, Superior Drummer, BFD, and so on? These are PC programs with very complicated and articulate drum samples built in, and if you want realism from your drums, these cannot be beaten. Many of these programs also come with midi drum loops recorded by professional drummers, which is a very valuable resource too. So, if blues and rock drumming is what you are after, I'd recommend these, and the MPC is definitely the wrong tool for the job. Running the above mentioned software through some distortion or overdrive should get you the sounds mentioned in the original post and with a lot less trouble.

I don't have a laptop that I could use, just one computer halfway across the house. I am more inclined towards hardware. Im not just going for the trashy acoustic samples, I would like to incorporate some techno sounding rhythms. Maybe something like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTHslukHBoU
Ive never messed with an mpc before so I am sure there is things that ill end up doing that I dont particularly have in mind. One time I went outside and recorded the whippoorwills and used it as a background to a blues jam.

I get a check in this week which will pay for most of it, I guess im going to call them, see what the color of the back panel is, and have them do the pad test to see if the others move when one is moved. Ill find out the return policy that away if they lie ill send it back lol

This video is for the OP.

http://www.mpchunter.com/videos/stay-de ... -mpc-4000/

It's a cover of a rock song by Black Sabbath, I think dude did pretty well demonstrating the versatility of the MPC.

TheMadHatter wrote:I don't have a laptop that I could use, just one computer halfway across the house. I am more inclined towards hardware. Im not just going for the trashy acoustic samples, I would like to incorporate some techno sounding rhythms. Maybe something like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTHslukHBoU
Ive never messed with an mpc before so I am sure there is things that ill end up doing that I dont particularly have in mind. One time I went outside and recorded the whippoorwills and used it as a background to a blues jam.

well, i totally agree that the MPC is a lot more inspiring and fun to play with

clint246clint wrote:This video is for the OP.

http://www.mpchunter.com/videos/stay-de ... -mpc-4000/

It's a cover of a rock song by Black Sabbath, I think dude did pretty well demonstrating the versatility of the MPC.

That was pretty cool, I like how the MPC, especially in The Kills shows how a rock band can incorporate a drum machine and get sounds that they otherwise couldnt get with an acoustic drummer. Also even if acoustic samples are used there are ways that a drum machine can be played that someone wouldn't even think about on an acoustic set.

Im generally against computers/ anywhere that things can get too easy. I believe ease of use is a big destroyer of creativity, some of the best ideas can come out of sitting in the middle of a room with a notebook.

I got my check so its mpc shopping time.