Reviews and questions about the entry-level MPC500
By rough-mpc Tue Jan 17, 2012 11:32 pm
Hello there,

I have a big problem with my MPC 500.
If I connect it to Logic it does the weirdest things:
Sometimes starts with Logic and sometimes not at all, sometimes stops in the middle but always plays like it was totally mixed up.

I did two videos for the german distributor - maybe someone of you has a solution:
The first video is an empty Logic project with a metronome at 120 BPM.
The MPC starts and I add the metronome after 14 sec. The two metronomes should be in time but they are rather fighting agains each other. The MPC stops after a few more seconds by itself!

Second video is a song with drums (only drums activated) with easy Bass Drum in the beginning that totally falls apart after the Snare and Hi Hat start to play.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsissr52BVc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0mTcp1FZi0

This happens on my two computer setups.

An iMac with Edirol Midi Interface and a Mac Mini with Midi via Motu Traveler Interface
Mpc: 128 MB Ram - Version1.31
slave-on/soft thru-off/midi channel set in track param/
Logic 9: Transmit MIdi Clock and MMC also checked with mtc

I'm clueless - it's a brand new machine, I just got it from the distributor as an exchange for my old one that was whining like crazy.
The new one is silent but can't handle midi.
Thanks for your help!
User avatar
By bliprock Wed Jan 18, 2012 4:46 pm
Why are you sending MMC and MTC to the MPC500. Just send clock only, and the MPC is at the start of the sequence. The MPC probably stops as the sequence you are playing on the MPC is short and not looping. So it plays for two bars and stops while logic continues.
By door Fri Feb 03, 2012 10:23 pm
i'm having the exact same problem for like three years now; blamed ableton live for midi sync hickup; but won't stay in sync with the octatrack either. when it works, it's soooo lovely, but it never stays stable for more than 30min. opened it up yesterday to check the midi ports...thought they might have loosen up due to staircase scenario a while ago, but they are onboard and....hmm.....

by the way, all shops i called (in munich, germany) told me that akai likely won't be able to fix that, sooooo i never sent it in.....

on the other hand, you're the first one in all those years to adress this issue with the mpc500 online in like....ANY forum; seems to me all other mpc500s stay in sync...???

good luck anyways!