MPC 500 good learning tool?

Hi guys, very new to the whole MPC scene, looking in to buying my first at the moment. Apologies if this is the millionth time this has been asked. I'm on a tight budget (who isn't) and want to get an MPC just to mess around on and maybe make a few beats and chop up some samples etc.

Anyway, would the MPC500 be a good starting point? I've read quite a bit about it and I know its smaller, only 12 pads, less sample capacity, OS is worse etc than the 1k, but the 500 is 2/3 of the price.

I will probably be getting one from ebay, so wouldnt stand to lose much hopefully if I use it for a while then sell it to upgrade.

Does this sound like a good idea?

FearnDogg wrote:Hi guys, very new to the whole MPC scene, looking in to buying my first at the moment. Apologies if this is the millionth time this has been asked. I'm on a tight budget (who isn't) and want to get an MPC just to mess around on and maybe make a few beats and chop up some samples etc.

Anyway, would the MPC500 be a good starting point? I've read quite a bit about it and I know its smaller, only 12 pads, less sample capacity, OS is worse etc than the 1k, but the 500 is 2/3 of the price.

I will probably be getting one from ebay, so wouldnt stand to lose much hopefully if I use it for a while then sell it to upgrade.

Does this sound like a good idea?

Its like Ansel Adams once said. The best camera is sometimes the one thats with you. there is a lot to be said for banging out beats anywhere you go. Take your time. try to find one in the box. keep it well under $300 before shipping.

taking your time is good advice... don't be in a rush to get one asap at any cost.

the 500 is a great little unit - and you get a lot of bang for your buck!



i don't know where you are, or what type of budget you have...
but over here the 1000 is not much more than the 500.
there's maybe 100£ difference?

and you do get the extra pads ... blah blah

http://www.akaipro.com/MPC_Comparison_Chart.pdf

viewtopic.php?t=61144


If you're buying with a view to upgrading once you've mastered then i would say it might be savvy to push the boat out and pick up the 1K .

both units are bonza tho...

if you're just looking for a box to assign samples to pads for basic use and sequences, then get a mpc500... if you're seriously interested in learning a machine inside and out and accomplishing much more with it... and using it as the main piece of a midi setup as well, then just dish out the extra $100 for an mpc1000... the 1000 can accomplish a lot more than the 500.

Thanks for the feedback. I'm in the UK too, and from completed ebay listings I've worked out its roughly £200 for a 500 and £300 for a 1k. Think I'm going to go for the 500 and just have some fun with it, not in a rush to buy though so I will wait for a decent deal to crop up. Thanks again!

Ditto... if the price difference in your area is that small, I'd save up for the 1000 also. That is, if the features are ones you'd like to have.

u ever make a beat b4? u should have a basic idea of what ur tryin to do and how ur gonna do b4 u go out of ur way and out of ur pocket and dive into buyin something. u can find the 500 for like 300 -400 bills...same with the 1000...the mpc 1ooo offers alot of control and i mean alot of control
ive used other programs b4 and its all there pretty much
it all depends on prefrence and budget

what r u trying to do?

The 500 is a capable device, but if its your first MPC or sampler, then you'll have an uphill hurdle to overcome. It was really made for the MPC veteran in mind that need portability. If you can wrap your head around it, you'll find how powerful the little thing is. It does lack features that its big brothers possess, but it can do all those features with a bit of ingenuity and tricks, such as Non-destructive Chop; by copying a sample to numerous pads and adjusting the start and end points of each, you now got yourself NDC feature that most MPC fanboys crave from JJOS

1000 would be a good choice or if you don't mind going backwards, the 2000XL would be a good learning field, its the most fun of the MPCs.

I dunno if it was made for MPC veterans. I started with the 500 and it was easy to learn. Once i moved on to the bigger models i felt right at home. MPC's are all very similar (at least regarding basic concept and functions).

Yes, i think it's a good learning tool, and the cheapest way to get your hands on an MPC and find out if you like the hardware/sampler approach for beat making.

htfr.com has the mpc500 for £325 including free 2-day postage to your door, so if you're opting for anything used compare it to the prices on htfr. it's the cheapest i've found from a retailer. mpc1000 is £479 new. I wouldn't buy a used 500 for anything more than about £220 max.

i started with a mpc 500, and swtiched to jjos 2xl very easily, although, when i look back on it, i wish i would have just started with a 1k or 2500.