dilemma: first mpc, 1000 or 2000, or other?

DISCLAIMER: DON'T TELL ME TO READ OTHER TOPICS!
I read ALL topics here and other forums about that stuff and I havent found enough precise infos, so please either answer, or skip this topic
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Ok, I'll try to be thoro and hope the answers will be, as well
I don't know what mpc to buy!
I'm buying an mpc but but I'm stick with some doubts. Here some guidelines on how it has to be:
-cheap: not over 400 euros (i live in europe)
-STANDALONE, absolutely: I just want to hook up my turntable, sample, work, sequence, and output my complete beat after my work (thru a soundcard to my computer, I guess).

Keep in mind I'd only produce hiphop, and I love eastcoast 90's sound (I'd buy an mpc60 or sp1200 but they're too costy).

I exclude a priori mpc500.

So the remaining are: mpc1000, mpc2000, mpc2000 xl.
But again for the price factor, I'd exclude XL.

I'm stuck between 1000 and (plane)2000. I have the possibility to get them for the same price, 400 euro (=500 usd.. those stuff here is a little more expensive than in U.S...).

Common sense would lead me to purchase mpc1000, cause it's newer, right?
But it's more complicated.
If I wanted perfection and quality in working, i'd use Pro Tools, Reason, and a midi controller. And, I'd feel like I'm producing Lady Gaga.

I want to buy an mpc cause I want the mpc feeling, the "mpc experience"; it's a matter of history and aesthetic of the gear. I don't need it for working, I want it for fun, and using a big oldschool gear like the big 2000 would be totally more fun.

But again, I don't want to spend that much money on something purely aesthetic. I want to be able to work on it as well.

So please tell me:
-Is the mpc2000 prone to problems, like the screen going blank, pads slipping off, floppy drive **** up? is there a way to prevent them to do so? Is it a pain in the ass to fix those?
-Is working on the mpc2000 that slow and boring and frustrating? (I don't need it to be immediate either, but hey, If it takes 10 minutes to load or edit a sample, I think I'll drop it).
-Is the mpc2000 a standalone gear, obviously w/out counting sampling sources?
-Would you overall suggesting me to buy it? Or you would go for the soul-less, plastic mpc1000?


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I like to open up my possibilities so I thought also a different setup. I can find s950 and similar stuff (12-bit akai s-series samplers) for cheap. Then again I ask:

-Is a workstation made with controller/sequencer/s950 easy to set up and use, or it's pro stuff I shouldnt begin with?
-And in case, what controller/sequencer would you suggest? Is there something that would do both? I've thought of an mpc500 (cheap as well: I can get mpc500 + s950 for again 400 euro circa). Keep in mind that since here i'd have the legendary 950, controller and sequencer could be cheap and not brilliant stuff



Thanks for your attention. Anyway, If you have other suggestions I'm open to that! Just keep in mind that I look for
-oldschool flava
-cheapest stuff
-funcionality

I know those imply limitations but they dont matter, as soon as I'm able to produce something without losing hours waiting for it to work. Even if i have to use floppies, have max mono sampling time of 5s ecc... I always felt like limitations boost my creativity it just have to work properly.

Thank you again guys hope I'll be able to help me out! peace!

2000 clasic all the way, that was my first mpc and i absolutely love it.

well.. the 1000 is newer, it can have 128mb of sample time RAM... it has the ability to run the famous JJOS which costs extra, but it adds a plethora of features.... and recently MPC stuff designed a new huge LCD screen like the 4000/5000 has and JJOS made a new special OS to make use of the extra screen real estate. the 1000 comes with a CF card reader for saving projects.


So the 1000 would be the more capable machine. Here is where it can fall short. The 1000 had a pad problem on the first release. The red and blue (and early black) machines came with a defective pad design that fails easily... an upgrade was offered for like 200 dollars to fix the issue... and the newer black models came with this upgrade right from the company. If the 1000 you have the chance to buy doesn't have the upgrade... you will need to buy that. The 1000 has an additional 4 outputs which allow you to separate tracks for recording into a computer or multi track recorder, etc.. the 2000 can have an additional 8 outputs if you have the expansion.

the 2000 has it's issues too. It requires a floppy disk or scsi device with the OS to be inserted when you power on the machine... this is actually not a big deal at all. The 2000 can not read folders on hard drives, zip disks, etc... so it can be tough to manage loads of files on large drives like a scsi hard drive depending on how you manage and organize your material. the 2000 has an LCD display which can suffer from lines or missing pixels... the original akai made screen can be hard to find a new one for a good price... but MPC stuff has a newly designed screen designed by envision electronics... it has it's faults but those wont get lines ever. The mpc 2000 can have a max of 32 megs of sample time ram. the mpc 2000 can use a scsi cf drive but those are very hard to find and will always be more than 150 dollars... they aren't really worth it.

so..

-ram, mpc2000 32mb, mpc1000 128mb (the 1000 can have more samples loaded)
-storage, the mpc2000 can use floppy disks or scsi devices. the 1000 uses cf cards and can use an ide hard drive
-the 2000 has full sized great pads, the 1000 has smaller pads
-the 2000 has an older fully working OS, the 1000 has a newer OS that is still being updated by JJOS but that costs extra money
-the 1000 is stuck with 4 additional outs, the 2000 comes with no additional outs unless you have the 8 outs expansion.
-the 1000 has built in effects, the 2000 has no built in effects except for a low pass filter unless you have the EB16 effects expansion.
-the 2000 has a better build quality than the 1000


Everyone will say the 1000 is way way better than the 2000... it is true. I am close to the only person on these forums who prefers the 2000 to the 1000. The only reason I like the 2000 better is because I dont need the mpc to do every complicated task known to man... I like the vibe while using the 2000...

Phra*DOC wrote:DISCLAIMER: I read ALL topics here .

Bullsh!t

mastasteez wrote:

Phra*DOC wrote:DISCLAIMER: I read ALL topics here .

Bullsh!t

+1

You'd be able to find 2KXL for 400 Euros... looking a bit more deeper. Or a 1K new pads/jjos. Check german ebay, or go local (audiofanzine.fr is your friend)

Why not a MPC500 + mpdsomething + minikp?

If you want a simple answer... there is not: you'll find your way around no matter which mpc, in about the same lapse of time.

Use MPC-Hunter website, find a good deal.
Also read all the topics on here, and take all advice with a pinch of salt. ie. not too seriously, then make up your own mind

For what your wanting todo I don't think it matters a lot, the 1k Will be more "out of the box" and In step with current hardware/software. But there is something to be said for the workflow on the older machines, not to be corny but to me it really is an experience using them.

If your just sampling from records and chopping them up, it will come down to to a few things for you IMHO. Look at the featurs of JJOS, would you use them? How do you want to organize your files? Do you mind sampling and saving each track to a floppy and saving your library that way? Or do you want to manage the sequences and samples on your computer all at once efficiently?

Like I said, if your purely just sampling and chopping pretty basic stuff then it really comes down to file/sample management and the OS features that would come from JJOS.

The reason everyone's on you to read post and get out there yourself is this shit allllllllll a matter of opinion. I can't tell you whether you'll like the workflow of an older machine more just by you throwing out some info. Even my whole post is a just a loose opinion based off some general information. My advice is find a 1k you can try and a 2k you can try bottom line.

Get the MPC1000 unless you really want that old school workflow.

Be prepared for a few headaches on the 2000 Classic.

Boot disc
Dying screens
Dying floppy drives
SCSI
Floppy discs
Optional FX
Optional individual outputs
No tilt screen on 2000 or 1000
Limited OS

Get the MPC1000 with new pad sensors + internal harddrive + JJOS = mini MPC2500.

lol @ DISCLAIMER

thanks for the advices boy!:)

you were right i'm actually scooping 2kxl's for the same prize so I guess I'll say NO to 2k!


Another question:
I would use it for beatmaking, but just to keep my options open: do I need the 8out mix optional board for using it live, or it's enough as it is? And the 2000xl would be good live or is it too slow / not reliable?

Obviously this entire question is quite common, but in the end I would always say go for the MPC1000, there are very few decent reasons to go for an XL unless you particularly crave the tilt-able screen or slightly larger pads, or need the 8 outs over 4.

On the flip side, the 1000 is just more friendly - better file management and computer compatibility, quicker loading/saving, improved OS, option of JJ, better equipped effects than the optional eb16 (IMO), lighter and compact etc etc.

Seriously, the XL is a nice piece of kit and I learnt my MPC skills on it - but, thanks for the memories, times change. Something like the 1000, while certainly not perfect, will lead to a better workflow for most people. But I think it won't hurt to try both out. But if you think the XL has a classic sound (it doesn't BTW) or just think it will inspire you more, then go for that.

But seriously, forget the 2000, that thing does my head in, just cannot be bothered with the disk management side of things.

....the scsi bus ist the main reason for not buying into the nineties machines...

if you don't have old gear anyway it's a pain in the ass....

single outputs are a must!.....on stage and in the studio anyway....

128 mb of ram is a relief.....

apart from the old i/o s and the old effect board which is much better than all fx you get in actual machines there is no reason to go backwards.....

the 2000 is out only for the reason of it's os.....

mine is not in use for a while now...and the single outs and the effectboard where so expensive back in the 90s like a complete new 1000 these days......my next one is a mpc 1000 for sure.....

best of all worlds.....and no plastic monster at all....

and by the way, screens die everywhere.....