LesPasta wrote:thanks Metatron,
I ran a few searches, can't get all the info I'm looking for on the 1000:
when buying online, How do you know if the model has the stiffer, less sensitive pads ?
how do heads get by without the number pad ?
Yeah there's so many threads and many are long. Just sometimes when a comparison new thread comes up a mod will lock it, although if they do they will have the courtesy to link an older thread that has what was asked.
For online sales you'd want to see it spelled out "upgraded pads or padfix installed"
Or question the seller directly. Chances are if it's a blue and not specified they aren't installed, especially the $350-$400~ units.
If it's Akai OS you're hearing misgivings about the chopping I can't really call it, like many I haven't even seen the Akai OS in years and use JJOS2XL. The chopping on that is excellent, although I use Recycle on computer mostly.
If a 1000 has the newer pad style it's still not that great, but you do avoid the mechanical failure issues of the first version. The 1000 uniform rubber sheet pads have a gap between the sensor and the pad underside. Nym from this forum came up with the idea to apply silicone in amounts that close the gap, and then it works fine. Like $5 tubes from Home Depot he had used.
Alternative to that is the MPCStuff.com Fat Pads but those are around $40USD. They work fantastically though, and the improvement is drastic. Now my 1000 responds as well and is easier to play at different velocities as any other MPC. I can use the lightest index finger taps and corner triggering is much improved too.
So once you have all that pad stuff sorted out the only difference is really they are rectangles rather then squares and are in a smaller overall area.
Lack of a number pad isn't so bad. On a 2500 is is cool to enter values and stuff, but on the 1000 the pads themselves can be toggled to enter numbers and letters and also switch to screens and modes that have no dedicated button. Even the 2500 with more buttons uses the toggle method for a lot stuff. It's fairly intuitive and labelled pretty clearly so I'm not bothered by the lack of a number or the use of Mode button+pad to navigate.
If you see a black unit and don't know if the pads are updated the serial has an "N" added, for "New Pads". But not always. Mine had never been opened judging from the screws,. had the new pads but the "N" is nowhere on machine. Seems like it was only a few blacks that either got upgraded or were sold with the upgraded ones yet not labelled.
