Exchange tips and tricks for the Akai MPC4000
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By pk1 Sat Dec 07, 2013 6:14 pm
title says it all.. anybody know the last OSX that works with this? anybody have this working with mavericks?

thanks
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By Coz Sun Dec 08, 2013 7:43 am
Snow Leopard was the last officially supported OS before Apple dropped Rosetta. The foolproof way to get AKsys working effectively on a Mac is to install Windows XP using VMware or Parallels.
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By Metatron72 Sun Dec 08, 2013 8:09 am
Coz wrote:Snow Leopard was the last officially supported OS before Apple dropped Rosetta. The foolproof way to get AKsys working effectively on a Mac is to install Windows XP using VMware or Parallels.


This method is far superior than trying to do it on a Windows 7 64 Ultimate Bootcamp install and MS's virtual XP mode. The emulated USB driver just is a mess. You can seldom copy more than 6 files at a time without crashing the AkSys.
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By SimonInAustralia Sun Dec 08, 2013 8:21 am
Metatron72 wrote:This method is far superior than trying to do it on a Windows 7 64 Ultimate Bootcamp install and MS's virtual XP mode. The emulated USB driver just is a mess. You can seldom copy more than 6 files at a time without crashing the AkSys.

Any solid way to get it working under Windows 7?

Picked up a broken Z8 for $150, apparently it doesn't respond to some front panel buttons on the remote, and from the editor, or something like that, so I would like to test it out...
AKAI Z8 sampler

80 gig HD
512 MB ram

All components work other than something is funny with the front panel talking to the unit, this is not the remote panel being faulty as it works on another machine
The editor program will load save and audition samples but you cant use the buttons for the virtual remote panel (using the editor) go figure.

So selling for parts


Is AkSys the same version for the Z8 as well as the MPC4000?
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By Metatron72 Sun Dec 08, 2013 9:27 am
Windows 7? No not really. On a 32 bit install you don't need to resort to XP mode (again only available on Ultimate 7) the 32 bit OS can run the old 32 bit AkSys USB driver.

But the results are the same. Anything over 6 files could be a crash as the USB driver constantly loses sync. And by 6 files I mean even 6 snares. Full loops are even more of an adventure.

So on Windows your best bet is to just keep a XP laptop or tower handy. Everything works fine on a true XP installation. At least you can get a PC like that for $20 bucks at a yard sale.
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By pk1 Mon Dec 09, 2013 7:14 pm
thanks fellas. i do have my old HP laptop with xp on it. so if the usb driver is an issue. can you just save work to a folder and transfer files with usb stick.
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By Metatron72 Mon Dec 09, 2013 9:05 pm
Yeah the USB stick/external FAT formatted HDD option is always there too. For copying data in you just have to limit it to ~500MB if your machine is maxed and save to the internal HDD.

Your XP will be 32 bit, nobody used XP x64 really, so you'll be fine on the USB driver. It's 32 bit Windows 7 that doesn't play nice with it.
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By Mike Boogie Tue Dec 10, 2013 2:04 am
Metatron72 wrote:Windows 7? No not really. On a 32 bit install you don't need to resort to XP mode (again only available on Ultimate 7) the 32 bit OS can run the old 32 bit AkSys USB driver.

But the results are the same. Anything over 6 files could be a crash as the USB driver constantly loses sync. And by 6 files I mean even 6 snares. Full loops are even more of an adventure.

So on Windows your best bet is to just keep a XP laptop or tower handy. Everything works fine on a true XP installation. At least you can get a PC like that for $20 bucks at a yard sale.


I use VMWare with XP on my Win7 Ultimate 64-bit install. Works just about perfect... I think virtualbox may work just as well.