starting to really like the 500 but....

That seems strange.

Have you tried swapping the inputs on the mixer from the PC soundcard and MPC around, to see if it is a problem with the mixer channel.

Are you comparing similar (or exactly the same) sorts of sounds between the PC soundcard and MPC when comparing levels? As different types of sounds will give different meter readings, depending on things like the frequency content of the sound.

It doesn't seem that it would be a problem with the MPC outputs.

What sort of mixer are you using, and when you say that the MPC signal is in the yellow on the mixer while the PC soundcard is in the green, are you checking this on individual channel meters on the mixer, or on the mixer main stereo meters, or by pressing a PFL button on each channel when checking the level on the meters?

He's right guys.

The main outs on the 500 are a lot lower than the 2500's.I did a test with both units Master levels at -6db and the exact same sequences. The 500 plays at -20db(green zone) while the 2500 plays at +7db(yellow zone) I'm not sure about the headphone jack of the 500 seeing as I do not have the appropriate cables.

Man that sinks sampie, you'll just have to find some sort of work around for this. I'm not sure what kind of results the headphone jack will yield but it's worth a try.If you don't get better results I think I would just use the stereo outs to the the best of my ability by doing the appropriate mixing.

The difference in output level between the MPC500 and MPC2500 sounds about right according the the specs on the Akai website.

It lists the MPC2500 as having a Max Output Level of +22dBu, while the MPC500 output says it has a Max Output Level +5dBu. So a difference in specifications of 17dBu in their Max. Output Levels. The extra 10dBu may be to do with other settings in the MPCs.

I guess the difference is due to the need for the MPC500 to run on battery power, so less Max Output Level would equal less power drawn from the batteries.

Still, as long as the mixer has a gain control on the channel you are plugging into, and you are setting the gain control to give a good level into the mixer from the MPC500, then this shouldn't be an issue.

I still don't understand why sampie's PC Soundcard sounds louder through the mixer than the MPC500, when the mixer levels show the MPC500 should be louder than the PC Soundcard. This doesn't seem to me like it would be caused by a low output from the MPC500.

^^Ok thanks for clearing that up.

Oh one more thing...

Sampie, with the mpc 500's Master volume at 0db and the channel on the mixer turned up all the way(+15db)it looks like the 500's output level is just about the same as the 2500's at 0db on the mixer.

So probably pretty close to spot on to the 17dBu difference in Max Output Level in the Akai listed specs of the two MPCs.

Well I'm think so , but the 2500 Master volume is still at -6db.

thanks Upright and Simon. I knew i wasnt buggin out. As far as my pc souncard i just tested it the same way Upright tested the 2500 against the 500.

its all good though i still am lovin the 500. I am gonna try to get a jack to go from the phones out to my mixer just to see if that helps.

Keep us posted on the results, whether good or bad.