Compatibility with other MPCs?

I'm still trying to figure out the best way I can create a sound library that will work with the MPC500 and other MPCs including my MPC4000. The MPC4000 programs are in the AKP format like the S6/5000, Z8/4, not PGM. I can only seem to get this into the MPC500 by doing a conversion using the Blue Box software. It's a fair amound of effort.

Worse still, the 12 pads make it difficult too. The midi notes of the pads on my MPC4000 in the first 4 banks match up with the MPC500's midi mapping on the pads, but minus the 4 pads down the right hand side of the MPC4000's pads. I guess this makes sense, but I'd prefer the first 3 banks of the 4000 to match the 500's 4 banks. It's confusing..

Yeah that does sound confusing. That's weird because the 2500 gives me the first 3 banks. Like you said maybe it has something to do with you running it through blue box.

Regarding the 500 compatability with other mpcs.
I haven't managed to make the mpc 500 work together with my mpc 2000xl. It dosent even read the snd/wave files on the mpc2000xl flash disk. The problem is that My flash card in the mpc2kxl is full with names going over the 8 character limit so I don't dare to export them to a computer...

Yeah, I guess it's just a matter of setting up sounds on each machine. Good to know the 2500 has the first 3 bank compatibility, as I think is the same as the 1000.