Exchange tips and tricks for the Akai MPC4000
By Altopiano Fri Apr 09, 2004 5:34 pm
… or at least give some advice?

listen fellers!

no fun at all this time!

i really love the 4k! it’s the centre of my setup and music makin! A so called essential! basically every sound (synth, guitars, percussions, voices, whatever …) is running at least once through my mixer, gets some eq’s, then some fx’s and gets resampled in the 4k! the mixers main or sub outs are always connected to the mpc’ rec in!

now listen at this! a few days ago i ve disconnected the whole setup and when taking out the cables from my rec in the top part of the cable just didn’t come out with the rest and since then sticks in there! … and initially i was laughin …!!! Well now i have a broken cable more (which isn’t actually a problem) and … can u believe it … a beautiful sampler which is set to sample at 96khz, 24bit resolution and can’t actually record one single sound!!!

… well at least I can bang some beats out to keep my anger down!

and in the past days i ve really tried in several ways to get the **** out there, opened the mpc to see whether i can reach the bloody slot from inside but really there is no way to get it! Anything similar ever happened to some of you guys?

i really think now that i have to bring the mpc back to an akai dealer/support! … and i really don’t want to! So if anyone has a suggestion, trick, ….or wants just to **** about the world or whatever … let me know!

… meanwhile have fun with your 4k and bangin beaz!

alto
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By dudum Fri Apr 09, 2004 6:57 pm
what kind of termination is it?

i run 1/4" mono instrument cables into it and have had to really work to get the thing unplugged, but it comes clean each time > i thought this was cause it serves as dual input <mic or line> but your story has me hesitant on running RCA.

i'm sure the input is something easy enough for the pros to service but that sucks man, sorry.
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By BeBop Sat Apr 10, 2004 3:37 pm
Pain Alto -

Sorry bro-

Bop

By Altopiano Sat Apr 10, 2004 3:47 pm
hy dudum

i run ordinary instrument cables through it! should be 1/4 instrument cables (jack cables)! ... well i used to! currently i sample through the phono ins ... works aright but its less fun! and probably in future i'll get some xlr cables to avoid such **** (think others call em mic cables!)

can u tell me what RCA is (sorry ... my english!)?

and thanx man for your response! and i tell ya ... it really sucks!

still :lol:

alto

By Altopiano Sat Apr 10, 2004 4:40 pm
BeBop wrote:Pain Alto -

Sorry bro-

Bop


hahaha .... nice one!

cheers bop

alto
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By dudum Mon Apr 12, 2004 3:43 pm
so the whole jacket removed from the sleeve, the plug stayed but the wired pulled loose?

RCA's the stereo cable running A/V gear.

http://www.angelfire.com/bug/dudum/rca.jpg


didn't know if you were running a turntable or mixer into it, wondering the gauge of the wire more than anything cause i've been a little hesitant about hooking up a Kaoss pad to the input cause the cables are so darn tight with the instrument cables...

By Altopiano Mon Apr 12, 2004 5:05 pm
hy duduum!

thanx for translating RCA! yeah that's what i use meanwhile! running from my mixers mani out to the RCA rec in! works actually great as well! only problem is that usin jack cables i can run the sound out of my mixer in different points: sub outs, main outs, .... whereas i just got one rca main out! ... but hold on i could get some converter plugs! yeah man thats it! even this minor problem solved now!

fellers i m now writin whilst thinkin so i hope its not gettin confusin but now that i found a way around my prob i got a new question: i actually didn't notice much difference in the sound quality between those RCA in's and the line/mic in's! does anyone actually know what is the best (meaning cleanest) way to sample sounds? through line in, mic in (xlr - have never tried that!) or the rca in? as mentioned i can't actually notice a difference between the rca in's and the line in's? ... but at the moment i also can't directly compare it since my line ins are still fakked up! maybe someone else knows or wants to try it and let me know?

and bro's, even though your response didn't help me to get my $hit plug out of my rec in's i much appreciate your response

and to keep in mind: the 4k is a great piece of gear! even though one feature is fakked up you can always use many many others! have fun with it! :lol:

alto
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yo

By binger0 Mon Apr 12, 2004 5:51 pm
Turn it off and get some tweezers and pull that **** outta there. You might scratch it up but whatever. I dont know if this is what the problem is. Can you descibe it alittle better. From what I gather, you pluged it into the inputs and pulled it out and the cable broke and left the plug in there?
By Altopiano Tue Apr 13, 2004 2:45 pm
binger0 wrote:Turn it off and get some tweezers and pull that **** outta there. You might scratch it up but whatever. I dont know if this is what the problem is. Can you descibe it alittle better. From what I gather, you pluged it into the inputs and pulled it out and the cable broke and left the plug in there?


yo bingerO

yoo understood right! i usually sample(d) through external fx's, my mixers sub outs, its main outs, my guitar amplifiers out, ...! either way their out is connected to my 4k's line in with two 1/4 ordinary instrument (jack) cables such as you can see at (first pic for example)

http://www.onlinerock.com/mf_store/dj/i ... _4_Cables/

... silver ones and slightly less expensive!

What happened? disconnecting them from my rec in one of the cables broke and since then stucks in there! ... not the whole cable just the top part beyond the ring (1/2 a cm probably!)! well then i ve messed with tweezers for hours, opened the 4k to see whether i can reach the bloody slot from inside and borought from my neighbour (he is an electrician) some special pillars to get the shyt out there but it's impossible! i'll turn it in soon and let repair it from an akai dealer! that means a 300 km trip from home, let the 4k there, pick it up once it is repaired ... and simply sucks, cause it will take weeks if not months!

anyhow! meanwhile i have the 4k still here and try to work around my prob! using RCA cables works great for me as well! i never used them before, and my impression is that the sample quality is the same as before! but i can't actually compare it, cause the line in is fakked up! ... and since there are several ways to sample (line, mic, rca) i wonder which is the best way (meaning cleanest sound!), cause in future i'll probably get some xlr (mic) ones to avoid that such shyt happens again!

so if anyone knows which cables are best to use regarding sound quality (is there a difference at all?) let me know please!!

and while i turn it in have fun with your mpc and knock out some beaz for me aswell

cheers and :lol:

alto
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By crisb1000 Sun Apr 25, 2004 7:27 pm
rca's are old radio standard connectors, but in the MPC's case, they have a phono stage specifically for decks and operate at a different level . if they sound ok then great , but they are probably adding low level distortion and humm.
My line in's are tight, sticky buggers too, but chuck back my leads when i want them to .
Ive opened up my unit to install ram/cd etc. and you maybe able to access the trs jack connectors from the inside by lifting the tip connection.
Be careful to aviod touching all the delicate stuff and watch the ribbon cable connecting the screen, as i had to get mine looked at once for a dodgy connection.
a sheet showing haw to unscrew the MPC is on the akai download website.
you could probably pull them out forcibly without irrepairably damaging the unit.
good luck

JB
By Altopiano Sun Apr 25, 2004 11:50 pm
crisb1000 wrote: and watch the ribbon cable connecting the screen, as i had to get mine looked at once for a dodgy connection.

JB


... too late man! i've already disconnected that one! man what a :shock: :shock: :shock: facing that black screen!!!

anyhow thanx for your advice crisb!

... the bloody plug still stucks in there! in the past weeks i ve limited myself to sample from the internal cdrw! ... now i definately have to bring it to someone who is able to take the shyt outthere! ... i won't be in the modd to do it on my own! its to riskfull! ... i'm just a bit lazy and at the moment i really don't want to not have it here!

cheers

alto