MPC500 suited for university student?

i'm looking for advice from other 500 users if the MPC500 is right for me. I mainly use the MPC for chopping samples and sequencing and i'm going to university again this year to study sound engineering, which means lots of train travelling and buses and going back and forth to my 'real' home.

I own a 2500 but i'd really love a portable mpc plus i'm not in the safest place and an mpc that fits in my bag would be great! Plus it has USB and i can store my samples on my computer, which is useful. I've looked around and the cheapest i can get one for is £379 with some free sample CDs lol (not ebaying cos i don't trust it)

http://www.dv247.com/invt/35979/


whats chopping a sample like? (e.g. a drum break) I can't help as a 2500 user to look at this as a toy compared, but if i can chop samples same as and sequence and not get a cockroach of a bug first thing i'm a happy guy lol. I don't really care about the effects but would i benefit better from the Roland? Whats the sequencing like in that?

I'd like to get a 1000, but the stories of crappy pads really put me off.


or am i better just buying a used 2000?

the mpc 500 is great for portability, but there is no graphical waveform chopping, i use soundforge for all my chops then dump them into my mpc after thier chopped up.

hope that helps.

I think the onboard effects aren't that good.

People go either way with what they think of the pads, I think they're fine.

You can't beat its portability. I wouldn't trust a used 2000 more than ebay...buy a new 500 on ebay and save money...got mine for $500 USD total, that's 250 pounds or so? Cheap!

the 500 is great for wut u seem to be using it for. somethings r compatible with the 500 and 2500 with saving. chopping samples on the 500 are by ear and numbers, usually wen i use graphical waveforms i still listen to make sure its right... (dont we trust our ears more than anything else for this matter?), so honestly it hasnt really been a big difference to chop, not as bad as i thought it would be.

the 1000 isnt a bad idea but it isnt as portable. u better hav rechargable batteries ready for the 500 though if ur trying to take it places without plugs. also, the 1000 i heard only the blue one had pad problems, so maybe the black one is the real deal concerning pads. but the 500 still looks tiny, even to the 1000. the problem with the small screen isnt with editing waveforms, its about navigating wen making/editing sequences and stuff like that. i didnt notice how much the "F-buttons" helped (F1 F2 F3 etc). but i love my 500, i would love a 1000 also, both would b perfect. 1000 more for serious sessions, the 500 for wenever... serious sessions or anywhere anyime. its way easier to make a beat with the 500 laying on ur bed or sitting on a couch keeping an eye on a sportgame. thats one part i dont wanna giv up.

dont get the 2000. too little ram and other things. if ur gonna go for the 2000 get the 1000, technology has moved on a lot.

It can be done, you just need to know what to listen for and be prepared to spend a bit more time.

Seriously, if you're mostly just going to be chopping drum breaks, do it on a computer. Grab yourself as many drum breaks as you can that sound good. Choose the best 100 to 200 breaks. Spend a whole day or two just chopping and editing them on a computer. Then with a copy of Bluebox or Awave map the to the pads chromatically. Save them out as MPC programs and you'll have a library of chopped beats ready to be played as soon as you load them in that will last you for years.

Do the same with basslines, guitar riffs, horn parts etc, anything really, and you'll be able to put together tracks on the MPC even quicker.

eBay is fine as long as you're dealing with a good seller. Proper stores on there would be your best option where you can buy one new.

If you already own a 2500 I wouldn't even consider the 1000.

The 500 is MUCH more portable than the 1000. Way smaller, lighter, and runs nice and cool.


The 500 is the perfect compliment to the 2500 and the 1000.

yeah wax is right, if u got the 2500 go for the 500 then.

I'd like to get a 1000, but the stories of crappy pads really put me off.

pads on 500 are worse than on the 1K

cheers

not true, i havent had any problems with my pads on the 500. the stories for the 1000 pads is that they start breaking in a way.

try turnkey, they have 2 ex demo 500's

with warranty - £330

guesswhosback wrote:try turnkey, they have 2 ex demo 500's

with warranty - £330

given the 50 million idiots who traipse through turdkey daily smashing the shyt out of the demo models i would imageine that THESE two 500's will have BARE pad problems...

also turdkey advertise b-stock they don't have, and are the rudest most useless staff in the whole of london - quite the achievement

they that bad? ive never dealt with them in person

cant imagine theyd sell you an mpc if the pads were screwed though

turnkey=guitar center

i've recently been dealing with www.thomann.de a german site but free delivery with ups with orders over £134. they offer a 500 for £391 without RAM though, which is more than dv247. dv are offering free delivery till monday.

guesswhosback wrote:they that bad?

No. They are worse.

guesswhosback wrote:cant imagine theyd sell you an mpc if the pads were screwed though

Ha! They would sell their entire family if it helped hit their commission target.

Mr modnaR wrote:turnkey=guitar center

form everything i've read, it sure seems that way.

btw- lmfao @ "turdkey"