A few questions from a potential new MPC1000 user.

I have found lots of anwers to my questions in the MPC1000 manual and on this forum but I just wanted to confirm a few things before I bought one.

1 - blue mpc1000s all have low quality pads, MPC1000BK is kind of unclear and MPC1000BK-N is high quality pads?

2 - can I upgrade to the jj os from ANY official version of the offical akai firmware?

3 - this is kind of a dumb question but please indulge me, I have never used a hardware sampler/sequencer before, only software based ones. The mpc1000 manual says I get 100,000 events ,99 sequences and 64 tracks but I am assuming that this refers only to the internal memory and I can back up as many events/sequences and track on my CF card/internal HD, PC provided I have the capacity?

4 - I plan to pick up an alesis micron which I would like to control using the MPC1000. Provided I hook up the midi cables correctly, can I play whatever I want on the Micron (including pitchbends/filters etc whatever the micron can send as midi data) record the midi data on the mpc1000 and play the midi data back as part of my song? Again, please forgive me but midi/hardware sequencers are totally new to me and while I found alot of great info here and I am 70 percent sure the micron/mpc1000 play nice together some of the terminology is a little confusing for a beginner and just wanted to be sure.

5 - Finally, I have read that the mpc1000 will work as a USB mass storage device but the manual only mentions MAC and PC for this function I am a linux user and I am assuming that if the MPC1000 is a generic USB device it will work just fine?

I am sorry if I missed the answers to any of the above but there is a hell of a lot to learn and just wanted to double check these points. Thanks alot!

1- yes
2- yes, i'm 99% sure you can.
3- yes, you can store millions. also, jjos increases limit to 300,000 notes.
4- yes, you can record midi on the mpc/play back from the micron. yes, i've heard they play real nice.
5- yes, generic midi device.

a whole wheelbarrow full of yes

I have a black MPC that is only 5 months or so old & it is BK & not BK-N.
It could have set on the shelf, but it is from Guitar Center.
The pads feel pretty good to me. I like the old pads of the 3000 better, but because of size.
They seem to be about the same response wise.
I don't know w/o taking mine apart. I wish there was a clear cut answer for this, because I've heard of -N models having old pads. I'm about to sell myine, so I just wanted to know for sure before I make the listing.

^^
Are you using Ubuntu Studio?
I can't seem to get the proper sound out of my sound cards, so I retuned to Windows for my studio PC.
I even made a driver for a Creative card, but I'm an owner of some nice M-Audio stuff.
I can capture into my Audigy 24/96, but I having to dumb down my 16 channel mixing console into a single 1/8 inch 3.5.
I fianlly grabbed a driver for my best M-Audio, but it doesn't work ASIO or at 24 bits like it should.
Linux has been pissing me off lately.
Sorry to answer ?'s w/ more ?'s. I'm fed w/ Linux, but if ya'll know of some good pro drivers link me up.
Your friend Dimitri... j/k

Thanks very much for the help NYM, I shall start looking,

Big Larry, I was using Ubuntu Studio but apart from the pre installed software and the low latency kernel it is more or less the same as standard Ubuntu. I actually use and ubuntu derivative called http://www.linuxmint.com/ which I love because everything I own (except my wireless card) worked out of the box including me Edirol UA-25 audio capture/midi card.