FAQ Corrections

Hello, I just took a look at the faq and have some comments/corrections for it:


storage: RAM, CompactFlash & USB
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1. What's the general idea behind the CompactFlash (CF) card slot?
CompactFlash (CF) is like RAM...

This statement is incorrect and may cause confusion. Samples play from the MPC's RAM, not from the CF. A better definition would be "CompactFlash (CF) is not like RAM". ;)

A closer analogy for CF is that it is like a hard drive for the MPC. It merely stores samples/programs/sequences. This data must be loaded into RAM before it can be used.

The current explanation may lead a new user to believe he or she can buy a bigger CF card instead of getting the EXM128 in order to increase their sample time.

4. Do I need to install a driver on my PC?
Not on Windows ME/2000/XP or Mac OS/X...

If you are meaning to write Mac OS / Mac OS X, a better way to write it would be Mac OS/OS X or even out full. Many people mistype "Mac OS X" as "Mac OS/X", making the phrase ambiguous. (There are other instances in the faq of "Mac OS/X").

7. Can I use the USB interface to transfer MIDI to and from my PC?
No: it's only for the MPC1000 storage devices.

I would change this to yes and no. No - you cannot transfer midi data live. USB is only for the storage device. However, Yes - you can transfer midi files into and out of the MPC1000. This feature is one of the reasons I bought my MPC ;)

8. Can I use the USB interface to attach a CD reader or writer?
No: currently, the MPC1000 has no USB Master capability, it can only be a slave to another device, typically a PC. This is probably hardware-based, i.e. it's unlikely that a firmware update to change this.

If nothing else, the USB port on the MPC1000 is a type B port - these are only used for slave USB devices (except hubs...).



Pads & MIDI
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7. What's with the Pad - to - MIDI mapping? Why isn't it in order from 35-98?
We think it's a historical legacy from a previous MPC model.

It is layed out nicely for controlling General MIDI drum sound modules.




The faq is an otherwise good looking document. Thanks for putting all the information together.

stephen wrote:Hello, I just took a look at the faq and have some comments/corrections for it:

...

The faq is an otherwise good looking document. Thanks for putting all the information together.

Thanks for the comments - I'll make some changes later...

1) I know CF appears like a disk, but it is still RAM, by which I mean solid state, random access, etc. I have all the facts, it's a question of explaining them in a newbie-friendly fashion... no, I think I got it right first time, it is clear that it appears as a disk.

About the pad layout... I wondered about that and there was a thread on that here months ago.., but how is the layout more suited to General MIDI? The bass drum (Note 36) is on Pad A02 by default, but could as easily be on A01, is there a reason for that? That was more what I was trying to find out...

the MPC faq wrote:CompactFlash (CF) is a form of RAM, except that it keeps data intact without power. It appears as a disk drive to the system. The MPC1000 includes a CF reader for offline storage of Programs, Samples, Sequences and Songs, instead of a Zip or floppy drive.

After that first sentence, I like your definition of what the CF does for the MPC. However, CompactFlash is not RAM, it is a type of PROM. The current definition is especially dangerous to newbies because it leads one to believe that CF can be used to expand the amount of RAM in the MPC which is not the case.

The purpose of RAM is to hold data that is being used by the MPC. CompactFlash does the exact opposite! It holds data that is not being used by the MPC. ;)

We could get really geeky here - I actually wrote a lot more about this then deleted it, but I can point any interested parties at: http://www.intel.com/design/flash/articles/what.htm ...

I'll keep your suggestions in mind and see if I can stress the Offline angle even further...

"http://www.intel.com/design/flash/articles/what.htm ... "

That refers to flash memory IC-like components, not CF.

I would agree with stephen in that a faq should not refer to CF as `memory` in any way (even if it technically was). This can be backed up by the number questions on the forums in which the poster is under the wrong assumtion that the CF and sample memory are the same.

"About the pad layout... "

It was originally derived from the MPC60 layout which has been explained numerous times already on the forums.

mpc3000 wrote:"http://www.intel.com/design/flash/articles/what.htm ... "

That refers to flash memory IC-like components, not CF.

"About the pad layout... "

It was originally derived from the MPC60 layout which has been explained numerous times already on the forums.

OK, OK, I won't refer to it as memory, even though it is, it is just presented as a disk device. CF = Flash memory IC components + memory controller + ATA interface, you might say.

"About the pad layout... " as I thought: a historical legacy, though thankfully one we aren't locked in to. I'll add a note about the MPC60 - any discussion about that was a little before my time...

Stereo, why don't you mention the 5 mb internal flash memory in your faq, or have I missed it. I had my mpc for a couple of months before I found out that there's extra memory in it for sounds and stuff.
Great faq, nice work.

dubnov wrote:Stereo, why don't you mention the 5 mb internal flash memory in your faq, or have I missed it. I had my mpc for a couple of months before I found out that there's extra memory in it for sounds and stuff.
Great faq, nice work.

Maybe I should, though the manual (pg 84) is OK on this topic. Doesn't say much, but there's not much to say. The key point is that you can only overwrite the whole thing at once from RAM, you can't modify just a part of it...