Exchange tips and tricks for the Akai MPC4000
By mozzy4k Thu Jun 17, 2004 1:47 pm
Hi,

I am new to the forum and in the market for an MPC 4000

What is a fair price to pay for one NEW and USED/Mint condition?

I see that musiciansfriend.com has them for different prices ($2,300 - $3,200). for quite a bit more than what I see on E-bay.

On Ebay, I see new and used ones going for about $1,600-$2,000

Are all MPC 4000s the same unit with additional add-ons?

I want to have a clear understanding before purchasing one that I end up being unhappy with down the road.

Thank you very much for your help

By aprim Thu Jun 17, 2004 1:50 pm
If you can get one with a HD and CD for 1600 consider that lucky. I seen them go at all sorts of price's but they are worth every single dollors. IMO

By mozzy4k Thu Jun 17, 2004 2:15 pm
aprim wrote:If you can get one with a HD and CD for 1600 consider that lucky. I seen them go at all sorts of price's but they are worth every single dollors. IMO


Hi Aprim, thanks for the quick reply. So are all MPC 4000 models the same excluding add-ons? Based on my reading, it looks like you can add an internal HD anytime you want. Is that the same for CD?

By aprim Thu Jun 17, 2004 2:23 pm
Yea, you can buy the LE version for around 1700 (i think) and add Ram, HD and CDBURNER. Might not be around anymore.
Also you can get expanison such as the 8 output expander and other thinks, but You also may not need them. Main thing get the box, and upgrade as needed. Find one one ebay (make sure you can trust the seller, get there phone number and all the ish,) then buy the bad boy.
If your in NY call Rogue music, look em up on the internet www.roguemusic.com These guys get used 4000 and sell em cheep as well.

Good Luck

By mozzy4k Thu Jun 17, 2004 2:25 pm
aprim wrote:Yea, you can buy the LE version for around 1700 (i think) and add Ram, HD and CDBURNER. Might not be around anymore.
Also you can get expanison such as the 8 output expander and other thinks, but You also may not need them. Main thing get the box, and upgrade as needed. Find one one ebay (make sure you can trust the seller, get there phone number and all the ish,) then buy the bad boy.
If your in NY call Rogue music, look em up on the internet www.roguemusic.com These guys get used 4000 and sell em cheep as well.

Good Luck


Any differences with white / blue models? Akai's website shows BLUE, is that just new marketing...
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By Reveal Thu Jun 17, 2004 2:49 pm
[/quote]

Any differences with white / blue models? ....[/quote]


lo.

naah,the blue ones dont look as good':lol:'
Last edited by Reveal on Thu Jun 17, 2004 2:50 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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By Reveal Thu Jun 17, 2004 2:50 pm
'sorry double posts,,,,
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By dudum Thu Jun 17, 2004 9:26 pm
if you can track down an LE it's much cheaper to upgrade.

i picked up one with the IB4D, new @ $1800 which was higher than some people have paid.

hope that ballpark helps cause it seems that a lot of sites have made the price jump now that the unit's blue...

By mozzy4k Thu Jun 17, 2004 11:47 pm
dudum wrote:if you can track down an LE it's much cheaper to upgrade.

i picked up one with the IB4D, new @ $1800 which was higher than some people have paid.

hope that ballpark helps cause it seems that a lot of sites have made the price jump now that the unit's blue...


Hmmm.. well maybe this is old data... I have been reading reviews posted over the last two years on the MPC 4000. A large percentage of them mention the system crashing on a regular basis.

Any updates on that? I am guessing the latest OS releases addressed some bugs?

By Altopiano Fri Jun 18, 2004 12:31 am
Hmmm.. well maybe this is old data... I have been reading reviews posted over the last two years on the MPC 4000. A large percentage of them mention the system crashing on a regular basis.

Any updates on that? I am guessing the latest OS releases addressed some bugs?[/quote]

2 years ago people using the 4k where all beginners! beginners tend to make mistakes and beginners thend to exagerate - esp. on the www! since 1.51 no crash here! ... the 4k is reliable, ... very reliable imo! have experienced 2-3 crashes sometime before, but that were my beginner faults!

By F.O.B Fri Jun 18, 2004 2:15 pm
Not that reliable. I have had a few crashes at 1.51

By mozzy4k Fri Jun 18, 2004 2:39 pm
Altopiano wrote:Hmmm.. well maybe this is old data... I have been reading reviews posted over the last two years on the MPC 4000. A large percentage of them mention the system crashing on a regular basis.

Any updates on that? I am guessing the latest OS releases addressed some bugs?


2 years ago people using the 4k where all beginners! beginners tend to make mistakes and beginners thend to exagerate - esp. on the www! since 1.51 no crash here! ... the 4k is reliable, ... very reliable imo! have experienced 2-3 crashes sometime before, but that were my beginner faults![/quote]

I have now been reading huge discussions over the MPC 4k vs the Roland MV-8000. I am biased towards AKAI since I have had S-700 / S-950 / S-3000xl Samplers. But am I missing something or is it just an attempt to copy the AKAI?
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By AWW_NAWW Fri Jun 18, 2004 3:29 pm
YES AND NO
To tell you the truth im happy that the rpland mv-8000 came out and I hope it does well. If it does it will push akai to get down with this OS and get off there asses. I dont want the mv but I hope someone does.......

By Altopiano Fri Jun 18, 2004 3:32 pm
hy mozzy4k!

my opinion to all this ...

1. the 4k is stabile/reliable! sure the s950, 2000, 3000xl, 60 might be more stabile ... akai has finished the development of those .... the 4k is still in development and its a monster already! btw: the 60 runs os 3.10 - sounds to me that there have been quit a lot os updates there too, dunno just a thaught! but the 4k has an amazing potential left! can't think what it is like if some more features get implemented! btw: os 1.6 should come out soon (they say sometime in july)! lets see what that brings ... and since 1.51 (current os) it is really stabile imo! as i said no crash here! ... and when it crashed before, what i did would crash any other machine! people say the 60 never crashes! ... well, let me ask this question: what should crash in a machine which has 10 sec. sampling time? the 4k has .... what is it at 44,1 khz over 50 minutes! ... i don't wanna diss the 60 (act. i think its great and i would love to have the money to buy myself a 60 too) but you can't compare those units talking into consideration all the features the 4k has which the 60 doesn't have! its another league imo!

2. imo the mv is sort of a copy of the 4k! have never tested it, but seen it once in a music store! imo the mv looks way better on the www as in real! seen it next to the 4k and honestly it looks ... small (and compared next to each other cheap aswell)! first lookin nearly the same (copy) pads placed the same, buttons around it the same, ... but on the top right the 4k has 15 knobs/modes where ya can enter all the windows and features! thats where it gets funny! i missed those on the mv (i think it has a few others) and i can't hardly think that all those feautures from the 4k in those 15 modes are implemented in the mv!

3. rumours and threads 4000 vs mv are here on a regular basis each couple of month! thats imo due to 1. people having buying decision problems (which is ok, coz the 4k is expensive, but anyhow imo worth each single $), 2. newbie doubts (noone will be an expert user of the 4k by using it for one/two month, there is too much in this machine) and 3. roland (or other) terrorists!

4. if you read the other threads on a regular basis too you'll see how many 4k freaks are around here! ... little if not none of those freaks would trade their 4k for anything ...

... all just my opinion!

By mozzy4k Fri Jun 18, 2004 7:28 pm
Altopiano wrote:hy mozzy4k!

my opinion to all this ...

1. the 4k is stabile/reliable! sure the s950, 2000, 3000xl, 60 might be more stabile ... akai has finished the development of those .... the 4k is still in development and its a monster already! btw: the 60 runs os 3.10 - sounds to me that there have been quit a lot os updates there too, dunno just a thaught! but the 4k has an amazing potential left! can't think what it is like if some more features get implemented! btw: os 1.6 should come out soon (they say sometime in july)! lets see what that brings ... and since 1.51 (current os) it is really stabile imo! as i said no crash here! ... and when it crashed before, what i did would crash any other machine! people say the 60 never crashes! ... well, let me ask this question: what should crash in a machine which has 10 sec. sampling time? the 4k has .... what is it at 44,1 khz over 50 minutes! ... i don't wanna diss the 60 (act. i think its great and i would love to have the money to buy myself a 60 too) but you can't compare those units talking into consideration all the features the 4k has which the 60 doesn't have! its another league imo!

2. imo the mv is sort of a copy of the 4k! have never tested it, but seen it once in a music store! imo the mv looks way better on the www as in real! seen it next to the 4k and honestly it looks ... small (and compared next to each other cheap aswell)! first lookin nearly the same (copy) pads placed the same, buttons around it the same, ... but on the top right the 4k has 15 knobs/modes where ya can enter all the windows and features! thats where it gets funny! i missed those on the mv (i think it has a few others) and i can't hardly think that all those feautures from the 4k in those 15 modes are implemented in the mv!

3. rumours and threads 4000 vs mv are here on a regular basis each couple of month! thats imo due to 1. people having buying decision problems (which is ok, coz the 4k is expensive, but anyhow imo worth each single $), 2. newbie doubts (noone will be an expert user of the 4k by using it for one/two month, there is too much in this machine) and 3. roland (or other) terrorists!

4. if you read the other threads on a regular basis too you'll see how many 4k freaks are around here! ... little if not none of those freaks would trade their 4k for anything ...

... all just my opinion!


Hi Alto, Thank you very much for the details. Everything you wrote matches up with things I have read. Either ppl not owning them, mad because they wanted it to be cheaper or never took the time to learn it.

I am a newb when it comes back to the hardware. I have been completely VSTi based for the last few years. But after missing the feel of my Roland R-8 drum machine, I tried using it to trigger sounds on my PC. Didn't work out very well. So a friend mentioned to me how much he loved his MPC2000. soooooo.


That being the case, I am in search of the LE version. So I can add my own stuff to it as needed. In fact earlier in this thread that was suggested.

Am I correct is stating that the LE is identical in all of it capabilities, minus the add-ons and that I can add standard IDE drive, IDE CDR and will be good to go?


Been tracking them on E-Bay, but they tend to sell a little higher than I thought. Guess the owners are trying to recover some of the 3,500+ they may have spent on the tricked out units.

Thanks again this forum is excellent!!