Well, I think i'm experiment the same issue... I never played on a old Mpc to feel the "Old school pads" but I have an mpc1000 since april 2008 and I always feel that I have to hit my pads a little hard... I'm with jj os 2 now and the sensitivity on the maximum. When I bought it I immediately switch to the free jj os, then to jj os 1 and now jj os 2, and I always feel that. Even with the sensivity on the top I have to hit the pads a little hard, so most of the time I use the full level.
I think that I have the good pads because its a black one and if I move one pad the others move too, and I can lift a corner!
So, I just live with that!!
(soory about my english

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Peace