MPC-500: Now official, with unexpected price

Good, now we can play Pong on the train.
 

All I can say is that it is 2lbs... has a ton of sampling time, 48 midi tracks, runs on batteries, and accepts CF cards... doesn't seem so bad too me. And places are selling them for $799 or less...not $1299.
 

worth $300 tops
 

"Good, now we can play Pong on the train."

No, you won't. This awful little character mode LCD isn't up to the task. In fact, it should be banished back to the 1980s photocopier it was stolen from.
 

Spray paint this bitch shiny metallic silver like all the other junk from the last few years.


Has anyone tried the MPD-24?


I agree with $300, maybe $375.
 

2lbs, 48midi and batteries? This thing has about as much technology as an entry-level digital camera.
 

I would go all the way up to $450-$499 but wouldn't pay a red cent more then that...
 

http://www.dv247.com/invt/35979/
 

so true about the screen!
Every modern mobile phone comes with a colour screen with far more resolution than a two line LCD display as standard. They can't cost that much to implement?

Think of the operational benefits a large screen would have..
Didn't the DX7 have a two line LCD display? And that was notoriously difficult to program
 

Hi, I am an Akai technician and I'd like to share this with you all...now that the veil has finally been lifted I am allowed to tell the story of how this miraculous slice of tomorrow's pie was able to be served up, warm, today.

The MPC500 was in fact designed in 1992, in the utmost secrecy. We did our job a little too well. Fearing that the premature release of such an advanced piece of technology would cause widespread chaos and panic throughout the civilized world, the Japanese government banned the release of the MPC500 before the year 2006, by which time it was hoped that technology in the wider world would have more or less caught up. It was fervently believed at the highest levels that any device capable of running on batteries and that stores data on a removable memory card could easily bring down entire societies. Mankind was just not ready. I wonder if we are even ready now, but, the genie is out of the lamp.

To those who complain about the screen, you will be amazed to learn the original design was a multi touch plasma screen that, at the touch of a button, would fold out to 21" monitor size and then back to the size of a matchbox for ultra portability. Fearing that this part of the MPC is still too futuristic,
it was decided instead to buy Argos' entire inventory of discontinued BT Cordless 1000s and use their hi-tech (so called 'caller display') screens in the MPC500. Humanity needs time to adjust. Yet, after a great deal of fevered discussion at Akai, it was decided that the potentially dangerous impact of unleashing a device with an incredible 48 midi tracks was worth the risk and would be beneficial to musicians of the future, once the inevitable rioting in the streets abates.

Finally, to further minimize the inevitable impact upon society that this device will inflict, it has been cleverly disguised to have the appearance of a cheap butt ugly plastic toy drum machine with a calculator shoe-horned in - so that the man in street, upon passing his local music store, won't immediately burst into convulsions, begin foaming at the mouth and gibbering insanely.

The MPC500- The future is here. I just hope we can handle it.
 

...and the best comment of the award goes to...
 

I'm sure we can handle it...what we couldn't definitely handle is how much time you have on your hands :D
 

LCD screens: only cheap enough to include good quality ones when you expect to sell a few 10's of thousands of them. Anything less than 20,000 sold and you can't just put in a fancy OLED display.

This is why synth mfr's are so behind consumer-electronics mfr's: the economies of scale do not allow for the purchase (in bulk) of the sexy new LCD toys for incorporation into a new synth/music-machine design. If you guys bought more hardware instead of stealing software, there might be a chance for the industry to move forward, and we'd have synths with nice LED's in them .. but the fact is, the economy around music-machine manufacturing is stifling to forward progress...
 

It never ceases to amaze me how all the nay-sayers and doom merchants come out with all these predictions of how useless something is and they haven't even seen or heard one of these, let alone use the feckin' thing !!!

We've had an MPC500 for 3-4 months now, to develop library, and I have to say it's a cracking bit of kit that fulfils it's purpose extremely well.

No, it's not an MPC4000, why would it be ? It's a flexible, portable ideas station that does what it does very well.

I've owned my fair share of "portable" devices, but nothing comes close to the immediacy and intuitiveness of this MPC. I've never really justified having an MPC till now. You'd have to prize this baby from my cold, dead hands now.

As for Akai concentrating on new devices rather than attend to existing bug fixes, I think if you look closely enough, you will see that a new MPC2500 OS (1.22) was released today, so that kinda pisses on those peoples corn flakes !

If the MPC500 is for you, great, because you will love it, if it's not, that's great too, but don't expect your comments to be taken seriously when you haven't even used it yet. That's just preposterous.
 

thats such bullshit - the profit model for professional audio gear is bloated beyond belief and always has been.. i can garuantee you that the cost to manufacture one of these mpc500 units is less than 50$

of course there is more overhead than that, but Akai still makes a killing from selling these things
 

"Akai still makes a killing"

They didn't seem to be making much of a killing when they went bankrupt a few years ago after Akai Professional was spun off from Akai. I don't imagine Jack O'Donnell paid much for the company when he bought it into the Numark/Alesis fold...
 

Well said Tom, and yes, Akai are as far away from making a financial killing with MPC's as Tatooine was from the "bright centre of the galaxy", even after the Numark acquisition !!! ;o)

Again, another "enlightened" comment from another anonymous poster who has absolutely no knowledge of the music hardware industry.
 

Uh...I think I'd rather spend $799 on a refurb'd iBook and run Live with a padKontrol.

ALL music hardware like this should be $349.

And big happy synths like a Little Phatty or a Nord Lead should be $1099.

Universal Pricing for Computer Music Instruments.
 

" Uh...I think I'd rather spend $799 on a refurb'd iBook and run Live with a padKontrol."

Until I bought an MPC1000, that's what I'd have said (I have Live, and a loaned PadKontrol). The interface on the 500 may be so compromised that much of the fun will be gone, but there is something really special about using a piece of software written specifically for a piece of hardware, and vice-versa. Screens/mice/keyboards/universal controllers don't do exactly the same job. They're much better value for money, but they're not the same.
 

I think we have reached a point where only the cultural inertia of the ignorant keeps these things in stores.

Something to avoid unless you really want to sound like all the other sheep.

More Sheppards please!
 

"As for Akai concentrating on new devices rather than attend to existing bug fixes, I think if you look closely enough, you will see that a new MPC2500 OS (1.22) was released today, so that kinda pisses on those peoples corn flakes !"

OS 1.22 was released 1 moth ago, not today...
and MPC1000 owners have been waiting for bug fixes for 8 months. They have now become dependent on a third party OS (which costs $30) because Akai is busy with other things. How would you like your cornflakes?
 

"Something to avoid unless you really want to sound like all the other sheep.

More Sheppards please!"

do you know how cliched that analogy is by now ?

I dont understand the haters. Its a battery powered mpc. If you want to make your own hip-hop grooves on the bus or between classes - happy days.

I've got a 12inch iBook, and a padkontrol on the way....but theres no way I'd carry those around in my backpack on the off-chance I might get an hour to jam during my 'business day'

as for mobile phones and fancy screens, you might not realise it but mobile phones are really expensive - the cost is offset into your contract and/or mobile phone rates - not to mention they sell hundreds of thousands of them.

besides, I feel like I would spend little time focusing on the screen considering I'd only really use it for playing beats realtime, recording and overdubing. Every thing else I'd do at home in the studio...

i think thats its intended purpose.
 

How would I like my cornflakes ?

Piss soaked like yours please, whilst I try to figure what a butterfly like creature has to do with time ;o)

It's the same old bullshit from the same old bullshitters. They are either trying to defend their own choices or think of a million reasons why they won't buy one when the real reason is they don't have the money or skill to use it productively.

Same ol' internet bullshit. Hide behind a screen and pretend you're the man !!

Summed up best by the character Holden in Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back...[I have added the replacement music hardware references where appropriate]

"The Internet is a communication device that allows people the world over to bitch about movies [music hardware] and share pornography with one another. This is a site full of militant movie [music hardware] buffs: sad bastards who live in their parents' basements, downloading scripts [music hardware images]and trading what they believe to be inside info [warez and pics] about movies [music hardware] and actors [music hardware manufacturers] they despise yet can't stop discussing. This is where you go if you wanna hear frustrated would-be filmmakers [musicians] mouth off with their two-bit, arm-chair-director's [arm chair producers] opinions on how they all could've made a better Episode One [MPC500]."
 

"dont understand the haters. Its a battery powered mpc. If you want to make your own hip-hop grooves on the bus or between classes - happy days. "

I don't know where you live, but here in Cleveland, Ohio if you take one of these things out on a train or in any similar public place you will get jacked for it so fast t'aint funny. So, yeah, battery power only sells me on this thing so I don't have to PLUG IN THE WALL WART that comes with it, not for portability
 

Whip this thing out on a train or in public here in Cleveland, I dare you...

Yeah the battery power dosen't really sell me, sorry. I'd rather save up a couple of weeks and buy the 1000, which has LFO, which the 500 lacks...
 

ok, so because you live in cleveland - it sucks ? thats no reason to start criticising it or making un-realistic comparisons.

anything that can be stolen from your person in cleveland, is shit. you heard it here first folks. Rolex watches are rubbish. Better off getting a wall-mounted clock.
 

.

"If you want to make your own hip-hop grooves on the bus or between classes - happy days. "

ie. toys for teens


What could you possibly offer in portable hardware devices that you can't get from laptops and midi controllers?

The MPD 24 is a better solution for what I need. I would like to have seen integration with Ableton Live and a crossfader so that you could integrate this thing's sequences and live playability into a portable music setup. Kinda like Kaoss pads. I'd also like to sleep with Jessica Alba.


.
 

Ah, Mr (or Miss) anonymous, my nameless berater (although with the spelling skills of a 4 year old, I'd keep anonymous too !), where did I say that you said that Akai were "rich beyond belief" ?? Now you're just making even more stuff up !!

And as for them making a killing, I hardly think that's so, seeing as it only went on sale today ! Plenty of R&D costs to recover before they even break even. Seems you may need an education in economics as well as the music hardware business. Heck, just an education would do you. And no one accused you of being at fault over Akai's poor performance pre Jack O'Donnell. Jeez, take a chill pill, you're innocent, for once.

My enlightened thoughts were so in context that they're in the dictionary as such ;o) And I'll leave the ass cramming to you, an obvious expert in anal packing ;o)
 

"How would I like my cornflakes ?

Piss soaked like yours please"

You didn't come near my cornflakes. I showed you your statements about Akai were wrong.
Shit talking, piss flakes eating hippy.
 

Ah, foul & abusive language, the last resort of the intellectually stunted. All you have really done is expose yourself for the gutlessly anonymous fuckwit you truly are. Akai are constantly developing existing products and creating new ones. It's called business.

I see they do quite well out of it, do you ?
 

Just get your facts straight. The 'new' Akai (Numark) is focused on one thing only: sales, not support. Ask some MPC4000 owners.
Of course you're not going to admit that now that they gave you their newest toy to make some sorry ass presets :-)
Keep your lips tight around Akai's shaft and you might get the MPC3500 soon.
 

This thread, like so many of the threads on MusicThing, shows why it's a bad idea to have anonymous comments.

Best to require everyone who comments to have an identity. Or better yet, an email address that works.

It's not like we're discussing religion in China, or anything. We're all just swapping lies about music gear.

Tom's contributions, however, rock. But then you know where to find him, don't you?

Yes, I'm anonymous, too. Thank you for noticing.
 

"The 'new' Akai (Numark) is focused on one thing only: sales, not support."

Show me any company that isn't like that !

"Keep your lips tight around Akai's shaft and you might get the MPC3500 soon."

Now, you see, you're just jealous, aren't you !! LMAO ! ;o) As for the MPC3500, who says I don't already have one of those babies ;o)

Let me tell you now, if you are getting all hot and bothered over the MPC500, you will positively love the MPC3500 ;o)

I have nothing more to say on the matter. No more petty retaliation. I have proved my point, thank you. I have a life :o) Having an argument over an inanimate object and it's worth, when no fucker is holding a gun to your head to buy one or even remotely like it, is a bit fuckin' sad and says a lot about the empty husk of an individual you must be.

Now, quick, mummy wants you in the bathroom ;o)
 

I want one. I have an XL . and can firmly say the mpc series is possibly the greatest piece of kit ever made. Dont knock it until u actualy try one. nothing beats the workflow. However, any more than 500$ for that is kinda rediculous. I wouldnt buy one for any more than 500$.
 

This is absolutely ridiculous. Who would want to pay $1299.00 for a glorified sampling drum machine when you could buy a knob covered, tube enhanced Korg Electribe SX (which has over 25 MB of RAM) for $400.00

I don't care who used an MPC-60 to make a hit record 10 years ago. This is not a Moog analogue synth, this is justa sampler with a very limited user interface and very limited sound mangling potential.

The only Akai sampling "groovebox" I would even remotely be interested in is the MPC-4000, and even that one is about $2500.00 too expensive.
 

$1,299 is too steep for me, this is a sweet machine otherwise.
 

No, Akai-Robbie, i'm not jealous. Unlike yourself i don't need anyone to sponsor me, i pay for my gear. So i'm sorry, i'm not buying your Akai-Promotion-Team nonsense.
I could pick up all of their machines tomorrow, but why would i if Akai is not going to support them.
Now go make some 'hot' presets for those MPC500 kiddies :-)
 

what a jerkoff
 

I'm not in the market for one of these myself but I think the number of people who use MPCs and the depth of feeling that they have for them speaks to the fact that it's a tool that can be effectively used to make music. Use whatever you want but talking shit about something you don't happen to want is just dumb. "That Koenigsegg is bullshit man, the Bucatti is 7mph faster. Anyway my Subaru gets way better mileage" OK, whatever.
 

My brother and I are reverse-engineering the MPC in the same manner that ladyada reverse engineered the 303: http://www.ladyada.net/make/x0xb0x/index.html

We're throwing in a better screen, too. Another anonymous above says that they are too expensive, but that's not really the case, even for small batches.
 

I'll need to see something a little more official to believe those fancy screens are cheap. A post from an anonymous geezer on a gear-sluts blog isnt something anyone can really bank on
 

http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/product_info.php?products_id=712
 

I like skiffle.
 

"Oh, my old man's a dustman...."
 

I bought one...and I own the MPC1000 as well as other stuff. I used Live and Reason for years...and then made the switch back to the MPC. I just like the workflow better. So many bitch about features they don't ever use...it's really lame. Pretending that a laptop with a USB cable to another device is cleaner than one device is just silly. I have been making music for about 13 years now...and I bought this "toy". $675.
 

I just spoke to the UK Numark/Alesis office and they said that the official Street Price is going to be $799

Where there is an issue perhaps is that as its more portable, it may not be as robust
 

"...he wears gawd blimey trousers, and his MPC's so crap"

American readers may skip this questionably humourous interlude.
 

"...he wears gawd blimey trousers, and his MPC's so crap"

ROFLMFAO !!!

I just spat my piss soaked corn flakes out.

Quality response !! :o)
 

who cares about this overhyped crap! I used to work for Akai, and for a few other manufacturers, as well.

They're still peddling the same old junk, with more fidelity - that's all. It's mostly all STILL VERY unintuitive,
cludgy, and pathetically overpriced.

What I'm waiting for is someone in the portable and/or console game markets to create something that's SIMPLE, that's GAMELIKE, that doesn't require a genius to understand, and that just works.

Seriously, folks, look at the synthesizers today, and compare them with 20 years ago. What's the BIG difference? Nada!

Synthesis and software manufacturers are CLUELESS!
 

"Seriously, folks, look at the synthesizers today, and compare them with 20 years ago. What's the BIG difference? Nada!"

Yeah, those vintage virtual analogs from the 80s are so expensive on ebay.
 

Yay, it is like the iPod Nano of MPCs. Smaller and less featured than a real MPC. But it fits real nice in my man-purse.
 

Meh, If I wanted a battery powered sampler I'd just get one of them Roland SP 404s. I would maybe get a MPC 60 or something, but just for that oh so famous MPC timing.
 

"who cares about this overhyped crap! I used to work for Akai, and for a few other manufacturers, as well.

They're still peddling the same old junk, with more fidelity - that's all. It's mostly all STILL VERY unintuitive,
cludgy, and pathetically overpriced.

What I'm waiting for is someone in the portable and/or console game markets to create something that's SIMPLE, that's GAMELIKE, that doesn't require a genius to understand, and that just works.

Seriously, folks, look at the synthesizers today, and compare them with 20 years ago. What's the BIG difference? Nada!

Synthesis and software manufacturers are CLUELESS!

That's probably why you used to work for them ! LOL

Because games consoles are the future of music making, aren't they !

Well, maybe for the untalented, unimaginative, retarded music maker, anyway ;o)

I'm just glad we no longer have feckwits like you working for Akai, otherwise they truly would be screwed !!!
 

"man-purse" goood one ha ha!!!
 

.


A piece of hardware like this offers a context, culture, and a certain degree of constriction. These are all very helpful for encouraging the creative process.

Originally aimed at making beats this series grew to making entire songs. The copy and paste method expanded to cutting and manipulating while the trigger buttons became note articulate keys.

A full MPC is as much fun and inspiring as a Juno or a 303, maybe even more so. It offers a specific way to move forward and make music. It is built to work in certain specific ways.

In moving to software you lose alot of the context, culture, and constriction. There are sometimes just too many ways of proceeding. With an MPC there is more of a "this is what it is and this is what you can do with it" approach. It also looks perfect.

This particular version continues on the MPC's recent trajectory and may signal the entire line's deterioration into dilution and irrelevence. I believe that many of the negative comments in this thread relate to this issue, in their essence.

The MPC needs to be bigger and better instead of smaller and weaker! Isn't that what we all really want anyways? Blow us away. Make this piece of gear "ESSENTIAL", again!


DJ McManus
indiedanceparty
 

amazing...idiots are STILL using studio samplers as a yardstick for the mpc500 to live up to.

its a battery powered drum sampler, gentlemen.

compare it to a roland sp404.
 

At last !!! Thank you, DJ MacManus, for a sane, logical and educated comment !!!

You say this version continues a downward trend, but there is more to come from the MPC higher in the range, and trust me, it will be quite the opposite of a "downward trend" ;o)
 

Man, it was soooo awesome last night. I finally got to level 50 and killed the giant Gila Monster, and all of a sudden, my LFO filter just went haywire and started pumping out this triumphant theme, and so I hit B,B,X,Y,A,RB,A and took the whole thing modal... It was totally rocking.

Sure Grammy.
 

Wow. I just read through the comments. What a total waste of my time.
 

Oooh, top reply !

Anyway, if I told you what I know I'd have to kill you.....

Hmmmmm, tempting as that sounds, I think I'll keep it to myself ;o)

This isn't about me knowing something you don't. Judging by your level of intelligence indicated by your diverse vocabulary in your replies, I, and probably my cats, know a shed load more than you do anyway. There, you see, you can put someone down without resorting to swearing. Well, you could if you had half a brain ;o)

All I'm saying is that MPC's are from from being on a slow road to extinction and that exciting things are going to come. I couldn't care less if you know, or want to know, what I know.

Now, how did we get here, embroiled in a pointless bitchfest over a musical instrument, slinging insults and accusations like mud ? If all the people here channeled their effort from flaming to making music, which they claim to be so good at, we could have a really creative thing going on.

But, opinions are like arseholes.

Everyone has one.

It's just that some are more shitty than others.
 

how come i haven't seen this yet at Toys R Us? hmmmm....
 

I believe a better design for such a small MPC would be 3 x 3 = 9 pads and a larger display.
 

"This thing has about as much technology as an entry-level digital camera."

That's because it's an entry level MPC. It's like a micron, or an ms2000, or an electribe. I'm sorry but it's better than an electribe. It is basically an MPC2000 with 12 pads.

Nice kit for someone who wants to get into electronic music.
 

" This thing has about as much technology as an entry-level digital camera."

Well, an electric guitar has about as much technology as a victorian doorbell. Doesn't stop me wanting one...
 

"This baby is loaded with techno"
 

another MPC... how exciting
 

ummm ... they must think people have reallllly big pockets if they think this is a pocket sized unit ?! i'll stick with bhajis loops :)
 

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.0.1) - Cite This Source
pock‧et  /ˈpɒkɪt/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[pok-it] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–noun
1. a shaped piece of fabric attached inside or outside a garment and forming a pouch used esp. for carrying small articles.
2. a bag or pouch.
3. means; financial resources: a selection of gifts to fit every pocket.
4. any pouchlike receptacle, compartment, hollow, or cavity.
5. an envelope, receptacle, etc., usually of heavy paper and open at one end, used for storing or preserving photographs, stamps, phonograph records, etc.: Each album has 12 pockets.
6. a recess, as in a wall, for receiving a sliding door, sash weights, etc.
7. any isolated group, area, element, etc., contrasted, as in status or condition, with a surrounding element or group: pockets of resistance; a pocket of poverty in the central city.
8. Mining.
a. a small orebody or mass of ore, frequently isolated.
b. a bin for ore or rock storage.
c. a raise or small slope fitted with chute gates.
9. Billiards, Pool. any of the pouches or bags at the corners and sides of the table.
10. a position in which a competitor in a race is so hemmed in by others that his or her progress is impeded.
11. Football. the area from which a quarterback throws a pass, usually a short distance behind the line of scrimmage and protected by a wall of blockers.
12. Bowling. the space between the headpin and the pin next behind to the left or right, taken as the target for a strike.
13. Baseball. the deepest part of a mitt or glove, roughly in the area around the center of the palm, where most balls are caught.
14. Nautical. a holder consisting of a strip of sailcloth sewed to a sail, and containing a thin wooden batten that stiffens the leech of the sail.
15. Anatomy. any saclike cavity in the body: a pus pocket.
16. stage pocket.
17. an English unit of weight for hops equivalent to 168 pounds (76.4 kg).
–adjective
18. small enough or suitable for carrying in the pocket: a pocket watch.
19. relatively small; smaller than usual: a pocket war; a pocket country.
–verb (used with object)
20. to put into one's pocket: to pocket one's keys.
21. to take possession of as one's own, often dishonestly: to pocket public funds.
22. to submit to or endure without protest or open resentment: to pocket an insult.
23. to conceal or suppress: to pocket one's pride.
24. to enclose or confine in or as if in a pocket: The town was pocketed in a small valley.
25. Billiards, Pool. to drive (a ball) into a pocket.
26. pocket-veto.
27. to hem in (a contestant) so as to impede progress, as in racing.
—Idioms
28. in one's pocket, in one's possession; under one's influence: He has the audience in his pocket.
29. line one's pockets, to profit, esp. at the expense of others: While millions were fighting and dying, the profiteers were lining their pockets.
30. out of pocket, having suffered a financial loss; poorer: He had made unwise land purchases, and found himself several thousand dollars out of pocket.
[Origin: 1250–1300; ME poket < ONF (Picard) poquet (OF pochet, pochette), dim. of poque < MD poke poke2; see -et]

—Related forms
pock‧et‧less, adjective
pock‧et‧like, adjective

—Synonyms 21. steal, pilfer, appropriate, filch.
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.0.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source
pock·et (pkt) Pronunciation Key Audio pronunciation of "pocket" [P]
n.

1. A small baglike attachment forming part of a garment and used to carry small articles, as a flat pouch sewn inside a pair of pants or a piece of material sewn on its sides and bottom to the outside of a shirt.
2. A small sack or bag.
3. A receptacle, cavity, or opening.
4. Financial means; money supply: The cost of the trip must come out of your own pocket.
5.
1. A small cavity in the earth, especially one containing ore.
2. A small body or accumulation of ore.
6. A pouch in an animal body, such as the cheek pouch of a rodent or the abdominal pouch of a marsupial.
7. Games. One of the pouchlike receptacles at the corners and sides of a billiard or pool table.
8. Baseball. The deepest part of a baseball glove, just below the web, where the ball is normally caught.
9. Sports. A racing position in which a contestant has no room to pass a group of contestants immediately to his or her front or side.
10.
1. A small, isolated, or protected area or group: pockets of dissatisfied voters.
2. Football. The area a few yards behind the line of scrimmage that blockers attempt to keep clear so that the quarterback can pass the ball.
11. An air pocket.
12. A bin for storing ore, grain, or other materials.


adj.

1. Suitable for or capable of being carried in one's pocket: a pocket handkerchief; a pocket edition of a dictionary.
2. Small; miniature: a pocket backyard; a pocket museum
 

FYI in Japan

MPC 1000 -> 899$
MPC 500 -> 599$

so that price tag you refer to is waaaay off.
 

THIS THING LOOKS AWWWSOME!! you guys are crazy. The price is a little high, but what isnt now a days. I think the limitations of the unit will force some people to become more creative and then you guys will have something new to copy. BESIDES YOU GUYS ALL KNOW THAT IN A FEW YEARS WHEN THESE THINGS ARE DISCONTINUED AND HARD TO FIND, YOULL ALL BE BUYING THEM ON EBAY FOR 5 TIMES THE PRICE ANYWAYS. JUST LIKE tHE 303.....so buy one of these bitches!!! besides I heard they use some wierd organic occilators and capacitors in the mpc500 that allows it to have a unique sound and timing. I have a black almost brand new mpc1000 with a 80gb harddrive in it if anyone wants to trade for an mpc500
 

I stopped into Guitar Center to drool over one today. They didn't have any on demo yet, no idea when they plan to do so. They didn't hook one up, but took one out of the box for me to look at. I know, what a privilege eh? I have NOT played it yet, so like everything else - take a grain of salt with what I'm saying. However, the 500 feels pretty solid, but lighter than the mpc1000. The pads seemed most like the black mpc1000, not the blue version. The black mpc1000 just feels different to me at least, less stiff and easier to play. I expected to be a little disappointed with the build quality of the 500, but wasn't really. It has the inputs and outputs I need at this point in time, no hard drive option though? I am like many other people, pissed a bit at the pricing. $799.00 is not the right price point in my amateur opinion. 499.00-599.00 is the sweet spot for me. That's fair imho. I'm hoping that by the time I have enough money, that the price will drop at least $100. Even if you have said you think it's shit in a post, if you haven't yet done so.. pick one up and look at it for 5 minutes or so. It's a tool, and like all tools serves a purpose to some people and not to others. Once you actually hold one you may change your tune. Maybe not.. but go to a store and check it out if you want to see an overall decent looking piece of kit. I have wanted an mpc for a while, and I think they built one that fits me darn well.. Just need more money. Damn.. Thanks for reading this.
 

I sold my black mpc1000 with 80gb hard drive and bought the mpc500..no regrets at all!! this thing is awesome...somewhat high of a price..but the portability and size of this thing are pretty much worth it. its like a 8gb ipod nano same price as the 30gb but smaller and still cost the same....anyways like the last post said check it out if you havent, before you make up your mind on it..
 

Lets wait and hear what it sounds abd feels like. Ive had MPC's since the MPC 60 and 60II & 2000. If the clock and timing is right its worth the money. If you play in time and it stumbles then scrap it."dembeatz"
 

Even the concept is awful.

Who the hell wants a battery powered sampler - whats all that about?

This really sucks.

Only a Dork would buy one of these.

What a terrible 'display' screen !

So bad - its laughable.

OWCH!
 

I GOT MINE FOR 750 AFTER TAXES EJEJEJE YOU THINK IS A GOOD PRICE

WWW.MYSPACE.COM/POETAINVALIDO IF YOU WANT TO KNOW WERE I GOT FROM
 

you must be high if you dont want a battery powered mpc.
 

Hi there :)
My mate has one, mpc500 that is.
Its okay but the interface is a bit pants, quite overpriced too.

Sk@le or the old fasttrackerII on a laptop blows it away IMHO but if the mpc is your cuppa tea then who am i to judge, each to thier own :D