Akai MPC 500 vs MPC 1000, and some other questions

[modular]

Hi guys! I've decided to open this thread here in order not to mess the other one. Hope to get the attention of the MPC users of the forum!

1)
The topic question is pretty in-your-face: which of the following MPCs offer more bang for the buck, the 500 or the 1000?

What are the PROs and CONs of each one?


2)
And now pasting a bit of conversation I've written on other topic:

The MPC.... the 'common-sense' tells us it's a hip-hop/whatever machine, yet I'm not into that at all. I think it would be fun to try other stuff there. Either way, I've never messed up with a MPC before.

I know the MPC is a sampler. I can record all the stuff I need there and throw it live, yet I have some questions regarding this equipment:


- can I connect an instrument to the MPC (synth, bass guitar, etc) and record stuff directly to the MPC, and then transform that stuff into samples?

- is there any way I can edit my samples on the MPC (cutting size, etc) and add some effects to them? Internal or external effects...

- is it possible to sequence midi with the MPC? Like a Yamaha QY700 or something like that?

- how intuitive is the MPC interface? Is it cool enough to make music with it, or it's just too difficult to make things?

- I don't really know how the MPC works, but when I record a tune can I export it later to a computer with all the tracks separated? (drums, bassline, etc...)

And now for the ones that didn't followed the other topic, the reason for all this search:

I've been checking out MPCs and some stuff, yet I don't know if that is a good option. It's great to have a bunch of stuff sampled there, but I also want to be able to create a full-length track with all the variations that exist (imagine Squarepusher, yet my stuff is nothing like that!) adding several instruments, etc. I don't know what kind of control a MPC has...

I've also seen software packages like Ableton Live, yet I really want to use something non-related to a computer. I work a bunch of hours a day, and my computers are being used professionally for my job (I'm a designer), so I'm not able to have music software installed there since the computers are customized for the stuff I do. Plus, I want to have the possibility to make some stuff on-the-go. Let's say on the beach or something...

But I think the stuff I want is something very similar to Ableton Live, yet on a hardware platform. The possibility to sequence stuff and re-arrange it the way I want; something that allows me to use samples and add them when and how I want them to my tunes; the chance of having my tunes sequenced and make changes on each track the way I want in live playing; the possibility to play something live and add that 'sampled' on-the-go and loop it.

Basically I think that's it. I don't know very well the genre of music I'm going to do, because it's a mixture of a bunch of stuff: bossa, jazz, electronica, etc. But imagine a box with YMO/Sakamoto, Herbie Hancock, Roy Ayers, Sinatra, Squarepusher, Tom Jobim, Coltrane and Jaco Pastorius and mix that up. It's something like that

Thanks a lot guys. I hope to get my mind done by the end of the week. I can't wait to start messing around with stuff

[aredj]

Quick answer:
MPC1000
The 500 is a lighter version and has less all around.
Great machine - just basing this on what I think you may want to do... in which you would need something a bit more full-featured

The pros and cons of each of these bits of kit depend on what, and how, you like to do things.
That said - the differences are more than I care to list personally (this info is quite available - just do some reading)

In fact - many of your questions could be answered simply by downloading the manual for the given machine and reading it. For real.
I've done it. (Not cover to cover or anything - just the sections where I was curious about whatever...)

[modular]

Quick answer:
MPC1000
The 500 is a lighter version and has less all around.
Great machine - just basing this on what I think you may want to do... in which you would need something a bit more full-featured

The pros and cons of each of these bits of kit depend on what, and how, you like to do things.
That said - the differences are more than I care to list personally (this info is quite available - just do some reading)

In fact - many of your questions could be answered simply by downloading the manual for the given machine and reading it. For real.
I've done it. (Not cover to cover or anything - just the sections where I was curious about whatever...)

Thanks for the input. Regarding the manual, some people told me the first thing I should do if I really buy the MPC1000, is to replace the Akai software for JJOS. I don't know if I give Akai software a try before, or install JJOS asap....

[Hugo76]

In fact - many of your questions could be answered simply by downloading the manual for the given machine and reading it. For real.
I've done it. (Not cover to cover or anything - just the sections where I was curious about whatever...)

That's true... but at the same time this whole forum would be made redundant if everybody studied the manuals And the point about the JJos certainly makes it worth discussing this machine.

[th0mas]

In fact - many of your questions could be answered simply by downloading the manual for the given machine and reading it. For real.
I've done it. (Not cover to cover or anything - just the sections where I was curious about whatever...)

That's true... but at the same time this whole forum would be made redundant if everybody studied the manuals And the point about the JJos certainly makes it worth discussing this machine.

There is a version of the JJOS that primarily fixes bugs in akai's last OS update. I suggest that or soon enough you will see it fail to save your data properly (DIRECTORY ERROR). It also gives a simple and nifty "grid" mode. And it's free (JJOS v3.08 I believe).

I stuck with the akai OS for a year (way too long, just lazy), and the free JJOS is already way better.. I'm looking forward to moving to the paid JJOS1 sometime when I have my next break in gigging and have time to experiment.

[kayvon]

One thing to bear in mind about the MPC series excluding the 4000 & 5000 is that their sequencers only have a resolution of 96 ppqn. So for every beat of the bar there is only 96 places where your notes can land.

I'd prefer not to have my keys playing & rhythms reduced to that resolution although it may not be recognisable if you were programming certain styles of beats or triggering samples. I felt I could notice the difference when I used to play in rhythms to my Zoom MRT-3B drum machine which has a resolution of 96 ppqn.

[wiss]

MPC 500~ only 1 midi in and out, more menu diving, 12 pads instead of 16, you can not load the mpc 500 with the JJOS.