Well its not that bad, you can always turn the velo off like I do and just set the volumes right, I like to work that way with drums and most of my gear (2xanalog synths and mGB every now and then) dont even recognize velocity so there goes that

But yeah I really really want a 1000 too but without job its not gonna happen anytime soon

I don't trust modern PCs when I'm on stage...I suggest you to save up for a 1000 and boost that shit up !
Ps : Maschine is really great too !!!

Yeahhh, I was looking at the 500, but after hearing only negatives from you, zazi and some others, I think I'm either gonna go for a MAschine Mikro or save up for an MPC1000. Thanks for the unintended help!

I know how you feel ! I played with a 500 some time ago...Pads are so stiff !
Once you go to the 1000(and JJOS) you don't go back !

It really pisses me off that 500 pads arent sensitive at all, at the moment theres no use for velocity. Maybe I gotta bang them for another year:P

I just played a lot with it and experimenting some stuffs !
and check out the JJOS manual...helps a lot !!! (way more than the mpc manual !)
http://www7a.biglobe.ne.jp/~mpc1000/os2xl/manual_3e.htm
check some mpc forums, download and/or make a lot of samples, trim your stuffs and play a lot of drumpads without the full level (arrange your pads sensitivity) maybe it will be tough at first but you will get a lot of skills and a better sounds imo if you hang on !
these are my advices !

Where'd you learn your tricks??? I'm slowly working through the manual right now, it's a doozy :X

I do !!! I LOVE it...so awesome !!!
If you we're used to akai os interface, you should get it in no time
the Chord and Arpeggio addition really make a really great sequencer for midi stuffs
and you can use a slider to make fx to 1 track instead of just 1 sample is just so much fun !!!

Okay so I just sort of impulse-bought the newest JJOS2XL, time to start brushing up on that manual again! Anyone else here use it?

I really didn't want to watch it, very strange fellow. Very talented though!

If you like dubstep, it can be good for those quick changes in the bass pattern.  I found this video a while back when I was doing research.

I spent one day with the manual and just tried shit.

I even wrote a realtime diary about it:
http://dkstr.tumblr.com/post/4655967909 … mpc-part-i

For controlling midi stuff with it, its basically same but just choosing what channel you are sending the midi from track.

Wow, my MPC is seriously underutilized. Where did you learn your stuff? Every time I try and sit down with that book I just get so put out by how much information they're throwing at me.

What do you mean? Live I use it mostly to mute / unmute tracks and do some layering of different tracks to get weird bends etc. (I'm mostly controlling couple synths with it).

On studio I use it to sequence all my tracks. Drums with pads, for melodies I usually hook up a keyboard. Note repeat + swing on that machine are the best things ever.

Getting rid of my MPC, buying ETIs maschine!
If you wanna be creative, create some samples in your daw or just cut raw samples from YouTube shit and play around with them!