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MPC500 Portable Music Production Center

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Overview

A truly portable sampling sequencer with a battery powered design.

The Akai MPC500 Music Production Center can be powered by 6 AA batteries allowing producers to work outside the studio with familiar Akai features and functions. The included AC power adapter along with the high-quality construction, sound, and feel will make it a great small sound editing and production unit in the studio. This compact-yet-full-featured music production center features a 48-track, 16-channel MIDI sequencer and 32-voice drum/phrase sampler with 16-bit/44.1kHz fideilty.

The sequencer supports standard MIDI file format and the sampler accepts WAV files. The MPC500 provides 12 velocity-sensitive pads for triggering sounds and has Akai's legendary 12 Levels function which allows one sound to be assigned to all the pads with varied level or tuning per pad. The MPC500 music synth provides numerous onboard effects plus two stereo effects sends and a Master control.

The MPC500 uses up to 128MB RAM via the same EXM128 memory expansion used on the popular MPC1000 and MPC2500. The CF Card slot will allow users to backup their data, which can then be loaded directly into a MPC1000 or 2500 making the family of new MPC's fully compatible. The USB port allows you to transfer .wav files and .mid files or MPC sequence files in and out of the Akai MPC500 or connect an external hard drive.

Features

  • Classic MPC feel in a portable, battery powered unit
  • 12 MPC style pads
  • Built in effects
  • Data compatible with MPC1000 and MPC2500
  • CF card for quick, expandable data storage
  • Uses same EXM128 memory expansion as MPC1000 and MPC2500
  • USB for transferring samples and sequences to and from a computer
  • Selectable mic/line inputs
  • Q-Link slider for writing tune, filter or level automation
  • Pattern-based and linear 48-track sequencer
  • 16 MIDI channels
  • 16-bit/44.1kHz sampling
  • 32-voice drum/phrase sampler with up to 128MB RAM
  • Battery powered (6 AAs) or AC powered
  • Velocity and pressure sensitive pads for expressive programming
  • 12 Levels function: one sound on all pads with varied level or tuning per pad
  • Built-in Compact Flash drive and USB port (Mass Storage Class)
  • Support for standard WAV files and MIDI sequences
  • Built-in Analog Audio I/O, headphone output, and MIDI I/O
  • Internal sounds in Flash
  • 4-way sample layering and velocity switching per pad
  • 1 lowpass filter with resonance per voice
  • On-board effects: 2 stereo effects and a Master effect
  • Memory expansion available separately
  • Compact Flash card and AC power adapter included

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Specs

MPC500 Portable Music Production Center Specifications:

General
  • Display: 2 x 16 character LCD w/back light
  • Memory card slot:Compact Flash (The size of the compact flash card that MPC500 can handle is from 32MB to 2GB)
  • Dimensions: 266mm x 175mm x 44mm
  • Weight: 1.34 kg
  • Power requirement: 12v DC 600mA (negative tip)
  • Battery life: Approximately 4.5 hours of continuous use with LCD backlight ON
Sound Generator
  • Sampling rate: 44.1kHz
  • Memory capacity: 16MB standard (11.5MB for sound memory), expandable to 128MB
  • Recording time: 136sec. (16MB, MONO) or 24m28sec. (128MB, MONO)
  • Memory expansion slot: 1 x for optional EXM128
  • Data format: 16-bit linear
  • Polyphony: up to 32 (dependent on processing)
  • Dynamic filtering: 2-pole lowpass filter per voice
  • Preset sound memory: 5MB
  • Number of programs: 24
Effects
  • Effects: 2 stereo effects and Master effect
  • Effect type: Chorus, Flanger, Bit grunger, 4 band EQ, Compressor, Phase shifter, Tremolo,
  • Flying pan, Reverb, Delay
  • Master effect: 4-band EQ, Compressor
Sequencer
  • Maximum events: 100,000 notes
  • Resolution: 96 parts per 1/4-note
  • Sequences: 99
  • Tracks per sequence: 48
  • MIDI output channels: 16
  • Song mode: 20 songs, 250 steps per song
  • Drum pad: 12 (velocity and pressure sensitive)
  • Drum pad banks: 4
  • Sync mode: MIDI clock
Inputs/Outputs
  • Record input (L and R): 1/4-inch stereo phone x 2, pseudo balanced -40dBu, input impedance 9k ohm
  • Max. Input level: +10dBu
  • Stereo output (L and R): 1/4-inch phone x 2 pseudo balanced +11dBu, output impedance, 1k Ohms
  • Max. Output level: +5 dBu
  • Phones output: 1/4-inch stereo phone x 1, 200mW / 100 ohms
  • MIDI inputs: 1 x 5-pin DIN
  • MIDI outputs: 1 x 5-pin DIN
  • USB: Slave connector x 1, USB MASS STORAGE CLASS support (Windows 2000/ME/XP or later version, or Mac OS 9.x/10.x or later version.)
Data Compatibility
  • MPC1000: SEQ, WAV, PGM
  • MPC2000/2000XL: SEQ, WAV, SND, PGM (Most parameters of PGM file can be loaded.)
  • MPC2500: SEQ, WAV, PGM
  • MPC4000: SEQ, WAV, PGM (DRUM program only. Only note assign and tune are loaded.)
  • MPC3000: SND (THRU Computer)
  • Z4/Z8: WAV, PGM (DRUM program only. Only note assign and tune are loaded.)
  • S5000/6000: WAV only (THRU Computer)
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