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What should I test on a used MPC60?

BrianBrian 7,618 Posts
edited May 2009 in Strut Central
Besides the pads and disk drive?

  Comments

  • BurnsBurns 2,227 Posts
    Having bought a used mpc60, check to see if its been upgraded with better memory from LINN,check(test) the screen brightness, and test the knob(selector) tightness.

    You could also test the outputs on the back.
  • BrianBrian 7,618 Posts
    Completely overlooked the brightness and memory. Thanks!
  • retroretro 33 Posts
    dont know..maybe the recording input to see if there's any noise
  • spelunkspelunk 3,395 Posts
    Check the OS version too - that's not just a simple update, actually a whole new chip inside the machine. Make sure that knob selector isn't doing anything strange, and that the fader is working fine. I would go through and test the inputs and outputs as well - there will be a degree of background noise but shouldn't be a buzz or any real distortion. You may notice a high pitched noise coming directly out of the machine. Do not worry, this can be fixed pretty easily according to my memory.
  • retroretro 33 Posts
    not to go off topic, but i get that high pitch noise comming out of my sp1200 on occasions. usually when i push "empty" pads.. Reset the damn thing and it's all good usually, or play a loud signal through the output. works for me
  • magneticmagnetic 2,678 Posts
    http://www.mpc-forums.com/
  • spelunkspelunk 3,395 Posts
    the high pitched noise comes from the power supply of the LCD as I understand it. There's some sort of trick to getting it to go away. And yeah, MPC-Forums is a really good resource - lots of knowledgeable people but also leagues of morons.
  • dj_pidj_pi 335 Posts
    the high pitched noise comes from the power supply of the LCD as I understand it. There's some sort of trick to getting it to go away. And yeah, MPC-Forums is a really good resource - lots of knowledgeable people but also leagues of morons.

    If it's a supply issue, and there is high pitch ringing, then it seems that they are not filtering the supply enough. I would recommend trying to track down where the positive voltage for the LCD board supply is located before it gets into the any chips and circuitry. From there, you can put a capacitor in parallel to ground to help filter the supply and reject any high noise frequencies. Typically, this is done with a low resistance tantalum capacitor, and typically they use two capacitors of values 0.1 micro-Farads and 1 micro-Farad.

    Opening up electronics all the time, I notice how many manufacturers skip out on such filtering caps being that tantalum ones are more expensive and it's just another cost added to the bill. When it comes to audio electronics, it's imperative to have clean, non-noisy supplies, otherwise that noise can leak into your outputs and other parts of your circuitry.

    Just a guess from experience, but any mod like this wouldn't hurt the unit unless you put it in wrong.
  • 4YearGraduate4YearGraduate 2,945 Posts
    You sure you want to buy an mpc60 ?
  • hemolhemol 2,578 Posts
    You sure you want to buy an mpc60 ?
  • lelandleland 43 Posts
    I have to say that the MPC 60 is a desert island piece. Its one of only a very few joints that synthesized the right features into something thats more than the sum of its parts. With OS 3.10 you have most of the features of an MPC 3000, but 12 bit with 26.2 seconds of mono sampling (upgraded). Sidenote: the 60 actually samples in 16bit and compunds the samples in memory into 12bit. I personally love the sound, and enjoy the limitations. Its not as "12bit" sounding as the SP, but its still raw.

    I've had over twenty 60s in my possession for repair or resale and there a few key things to look for. I like to buy units that haven't seen lots of use, there are several signs, like silkscreen condition on buttons. The price is usually not a lot different for a nice one.

    Roger Linn has stopped supplying Marion Systems SCSI interfaces via his website, and they are no longer available. Not an easy one to track down on ebay either.

    The backlight is a minor fix ($30) and generally needs replacing after 20 years anyway.

    The most important thing to test is sampling/playing sounds. The disk drive isn't a standard computer floppy, without SCSI its important that this works also. Load sounds onto every pad and play them.

    The high-pitched whining in these and many others (3000, sp1200, etc)
    comes from the backlight inverter.

    The MPC 60II is nearly identical to the 60 except that it has a headphone jack, plastic housing and removable power cord.

    I'm also a huge fan of the MPC 3000 (best sampler ever made). Thes, not sure if you have Rohan Mansell's Vailixi OS 3.50 upgrade, but its heartily endorsed. Editing samples while the sequencer is playing is awesome! Tons of other cool stuff too...

    http://www.mansell-labs.com/

    If you have more questions, need parts, or even machines. Hit me on the PM

    -L
  • BrianBrian 7,618 Posts
    Thanks for all the advice guys. Mad knowledge dropped.


    You sure you want to buy an mpc60 ?
    Honestly, I don't know. The price was good so I was just thinking grip and flip. I figure if I didn't click with it in a week or something (and of course adjust back to floppies) that I could have flipped it for like a decent amount more than I paid.
  • anasarcasmanasarcasm 365 Posts
    i saw it listed too! great deal, though i'd be a little wary of it's age. did you end up getting it?
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