A new series I want to bring onto the site, we’ll call it Hardware Hacks. Up first…Getting the 8 output board for your MPC 2000 xl for much less than the $180 – $280 price from the normal outlets.
The normal MPC 2000 / 2000 xl 8 output board is model Akai IB-M208p. The S-Series samplers (s-2000 and s-3000) use a board model number IB-208p, (no M – I’d imagine for MPC). The cool thing about this is that it’s the EXACT same board, just on a different mount.
You can pick up a board for closer to $100 (I found a new one for $90, just in an old box), or you can find an old s-2000 that has the 8-outputs installed an pull it from there. Those can be found anywhere from $10 – $100.
Notes:
1. You’ll have to extend the IDE cable (34 pin) in order for it to reach the connector. This isn’t terribly difficult, just be careful not to break the pins or you’ll end up taping and gluing the plastic connector.
2. You’ll have to either purchase some washers and screws that fit onto the plugs.
3. For extra support, you can use old PC parts to help stretch it out.
The Hack:
1. Get your board – whether that means pulling from the old Akai, or just takin it out of a box.
2. Crack open the MPC, bottom panel only needs to be taken off.
3. Replace the IDE cable on the 8-output board with a longer, standard 34 pin IDE cable. MAKE SURE all the holes are open. A lot of old floppy drive cables have a hole plugged for some annoying reason. The best cable to use is probably the one from the MPC Internal Floppy Drive if you still have it.
4. plug the Ide cable in to the motherboard.
DONE!
Here are a few pics nabbed from a post on this topic over at MPC-Forums.
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