first i'le start by saying i love my SP404sx to death...however ,i'm feeling like i'm not getting my beats tight like i want em'.

i know if i got an MPC of any kind i would be able to sequence the way i used to back in my FLStudio days.. and have crisp arrangements.

since i've moved to hardware i find my enjoyment of the beat making process alot more,plus my eyes don't hurt from computer screen ware.

the only way forward i'm seeing to advance is another hardware in addidtion tot he 404.

i like to mangle sounds up in the SP,effects alone make it worthy of it's price.with an MPC linked as the final link in my production chain,i know i can tweak my sounds how i want em SP style,then sample them into the MP to work on the final arrangement.

---

any body got this set up..

as i said i only want the MPC for the sequencer.

are there other options i should consider.

---

are the 500 buttons more hardwaring than other MPCs ...yes i'm willing to sacrafice on cushtee feeling pads if it means i don't have to replace the shits every other year like car tyres

---

all outside thought is welcomed

i don't know a lot about mpc's but it sounds like you want the 1000 with updated pads. i believe the black one, not the original blue one.
there have been some posts with people complaining about the longevity of the 500 pads.
perhaps a 2000xl would be your best bet since you're not interested in memory storage. i think those pads have better response than the newer akai pro series mpc's (since akai was bought by numark) i.e. 500, 1000, 2500, 5000

i use my 303 with an mpc1000. sequence the 303 from the mpc or sync sequencers. like it alot.

I know it works for the 1000, but not sure for the 500. You can swap cf cards with the SP-404 and it'll work in the MPC. You sample and lace effects with the 404, then toss the cf card from the 404 to the 500 and now sequence those samples without loss because its a Digital to Digital conversion instead of using the audio jacks which is Analog to Digital conversion.

Speaking from experience with most of the MPC's, the 500 is the lowest of the low. Even if all you want it for is sequencing, I'd stay away. The sequencer sucks compared to the other MPCs. You can get a used 2000 (non XL) for around US$300 and the sequencer is pretty good but the best bang for the buck is the 1000 (around $US500 used), and honestly you'll find yourself using it for more than just sequencing - trust.

mpcstuff.com has thick fat pads for almost all models, and I can attest that they are shiznizzle snit snap bizzity bom.

Also there's a ton of other devices that do MIDI sequencing for cheap , that's a whole nother can of worms though. The Yamaha QY-70 is one of the first that springs to mind, and don't they make some kind of MIDI sequencer for the Gameboy? Lots of options there.

MPC1000 w JJ

i had the mpc 500 and the 1000.
like Kel said, the 1000+jjos is very cool.
for the 500: if you never used an mpc stay away from it 'cause of the little screen (30000 submenus); if not, it's ok....BUT, damn, those pads are tooooo haaarrddddd!!! really!

appreciate all the repsonsizz ...gave me plenty to think about