Used on eBay right now
Akai MPC1000 Sampler and Sequencer - PAID JJOS, Fat Pads, 128MB RAM, Wood CheeksUsed · Buy It Now$675
AKAI MPC1000 Music Production Center Sampler Drum Machine 16 Pads 100V JapanUsed · Buy It Now$490
Akai Professional MPC1000 Sampler & Sequencer 16-Pad (128MB & JJOS 3.16)Used · Buy It Now$599
Akai MPC1000 Sampler and SequencerUsed · Buy It Now$300
Akai MPC1000 JJ 0S 3.16, 128MB - Located In United StatesUsed · Buy It Now$650
AKAI MPC1000 Music Production Center Sampler Sequencer 32MB RAM Box Japan 100VUsed · Buy It Now$650
The Akai MPC1000 is the MPC that fit in a backpack. Released around 2003, it brought the classic 16-pad workflow to a compact body with CompactFlash storage and USB, at a price a working producer could afford.
JJOS
The MPC1000 has a cult following thanks to JJOS, a replacement operating system written by a Japanese programmer known as JJ. Free and paid versions added audio tracks, non-destructive chopping and other features Akai never shipped, and the best-loved paid version, JJOSXL, still adds value to a used unit.
The hip hop connection
In a 2008 HipHopDX interview cited by Sampleface, Large Professor called it “the MPC version of the [SP]1200” and said he used it on The LP. It became a common machine for underground and independent producers through the 2000s.
Buying one today
Check the pads with the “wiggle test”: newer pad sensors move together when you wiggle one pad. Check how much RAM is installed (16 MB is tight) and which OS it runs, since paid JJOS licenses stay with the machine. Look for bent pins in the CF slot, and don’t confuse it with the smaller MPC500.
Akai MPC1000 videos: demos, history and breakdowns
