// Studio utilityBeta
MPC Expansion Converter for the MPC 2000XL
Turns the drum programs of a modern Akai MPC expansion into .PGM programs and 16-bit sounds for the MPC 2000XL.
- Target machine
- Sample memory
- 2 MB / 32 MB max
- Audio
- 16-bit, 44.1 kHz
- Pads
- 64 (4 banks of 16)
Drop an MPC expansion folder here
The folder with the .xpm programs and their WAV samples. Nothing is uploaded; conversion runs in this browser.
Your browser may ask you to confirm an upload. Your files never leave this computer.
Reads .xpm programs and .wav samples only
New
Kit Builder
Build an MPC 2000XL program from your own samples: drop sounds on the pads and export a .PGM with its sounds.
Step by step
How to load a modern MPC expansion on an MPC 2000XL
- 01.Input
1. Drop the expansion folder
Drag the folder of a modern Akai MPC expansion onto the page. The converter reads its .xpm drum programs and their WAV samples. Nothing is uploaded; the files stay on your computer.
Reads: .xpm programs + .wav samples
- 02.Options
2. Choose the options
Pick mono or stereo, .SND or .WAV sounds, and 8- or 16-character file names. The list shows how much sample memory each program needs on the MPC 2000XL.
Shows sample memory per program
- 03.Convert
3. Convert and download
Each program becomes a folder with one .PGM file and its sounds, packed into a ZIP together with a report of every change.
Output: ZIP with one folder per program
- 04.Hardware load
4. Load it on the MPC 2000XL
Copy a program folder to a disk the machine can read and load the .PGM from the LOAD screen. The program loads its sounds from the same folder.
Media: floppy disk or SCSI drive
Mapping
What gets converted
How each part of an expansion program is carried over to an MPC 2000XL program.
| In the expansion | On the MPC 2000XL |
|---|---|
| Pad and its MIDI note | Same pad and note (notes 35 to 98) |
| One sample on a pad | One sound, tuned by the program |
| Several stacked samples on a pad | Mixed into one sound, with each layer's tuning, level and pan applied |
| Tuning, level, pan, attack and decay | Note parameters and mixer settings |
| One-shot or note-off, mono or poly | Voice overlap |
| Mute groups | Mute assign (each pad can silence two others) |
| 24-bit, 32-bit float, 48 kHz or stereo audio | 16-bit, 44.1 kHz, mono or stereo |
| Programs with more than 64 pads | Split into several programs |
Support independent MPC tooling
mp2mp is free. If it saves you time, you can support its development.
Documentation & FAQ
Questions and answers
- Is mp2mp made by Akai?
- No. mp2mp is an independent tool developed by Operando and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Akai Professional. It was built from two sources: the official MPC 2000XL manual and the version 1.20 operating system .bin file, which were studied to work out how the machine reads its .PGM and .SND files. The rest is programming skill, with the help of AI.
- Can the MPC 2000XL load modern MPC expansions?
- Not directly. Modern expansions store programs as .xpm files, which the MPC 2000XL cannot read, and most of their samples are 24-bit or 32-bit, which it rejects. mp2mp converts the drum programs into the 2000XL's own .PGM format and the samples into 16-bit, 44.1 kHz sounds it can load.
- Which file formats does the MPC 2000XL use?
- Programs are .PGM files and sounds are .SND files. It also loads .WAV files, but only 16-bit PCM at 44.1 kHz, in mono or stereo. A .PGM holds only the program settings and loads its sounds by name from the same folder.
- How do I convert an .xpm program to .PGM?
- Drop the expansion folder, containing the .xpm files and their WAV samples, onto mp2mp.com and press Convert. You get a ZIP with one folder per program, each holding a .PGM and its .SND sounds.
- Are my samples uploaded anywhere?
- No. The conversion runs entirely in your browser. The site has no server component for files, and its security policy only lets the page talk to its own host.
- How much memory do converted kits need?
- The MPC 2000XL has 2 MB of sample memory as standard, about 22 seconds of mono audio, and can be expanded to 32 MB. A typical 16-pad drum kit needs 1 to 3 MB in mono. Converting to mono halves the memory, and trimming silent tails saves more. The converter shows the figure for each program before you convert.
- What happens to pads with several layers?
- A 2000XL note plays one sound, so stacked layers are mixed into a single sound, with each layer's tuning, level and pan applied first. If layers are switched by velocity, only the loudest layer is kept. On the MPC 1000, MPC 2500 and MPC 500 a pad holds up to four samples, so up to four layers stay separate, each with its own level, tuning and velocity range.
- What is not converted?
- Plugin, MIDI and keygroup programs have no MPC 2000XL equivalent and are skipped. Effects and sequences are not converted either.
- Why are the file names so short?
- By default names are 8 uppercase characters, so they survive being copied to a card or floppy disk from a computer. The MPC 2000XL supports names up to 16 characters, and you can choose that length instead.
- Is mp2mp free?
- Yes. It is free to use and currently in beta. If it saves you time you can support its development with a donation.
- Can I convert expansions for the MPC 1000, MPC 2500 or MPC 500?
- Yes. Each has its own converter page: choose the machine above the converter. These machines get a .PGM program in the MPC 1000's format with 16-bit, 44.1 kHz .WAV sounds. The MPC 2500 loads MPC 1000 programs, so it receives exactly the same files as the MPC 1000; they are not in the slightly newer format the MPC 2500 itself saves.
- How is an expansion kit laid out on the MPC 500?
- Expansion kits are built on 16-pad banks, and the MPC 500 has 12 pads per bank. The converter fills the MPC 500's pads in order, so a 16-pad kit lands on A01 to A12 plus B01 to B04, instead of dropping every fourth pad. If you would rather decide which sound goes on which pad, the MPC 500 Kit Builder may be the better option.