Ok I got a bit of information here that I think would be in good order to post here for those of you who are using any MPC's as part of your production set up. As most of you know or don't know after a while the LCD screen on your MPC is gonna start to have problems with missing pixels and such which is due to the fact that the machine gives off a substantial amount of heat thus causing the LCD to start having these lines all throughout the screen.

Most places you go to will charge you a ton of money to change the screen when in fact you can do it yourself. This is also known as learning the tools of your trade.

My screen has already been replaced once and I guess you learn from experience because I'm about to change it again but this time I'm gonna save myself an extra $200 or more by doing the installation myself.

I called one spot and the guy told me it'll cost me $228.00 just to get the LCD screen plus another $150.00 for the installation and if it's rush (meaning if you can do without your MPC for say 2 weeks) it'll be an extra $50.00.

Now mind you I got no problems with someone trying to make some money but come on, the LCD costs $150.00 plus shipping and handling depending on where you are zip code wise the shipping costs vary plus the type of service you want.

Call Akai directly at 401 658 4032 and ask for candace at extension 244 she was the young lady that helped me at the time that I am writing this so if in a year or two from now you see this post she may have either been replaced or moved to another department or simply retired.

Tell her the MPC model you have whether it's the 2000, 2000XL or whatever and that you want to order the LCD screen for it. Keep in mind the prices may vary for the different models check with her if that's the case.

The 2000 LCD screen costs $150.00 and with the shipping and handling charges my total was $160.10. Now if you're not comfortable opening up the box and doing the installation yourself then by all means take it to an authorized service center for Akai and let them do the installation for you.

I'll post pics of my own do it yourself installation when I get the screen unless of course I fail to do it properly and end up taking it in to have it installed.

Well the screen arrived and I took it home and did the installation myself and I'm happy to say that it went well all except for those 2 little ass screws that was holding the screen in place (Pic 12) which was a pain in the ass to take out and put back in but I got it done no less.

I'm gonna break each pic down with the explanation on how you go about doing the installation of the LCD screen on the MPC 2000. Please keep in mind if you are not comfortable with doing the installation DO_NOT_ATTEMPT to do it yourself but rather TAKE_IT_IN_TO_A_QUALIFIED_SERVICE_CENTER and have them do the installation for you. I will not be held responsible for any injury that you may cause to yourself or others or any equipment malfunction that may arise out of this installation as you do so at your own risk.

Pic 1

These are the tools that you would need to get the job done, a phillips screw driver and a flat head screw driver, pay special attention to the sizes as you will need a really tiny flat head screw driver to get the screws out in Pic 12.

Pic 6

Once you've removed all the above mentioned screws slowly pull gently on the front panel and it should be able to slide out smoothly to allow you access to the other screws that you need to remove.

Pic 10

Slowly remove the whole panel gently as the panel is still connected to the main circuit board and locked in place by the clips that are circled in the pic on the connector on the left and right side of the wire. Push down gently on these two clips and the wire should pop up when the clips are released.

Pic 11

The 2 clips that are circled need to stay open so you can insert the wire that came out from there and lock it back in place when the LCD is installed.

Pic 12

Remove the 2 screws that are circled in the pic here, you would need a tiny flat head screw driver here or a tiny phillips head screw driver here to remove them. Once the screws are removed gently raise the LCD as it is still connected to the board by the two connectors circled in the pic.

Pic 14

Grasp both ends of the connector to the back on it's side that are circled in the pic on the connector and slowly pull up until you feel a click and a stop and again I am stressing here DO NOT USE EXCESSIVE FORCE. Once that's done pull the wire up and out to release it and the LCD screen should be disconnected now from the main circuit board.

Pic 15

Unwrap the new LCD screen very carefully making sure that you are grounded by either wearing a static strap or touching the metal part of the MPC to discharge any static that may be present on your hands as touching the LCD screen with static will cause damage to the screen as well as the MPC during the installation.

Pic 16

The end of the wire on the LCD screen which is circled in the pic has to be inserted back into the connector exactly as you took it out in Pic 14. (MENTAL NOTE HERE Everything you are about to do here is the reverse of what you did to take the screen out, pay special attention to how you are taking the screen out and what positions the wires were in) DO NOT BEND OR TWIST THIS WIRE. Extend the wire outwards being careful not to bend or twist it and insert it into the top of the connector gently all the way in until it stops. Once inserted push down on the sides of the connector until it clicks into place. Once in place you can manuever the wire gently to place the screen back into place. Take the 2nd wire shown in Pic 13 and slowly slide the wire back into the connector making sure that it slides into the groove on the connctor and that the pins are not bent or broken and that they are inserted fully into the holes on the connector attached to the wire. DO NOT USE EXCESSIVE FORCE.

Pic 17

Once you have the LCD screen in place it'll be a lot easier to put the screw on the left side in the hole on the LCD first then screw the board in place then put the 2nd screw in on the other side. Make sure that both these screws are screwed in tight to hold the LCD in place.

Pic 18

MENTAL NOTE HERE Everything you are about to do here is the reverse of what you did to take the screen out, pay special attention to how you are taking the screen and screws out and what positions the wires were in make sure that the connector in Pic 11 is open so you can slide the wire back into place as per Pic 10. And again I stress DO NOT USE EXCESSIVE FORCE. There is a groove on the connector that the wire has to slide into, make sure that it is lined up correctly before you push the wire in. Once you have pushed the wire in, the 2 connectors on the side will snap to lock the wire in place. Gently place that whole panel back into place on the MPC and put the screws back in where they came from. Gently replace the cover of the MPC back on to the machine making sure that everything lines up and that there is no loose ends to be tied up now put the screws back into place. Turn on the MPC and your LCD screen should be good to go as per Pic 18.

Please DO NOT ATTEMPT THIS INSTALLATION IF YOU ARE NOT COMFORTABLE DOING SO as doing so may void your warranty if it's one of the newer models of the MPC series or it may cause serious damage to your machine or person if done improperly. TAKE_IT_IN_TO_A_QUALIFIED_SERVICE_CENTER

This was just a general outline of what I myself did to replace the LCD screen on my own machine which was to save some expense on having it done by a service center.

I would also like to apologize if the pics aren't clear enough for you to see but once you have the machine open you can get an idea of what is what by looking and comparing.