Switch the unit on by pressing the "Power" button. On the MPC-1000, this is located around the back of the unit, on the left hand side. The main page should come up, which has the word "Now" in the top left hand corner. If this isn't present, press the "Main" button, which is located to the bottom left of the large data wheel.
Press "Down" to highlight the "Sq" field. This button is located underneath the data wheel, two spaces to the right of "Main." The "Sq" field represents the current sequence, which is a collection of up to 64 tracks, often containing parts of a song. For example, a sequence may contain one piano track, one bass track and one violin track. A sequence can be a song in its own right, or can be combined with other sequences using the "Song" feature.
Turn the data wheel to select a sequence slot for your performance. If you want to start from scratch, choose a slot that shows "unused" on the display screen.
Scroll down to the "Tr" field using the directional buttons. This field displays the currently selected track. Using the data wheel, start with "Tr: 01." Selecting a field using the directional buttons and then changing its value with the data wheel is a common process on the MPC-1000, and is the way many operations are performed.
Select the desired program by changing the value of the "Pgm" field. The program is the collection of sounds that is controlled by the MPC-1000's touchpads. These programs can also be edited and created to suit your preferences. Test the currently selected program by touching the pads.
Press and hold the "Rec" button, and then press "Play Start" to commence recording. The "Rec" button is located in the bottom right of the unit, beside "Pad 4."
Play the desired pads to record your track. After two bars, the MPC-1000 will replay the recording and allow you to overdub on the track, meaning that you can add to your original recording, which will play on a loop.
Press "Stop" to stop overdubbing at any time. You can also replay the recording by pressing "Play," located to the right of stop.
Record the remainder of your sequence's tracks in the same way.