akai professional mpc studio black review

#AKAI PROFESSIONAL MPC STUDIO BLACK REVIEW FULL#
#AKAI PROFESSIONAL MPC STUDIO BLACK REVIEW SOFTWARE#
#AKAI PROFESSIONAL MPC STUDIO BLACK REVIEW SERIES#

To the right of the screen are four Q-Link rotary encoders, a large data wheel and of course the transport buttons for the sequencer.

It supports gestures like pinch zooming and reacts swiftly and accurately. The center of the slightly angled front panel is occupied by a 7” multi-touch display just like the ones found on the MPC Live II and MPC One.

The 7″ touchscreen supports multi-touch gestures Touchscreen and controllers The semi-weighted keys are also a joy to play and feel similar to what you’d find on higher-end keyboard controllers and synth workstations. The pads, encoders, buttons, and wheels all feel very good. Despite the fact that its outer shell is entirely made of plastic, it seems reassuringly rugged. Well, we all know how that went down… After removing multiple layers of inconspicuous packaging, I was delighted to discover that the build quality seems to live up to the MPC’s solid reputation. Built like an MPCĪKAI sent me the MPC Key in a neutral box covered entirely in black plastic wrap, which is proof of the manufacturer’s effort to keep it a secret.

The only missing link was an appropriate controller for stuff that just doesn’t work all that well on the pads.

#AKAI PROFESSIONAL MPC STUDIO BLACK REVIEW SOFTWARE#

With their built-in synth engines, current MPCs are basically stand-alone DAWs loaded with software instruments. In that sense, the MPC Key is a logical evolution. And can we agree that rubber pads in a 4×4 grid are a pretty poor choice for playing sounds like virtual pianos, organs, or strings? In addition to classic pad sampling, the MPC Key 61 features no less than 25 onboard synths. With the latest firmware and Sounds mode, AKAI has taken this concept even further.

#AKAI PROFESSIONAL MPC STUDIO BLACK REVIEW SERIES#

Through a series of firmware updates, the latest models now include a bunch of synth engines that resemble software instruments in a DAW. The other thing is: MPCs have come a long way and are now so much more than just samplers with rubber pads and a tight sequencer. And all of a sudden, I get the hang of it and am finally able to fully appreciate the workflow for the first time. The MPC Key is a complete, wholesome instrument that says “play me”. Maybe it’s just a psychological thing – there’s nothing stopping me from using a “normal” MPC with a keyboard controller. Long story short: The MPC Key has instantly changed that and I’m seriously considering giving it another try by adding it to my studio. Somehow, the MPC and I never really clicked. I’ve even owned a couple of MPCs over the years, only to realize a short while later that maybe they weren’t for me, after all. I have deep respect for those who use it to create beats so unique that I struggle to replicate them using my methods of choice, and I’ve always wished I was one of them. That said, I’m of course fully aware of the fact that an MPC is an incredibly powerful machine in the hands of someone who really understands it. I generally prefer synths with keys over desktop modules and never really became friends with MPCs and other pad-driven devices. However, the longer I used it, the better I understood: it’s for guys like me! I’m a keyboard guy. With these thoughts in mind, I wasn’t sure which users AKAI was thinking of when they designed this thing. And just in case you do end up needing them, you always have the option to hook up a MIDI keyboard to your keyless MPC. Black and white keys, on the other hand, aren’t something that seems to be all that important to most users. seems like a bargain considering what ableton/push costs.The first question that comes to mind is: Why? For most MPC users, the famous 16 pads are the weapons of choice for producing beats and triggering samples – they, along with the sampling and sequencing workflow, are the main reasons why the series is still going strong after a third of a century. It is pretty cheap (a little over £300) and looks like a decent quality controller and the 2.0 software is included. Is this possible on the studio? more importantly is it easy? i actually want to mainly focus on the software/DAW, use the pads for drums and the rest of the unit as a controller is basically gravy (i know it isn't standalone) then record automation on top of that - either from my external synth knobs or on the Q-link knobs. then quantize or tidy it up a bit manually. I hope to record MIDI notes from an external synth. if i used a separate audio interface, would this essentially be the same as MPC live or X? (i only need to record one synth at a time)

It only has MIDI though, no audio inputs. I assumed MPC studio was a discontinued thing, but seems like it is supported by the 2.0 software

#AKAI PROFESSIONAL MPC STUDIO BLACK REVIEW FULL#

i ruled out maschine because it is not good for full tracks, but looked very promising otherwise - i like the closed/simplified nature of it compared to real DAWs. i get sidetracked/lost by all the extra stuff. I am looking for a simple DAW that does automation.

Akai professional mpc studio black review