When it comes to product launches, this was probably not what Akai had in mind for their latest MPC instalment – The MPC Sample.

A rogue eBay listing from a US retailer appeared and then swiftly disappeared earlier this month, showing what can only be described as the newborn offspring of an MPC 60 and MPC 3000. This apparent leak sent the producer community into overdrive with speculation that it may even be AI or a spoof. Well, this week, Akai confirmed in a post that the unit is 100% legit and will drop on March 24th.

The original eBay post that sparked the leak



So, what can we expect from this latest slice of Midi Production Centrism? Well, so far, details are scant, but we have gathered the latest online intel and will attempt to decode it for you…

On the surface

The first thing you are drawn to with the MPC Sample is its looks. It’s not often that you can genuinely call a piece of music gear cute or even adorable! But somehow Akai have designed a real retro stunner that cries out; hold me, play with me! It’s styled very much in the tradition of the original iconic MPC60 and Dilla favourite MPC3000, with its hospital cream colour scheme and black glassy display area. It even has a padded grey hand rest, which is such a nice touch. Beyond the retro-inspired cuteness, the unit is extremely compact, measuring just 194mm x 236mm. The official Akai image shows the unit sitting atop an MPC 3000, with its miniature status clear to see.

Build-wise, it appears to be solid, with backlit pads and the aforementioned wrist rest. The full colour display is a far cry from the expansive DAW-inspired displays of the more recent MPC devices. In fact, if you struggle with your short-distance vision, this may be a slight barrier as it is pretty diddy.

Another welcoming addition is its small speaker situated to the right of the display. Don’t expect to inspire any communal park jams with this 3-watt wonder, but it may come in handy when beat building with others or when you have forgotten your headphones. There’s also an in-built mic, so if you’re on the move and want to grab a quick, real-world sample, you’re covered.

As far as connectivity, they don’t seem to have skimped. One of the main things that Akai are stressing with this unit is that it can be used as a standalone unit and it doesn’t need to run alongside a DAW. The back panel comes primed with a headphone socket, sync out, MIDI in/out, stereo audio in and out on 6.3mm sockets, USB-C port, and a power button. This should be adequate for most beatmakers on the move and provide high-quality connections for when they need to integrate the unit into a studio set-up.



It’s clear that a lot of time and effort has gone into the look and feel of this new device. It certainly screams professional piece of kit, opposed to a gimmicky toy-like device.

Features

Feature-wise, so far, the info has been scant, with just vague mentions of certain functions being listed. The latest leak from another retail site has confirmed the following details:

  • Over 100 drum kits from artists and producers
  • 4 creative effects engines
  • 32 voice polyphany
  • Max sample time: 20 minutes per sample
  • 60 inspiring pad and knob effects (this one remains a bit of a mystery?)
  • Effects include flex beat, colour compressor, vinyl and tape simulation
  • An intuitive sample slicing workflow (It’s speculated that this will be real-time chopping)
  • Onboard sequencer (Well, I would hope so!)
  • Fully standalone with no computer needed, allowing for recording, arranging, producing and live performance
  • Easily connectable to other devices via USB-C and MIDI.
  • Powerful I/O interfaces
  • Ample storage space
  • Lithium battery powered
  • Supported formats: wav, mp3, aiff, snd, .s1s, .s3s, .flac, .ogg

A return to the basics

This latest MPC addition comes at a time when the music tech world is beginning to wake up to the fact that not everyone wants to work in DAW mode. The continued demand for vintage sampling devices, as well as the commercial success of Teenage Engineering EP-133 K.O II (see below) and Roland’s SP-404Mk2, shows that this more hands-on/mouse-off approach is massively appealing.

Teenage Engineering EP-133 K.O. II sampler drum machine sequencer mic composer


For many practitioners of sample-heavy music styles like Hip-Hop, Jungle and lofi, this pad-based sample-led production workflow feels preferable to the overwhelming possibilities a DAW offers. It can certainly feel more organic and hands-on. It also echoes back to an era of sample-based production, i.e., the 90’s, which is still widely celebrated and mythologised by many. Add in the Dilla effect and his strong association with the MPC3000, and this new MPC starts to look like a very desirable piece of kit for a great many beat makers.

Legendary MPC pioneer J Dilla


With Akai’s move to make their latest MPCs, such as this year’s MPC XL, ever more powerful and DAW-like, there has been a cry from some to take things back to basics. Well, with the imminent launch of the MPC Sample, their prayers may well have been answered, unless of course they have MASSIVE hands!

From the initial leaks and associated hype, it’s clear this machine is going to find much favour, assisted by its affordable price tag, which, according to the leak, will be $399.

It has the looks, the features, the cool factor and the pedigree. The only thing that remains to be seen, or heard, is how it actually sounds and performs. One of the things that many people fixate on is the sonic quality of the original MPC’s. While the MPC’s weren’t known to have a specific ‘sound’ in the same way as an EMU SP1200, they did handle drums well. The MPC60’s 12-bit processor, in particular, helped to give samples added attitude.

It’s unlikely this sampler will have a particular colour to its sound, but with a whole host of onboard processing effects available, this should help to get you over the line to help your beats bang like a DJ Premier production.

While this approach to music-making may still be niche, it’s clear there is a strong demand, and all the signs are that Akai may well have a winner on their hands with this one. And to enforce this I’ll round this post off with some comment section highlights.

  • Moog005 says: They just Crushed Casio’s dream. 
  • Jumadda says: They should have called it the MPC Cutie. It’s just so adorable! I can’t wait to pinch her wristpad
  • Brian G “BG” Barking For Broccoli Band says: Does it have a “let AI.” make the beat and put my beatmaker name tag on it and claim I made it myself ” button?
  • Chad Wallz says: Argh, fine, I’ll get another MPC I guess..
  • RocknRollBoise says: You ain’t gonna take a Live 3 out on a plane/train/road trip, and I feel like you should be able to. This, on the other hand, would be perfect for that.

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