MPC sample is a portable retrofuturistic DJ-set device
Akai Pro releases MPC Sample, a portable retrofuturistic sampler that plays tracks through the embedded speaker for on-the-go DJ sets. Small enough to fit in a bag, the standalone sampler, sequencer, and effects processor also comes with a built-in microphone for recordings. The design is a descendant of the MPC60, the 1988 machine that set the visual language for the project. The MPC60 had a grid of pads at the center, knobs on the right, and a display above, and in the MPC Sample, it follows that design line.
The 16 pads sit in a four-by-four grid and are backlit in RGB, each one can change the sound depending on how hard and how long the user presses. A full-color display sits above the pad grid, and there are three knobs and a legacy parameter slider, or a physical fader that appeared on the original machines, that give hands-on control over the effects and sound.
all images courtesy of Akai Pro
Over a hundred drum kits with vinyl and tape emulations
The portable retrofuturistic sampler MPC Sample has over 100 factory drum kits and 60 onboard effect types across four separate effects engines, including vinyl and tape emulations. Other sounds can be recorded through the built-in microphone, external audio inputs, or a USB-C connection from a phone or computer, and once they’re recorded, they can be chopped into sections, looped, time-stretched, and assigned to individual pads.
The sequencer then arranges those sounds into patterns, and patterns into tracks, so in this way, a complete piece of music can be built from a sound recorded on the street, even without using a computer. The device runs on a rechargeable lithium-ion battery for up to five hours and carries the full MPC workflow, including the pads, the sequencer, the chopping, the effects, inside its portable body, so users can bring it to park, a record store, a skate park, or a kitchen table. The portable retrofuturistic sampler MPC Sample is also aimed at beginners who want to learn how to use since the workflow is intentionally simplified and the controls are labeled clearly.
Akai Pro releases MPC Sample, a portable retrofuturistic sampler
the device is small enough to fit in a bag
the standalone sampler, sequencer, and effects processor also comes with a built-in microphone for recordings
a full-color display sits above the pad grid
there are three knobs and a legacy parameter slider for effects and sound control
the device has has over 100 factory drum kits and 60 onboard effect types
view of the upper part of the device
the 16 pads sit in a four-by-four grid and are backlit in RGB
other sounds can be recorded through the built-in microphone
the recordings can be chopped into sections, looped or time-stretched
project info:
name: MPC Sample
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