Akai MPC Sample review: my new favorite portable beat maker

Akai MPC is without doubt one of the most storied names in music historical past. But during the last decade, it is strayed fairly removed from its roots as a humble sampler. The modern MPCs run digital synthesizers, have advanced association instruments, and sport massive touchscreens. They have extra in frequent together with your pc operating a DAW than they do with the unique MPC60. The MPC Sample is each a return to fundamentals and Akai’s triumphant foray into the rising marketplace for portable, battery-poweredand affordable music gear.

The MPC Sample has every thing it is advisable make beats proper out of the field. There’s a fairly brilliant 2.4-inch coloration display for enhancing samples and navigating the UI, a mediocre built-in speaker, an especially delicate mic, and a chargeable battery, and it comes preloaded with tons of of samples to get you began.

Now, you are unlikely to be deciding between the MPC Sample and different MPCs, just like the Live III or the One+. It’s partially a matter of worth (the Sample is $399, and the next-cheapest mannequin is the One+ at $699), nevertheless it’s additionally utterly completely different from every thing else within the MPC lineup. It permits you to document, edit, play again, and organize samples into patterns. That’s a bit reductive, nevertheless it covers a lot of the core options. That’s to not say the Sample is hamstrung — its limitations are a part of its enchantment.

The MPC Sample takes inspiration from the MPC 60 in each workflow and design. It sports activities the identical beigeish-gray physique, a vintage-styled Akai Professional emblem, a parameter fader, and even a wrist relaxation (which is usually beauty). The distinction is that the MPC Sample is a lot smaller. It’s not fairly as portable because the Teenage Engineering KO-II or the Roland P-6however at simply over 9 inches lengthy and 7 inches broad, and underneath two inches at its thickest, it’s going to nonetheless simply slot in a backpack for some on-the-go beat making.

Of course, the pads are what make an MPC an MPC. Like some other entry within the pantheon, there are 16 velocity-sensitive pads organized in a four-by-four grid. In my opinion, Akai’s are one of the best within the enterprise. Only these on the Roland SP-404 come shut.

But, as a result of the Sample is so tiny, the pads are a lot smaller. It’s not the identical luxurious expertise you get on different Akai units. They’re higher than the pads on MIDI controllers like Novation’s Launch sequence, or on the P-6 or KO-II, however they are not as good as these on the Roland 404. I’m already a fairly crappy finger drummer, and with smaller targets, I used to be extra susceptible to errors.

Connectivity is surprisingly sturdy. There are balanced 1/4-inch stereo ins and outs, 1/8-inch TRS MIDI out and in, analog sync, and a headphone jack, plus USB-C for energy, MIDI, audio, file transfers, and firmware updates. There’s even a microSD slot for increasing the inner 8GB of storage.

There are a number of quirks of the Sample workflow that I discovered annoying. There is resampling, which I take advantage of continuously on the SP-404, however right here it simply turns the present sequence right into a new pattern. There’s no technique to resample stay enjoying or pattern manipulation in the mean time. I additionally discover the step sequencer cumbersome. You must scroll via every step moderately than programming a four-on-the-floor beat on the pads.

Beyond that, the MPC Sample is a pleasure to make use of. It’s extremely intuitive. I used to be capable of sit down and begin making music instantly with out consulting a guide. This is not as a result of I’m an skilled MPC person. In reality, I’ve solely ever used an MPC as soon as earlier than, and I discovered it fairly complicated. The Sample’s restricted characteristic set means you are not attempting to wrap your head round advanced sequencing parameters, spending minutes diving via menus, or memorizing unlabeled four-button shift capabilities ( you, Roland P-6).

One of the nice joys in life is chopping up a pattern and rearranging it by banging on some pads. The MPC Sample makes this a seamless pleasure. There’s a button clearly labeled chop. The third context-sensitive knob then adjustments the chop kind from transient (which kinda sucks), to area (4, eight, or sixteen equal chops), or guide, which additionally permits you to carry out lazy chops (faucet the pads the place you need the chop because the pattern performs).

You’ve obtained plenty of room for samples, too. There are eight banks of 16 samples at your disposal per mission, with as many tasks because the 8GB inside storage or a microSD card will maintain. Each mission can even comprise 128 sequences, which you’ll be able to then organize in a easy track mode and export as an audio file.

The MPC Sample is not an entire throwback. There are fashionable facilities, like time-stretching and re-pitching, in addition to a ton of built-in results. The results are arrange in a barely complicated method, nevertheless it’s not too exhausting to get the hold of. There is a devoted compressor that lives in its personal menu. Then there may be Knob FX, which lets you select between 28 completely different results and apply one to any variety of pads. So if you wish to put some auto-wah on a bassline you sampled whereas leaving your drums clear, you’ll be able to. Or you’ll be able to apply it to all in order for you.

Then there are Pad FX, which supplies you 16 performance-focused results that you just apply to a complete sequence. The impact’s depth adjustments relying on how exhausting you press the corresponding pad. This is just like how Teenage Engineering handles punch-in results on the KO-II, however Akai’s impact choice and implementation aren’t fairly pretty much as good. The granulator and comb filter, as an illustration, really feel nearly unusable in any respect however the subtlest of settings — and people are usually not significantly delicate.

The most enjoyable is Flex Beat, a set of pitch- and time-based results for issues like beat repeats, scratch-like results, and even a tape cease. If used sparingly, it will probably add some spice to a efficiency, however it will probably positively get tiresome if overused.

The greatest subject for the MPC Sample is that it simply has a lot competitors. The Roland SP-404 MKII ($499.99), Roland Aira Compact P-6 ($269.99), Teenage Engineering EP-133 KO II ($329), Elektron Model:Samples ($349), the Sonicware SmplTrek ($399), Lofi-12 ($259), and Lofi-12 XT ($399) all concentrate on making music with samples and they’re all in roughly the identical worth vary.

The SP-404 is the bulkiest, most intricate, and most costly of the bunch. But it is also obtained essentially the most insane results, one of the best vinyl simulator, and one of the best pads. The Model:Samples has one of the best sequencer. The P-6 doubles as a granular synth. And the KO-II has one of the best re-pitching engine for taking part in melodic samples, in addition to one of the best efficiency results.

What the MPC has going for it’s the most intuitive workflow and one of the best stability of options. It’s not essentially one of the best at anyone explicit factor, nevertheless it’s above common at nearly every thing, which makes it simple to advocate to most budding beat makers.