The chunky sized jog wheel – another classic MPC signature design – also makes a good impression, and is often a more useful alternative to using a mouse to make adjustments. The pad sensitivity is adequate and also fully adjustable in the software. The full-size pads are a lot of fun to play with, and also provide shortcuts to various modes. There are 39 buttons on the controller which make for quick selection and mode changing. The dedicated buttons make for an engaging way to interact with the software. If you are coming from the free MPC Beats software or from another way of beatmaking entirely, this is a great way to get into the MPC ecosystem. Personally, we don’t think it is a drawback and it still gives you some feeling of standalone music production.

It is difficult to say if this is a disadvantage as the MPC Studio can be permanently connected to a computer and you can utilise its software interface instead. However, the crispness of the OLED screen is great despite being very small in size. When compared to its predecessor, the MPC Studio’s screen has undergone a massive reduction. Included in the box are a USB cable, two MIDI breakout cables and instructions on how to get started. Measuring only 305 x 171 x 37 mm, it sits tidily on any desk without taking up too much space. It still has the solid durable feel shared by all MPC hardware, and yet is considerably smaller than the previous-generation MPC Studio. The MPC Studio has a very compact, yet sturdy imprint. READ MORE: Numark Mixstream Pro review: A milestone in standalone DJ controllersįast-forward to 2021, and the MPC’s workflow and hardware have yet again been refined and redefined into a new entry-level controller and software package.Whichever MPC you choose, you can always rely on solid beatmaking and sequencing hardware.

Later MPC successors brought more sample time and higher fidelity, while only slightly updating the form factor and sequencing functionality. With an exuberant 26.2 seconds of sample time and 12-bit sampling quality, the MPC60 paved the way for funky grooves and simplified MIDI sequencing in the studio or on stage. It all started in 1988 with the MPC60, made famous by many hip-hop, electronic music and pop producers. The Akai MPC has dominated and defined pad-based groovebox music for decades.

Akai mpc midi controller