Akai MPC Key 61 - FIRST LOOK!

[EnochLight]

Well, it's finally "official" - after the months and months of leaks. Here's Nick's first look with Andy from Akai:

[bxbrkrz]

I wish the look was more like the S1000 K

[DaveyG]

An interesting one. I think it will be a huge success.

[EnochLight]

Akai haven't done a workstation sampler in decades - it's nice to see them back in the game.

[QVprod]

This looks REALLY GOOD!!! I think I want one.. but probably more for live use. Don't think I'd get on with realtime sequencing for songs. Curious to see more though.

[Propellerhands]

I wish the look was more like the S1000 K

same lol. Doesn't look premium at all. It has everything except premium looks. Again this ugly red/black combination then looking at a side irks me the most.

[EnochLight]

I disagree. I feel it looks fantastic and 100% premium. Very modern looking.

[bxbrkrz]

I wish the look was more like the S1000 K

same lol. Doesn't look premium at all. It has everything except premium looks. Again this ugly red/black combination then looking at a side irks me the most.

At least you can get rid of the ugly red sides on the mpc-x.

[EnochLight]

Loopop has another fantastic video on the MPC Key 61:

[Heater]

Well, it's finally "official" - after the months and months of leaks. Here's Nick's first look with Andy from Akai:

I didn't think it looked that good but that vid has changed my mind. Looks like it would be fairly straightforward to complete a full production on it.

[Mistro17]

This is on my wish list. One day hopefully I will have it. When I clear my Sweetwater bill lol. I have an Akai MPK249 which is my current favorite and an KK S88. This will fit the sweet spot right in the middle that I can also travel with since it don't require a Computer all the time.

[moalla]

I let a review at amazona about the MPC key and heard them nearby the sounds of the plugin suite, at all i must say nothing real spectacula more or less bread and butter sounds , and then in comments someone how played it live said https://www.amazona.de/test-akai-profes ... rkstation/

"yeah it´s sounds like 10 year old plugins with a non polyphonic aftertouch keys, at all a MPC One Motherboard with the pluginsuite and a big case with keyboard, for 2000 at the end to expensive, go for the mpc one and buy the Plugins for 500"

I know akai will bring updates for their plugins and this unit will become cheaper with the time, but at all i think it´s a good starting point for that kind of new dsp instrument era, NI´s pedant are still not out. So we will see, but when i would buy something like this, than a dsp hardware synth for arturias v collection that would be a real gem





Personaly i´m now totaly happy with Spark2.5 and multiple outputs , and the chance to use Ispark on the ipad for scratch and being able to transfer presets between them ,
my GAS is served

[PhillipOrdonez]

Isn't this a live 2 with a keyboard attached?

[EnochLight]

Isn't this a live 2 with a keyboard attached?

No.

[PhillipOrdonez]

What does it have that the live doesn't have that isn't the keyboard and that touch strip thing?

[EnochLight]

What does it have that the live doesn't have that isn't the keyboard and that touch strip thing?

4GB of RAM (versus Live’s 2GB), which changes the abilities of the MPC. More useful button layout. And it comes with a ton of new free plugins that vastly improved the MPC’s sound library. Currently if you want that on the Live, you’re spending another $500 for the plugins alone.

It’s an “all-in-one” proper workstation. Can’t discount that fact. Selling it as “just a Live with a keyboard” is selling it short in a massive way.

[PhillipOrdonez]

Right so it is a live with a keyboard and double the ram and a bunch of plugins. Got it!

[EnochLight]

Right so it is a live with a keyboard and double the ram and a bunch of plugins. Got it!

Sure, ok!

[EnochLight]

I let a review at amazona about the MPC key and heard them nearby the sounds of the plugin suite, at all i must say nothing real spectacula more or less bread and butter sounds , and then in comments someone how played it live said https://www.amazona.de/test-akai-profes ... rkstation/

"yeah it´s sounds like 10 year old plugins with a non polyphonic aftertouch keys, at all a MPC One Motherboard with the pluginsuite and a big case with keyboard, for 2000 at the end to expensive, go for the mpc one and buy the Plugins for 500"

I know akai will bring updates for their plugins and this unit will become cheaper with the time, but at all i think it´s a good starting point for that kind of new dsp instrument era, NI´s pedant are still not out. So we will see, but when i would buy something like this, than a dsp hardware synth for arturias v collection that would be a real gem

Personaly i´m now totaly happy with Spark2.5 and multiple outputs , and the chance to use Ispark on the ipad for scratch and being able to transfer presets between them ,
my GAS is served

Your GAS being served will certainly save you money! But for those who would like a traditional workstation instead of a groovebox, the choices are limited: Akai's new MPC Key 61, the Roland Fantom stuff, Yamaha's MODX. None of them hold a candle to MPC's sequencer, song building, and sampling. So the new MPC Key 61 is certainly a good option to consider if that's the route you want to go.

Me, I've already got a Force and an MPC Live II, so I'm good to go. If I didn't have an MPC currently, I'd absolutely consider the Key 61 instead of getting the Live II and having to cart around a separate 61 key controller. Especially if I was performing at a gig and needed to transport it. But that's just me. YMMV. Also, the new plugins sound fantastic for a standalone workstation.