Akai MPC-X Release Info

Last month I had the privilege of getting a hands-on exclusive look at the new MPC-X & MPC-Live from Akai. You may have heard a bit about these units already, but having had a few hours with them I can tell you straight….. they are AMAZING!

As you may already know, these are standalone. That means they do not need to be hooked up to a computer, the benefits of which make them portable, easy to use on the go (especially the more compact ‘Live’ version) & great in a live gig situation. They both have approx 6 hours battery life with continuous use.

The larger of the two, the ‘X’, has CV/Gate outputs meaning if you like to use outboard effects units or modular gear, it acts as a hub in the studio & everything can be controlled via its 10.1” full colour, multi touch screen.

Both have the usual ins/outs you would expect (MIDI, XLR, Jack) but what makes these units really exciting is the RCA inputs that allow you to hook up a turntable directly to either unit and rip a vinyl sample in seconds. 

Once an audio part has been created, the process of syncing (or ‘warping’) it to your chosen BPM is very simple using the in-built time-stretch function which I found worked really well on an acapella I imported from a USB flash drive.

Both units ship with 10Gb of pre-installed sound content, meaning you will be making music straight out of the box in minutes.

I found the touchscreen on both units to be ultra responsive & great for making sweeping changes very quickly while the assignable q-link rotary encoders are great for hands on tweaking.

They also both work in ‘control’ mode when connected to your computer & come with MPC 2.0 software. This isn’t just a simple update to previous versions. It is totally brand new, designed from the ground up with all new coding & I have to say it looked stunning & was very intuitive. Both units can also be used in your DAW of choice as a plug-in if you prefer. 

With additional features like, Ableton Link support, WiFi & Bluetooth functionality expected shortly after release, Akai will look set to make a huge impact with these new units and software.

There is still no official release date but we are expecting the first batch of the ‘Live’ to be delivered to us within the month & the ‘X’ should be 3-4 weeks after that.

The buzz around these in the music community is BIG. You can pre-order from us now to guarantee delivery from our first shipment. 

Akai MPC Live pre-order here
Akai MPC X pre-order here

Need any help? Call us on 01274 394 730 or e-mail [email protected]

Looking for the best DJ & Producer gear in the North? Come and visit us at our Bradford City Centre store and demo the equipment we have. Remember we will try to beat or match the price of any other genuine UK dealer.