![akai pro mpc touch akai pro mpc touch](https://media.guitarcenter.com/is/image/MMGS7/MPC-TOUCH-MIDI-Controller/000000117292254-00-1600x1600.jpg)
And I suspect that will leave some people scratching their heads and wondering why Akai didn’t simply make this standalone hardware so you can untether from the computer entirely.īut while the computer is still in the background, Akai’s appealing approach to tasks like recording and immediate control are right on the hardware.
![akai pro mpc touch akai pro mpc touch](https://medias.audiofanzine.com/images/normal/akai-professional-mpc-touch-3615116.jpg)
And you’ll see the usual Akai workflow shortcuts, like Note Repeat, and quick access to features like overdub.īehind the scenes, you still use the Akai MPC software. It also means there is a really clear, compact control layout for everything else. The on-screen interface looks refined and attractive, though, if conservative – and the same can be said of the hardware. A big question will be how well the touchscreen itself responds. It’s actually really satisfying to reach out and grab a knob for some of these features, rather than a touchscreen, on some of the rival hardware. There’s even what they call “XYFX” - an X/Y controller for real-time effects, in the tradition of the KORG KAOSS Pad (and many other things). The hardware leans really heavily on the touchscreen for a lot of functions: That means you don’t need an extra piece of kit just to hook up to a PA (don’t mention the MacBook headphone jack) or to sample sound (oh yeah, that “sampling” idea of sampling workstations). Today’s MPC Touch also does something else Maschine and Ableton Push don’t do – this slim-line hardware has an audio interface built in. Well, Akai are the first to do groove-making hardware that combines physical pads and a touchscreen in one unit – no iPads (or Microsoft Surfaces) in sight. There’s just one catch: you will still need the computer.Įver looked at those beautiful color waveforms on Native Instruments’ Traktor and Maschine controller and wished you could touch the screen? Imagined pinching to zoom waveforms and navigate samples, the way you can on an iPad? MPC lovers, you finally get a piece of hardware with everything in one place: touch, color displays, pads, buttons for workflow access.