NAMM 2006 Winter Show: Akai announced Version 2.0 software revision for MPC1000 Music Production Center. The update, which coincides with a cosmetic change (from blue to black) for new units, is available free of charge from the company’s website and includes a number of significant enhancements that facilitates greater versatility from this popular compositional tool.

Included in the MPC1000’s V2.0 software update is the addition of a Delay effect in the unit’s effects processing capabilities. Now, musicians can add even greater realism to their sounds with this all-important sound shaping tool.

For editing and working with sample data, the V2.0 update provides several enhancements, including offline Timestretch and Pitch Shift. The Timestretch feature enables sounds to be elongated, while the Pitch Shift function makes it easy to alter the pitch of a sound, such as correcting the pitch of a sample after it has been lengthened. Another important editing feature included in the V2.0 update is the ability to reverse samples—a very popular feature with DJs.

The MPC1000’s V2.0 update also includes Slice Sample—part of the instrument’s Chop Shop function. The Chop-Shop (slice sample) function can analyze a drum loop, detect the various beats within, and map the various segments to the pads—enabling one to quickly and easily create drum kits. And with V2.0’s new Patched Phrase function, sampled phrases can be automatically synchronized to the sequencer’s tempo without altering the sample’s pitch.

The MPC1000 includes two Q-Link sliders that facilitate extensive real-time control. With the introduction of V2.0 software, these Q-Link sliders, when combined with the new Audio Input Thru function, enables input signals to be manipulated on the fly—enabling DJs, for example, to input a sound while live on stage, sample it, and assign it to the instrument’s pads for playback. For even greater performance capability, the V2.0 software also provides real-time modulation control with the Q-Link sliders.

Making it easier than ever to store a massive amount of sample and sequencer data, the MPC1000’s V2.0 software update now provides support for hard disk drives. With the addition of the optional HD10M hard disk drive, musicians will have greater access than ever to all their important sounds and sequencer data.

The MPC1000 Music Production Center has a suggested retail price of $1499 and is available now.

More information is available at the Akai Pro site.