33 thoughts on “The Akai MPC Studio (Official Specs & Photos)”

1. another usb controler yippy !!

   does it run with the ipad? ^^

   @akai, just so you know, everyone did the “usb controls software” stuff when you did the “everything in one box” stuff .. now people figured out that everything in one box with a touchscreen is actually pretty powerfull, so how about taking your knowledge and do something innovative, instead of trying to re invent the DAW ? 🙂

2. @Inevitable:crafts.studio Agreed.
   @Akai You know what else offers 64 track sequencing and VST support? All DAWs.

3. wow look at all them faggots with their plastic gear.

   1. Mom? Is that you?

      🙂

4. I’m so glad its aluminum and not plastic. Still curious about the price….

5. I’ll stick with my 1000. With that I don’t need my DAW.

6. they should start making their standalone mpc ‘s super slim and with backlit pads like this one. it looks way better than the MPC Renaissance or whatever that stupid name was.

   I saw a lot of clicking and dragging around the computer screen in the video. i guess its not going to be a “control everything from hardware” type device like Maschine.

   1. You can, though from what I have heard a few things are easier with a mouse, you can technically just hook this up to a computer, boot up the app or the app as a VST in your DAW, turn off your monitor and just use the screen on the MPC Studio or Ren.

7. stil, mpc studio is a pretty stupid name too….
   and the ipad version is called… ….MPC Fly!
   who are they marketing this stuff to?

8. prices?

9. “Large LCD screen allows you to make tracks without having to look at your computer”

   Yeah, I totally hate that large color screen. I’ve been waiting for something tiny and monochromatic to come along.

10. I don’t know but if I were Akai, I would make an ipad app to work with that akai studio to make it really portable. Make a studio Pro with built in battery (that could charge the ipad for long sessions or live gig) + analog input for live sampling that would go directly into the ipad mpc pro app…

    1. Actually, there are some leaked photos of exactly that already on the web… if youre an ipad owner, youre in a treat 🙂

11. interested to know if there is time stretching on this one and the Renaissance.

12. One:

    You people that keep saying they need to integrate this product with the iPad are, frankly, the stupidest people on the internet. An iPad has about a quarter of the processing power of a well-made laptop. My Toshiba Satellite outperforms an iPad by about that ratio. And they cost the same. Go back to suckling at the teat of Apple.

    Two:

    Akai already released an iPad compatible product quite a while ago: SynthStation 49. Derp.

13. One: I’d appreciate it if you kept your anti-fanboy fanboy hijinx out of this, fair user. Both platforms have their pluses and minuses. KBYRD.

    Two: No they didn’t — they announced it, but it’s not yet released.

    Three: what does this have to do with the subject at hand? (Not an invitation to troll)

14. I’m sorry, you’re right, they did announce it, not release it.

    And what it has to do with the subject:

    This is an open discussion about the product and good ideas for its future. I simply joined said discussion, not to troll, but to put in an honest opinion about why I think the Apple users in this discussion, Apple products, and integrating anything with Apple are all terrible choices.

    The iPad is a weak platform that has been around since long before Apple repackaged it with some fancy logos and resold it to the public at three times its worth.

    Point being, if you’re actually serious about making music, and actually want to have clean-sounding, richly-layered tracks that don’t suffer from timing issues, clipping problems, and severe lack of depth due to lack of appropriate processing power from your hardware, you’ll most likely be using a nice computer, not an iPad.

    1. my man, you have no idea what you are talking about.

       go bang two rocks together for that vintage feel.

    2. I think you have a very good point

15. And yes, I HAVE actually used an iPad to make music before. So I know what I’m talking about. They suffer from MAJOR timing fluctuations due to use of processing. Add too many layers to a song, or use a program (IT’S CALLED A PROGRAM, NOT AN APP. PROGRAM.) that has too-busy of a GUI, and your iPad begins to lag, clip, drop out parts, alter or entirely decimate frequencies, etc, etc, etc. There are no advantages to that.

16. And I GUARANTEE you that the sound card in my Toshiba laptop can drop in bass so heavy it would put your iPad’s weak little sound-processing-capabilities to SHAME.

17. Point being: quit taking awesome ideas like this here MPC Studio and saying, “Duhhh, you know what would make this product even BETTER? Deeeeerp, and iPAD!”

    NO.

    It wouldn’t make it better. It would ruin it.

    They already announced a product for you iPad users, ok?

    Go post in that thread. Stop ruining the few good things computer users still have.

18. It’s still off-topic though — I mean, I *could* go into a rant about factory conditions, if the parameters are “all things iPad that aren’t wonderful” (don’t worry, I won’t, folks, I can hear the *groan* from here) — but here goes.

    I think what you’re bringing up is valid, but my experience is a little different. I bought an iPad to supplement my existing rig (Mac in home studio, PC for performance; yes, that works, you just have to be patient and calibrate, especially on the PC and iPad end.) In that regard, it works wonderfully well — I get limited-yet-useful functionality with the better synths and apps, and I don’t have to lug it around. It’s still a work-in-progress though (hence my handle); remains to be seen how well it’ll hold up in performance. I suspect well, especially with apps such as TC-11 out there. Is it dated, respective to what’s already out there? Yes and no — I think where the value-add is with apps that add to workflow (especially with touch-screen capability), not in side-by-side comparison in a home studio with a Mac or PC.

    That all said, I’m wondering if the moderators would want to start a “Yeah, but what do you actually use your iPad for, really?” thread, if one doesn’t already exist somewhere on the blog…

19. There’s this site called Synthtopia, where you can check a lot of great iPad apps.
    Anyway all this debate started by saying that @Akai it’s just copying what Native Instruments did with Maschine, they are not “About to change the game all over again”.

20. Can we stop the iPad hate!

21. @ work in progress:

    Hey man, you have valid points. I’m just hater on Apple simply because I am. It’s a prejudice. You do what you do. I’ll stick to Maschine.

22. God, what a tool!

    1. Hey, you managed to be on topic and off at the same time!

23. just fyi, i the ipad’s processor is way more powerful than the older mpc’s like the mpc2000.

    1. And older mpc’s like the 60, 2000 and 3000 can sequence way more tracks than a iPad. (8)Tacks is the limit I see most apps working apps working with.

       1. BeatMaker 2 can do unlimited tracks, FYI. There goes your argument

          1. exactly.

             also processing power is rarely an issue nowadays. especially for sample playback apps.
             also it keeps getting better fast since it´s a popular market.
             expressive interfacing is the point why touchscreens are an interesting music making tool.
             i am not a fanboy, every tools has pros and cons, but ipad haters are really clutching at straws more and more.

             on topic: akai may manage to get into the hybrid market if the software and pricing is up to par – i give them the benefit of a doubt. but the whole esthetics, product names, and bold swagging claims reek of awful simplistic marketing that offends me a bit actually.

             you can literally hear the process oft he marketing team: our ipad app is aimed towards younger, more hip consumers.
             -what do we call it?
             -mpc fly
             (silence)
             -awesome, awesome to the max.

             even their flagship product design tries (lamely) to capitalise on some classic mpc street cred, and then claim it´s also device of the future.
             there is so much wrong with the whole deal it´s stunning.

             can´t wait to see the software in action – considering the nukai track record it will be a spectacle.

24. I really WANT to like this product, but it just seems so…. Bleh! You know?

    IMO,

    PROS:

    – Aluminum faceplate.

    – The nicest screen I’ve seen on an MPC besides the MPC 5000.

    – MPC time stretch and swing in a DAW! (This is my favorite part)

    – A dedicated “Stop” button. (tapping stop twice acts as a kill-switch for all audio. Great when chopping long samples)

    – Touch sensitive knobs can send MIDI signals when tapped.

    – Option for AC power.

    – Pushing Native Instruments with some competition will mean more Maschine updates! 😀

    CONS:

    – Akai is owned by Numark now. So there is NO WAY to ever REALLY get those “classic” MPC pads. Also, Akai pads in the past have had an open space between the bottom of the pad and the sensor, which made them less sensitive (this can be fixed with slivers of cork). However, NI Maschine and Korg PadKontrol have filled this gap with rubber, and that comes stock!

    – Emulating classic MPC sounds is not always a good thing. If I want my music in 12-bit, I’ll use a bitcrusher. (that was kind of tongue-in-cheek)

    – Saying a computer-integrated device has “classic MPC workflow” is NOT a good sign. I always found MPC’s to be very menu-driven, and clunky until you got it down. On the other hand, the already-existing product in this market (Maschine), has SUPA-FAST workflow.

    – The knobs are kind of low-profile, and if you’re like me, (you may not be) you like to be able to really grab a knob for some intense modulation. Hell, I wish this AND the Maschine would both have SLIDERS. Those are KING, IMO.