Akai Intros MPC For Synth Players, The $899 MPC Key 37

AKAI Pro today introduced a new MPC for synth players, the MPC Key 37.

The MPC Key 37 packs a lot of power into a compact and – at $899 – relatively affordable instrument. It features 37 full-size synth-action keys, 16 RGB MPC pads, 32GB of internal storage, support for the MPC Stems and more. It’s designed to be a portable and powerful MPC for synthesist, electronic musicians and producers.

The MPC Key 37 builds on AKAI Pro’s investment in the MPC platform in recent years, combining classic standalone MPC functionality with tons of I/O. You can connect synths, sound modules, modular racks, studio monitors, and more via stereo 1/4-inch inputs and outputs, Direct USB Midi, 5-pin MIDI In/MIDI Out, 4 TRS CV/Gate output jacks, and a USB Host port.

It’s also Wi-Fi and Bluetooth enabled, so you can start, stop, and sync devices and DAWs wirelessly with Ableton Link 3.0, wirelessly control playback on your mobile, laptop, and standalone hardware devices, sync samples and loops directly to the instrument and more.

Features:

  • Standalone MPC
  • 37 key synth-action keybed w/ Aftertouch / Pitchbend and Modulation Wheel
  • 16 Velocity and pressure-sensitive pads, RGB-backlit
  • 8 Banks accessible via 4 Pad Bank buttons
  • 4 360° touch-sensitive Q-Link knobs for parameter adjustment
  • 1 Data encoder for value adjustment and selection via push buttons
  • 38 Dedicated-function buttons
  • Full-color LED-backlit display with touch interface
  • Processor: Quad-core ARM® processor
  • RAM: 2 GB
  • Storage: 32 GB (over 22 GB available for user storage)
  • Connections
    • (2) 1/4” (6.35 mm) TRS Inputs (1 stereo pair)
    • (2) 1/4” (6.35 mm) TRS Outputs (1 stereo pair)
    • (1) 1/4” (3.5 mm) stereo headphone Output
    • (1) 1/4” Sustain Input
    • (1) 1/4” Expression Input
    • (1) 1/4” FS2 Input
    • (1) 5-pin MIDI Input
    • (1) 5-pin MIDI Output
    • (4) 4 TRS CV/Gate Jacks, 8 Outputs Total
    • (1) USB Type-A port
    • (1) USB Type-B port
    • (1) SD Card slot
    • (1) Power Adapter Input

Pricing and Availability

The MPC Key 37 is available now for $899.

23 thoughts on “Akai Intros MPC For Synth Players, The $899 MPC Key 37

  1. Would have bought it for sure to top up my Live 2 but the 2 GB RAM is prohibitive !
    As already been said elsewhere why not upgrading this old platform step by step ? And adding some ram would be a start point at lower cost.

    1. That is inMusic’s marketing for you, I guess.

      (Always rembember: “Jack O’Donell is a Bastard!” – Roger Linn – )

  2. So that’s 1GB on the MPC Key 37 vs 3GB on the MPC Key 61.
    I thought people already complained they wanted more RAM on the MPC Key 61?

  3. A producer playing this live would be working on a mix of all the elements. There’s akais software minmoog and juno synth, plus plenty of samples. So a producer could have pre programmed drum lines, play the synths over top of that, while mixing and mastering different elements. If they decide to have a 2 octave battery powered version I’d go with that one

  4. I recommend not to buy this shit.
    It’s really old hardware in a new ugly packaging.
    They’re comming up again with only 2GB RAM.
    Shame on you AKAI. Too embarrssing…

    1. Totally agreed, these aren’t “instruments” in any form but underspecced money pits for subscriptions and packs, or at best, mediocre samplers. Wish they had taken another route, the 1000 is a midi sequencing beast. The “built-in” synths sounds worse than ten year old iphone synths like Sunrizer and Animoog. The specs seem to get lower, anything less than 8 GB is gonna suck. I don’t own any new MPC, but have tried the first Live, which had a laggy screen and horrendous, clunky OS. Compared to something like Elektron devices they indeed seem designed by and for children.

  5. I’m with Seppy. $35 will buy you a 512 GB flash drive from Sandisk. I have a lot of their drives and they’ve been solid performers. Therefore, AKAI and Apple should have pineapples shoved way up them for their greedy, stingy memory allocations. It undermines their platforms. AKAI makes nothing from me and Apple makes a LOT less than they could. I veer away from companies who wear their greed on their corporate sleeves so blatantly. Healthy profit, sure; butt-rape me for enough room to really enjoy the tool? So long.

  6. I own a few MPCs and a Force. They are cool instruments.

    I feel like this product is unnecessarily hampered with it’s low RAM and lack of SSD expansion. My Kronos has 3GB of RAM and it’s from 2011. Why do hardware instruments often have RAM capacity that is 20 years behind a laptop?

    How many folks would have considered this if it had more RAM and an option for an SSD? I would have paid an additional $100 for that.

    Another annoying factor is that this only has one pair of outs and you can’t assign click only to the headphone output. That rules this out for live sequence playback if this is also the source of your music.

    I’m frustrated because it feels like this could have been so much cooler for not much more money.

    1. There is a port for flashmemory expansion and 2 GB RAM is still far more than AKAIs S1000 Sampler that was used in 1000s of classic songs from the 80s had..

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