Akai's stalwart series of MPCs has seen tremendous growth and transformation over the last several years. As a series built upon an all-in-one-box promise, Akai released what would be its last standalone sampler of the 2000s (the MPC5000) in '08 before pivoting to more of a hybrid controller/software format with the release of the MPC Renaissance and MPC Studio in 2012.
Over the next few years, Akai expanded its reimagined line with offerings like the MPC Element and MPC Touch. And then in 2017, Akai returned to its standalone roots once more with the robust MPC Live and its even more fully featured brother, the MPC X.
New for 2020, Akai today unveiled its new MPC One—a budget-friendly counterpart to the MPC Live that's the most affordable and most compact standalone production tool in the MPC line.
The new MPC One maintains a lot of the things that make its larger MPC Live counterpart so successful. For example, the MPC One features enough RAM (2GB) to run the same OS as the Live/X, so players can use the same Electric, Bassline, and Tubesynth synths along with access to the AIR effects tools library.
Design-wise, it features a grid of velocity-sensitive, backlit performance pads and the same seven-inch touchscreen as the Live/X—placed above rather than next to the grid of pads to keep things more compact. There are also four touch-sensitive rotaries, which are great tools for tactile parameter manipulation on the fly.
While onboard device storage is less (4GB of onboard memory, 2GB pre-loaded with new sample material) than the MPC Live's 16GB, it's expandable with USB and SD card slots. The most significant feature missing from the One is the Live's rechargeable lithium-ion battery, which makes the One slightly less truly portable but also far lighter—a true trade-off.
Looking at connectivity ports, the MPC One gives players a stereo pair of main outputs and a stereo pair of inputs for sampling and recording, four stereo 3.5mm outs for CV/gate control, MIDI I/O, and a USB port. The One, of course, can also be used a controller for the included desktop version of the MPC software.
Though we have yet to hear on an exact shipping date, the MPC One is set for release next month at a street price of $699 USD. For more news from the NAMM floor, click the orange banner below.