AKAI Professional MPC X SE - Standalone Production Workstation and Beat Maker with 10.1" Multi-Touch Screen, Drum Pads, Synth Engines, 48GB Storage

Product Information

The Notes and Chords modes make it simple to tap out rhythms, melodies, or chords on thousands of in-built instruments. The bundled MPC 2 Desktop software is supported on PCs running Windows 10 and 11, and Macs running macOS versions 10. This year marks the 35th anniversary of Akai Pro’s legendary MPC system, and to celebrate, the company have announced the release of the MPC X Special Edition, the latest version of their flagship model which they say represents the most powerful MPC ever. The MPC60 delivered an intuitive platform that streamlined the music production process with an efficient sampling and sequencing workflow that would ultimately revolutionize groove-based music creation in genres like New Jack Swing, Chicago House, and of course, Hip-Hop. Phantom power ensures even your large capsule condenser microphones can plug and play right into any MPC session.

MPC models now for over 6 years and it’s generally fine for most people, especially once you learn the best practices for memory management ( check out the final part of the article here for some tips in this respect). You can change your choices at any time by visiting Cookie preferences, as described in the Cookie notice. This is perfect for those who want to run additional equipment such as a rack synthesizer or a DAW with the MPC X SE.This will only require the installation of a single driver to use the MPC X SE as a controller with MPC 2.

So the internal computer gets a mild upgrade, a bit more space, and a very cool and appreciated paint job. That said, a device like MPC Live can act as the heart of a complete rig without needing a computer in the building — USB hosting, MIDI and CV as well as samples and synthesis all in one box.

You can use the 2 onboard USB ports and a full-size SD Card slot to add more samples or to provide extra storage.

However, while disk streaming works great for audio tracks it may have a negative impact on system performance if steaming hundreds of individual samples within kits and instruments, so it’s likely a combination of RAM and disk streaming is ultimately the way forward. g. synths, multisampled instruments, romplers etc) or FX (reverbs, compressors, EQ, distortions etc). With an upgraded 4GB of RAM, you can now grab longer pieces of audio, providing you with truly expanded creative possibilities. It’s not so much that the MPC platform itself has gone through a revolutionary change, in fact its core workflow has stayed largely the same. An MPC X MKII or MPC X XL with significant upgrade features probably won't come around for another four to five years and after the chip shortage have been eliminated.CV/Gate signals are similar to a standard MIDI connection in that they are responsible for transferring pitch and sequence timing data to other gear, usually modular synths or sequencers.

I don’t know how much the modern MPC has in common with the vintage instruments besides branding and looks. We strive every day to deliver the tools that will empower all music makers, from our life-long MPC users who trust and rely on their MPCs to keep up with their daily music grind, down to the newest members of the MPC community who look to the MPC legend as they foray into their nascent musical endeavours. The MPC X SE features two (2) USB ports for connecting thumb drives and other USB storage devices, an SD card slot for standard SD/SDHC cards, as well as a port for adding an additional 2. The instrument also comes bundled with Akai Pro’s MPC 2 Desktop software, a fully featured DAW package that offers audio and MIDI recording and sequencing facilities, as well as providing tight integration with Akai hardware devices. Save the largest projects and ensure you have access to your sound libraries when you need them with 48GB of internal storage.

MPC X model, but on this SE model should only use around 10% (Shameless plug: if you’re looking for an even lower memory alternative to Studio Strings, checkout my instrument expansion, MPC Orchestral, which contains a complete orchestra’s worth of fully playable multisampled instruments including strings, woodwinds, brass and percussion). If you know MPC, this should all make sense and you’ll be fluent on the surface in no time; if you’re new to MPC there’s quite a bit of work to do to learn the system, which uses dedicated views and modes for each task. But once disconnected from controller mode, your project can be transferred to a USB drive, SD card, or additional drive on the MPC X to open in standalone. There may be significant software and firmware upgrades to keep the platform moving ahead for the future. Our modern project studios are a tangle of peripherals: a laptop and DAW, audio interface and mixer, MIDI and CV interfaces, MIDI input devices, control surfaces and monitoring controllers.