The intention is to make work more efficient by enabling the user to spend more time and focus on the music they’re creating. There’s a full colour LCD display that offers visual feedback, with a dial below to scroll through track names, plugin instrument presets, monitor parameter values or chords and scales. New to the controller is the assignable Touch Strip on the left-hand side, there to help sculpt performances and productions, including the ability to add articulation to a string or guitar instrument: or add modulation or pitch bend to a keyboard synth control Note Repeat for hi-hats, snares, effects and more. They help to optimise performance playing and recording patterns, as well as notes and chords with “sound precision” with accurate visual display of velocity and pad groupings. Sitting at the heart of the MPC Studio’s operation are the 16 full-size pressure and velocity sensitive RGB-backlit pads with after-touch.

When paired with the MPC2 Desktop Software DAW (Mac and PC), Akai claims the MPC Studio “offers a total creation package for the serious modern beat-maker and music producer.” With this latest piece of hardware – Akai’s slimmest and most compact production system yet – it aims to offer even more hands-on control over the music production process. Akai Professional has announced its latest music production system in the MPC Studio.

Akai mpc studio used