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Hip-hop's most influential sampler gets a 2017 reboot
The impact of Akai's MPC series on hip-hop cannot be overstated. The first model -- the MPC60 -- hit the market in the late 80s, perfectly timed with hip-hop's culture of borrowing and reinventing classic beats and melodies. The MPC's iconic pad-based design and relatively accessible price opened up music production to a whole new audience.
Hip-hop producer J Dilla's beat-making gear headed to Smithsonian
Last week, the Smithsonian announced two of J Dilla's production tools would be displayed at the upcoming National Museum of African American History and Culture. Thanks to a donation from his mother (pictured above), the influential artist/producer's custom Minimoog Voyager and Akai Music Production Center (MPC) 3000 Limited Edition will be part of a collection that aims "to explore how popular music helped shape the nation's history and culture politically and socially." Before passing away in 2006, J Dilla worked with A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, The Roots, The Pharcyde and many more, creating unique sounds for each in addition to his own solo work. "Everyone who pays attention to hip-hop has heard J Dilla's work whether they realize it or not," said Timothy Ann Burnside, the museum's popular music historian. "In the very demanding world of hip-hop producers, he was one of the busiest and most sought-after." When the museum opens in 2016, Dilla's instruments will be included in the "Musical Crossroads" exhibit -- one of the venue's 11 inaugural collections. If you're unfamiliar with his work, there's a brief introductory Spotify playlist from our Engadget channel just after the break.
Akai's Rhythm Wolf has analog drum machine and bass synth chops for $200
If you're a fan of drum machines and synthesizers, 2014 is off to a great start, and now Akai has added a device of its own to the fray. The pro audio outfit has announced the Rhythm Wolf, an analog drum machine and bass synth module designed with classic sound machines in mind. There's a built-in 32-step sequencer and six MPC pads to wrangle "highly tweakable" drum sounds and the bass synthesizer's selectable oscillator and classic filter design. A "Howl" knob (because, of course) adds a custom distortion circuit and the gate trigger allows use with other gear. As you might expect, USB MIDI and MIDI input/output are built in and there are separate audio outputs for the drum machine and bass synth modules. Ready to commit? You'll need to part with $200 when the Rhythm Wolf arrives this summer.
Akai launches MPC headphone series, we go hands-on
Headphones, there's plenty to choose from these days that's for sure. But amongst the celebrity endorsed pairs, and the traditional brands there appears to be a gap in the market. Or, so thinks Akai -- the maker of the legendary MPC line of beat-machines -- as it's extending the brand to include three new sets of its own: the MPC Pro, MPC, and MPC Earbuds. Akai claims the new additions are designed for use with the kit of the same name, but looking at the design, we'd wager it's not shy of taking a slice of the more image-conscious / brand aware market either. The daddy of the bunch is the MPC pro (the lower of the two you see above. These come with 50mm drivers and an over-ear design, aimed at improving isolation. The MPC model (the other pair you see above) sport 40mm drivers and an on-ear design. Both the Pro, and regular MPC editions have a metallic red and silver finish, with foldable ear-cups. The baby of the bunch is the Earbuds edition, and these are designed for "active producers," or dare we say, sporty types too. The ear-hook design is reminiscent of other sports headphone buds to keep them in place. These, however, are Bluetooth enabled too. But, if you're worried about the latency while you're producing on the go, there's a connection for going traditionally 3.5mm-cabled too. Hear more past the break.
Native Instruments Traktor Kontrol F1 review
What is a DJ? Everyone who considers him or herself one can probably give you a unique answer. Is everyone with a music collection and a sense for good timing a DJ, or does their music collection have to exceed a certain number of gigabytes or slabs of vinyl to be in the club (no pun intended)? Audio playback devices are certainly getting more plentiful and powerful on a large scale; anyone who's played with an iOS DJ app can tell you that. In the deeper end of the DJ pool, things aren't expanding at such a frantic pace. But every once in a while a new toy crops up that adds depth and breadth to the way music nerds play back music. Native Instruments' just-released Traktor Kontrol F1 is a blinking slab of rainbow-tinged hardware with an intense devotion to manipulating samples. While boxes from Roland and Akai have been defining genres for decades, this 16-pad add-on takes the sampling game to a new arena. Will DJ's want it? We feel it's safe to say they will. At $279, should they buy it? That question's a little more complicated.%Gallery-156497%
Akai releases MPC Fly for iPad, waits 'til you get the pun (video)
We already knew Akai was refreshing its legendary MPC range, but the newest member to the family -- the Fly -- has to be about the cutest. It kinda looks, initially, like a knock-off MPC novelty case, until you realize those pads are real, and that software on screen is legit. The case-and-device approach seems a smart idea, so it feels like one unit -- it even juices your slate when you charge its built-in battery. The trade-off is an extra two pounds of weight, and almost an inch of thickness. Somewhat lighter is the app which rocks effects, a sound library, sampling, supports WIST (Wireless Sync-Start Technology) and works on any iPad -- but you'll need a second-gen tab to use the hardware. Before you bemoan that this is some sort of cash-in, the whole idea is that you can lay down ideas on the (ahem) Fly, and pick them up later back in the studio. If you want to see more, drop some bass over the break for a video.
Akai makes intentions clear with MPC Renaissance (video)
While the majority of technology execs are packing their cases for Vegas, for some it's all about Anaheim. Akai is clearly ramping up its NAMM campaign, outing the latest in its legendary MPC series: the Renaissance. While the new boy is no dumb controller -- it packs a full audio interface, USB hub and lots of I/O -- for the first time the MPC gets dedicated external software. Sound familiar? Well yes, it's no doubt a direct response to the popular Maschine hardware / software combo from Native Instruments, but Akai isn't just playing catch-up here. The new hardware includes a "vintage" mode that recreates some of that legendary MPC3000/60 crunch, and the standalone software comes with a massive sound library, instant VST mapping (so you can work with all your third-party synths) as well as the option to run in VST / AU / RTAS mode itself. If you're worried about the possible implications of a "tethered" MPC, take a peek at the promo video over the jump, which should soon allay your fears.
iPads were everywhere at Musikmesse 2011
If there's any one area of life that the iPad has had a huge impact on, it's the creation of music. Writing for The Mac Observer, blogger Jochen Wolters noted that iPads were everywhere at the world's largest trade show for musical instruments and audio recording technology -- Musikmesse 2011. This year's show was held April 6 - 9 in Frankfurt, Germany. Wolters noted that almost every developer of audio software and manufacturer of keyboards and mixers was demonstrating some way of using an iPad to perform or produce music. While I won't go into all of the many items that Wolters covered in his detailed article, there were a few products that deserve special mention here. The US$99 Apogee JAM is a deceptively simple-looking audio interface for connecting a bass or guitar to an iPad (it also works with the Mac, iPhone and iPod touch). It only works with GarageBand for iPad at this point, but Apogee is apparently working on supporting other iPad music apps. Our very own Brett Terpstra did a great writeup of the JAM back in March. Along the lines of the JAM is the Alesis iO Dock, a soon-to-be-released pro audio dock for iPad with XLR and 1/4-inch inputs, MIDI jacks, an assignable 1/4-inch footswitch input, and audio and video outputs. Synth software was everywhere at Musikmesse 2011 as well, with iPad apps from Reactable, Way Out Ware, Korg, and Spectrasonics catching Wolters' eye. MixVibes demoed an app that is used to remotely control its CROSS line of DJ software, while Akai had a four-octave keyboard with an iPad dock. An image of the SynthStation49 can be seen at the top of this post. You can get more details from Wolters' original post. Next year's Musikmesse is already scheduled for March 21-24, 2012. If your business is music and you want to make or produce it with the help of an iPad, you might want to make plans to attend the 2012 event.
Akai's iPad-docking SynthStation 49 and updated app: eyes-on at NAMM 2011
Remember when everything had an iPhone dock? The coming dock revolution will be just like that, but a lot more massive. Akai is showing off a non-functioning version of its SynthStation 49-key MIDI controller at NAMM this weekend, and it's pretty much the same idea as the smaller iPhone-docking Synthstation25. That said, here you've got nine velocity-sensitive MPC pads, a separate transport section, and 1/4-inch outs. And an adjustable iPad dock, which is a funny thing to see on a keyboard. Software-wise, this younger-bigger bro in the family will also support CoreMIDI -- and an updated version of Akai's SynthStation iOS app for the bigger screen, using the added real estate to allow finer, more direct control over the sound, along with a new recording section and simultaneous drum / synth sequencing. Not a bad piece of kit for the pad-centric musician in your life -- look for it to splash down this June for $199. Check below the break for video of the unit and a runthrough of the new software. %Gallery-114447%
Synth pioneer Roger Linn shows us his new analog drum machine, Tempest (video)
We were wandering around the crowded, noisy halls of this year's NAMM show when a particularly freaked-out drum pattern struck our eardrums. We followed the sound and encountered a gray-haired, bespectacled gentleman tapping and tweaking knobs so professionally that we couldn't help checking out his name tag. Imagine our delight when we saw it was no less than Roger Linn, designer of the Linndrum and Akai's MPC60. If you're not familiar with those terms, no matter: let's just say that Dr. Dre and any other producer who's banged out a synthetic beat on a box owes this guy their entire career. Mr. Linn has partnered with Dave Smith Instruments to create the Tempest, a 16-pad beauty with enough knobs, buttons, and sequencing muscle to keep you inspired for endless hours in the studio. And the sound on this thing! It does include digital samples like a traditional MPC, but where it really shines is in the analog synthesis and effects department. It takes a lot for a drum machine to feel unique and valuable these days -- especially at the $2000 they'll be asking for it in June -- but the Tempest, from our brief time with it, sounds like it'll be well worth the investment for serious producers. Video of Mr. Linn's demo after the break. %Gallery-114437%
Akai SynthStation49 full-size iPad dock/keyboard combo
While it's not the kind of iPhone or iPad dock you would bring with you on your next cross-country plane ride, the Akai SynthStation49 dock offers up something a standard iPad dock doesn't -- a 49-key, velocity-sensitive keyboard controller complete with drum pads and manual pitch control. As reported by Engadget, the SynthStation iPad dock/keyboard combo is a far cry from the original SynthStation, which was much smaller and designed for the iPhone. What this new, bigger version lacks in portability it makes up for in features, with direct in-app MIDI recording, 1/4″ output jacks, full transport buttons and the ability to be used as a traditional USB MIDI controller if you happen to find yourself without your iPad. It's also iOS CoreMIDI compatible, meaning it can be used with a bunch of music apps that are already available in Apple's App Store. The Akai SynthStation49 isn't available for purchase yet as it is still pending certification from Apple, so we don't even know what its price point will be. While we have seen a ton of different synthesizer software for iOS devices, this one throws in the keyboard and dock MIDI controller as well, making it a kind of "all-in-one" package for musicians everywhere, if not entirely mobile. [via Engadget and Create Digital Music]
Akai SynthStation49 dock / giant keyboard combo is less portable than its predecessor
You may or may not be familiar with Akai's previous iPad dock / keyboard combo, the SynthStation. The thing is, the original SynthStation's keyboard was miniature, and the dock was designed for the iPhone -- presumably so that it was simultaneously portable. Well, the new Akai SynthStation49 adds a full keyboard, though it obviously loses that portability. Regardless, the SynthStation49 packs nine MPC-style pads, dedicated pitch and mod wheels, and transport controls. The internal audio boasts 1/4-inch outputs, and the hardware is MIDI supporting, so you can use the keyboard as a MIDI input device. This one is currently awaiting certification from Apple, so we can't say when it'll be released, nor do we have pricing. Hit up the source link for more details.
Count The Beats: Akai brings the analog synth to your iPhone, and more
If you have a secret love affair with shoulder padded t-shirts (that you wear around the house when no one's looking), and you instinctively roll up your sleeves when you put on your favourite blazer jacket (and don't get why people look at you funny), then here's an app for you. Back in June Akai Professional released SynthStation for the iPhone / iPod touch, and we got excited. Very excited. Why? Because we love synths, especially when they are the old school type (cue Terminator soundtrack). And it just so happens to be that Akai has got a rather large name for itself when it comes to synths, especially the old school type. So we decided to take a closer look. You know, any opportunity to lay down some ominous beats over a sea of warm pulsating analog synth. SynthStation is an all-in-one mobile music creation setup. It comprises of three virtual analog synths sonically tailored for melodies, chords and bass lines respectively. To go with your texture, there's a comprehensive and customizable drum kit, too. Add some awesome sounding synth effects, a sequencer, on the fly input and tweaking, a mixer to pull it all together and you've got yourself a package that Thom Yorke may even appreciate for his next solo project.
The iPhone gets third party apps for third party hardware, but the proprietary SDKs make the future sad
Leave it to Apple to make the process of building software to work with new third party iPhone hardware sound like some Kafkaesque nightmare. Here's the basic gist of it: Apple, just like always, has to approve any third party hardware that plugs into one of its iOS devices over the 30-pin dock connector. What's new is that before only the first party manufacturer could build software that works with that hardware, but now Apple is allowing that manufacturer to act as a gatekeeper for third party apps that would interoperate with its hardware. That means exciting times for app developers that are raring to mix with the likes of Line 6's MIDI Mobilizer (pictured) and AKAI's SynthStation 25, but it's also a far cry from the land of computers where anybody can build a plug-and-play USB MIDI device, and anybody can build software that speaks to it. It also means juggling proprietary SDKs, NDAs, and other agreements, which could become very difficult for developers if or when the hardware availability balloons. Hopefully we can get something more elegant before it comes to that. Hit up the source link for an in-depth discussion of this issue.
Scratch: The Ultimate DJ hands-on
For the past few years E3 has been a tale of two guitar games. In a lot of ways it still is, with the Guitar Hero and Rock Band clans still battling it out for plastic instrument supremacy, but this year two turntable games are also vying for your attention. DJ Hero has far more brand recognition on the box, but Scratch: the Ultimate DJ has the better hardware, and we got our hands on it.
NAMM Show 2009 round-up highlights: keytars and more!
The big NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) show is going on through this Sunday in Anaheim, California, so we thought we'd bring you a few of the highlights debuting there. Among the beauties on offer is Native Instruments' Maschine Groove Production Studio, a hard / software combo loaded with 5GB of samples, 16 illuminated pads for making beats and patterns, two high resolution displays, and eight rotary encoders. The Stealth Pedal maraudes as a wah, but acts as an assignable expression pedal, with a double footswitch and the option to add a third pedal via USB, with a 24-bit USB audio interface and software. The Akai APC40 is a MIDI control surface designed in conjunction with Ableton to work out of the box with Live on a PC or Mac. Last (but surely not least) Roland's resurrected the AX-7 with the updated and delicious AX-Synth "shoulder keyboard" AKA keytar. This bad boy's got 49 keys, 7 LEDs, tons of control options, and a 128-voice polyphonic sound engine which is editable with included software. Check the gallery of each glorious item -- and yes, we know that Edgar Winter's not playing an actual keytar in the video (it's just a giant keyboard strapped to his insane body), but seriously, who cares?%Gallery-42392%Read - Maschine Groove Production StudioRead - The NAMM ShowRead - Stealth Pedal Read - Akai APC40Read - Roland AX-Synth
Akai's EWI USB wind instrument now shipping, to reveal your inner Kenny G.
We've certainly seen no shortage USB-friendly MIDI devices lately, whether they be instruments or hacks, but it's been a long, long time since one caught our eye that brought your breath into the equation. Akai's latest, the EWI (that's "eee-whee" if you can dig it) USB is now shipping for $499, enabling you to simulate anything from a flute to a trumpet at a price about $200 less than the company's other electronic wind instruments. It even comes with a complete software recording suite, meaning getting this EWI installed should be easier than playing a chromatic scale on a slide flute. Mastering the sweet, soulful strains of "Silhouette," however, might be a little more complicated. Update: Rollins wrote in to let us know these things are going for just $299 online. Those "Sentimental" fantasies just got that much more accessible![Via musicradar.com]
Akai L8 LCD TVs include DVD player, 3-in-1 card reader
Good hearin' from ya Akai -- for a minute few months there, we assumed you were just passed out cold or something. Straight from Australia, the outfit has revealed the L8 family of LCD TVs: the 19-inch L819DDVD, 22-inch L822DDVD and 42-inch L842DDFD. The latter unit gets a full-blown 1080p panel, while the other two provide a 1,440 x 900 and 1,680 x 1,050 resolution, respectively. Each set comes stocked with a built-in HD digital tuner along with HDMI / S-Video / composite / VGA inputs; the smaller two even include an integrated DVD player and a 3-in-1 card reader, though apparently the big boy is too sophisticated for those toys. Grab 'em now if you're Down Under for $599.95, $699.96 and $1,699.95 in order of mention.
AKAI / Memorex to ship 1080p rear-projection LCoS HDTVs this summer
Considering how well RPTVs (well, HDTVs in general, actually) have been selling lately, it's no surprise to see two more low-end manufacturers looking to grab their own piece of the pie. MicroDisplay Corporation announced at CES that bottom-end stalwarts AKAI and Memorex will both start shipping 1080p-capable rear-projection sets this summer. The TVs will be based on MicroDisplay's "proprietary single-chip 1080p LCoS digital projection imaging technology," dubbed Liquid Fidelity, which supposedly maintains a crisp, "home theater-like" picture while eliminating two of the three chips "required by other LCoS technologies." No hard details were shared about any of the units, but it was noted that we'll see sizes ranging from 52- to 62-inches, and each set will be "customized with a variety of options." So if you'll still be hunting for a 1080p set this summer, and don't mind the low-end quality for the rock bottom price, these AKAI / Memorex units should fit the bill quite nicely.
Akai MPC-1000 drum machine drops a beat, plays Pong
Cram any sort of retro game onto a machine clearly not designed to play it and you'll probably color us impressed, and just as the off the wall Doom installations, MIDI hacks, and Wolfenstein ports have gone down, Japan's own JJ has struck a cord with vintage folk everywhere with his latest tweak. Reportedly, the hacker / entertainer re-wrote the actual operating system for a $999 Akai MPC-1000 drum machine, added a few features from the more expensive MPC-2500, and got the MIDI all setup precisely like he wanted -- all to play a little musical Pong. Aside from the snazzy custom loading screen, the game itself looks to work fairly well, and also triggers samples of your choice to loop in the background while gaming. The good news is that the Pong upgrade will only set you back $30, but the bad news is that would require you to actually already own the Akai machine, and just in case your wallet can't handle anymore abuse whatsoever after this past Monday, just click on through for a (gratis) YouTube demonstration.[Via Joystiq]
