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Akai adds a 37-key standalone workstation to its MPC lineup
Akai just released the MPC Key 37, a standalone workstation and groovebox that follows the larger Key 61. It costs $900 and is available to order right now.
Akai finally brings vinyl simulation to MPC samplers
Probability and ratcheting rhythm features are also on the way.
Akai built a 'cheap' controller for its MPC 2 software (updated)
Akai has unveiled an MPC Studio controller for computers, dramatically lowering the cost of an MPC setup for music creators.
Akai MPC Live II review: A truly portable all-in-one studio
The follow up the Akai's all-in-one music-making machine comes with built-in speakers, making the already portable device even more flexible.
MPK Mini mk3 is solid but iterative upgrade to a classic MIDI controller
Akai’s MPK Mini mkII is one of the best-selling MIDI controllers out there. It’s small, affordable, and has a solid arpeggiator plus the best pads on any budget or midrange controller. The portable MIDI controller field has gotten a lot more crowded, not to mention more competitive.
Akai introduces 'MPC Beats' music-making software for beginners
MPC Beats offers eight MIDI/instrument tracks and just two audio tracks.
Akai's MPC Live II is a portable studio with built-in speakers
Today, Akai reveals the MPC Live II. The Live II has one obvious new addition: a pair of “studio monitors” built right in. The speakers sit along the bottom and offer stereo sound wherever you are.
Craig Kaths' intricate synth sculptures look real enough to play
Recently, I spent the afternoon traipsing through the streets of Brooklyn for Gowanus' annual open art studios tour. It's a yearly ritual for me because the industrial neighborhood, which is full of warehouses turned CrossFit gyms, is a veritable playground for creative types. Every abandoned-looking building opens its doors to reveal dozens of artists' studios.
Akai's MPC One is a (reasonably) affordable music production machine
It's been a few years since Akai's iconic MPC line has seen a significant new entry. But at NAMM 2020 the company is not only introducing a new model, but specifically going for the entry level... or at least what qualifies as entry level for an MPC. The MPC One in a $699 standalone production studio that basically takes all the essential parts of the series and skips the luxuries.
Inside the virtual production of ‘The Lion King’
The new Lion King movie is visually spectacular. A two-hour remake that frequently defies belief. Pride Rock is, of course, a fictional place but in director Jon Favreau's film it feels eerily real. The creatures, too, move just like they would on the plains of Africa. They're utterly believable until they talk and sing to one another about family, responsibility and the circle of life. Disney has been remaking its animated classics for some time now. But The Lion King, which hit theaters on July 19th, sets a new benchmark for what's possible with computer-generated animation. The secret behind it all? An experimental form of filmmaking that, through VR, allows studios to shoot virtual sets with old-fashioned direction and analog camerawork.
'The Last Goodbye' is the VR Holocaust memorial we need today
You've read about the Holocaust in books and seen it portrayed in films. But it's another experience entirely to walk through the site of a concentration camp in virtual reality, led by a survivor who lost his entire family there. The Last Goodbye, which debuts at the Tribeca Film Festival this week, follows Pinchas Gutter as he makes his final pilgrimage to Majdanek, a former Nazi Germany extermination camp in occupied Poland. It's a trip he's made many times, but this one has a specific purpose: to capture his account of the Holocaust so we never forget that it actually happened.
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.
'The Martian' VFX reel shows how they put Matt Damon on Mars
If you want a reminder of why The Martian was nominated for a best visual effects Oscar, check out this highlight reel from MPC, the lead VFX company for the film. While the film was shot in an actual desert (southern Jordan, to be exact), director Ridley Scott still needed plenty of CG assistance to bring the story to life.
Use your keyboard to recreate tracks from J Dilla and Kanye West
If you've ever wanted to try your hand at creating some stellar beats, here's your chance. Thanks to music enthusiast Matt Daniels, all you need the keyboard that's likely already in front of you to rebuild tracks from J Dilla, Kanye West and 9th Wonder. Daniels built Sample Stitch: a website that reconstructs songs from their original samples, and in the process, reveals just how each one was created. "I wish that more people understood this process and gift, so I've recreated the process of chopping up a sample, just as a producer would," he explains. The pieces of each beat are mapped out for your keyboard, so after listening to a portion of the sample play, try your hand at Dilla's "Don't Cry," 9th Wonder's "Impressknowsoul!!!" or Yeezy's "Otis." Heck, you can even record your efforts to see just how they match up, or to add more on top of 'em. This web-based MPC will at least save you the trouble of investing before you know the extent of your talents. [Photo credit: Photo by Jerritt Clark/Getty Images for Roc Nation]
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 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.
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%
