Akai MPC Studio

You were dazzled by the capabilities of the Akai MPC Renaissance, but the casing was a little thick and the diversity of knobs a little distracting. Simplifying the structure into a device that can slip easily into a laptop bag and reducing the number of controls to only the essentials, the Akai MPC Studio carries similar performance possibilities with less than a fifth of the weight.

After installing the included software onto your computer, you have access to 9 GB of content including a 64-note polyphonic sound engine, VST and AU plug-ins, and two virtual instrument libraries (The Bank and The 809). By using the programming software and the LCD screen, you can assign samples, sounds, plug-ins, and specialized program sets to the 16 velocity adjustable pads and four Q-link control knobs. Instead of dealing with after-market software and clicking through endless tabs for every track, the Studio features legendary MPC workflow that lets you get the most out of your creativity in one integrated interface.

If you’re operating in sequencing mode, the pads are backlit to show the progress of your sequence, making it easy to alter tracks on the fly. While you can easily load your MPC with virtual sounds from the included banks and through your computer, you can also plug directly into a MIDI input and add your own instrumentation to the mix. Also featuring vintage modes that emulate historically renown MPCs, a variety of mixing and editing tools, and all of the software you need to create your own sonic opus, the Akai Pro MPC Studio puts a full set of studio gear at your disposal.