Akai’s MPC Sample Key appears designed for playing pitched samples
Akai’s upcoming MPC Sample Key appears to be a keyboard-focused instrument for playing pitched samples, based on images shared with The Verge. Its controls suggest a shift from the MPC Sample’s drum-chopping workflow towards melodic and bass parts, though Akai has not confirmed the full feature set.
The device has 37 keys, pitch and modulation wheels, octave controls, and buttons labelled “chord” and “arp”, which likely enable chord playback and an arpeggiator. It also appears to include a looper, a built-in microphone and speaker, and a new effect called “Swarm”; possible CV outputs are suggested by the front-panel layout. Akai has not announced a launch date or price, and says it plans to open-source the software.
In short
- MPC Sample Key appears designed for pitched samples.
- It has 37 keys, plus chord and arpeggiator controls.
- Akai has yet to reveal its price or release date.
Explained simply
Akai is a music equipment maker known for instruments that let musicians record, arrange and shape sounds. Its MPC devices are used to work with samples: recordings of sounds that can be cut up and played back.
The MPC Sample is centred on chopping samples, often for drum patterns. A keyboard version would make it easier to play sampled sounds as notes, which can be useful for melodies and bass parts as well as beats. Akai has not confirmed all the new model’s features, so some details remain uncertain.
The instrument is aimed at musicians who want sampling and keyboard playing in one device. Akai says it plans to make the software open-source, meaning its code would be available for others to inspect or adapt; the price and release date have not been announced.
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Originally published by The Verge as “Exclusive details about Akai’s MPC Sample Key”.