# Akai’s MPC Sample Key appears designed for playing pitched samples

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/exclusive-details-about-akais-mpc-sample-key/
- Published: 2026-10-30T21:01:32+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-30T21:17:15+00:00
- Original publisher: The Verge
- Original article: https://www.theverge.com/gadgets/1023649/akai-mpc-sample-key-exclusive
- Topics: Art, Culture, Cybersecurity, Software, Technology

## Key points

- 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.

## Summary

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.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.