Official: 'Akai MPC Touch' - The New MPC

http://www.akaipro.com/product/mpc-touch#overview

http://www.akaipro.com/microsites/mpc-touch/



The new AKAI MPC Touch is the latest addition to the MPC series of samplers/controllers. The NEW MPC Touch has a 7" colour display that allows you to literally grab and pinch waveforms, adjust parameters, draw MIDI data, add effects and much more. No MPC has ever offered this much hands on control. The Touch has the classic MPC feel, a 2 in 2 out interface, step sequencer and MPC Software which includes over 20GB of samples. The Akai MPC Touch is perfect for studio or stage use. With the decent onboard capabilities, and expansive features available once connected to a computer, the MPC Touch should be a serious consideration for any producers or performers.

Features:

7" colour multi-touch Display

16 velocity-sensitive thick, fat MPC pads with RGB backlighting

2-in/2-out audio interface

Step Sequencer with touch interface

XYFX control adds effects, adjusts sound dynamics in real time

Phrase Looper, enables connection of any instrument to create loops

Pad Mixer for setting levels, stereo panning and adding VST effects

Sample Edit control, for trimming, chopping and processing your samples

4 new, performance-ready touch-sensitive controls

Data Encoder knob, for push-and-twist control of display parameters

Includes MPC software with over 20 GB of sound content

Available to Order at GAK, £499

Discuss!

It's a shame it's not standalone because the form factor is really nice. Hopefully they'll announce the Windows MPC today.

Looks like it's another controller, not standalone. Audio interface included, so a bit of a Ren/Studio hybrid with touch screen capability. I assume it's running the full MPC Software?

Coz wrote:It's a shame it's not standalone because the form factor is really nice. Hopefully they'll announce the Windows MPC today.

I agree man

This is cool and all. I doubt they'll get any hardcore MPC users with this. Calling this "game-changing" is laughable at best. It's another entry-level MPC toy to capture novice users. The touch screen is a gimmick that isn't going to add anything special to a producer's arsenal when composing music. In fact, I think it will just get in the way. Sorry, some might be impressed. I think it's another Akai quick money grab. Enough with the controllers already. Release a proper MPC.

I am a little disappointed, I was hoping for something a little more revolutionary. Let's wait and see what the end result is, but right now as a Ren owner, I don't see any reason why I should buy this. The touch screen is definitely not a reason...

At least it seems to run with the MPC software, so there is hope for a continuing support for the Ren/Studio, right?

Eyalc wrote:This is cool and all. I doubt they'll get any hardcore MPC users with this. Calling this "game-changing" is laughable at best. It's another entry-level MPC toy to capture novice users. The touch screen is a gimmick that isn't going to add anything special to a producer's arsenal when composing music. In fact, I think it will just get in the way. Sorry, some might be impressed. I think it's another Akai quick money grab. Enough with the controllers already. Release a proper MPC.

This.

Italian Beats wrote:I am a little disappointed, I was hoping for something a little more revolutionary. Let's wait and see what the end result is, but right now as a Ren owner, I don't see any reason why I should buy this. The touch screen is definitely not a reason...

At least it seems to run with the MPC software, so there is hope for a continuing support for the Ren/Studio, right?

Don't think they are gonna develop another software from scratch so yes mpc software seems to be the one.
I like the new direction to be capable of doing everything in the caontroller instead of looking at the computer screen, but don't like the layout. Is a more advanced controller than the studio due to the multitouch screen.No mouse needed. Hope we can hook a keyboard thou.

Eyalc wrote:This is cool and all. I doubt they'll get any hardcore MPC users with this. Calling this "game-changing" is laughable at best. It's another entry-level MPC toy to capture novice users. The touch screen is a gimmick that isn't going to add anything special to a producer's arsenal when composing music. In fact, I think it will just get in the way. Sorry, some might be impressed. I think it's another Akai quick money grab. I can't imagine the folks at Akai actually think this is "game-changing", "legendary" or "iconic".

Well the old 'iconic' thing is a bit of a running joke round these parts, Akai are probably well aware that this kind of marketing blurb is cheesy as hell to the hardcore MPC users, but as you say, the hardcore users are not the target market for this.

I've been harping on for years about the virtues of using a touch screen, so on that front I am a happy bunny - hopefully they've incorporated some Kaos pad style performance control as well, even if it's just virtual Q link sliders.

Whoever writes their copy needs a bollocking. What does this even mean?

In creating the MPC Touch, we have once again established the iconic MPC series as the thought leader in music production technology.

It's nonsense.

The touchscreen makes perfect sense for editing and roughing out samples, which can then be fine tuned with the hardware controls. It'll be especially useful for zooming in and out of waveforms which can be cumbersome with a regular MPC. Also, no more hacking around a crappy monochrome screen with the cursor!

I still can't believe that this thing is the only new revolutionary new Mega-MPC.
C'mon....
Hype for several weeks for... this?

I thought 2 announcements were being made today. With this introduction Akai should have released a video along with it unless it's still being developed.

Ok...so a Ren-light....so you are saying that they couldn't add some tiny CPU and a tiny bit of sequence memory and make it standalone. I know there is more involved than that but sheesh, the XR20 was a better innovation.

Wake me up when we get some "good" news.......zzzzzzzzzzzzZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

This is from the advertising text: " With the decent onboard capabilities, and expansive features available once connected to a computer..."

What does this mean? That some functions are available in standalone and when connected to a computer I get the complete range of features? I find this sentence a little confusing.

Thomaz wrote:I still can't believe that this thing is the only new revolutionary new Mega-MPC.
C'mon....
Hype for several weeks for... this?

+1!!!!