Support and discussion for all of Akai’s modern standalone MPCs including the MPC X / X SE, MPC Live 1, 2 & 3, MPC One / One+, MPC Key 37/61.
By Wul Fri Apr 10, 2026 11:33 am
Akai’s usual smoke and mirrors, The only resemblance to the original synth is a f…g picture and only one per plugin . The samples may be single cycle samples from the original hardware, but that’s it . The architecture is the same on all three synths, I.e a keygroup.
so why not set a keygroup template that mimics what these do and DIY . You might actually learn something. Could that be the intention?
There might even be a way to hack your own “picture” in.
By Calcaire Fri Apr 10, 2026 12:21 pm
MPC-Tutor wrote:
Having the ability to configure a custom UI for keygroup programs would be great, i.e. nice picture, custom knob macros on the main page of the keygroup etc.


I would love this !!
And I also agree that the pseudo "fabric" ecosystem is not the good way to go. We can do this with keygroups tracks and their mod matrix , even in "legacy"mode using alwf single cycle waves.

it would be cool that they creat a real samplesynth, not a rompler. A plugin using samples from the pool / wavetables as oscillators, with fm, cross modulation, sample interpolation and morph. Something that keygroups are very close to, but are not. It s always : 2 osc + filter + matrix, the "vintage"paradigm, not even fully modular as you can't patch an oscillator to the other .

That why I love opx 4 which can do other things
By Masi Fri Apr 10, 2026 1:37 pm
Ultros wrote:Akai needs to stay in its lane. We bought the sampler to sample and record. wtf.. why would we want this shit? that's not what brought us to the mpc that isnt how we make our music for the most part.

Is this still the Akai you knew back in the day? IMHO brand collection companies like inMusic are sucking the life and soul of the companies they buy up.

Ultros wrote:I'll never buy pay wall unlockables tied to some internet account over a real synthesizer. Id rather save up my money and own something really nice.

The days of ownership are waining. Subscription services are omnipresent. Synth/FX plugins, music, videos, books etc You don't own anything these days.

Sidenote: I heard that Amazon is shutting down the first generation of Kindle devices. You cannot even read the books you have licenced for reading although you actually do own the reader.

Ultros wrote:If that's their path it would make more sense to create a standalone digital keyboard and sell it to us. remove all that shit from mpc and give us another device.

But they did create a standalone keyboard. And keyboard players do care about synth sounds. So they took the opportunity to sell locked sample synths.

Personally I don't think that underpowered ROMplers attract keyboard players. You get much better synths for Windows/Mac (and Linux) and "normal" keyboard synths are (I assume) not prone to crashing like an MPC is.

If you're lucky the synths don't sell well and Akai is forced to come up with something genuine.
By jpeg Fri Apr 10, 2026 2:31 pm
Masi wrote:Is this still the Akai you knew back in the day? IMHO brand collection companies like inMusic are sucking the life and soul of the companies they buy up.
.


If not for InMusic Akai would be a dead relic like ensoniq and other companies from days past, be greatful to InMusic for keeping the Akai legacy going.

obviously nothing is perfect, naturally they have to adapt to the modern era and make changes that are consistent witht the current trends and to expand their market and profits.
By JethroJethro Fri Apr 10, 2026 2:42 pm
Well, I’m a keyboard guy primarily and my first MPC was a k37. Liked it so much I got a Force to run alongside it so the key could be synths and the force takes drums and bass. I’m not a hip hop or techno guy so they successfully snared a new group of buyers. I’d never have gotten either if there wasn’t a daw inside standalone. Love clip launching also. I had a Maschine many years ago and samplers aren’t my thing but I did like the sequencer and controller setup and Massive was okay.

I made the mistake of not using NI analog dreams enough during the trial I liked the sounds and bought it, then upon more use not a fan. Won’t be buying any of thee new ones. But I do like iona and jura quite a bit.

But if these sell well we’ll never get a Fabric that allows us to insert our own samples/sounds.
By Wul Fri Apr 10, 2026 2:57 pm
Just got the trials , thought I’d have a poke around , the content .big file can be unzipped. And it reveals the makeup , load the sample data into audacity . They are very short multisamples made up of 30 samples at approx 3 semitones ish and pitched up, probably for size reasons.
They have sampled individual oscillators, oscillators pairs , and larger probaly every semitone multi sampled pwm and sync . Anything with a timed element in .
Go make your own
The skin is uncompressed in the downloaded data.
By Masi Fri Apr 10, 2026 3:26 pm
jpeg wrote:
Masi wrote:Is this still the Akai you knew back in the day? IMHO brand collection companies like inMusic are sucking the life and soul of the companies they buy up.
.


If not for InMusic Akai would be a dead relic like ensoniq and other companies from days past, be greatful to InMusic for keeping the Akai legacy going.

My first and only MPC is the MPC One so personally I don't care about Akai of the past. My question wasn't only rethoric.

What I am interested in is what inMusic plans for Akai. They (or was it Akai?) bought up the remnants of AIR and are only trying to squeeze some more bucks out of the IP. Cannot say that I'm a happy AIR customer after I learned that Hype and later Loom went into the state of abandonware. If AIR just closed or lingers on more dead than alive makes no difference to me under inMusic.

If they at least would port Riser to MPC (with the ability to trigger risers in sync live) that would be something. Bundling age old synth samples without even remotley caring about the sampled synth architecture is so incredibly cheap. Especially with all the marketing that brags that Fabric is a one of its kind, ground breaking and what not.

That doesn't mean I'm an unhappy MPC user. It's a great tool for me to make music without a computer and still don't have to mess around with syncing multiple hardware sequencers.
By chrisroland Fri Apr 10, 2026 6:51 pm
did a quick preset run through (used my 30% survey discount to get the all-in price down to $83, thanks Akai)...

Memorymoog (maybe unsurprising now that Moog is under the inmusic brand) sounded the best to me. bass sounds actually had some real bottom to them, unlike pretty much all the standalone plugins to my ears -- at least compared to actual hardware. Jupiter leans well into the string side of its sounds. Pro-One fine. Fabric has always been deep to program for me so even though these are sample-based, i don't think i'll lack for tweakability options in creating my own presets. happy to have them in standalone
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By Neodymium Sat Apr 11, 2026 3:26 am
I had a feeling the next analogues would be romplers. There was a Juniper synth listed and discussed in the Vintage synth thread. But aspects of Jupiter that interest me aren't there. Cross mod and sync are dynamic changes where the oscillators react to each other. You can modulate and tune these in to get a specific sound. Sure you can sample them, but then that aspect is baked in. I'm sure they sound great, but not what nothing that interests me.

The MPE however is a positive sign, not for using these synth, but if the midi can be received, recorded and sent, then my Hydrasynth can make use of that. I like Pitch Innovations Fluid Chords, if that can send midi to these new plugins, that would great. Even better if that compatibility went to the OPX4 and Juno.
By robleighton22 Sat Apr 11, 2026 5:45 am
The most annoying thing for me on these plugins:

1. Why isn't MPE features possible with the MPCe pads? Seems like the biggest missed opportunity. Surprised Akai has not gone further with the pads abilities outside of the sampler.

2. Why are the filters not modelled on the originals?

3. Obviously VA versions is what I would have expected.

They sound fine and are easy to use. As with all these plugins, they add a wealth of useful sounds to the MPC format.
By B-Wise Sat Apr 11, 2026 5:57 am
robleighton22 wrote:The most annoying thing for me on these plugins:

1. Why isn't MPE features possible with the MPCe pads? Seems like the biggest missed opportunity. Surprised Akai has not gone further with the pads abilities outside of the sampler.

2. Why are the filters not modelled on the originals?

3. Obviously VA versions is what I would have expected.

They sound fine and are easy to use. As with all these plugins, they add a wealth of useful sounds to the MPC format.

Akai is testing how shitty they can make plugins & still make money. I hope redo these on the level of Jura & Mini-D. Better & more accurate filters would've helped.
By jpeg Sat Apr 11, 2026 10:09 am
Masi wrote:What I am interested in is what inMusic plans for Akai. They (or was it Akai?) bought up the remnants of AIR and are only trying to squeeze some more bucks out of the IP. Cannot say that I'm a happy AIR customer after I learned that Hype and later Loom went into the state of abandonware. If AIR just closed or lingers on more dead than alive makes no difference to me under inMusic.

That doesn't mean I'm an unhappy MPC user. It's a great tool for me to make music without a computer and still don't have to mess around with syncing multiple hardware sequencers.


we can clearly see what inMusic's plan for Akai is as they are implmenting it, multiple MPC hardwares and lots of virtual instruments and sound packs