The
Akai MPC Touch
Drum programmer/sampler
Brian Irving 10/31/15
Over the years, sampling and beatmaking has
gotten easier for producers of Hip-Hop and EDM. No longer having to use
dedicated hardware, the computer becomes the weapon of choice to make beats,
paired with a software/drum pad controller solution. Producers now have choices
like the Arturia
SparkLE, at $250, the easiest way into beatmaking with your laptop.
The most popular choice, and
the originator of the drum pad controller/software concept is Native
Instruments MASCHINE,
whose flagship MASCHINE Studio 2.0 at $999, may be a bit pricey for some, but
its features like emulating the sound of older 12 bit samplers, and its swing
time functionality, makes it easy for the “old heads” using dedicated hardware
drum machine/samplers to convert.
Maybe a bit too late after
the launch of MASCHINE, drum machine/sampler pioneer Akai debuts the MPC Studio at $399,
and the MPC Renaissance at
$699,
aimed to get Akai users, as
well as those who thought MASCHINE to be a bit confusing, onboard. When the new
Akai products first reached the hands of consumers, right away there were
complaints of system crashes and bugs in the software. Akai did what it could
with updates to the MPC Studio and MPC Renaissance, but when the dust settled,
it was the Native Instruments MASCHINE that won the fight…………………. Until
now!!!!!!!!!!!!
Akai has waited for everyone to work the
bugs out, waited to see what the other manufacturers’ offerings would be, and
took feedback from numerous producers & beatmakers. The result: what could
possible win the war in beatmaking today, the new Akai MPC Touch.
All the familiar controls are
there for all past Akai MPC users, and then some. Features Akai MPC Studio
owners may have asked for like a touchscreen, on board audio interface, and on
board MIDI jacks have been added to the MPC Touch. It’s a new concept, a
controller with a touchscreen that keeps you off the computer screen. At $799,
it’s priced in the mid range of the drum pad controller/software market. The
MPC Touch’s launch in November 2015 is perfect timing for Christmas and gift
giving. Give your favorite beatmaker/producer an MPC Touch for Christmas!!!!
References
ARTURIA SPARK Creative Drum Machine.
(n.d.). Retrieved October 31, 2015, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vla5N6PUpRI
Native Instruments Maschine Studio Demo
- Sweetwater Sound. (n.d.). Retrieved October 31, 2015, from
Akai MPC Studio Demo - Sweetwater
Sound. (n.d.). Retrieved October 31, 2015, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4g_OTCbO2eU
Akai MPC Renaissance Groove Production
Workstation Demo - Sweetwater Sound. (n.d.). Retrieved October 31, 2015, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14oZDVLqefM
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