Akai MPC Renaissance Announced at NAMM 2012

So the MPC Renaissance was definitely a hot topic this year. I know many were skeptical about the MPC being turned to a glorified MPD. Well, the unit seems to be in some final stages of development still. AKAI seem very keen to take user input right now, and were very receptive to suggestions for the unit just from people milling around the booth. That’s pretty good news. Here’s a quick vid for you on the MPC line.

The other good news is that the unit is not a glorified controller and is very much a serious piece of hardware built with some serious MPC power under the hood. Made to model great MPC’s through the years was not simply a software promise, but the function of serious mpc hardware that is built with the idea that an MPC could benefit working intuitively with a laptop based software package to bring in VST/RTAS plugins and the advantages of computer based editing interfaces.

AKAI MPC Family at NAMM 2012 UniqueSquared

This, to me, is a product with far greater promise than the feared alternative of a simple controller reliant on a software package from a company with no real history of making such things. However, that doesn’t mean the software required isn’t going to need to be amazing. To this end, AKAI say they have really focused on developing this with a team they believe in and a long term support plan for the product. According to Dan Gill at the AKAI booth, the software isn’t so much influenced by JJOS, but actually the features from JJOS that users liked the most. There was a 2 year period of research in which AKAI were touring with artists reliant on MPC hardware for performance during the development of the product; so it is to be hoped that all those MPC users can’t be wrong and the product should be a great turn for the MPC line.

The MPC Renaissance is being developed with the intent of wooing MPC users across the board just as much as it is being targeted at new users, and another bonus of the package is that it is backward compatible. Allowing projects from older units to easily import to the Renaissance will eliminate a lot of grumbling from the “if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it” quarter. The power of how the unit works with the laptop isalso  a serious bargaining chip, with the RAM resources of a laptop being the power that MPC users can use to drive the never before present 8 banks of available pads. While built to model a number of units, the analog circuitry on the MPC unit is built after the MPC 3000.

A minor caveat for the serious hardware driving the renaissance is that the unit isn’t going to be cheap necessarily, and the price looks to be over $1000.00 US. At the same time, I feel like AKAI are taking a smart cue from high end DJ controllers and bringing their established A game to a product market that, while they might not be established in it, isn’t so old that there isn’t room for them. Truthfully, the device isn’t like anything on the market, despite previous assumptions in some quarters that AKAI were just trying to compete with Maschine.

Slated for Q3, the MPC looks to be an interesting piece of hardware that should be of interest to new users as much as experienced MPC veterans. Here are the (very impressive) full specs as of NAMM:

GENERAL

• Display: 360 x 96 dot graphic LCD w/back light
• Dimensions:19.75″ x 12.9″ x 2.75″
• (4.9″ at max display angle)
• Weight: 10.5 lbs
• Power Supply: External, 12v, 3A
• Power Requirement: 24W Max
• Footswitches: 2
• USB Hub: 3 Port
• MIDI I/O interface: 2 IN / 4 Out

SEQUENCER

• Maximum events: unlimited (based on CPU)
• Resolution: 960 pulses per 1/4-note
• Sequences: 128
• Tracks per sequence: 64
• Drum pad: 16 (velocity and pressure sensitive)
• Drum pad banks: 8
• Sync mode: MIDI clock, MIDI Time Code
• Transport Controls: MIDI Machine Control

MPC SOFTWARE

• Polyphony: 64
• Dynamic filtering: 1 State Variable Filter per voice
• (up to 8 pole, depending on type)
• Filter types: Low Pass, Band Pass, High Pass, Band Boost, Band Stop, Analog Modeling, Vocal Formant
• Number of programs: 128
• Memory capacity: System Dependent.
• 2gb Minimum / 8gb Recommended
• Plugin Supported as Host: VST (Mac / PC), AU (Mac)
• Plugin Formats Available to other DAWs: VST, AU (Mac Only), RTAS

EFFECTS

• Program Effects: 4 Insert Slots per Pad, 4 Sends to Track Effects per Pad
• Track Effects: 4 Inserts and 4 stereo Sends per Track
• Master effect: 4 Master Effect Slots
• Over 50 high-quality effects Included
• Instrument Plugin Formats supported: VST (Mac / PC), AU (Mac)
• Audio files supported: WAV, MP3, REX, AIFF, SND

AUDIO AND MIDI I/O

• Sample Rates Up to 24 bit / 96 kHz
• Zero-latency hardware monitoring via adjustment knob
• Record input (L and R): XLR/ 1/4-inch Combo x 2 balanced -40dBu, input impedance 11k ohms; RCA with PHONO preamp
• Max. Input level: +10dBu
• Digital Input: 24-bit RCA-pin x 1 S/PDIF
• 4 Audio Outputs: 1/4-inch phone x 4 balanced +11dBu, output impedance 1k Ohms
• Max. output level: +18dBu
• Phones output: 1/4-inch stereo phone x 1, 200mW / 100 ohms; 1/8-inch stereo phone x 1, 200mW / 100 ohms
• Digital output: 24-bit RCA-pin x 1 S/PDIF
• MIDI inputs: 5-pin DIN x 2
• MIDI outputs: 5-pin DIN x 4
• USB: 2 port USB Hub
• Footswitches: 1/4-inch x 2
• Standard accessories: Power cable, Operator’s manual

MINIMUM COMPUTER SPECS:

• Mac: 1.8 GHz G4/G5 or faster (Intel® Mac recommended), 2 GB RAM (4 GB recommended, if supported by your computer), Mac OS X 10.4.11 (10.5 or later recommended), DVD-ROM drive
• Windows: 2 GHz Pentium® 4 or Celeron® compatible CPU or faster (multicore CPU recommended), 2 GB RAM (4 GB recommended on Windows Vista and Windows 7), Windows XP (home or Pro), Windows Vista or Windows 7, DVD-ROM drive