Through a series of firmware updates, the latest models now include a bunch of synth engines that resemble software instruments in a DAW. The other thing is: MPCs have come a long way and are now so much more than just samplers with rubber pads and a tight sequencer. And all of a sudden, I get the hang of it and am finally able to fully appreciate the workflow for the first time. The MPC Key is a complete, wholesome instrument that says “play me”.

Maybe it’s just a psychological thing – there’s nothing stopping me from using a “normal” MPC with a keyboard controller. Long story short: The MPC Key has instantly changed that and I’m seriously considering giving it another try by adding it to my studio. Somehow, the MPC and I never really clicked. I’ve even owned a couple of MPCs over the years, only to realize a short while later that maybe they weren’t for me, after all.

I have deep respect for those who use it to create beats so unique that I struggle to replicate them using my methods of choice, and I’ve always wished I was one of them. That said, I’m of course fully aware of the fact that an MPC is an incredibly powerful machine in the hands of someone who really understands it. I generally prefer synths with keys over desktop modules and never really became friends with MPCs and other pad-driven devices. However, the longer I used it, the better I understood: it’s for guys like me! I’m a keyboard guy.

With these thoughts in mind, I wasn’t sure which users AKAI was thinking of when they designed this thing. And just in case you do end up needing them, you always have the option to hook up a MIDI keyboard to your keyless MPC. Black and white keys, on the other hand, aren’t something that seems to be all that important to most users. The first question that comes to mind is: Why? For most MPC users, the famous 16 pads are the weapons of choice for producing beats and triggering samples – they, along with the sampling and sequencing workflow, are the main reasons why the series is still going strong after a third of a century.

Akai pro mpc key 61