So what went wrong? “Akai’s Down Fall(s)” IMO they owe the chopping credit to Propellerheads – RECYCLE. What people loved about these units was the sound, build, quantize, and sampling/chopping ability. When it came to sampling drum machines, Akai had it locked DOWN! Once it was adopted by urban producers and a few big studies, the popularity opened the gates and spread like wildfire.Īkai road the success to the bank dropping new Mpc models every few years. This allowed them to write without the need for a live drummer.

Before it was adopted by hip-hop producers it was used as a loop machine for country artists. These units set the standard for drum machines in their day. Roger Linn brought the pain with the Mpc 60, Mpc 60 II, and soon after, the Mpc 3000. Most of the world was used to traditional drum machines like the TR909/808 etc. “The Mpc Takes The Stage”ġ988 – The birth of a machine (no pun intended) that would change music production for YEARS to come – The Mpc 60. Akai (at the time) didn’t even understand the full potential of their samplers. In my opinion, Akai began gaining ‘heavy’ traction with the release of their S- Series samplers (S612, S900 S950) those were game-changers. They’ve been known for leaving their mark in the industry dating back to the 60s. Please keep the “fanboy” mentality out of this The Akai LegacyĪkai ‘was’ a force to reckon with.

This is about competition, longevity and which flagship product will remain king in the end. This article is not about features, builds, workflow, sounds, real hip-hop, or your opinion on which is better. I love what Native Instruments has done with Maschine and I love what Akai has done with the Mpc Renaissance, but can Akai really come back from the devastating blows they’ve suffered over the years? Can the Mpc Series keep up with Maschine?

Akai professional renaissance