Akai Professional MPC Sample Portable Groovebox

Maximum Mobility and Historic Production Power, No DAW Needed

After years of genre-defying innovation, the technology behind the acclaimed music production center is now available in a potent, portable package — this is the Akai Professional MPC Sample. Marrying historic workflow with modern malleability, this groovebox is a force of multimode beat-making, armed with an array of auditory exploration tools that Ragtime’s production pros are excited to take on the go. More than 100 onboard drum kits complement a suite of studio-to-stage sound-shaping capabilities, supporting both on-the-fly jams and rigorous, late-night creations in equal measure, while the classic four-by-four set of performance pads is backlit with vivid yet unobtrusive RGB lighting. And thanks to the built-in 3-watt speaker and integrated microphone, limitless sampling opportunities are yours to wield. Across sequencing, sampling, 60-plus flexible effects, and diverse connectivity configurations, the MPC Sample is engineered to amplify inspiration whenever and wherever it strikes.

Old-school style, endless modern possibilities

Beneath the vintage-inspired aesthetics of its sleek, user-friendly interface, Akai’s MPC Sample contains a powerful palette of production options waiting to be unleashed. Sixteen ultra-responsive pads are supplemented by custom-assignable knob and pad effects, while a vibrant screen provides instant visual support for dialing in versatile filtering, chopping, and sequencing. Additionally, the velocity-sensitive performance pads feature polyphonic aftertouch, giving you expansive, nuanced control of every sound, sample, and chop. A total of 16 levels of performance pad possibilities unlock a multidimensional blend of modulations. Meanwhile, with the 30-millimeter legacy MPC fader, your production abilities expand, letting you hone the parameters of your selected samples at any point in your flow.

Evocative, full-force sampling and sequencing

As the latest in the legendary sampler lineage, the Akai MPC Sample earns its place among premier production hardware. Its 16-layer architecture is engineered for sound-slicing precision and creative exploration. The onboard Sample Chop mode lets you instantly subdivide by 4-, 8-, and 16-bar sample regions, with state-of-the-art audio processing facilitating seamless, real-time re-sampling, re-pitching, and time-stretching, whether via a user-assigned threshold or hands-on manual control. What’s more, each of the 16 pads offers individualized tools via Shift functions, spanning sampling, recording, MIDI, compression, warping, and project-level tools. When it comes to sequencing, choices such as Note Repeat, time-tested sequencing, legendary MPC swings, detailed quantization, song mode, and song-to-sequence options are right at your fingertips.

Classic character and cutting-edge color

Akai outfitted the MPC Sample with more than 60 effect styles, extensive sampling capabilities, and sonic-shaping power to give you uncompromising creative control. Four engines — myriad Pad, Knob, FlexBeat, and Color-Compressor — deliver texturization tools spanning vinyl emulation, chorus, phaser, delay, reverb, lo-fi, ring mod, granulator, and more, in addition to the master compressor’s dedicated “vintage color” options. Along with diverse, high-resolution control and satisfying hands-on tactility, Knob FX can affect incoming audio samples in real time, custom-coloring them to suit your style right from the jump.

Fully portable: seamless connectivity and unmatched flexibility

As Akai’s most compact MPC, this standalone powerhouse punches far above its form factor. The MPC Sample is endowed with multiple connectivity options, including TRS stereo I/O and a Thru-capable 3.5mm MIDI I/O, alongside a CV Clock Sync output and a dedicated Record Gain control that lets you effortlessly attenuate incoming sample audio. There’s also the rear-mounted USB-C port, which doubles as both a charging source for the rechargeable lithium-ion battery’s 5-hour lifespan and a 2-way lane of audio and MIDI processing. Moreover, the USB-C port allows select smart devices and onboard apps to function as an audio source, facilitating bidirectional communication between the device and a slotted microSD card (not included), which can then be loaded to the MPC Sample — your phone effectively becomes another audio source!

Spec’d out for maximum flexibility and enduring support

The MPC Sample's diversified controls make effortless work of locking in your performance and production workflow, ensuring inspiration and idea generation move at the speed of your creativity. And when it comes to the sound, considering the MPC Sample's assortment of composition and creation tools, Akai equipped the groovebox with 8GB of internal storage, 2GB of RAM, and further expansion via a microSD card and the onboard SD Card Access mode. Finally, because the MPC Sample supports Song Mode and MPC3 OS, your projects can be loaded into any compatible ecosystem for further MPC and in-the-box production. In short, the ultra-portable MPC Sample merges the iconic visual aesthetics of the historic MPC60 with the cutting-edge sampling, sequencing, and interoperative production power that contemporary composers, DAW-less performers, and sample-chopping enthusiasts demand.