Akai
MPC One/Live II
Akai’s latest MPCs are fully standalone, broadly powerful, and play surprisingly well with analogue synths and modular gear
“For cutting up beats
on the fly, MPC
is still the way to go”
WHAT ARE THEY?
The latest MPCs continue in the standalone mold established with the original MPC Live and MPC X. Software-wise these two are identical, but there are sizable hardware differences. The most notable are on the I/O front: the cheaper MPC One has just a single stereo pair out, stereo pair input, and one MIDI in and out. The MPC Live adds two extra pairs of outputs, doubles the MIDI I/O and adds an RCA in. Both machines pack four stereo CV/Gate outputs though, for controlling analogue or modular gear.