Akai has announced the latest update for its MPC line of standalone music making devices, with the launch of MPC3 and Native Instruments integration.
Although MPC3 has been floating around since the middle of last year, this is the official launch and there’s quite a buzz.
New features include Enhanced Main Mode, Linear Song Arrange, Studio Mixer, Advanced Keygroups, and XL Channel Strip.
The new interface offers an enhanced user experience, blending visual feedback, colours and seamless navigation of parameters.
Linear Arranger is a DAW-style arrangement tool with stunning graphics, an intuitive layout, and full colour track and pad mixers.
The keygroup synthesis engine offers a range of sound design possibilities, including automation of parameters, dual filter section, advanced envelopes, multiple LFOs, per-voice drift LFOs, and more.
This release also marks the start of a new partnership with Native Instruments, making some of their instrument packs available to use directly on MPC devices.
The MPC Edition Play Series and MPC Edition Expansions Series are collections of sound packs from Native Instruments which have been custom made for MPC users, with everything reformatted to work seamlessly with the hardware.
Purchasing an expansion pack gets you a serial number which can then be used to add the expansion to MPC. Depending on which hardware you have, this can be done either wirelessly or by downloading to a USB drive/SD card and installing it that way.
MPC3 is compatible with the MPC One, MPC One Plus, MPC Live 2, MPC Key 37, MPC Key 61, MPC X and MPC X SE.
