37 thoughts on “MPC Sample In-Depth Review”

1. Koala sampler in my phone is more portable. it has 4 effect busses, a sequencer, slicing and auto tuning function. it can directly import audio from video files. i can have it sample from youtube and internet radio pretty easily. i can connect a zoom stereo mic. the available mic effects i never used until now. might be handy for singers or rappers.

   1. Nobody cares.

      1. Lol Definitely:
         As much as I like the MPC models I find myself not caring at all about this new sampler. I mean, it seems u can pretty much do the same on all the other ones (XL, Live, Plus, etc) but this is just a more friendly mobile version. But maybe I’m missing something?

   2. Yeah, same for VSTi vs digital synths 😉
      Not relevant..

   3. All that and yet it will be nothing more than a brick when Tim Cook decides it is “too old” and you are locked out of Koala updates from the App Store

      1. you keept telling this here, wrongly. Koala is a finished app and an ‘idevice that is ‘stuck in time’ is perfectly useable: at some point not being able to do your bank app anymore is not stopping me from doing music with it, which is the reason i own it for.

         some might think that a pseudo-portable sampler with 1 stereo out is not relevant. it s a fun toy/accessory, the UI looks pretty intuitiv. Koala is always in my pocket though and its way more intuitiv and fun to use then you might think

         1. How about You being wrong about the MPC – it has 16 velocity and pressure sensitive pads, which makes it much more of an actual instrument than a small slab of “Gorilla” glass. Two completely different categories, comparing them makes no sense.

            1. the big brothers of the mpc line have chosen for the same ‘gorilla glass’ (although clunky integrated) .
               Are they ‘wrong’ too?
               I sign of, sampling internet noise now bye 🙂

               PS your finger right on the waveform, like also in Samplr app. how indirect

         2. I’m only messing with you a bit. I have an iPad and my whole job revolves around using Mac and apple. I use the iPad for my Avid S1 and have a few cool sound apps like Borderlands and Pianoteq

            That said I do not like the planned obsolescence in apple products. We know it’s mostly bullshit because of the Opencore Legacy patcher

            1. SP404 definitely blows this thing away. The MPC is cool for people getting into beat making though.

               1. And any DAW blows SP404.
                  I sold my SP404 for this just because it is more fun.

               2. I’l take the akai any day over the non musical shift button hell interface of roland sp404.
                  This thing is realy good designed in UI. Effect implementation is better and way more flexible as sp404. Sp404 can do some tricks like djing your projects, while that sounds fun, it that does not win from this direct ui.
                  If only it had more outputs . Or class compliant multichannel audio over usb. Which all big brands neglect. Even rolands tr100000 flagship.
                  Now there ‘s an opportunity for brands…
                  Polyend got that right. after a long hard fight

      2. this is true though, i had a few apps disappear from my account thanks to apple’s dumb policy of not hosting apps that are no longer being paid to be hosted or however that works [basically when devs abandon their apps, you’d think we could download them for as long as we have an account but lol no], as well as the move from 32bit to 64bit, a bunch were no longer updated and disappeared as well. its a shame though, since there were some really funky ones that i miss.

      3. Same for the MPC line. I have the original MPC Live and it is pretty much abandoned by Akai at this point

         1. What do you mean by abandoned?
            Doesn’t it work anymore after the last update?

            I have a Roland D-50 from the late 80s. Totally abandoned by Roland, but I can still use it.
            Nowdays it seems like that everybody thinks that a product should get updates for years, like software does. I think you should stop regarding hardware products as software. I feel that a bigger problem is all the products that are released half finished, or that companies sell it for something it will have in the future, like e.g. Elektron did with Overbridge.

         2. I also have the MPC Live and that is complete BS, it runs the latest OS (3.7) just fine. Obviously there are some additional hardware features on the latest models it cannot replicate, but those projects still load or you can enter the automation data by hand if you’re that way inclined.
            Don’t try to deceive people with lies.

   4. Koala on the iPad, paired with a Korg Pad MIDI controller (or a Roland SP404MK2), is an unbeatable, killer instrument <3

   5. People always bring up iPad/phone apps. They seem to not understand that some people do not like using iPads for music-making, and also become defensive when someone says they don’t want to use an iPad for music-making. It is awesome that you love Koala. Some people don’t like it.

   6. why don’t you just use AI, it’s way easier than using Koala and it’s even more portable than your phone, just sit down utter your prompt and then get up and go about your day.

      1. Dear Mr. Betamax,

         Comparison makes less sense then any music-tech answer from ai

         i had the feeling this product appeals to melancholic and stuck-in the past peeps that have no idea about current tech standards.

         Did i mention multi track class compliance?

         1. lol, suno gives you multi track class compliance, sounds like it’s right up your alley
            you don’t even need koala

2. Phone isnt as much fun as the hardware though
   Thats why they still make the hardware

   1. It is pretty fun airdropping samples and rrecordings from phone/ ipad to laptop.. My hardware controller/ sanpler for studio. has better pads and physical putputs.

      Ps where did the hipster cliché thumbnail go? ((Grown man holding this accessory against urban backdrop)

      1. I have Koala, find it a bit dull and the pads help me control velocity in the moment which I find very intuitive and expressive. Nobody is making you use this, nobody is making me use koala. Relax, and go to bed.

      2. it’s the other post (prev to this one) if for some reason, you need to windowlick the imagery,.

3. It should have been clear by the thumbnail that it is the Loopop presentation, so we can finally know more about how effects assigning is implemented for example.

   Again: the UI looks very direct. For me personally expanding the midi sequencer functionality (scales, xox-style) would make me consider it, but i m not holding my breath for that. Not that Akai Pro does not have a good update reputation, they seem to do

4. At first I thought “updated MPC1000”, and then I realized the sequencer is one track.

   A lot of us just want a more reliable MPC 1000 with a screen (not touch) like this one has and more RAM (like this one has).

5. From the marketing, I guess this is the “walking around” sampler we all need (to walk around with). (Mental image of Michael Dougles with the big cellphone on beach in Wallstreet). Restaurants, veggie shopping, Starbucks. Will def be a hit with the Teenage Engineering demographic.

   1. Photos of a teenager curled up in fetal position on a couch while feverishly clutching a beatbox would be more accurate, but less aspirational.

6. No one talking iMPC Pro2 for iPad. It does everything this does (including sampling / chopping) and host VST’s w 64 track sequencing. I was gonna buy this but just bought that for $24.99. I admittedly did buy a few sample packs for it in a couple more iPad VST’s Moog Mariana is a great companion.

7. I keep hearing that this will take on the te ko2 and the sp404.

   Watching the review it says samples can be 20 minutes long

   So to me it also competes with the liven lo fis sampletreks as well as korgs flagship Kaoss pad

   In a few years such a crowded market. Let’s see how the tariffs play out but the mpcutie might be for me

8. Coomparing this sweet MPC to a koala app is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard ?

   1. I admit that for consumer-object fetishism this retromodern baby/ manchild akai toy certainly has the edge!

      ‘You’re referring to impulse buying or consumption lust for non-essential, often luxury goods.
      This behavior is driven by emotional and psychological triggers rather than need:
      Desire for status, exclusivity, or self-reward (e.g., buying a designer bag).
      Emotional responses like excitement, boredom, or stress.
      Marketing tactics using scarcity, social proof, and instant gratification.
      A dopamine rush from the act of purchasing itself.
      Unlike fetishism, this is a common consumer pattern focused on the pleasure of acquisition and the symbolic value of luxury or desirable products.

9. https://youtube.com/shorts/98mC43rwavY?si=RiKS_20-NU5t62TH

10. I had a breakfast burrito this morning. It was pretty tasty.

11. This is clearly aimed at old farts like me who miss the old MPC workflow. I got mine yesterday, I love it. Last thing I want is another touch screen or plugin. I just want to sit in the sofa and make beats and sketches without having to fire up the computer or put my gladses on. Great fun and simple to use, which is what sold it to me. My wife hates it/loves it already as I havent spoken to her for 24 hours. 🙂

12. I don’t understand the “there can only be One” mentality: why can’t one love / use / embrace (things like) MPC Sample, Koala and on and on simultaneously? I’d take a bullet for Koala and at the same time know the MPC Sample would be fun and productive to use too.