How the Akai MPC Changed the Music Production World

What is an Akai MPC?

The Akai MPC, which stands for Music Production Centre, is a music production instrument that combines sampling, sequencing and beat making in one intuitive system. At its heart are its familiar grid of velocity-sensitive pads, which can be used to trigger samples, play drums, create melodies and build rhythms.

Unlike a traditional drum machine, an MPC isn’t limited to a set of built-in sounds, it’s a sampler which means you can load or record your own samples, arrange them into patterns and use the MPC’s sequencing and editing tools to build complete musical ideas. This makes it equally useful for creating beats, chopping samples, recording performances and arranging tracks.

The MPC has become a hugely popular tool for producers because it makes the process of turning individual sounds into complete musical ideas remarkably hands-on. Whether you’re building a beat from scratch, chopping up a sample or sequencing an entire track, the MPC puts the essential tools for music production directly under your fingertips.

A photo of a woman using the Akai MPC XL

A Brief History

The MPC was born from a desire to make music production more accessible. Roger Linn, the designer behind influential drum machines such as the LM 1 and LinnDrum, was brought in by Akai to help develop a new kind of production instrument. The result was the MPC 60, released in 1988. Rather than simply functioning as a traditional drum machine, it combined sampling and sequencing with a tactile grid of velocity-sensitive pads, giving producers a much more hands-on way to create and arrange beats.

The MPC 60 quickly established the foundations for what would become one of the most influential production platforms in modern music. Its intuitive workflow made it easier to chop and trigger samples, programme rhythms and build grooves, while Roger Linn’s focus on feel and hands-on control helped give MPC beats their distinctive character. Akai continued to develop the platform over the following decades, but the core concept established by the MPC 60 would remain at the heart of the range.

How the MPC revolutionised the industry

The MPC changed music production by bringing sampling, sequencing and performance together in a single, hands-on instrument. Its velocity-sensitive pads made programming drums feel more like playing an instrument, while its sampling capabilities gave producers the freedom to take existing sounds, chop them up and transform them into something entirely new. Combined with powerful sequencing and editing tools, it offered a level of creative control that was difficult to achieve with the equipment that came before it.

More importantly, the MPC changed the way people thought about making music. You no longer needed a full band, an expensive studio setup or extensive knowledge of music theory to start building sophisticated tracks. Producers could experiment with sounds, rhythms and samples directly from the machine, developing ideas through instinct and feel. That combination of accessibility, flexibility and hands-on creativity helped make sampling and beat-making central to modern production, with the MPC’s influence still evident in studios and workflows around the world today.

Legacy Model Highlights

There have been many iterations of the MPC since the original MPC 60, each bringing new features and improvements to the formula. Here are a few highlights and some of the most significant developments they brought to the MPC range.

MPC 60 (1988)

The MPC 60 was where it all began. Designed by Roger Linn, it introduced the now iconic 16 velocity-sensitive pads alongside sampling, sequencing and MIDI functionality, establishing the core MPC workflow that would influence generations of producers.

MPC 3000 (1993)

The MPC 3000 built on the foundations of the 60 with improved 16-bit sampling, 32-voice polyphony, increased memory and longer sampling times. It also expanded the sequencing capabilities, making it a powerful production tool that became particularly influential in hip hop.

MPC 2000 XL (2000)

The MPC 2000 XL took the established MPC formula and made it considerably more flexible. It added time stretching, expanded storage and sampling options, more powerful effects and greater connectivity, helping make the MPC a complete production centre for increasingly complex projects.

Who Has Used An Akai MPC?

It’s probably easier to write a list of artists and producers who haven’t used an MPC. From hip hop and electronic music to modern pop and beyond, Akai’s iconic sampler has played a part in some of the most influential music of the last few decades.

A few noteworthy uses include Dr. Dre, who used the MPC 3000 extensively on The Chronic and 2001, and Kanye West, who relied heavily on the MPC 2000 when creating much of The College Dropout. J Dilla became particularly synonymous with the MPC 3000, using it to develop his distinctive approach to sampling and beat-making. Over in electronic music, Liam Howlett of The Prodigy has also incorporated MPCs into his production workflow, demonstrating the instrument’s influence well beyond hip hop.

The MPC’s influence continues today, too. John Mayer, for example, has spoken about using an Akai MPC to record guitar in modern production sessions, arguing that its ability to fit into a predominantly software-based workflow can offer advantages over recording through a traditional guitar amplifier. It’s a fitting example of how an instrument originally designed around beat-making has found a place in all sorts of production environments.

MPC Innovations

The MPC may have been around for decades, but its approach to sampling, sequencing and hands-on production remains just as relevant today. Akai has continued to evolve the platform with faster processing, larger displays, improved sampling capabilities and increasingly flexible workflows, while retaining the pad-based interface that made the MPC so intuitive in the first place. The latest generation gives producers more freedom to capture ideas wherever inspiration strikes, whether that’s building beats on the move, collaborating away from the studio or working on full-scale productions.

There’s now an MPC to suit almost every workflow and budget. The MPC Sample puts a pocket-sized, battery-powered production studio into your hands, making it ideal for creating wherever inspiration hits. Step up to the MPC Live 3, and you get a portable powerhouse with a built-in speaker, large touchscreen and familiar MPC interface, making it particularly well suited to collaboration and performance. At the top of the range, the MPC XL is designed as a flagship all-in-one studio, combining Akai’s fastest processing and highest level of hardware capabilities for producers who want the most powerful MPC experience available.

The beauty of the modern MPC is that the technology gets out of the way. Instead of waiting for inspiration to arrive at a computer, you can sample, chop, sequence and experiment almost immediately. That hands-on workflow can encourage a more instinctive approach to production, helping turn an idea into something tangible before it disappears.

Discover your first MPC

Ready to choose your first MPC? Whether you’re looking for a pocket-sized production companion, a portable powerhouse or a flagship studio centrepiece, there’s an MPC to suit your workflow. Take a closer look at the full range of Akai MPC products and find the one that’s right for you.