Beatmakers and Music Producers rejoice. Akai unveiled a new, more affordable edition to its legendary MPC (Music Production Center) series called the MPC One at NAMM 2020. Similar to the MPC Live and MPC X, the MPC One is a standalone beatmaking workstation that has a more compact design and retails for $699.
The MPC One has a lot of features in common with the MPC Live and MPC X that were released in 2017. Network connectivity with Splice integration and the 7″ multi-touch display make their return to this latest, more affordable edition.
To make way for its cheaper price point, Akai had to remove some features from its predecessors. Unlike the MPC Live, the MPC One has no rechargeable battery. Sorry beatmakers, you won’t be able to play the MPC One on a beach or park bench. The MPC One also dropped aux outputs in favor of CV. Built in storage also takes a hit with only 4GB vs the 16GB found in both the MPC Live and MPC X, but USB 2.0 and a SD Card slot is available to expand your memory.
Akai MPC One Specifications
Pads
- (16) velocity- and pressure-sensitive pads, RGB-backlit
- (8) banks accessible via Pad Bank buttons
Knobs
- (4) 360° touch-sensitive Q-Link Knobs
- (4) Q-Link Knob columns accessible via Q-Link button
- (1) 360° encoder for display navigation and selection via push
Buttons
- (31) dedicated function buttons; red-, amber-, or green-backlit
Display
- 7.0” / 177 mm (diagonal)
- 5.9” x 3.7” / 151 x 94 mm (width x height)
- Full-color LED-backlit display with touch interface
CPU
- Processor: Quad-core ARM® processor
RAM
- Storage: 2 GB user storage, 2 GB pre-installed content
Connections
- (2) 1/4” (6.35 mm) TRS inputs (1 stereo pair)
- (2) 1/4” (6.35 mm) TRS outputs (1 stereo pair)
- (1) 1/8” (3.5 mm) stereo headphone output
- (1) 5-pin MIDI inputs
- (1) 5-pin MIDI outputs
- (4) 4 TRS CV/Gate Jacks, 8 Outputs Total
- (1) USB Type-A port
- (1) USB Type-B port
- (1) SD Card slot
- (1) Power Adapter input
Power
- Via power adapter: 19 V, 3.42 A, center-positive, included
Dimensions (width x depth x height)
- 10.7” x 10.7” x 2.1”
- 272 x 272 x 53 mm
Weight
- 4.7 lbs
- 2.1 kg
The Verdict
If you’ve never owned a MPC the price point on this definitely makes it an enticing purchase. It still packs a lot of power and not being tied to a computer to make beats is always a good thing. If you can pass up on the loss of portability the MPC Live brings, then the MPC One just might be the perfect fit for your studio. Pre-order it now on Zzounds for $699 or just 12 payments of $58.25.
