Akai Demos MPC Element

At the 2014 NAMM Show, at the NAMM Media Preview event, Akai showed its MPC Element, the latest in the company’s music production controller series.

MPC Element Features Include:
Akai_MPC_Element

  • MPC beat and song creation capability fused with the power of your computer
  • 16 back-lit, multicolor pads with pressure and velocity sensitivity
  • MPC Note Repeat, Full Level, 16 Level, and Tap Tempo
  • Includes MPC Essentials software* (download), 1GB sound library, up to 8 pad banks
  • Slim low-profile design with integrated cover to protect control surface
  • USB-powered: no power adapter required, USB cable included
  • Compact design: just 14mm thick; fits easily into a laptop bag
  • Brushed aluminum control surface with bright back-lit buttons
  • Standard MIDI for use with most popular software
  • 1/8-inch (3.5mm) MIDI input, 1/8-inch MIDI output, cables included
  • Also works with the iMPC app and other Core MIDI apps for creating music on an iPad or iPhone (requires Apple Camera Connection Kit)

Akai_mpc_element_essentialsMPC Essentials Software Features:

  • 32- and 64-bit music production capability
  • Works standalone, no DAW required, with MPC Element for seamless music creation
  • Works with your current music software (DAW) as a VST, RTAS, or AU plugin
  • Run virtually unlimited instances in your DAW simultaneously
  • 1GB sound library with all the essential sounds of modern music production
  • Import your WAV and AIFF sound samples and assign them to any pad
  • Up to 8 pad banks (assign up to 128 pads), 4 samples and 4 insert effects per pad
  • Hosts VST plugins and automatically maps controls
  • Export to WAV and AIFF

Pricing and Availability

The Akai MPC Element retails for a street price of about $150. For additional information, check out the product page on the Akai website.

15 thoughts on “Akai Demos MPC Element

  1. I hope I never again hear a person say the word “like” this many times (26 but who’s counting) in under one and a half minutes.

  2. Sure is hard to get very excited about Akai these days. I guess the MPC1000 will be the last and only thing I ever buy from them. I don’t want to be close minded about what modern day musicians need, after all it is 2014. However I just can’t help but picture landfills overflowing with all these low cost high profit controllers 10 years from now.

  3. This could be an interesting midi controller for on the go esp if the pads transmit note data – 14mm think fits behind a laptop nicely. I don’t think I have any interest in the software part of it.

  4. So confused here: hasn’t the Element been out for a long time? How is it a NAMM feature? As a longtime MPC user (2000, 2500, 500) I’m always interested in new developments but with the Element I’m having a real hard time figuring out if this might be a creative-because-of-limitations tool or if the product is a true misfire from Akai.

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