Will The Next Akai MPC Run Windows 8?

akai-mpc-windows

The next Akai MPC workstation may run Windows 8, based on a sneak preview of a MPC prototype that Akai and Microsoft showcased at Microsoft’s Build 2014 – a developer conference held April 2-4 in San Francisco.

The new MPC hardware, above, looks like a bit like a modified MPC Renaissance, with a much larger screen. The OS it runs on is Windows Embedded Industry 8.1, a version of Windows 8.1 that’s designed for running custom hardware systems, rather than standard PCs. 

Here’s video from the conference that briefly features the new Akai MPC:

Note: This is an early prototype and no official announcement about the new MPC or its release date has been made.

160 thoughts on “Will The Next Akai MPC Run Windows 8?

  1. This is exactly where I hope to see computers and controllers going. One complete unit with the interface you need for music, but the freedom of a regular computer operating system. I just hope that it isn’t limited to a specific DAW or software package. It should be something that is optimized for music production, but still allows you to check your email and browse synthtopia 😉

      1. Because this involves Microsoft and Windows. If it would’ve been about Apple and OSX it would be a upvoting party.

      2. Thanks Henry. I am confused about all the down votes too. I never even said that I like this product that was shown (nothing is really shown about how it works). I just said that I would like the option to be able to buy a computer/controller that is designed specifically with musicians in mind.

        I do not see any problem with that, but apparently some people strongly prefer to purchase everything separate and hook it all up to a laptop that was designed for generic use.

        noone – That is probably true, but I never mentioned any operating system in my comment. I don’t care about the OS, I would just like to have a computer that is designed specifically with musicians in mind.

        Comments and down voting here is getting worse than YouTube.

        1. I down voted because the last thing in the world we need is a musical instrument that allows us to check email or Facebook. I don’t care if it’s apple or Microsoft. And I’m an apple fan boy to boot.

          1. Well, we already have it. Computers and tablets are used as instruments all the time. The difference is that none of them were designed specifically with musicians in mind, so we have to tack on a bunch of other stuff. I am optimistic that a similar device designed for musicians would be better for musicians. If it still allows you to do some basic things like check email or browse websites (something that most people do often in their studios) then we could potentially have a lot less devices cluttering up our studios in the future. It could also be easier to bring to gigs. Sure it might not be for everyone, but there is potential for it to be advantageous for many musicians.

            1. it will just be an os to run the MPC, i doubt its going to have any windows applications on it. this version of windows is not for running on PC’s

      1. My comment was deleted for personal attack? Can I know what is my wrong as I wrote pretty much the same thing a few comments below and this one hasn’t been deleted.

        1. Probably because this has nothing to do with Mac vs PC. People would be just as annoyed if this ran a derivative of Apple’s OS (do they do an embedded version?). Remember the MPC Fly? It was designed to integrate with iOS and it was terrible and everyone hated it.

          Now admittedly the comments are full of people voicing misguided complaints about their desktop Windows experience, but nonetheless the issue here is with the very concept of a “PC-in-a-box” and not the OS it runs.

          1. The failure of MPC-fly had nothing to do with the capabilities or stability of the iPad, though. 90% of what it did was emulate hardware controls, when It should have been a huge editing screen and sequencer. They didn’t take advantage of it’s power at all, and that’s why it wasn’t interesting.

  2. If Akai was going to go back to stand alone hardware they should have hired the Japanese Jenius to write a new OS on new hardware, and sales would be doing just fine. I don’t want my dedicated music hardware running Windows.

  3. I hope it is the size of the very first version of maschine or even a little smaller, all of these huge controllers like the Ren and the maschine studio are yuck as fuck. It’s almost like they think the bigger the controller the bigger the beats will be hahahahaha

  4. Hopefully we can install Plug-ins on it. I just wanna see the renaissance MKII with a dedicated vintage filters on each output, more outputs (8 like original) and multi-channel USB audio.

  5. Right a new mpc full of virus, spam and buggy as windows vista and all windows crap, or is it going to burn and stop working like xbox 360 first generation? no thanks.

    1. In what year have you stopped using a Windows computer? I don’t recall getting any of the symptoms you mentionned in the last 10 years. You talk exactly like those old “Mac vs PC” ads.

      And while trashing the 360, I bet you forgot about the fanless computer Apple sold for a few years that would break within a few months of use. And what about the current line of Macbook pro which get really really hot just because it got no holes for the air flow except the holes from the speakers and keyboard. Also I bet you forgot Microsoft paid over 1 billion dollars to repair all those broken Xbox, when was the last time Apple paid for their broken products after warranty? Apple does not even support their products after they reach 3 years.

      1. I have had every Windows, and they ALL have proven to be too unreliable for stage, and I have had enough even in studio. And they all also always start showing their age in just couple of months, even if you are carefull and do not watch porn. I, for example watch my porn with iPad, and never PC, BUT IT’s the PC, that is always acting up, and it gets worse and worse all the time. Boot times get longer, surfing in internet gets worse, and the whole thing falls down almost daily.

        Isn’t the multi functionality THE thing, when people, especially the hobbyists are thinking about building their studios around a PC? Buying 2 PC’s, one for music and another for other uses is not rational in my view.

          1. Sorry, but after promising start, the 7 is particularly close to Vista after its register has fattened for a year.
            Aka very slow and very unstable.

            1. So you are saying because you let your registry get bloated and your system slowed down, it’s the OS’s fault?

              Do you complain when your car breaks down after not changing the oil for 80,000 miles also?

              1. Nope.

                Installing a couple of VST’s, a couple of kids games and using internet to read news and pay bills. No porn, what so ever. Very typical use of a PC.

                THAT’S ALL!!!

                1. If that is true then it means your computer is defective and should be replaced if its still under warranty. No working computer should be acting up like that.

                  1. I have tried to take my PC to the service, and they said it is typical for Windows to do this, and that many people reinstall Windows at least once a year to keep it running smoothly.

                    That “feature” is not considered as a defect, it is typical to Windows, and warranty doesn’t cover it.

                    1. “Typical for Windows ti do this” is a bad technician’s way of saying “I don’t know how to fix that problem”.

                      Many people reinstall Windows every year because they install a lot of crap and they don’t know how to clean it and fairly this is the easiest way to start anew.

                    2. @noone below this:
                      Nope.

                      As I, and someone else, have said before, I don’t install a lot of crap, and I always uninstall software properly.

                      Still the Windows has gotten fat, nevermind my ‘skills @ PC’.

                      Windows WILL get slow and unstable in NORMAL use and even in moderately skilled users hands. Just wait 6 months and it is twice as slow as new. You don’t have to watch porn or install a lot of crap to see it happen. It is in Windowses genes.

                2. @Nope

                  No need to abuse of the capitalization. I understood you the first few times you said that.

                  You might have had a bad experience, but I manage a 500+ Windows computers park. Seriously if my computers acted as you described my users would complain and we would just change OS. Same with all the business who uses Windows.

                  And in the consumer market just about everyone would return their computers within 6 months as its still under warranty, but that is not happening either.

                  At home my current XP install is 4 years old, and I installed over 2000 different programs, applications and plugins. Still no slowdown and stable as ever, just hundreds of icons on the desktop.

                  If you have so many problems with your computer, try SteadyState. Its what I use on my grand-mother’s computer to completely lock it down.

        1. I’ve been managing over 500+ Windows machines from 2000 to 8 in the past 10 years, and if it was as unreliable as you claim you can bet the company I work for would immediately replace them. But no, Windows computers are not as unreliable as you claim. I have not manually rebooted a crashed computers in months, and the last time I had to manually clean one because of a virus was in 2010, and my users are extremely picky when it comes to slow computers but I don’t hear them complain.

          Now about getting two computers, do you truly believe that studios who uses OSX only have a single Mac for recording, mixing AND porn surfing?

  6. so if it’s just going to run windows 8 why shouldn’t I just use a midi controller and laptop instead? why would I buy one of these?

    1. because,,,, you can take it on stage and bang beats, do a live set.
      no more laptop, no more midi controller or multiple controllers and no more audio interface if it’s built in.
      it’s a actually a great idea… and if Apple did it…. you’d all piss in your pants.

        1. I call bullshit.
          I’ve had Windows and Apple
          and NEVER had a problem with either on stage…. ever.

          because people use their music PC (personal computer – MAC or Winodows OS) to go online… stream… surf porn or whatever shit they do. plus maybe using cracked software.
          people can be so cult – group think it freaks me out.

        2. hahaha
          I’ve had Windows and Apple computers
          and NEVER had a problem with either on stage…. ever.

          because some people use their music PC (personal computer – MAC or Winodows OS) to go online… stream… surf porn, download movies, open attachments or whatever else they do. and of course maybe some are using cracked software?
          I have a Lenovo t420s laptop (I used to have a MacBook Pro). I keep it updated. keep it offline except for updates and to install new VSTs…. and no problems. at all.
          I have another computer an inexpensive “netbook” for “internet life” and use my smart phone when I travel… see? easy.

          1. Yeah, what an easy and economical solution!!! Buy a couple of PCs! Why buy a PC, if you always keep it off line and never install anything into it?

            I have learned the fear of installing anything into my Windows, and never use it unless necessary(which makes me feel stupid for still buying an expensive computer in the first place) but still I need a couple of applications besides music software, and BAM! After a year(well,, actually sooner, it started coughing blood in couple of months), a “powerful” 4 core computer with tons of RAM and dedicated GPU, but that DAMNED Windows 7, got its menopause or something, and now its acting up all the time and is slow as a donkey.

            1. “I have learned the fear of installing infected warez into my Windows”

              I fixed that for you.

              I’m still using my 4 core 8gb ram computer I bought 4 years ago, and its as good as first day There must be a hardware problems in yours because it is not supposed to run that way, unless you ran some random keygen.

            2. having two dedicated laptops is not that expensive really…. unless you already gave all your money to Apple.
              even less if you go the netbook or tablet route.

              I chose the T series because of it’s dock mostly, I can have everything connected in the studio and just pop off the laptop and of to the show. 😀

          1. More accurately – iCloud is built on top of Microsoft and Amazon’s cloud services. That demonstrates that Microsoft & Amazon’s services are reliable enough for Apple to trust for iCloud – but also that cloud storage is a commodity and that it’s the apps and services that run on top of this that is a differentiator.

            1. Even more accurately : iCloud is an application that runs inside the Windows Azure operating system. Azure is not simply a storage infrastructure, its an environment used to create applications.

        3. My soft synth enthuism died(or went to iOS only) because of both, Windowses “reliability”, as well as its power hunger.

          I’m such an Akai fanboy though, that I might try just one more Windows, if it is inside of an MPC;

          What ever, as long as it is self sufficient!

  7. The comments about viruses may have been right in XP days, but not in any recent history. It’s a bit of a tired comment, really. a bit like saying Honda makes only cheap imports that break down constantly. May have been true in the 70s, but not today. 🙂

    Windows Embedded lets the developer have more control in any case (if they want to), to help prevent any sort of bad things from happening, to control how updates are applied, to optimize the platform for audio and security, etc. You probably don’t realize how much reliable and critical hardware runs Windows. For example, over 90% of the world’s ATMs run one form or another of Windows Embedded. Most hand-held industrial devices run Windows Embedded. Having the operating system optimized for one thing, and one thing only, can make the device blazing fast and super stable. In this case, that one thing is audio.

    The new Numark NS7 (shown only on a slide during the same presentation) is also an amazing device. I can’t wait to see what these both look like in their final cases

    This prototype device, even without the final software, is amazing. No more big screen between you and the audience, and no need to keep looking over at a laptop.

    Also, here’s the new MIDI API announcement from Build (Jason and I presented this session), along with some tips for lower latency audio.
    http://channel9.msdn.com/Events/Build/2014/3-548

    Disclaimer: I work in this space at Microsoft, and arranged for the Akai demo, and several others. I’m passionate about creative audio and video devices and software.

    Pete

    1. I live 20 miles from MS and would love to love them. Best of luck to you. Some of what is being considered is not bad but as always 2-3 years behind.

      I think to really try to make music with mobile MS at the moment you must either be employed by them or just want to be different or you got the device as a gift and want to make the best of it. There is an insane universe of ios stuff out there. If you goal is purely making music then I think it’s clear what platform to use, but if you have other agendas then I guess more power to you.

      I know this will open a can of worms but to me it’s like using Linux to make music. I’m reading all the bitwig posts. People go through a LOT of effort to make things work on Linux. Ok…cool, some people are way into being different (it’s not just about $ because OSX is free now too), and way into open source and all that which is great, but if you are into making music, why be fucking around with all the other shit? That’s what I don’t get. I know this wont be popular, just MHO.

    2. Can you give is more details about the New MPC?

      Also, well windows ever implement a audio/MIDI management system similar to Core audio/core midi

      1. We (Jason and I) announced the new MIDI API at Build. If you’re looking for something beyond that (like the routing and naming etc. from OSX), I’d love to hear it either on the MSDN Pro Audio forums or as a comment in the video (if neither works for you, email me at pete dot brown at microsoft dot com and I’ll get the feedback to the Creative Media team).

        MPC Details: That’s for Akai to announce when the time is right for them. It was great that they let us sneak peek the products at Build. We also did a sneak preview of the new Numark NS7. That thing looks even more impressive.

        Pete

  8. This will be great for all you trolls who spend more time posting inflammatory comments on synthtopia than making music. You’ll be able to bash the OP-1 from your MPC!

  9. What about the VST/AU plugs, are we going to have to buy them again just to run it on a standalone Windows 8 powered MPC?
    Seems like a step backwards to me. Why wouldn’t Akai code it’s own OS for it?

    1. Microsoft is so desperate to get anyone to use Windows RT that they are now giving it away free to people making embedded systems or whatever.

        1. That’s true, I don’t, if I was going to do something embedded I would use FreeBSD not some proprietary bullshit like Windows. Microsoft’s branding and marketing being misleading is their problem, not mine. They made it sound to consumers like RT was replacing CE but apparently CE is still around, why? Who knows, Microsoft probably doesn’t.

            1. It’s not an opinion though, it is fact. Microsoft is giving away Windows RT licenses to anyone making devices with screens smaller than nine inches, which the MPC qualifies for. Deal with it. Microsoft was very profitable in the 90s and early 00s because of their monopoly not because of their technology. Their technology is crap. If you’re holding Microsoft stock waiting for the good times to come back you’ll be waiting a long time, that ship sailed 10 years ago dude.

              1. Bullshit- I’ve actually owned MS stock for a couple decades, and the share price is currently higher than it has been since the dot.com bust.

              2. Fact is you don’t know the difference between RT and Embedded, you just said so yourself.

                What I’m wondering about is why you are obsessed and can’t stop talking about RT though.

              3. The MPC is using a 64 bit Intel i5 running Windows Embedded Industry 8.1. The Numark NS7 prototype (which has 3 10″ touch screens) runs the same.

                These are not ARM-based devices, and they do not run retail SKUs of Windows you install on your PCs at home.

                Windows Embedded Industry enables a manufacturer to deeply optimized the OS for their own purposes, while still having 100% code compatibility with apps that run on Windows 7, Windows 8 and beyond, and integration with hardware devices. The point is, if they have desktop apps, they don’t need to rewrite them. For example, the prototype MPC was running their desktop MPC software. That’s not what they’ll ship with (they need to optimize for screen size and touch), but it enabled a working prototype in very little time.

                To clear up any confusion, here’s the video you want to watch to understand the different versions of embedded that we produce (including Compact, Industry, and Handheld)
                http://channel9.msdn.com/Events/Build/2014/2-511

                Pete

                1. Pete

                  Thanks for sharing some actual details.

                  There’s so much misinformation whenever there’s Windows or Mac news, so it’s always good to see comments from somebody that knows what they are talking about.

                  Are there other instruments based on this Windows Embedded OS that people might not be aware of, or will these be the first ones?

                  1. Not sure. Embedded is one of those things that you don’t necessarily know about unless the customer tells you about it. The user interfaces are typically customized enough that it’s hard to know what’s behind it. That said, I’m not aware of any other music devices (other than the Open Labs stuff) running full Windows Embedded Industry.

                    That was the case here as well — didn’t know about this one until they brought it to my attention.

                    The idea of running a full embedded OS in instruments is starting to catch on because hardware costs have dropped, and user expectations around the experience are much higher. For example, the high-end Korg Kronos and at least one of the Yamaha synths run some customized form of Linux.

                    I’ve done a fair bit of ARM, AVR, and other microcontroller programming. Currently, I’m prototyping (for personal use) a synth and a sequencer here at home that uses embedded software in the core, rather than coding everything from scratch using microcontrollers (which are missing a lot of capabilities you take for granted in a full OS like Windows or Linux — threading, easy file system access, built-in USB peripheral support, etc.).

        2. no, he does not.
          he also does not know that Apple stopped being “Apple” when they switched to OSX (Unix) and to Intel chips.
          they are now just “branding”, pretty boxes.

          this MPC idea is very interesting and to just brush it aside because windows is mentioned is childish.

          1. Bro, of course I know OSX is unix, that is precisely why I use it. Apple is the last company selling high end unix workstations. Now go run along to your gaming PC and play some video games or whatever.

                1. I know it is certified. All I said is that originally BSD was a Unix derivative, exactly like its description on Wikipedia. I did not invent this.

                  1. Actually, you said “Actually OSX uses BSD, which is not Unix”, which is factually incorrect.

                    OS X is a certified UNIX OS, but not a BSD OS.

              1. noone

                OS X is a UNIX 3 OS (fully compliant to the Unix standard), which means that it is a ‘true’ UNIX OS.

                Darwin is the open-source subset of OS X and it is a BSD system.

  10. As much as I like the looks of it, as well as the extra large screen, I really don’t get the point of using a (more or less) standard OS on such a device. Why would anyone want to be able to read emails on an MPC, really? And why should the system be potentially weakened by adding internet, plug-ins and such? Open or closed source is not the point, but a device like this is – unlike your ‘Pad or laptop computer – specifically designed to do one thing: make beats and sounds, so you can write, produce and perform songs with it. We’ve already had all the guessing about laptop musicians checking Facebook on stage instead of looking at their DAW. So, now we also start assuming that, when someone brings a new MPC? Thanks, but no thanks.

    1. It’s not really a standard OS in the way you might think.

      This is the same OS family that runs most ATMs, digital signs, and kiosks around the world, as well as many shop automation systems, many healthcare devices, and even some tech instruments like oscilloscopes. (We started with an embedded XP, and then had Embedded 7 and 8.1). You have a significant amount of customization you can do with it. That’s why we sell it as a separate SKU: Windows Embedded Industry 8.1, and not something you pick up on the shelf at Best Buy.

      You can run 100% of desktop and modern apps, but you get to do a lot of optimization and customization beyond that, including deciding what app the OS boots into.

      Explanation of the embedded family of products.
      http://channel9.msdn.com/Events/Build/2014/2-511

      Pete

  11. All those complaining about viruses seem to be those thinking that the main thing you use a PC for is watching porn. How could viruses get into your music gear unless you use it to surf the net or load it with warez?

  12. I prefer Apple to Windows but that’s not why I don’t like this idea. My buddy swears by the hardware MPCs because they are rock solid and the timing is great. Also there is something to be said for hardware but this is somewhere in between which doesn’t really do the best of hardware or software. Machsine will be a lot more powerful than this (mac OR PC).
    I just don’t get the point if this. Portability is not an option anyway so you don’t benefit from the tablet. And even if it was most people are heavily invested in iPads…..

    Dead on arrival IMO.

  13. I think you’re thinking inside a box… MPC Renaissance and NI Maschine are both already “in between” and need a laptop or desktop computer..
    it looks like this MPC will not need a computer at all like the original MPCs and be able to do things that they could not…like load up VSTs and whole lot more.
    I think we should wait and see what it is. before brushing something off. it’s kind of silly.
    all the internet, virus, facebook, “Windows sucks” and e-mail comments are ridiculous.

  14. My god. I’m amazed at how many bold statements people are making about this before we even really see what this thing is capable of and what the functionality is. It could potentially be a very cool idea.

    1. Bold statements!!?!
      But that’s the reason why people comment on here! They like to know everything without knowing anything. It’s like a Zen paradox in action.

    2. I kind of assumed from the title that it was an MPC controller / Windows 8 Tablet combo and based my assumptions on how both of those have been implemented and caught on thus far, which in my and opinion and from what I have read from others is not good. But you are right, maybe somehow this functionality will be amazing and I will eat my words. If we could bet money though I would 🙂 Let’s revisit after its released. Maybe it will change everything or maybe it will be like the windows hardware that was released with Surface Pro 2 which I really can’t remember the name of as it seemed to be dead on arrival as well.

      Also don’t think I’m thinking inside a box. Maschine is not in between in the sense that it fully harnesses the power of a computer…this will likely use the power of an RT tablet. Not quite the same thing. iPads / tablets are great for portability and Maschine / PC/MBA or Pro are on the other spectrum (not portable but complete solutions). In that sense this would be in between. I think you are the one thinking inside the box.

      1. Bill… that all made sense.
        let’s wait and see when it’s released… I’m all hardware now and I do miss some software that I used in live performances. this looks very promising to me right now, best of both worlds.

        NI’s Maschine is close… but you need a laptop. this new MPC could be perfect. it could be what the MPC Renaissance should have been a standalone unit that could be routed into a DAW when you needed to and synced by USB or MIDI.

  15. Windows Embedded works in the background, its used for ATM machines and cash registers and industrial machines, Im pretty sure its stable!

    Akai can choose the software features they want to implement and use their own GUI

    1. You mean like all those Point-Of-Sale systems that got hacked at Target and gave away 200 million credit card numbers? Awesome!

      1. silly. if Target used MAC it would get hacked too.
        hacking goes where the secrets and the money is kept.
        no one wants your drum loops.

        and stay off the porn sites 😀

        1. “hacking goes where the secrets and the money is kept.”

          The facts don’t entirely back you up.

          OS X and iOS users tend to be a higher income demographic, since the base cost of Apple gear is higher than Windows & Android systems. And stats show that iOS users actually do a lot more ecommerce and banking online than Android users. So, you’d expect iOS and OS X to get hacked more often than other systems.

          Yet the security track record of OS X and iOS blows away Windows & Android. Android accounts for 98% of mobile malware.

          Microsoft has cleaned up the Windows security situation tremendously over the last 5-6 years. So, the people that say your MPC is not going to get hacked are probably right.

          Microsoft & OS X systems still get hacked, but usually via social engineering (like the MacDefender hack noone mentions below), which is impossible to avoid unless you go the iOS route and limit users to installing software that has been screened. The Target hack appears to have been done via a default admin user password and poor internal security, rather than a Microsoft OS flaw.

              1. No screening process is 100% reliable – that’s Apple has redundant technologies in place to manage malware, like app screening, sandboxing, rights prompts, etc. The track record of this approach is that iOS has almost no malware & Android has 985 of it.

                Why anybody thinks Windows Embedded is going to get viruses on the MPC, though, is beyond me. Can anybody explain how they expect this to happen?

    2. Did anyone say they can’t chose. They can obviously chose. And we can chose to say if we don’t think it’s a good idea 🙂

    3. I dunno, I’ve come across a few ATM machines that had blue screened and one actually exposed an error message from windows. Come to think of it, I’ve seen this on train ticket machines too.

      I made the switch to Mac from Windows years ago and while I realise i use Windows all the time in embedded systems or whatever in various services, I have no desire to knowingly introduce Windows into my music making environment if I can possibly help it!

      I realise things may be better than the XP days, but why the hell should I take the risk when I have a system that is as close as it is possible to get to 100% reliable? I spent hours and hours and hours configuring Windows, and reconfiguring it, reinstalling drivers over and over again because I changed the USB port a device was using. It was a total pain in the ass and I do not miss those days one little bit!

      1. If they were blue screened, they were not running embedded. Embedded automatically recovers from all those types of faults, and can even reset the machine to a known state.

        A fair number of people put retail Windows on devices, do nothing to optimize them for the device, and then you have problems like that. 😛

        Pete

    1. Unless you lock the system down, no platform is safe from dumb users installing malware.

      IOS is probably the safest OS in that regard, since anything you can install is screened.

      For what it’s worth, Windows Embedded is not what you think of as Windows, so people won’t be surfing he Web on their MPC. And the comparison of this to iOS peripherals is, charitably, uninformed.

  16. Microsoft is doing a very confusing thing these days, under the guise of “product and marketing alignment”, which is to have a lot of different operating systems that all share some common traits, and are all called “Windows”. Yes, many of them share some of the same code, but “windows on a device” like this is not the same as “Windows 8” for a PC. Nor is it the same as “Windows” on the Xbox One. Nor is it the same OS as “Windows for Mobile”. All of these operating systems have been custom tailored for these particular devices (or in the case of the Surface Pro, the hardware has been custom tailored for the OS) But many of these may run the same little apps, or they may run different code embedded within the same app. IMHO it’s a stupid strategy because people will make the obvious connections, like we do here… “Why not just use a PC instead of an MPC if it’s running Windows”?

    … not the same Windows!

    That being said, some things about all versions of Windows are common. Of all the things Microsoft is good at, writing lean, elegant, fast executing minimal code is not one of them. But they feel pressure from other operating systems that have been used for years in other devices. For example, TiVos have run Linux for years (and do more TV stuff than the Xbox One, fwiw). Lots of little devices run Linux, Android, or a handful of other small, lean OSs. Microsoft is currently sledge hammering their HUGE operating system into some kind of stripped down little form factor and trying to put it where people are actually buying these days, since desktop PC sales have been falling for years and will continue to do so.

    So plan on seeing at least a year of crazy marketing and trial partnerships like this one. “Windows” will show up in all kinds of stupid places. Watches, cars, alarm clocks, keyboards, coffee makers, etc. But don’t worry, it will all end when manufacturers of said devices realize they can get faster and more reliable operating systems for less investment from other places.

    Microsoft has enterprise business and servers nailed down. But they are going through a mid-life crisis, and trying desperately to be cool. At some point they will dump the trophy girlfriend, sell the red convertible, and put on some sensible business clouting and get back to doing what they do best. Until then… groan.

    1. “a lot of different operating systems that all share some common traits, and are all called “Windows”

      You mean like the ipad, the new ipad, and then the ipad, until we finally got the ipad air right?

      “plan on seeing at least a year of crazy marketing and trial partnerships like this one. “Windows” will show up in all kinds of stupid places. Watches, cars, alarm clocks, keyboards, coffee makers, etc”

      You mean like Nike+ shoes integration and CarPlay right?

      Why is it all hip and cool only when Apple does it?

      1. You are the one turning this into an apple vs windows thing. I wouldn’t want OS X in my coffee maker any more than I want windows. Simple devices should be simple devices. A bloated OS is not necessary to run things like thermostats, soda machines, and yes, even samplers and sequencers.

        1. “You are the one turning this into an apple vs windows thing”

          Says the guy who just devoted an entire article to Microsoft bashing.

          “A bloated OS is not necessary”

          Do you know what is Windows Embedded? I mean really have knowledge about it? Embedded is really not like destop Windows, in the same way IOS is really not like OSX, even though in both case they are somewhat related to their cousins.

    2. We’ve had Windows in cars, ATMs, kiosks, manufacturing equipment, hand-held scanners, and more for years.

      We’ve had Windows Embedded (full Windows OS) for 13 years now.

      We have Windows already running on tiny x86 devices, like the Intel Quark and the Galileo board we just showed off at Build. We’ve had it on tiny ARM devices (through our real-time OS Windows Embedded Compact) for seemingly forever.

      It’s not a mid life crisis, it’s an integral part of our business strategy, and has been for a very long time.

      As to “not the same Windows”, you’re correct in that you can do *more* with embedded. However, unlike the comparison to Xbox, Windows Embedded Industry 8.1 is Windows 8.1, plus all the additional embedded capabilities. It is 100% compatible because it is the same OS code. That’s why we can release it the same day we release Windows retail SKUs.
      http://channel9.msdn.com/Events/Build/2014/2-511

      Pete

      1. Ok Pete, can I plug in a mouse and install Maya on the new MPC? Or instal ableton and play some steam games? If not, than it doesn’t matter under the hood. It’s functionally “not” the same “windows” but user confusion will often assume it is.

        Bad. Strategy.

        1. Why would you want to install Maya on an MPC? And why do you so strongly believe that this MPC will be sold with its primary feature being “Windows” based? If it weren’t for this article, you might have never been aware about that detail.

          Also people do not seems to be as confused as you say they are when they use a Windows based cash machine, the Xbox running Windows, or with Smart TV’s running Android.

          1. The xBox and xBox 360 did not run Windows, but instead custom OS’s tweaked for gaming performance.

            The xBox One is basically the same, but can run a stripped-down version of Windows in a virtual machine.

        2. It *is* Windows. Up to Akai to decide what gets installed on it, but I wouldn’t expect them to say anything about Windows on the box. ATMs and kiosks don’t have a sticker with “powered by Windows” on them despite almost all of them running Windows. No one asks about running Maya on their medical equipment. 🙂 . Embedded is about getting out of the way to instead focus on an app.

  17. I see… you’re against change.
    anyone doing something new and different. see… if this MPC idea is great I would not care what OS was used. it’s sad that people need to be iClones to feel cool and better than everyone else.

    the only thing Microsoft did that I think was a mistake in a long time, was messing with the start button. which they are fixing. (thanks) not everything is tablet and/ or touch based. not yet.

  18. I think the main thing a lot of people aren’t focusing on is that if this is a stand-alone MPC, like the predecessors, and it can edit, record, chop, and run many effects and maybe VSTs, then this could be the best MPC yet. Not everyone wants to sit on the computer all day, regardless of OS, and if this is just a tailor-made OS that can do so much more than the original MPC (and turn it into a full all-in-one hardware), then this MPC could be very exciting.

    1. Remember those big old workstation things Timbaland was always promoting? what the hell were those called? Anyways, those were basically a windows pc bolted onto a midi keyboard and then marked up to $3,000. They made some money when cool musician types were uptight about looking nerdy on a computer but now that everyone is over that they went out of business because no one wants to pay a premium for a pc-in-a-box. This will probably face a similar fate.

    2. So you sit on your computer all day, possibly on Windows 8, then move to your standalone hardware to escape it by using windows 8. Makes sense.

  19. Akai is badly mistaken if they think an OS that failed in the marketplace would succeed in a machine that demands low latency and is known to crash. This is not a Mac vs Windows debate, since the Apple iOS wouldn’t be a good fit the MPC either.

  20. makes sense to use windows as the platform is meant to be what you might call modular, mac is for apples end off. you would be surprised at how may none PC hardware implementations windows has. from cash machines to my most feared one lifts, from NT up to 7 (am not sure if 8 has been utilised yet) windows OS is under the hood of countless none PC hardware systems. if that is a touch screen then bingo their you have it, it makes absolute sense.

      1. in a nutshell…..

        on paper using windows as an OS is a good idea, it works successfully in 1000s of other none pc hardware application and if that screen is touch sensitive then thats why they have chosen windows 8.

        if akai get it right, then it could be a game changer

  21. The only people that will use this are people they pay to use it and some development people at Microsoft that justify their jobs in trying to find something that will finally be successful.

  22. The problem I see with this is that it will suffer the same timing issues as PCs and Macs as far as MIDI is concerned. The reason hardware devices keep better time is that they don’t multi-task. There’s nothing else keeping the CPU busy so everything stays rock steady. Introducing any high-level OS into the mix – even a stripped down embedded one – will introduce more background processes and cause clock jitter.

  23. All this ridiculous Windows talk or Windows versus OSX banter.
    I’d be more concerned with the utterly appalling track record Akai has displayed since they where acquired by Numark.
    The MPC1000 & 2500 are only what they are thanks to the JJOS and the MPC5000 and Renaissance don’t leave much to the imagination regarding prolonged product and/or customer support. Seems a lot of people are still having troubles with their Ren’s and Akai’s response to this is to leak an image of a newer model instead of supporting the Renaissance Hardware with proper and effect software updates to make them more stable on both PC and Mac based platforms.
    The last MPC I ever owned was a 2000XL and if i got one again it would be a MPC60, MPC3000 or an MPC4000 first and then a some like the 2000 which as at the very least built like a tank. The 2500 looked great and integrated well with a DAW in controller/slave mode but the alpha dial on it was complete and utter piffle compared to the one on the 2000 for example.
    Just face it folks, since the Numark acquisition and Roger Linn having nothing to do with the product line itself you’re better off getting a Machine Studio for that kind of money.

    1. Maybe Microsoft can buy Numark to complete the sh%t sandwich. Half the people on this post would still be interested based on about half the comments. The both got left behind by other companies, so they are trying to differentiation themselves. They should just focus on making good products and understand what people appreciated about the products they had that were successful. There is zero point in the product.

  24. You would think Akai would retire the blue and red “superman” MPC look after they released a ton of blue MPC1000s with faulty pads and screwed over thousands of paying customers.

    Akai has been untrustworthy, and their gear is always hit or miss. The MPC2000XL MCD was great. The 4000 was buggy, poorly built, and ill supported. As stated, the blue and red MPC1000s were defective. The MPC2500 was solid, but lacked some basic functionality that thankfully JJ saved us from. The 500 suffered from an insanely low output that rendered it almost useless with headphones (and it was designed as the mobile MPC). The 5000 was buggy as hell and Akai never made good on their promise to fix it or add features.

    Regardless of what OS it runs in the background, Akai is still making the gear. With NI Maschine, Live, Bitwig, Logic, Elektron Octatrack, hell… even the Beat Thang lol… I’m surprised people still choose to use an MPC… archaic menu systems, much smaller feature set, crap customer service, blah blah blah rant over.

  25. I swear to god Nukai just doesn’t get it. The LAST thing I want to do on my MPC is run VSTs an use a touchscreen; the whole pleasure of using them comes from the tactile response and the ability to learn controls with muscle memory (I can sample and edit blind on my 2000xl!). This concept sucked on the Beat Thang, sucked on the Open Labs machines, and will suck here.

    Make a $500 MPC3000 mini and roll around in money as everyone on earth impulse-buys it; not another “integrated controller” stinker.

    1. The beat thang did suck… I prob should erase that from my last comment. Only used one once, and the load times and other annoyances made it unusable for me. Just never worked smoothly. It would have been really cool if they just focused on the hardware part and not the VST integration.

  26. About half the posts on this topic can be translated as “I don’t know anything about computers, or operating systems, and I just heard Windows so I assumed whatever this is it must be as bad as that home computer I had with Windows Vista that I didn’t know how to work.”

  27. so. windows sucks.
    apple was made by god
    akai pro is now broken and should be broken up further and sold off as parts.
    oh, and this new MPC? what it? how will it work? yes. no one knows yet.

    this is how this thread reads like. wow.

  28. utter rubbish.
    akai should give JJ an excellent pay and put him in charge of the software department and restart where they left before turning into another software house with hardware as extra…

    what was wrong with intel strongarm chips and proper programming?
    whats the meaning in producing mpc 5000 and dropping developement of mpc 4000? not to mention the crippled ren stuff…
    i’m disgusted.
    long live jj.

  29. Would you not just love to see some of these OSX users, configure anything on any apple product.
    when they open the textfile to config, for whatever they had to modify and see how unix really works, the looks on their faces when they saw 200 pages of solid parameter config value variables

  30. This new mpc would be great if it could operate without a computer as well, standalone like the old mpcs. The only reason it should connect to the internet is for updates or grabbing samples from music sites online. Like if you could grab songs from iTunes directly or from your cloud of music if you have one, to chop up and sample. It should only be a musical powerhouse, nothing more. For further internet use, smart phones tablets and computers are used for that, there’s no point for all of that on an mpc.

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