Akai Pro has introduced the MPC Live III Retro Edition, a standalone music production workstation offering expanded processing power, expressive pad control, integrated sequencing, sampling, and portable battery-powered operation in a retro-styled enclosure.
The MPC Live III Retro Edition is a standalone hardware production system built around Akai’s MPC3 platform, combining sequencing, sampling, synthesis, audio recording, and performance tools in a portable format.
The system uses an 8-core processing architecture with 8GB RAM and 128GB internal storage, supporting up to 32 plugin instrument tracks, 16 stereo audio tracks, and 256 stereo voices.
Features:
- Standalone sequencing, sampling, arranging, and performance workflows
- An 8-core processor architecture provides four times the processing power of the previous MPC Live II generation
- 8GB RAM and 128GB of internal storage
- Up to 32 plugin instrument tracks and 16 stereo audio tracks simultaneously
- 256 stereo voices of polyphony
- Sixteen MPCe pads incorporate velocity sensitivity, pressure response, and 3D positional sensing technology
- 16 RGB step sequencer and performance buttons
- A configurable touch strip supports modulation, pitch, automation, and Touch FX performance control
- 7-inch full-color multitouch display with gesture support
- Four Q-Link encoders provide realtime parameter control
- Built-in stereo monitors are integrated directly into the chassis
- Onboard condenser microphone supports direct sampling and recording
- Rechargeable internal battery with up to three hours of operation
- Standalone stem separation is provided through the Stems Pro processing engine
- Clip launching functionality is integrated into the MPC3 workflow
- High-end FFT-based timestretch processing is included
- The system supports import and export of Ableton projects
- Akai Force project compatibility is supported
- The hardware supports legacy MPC project and program formats from earlier MPC generations
- The unit includes dual XLR/TRS combo inputs for microphone and line-level sources
- Dedicated RCA phono inputs are included for turntable sampling workflows
- Six balanced 1/4-inch TRS outputs provide multi-output routing capability
- Eight CV/Gate outputs support modular and Eurorack integration
- Two MIDI inputs and two MIDI outputs are included via 5-pin DIN connectors
- USB-C connectivity supports controller mode, audio streaming, and direct file transfer
- 24-channel USB audio streaming
- Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity are integrated into the hardware
- Storage expansion is available through SATA drive support, SD card slot, and USB storage devices
- The system operates at 24-bit resolution with sample rates up to 96kHz
Pricing & Availability:
The MPC Live III Retro Edition is available now for $1,699 USD.
Nah, I’ll just wait for MPC IV release later this year, MPC V next January…
MPC Live 1 = 2017
MPC Live 2 = 2020
MPC Live 3 = 2025
I normally like the look of the retros, but not sure this works with so many coloured buttons, too busy.
Agreed, as powerful as the current MPC range is, they’re a mess to look at. It’s probably amazing to use but design wise, pass. Like putting that speaker grill at the front where we rest our hands is going to collect a lot of skin.
Guess you could always send a scraping to Ancestry to test how many owners Reverb listed MPC’s had. Is it literally 2nd hander or 3rd?
Yeah. It’s like they took a look at the MPC Live 3 and thought… “Huh… I don’t think it’s ugly enough.”
So many of these things, are they all that different?
Exactly the same as the black modle.
That’s a rather expensive coat of paint.
The live 4 is due out soon. It’s rumored that it will interact with alexa it will have predictive typing and come preloaded with ms office suite!
I would have considered this if it had more ram than my Macbook Pro from 2009. I love these devices but they lag so far behind what you would get with a used recent Mac with Logic and the MPC software + a controller. I know this is a different product and I love the portability but you could easily assemble a rig that would smoke this for less money and then have cash left over for an MPC Sample for that portable music making. With the Sample’s latest update, you can more easily export your project into the MPC workflow too.
I know what you mean, to a point
I really like the look of the new workflow features that are on this and the new MPC X.
However, I don’t need something as big as the MPC X in my life. I also don’t need batteries and a inbuilt mic on any of my devices. As cool as the workflow looks on the new Live, a lot of it’s features would be redundant to me.
If Akai can transport all of this over to a new version of their MPC One then I’d be very interested.