Akai showed off his new MPC sample key on Instagram earlier this week and said he plans to open up his software so the modding community can hack it for their enjoyment. While there is no word yet on when the device will be released or how much it will cost, The edge has received exclusive images of the upcoming instrument that offer some details about its feature set.
While Sample Key shares many of the same controls as MPC Sample, including three context-sensitive encoders and a large master encoder, it seems designed for pitched sample playback, rather than battery cutting. In fact, the MPC Sample “cut” button is missing entirely from the sample key.
The dedicated pitch and modulation wheels are another clue. But there are also buttons to change the octave range of the 25-key keyboard, as well as those labeled “chord” and “arp.” Presumably these enable a chord playback mode and an arpeggiator. While using an arpeggiator to play drum samples can be a fun way to create beats, it is more commonly used for melodic and bass parts. And a chord mode would be basically useless for drums. Those options also appear to replace the trim function of the standard MPC Sample.
There also appears to be a dedicated looper which could be useful for live performances and layering sounds. And, instead of the Flex Beat effects of the original MPC Sample, there’s something called “Swarm.” Although at the moment it’s not exactly clear what that is.
Like the first entry in the Sample series, Key has a built-in microphone and speaker for all-in-one music production. While we haven’t seen the rear panel yet, configuration options on the front suggest that in addition to MIDI, the sample key will have CV outputs for integration with modular synths.
Correction October 30: The MPC sample key has 25 keys, not 37.
