Akai MPCKEY 61

[johnchop]

Yeah, so without disk streaming, and with the relatively slow performance loads, I wonder how well this would work as a live performance device for a keyboard intensive gig with lots of patch changes, especially if it's not caching plugins between performance switches.

 

For example, if there's the same piano preset playing across two performances, does it reload the same piano when you switch between them?

 

That aside, there's certainly a TON there for use as an idea machine.

 

 

[GovernorSilver]

In its present state, I would not rely on the MPC Key 61 as my only instrument in a live setting.   I'd probably have some songs in my set loaded on the MC-707, and just alternate between the 2 sequencers.  One is loading, the other is playing.  Of course if I had ProfD's Rhodes and skills, I may instead implement a different strategy. 

[ElmerJFudd]

I think we have to still look at this like an MPC regardless of the keyboard it’s in. As such it’s going to excel at production, even if there is cross over with performance.  I mean, people do perform with an MPC, even though that isn’t at the heart of its purpose as far as the designers’ intentions.  

[ProfD]

Brotha @GovernorSilver you're way too kind but I'll take it.🤣

 

First, I agree with the sentiment that an Akai MPC Key 61 will not replace a DP or workstation as the main board for most KB players.

 

Once configured in advance, as a 2nd or 3rd KB in a rig, there should be ample time to load sounds/projects between songs. 

 

As brotha @ElmerJFuddmentioned above, it's still an MPC in a KB form. 😎

 

[Sean M. H.]

On 6/22/2022 at 2:55 PM, ProfD said:

IMO, the Akai MPC Key 61 is targeted at the same audience using their grooveboxes. 

 

The KB MIDI controller is now integrated with the MPC instead of being a separate piece of hardware. 

 

Yeah I think this nails it.  The target audience will be the same producers/beat makers that currently use MPCs...not keyboard players currently using Kronos/Nautilus live, as that other thread suggested.

 

I am somewhat interested myself.  I'm actually looking to sell my MPC One--only because I just don't have the time to use it at the moment.  I've used it maybe twice, and it's been sitting in its case ever since.  Similarly, I am also considering selling my Numa Compact 2X which I've been using as my unweighted/semiweighted controller for recording...

 

Point being...I could definitely see a scenario where I have an MPC Key sitting above a weighted board as the centerpiece of my recording/production setup.

[RABid]

My opinion as an owner of the MPC Live, MPC Live II, and Akai Force...

 

I'm really torn on this one. It has all the knobs, of the MPC Live and the touch strip of the MPC Studio. The Live does not have the touch strip, and the studio does not have the set of four knobs that the Live has. The MPC X has a bank of 20 knobs, where as the Live has a bank of four and you page through selection groups. While it has the nice touch strip, the Studio only has one knob. The MPC 61 combines most of the best of these. But, I don't really need another keyboard. I'd rather have a Live III with all the controls AND the touch strip. Right now I think I would still choose the MPC X as my main and stick with using an external keyboard when necessary. But with all they put on the MPC 61, it is really strange that they did not include the XD card slot. This is especially bad for those that use the MPC One. The One does not have a spot for an internal SSD and everything is saved to an SD card. Sure, you can connect to a computer to move files, but MPC One users are trained to depend on the SD. Not having it on the 61 changes the work flow for MPC One users. That is not good.

 

While I said that I would like to have the MPC X, the MPC Live is as big as I want to carry around. While I love the extra pads on the force, it is BIG. I will grab the LIVE II and take it out on the porch, a trip to the farm, etc...  The Force is too big for the lap, and the lap is how I am used to working on the MPC. I'm afraid the X would be the same way. The keyboard would tie me down to a pre-planned area with a keyboard stand, chair, audio monitoring, etc... If I am going to be chained to a spot just give me a computer. So most likely I will not be going for a MPC 61. In fact, after owning the force for a while I will probably avoid the MPC X which is something I had been wanting for a long time.

[GovernorSilver]

Speaking of the current MPC user base, there's some shock and indignation as peeps start to realize that the plugins created for MPC Key 61.... are not free

 

 

$499 for all six new plugins in MPC Instrument Collection - you get a decent price break if you add up the prices of individual plugins.

https://www.thempcstore.com/mpc-plugin-instruments/mpc-instrument-collection.html

 

I'd thought about getting an MPC Live 2 and MIDI-ing it to external keyboard.  It's $1299 in most stores - so, practically $1300.   $1300 + $500 for Instrument Collection = $1800, which is very close in price to the MPC Key 61.

[RABid]

4 minutes ago, GovernorSilver said:

$499 for all six new plugins in MPC Instrument Collection

I will not even consider it. I have the Roland MC-707 and MC-101. The included sounds and Zen-Core sound compatibility is so far above the MPC Instrument Collection. I will stick with using both the 707 and the Live.

[GovernorSilver]

53 minutes ago, RABid said:

I will not even consider it. I have the Roland MC-707 and MC-101. The included sounds and Zen-Core sound compatibility is so far above the MPC Instrument Collection. I will stick with using both the 707 and the Live.

 

Yeah, I'm not getting the bundle either.  For about $100 more, I could have the bundle for free plus integrated keyboard.

 

I have the same Roland boxes of course.  Love most of the ZenCore sounds.  Among the exceptions are the pianos and organs - they're usable, but not I prefer the acoustic and electric piano samples featured on other manufacturer's products, and the organ sounds on any decent clonewheel over the sampled organs in ZenCore.  

 

I'd been thinking about getting a Yamaha YC-61 for the clonewheel and FM organs, but this thing also has clonewheel and FM plugins... and oh btw it has aftertouch.  Touchscreen drawbars vs. physical ones are not an issue for me.

[zephonic]

I like it a lot!

[funkyhammond]

Another clonewheel to add to the list of clonewheels out there, The AIR Organ :

 

https://www.thempcstore.com/mpc-plugin-instruments/organ.html

 

https://www.youtube.com/clip/UgkxDM_3uPKLkTSc21RNCCd8iRUe1wu9ysZM

 

Lack of faders on the board kind of sucks. I'm curious how responsive the multi-touch screen is for quickly manipulating multiple drawbars (or faders in other applications).

 

 

[GovernorSilver]

Before the MPC Key 61, there were no acoustic piano or clonewheel plugin instruments for the MPCs.

 

Akai knew that they could not make a keyboard version of the MPC and hope to get decent sales, without adding these missing plugins.

 

As much as I've enjoyed messing with iPad instruments such as GeoShred Pro, Animoog, etc., touchscreens have been hit-and-miss for me.  YMMV with the touchscreen on this MPC. 

 

The hardcore clonewheel guys are not going to touch this thing because there's no physical drawbars.  So we can't rely on them to make a demo of AIR Organ.     

 

The peeps in the MPC user community might get around to posting demos using this plugin.  I just watched one, actually, but it's in not in a style that appears to be favored by the clonewheel crowd here.

 

So interested parties will have to try In-store with their own hands and ears.

[funkyhammond]

4 hours ago, GovernorSilver said:

The hardcore clonewheel guys are not going to touch this thing because there's no physical drawbars.  So we can't rely on them to make a demo of AIR Organ. 

 

LOL that's assuming that a clonewheel guy won't touch it for completely non-organic reasons. Anyway, I did say I was curious, and my local store was unboxing one a couple of days ago when I was in there so I could go back and give it a try. But I don't know what is involved to download a demo plugin into it. Anyone wtih MPC experience know off the top of their head? Is it pretty straight forward? 

[ElmerJFudd]

7 hours ago, funkyhammond said:

 

LOL that's assuming that a clonewheel guy won't touch it for completely non-organic reasons. Anyway, I did say I was curious, and my local store was unboxing one a couple of days ago when I was in there so I could go back and give it a try. But I don't know what is involved to download a demo plugin into it. Anyone wtih MPC experience know off the top of their head? Is it pretty straight forward? 

The Air instruments are in various plug-in formats… you can hear DB-33 audio examples on SoundCloud.  They’ve also bundled their instruments with ProTools for many years. 

 

https://www.airmusictech.com/virtual-instruments/DB-33.html

[GovernorSilver]

9 hours ago, funkyhammond said:

 

LOL that's assuming that a clonewheel guy won't touch it for completely non-organic reasons. Anyway, I did say I was curious, and my local store was unboxing one a couple of days ago when I was in there so I could go back and give it a try. But I don't know what is involved to download a demo plugin into it. Anyone wtih MPC experience know off the top of their head? Is it pretty straight forward? 

 

That pun is too advanced for my simple brain.

 

Anyway, it should have the 6 new plugins, including Organ, alreaduy installed unless Akai is lying on the website

https://www.akaipro.com/mpc-key-61

[funkyhammond]

5 hours ago, ElmerJFudd said:

The Air instruments are in various plug-in formats… you can hear DB-33 audio examples on SoundCloud.  They’ve also bundled their instruments with ProTools for many years. 

 

https://www.airmusictech.com/virtual-instruments/DB-33.html

 

I've never seen that plugin in any clonewheel shootout even though it looks like it's been around for about 10 years so I guess it's not considered one of the top contenders? I wonder if the MPC Air Organ is just a port of DB-33 or if they've made any improvements. 

[ElmerJFudd]

2 minutes ago, funkyhammond said:

 

I've never seen that plugin in any clonewheel shootout even though it looks like it's been around for about 10 years so I guess it's not considered one of the top contenders? I wonder if the MPC Air Organ is just a port of DB-33 or if they've made any improvements. 

My guess would be the AIR stuff has been ported to run on the Akai.  

[MathOfInsects]

One of the "local" GC's (scare quotes because it was one about a half-hour from here) had one of these listed in stock, so I went to lay hands on. 

It was new in box, and he was hesitant to open it because it would have to be sold as something less than "new" then. IMO that's a bad call for a retail store to make, but I'm not here to pile on GC--would a couple more drops of turd really change the shit-pile at this point? Anyway, he said he was nearly certain that it was the same keybed as the MPK261, which he had there. He called someone who had the new board and that guy confirmed over speaker phone that it "feels like the same keybed as the MPK, it's definitely not Fatar."

I have noticed that it's odd that they don't list the keybed in the specs. It just says "61-key semi-weighted with after-touch." 

 

I played the MPK. It wasn't awesome. He did eventually offer to let me lay hands on the boxed unit, which I told him I would need to do if I were going to buy. But after some time with the MPK I decided I'd rather just wait until some demo units show up in stores so I can really run it through its paces. "Crap action" was one of my out-points on this, and the load-time issue will need some vetting before I'd feel comfortable gigging with it. 

 

[AnotherScott]

2 hours ago, MathOfInsects said:

I have noticed that it's odd that they don't list the keybed in the specs. It just says "61-key semi-weighted with after-touch." 

I don't think it's odd. More often than not, it seems, that's the extent of the explanation you get from almost anyone, especially if it's not Fatar (and even often if it is, e.g. Hammond and Nord).

 

 

2 hours ago, MathOfInsects said:

I played the MPK. It wasn't awesome. He did eventually offer to let me lay hands on the boxed unit, which I told him I would need to do if I were going to buy. But after some time with the MPK I decided I'd rather just wait until some demo units show up in stores so I can really run it through its paces. "Crap action" was one of my out-points on this, and the load-time issue will need some vetting before I'd feel comfortable gigging with it. 

So it wasn't awesome, but I guess it wasn't crap either (or else you'd have ruled it out and wouldn't be looking to do further eval), so I guess that's... something.

[MathOfInsects]

14 hours ago, AnotherScott said:

So it wasn't awesome, but I guess it wasn't crap either (or else you'd have ruled it out and wouldn't be looking to do further eval), so I guess that's... something.

It has a very short throw and rubbery action. I can deal with a variety of actions, but would need to play it with sound in the air to know what kind of connection I feel with it. It doesn't do anything for me to replace one board with bad action (FA-06) with another.

[ProfD]

42 minutes ago, MathOfInsects said:

It has a very short throw and rubbery action. 

Reads like Akai is going after that Roli Seaboard Rise action.🤣😎

[GovernorSilver]

 

First time I heard of Dillio but his skills sound legit

[Sean M. H.]

Interesting.  It does sound good...on par with other workstations I'd say--I'm not going any further than that and comparing it to high-end plug-in instruments though.   Also, there's still some bread & butter instruments (like horns) that I haven't heard much of yet, even with all the demos that have rolled out recently.

 

Good to hear that this particular keyboardist seemed pleased with the action too!

 

As of right now, nothing I've heard has changed my initial thought that this will end up being a producer's best friend...moreso than a gigging keyboardist's main axe.  That could change though.  If, for example, an update allowed for seamless sound switching--and given Akai's history of killer updates for their current MPCs, such an update wouldn't be that big of a stretch--that could change things 

[elsongs]

On 6/21/2022 at 10:55 AM, ProfD said:

I have been lobbying for a modern day EPS16+/ASR-10 for several years now.  Akai may have answered the mail.

 

I'll gladly take 4 GB memory and USB sticks over floppy disks and SCSI drives. 🤣😎

As an ASR-10 owner, the main thing that makes the ASR-10 rule is the ability to assign various sample edit parameters to controllers, LFO, key velocity, aftertouch, etc. Namely sample start or loop position. I wonder if the MPC Key 61 is capable of doing this at all. 

[MathOfInsects]

The action was not chintzy feeling. It was just...well, as the sales guy put it when I said I wasn't sure about it, "The guys using this are not usually playing full songs like a performance." Dillio says it doesn't feel like a controller, but rather like a workstation. I can get behind that as stated. And there was *something* there in the rubberiness of the action. But ultimately (for me) it will depend on whether the connection between that action and the sounds I'd be playing feels organic. I was playing it on a controller, so only had feel to go by. Not awesome. It's amazing how different things "feel" when you associate the action with a sound.

[GovernorSilver]

One report seen on another forum:

 

Quote

One thing I did find is that the velocity curves on the pianos and ep’s are definitely set up for the synth keybed on the mpc keys. I set up the velocity curve on my weighted 88 key to “light” and they respond much better.

 

[ProfD]

I had a blast hanging out with brotha @GovernorSilver at Chuck's music store  today.

 

While there, I was able to lay hands on it and the verdict is in...the Akai MPC Key 61 is a winner. 

 

The keys are shorter but the action isn't horrible. It's fine for keys attached to a groovebox. 

 

The MPC Key 61 is definitely a modern version of an Ensoniq ASR-10. In other words, it will appeal to a similar audience of musicians. 

 

The MPC Key 61 has the full range of sounds and features that allows it to function like any other KB workstation.

 

As I mentioned, the MPC Key 61 would be fine as a 2nd KB in a rig. I'd have no problems with using it as a main KB in a pinch. Akai has delivered big time.👍🏿😎

[GovernorSilver]

It was an enjoyable and educational experience.  Seeing ProfD and the other cat - the one who works at the store - both of whom are beasts on the keys - give this thing a workout was fun and inspiring.  Less than perfect keys and action can't stop players who are that good.

 

The store guy plays gospel organ all the time, so it was interesting to see him work the virtual drawbars.  He seemed to really enjoy having them at his fingertips, despite them being virtual.  

 

Oh and it was the first time I got to see ProfD's mad finger drumming skills on the pads.  No joke.   He showed me if you know the MPC workflow, you can get a song started on this thing - bass, drums, etc. - in no time flat.

[Doerfler]

reviving Elmer's thread 

 

 

[SteveCoscia]

On 7/2/2022 at 10:52 PM, ProfD said:

The MPC Key 61 is definitely a modern version of an Ensoniq ASR-10.

 

That's quite a statement. Should attract boatloads of folks who remember the ASR-10.