The Akai MPC (originally called the MIDI Production Center, now known as the Music Production Center) is a series of music workstations made by Akai since 1988. These devices combine sampling and sequencing features, which allow users to record sounds, change them, and play them back in sequences.

The MPC was created by Roger Linn, an American engineer who had previously designed the LM-1 and LinnDrum drum machines in the 1980s. Linn wanted to build an instrument that was easy to use, featuring a grid of pads that could be played like a keyboard or drum kit.

The MPC greatly influenced the development of electronic and hip-hop music. It introduced new sampling methods, as users found creative ways to use its capabilities. It also made music production more accessible, enabling artists to create complex tracks without traditional instruments or recording studios. The pad interface used in the MPC became a standard feature in DJ technology, adopted by many other manufacturers.

Development

By the late 1980s, drum machines were widely used to create beats and loops without live musicians. Hip-hop artists also used samplers to take parts of existing recordings and make new songs. Grooveboxes, which combined these functions, such as those made by E-mu Systems, required knowledge of music production and could cost up to $10,000.

The original MPC, called the MPC-60, was created through a partnership between the Japanese company Akai and the American engineer Roger Linn. Linn had previously designed the LM-1 and LinnDrum, two of the first drum machines to use samples (recorded sounds). His company, Linn Electronics, had shut down after the failure of the Linn 9000, a drum machine and sampler. Linn said his work with Akai was a good match because Akai needed a creative designer, while he wanted to avoid tasks like sales, marketing, and manufacturing, which Akai handled well.

Linn described the MPC as an effort to "properly re-engineer" the Linn 9000. He disliked reading instruction manuals and wanted to design an easy-to-use interface for music production. He planned the MPC’s features, including the layout and hardware, and developed the software with his team. He credited the circuitry to a team led by the English engineer David Cockerell. Akai managed the production process, making the MPC easier to manufacture. The first model, the MPC60 (MIDI Production Center), was released on December 8, 1988, and cost $5,000. Later models included the MPC60 MkII and the MPC3000.

After Akai closed in 2006, Linn left the company, and its assets were bought by Numark. Akai continued making MPC models without Linn. Linn criticized these changes, saying, "Akai seems to be making slight changes to my old 1986 designs for the original MPC, basically rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic."

Features

The MPC uses a 4×4 grid of large, rubber pads that respond to pressure, similar to a keyboard. This interface is simpler than those on other instruments and can connect to a regular sound system without needing a studio. According to Vox, "Most importantly, it wasn't a large, fixed mixing board with many buttons like an airplane cockpit."

Before the MPC, artists used long music clips for sampling. The MPC allowed users to take short pieces of music, assign them to separate pads, and play them independently, like a keyboard or drum kit. Rhythms can be created using sounds such as horns or synthesizers, not just percussion samples.

The MPC60 limits sample lengths to 13 seconds because memory was expensive at the time. Linn designed it to help users create rhythms with short sounds instead of long loops. Two knobs are used to choose functions and edit samples. Red "record" and "overdub" buttons save or loop beats. The MPC60 includes an LCD screen and comes with floppy disks containing sounds and instruments.

Legacy

Linn expected users to use short sounds, like single notes or drum beats, as parts of their music. Instead, users began sampling longer sections of songs. Greg Milner, the author of Perfecting Sound Forever, explained that musicians wanted more than just the sound of John Bonham’s kick drum; they wanted to repeat entire songs like "When the Levee Breaks." Linn said, "It was a pleasant surprise. After 60 years of recording, there are many recorded music examples to use. Why make new sounds from scratch?"

The MPC’s ability to use any sound to create percussion made sampling a new kind of music creation. Its low cost and ease of use allowed more people to make music without a studio or formal training. It also welcomed musicians who did not play traditional instruments or had no music education. Vox wrote that the MPC "challenged the idea of what a band can look like." The 4×4 grid of pads became a standard feature in DJ equipment. Even in 2018, the MPC was still used despite the rise of digital audio workstations, and older models were valuable.

Engadget said the MPC’s influence on hip hop was very important. Rapper Jehst called it the next step in hip hop’s development after drum machines like the TR-808, TR-909, and DMX in the 1980s. Producer DJ Shadow used an MPC60 II to make his 1996 album Endtroducing….., which used only samples. Producer J Dilla turned off the quantize feature on his MPC to create his unique, uneven sampling style. After J Dilla’s death in 2006, his MPC was kept in the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture in 2014. Rapper Kanye West used the MPC to create many of his famous songs and most of his 2004 album The College Dropout. West performed his 2010 song "Runaway" at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards using an MPC.