AKAI MPD24 PAD MIDI CONTROLLER

Published March 18th, 2007 in New Products

AKAI MPD24 USB MIDI CONTROLLER WITH PADS

PAD CONTROL REDEFINED.
Akai MPD24 is the velocity sensitive pad controller for musicians and DJs. Modeled after the landmark MPC series, the Akai MPD24 allows for an extremely expressive and intuitive solution to percussion and rhythm programming.

With 16 MPC-style velocity and pressure sensitive pads, four selectable pad banks for a total of 64 playable pads, six assignable faders and eight assignable, 360o knobs for transmitting MIDI Control Change data, the MPD24 provides unprecedented creative freedom for manipulating sampled material. The Akai MPD24 also features transport controls for interfacing with DAW/sequencing applications. A fully reprogrammable controller, the MPD24 is a malleable and multi-functional tool that fits perfectly within any production or performance environment.

16 MPC-style velocity and pressure sensitive pads)
4 selectable pad banks for a total of 64 pads
6 assignable Faders for transmitting MIDI Control Change data
8 assignable 360 degree knobs
REW, FF, STOP PLAY and REC buttons that transmit MMC (MIDI Machine Control) messages to DAW/Sequencing applications
Backlit, easy to read LCD display
MIDI and/or USB operation
USB powered (or powered via optional AC adaptor)
Included Editor Librarian software (Mac and PC)
MPC 16 Levels and Full Level feature
Includes a customized version of Fxpansion’s BFD Lite

Akai’s MPC hardware was terrific in its day, launching whole genres of music. But today, software like Ableton Live (and FL Studio, and many others that function brilliantly with 4×4 sets of pads) give us the flexibility to make new kinds of music. So, even as the MPC hardware has continued to evolve, many of us want more. Now you just need a hardware controller so you can use these applications musically. Akai’s own offering, the MPD16, got just about everything wrong, with (inexplicably) a lone fader, middling pad quality, and little to differentiate itself from competitors. M-Audio’s Trigger Finger offers more controls for less money, with faders and knobs, but many have been disappointed with the responsiveness of the pads across their surface area.

Transport controls: Missing from its competitors, these are essentiall to making the hardware the center of performance and production.
Retro library: Akai’s sample library of classic drum machines lets you actually play this out of the box via a Mac/PC plug-in.
360-degree knobs

It could finally bring MPC-style music making to the PC with all the feel of the original hardware.