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April Clare Welsh
2 May 2023, 13:17

Akai announces MPC X Special Edition for 35th anniversary

Described by Akai as "the most powerful standalone music production machine ever" 

MPC X Special Edition

Akai has announced the arrival of the MPC X Special Edition to mark its 35th anniversary.

Described by Akai as "the most powerful standalone music production machine ever", the MPC X Special Edition is packed with the MPC Plug-in Instrument Collection (20 instruments in total, including Stage Piano), 48GB of internal storage, over 100 effects and boosted by 4GB of RAM for sampling and recording.

In addition to the 16 backlit pads, it also features a 10-inch touchscreen and "seamless DAW integration" that comes with Akai Pro’s MPC 2 Desktop software. 

Fashioned in the classic grey colour, the retro-looking MPC X Special follows 35 years after the launch of the game-changing MPC-60. In 2021, Akai rolled out a new version of their classic range, the MPC One Retro

The MPC X Special Edition will set you back $2499/£2000. Find out more and pick one up from the Akai site here. Watch a demo video about the MPC X Special Edition below.

Last year, Akai added the latest edition to its MPK line of keyboard controllers, the MPK Mini Plus, which spans an octave more than its predecessor with 37 Gen 2 keys instead of 25. 

Back in 2020, Akai Pro announced a new music-making software called MPC Beats. Inspired by the functionality of their classic samplers and groove machines, the free MPC Beats software features the same swing and programming from the original as well as 2GB of sample content to get you started.