It is truly an awesome time to be alive and be a musician! Quality gear has never been so comprehensive and affordable. To think that 30 years ago, you would need a $100,000.00 studio to get all those sounds in a production level recording.
@@CREATEEDUCATEINSPIRE it truly is. People can say it’s a glorified MPC with a keyboard but they said the iPad was a glorified iPhone and the rest was history in the making. Definitely has been a major game changer for me and has increased my productivity immensely.
Definitely at the top of my list. I used to own an MPC2000XL and miss the ease of production and sequencing, Especially drums. Hopefully, I can get one here in Brasil.
One coming tomorrow........the best keyboard DAW ever.......I've waited 40 years since buying an EMU EMAX 2 for this.......the sequencer on the EMU E4K was pants but with a very good sampler.....now we add great mixing and audio tracks too.......what's not to like?
I love work stations , this is like an ASR 10 with drum pads a better sequencer and way more of everything stock. Still doesn't beat the Asr in pure synthesis but it makes up every where else entirely. I wonder how it stacks up in sound quality to the asr-10 though? The asr-10 on board effects are incredible.
@@CREATEEDUCATEINSPIRE basically the asr-10 has the ensoniq dp4 built inside of it. You can actually patch other hardware gear into the asr-10 and use its effects on them. But even past the effects, the asr-10 sound quality is extremely upscale and expensive sounding. Whatever they use for conversion on the Ad and da, made this unit respectable even to this day.
I was just about to hit the trigger on the MPCX/Live 2 to incorporate into my home studio, but had concerns about where they would sit behind my Panorama P6 in an already cramped space. Now I've seen the Keys and realise it could BECOME my home studio and replace my P6, my failing desktop PC running Cubase, my audio interface, my Zoom R24 AND my monitor and I think the extra layout will be worth every single penny.
@@fredflintstone1428 Might be a great idea. Although tbh, I only ever use it in my home studio, so I never needed the multiple inputs anyway. I originally intended to go for the R8, but got shiny toy syndrome :D
Great question. I would do the Key 61 and then get roland cloud. You can run Key 61 in controller mode, and have roland cloud as a vst track inside the MPC. The sequencing in the MPC is far superior then the fantom and you get the best sampler out there. You could even take your favorite sounds in the roland cloud and use the MPC Auto sampler to make them key group instruments. I love the roland sounds but feel the MPC is much more versatile and you can easily combine the Keys with Cloud and have both.
@@CREATEEDUCATEINSPIRE Here is an objective and explicit opinion, thank you it will allow me to hesitate less!!!❤ Because as you know, we women think too much! I appreciate!
Can I use sounds I have on my external hard drive to sample into this workstation, example I have thousands of drum kits from various producers that I use on reason 12
Thinking about it. What happens when Akai releases new sounds three years from now? Will we be able to switch the sounds out? Can we add additional sound packs to it?
You're right...the key 61 is too big for me...pads are too little...I own the one and the live 2...finger drumming is complicated on key 61. Although we can find so many free plugin, I prefer one and live...I choose the korg wavestate to associate a midi keyboard...more sounds and possibilities to play live music... thx for your videos mate
That’s a great question, if it was just down to those options I probably would start off with the MPC Keys, just because of the all inclusive workflow that it has and also the additional instruments that it comes with. Even though they may not be the most absolute top notch sounds, you can actually create a huge amount with the new instrument sounds. After that I would probably consider adding some sort of external synth, but would definitely keep it small and rack mountable
I own the MPC X which I use in standalone with the 8 analog outputs and midi into my DAW I use both the on board sequencer and my daw to finish smoother process and have Arturia Keylab MK2 so I pretty much have the the K61 😆 🤣 😂 😹
@@CREATEEDUCATEINSPIRE well yes they are the price they are selling for .. question to you is half the recycled sound libraries worth the same $ value spent ever release..
Would you happen to know if the pads on the new keyboard are the same size as the MPCX? I'm hoping they are, but they look smaller on the keyboard. I can't find those exact specs anywhere.
No, you’re able to buy each instrument individually but it will add up or else you can buy a bundle of all of the new instruments for 500 which is still a little pricey
I own a Akai Force and MPC One you think it’s worth getting the MPC 61 honestly??? I have a Arturia Keylab 61 MK2 keyboard 🎹 my force and MPC one works great. Just wondering if it’s worth the investment for MPC Key 61 ??
Gonna wait till they put out the Mobile XXX recharge battery, shorter number of keys, vocoder, built in speakers, with 3rd party vsts effects capability
This MPC Key 61 is nice but I won't be needing it because I already have e an MPC X, an MPC One, and a ton of other keyboards and midi hardware with thousands of sounds and presets.
I own a Akai Force and MPC One you think it’s worth getting the MPC 61 honestly??? I have a Arturia Keylab 61 MK2 keyboard 🎹 my force and MPC one works great. Just wondering if it’s worth the investment for MPC Key 61 ??
@@pierrefitch I also have the Force as well, which I forgot to mention in my original post above. So yeah, I also have a Force and an MPC One just like you. As far as the Key 61 goes, I don't personally see myself needing it. All of the plugins that come with the Key 61 are also available for the Force and other MPC models, eventhough you have to purchase them separately. For you, it depends on whether you want an all-on-one MPC in the form of a keyboard. I'll leave that up to you. I personally don't think you need it unless you hop from studio to studio and would like to have an all-in-one workstation for convenience. Then again, that would defeat the purpose of having your MPC One plus midi keyboard setup, which is also very portable even though it's not just one unit. What you have is very capable of allowimg you to accomplish the same thing the MPC Key 61 would allow to accomplish. I don't think buying the MPC Key 61 is a worthy investment for that reason. Oh, and to be totally honest, I think the sounds in my Fantom-06 sound a lot better than the Akai plugins in the MPC Key 61. So if you want lots of sounds/presets of traditional instruments that are high quality, a nice keyboard workstation like a Korg Nautilus, Roland Fantom-06, or Yamaha MODX to compliment the MPC One would make for a nice setup. Alternatively, you can look into high-quality third-party keygroup instrument soundpacks for the MPC. Purchase them and load them into your MPC One and you're good to go. It's a lot less expensive than buying another keyboard too.
@@kvmoore1 I own all the plugs that come with the key 61 and have them in my MPC one and force already . I use my Arturia keylab 61 mk2 keyboard with them . But good point I don’t think MPC key 61 is worth paying 2600$ in Canada
WOW I wish I had invested in that instead of the MPC live 2 this seems, better than having to midi a keyboard to the MPC live 2, I'm more use to a full Keyboard I hope I didn't drop cash on the wrong Akia it's so time consuming.
Yes, this MPC Key 61 seems to be really interresting... but with the MPC Live 2, you can also work everywhere with headphones and the internal battery, something impossible with the MPC Key 61. (Actually I'm thinking about the plugins 499$ and a midi keyboard for my MPC Live)
@@TiSofty I own a Akai Force and MPC One you think it’s worth getting the MPC 61 honestly??? I have a Arturia Keylab 61 MK2 keyboard 🎹 my force and MPC one works great. Just wondering if it’s worth the investment for MPC Key 61 ??
It’s really just full of plugins. Akai is getting in to creating plugins and selling them . With the new update, they dropped a plug-in content manager where you can buy the plugins.
It looks like a great piece to lay down ideas, and capture inspiration. I’ve gone through a number of MPC’s over the years, and currently have the MPC Live. I’ve also invested a decent amount in analog gear, and numerous plugins. So while it offers a lot in a convenient package, I don’t see myself using it much differently than the Live, after the shiny newness wears off. For people in similar situations, it’s probably more of a reasonable alternative for the times when you’re away from home base. I admittedly still get a little gear lust looking at it though.
HA! we all get that LUST. I agree though, if I didn't have the One already, I would be much more tempted. At the end of the day, there is a creative benefit by keeping your gear low and truly learning what you have.
That's a hard pass at this price point. Most of us have some sort of Piano plugin, that leaves only the FM Synthesizer in the package being vaguely interesting for me. For 500€ you can get a Hydrasynth Explorer, with a smaller footprint, polyphonic Aftertouch and a far superior FM synthesis. I think it's only interesting for people new to the MPC ecosystem, with money to burn.
I think this is a cool new "workstation" class keyboard for pro and semi-pro keys players. I wouldn't be surprised if it gets some uptake from the church/worship-keys world. These instruments, especially the new sample based ones, compete more with UVI Falcon/UVI Workstation class (orchestral library $99) than with Kontakt class (orchestra library $500) instruments. Look at the SIZE of them. A kontakt orchestral library weighs in at terabytes of data. These MPC libraries are in the "under 1 gigabyte of data" each. The proper price for the new AKAI MPC plugins is more like $49 (say, competitive with a low end instrument VST plugin). I think this MPC KEYS is a worthy competitor to current Yamaha and Korg workstations. I think the plugin pricing thing is a total embarassment for Akai.
I have the Live II and the Plug ins are available for all the standalone MPC models FabricXl OP4 Studio Strings I already have the a Maschine + and Komplete Kontrol S49MK2 which is the best controller keyboard on the market in my opinion at 700$ Fatar Keys 😎
You would be more credible if you disclosed your relationship with Akai. Did you get paid for this video? Did you receive the Key 61 free or with a heavy discount based on promoting the product? Or giving it a good review? I would subscribe to your channel if you would be more upfront about these issues.
So happy I traded my x for the 61 amazing board!
It is truly an awesome time to be alive and be a musician! Quality gear has never been so comprehensive and affordable. To think that 30 years ago, you would need a $100,000.00 studio to get all those sounds in a production level recording.
I remember when the Kurzweil was like 5k
In one answer……he’ll yeah it is! Got mine two weeks ago with so far NO REGRETS! One of the best keyboards I’ve ever owned, period!
Hell ya man!!! Congrats!! Is such a creative device
@@CREATEEDUCATEINSPIRE it truly is. People can say it’s a glorified MPC with a keyboard but they said the iPad was a glorified iPhone and the rest was history in the making. Definitely has been a major game changer for me and has increased my productivity immensely.
Definitely at the top of my list. I used to own an MPC2000XL and miss the ease of production and sequencing, Especially drums. Hopefully, I can get one here in Brasil.
Awesome! Let me know if you get one
I have been talking about this for decades, but the version I would have imagined only has 25 keys so they fit below the pads perfectly!
The key 61 is the truth 🤷🏾♂️
The more I use it the more my other MPCs collect dust. Shooting a top 5 tips and tricks for the key 61 now, coming soon
I have the mpcx. The plugins are now available for sale though. Very pleased with the mpcx for sure. Two years ago I would have considered key 61
Ya, its hard to beat that big screen and the 16 knobs. I wish they would release the 16 knobs and the screens as a box, like the old Mackie C4.
Mines on order should be here soon, cannot wait !!
CONGRATS!!! post links to the music you make with it!
One coming tomorrow........the best keyboard DAW ever.......I've waited 40 years since buying an EMU EMAX 2 for this.......the sequencer on the EMU E4K was pants but with a very good sampler.....now we add great mixing and audio tracks too.......what's not to like?
Wait till the Force sequencer is brought into MPC
I've been hearing about this thing forever... I'm glad it's finally out
It’s super inspirational
I love work stations , this is like an ASR 10 with drum pads a better sequencer and way more of everything stock. Still doesn't beat the Asr in pure synthesis but it makes up every where else entirely. I wonder how it stacks up in sound quality to the asr-10 though? The asr-10 on board effects are incredible.
I’m not really familiar with all the effects of the ASR 10, but the majority of the effects in the MPC workflow are great.
@@CREATEEDUCATEINSPIRE basically the asr-10 has the ensoniq dp4 built inside of it. You can actually patch other hardware gear into the asr-10 and use its effects on them. But even past the effects, the asr-10 sound quality is extremely upscale and expensive sounding. Whatever they use for conversion on the Ad and da, made this unit respectable even to this day.
Had the Maschine, had the MPc live 1- MPc 2000xl, I can never settle. But this might be the one
I have been playing with one for a while, its really fun.
I was just about to hit the trigger on the MPCX/Live 2 to incorporate into my home studio, but had concerns about where they would sit behind my Panorama P6 in an already cramped space. Now I've seen the Keys and realise it could BECOME my home studio and replace my P6, my failing desktop PC running Cubase, my audio interface, my Zoom R24 AND my monitor and I think the extra layout will be worth every single penny.
Awesome!!! I agree, for many it’s the perfect center piece. You can create entire tracks in one unit!
Keep your Zoom R24....it might work as a class compliant device attached to the Key 61....then you get 8 XLR Combi jacks into your Key 61.
@@fredflintstone1428 Might be a great idea. Although tbh, I only ever use it in my home studio, so I never needed the multiple inputs anyway. I originally intended to go for the R8, but got shiny toy syndrome :D
I LOve Akai so much I started one in my middle school. I want the Akai MPC Key 61,
If I was buying my first MPC it would be the keys… but for those that own, is it worth the 500$ for the sounds ?
Just bought it. It’s a monster. But yes the learning curve is something
Congrats!!! I’ll have some workflow videos soon!
Have you learned it is it worth it
I have the mpc live 2 and a midi keyboard so I'll wait a while and not run and buy it.. I'll rather invest in more quality sounds than more gear.
Ya! Might be worth waiting for them on the other units
Does the Mpc 61 key take SD Cards like the mpc one, live and X ?
No
NO but, it has usb so you can get an usb to SD Card adapter and it will work fine..
No n idk how to export 🤦🏿
@@iameags how do u export
Bought one 2 days ago. Traded in the Kronos. I made a good choice.
That’s awesome!!! 🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽
youre awesome!
Hello, I would like your advice. Between Roland Fantom 6 and MPC keys 61, which one to choose from these two synths and why ? Thanks
Great question. I would do the Key 61 and then get roland cloud. You can run Key 61 in controller mode, and have roland cloud as a vst track inside the MPC. The sequencing in the MPC is far superior then the fantom and you get the best sampler out there. You could even take your favorite sounds in the roland cloud and use the MPC Auto sampler to make them key group instruments. I love the roland sounds but feel the MPC is much more versatile and you can easily combine the Keys with Cloud and have both.
@@CREATEEDUCATEINSPIRE Here is an objective and explicit opinion, thank you it will allow me to hesitate less!!!❤ Because as you know, we women think too much! I appreciate!
My pleasure
Can I use sounds I have on my external hard drive to sample into this workstation, example I have thousands of drum kits from various producers that I use on reason 12
I love Reason too! Thanks for the comment. Please subscribe to help the channel grow
Thinking about it. What happens when Akai releases new sounds three years from now? Will we be able to switch the sounds out? Can we add additional sound packs to it?
It has a hard drive and the sounds are ROMpler style so I’m guessing yes
Me and my brother just purchased one it comes on Tuesday
Awesome!!! Congrats and enjoy
Bruh...you got Storch's Rig? Can't believe how nonchalantly you mentioned that 😂 Lucky you. Great video.
Luck of the draw.
You're right...the key 61 is too big for me...pads are too little...I own the one and the live 2...finger drumming is complicated on key 61. Although we can find so many free plugin, I prefer one and live...I choose the korg wavestate to associate a midi keyboard...more sounds and possibilities to play live music... thx for your videos mate
Great set up with the Korg
If you could either have the KEY 61, or the X, and another synth (of choice) which would you stick with, and what would your other synth of choice be?
That’s a great question, if it was just down to those options I probably would start off with the MPC Keys, just because of the all inclusive workflow that it has and also the additional instruments that it comes with. Even though they may not be the most absolute top notch sounds, you can actually create a huge amount with the new instrument sounds. After that I would probably consider adding some sort of external synth, but would definitely keep it small and rack mountable
Looks like all of the sounds are available for the MPC
They are, as is the 8 track keyboard mode… they come with version 2.11 but require separate download and activation
@Heffe explain rediculous?
I own the MPC X which I use in standalone with the 8 analog outputs and midi into my DAW I use both the on board sequencer and my daw to finish smoother process and have Arturia Keylab MK2 so I pretty much have the the K61 😆 🤣 😂 😹
But are the sounds worth the 500$
@@CREATEEDUCATEINSPIRE well yes they are the price they are selling for .. question to you is half the recycled sound libraries worth the same $ value spent ever release..
Would you happen to know if the pads on the new keyboard are the same size as the MPCX? I'm hoping they are, but they look smaller on the keyboard. I can't find those exact specs anywhere.
Great video. When is the MPC Key 61 due to hit the stores?
Not sure, just guaranteed they will probably sell out fast. this with a
Now I was impress they had one at my local Guitar center 3 days ago.
I watched another video where the guy said the sounds are a separate perches. Is he wrong?
No, you’re able to buy each instrument individually but it will add up or else you can buy a bundle of all of the new instruments for 500 which is still a little pricey
I own a Akai Force and MPC One you think it’s worth getting the MPC 61 honestly??? I have a Arturia Keylab 61 MK2 keyboard 🎹 my force and MPC one works great. Just wondering if it’s worth the investment for MPC Key 61 ??
No. Just attach a midi keyboard to the force
Are the keys weighted ?
No, they are standard synth action
Gonna wait till they put out the Mobile XXX recharge battery, shorter number of keys, vocoder, built in speakers, with 3rd party vsts effects capability
Don’t forget the built in can opener.
This MPC Key 61 is nice but I won't be needing it because I already have e an MPC X, an MPC One, and a ton of other keyboards and midi hardware with thousands of sounds and presets.
Yup, when we step back and look at what we have often time to realize it’s everything we need
@@CREATEEDUCATEINSPIRE Hahaha. Yes. Definitely!!!
I own a Akai Force and MPC One you think it’s worth getting the MPC 61 honestly??? I have a Arturia Keylab 61 MK2 keyboard 🎹 my force and MPC one works great. Just wondering if it’s worth the investment for MPC Key 61 ??
@@pierrefitch I also have the Force as well, which I forgot to mention in my original post above. So yeah, I also have a Force and an MPC One just like you. As far as the Key 61 goes, I don't personally see myself needing it. All of the plugins that come with the Key 61 are also available for the Force and other MPC models, eventhough you have to purchase them separately.
For you, it depends on whether you want an all-on-one MPC in the form of a keyboard. I'll leave that up to you. I personally don't think you need it unless you hop from studio to studio and would like to have an all-in-one workstation for convenience. Then again, that would defeat the purpose of having your MPC One plus midi keyboard setup, which is also very portable even though it's not just one unit. What you have is very capable of allowimg you to accomplish the same thing the MPC Key 61 would allow to accomplish. I don't think buying the MPC Key 61 is a worthy investment for that reason.
Oh, and to be totally honest, I think the sounds in my Fantom-06 sound a lot better than the Akai plugins in the MPC Key 61. So if you want lots of sounds/presets of traditional instruments that are high quality, a nice keyboard workstation like a Korg Nautilus, Roland Fantom-06, or Yamaha MODX to compliment the MPC One would make for a nice setup.
Alternatively, you can look into high-quality third-party keygroup instrument soundpacks for the MPC. Purchase them and load them into your MPC One and you're good to go. It's a lot less expensive than buying another keyboard too.
@@kvmoore1 I own all the plugs that come with the key 61 and have them in my MPC one and force already . I use my Arturia keylab 61 mk2 keyboard with them . But good point I don’t think MPC key 61 is worth paying 2600$ in Canada
WOW I wish I had invested in that instead of the MPC live 2 this seems, better than having to midi a keyboard to the MPC live 2, I'm more use to a full Keyboard I hope I didn't drop cash on the wrong Akia it's so time consuming.
You really can’t go wrong with any of them
Yes, this MPC Key 61 seems to be really interresting... but with the MPC Live 2, you can also work everywhere with headphones and the internal battery, something impossible with the MPC Key 61. (Actually I'm thinking about the plugins 499$ and a midi keyboard for my MPC Live)
@@TiSofty so right ! You get keyboard with you MPC live and you straight
@@TiSofty I own a Akai Force and MPC One you think it’s worth getting the MPC 61 honestly??? I have a Arturia Keylab 61 MK2 keyboard 🎹 my force and MPC one works great. Just wondering if it’s worth the investment for MPC Key 61 ??
Hi! Can i instal any VST i want on it? Can it runs Kontakt? Or just [ Air Music Tech ] Instruments? Thanks!
If you could install them as VST, would that make the bundle worth 500$?
You can not install VST plugins in standalone but you can use any VST in with the MPC software within your computer.
I might pull the trigger on it now that I see that it is full of sounds
Me too!!!!
It’s really just full of plugins. Akai is getting in to creating plugins and selling them . With the new update, they dropped a plug-in content manager where you can buy the plugins.
It looks like a great piece to lay down ideas, and capture inspiration. I’ve gone through a number of MPC’s over the years, and currently have the MPC Live. I’ve also invested a decent amount in analog gear, and numerous plugins. So while it offers a lot in a convenient package, I don’t see myself using it much differently than the Live, after the shiny newness wears off.
For people in similar situations, it’s probably more of a reasonable alternative for the times when you’re away from home base. I admittedly still get a little gear lust looking at it though.
HA! we all get that LUST. I agree though, if I didn't have the One already, I would be much more tempted. At the end of the day, there is a creative benefit by keeping your gear low and truly learning what you have.
Can it hook up to a computer running macs latest OS.
Yup. Becomes a controller
Can you use your mpc exspansions?
Yes.
That's a hard pass at this price point. Most of us have some sort of Piano plugin, that leaves only the FM Synthesizer in the package being vaguely interesting for me. For 500€ you can get a Hydrasynth Explorer, with a smaller footprint, polyphonic Aftertouch and a far superior FM synthesis. I think it's only interesting for people new to the MPC ecosystem, with money to burn.
The Hydrasynth is pretty unbeatable!
I think I'll just keep my ASR 10 and hook it up to the mpc 2500.
ASR10!! Thats a classic.
I’m getting it
Great choice!!!
I think this is a cool new "workstation" class keyboard for pro and semi-pro keys players. I wouldn't be surprised if it gets some uptake from the church/worship-keys world. These instruments, especially the new sample based ones, compete more with UVI Falcon/UVI Workstation class (orchestral library $99) than with Kontakt class (orchestra library $500) instruments. Look at the SIZE of them. A kontakt orchestral library weighs in at terabytes of data. These MPC libraries are in the "under 1 gigabyte of data" each. The proper price for the new AKAI MPC plugins is more like $49 (say, competitive with a low end instrument VST plugin). I think this MPC KEYS is a worthy competitor to current Yamaha and Korg workstations. I think the plugin pricing thing is a total embarassment for Akai.
I agree!! That price is steep!!
Thanks for the comment. Please subscribe so we can keep making videos
I have the Live II and the Plug ins are available for all the standalone MPC models FabricXl OP4 Studio Strings I already have the a Maschine + and Komplete Kontrol S49MK2 which is the best controller keyboard on the market in my opinion at 700$ Fatar Keys 😎
I have the s49 as well, I wonder if the slider in the lower left corner can be mapped to the MPC slider function?
Got it.
Congrats!!
I would like to have. Speaker on board to. Some is. Yamaha
A speaker would be amazing!! Akai should just sell the little MPC Live 2 sound bar
You would be more credible if you disclosed your relationship with Akai. Did you get paid for this video? Did you receive the Key 61 free or with a heavy discount based on promoting the product? Or giving it a good review? I would subscribe to your channel if you would be more upfront about these issues.
Stay tuned. Video about my backstory soon
yep
Agreed
if I had $2000 I would buy it
I wish I could pay my landlord in beats, I would definitely but it too.
@@CREATEEDUCATEINSPIRE me too
WOWEE!
Yup!!!
I sent mine back, the keys are way too stiff for my arthritis. Unreasonably stiff (Thats what she said too)
Hahahhaha
699usd is ok
That would be an awesome price.
No.
So happy I traded my x for the 61 amazing board!
I agree, man, the keys took it to a whole new level