Akai Professional MPC Key 61 Production Synthesizer

The Akai Professional MPC Key 61 is a revolutionary standalone production synthesizer keyboard, championing the next chapter of the MPC legacy. Building on the history of powerful sequencing and revolutionary sampling, MPC Key 61 adds the most advanced next-generation virtual instruments and effects to MPC, adding to its arsenal of industry-leading music production tools. And now, with the addition of a 61-key semi-weighted keybed with aftertouch, the MPC experience ascends to an unprecedented level of creative interaction and expression, delivering the most powerful and complete standalone workflow.

Inside MPC Key 61, experience a new dimension of sound like never before. Powered by 25 plug-in instrument engines at your fingertips, and with over 6,000 cutting-edge presets, MPC Key 61 delivers an incredibly advanced sound palette in a production synthesizer. Each plug-in instrument features advanced synthesis, deep parameter editing and modern effects developed for a truly inspiring musical experience—all designed with a fast and vibrant touch interface for an intuitive and engaging workflow. Immerse yourself in a world of sound engines ranging from deep FM synthesis with OPx4, to rich and elegant instruments, including Stage Piano, Stage EP, Session Strings and Organ. The powerhouse synth Fabric XL also delivers everything from drone basses to lush and deep atmospheric pads, taking your music creation to another dimension.

Ideal Performance and Feel

The MPC Key 61 features an incredibly expressive and playable semi-weighted keybed with aftertouch to drive its world-class sounds with dynamic responsive control. Akai Professional combined technology and artisanship to breathe inspiration into your workflow. The MPC Key 61’s keybed is designed to deliver the most intuitive performance experience possible, connecting the dots between sound and feel.

From essential Studio FX, to mixing and mastering to vocal tuning and harmony processors, MPC Key 61 includes over 100 state-of-the-art effects ready to load across your music productions. Insert lush and spacious reverb and delay effects to your tracks, add bounce and punch to your drums, and mix using modern- or vintage-style compressors and limiters, or retro-up your sounds and samples with modern lo-fi effects such as Half-speed, Flavor and Amp Simulations for that slowed-down vinyl feel. In addition to industry-leading sound, each MPC plug-in also features a meticulously crafted user interface, resulting in stunning visuals that jump out of the vibrant 7" touchscreen.

MPC Key 61 is the world's first production synthesizer incorporating modern vocal FX plug-ins, which can also be used for the most creative sound design. Fully record and mix the perfect vocals directly inside MPC Key 61’s standalone ecosystem with two high-end onboard preamps. Whether you want that contemporary vocal tuning FX sound, or the capability of adding four-part harmonies to your vocals, the AIR Vocal Suite delivers the ultimate plug-in tools featured across all current music genres. From rap, pop and R&B vocal effects to adding textures to your samples—the sky’s the limit.

The onboard assignable Touch Strip controller is a catalyst for new ways to control and interact with your own signature sounds. Bend, warp and manipulate sounds in real time in ways no other synthesizer can. Touch-capacitive, assignable, real-time Q-Link controls allow for endless creative ingenuity. Q-Links are already intelligently and automatically pre-mapped intuitively, but reassigning them to virtually any parameter or synth element opens worlds of new creative energy for production and performance.

Dedicated pitch bend and modulation wheels give an added touch of expression to elevate your compositions. Bend the notes of your synth and lead sounds in Fabric XL, add gentle vibrato to your stringed instruments in Session Strings, or dial in the speed of the Organ plug-in’s rotary Leslie cabinet and hear your organ parts swell with a wide chorused tremolo. The mod and pitch wheels are two more tools that bring depth and dimension to any MPC Key 61 keyboard part.

The Full MPC Experience

The MPC sequencing workflow is simply unmatched. With 128 tracks of internal and external MIDI, Keygroup Instruments, Clip Launching and eight plug-in instruments and audio tracks, MPC standalone has the power to capture any musical production. The touch-responsive color display stands up to any task like editing notes on the drum grid, triggering Step Sequencer events, writing/editing automation and more. The MPC sequencing workflow is the most advanced and integrated standalone system available for today’s modern music creators.

From over 30 years of genre-defining sampling technology, MPC Key 61 brings the full MPC sampling experience only Akai Professional can deliver. MPC Key 61 is the world's first true "sampling production synthesizer" with unparalleled sampling features from the leading MPC line. From advanced sampling, sample slicing and multi-sample layering, to capturing vintage synths using the award-winning (Auto Sampling) technology and time stretching, the only limit is your imagination. Built-in microphone preamps with high-end converters combined with vintage MPC60 and MPC3000 emulation plug-ins bring sampling capabilities to an unprecedented level.

The 16-velocity sensitive RGB pads on MPC Key 61 are the same award-winning pads as the MPC One. In addition to the iconic MPC pads, it comes with the renowned Time Correct, Swing and Quantize features of MPC that continue to endure as mainstays of modern music production. The always-popular Note Repeat makes hi-hats and other percussion elements sizzle and swerve through any track, while Full Level and 16 Levels add pitch and variety to any drum or melodic sample.

The Hub of Your Production World

MPC Key 61 will connect your entire creative studio and workflow together with ease. Connect up to 32 MIDI devices via USB with MIDI multi, expand your audio I/O to 32 inputs and outputs using class-compliant interfaces, or connect your vintage synths using MIDI in/out/thru. For Live DAW-less production, MPC Key 61 also includes eight CV/gate jacks allowing you to connect to a wide variety of synthesizers, sound modules, analog modular gear and more for a completely dialed-in sonic creation station. Onboard Wi-Fi/Bluetooth allows for wireless synchronization with Ableton Link and updating to the latest MPC OS. Two USB-A ports also come in handy for storage and MIDI controllers, while an additional SATA storage bay allows for volumes of expandable sounds and tracks.

The MPC Key 61 has an onboard 24-bit audio interface with high-end preamps and AD/DA converters. Individual gain knobs control the input of the combo XLR/TRS 1/4" inputs with phantom power for driving condenser microphones. Two main outputs, two sub outputs and an additional headphone output further allow for expansive connections. Capture pristine vocal tracks and then process them with the onboard AIR Vocal Suite, or record guitars, bass or even other keyboards for the ultimate in audio recording and sampling capabilities.

The bundled MPC2 Desktop DAW for Mac and PC supercharges the MPC experience with expanded track counts and support for third-party AU/VST plug-ins. MPC2 is the optimum platform for unrestricted creative versatility, delivering unprecedented surgical control and integration with the MPC Key 61 system. Run it as a DAW or as a VST/AU plug-in in third-party DAWs like FL Studio, Logic, Ableton, Pro Tools, Studio One and more.

The powerful features integrated inside MPC Key 61 were engineered for a seamless standalone creative workflow. Powered by 4GB of RAM, MPC 2.11 operating system, 32GB internal SD, a world-class 16GB onboard Factory Library, comprehensive I/O connectivity and a dedicated SATA bay for SSD expansion, the MPC Key 61 comes packed with everything needed for modern music production.