I always need to remind myself of this anytime I get slightly interested in any new AKAI devices 
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Youāre right, man. Iām out. For like the fifth time this week.
Iām just not into a lot of stuff anymore. Except outboard kits for sample design and mastering gear, I just want it all in one box now.
I really liked Logic when I did some daw adventuring. That, in a box, would be just the ticket.
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I think that itās because itās still one of the only fully standalone devices available that genuinely lets you make music away from your computer.
It is for me anyway.
I know people can make music with other devices, but thereās a compromise 99% of the time. For example, I find 64 or 128 steps too restricting, and that rules out 95% of āstandaloneā options.
I go in cycles between working with my laptop (Ableton) and my MPCā¦ basically when I get fed up of staring at a screen and using a mouse/trackpad, I move to the MPC.
I work at the MPC until I get to the point where Iām thinking āI could do this so much quicker in Abletonā and I switch back.
Rinse repeat.
But, Iām really appreciative of both platforms.
In terms of the passion for the retro MPC and where the current ones lie, people who will influence the future users are probably making music on them today without being on forums talking about it. When you see footage of todays Dilla on YouTube in 2028 using a Live 2, youāll probably want one then.
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Since there are no extra audio tracks or CPU, it does sound like the extra RAM is because it will be a beastly ROMpler?
Itāll be the humongous piano packs, surely. I see it has a SATA bay, so thatāll help - Iād have thought itād be a near-essential addition for big programs. No mention of streaming, but I imagine expecting it to stream a multi-sampled 2gb grand piano patch playing ten note chords might be a little optimistic.
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Says Music Production Centre. I tend to agree that with a CPU/RAM upgrade, it could mean a newer line of products in the pipeline. I also think that only 4 knobs instead of 8 horizontal touch-sensitive knobs aka Force style is a missed opportunity.
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i mean, itās really not the first but . . .
RAM and CPU aside, has anyone else had the thought that an MPC Live 2 + MPK261 would be a more flexible and powerful combo for less money than the MPC Keys 61?
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Itās the same operating system. A MPC One + your favorite MIDI keyboard is equivalent, minus the RAM, the I/O and maybe some plugins. Itās not clear whether MPC Live/ONE/X owners will be able to run the extra plugins or not.
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Yes, thinking about the Live 2 specifically as I have one, and I really like having the speaker and battery.
I canāt imagine giving up the Live 2 for the Keys 61, it could only be adding it for meā¦ and while I like the concept of having a self-contained MPC based around keys, itās a lot to pay for that convenience.
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Honestlyā¦kinda seems like a silly product. A more interesting rendition of this would have been adding mini-keys to an MPC One version?
To make this as a seeming upgrade to the MPC Live seems like its fronting as a new flagship product when there doesnāt seem to be the ideas behind it to warrant such excitement
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I have never seen people so excited for an arranger keyboard.
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Only two more outputs in addition to the main ones? And I was thinking the 4 extra on the live was not enough. Guess they really want this to be self contained.
We live in exciting timesā¦ā¦
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But you can already do that by buying a $50 controller with Mini keys.
Perhaps they ocerestimated how many people are still using the ASR10 when market researching this? 
Isnāt 66 keys too few for keyboardists?
For beatmakers, it looks weak compared to the X except for the RAM and rompler plugins, but the plugins are not MPCs strong point IMO. It doesnāt even compare well to the Live.
Unfortunately it reminds me of a comedy oversized all-in-one budget MIDI controller, and for the price Iād much rather have the X, with or without an external keboard. But if it appeals to enough people to help keep the line alive, Iām all for it. Even if some of the new & future instruments do prove to be a bit much for the earlier models, there are bound to be sequencer and UI udpates thatāll benefit everyone.
Of course the other scenario is that it tanks like Homerās supercar and takes down the whole family, and the brand gets picked up by Music Tribe. I doubt thereās any middle ground.
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Maybe this time around they start paying Roger Linn again.
This discussion makes no sense.
MPC followers always talk about how much they enjoy the workflow. And how much of a difference that can be between the X, the One and the Live, due to the different physical layouts.
Here we have now a fourth option, which none of us have tried, well aware that the physical design can make all the difference especially in a kit thatās one of the few who has a workflow thatās survived for decades.
And yet we assume this will bring nothing new to the experience.
If ever there was a kit you really need to try before you can have an opinion on what it adds, this would have to be this one.
I can totally see this attracting the workstation crowd, whoās been underserved with convoluted and confusing interfaces since the dawn of time, finally getting the streamlined workflow they deserve.
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Could it be that Native Instrumentsā lack of follow up on the Kontrol keyboard development left a gap in the market for players like Akai to come in. Do you think NI is their benchmark? For me, I am beginning to find more similarities between the two. At least the Key 61 is a product you can donāt care/buy and still enjoy the MPC ecosystem (again just like NI).