Akai Professional has added to their long and impressive list of MPC instruments with the announcement of the MPC Live II, which adds a number of improvements, including built-in monitors.
The MPC Live II is a sampled-based, standalone music production center. Anyone familiar with the MPC series will immediately recognise the familiar 16-button grid for programming beats and entering melodies. As with the first MPC Live, Live II adds a 7-inch, multi-gesture touchscreen panel to the usual front panel layout.
The MPC Live II builds on the first MPC Live by adding built-in monitors so users are not restricted to headphones when working. Akai Professional promise, “a dynamic response spanning the full musical range, meticulously reproducing detailed high-frequency audio information while still delivering accurate low frequencies.” It also adds five new hardware buttons related to editing and—modular users take note—eight CV/Gate outputs housed in four TRS jacks. It also has built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth so you can connect it to your computer and DAW, such as Ableton Live.
The MPC Live II comes bundled with MPC 2.8 software, which adds MIDI Multi capability, meaning you can simultaneously connect and route all manner of MIDI gear, including class-compliant USB keyboards, MIDI interfaces, and CV modules. It can also handle MIDI routing capability across tracks, MIDI routing to any MIDI-compatible synthesizer, drum machine or sound module, and even has multitrack recording capability.
The MPC Live II includes a 16GB sound library as well as integration with Splice. It also has a rechargeable lithium-ion battery with enough juice to go five hours between charges.
The MPC Live II is available now with a US retail price of $1199.
MPC 2.8 is available for download for the MPC One, MPC Live, MPC Live II and MPC X.