Akai MPC X SE is the successor to the MPC X with more power (4GB), expanded storage (48GB), and in a new retro design.
Last February, I reported on a leak that previewed a new Akai MPC X. This surfaced at a website of a Japanese authority. This leak turns out to be true.
Akai Pro has today introduced the MPC X SE, a special edition of its MPC X with a hardware upgrade and slightly new cosmetics.
Akai MPC X SE
The MPC X SE is true. It came exactly as the leak predicted in February. The design remains the same as the regular MPC X, only the coloring has changed to the retro wave. You get an MPC X in a “retro” beige color meant to remind you of the early days of MPC hardware samplers. It also fits that Akai Pro is celebrating 35 years of MPC with this new hardware.
A swiveling 10-inch touchscreen with multi-touch is also included. There are also 16 assignable Q-Link controls with their own OLED displays for optimal overview. So the same. But there are major improvements to the MPC X.
More RAM and Memory
The MPC X SE remains just as much a monster workstation as the regular version. The core is a quad-core ARM CPU that can access 4GB instead of 2GB of RAM. So more power for larger projects. In addition, the memory has been increased from 16GB to 48GB, which is very handy. Of course, more GB, like 64GB, would have been even better.
On the backside, we get everything we know from the regular MPC X. With two MIDI In, four MIDI Out, eight CV/Gate sockets, and two USB host ports; you get everything for talking with your external gear.
The current MPC software runs on the MPC X SE. So you get over 20 instruments, 100+ effects from Air Music Tech, lots of sample content and more. No new instruments/effects or exclusive content. MPC 3.0 software was also predicted in the leak, but it is not included here yet. Maybe for the Superbooth, who knows?
First Impression
It’s great to see that Akai is continuing its MPC X. The MPC X SE costs €200 more, so you get more RAM and storage for this. The surcharge is fair here, in my opinion, since enough RAM is essential in such workstations. And internal storage, anyway. What do you think?
Akai MPC X SE is available now for $2499/2399€
More information here: Akai Pro
Available at my partners
Is this the “MPC XL-Leak” weeks ago? If yes, we can recon how the MPC One MKII will look like…
YAWN!!!!
it was looking great up until ‘touch screen’. might as well get an app; the point of hardware is to avoid all the crappy consumer computer crap like poor response touch screens.
And you have plugins. Computer plugins. If that isn’t stupid I don’t know how it is. See how many audio channels this gizmo have and you will find there is almost no development. This isn’t hardware, it’s an expensive midi controller with… plugins.
Sorry, I wanted to say audio tracks not audio channels