Akai has announced a firmware update in the form of MPC 2.9 and FORCE 3.0.6 which includes a new synthesised drum sound creation plugin instrument. This new powerful plugin provides advanced sound design in addition to the existing array of virtual instruments. Drumsynth includes TUBESYNTH, ELECTRIC, BASSLINE and HYPE (which is only available in FORCE).
The Drumsynth opens up more creative sound ideas thanks to the multi-synth sound generation architecture, that is powered by FM synthesis, which is analogue and physical modelling along with sample-based algorithms. It also opens up the MPC and FORCE’s standalone sound engineering capability, further allowing the user to build and design any synthesised drum sound and then have the option to save and store them.
The plugin consists of eight individual instances, including Kick, Clap, Snare, Toms, Hi-Hat, Percussion, Ride and Crash. Each of the instances comes with its own exclusive sound generator combination which brings dynamic drum and percussion sounds. There are a selection of effects and processors within the plug-in that can be used to fine-tune the synthesised drum sounds. These include EQ, Transient Shaping, Tuning, Reverb, Delay and Compression. Even further style can be added using multiple processing textures available within each of the sound engine. That’s not all, in multi-mode, all eight engines can be accessed where sounds can be mixed and balanced against each other and then saved as a custom user preset.
The plug-in appears to be comfortable and intuitive to use, and editing and modifying parameters on the standalone units fast and precise. This new firmware updates brings with it a fantastic next-generation drum synth complete with exceptional creative workflow, excellent visual feedback and makes full use of maximising the units and user’s productivity.
MPC and FORCE range
MPC Live II
The Akai MPC Live II is a portable battery-powered music production workstation where creativity can be pursued when inspiration strikes. The unit consists of in-built monitors, a 7-inch touchscreen display, 16 velocity-sensitive RGB performance pads, flexible connections, 2GB RAM, 16 GB onboard storage, a rechargeable lithium-ion battery and is Wi-Fi and Bluetooth enabled.
MPC One
The Akai MPC One is a feature-rich, standalone music production unit that has a powerful multi-core processor, 16 velocity-sensitive RGB performance pads, 7-inch high-resolution touchscreen display, flexible connections, 2 GB RAM and 4GB of onboard storage.
MPC X
The Akai MPX X is a standalone music production centre that is powerful and provides diverse MIDI and audio control functionality. The unit consists of a 10.1-inch full-colour touchscreen display, 16 touch-capacitive Q-Links controls with OLED displays, 16 GB of on-board storage, flexible connectivity options, 2.5-inch SATA drive connector and offers superior sound quality.
FORCE
The FORCE is Akai's standalone music production/DJ performance system that combines powerful sound creation, intuitive workflow, and numerous tools and functionalities for ultimate control. The unit consists of 7-inch full-colour multi-touch display, flexible connectivity options, performance modes, 16 GB of on-board storage, SD card slot, USB 3.0 slots, user-expandable 2.5-inch SATA drive connector and a whole host of adjustable features.
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