Akai’s pint-sized MPC Sample has already gotten a couple of updates

It seems like just yesterday we were ogling the launch of Akai’s inexpensive, ultra-portable standalone MPC …okay, three weeks. But Akai delivered some important updates in the 1.3 firmware, available today, on top of V1.2.1 (in case you blinked). Here’s what’s new.

Akai’s MPC Sample is compact, $399 — let’s compare it to an original MPC60!

It’s real, it’s adorable, it’s an MPC you can hold in your hand, and it costs just $399. Tiny desks now accommodate whole studios. But now that Akai has shared the full specs for MPC Sample — why not compare it to the original 1988 MPC60, spec-for-spec?

Peter Kirn - March 24, 2026

Video guide to accessibility in Ableton Move, Move Everything – Andre Louis

Unofficial screen reader support in Ableton Move may be new, but it’s already a revelation. Andre Louis, a visually impaired musician and technologist/artist extraordinaire, takes us on a tour of Move Everything. That’s must-watch material, I hope, for sighted users and developers, too, to understand how these features work for visually impaired users.

Peter Kirn - March 8, 2026

The yellow plastic case of a Roland P-6 pocket drum machine opened up, revealing the factory PCB board and mods with speaker and amplifier circuit.

Hack a Roland P-6 pocket sampler with its own amp and speaker

Peter Kirn - December 16, 2024

Roland P-6 pocket sampler with FX, granular engine: here’s what to know

Peter Kirn - September 12, 2024

Polyend’s Tracker Mini adds stereo sampling features, clock improvements

Peter Kirn - March 8, 2024

Portable recorder/looper on its side with a rainbow background behind it. White with knobs and wooden buttons, a large speaker grill, and a gooseneck mic protruding perpendicular to the front panel.

Critter and Guitari Kaleidoloop, portable looper, is back with new features

Peter Kirn - March 6, 2024

Smallest MIDI keyboard ever? MidiCard fits on a business card

Peter Kirn - February 20, 2024

C4NDY KeyVLM, a USB keyboard that connects to a vinyl turntable for mixing

Peter Kirn - December 30, 2023