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.

SP-404MKII side chain compression; #404day videos

SP-404MKII version 5.50 brings two long-awaited features — side chain compression and exFAT SD compatibility. Here are those details, plus a #404day round-up of the fabulous videos you’re making. #404day has come to a conclusion in Japan — but that means my feed is alive with the sound of Japanese (mostly) 404 videos! Y’all always […]

Peter Kirn - April 4, 2026

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

1010music shares live setup ideas for Bento

Peter Kirn - March 19, 2026

Lorenzo Colombo in live session, framed by speaker stacks, equipment from Torso and Soma on the table and metal percussive plates suspended behind him and on tables, as he strikes one plate with a hammer.

Dream with this: solenoids, percussion, and circuits in live Torso session

Peter Kirn - February 9, 2026

Stylophone Voice, AA-powered sound-bending sampler + sequencer + FX

Peter Kirn - January 19, 2026

Etsuko’s Eterna for monome norns, an elegant 6-voice slice instrument

Peter Kirn - December 26, 2025

FL on the Web: hands-on, Image-Line tells us what it all means

Peter Kirn - December 22, 2025

Free Envion Deepscan turns your hard drive’s lost files into a soundscape

Peter Kirn - October 29, 2025