AKAI MPC Sample Brings the MPC Legacy to Your Pocket

March 24, 2026 by Little Music

AKAI Professional has announced the MPC Sample, a new standalone hardware sampler that draws clear inspiration from the MPC60 and MPC3000 - two machines that helped define what modern sampling could be. What makes the MPC Sample different from its predecessors, though, is that it is built to go with you. This is a sampler you can throw in a bag, take to the park, and use without plugging into anything.

AKAI MPC Sample

Built for the Road

The MPC Sample runs on a rechargeable lithium-ion battery good for up to five hours of use - enough for a session on a train, a few hours in a café, or a full afternoon of sampling sounds out in the field. A built-in 3-watt speaker means you can hear what you are doing without headphones, though there is also a standard 3.5mm headphone output for more focused work.

The unit is compact at 23.6 × 19.4 × 5.0 cm, and the whole thing is built around 16 RGB-backlit velocity-sensitive pads with poly aftertouch. That last detail is worth noting - poly aftertouch on a device in this category gives you expressive control that you would not always expect at this level.

For recording, you have two options built right in: a microphone sits on the unit itself, and two quarter-inch TRS inputs on the rear let you connect external sources. An SD card slot and a browser-based library manager round out the ways to load sounds onto the device.

Sounds and Features

Inside, the MPC Sample offers 8GB of internal storage, 2GB of RAM, and 32 stereo voices of polyphony. It ships loaded with over 100 factory kits, so you can start playing immediately. A 2.4-inch full-colour LCD screen, three real-time control knobs, and a parameter fader handle the visual and hands-on side of things.

The effects section is well-stocked: four engines with 60 types in total, accessible through both Pad FX and Knob FX modes. Time-stretching and repitching are on board, as is a chop mode for slicing up longer samples. A built-in sequencer lets you build actual beats rather than just playing pads in real time.

A New Kind of MPC

The MPC name carries a lot of weight, and AKAI seems aware of the responsibility. The MPC60 and MPC3000 are reference points here not just aesthetically - they shaped an entire approach to sampling that focused on feel, rhythm, and immediacy. The MPC Sample takes that spirit and puts it into a form factor that fits the way people actually live now.

AKAI MPC Sample in use

The two TRS outputs on the rear mean it connects properly to mixers and audio interfaces when you do sit down at a desk, so it works as a portable instrument and as part of a larger setup. For producers who want the MPC workflow without the full size or the desk requirement, the MPC Sample looks like a serious option.