iPads don't run Mac software.

Unless I missed one, I've seen no arranger software for iPad.

Most of Giglad's storage requirements come from the soundset. I don't want to use their sounds, just want to use a GS soundset and then stuff like Pianoteq, VB-3, Numa Player etc...

I'd rather some of the majors took up this, their arranger engines are mature, bulletproof, fully featured, stable and familiar...

The AKAI MPC XL is the most advanced hardware sequencer that streamlines the workflow of making beat music. After playing around with this device for a few days I am simply overjoyed by the ergonomics and simplicity of the user interface bringing back fun, speed and spontaneity to the process of music making.

This flagship product from AKAI represents 38 years of refinement since the first MPC 60 was launched in 1988 designed by Roger Linn.

If someone is thinking of exploring the world of MPC devices, I would wholeheartedly recommend the MPC XL. This is the easiest model to navigate with 105 buttons. This avoids menu diving. Every important function is right at your fingertips.

The AKAI MPC XL deserves a design award for being the easiest hardware sequencer to operate. Every button group, knob, slider and displays have been ergonomically laid out for maximum efficiency.

I could see why the form factor of the MPC XL is so much larger than my AKAI Force.

The width had to be expanded to 21.4 inches s to accommodate the 16 Q-Link knobs featuring OLED Displays arranged horizontally above a row of 16-step RGB button sequencer. By comparison the AKAI Force is 13.8 inches wide having only 8 Q-Link knobs.

The depth of the MPC XL had to be increased to 19.2 inches to accommodate the 10.1 inch Touch Screen and the 16 MPCe pads compared to the 15.3 inch depth on the AKAI Force with an 6.9 inch Touch screen and smaller buttons.

I love the 16 MPCe pads with 3D-sensing technology carried over from the MPC LIVE 3. They have kept the traditional 4x4 grid originally introduced by Roger Linn in the MPC 60. These pads are so much softer, thicker, larger and responsive than the 64 hard plastic buttons on the AKAI Force. It took me just a few hours to appreciate the value of assigning sounds to each of the 4 quadrants within an MPCe pad and freely morph between them.

I don’t see myself going back to the AKAI Force. It is the end of the line. The MPC XL with its Gen 2 8-core processor and 16GB of RAM does it all.

I am pleasantly surprised how well the MPC XL integrates with Ableton LIVE and any external MIDI keyboard like the Yamaha Genos2 and Korg Kronos3.
AKAI will be releasing an update their MPC Key 61 probably featuring the MPCe pads. I am using the Roland RD2000 as a MIDI Controller which is a better solution.

The MPC XL encapsulates everything one may desire in a hardware sequencer/sampler in an all-in-one standalone package.

There are tons of YouTube tutorials being released daily. Kudos to Daddy Long Les for creating this playlist with 74 AKAI MPC LIVE III Tutorials.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VN5u0LbqLfM&list=PLA4xxYk4n3gg_RTF7P6uwMtzlRqMTlk7L


It applies to the MPC XL as well, with fewer menu diving.

Functionally, the MPC XL and MPC LIVE III are similar. They even share the same 535 page User Manual.


https://cdn.inmusicbrands.com/Software/37/MPC%20Live%20III%2C%20MPC%20XL%20-%20User%20Guide%20-%20v3.7.pdf



You can think of the MPC LIVE III as the portable version of the MPC XL with a built-in microphone and internal battery. One can save $1,200 with the much smaller, lighter and portable model.

I am 100% satisfied with the MPC XL and Sweetwater’s prompt customer service. I could see the appeal of these Music Production Center hardware boxes to the younger crowd. If you found the Koala Samper or the Abelton Note app on iOS devices to be fun and addictive, then these MPC boxes takes the enjoyment of laying down beats to a whole new level.

No one takes the instant music coming out of these MPC boxes seriously. It was never meant to be. However, it did spawn a whole generation of Rap and Hip Hop music. They are meant to sound groovy and put you in a trance. I don’t think Roger Linn ever surmised what his invention would lead to so many decades into the future! He has become a living legend. He remains so humble to this day.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bhSWwf-i1k


Best,

David

Sorry David, but I don't think that there's anyone left here that wants to use an MPC, let alone pay $3000 to find out what the latest one can do...

Koala's as far as I want to go!

Hi Diki,

I see your point. I agree the price is too steep. The AKAI MPC boxes do make the process of sequencing music a lot more intuitive, faster and easier. When I compare the sequencer built into the Korg Kronos3 with the MPC workflow I can see right away why the MPC has such a large following.

There is no need to buy an MPC XL. Even the MPC One+ model that retails for $630 can be a great addition to a hardware workstation for replacing its basic sequencer.

It is interesting to note that the first MPC 60 was released back in 1988. It retailed for $5,000. That would be $13,700 in 2026.

MPC boxes are geared towards making beats. They are used to generate loop based music that is the backbone of Hip Hop.

This style of laying down basic loops has little relevance or appeal to the Arranger Keyboard Community. When someone buys an Arranger like the Yamaha Genos2, it comes loaded with thousands of loops all professionally designed by skilled musicians. In addition to the loop for the drums, you get a loop for the bass, pads, guitars, choirs, strings, organ and piano ranging from 2 to 32 bars.

The real magic of Arranger Keyboards happens when these loops change in real time to the chords you play with your left hand. Many of these Styles have been programmed to play a different arrangement based on whether you play a Major, Minor or 7th Chords. We are talking about a whole new level of sophistication.

Simple beat boxes like the MPCs just cannot do that. They excel in creating a basic drum loop.

Yes, it is technically possible to transpose a basic drum loop with added melodies using a piano or guitar and transpose them to different chords creating different clips and string these clips into a sequence that follows the chord changes of your target song. However, this is a painstaking process. It would be foolish and pointless to explore this path on an MPC when one can buy an arranger that comes with all the ready made STYLES.

The reason the younger crowd gravitates towards these MPC boxes is because it lets them create their own beats with minimal effort. The STYLES on the Arranger Keyboards do not conform to the music they listen to. They associate Arrangers Keyboards and Organs with the older retired crowd. They would be embarrassed to own an Arranger. However, they would gladly pick up an MPC One+ and spend hours entertaining themselves.

Perhaps one day we could marry of the process of making custom beats on MPC boxes to the sophistication of modern arrangers with their wide palette of chords that trigger fully orchestrated STYLES in real time.

Oh, and one last thing. It takes years of training to become a good arranger player. One must learn how to sightread fake books, have some knowledge on music theory, master hand coordination and develop piano skills. This takes time, effort and commitment.

No such skills are necessary to begin finger drumming on the 4x4 grid on an MPC device. It is full on enjoyment the moment you get your hands on one. The KOALA sampler drives home this point.

Best,

David

I've seen little kids having a great time with one finger on an arranger..! They need no more training than using a beat box. And I'd argue that, to create music that YOU hear in your head (rather than just triggering preprogrammed beats that someone else already created) is actually HARDER on an MPC.

The thing is, for triggering clips, you don't really need fancy pads. An iPad works fine. Quite honestly, I think you can replicate almost the entire MPC workflow on Koala or other tablet clip apps.

$5 vs $600 is still a scary jump in price, let alone up to $3000 for the latest greatest..!

As I continually try to point out, it's not about getting the best, most expensive tool you can. It's what you can do with what you WANT to spend. I could argue that, at our age, spending anything more than what Koala does is a waste. Plenty of other things that would make a MASSIVE difference to your music (better mics, software like Keyscapes, quality plugins for mastering etc) could be got with that $600-3000 💸💸💸

Hi Diki,

Yes, it is true that creating musically engaging beats from scratch on an MPC box is actually harder than triggering 1 finger professionally programmed styles on arrangers.

Yes, the basic workflow of sampling sounds, assigning them to pads, creating a 2 to 8 bar loop, creating a sequence and launching clips can be done effortlessly on an iPad. It is amazing to see how far technology has evolved and made everything so affordable.

At the same time I applaud AKAI for creating the ultimate hardware sequencer, drum machine, sampler that embodies the original vision of Roger Linn. The build quality, ergonomics, functionality, processing power, sounds and effects on the MPC XL are close to perfection.

I watched an engaging documentary on Roger Linn. He designed the LM-1 Drum Computer in 1980. It had 18 sampled drum sounds and sold for $5,000. The LM-1 was featured in 1981 in the top 10 hit – “Don’t you want me Baby” by Human League. It was featured in hits by Prince.

The LinnDrum was released in 1982 for $3,000. This was featured in several Pop Hits:

Time after Time by Cyndi Lauper (1983)
Eyes without a face by Billy Idol (1983)
Take on Me by AHA (1985)
Everybody wants to rule the world by Tears for Fears (1985)

Roger’s company ran to financial troubles. He joined AKAI. He released the MPC 60 in 1988 that initially sold for $5,000. This model was followed by the MPC 60 II, MPC 3000 and MPC 5000.

His invention led to the birth of Hip-Hop. He stated, “I can only make the brush, the artist chooses what to paint with it.”


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTek99yM6TA


I think the MPC XL represents the final incarnation of Roger’s dream. This would not have been possible without AKAI’s expertise on hardware manufacturing and business acumen. They have released over 15 MPC models over the past 38 years, each one pushing the envelope of what can be realized in a standalone box.

Nicely written Dave

It may be that both MPC's and arrangers are facing the same issue. A generation (or two!) have come along since they were musically relevant and have found alternatives that are as effective and FAR cheaper in software, while anything that adds increased functionality to the old hardware comes at a formidable price!

Yamaha seem to be the ONLY arranger maker that is continuing development of anything other than uber-expensive TOTL $4000+ arrangers or toy <$500 arrangers. Been over 8 YEARS since the PA1000. By contrast, the SX920 is only a couple of years old.

This pretty much mimics the way home organs bowed out. Eventually all that was left were the uber-expensive models. You can still buy reasonably priced B3 clones, but anything that resembles a more Japanese/European style organ is five figures (or more!). I think Lowery were the last 'affordable' home organ maker. It's looking like Yamaha are going to be 'last man standing' for affordable arrangers.

In the meantime, software that emulates MPC workflow is all over the place. But software arrangers are pretty rare and mostly labors of love, not polished professional offerings. Most of this may come from the fact that arrangers were generally FAR more content rather than feature driven. An arranger without a soundset or styles is the exact OPPOSITE of what the vast majority of arranger players want!

While computer software does an incredible job of emulating older synths, one thing that lags terribly is emulation of ROMplers (which were the sound engines of arrangers pretty much from the start). The most recent ROMpler emulation is Korg's Triton, and that's about it. So using that as the sound engine for a software arranger gives you basically an at best 1999 era arranger!

MPC beat making was all about sampling vinyl. The included content didn't make or break the deal...

Sadly, the only people that CAN make a decent software arranger seem to be those either exiting the industry, or are the last man standing and unwilling to cut into their current sales...

This is the PERFECT time for Roland (who only make toy arrangers any more) to come up with a software (preferably tablet) arranger and leverage their mature software AND ROMpler soundsets and great styles that aren't making them a penny at this time. 🎹😎

Did a quick search and found these 2 arranger software apps for iPad, haven't had a good look at them but its a start.

1 Man Band Lite

xMure

Enjoy

Bill