Akai presents the SampleKey, the keyboard brother of the MPC Sample, with open firmware for experimentation.
Update: Akai has released a second video showing the SampleKey in its entirety and demonstrating its ambient-coded wavetable, FM, and virtual analog synthesizer engines. The company also announced that it will also make MPC samples available to the community.
Behringer sparked debate yesterday by announcing a $150 MPC clone with open source firmware. The question now is: how will Akai react? Well, they fight back.
Akai posted a video on Instagram teasing the SampleKey – and what is its standout feature? Open the firmware!
Akai Sample Key
This comes completely out of nowhere. Usually, retailers like Guitar Center or Sweetwater release information about Akai products weeks in advance. This time, however, Akai does it himself – or at least, he announces what will soon happen.
The new device will be called Akai SampleKey and it resembles the keyboard sampler sibling of the MPC Sample. Yes, a keyboard sampler.
This is a very compact keyboard instrument with a two-octave keyboard, but it lacks MPC pads – these remain exclusive to the MPC Sample. Here the focus is on the keys. It has pitch and mod wheels, three buttons for playing, a larger encoder and another on the left side.
In the center, a screen – probably the same as that found on the MPC Sample – along with numerous buttons controls the device.
According to the video from the legend himself, Akai Dan, the unit can sample individual keys, perform automatic key splits, and much more.
Open firmware
The discussion around firmware is super exciting. In the Akai IG video, Dan said that they are opening the firmware to the community. They can then code their own functions into the unit.
The community can decide what type of device it will be. Transform it into a granular sampler, FM synthesizer or groovebox; you are the developer. Depending on the power of the internal processor, you can do a lot with it.
This is a smart move on the part of inMusic and Akai. I certainly didn’t see this coming. I can’t wait to find out more.
More information will follow here: Akai / Instagram
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