The MPD26 from Akai Professional is a MIDI-over-USB pad controller with genuine MPC pads. Its blend of intuitive MPC controls and technologies meshes with easy USB connectivity to bring the feel of classic beat making to the world of computer music production - perfect for producers, programmers, musicians and DJs.
The controller includes 16 MPC-style velocity and pressure sensitive pads, 4selectable pad banks for a total of 64 playable pads, 6 assignable faders and 6 assignable, 360° knobs for transmitting MIDI Control Change data. Also featured are transport controls for interfacing with DAW/sequencing applications.
The brain of the controller is transplanted directly from the MPC. That's because the MPD26 is not just a control surface - it contains some of the key MPC technologies that have made the MPC the de facto standard it is. MPC Note Repeat is a capability that enables the MPD to automatically play a rhythm pattern, such as 16th notes on a hi-hat, for accuracy and speed of entry.
MPC Swing is sometimes referred to as "the heart and soul of hip hop" because it turns perfectly aligned sequences into human-feeling time alignments. You can specify exactly the degree and timing of swing you want to apply for the perfect feel. The MPD26 also has MPC Full Level and MPC 16-Level on its pads.
The MPD26 sends MIDI information over its plug-and-play USB interface so you can use it with your Mac or PC without installing any drivers. The USB connection even powers the MPD26 so the included USB cable is all you need. The MPD26 also has traditional MIDI input and output jacks so you can use it with MIDI hardware such as synthesizers and other sound modules.