Akai MPX8 eight-pad sample launcher announced
The trouble with some of these MIDI devices and controllers is that they are just so damn big. It may sound like an odd thing to complain about, but sometimes a musician or a DJ only needs to trigger a few samples here and there, rather than needing pages and pages of different samples and functions. There is also the problem of a larger unit requiring too much space; needing an extra stand to carry its own weight. Let’s say you’re a live band who needs only a few one shot sample effects for your music. You could easily get away with ha small MIDI controller like the Akai LPD8 – but then you’re also forced to bring a computer along with you. Seems kind of unnecessary right? On the opposite end of that setup you could bring an Akai MPC variant with you, and skip the need for a computer altogether – but this is also unnecessary as you’re not intending to sit there and create beats all day long. This is the challenge that Akai has set out to tackle, and they have so far done a decent job of it. Enter the MPX8. This compact unit looks like the smaller LPD8 laptop controller, but it is much more. It houses its own samples using a SD card and has knob controls to sort through each setting. http://www.musicradar.com/news/tech/namm-2013-video-akai-mpx8-eight-pad-sample-launcher-announced-569966
