The classic music production centre returns

Akai Professional has announced the release of the latest in its MPC series of instruments, the MPC Touch. Like MPC products before it, the Touch is the jewel in the Akai crown and sees the company diverting its gaze away from the world of analogue synths and back into sampling. Building on the classic MPC workflow, this sampling workstation teams up the tried and tested pad-based sampler with a 7-inch touch display. Utilising multitouch technology, the display allows you to manipulate waveforms, envelopes, effects and much more, all at your fingertips. Akai says the MPC Touch is the "result of painstaking engineering development, detailed customer research and user feedback", so we can hope to see the MPC flagship machine back to its best.

Features include:

• 7" colour multi-touch Display
• 16 velocity-sensitive RGB backlit pads
• 2-in/2-out audio interface
• Step Sequencer with touch interface
• XYFX control adds effects, adjusts sound dynamics in real time
• Phrase Looper, enables connection of any instrument to create loops
• Pad Mixer for setting levels, stereo panning and adding VST effects
• Sample Edit control, for trimming, chopping and processing your samples
• 4 new, performance-ready touch-sensitive controls
• Data Encoder knob, for push-and-twist control of display parameters
• Includes MPC software with over 20 GB of sound content

The MPC Touch will be available from November 2015. Check out more Akai Professional products here