AKAI MPC60

The Akai MPC60 stands as one of the most influential music production devices ever created, shaping the sound of hip-hop, electronic music, and sample-based production from the late 1980s onward. Released in 1988, the MPC60 emerged from a collaboration between Akai and legendary drum machine designer Roger Linn, whose earlier work on the LinnDrum had already left a mark on the industry. Linn sought to combine the tactile immediacy of drum machines with the flexibility of digital sampling, and the result was a ground-breaking workstation that put sequencing, sampling, and performance-friendly pads into one cohesive package. For many producers, it was the first device that truly let them sketch an idea, refine it, and arrange it—all inside a single box.

The MPC60 featured 12-bit sampling, an intuitive grid-based sequencer, and its now-iconic 4×4 velocity-sensitive pads. Its sound was punchy, warm, and gritty in a way that instantly distinguished it from other samplers of the era. Unlike many studio machines that required menu diving or external gear to feel alive, the MPC60 invited physical interaction. Producers could “play” the sampler like an instrument rather than just program it. That workflow changed everything.

Its influence spread quickly as the MPC60 became a foundational tool for some of the most respected names in music. DJ Premier used it extensively, shaping the unmistakable sound of Gang Starr and many of his classic 1990s productions. Early work by Pete Rock also carries the unmistakable crunch and swing of the MPC60, especially on tracks like those found on Mecca and the Soul Brother.

DJ Shadow’s process for Endtroducing….. involved multiple samplers, but the MPC60 played a central role in capturing the chopped, textured feel of the record. Producers such as Teddy Riley also used the MPC60, helping define the sonic fingerprint of new jack swing.

The MPC60 appears on countless iconic recordings from the late 1980s through the mid-1990s. Its fingerprints are all over golden-era hip-hop—artists like KRS-One, EPMD, and Big Daddy Kane benefitted from producers who relied on the MPC60 for drums, sequencing, or full arrangements. Outside hip-hop, it also found homes in R&B, pop, and even early electronic records, where its rock-solid timing and expressive pads made it equally useful.

Echoes from the past

Newer devices owe an enormous debt to the MPC60. Its core layout—the 4×4 pad grid, the step editor, the swing function, and the idea of combining sampling with sequencing—became the blueprint for the entire MPC line, from the MPC3000 through modern units like the MPC Live, MPC One, and the software-integrated MPC X. Even products from other companies, such as Native Instruments Maschine or Ableton Push, openly borrow the MPC philosophy: hands-on sampling, pad-based playing, and hardware that acts like an instrument rather than a simple controller. Though modern gear offers more memory, higher fidelity, and deeper integration with computers, the foundational workflow introduced by the MPC60 remains intact because it was simply that effective.

More than three decades after its release, the Akai MPC60 is still seen as both a musical tool and a cultural icon—a machine that didn’t just shape a sound, but changed the way producers think about building music.