It’s well built but not too heavy, and you get the choice of using headphones or the built-in speakers, for which there’s a switch. So to start with, this unit immediately feels like a pro piece of kit.

Killer features on the MPC Live II include excellent integrated speakers (which they call “studio monitors”), and a phono-level line input on the back, for sampling from vinyl – with a portable turntable, this could be the ultimate portablism producer set-up for making music on the go.

In the same way that DJs love Denon DJ’s little Prime GO for DJing, so it is with the Akai Pro MPC Live II – it’s the same mix of portable and professional. The portability of Akai Pro’s MPC Live II lets you make music wherever and whenever inspiration strikes. With a unit like this, because you don’t have to use a laptop, you’re truly free to throw it in a bag and head off anywhere to make music – and yet you’ve got everything you need (sounds, samples, plugins and so on). Recently, though, the MPC Live II has upped Akai Pro’s game in this area. Maybe you’re a fan of J Dilla, MadLib or other boom bap hip-hop artists, famous for chopping their samples up on MPC apps and hardware, and you’ve always wanted to buy a unit like this to have a go yourself.Īfter all, MPC has been there since the early days of hip hop. Ever fancied buying an all-in-one music production centre to start making your own tracks?

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