Akai Professional Ups the Game: MPC Pro Pack Deep Dive

Pro Pack: A Premium Expansion for the Modern Producer

The video opens with a clear focus: the MPC Pro Pack is a premium expansion designed to elevate the creative and technical workflows of MPC and Force users. Activation is straightforward—simply head to Preferences and Activations, where the Pro Pack and its suite of features await. Whether you prefer entering a serial number or using Akai’s online activation, the process is flexible and user-friendly.

Akai Professional positions the Pro Pack as an all-in-one upgrade, targeting beatmakers and producers who crave advanced sound design and mixing tools. The expansion is compatible with any MPC running firmware 3.6 or higher, reinforcing Akai’s commitment to keeping their flagship platforms fresh and future-ready.

Clip Launching Revolution: Matrix, Legato, and Arrangements

A major highlight is the new clip launching workflow, which fundamentally reimagines how users can structure and perform music on the MPC. Unlike traditional sequencing, clips now operate independently of sequence length—allowing for freeform improvisation and complex arrangements. Fixed length recording can be toggled off, so you’re not boxed in by predetermined bar counts, making it ideal for capturing spontaneous ideas.

The Matrix page is the nerve center of this system. Here, users can view all clips across tracks, launch scenes, and assemble arrangements with a level of flexibility reminiscent of DAW clip launchers. Legato mode is introduced as a powerful performance tool: triggering a new clip mid-playback ensures seamless transitions, as the new clip picks up exactly where the last one left off. The workflow supports copying, pasting, and even capturing full mixes into new rows, streamlining the process of building intros, breakdowns, and full arrangements. Navigation is intuitive, with move buttons for quick track and clip placement, and the ability to record live clip launches directly into the arrangement timeline.

"What's powerful is that the clips do not depend on the length of the sequence, so all clips, regardless of the track or the sequence, can be independent lengths."

© Screenshot/Quote: Akai Pro (YouTube)

AIR Plugins: Mixing Muscle and Sonic Polish

The Pro Pack doesn’t just stop at workflow—it brings serious sonic upgrades with a suite of AIR plugins. Air Reverb Pro is showcased as a versatile effect for everything from lush halls to tight drum plates, easily inserted on tracks and tweaked via presets or custom settings. The video demonstrates how adding Air Reverb Pro can transform dry drums into immersive, spacious elements, while still retaining clarity.

Air Visual EQ is another standout, offering a visual, touch-friendly interface for precise frequency shaping. Users can see and sculpt their sound in real time, making it a powerful tool for both mixing and creative sound design. The inclusion of Air Utility rounds out the plugin suite, providing essential tools like phase inversion, stereo/mono conversion, and DC offset correction—features that are often overlooked but crucial for professional mixes.

CV Playground and Q-Link Evolution: Modulation Unleashed

"You have four envelopes. You have four LFOs. You have a stepper. You have utilities and a matrix that can do summing and multiplication from any of these sources."

© Screenshot/Quote: Akai Pro (YouTube)

For those integrating modular hardware, the Pro Pack introduces a robust set of CV tools. Within the program edit menu, users gain access to four envelopes, four LFOs, a stepper, and a matrix for summing and multiplying modulation sources. The routing system allows precise control over CV outputs, including depth and offset, making the MPC a genuine modulation hub for external gear.

Perhaps most exciting for power users is the overhaul of Q-Link functionality. Advanced Q-Link features now include up to 16 envelope followers and assignable LFOs, each capable of targeting virtually any parameter in the MPC ecosystem—from synth cutoffs to plugin effects. The video demonstrates how these modulators can be mapped and learned on the fly, enabling dynamic, evolving performances and intricate automation. This level of modulation depth is rare in standalone hardware and signals Akai’s intent to bridge the gap between groovebox immediacy and modular flexibility.

A Comprehensive Upgrade: Pro Pack in Perspective

Wrapping up, the MPC Pro Pack is presented as a transformative suite for the MPC and Force platforms. It combines a modern clip launching paradigm, advanced CV and modulation tools, premium AIR plugins, and a new time-stretching algorithm—all accessible without additional hardware. Akai Professional’s approach here is architectural: they’re not just adding features, but fundamentally expanding what’s possible within their ecosystem. For producers and performers seeking deeper creative control and professional-grade mixing, the Pro Pack marks a significant leap forward.