Akai Professional’s MPC Live III: Deep Dive into Expressive Pads and Modulation Matrix

The new MPCe pads are the headline act in this walkthrough, and for good reason. Each pad is divided into four quadrants, allowing for distinct articulations or effects depending on where you strike. This isn’t just about velocity or aftertouch—each quadrant can trigger a different articulation, such as note repeats, pitch rolls, or standard rudiments, dramatically expanding the expressive potential of a single pad.

In the demonstration, a hi-hat sample is mapped across quadrants: the first remains a basic hit, while others are assigned to note repeats at various speeds and pitch rolls with chromatic descents. The stereo field, dynamics, and repeat speed are all adjustable, giving performers granular control over how each articulation behaves. The ability to scale speed even further—up to 800% with time scaling—shows just how deep the pad articulation system goes.

What stands out is how these features are accessed: through a dedicated effects and articulations page, making it easy to experiment without menu-diving. The result is a pad system that encourages live performance tricks, nuanced finger drumming, and on-the-fly sound variation—all within a single drum program.

The modulation matrix is where the MPC Live III’s digital architecture truly flexes. Accessible from the last page of the pad edit section, the matrix allows users to assign a variety of modulation sources—like LFOs or pad position—to nearly any parameter, including filter cutoff, amplitude, or effects. In the video, an LFO is routed to modulate the filter cutoff of a hi-hat, with the speed and shape of the LFO easily adjusted for subtle or dramatic movement.

The workflow is straightforward: select a source, pick a target, and dial in the amount and direction. The matrix supports nuanced control, such as using sample and hold LFOs for randomized effects or carefully scaling modulation depth. The demonstration highlights how modulation can be introduced gradually, allowing for evolving textures and performance dynamics.

This system isn’t just for synth heads—it’s presented as a practical tool for beatmakers and performers who want to inject life into static samples. The matrix’s flexibility means that even simple drum hits can be transformed into evolving, expressive elements within a track.

The video moves beyond single-sample tricks to showcase how the MPC Live III supports complex, layered sound design. By bouncing plugin chords and synth sounds to samples, the presenter builds a multi-sample pad where each quadrant can trigger a different timbre or chord. The crossfade options for the MPCe pads allow for both smooth blending and discrete switching between samples, depending on the chosen mode and shaper settings.

The process involves assigning different samples to each layer, configuring playback modes, and using the modulation matrix to map pad X and Y positions to crossfade parameters. This results in a pad that can morph between four samples based on finger position—ideal for live performance or evolving textures. The workflow is efficient: sample selection, layering, and modulation assignment all happen within a few screens, with minimal menu navigation.

Effects are layered in next, with Air Delay Pro and Air Reverb Pro providing lush, spatial processing directly on the pad or globally on the drum track. The presenter is careful to note the routing implications—adding effects per pad versus globally affects the entire kit, so targeted processing is often preferable for nuanced mixes.

Finally, the walkthrough demonstrates how to set up pads for either smooth blending or strict quadrant-based triggering using the shaper’s quantize mode. The modulation matrix is pushed further, with examples of poly aftertouch, modulation wheel assignments, and LFO rate modulation. The result is a showcase of the MPC Live III as a flexible sound design workstation, capable of everything from intricate finger drumming to deep, evolving sonic landscapes.