Akai MPC Live III Standalone Music Production Center

About: Akai MPC Live III Standalone Music Production Center

We built MPC Live III for producers who move fast. It’s packed with dynamic production tools, responsive controls, sounds designed by the industry’s top sample makers, and the fastest processor of any MPC to date. From basic beatmaking to advanced music production and the most demanding live-performance workflows, MPC Live III redefines the power of standalone.

• Standalone Music Production Center—no computer required
• 7-inch multi-touch display with intuitive and easy navigation
• New MPCe pad technology for expressive beatmaking and performance
• 16-step sequencer with function buttons for instant electronic-style workflow
• Built-in microphone, stereo monitors, rechargeable battery for portability
• Performance touch-strip for dynamic real-time control
• MPC3 OS with powerful workflow with enhanced features
• New clip launch workflow for enhanced song arranging and performance
• Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity to enable wireless collaboration and file transfer

AN ICON EVOLVES

MPC has been at the heart of modern music—powering iconic records, shaping genres, and defining the sound of a generation. We’ve listened closely to the creators behind that legacy, taking in what you need to stay inspired and keep creating.

MPC Live III is the result: a genre-defying, boundary-breaking production machine built for wherever music takes you. It honors the past, drives the present, and empowers you to shape what’s next.

Unbelievably Fast, Undeniably Slick

Powered by the fastest processor we’ve ever put in an MPC, this complete standalone system gives you all the production, mixing, and performance capabilities you expect from next-gen Akai Pro hardware, while unlocking the full potential of the MPC3 operating system.

Experience dynamic features like Pro Stems Separation and the ability to load up to 32 instrument plugin instances and 16 audio tracks seamlessly. This is creative horsepower without bottlenecks—it’s your flow, uninterrupted.

The Classic MPC Pad, Reimagined

MPC Live III debuts our new MPCe pads: 3D-sensing, ultra-responsive, and designed for more nuanced expression and performance. These pads enable X/Y control of one-shot layers, seamless sample blending, and dynamic note repeats and articulations for more ways to perform and produce with feeling.

Standalone, Portable, Designed to Adapt

MPC Live III is built to break out of the studio. With onboard battery, speakers, and mic, plus deep MIDI and CV control, your full setup goes wherever inspiration hits—no laptop, no limits. Whether you’re programming beats, sampling grooves, layering stems, triggering clips, or sequencing a whole track from scratch, MPC Live III’s got the range to keep up.

Expanded Workflow for the Perfect Drop

For the first time ever in an MPC, clip launching, step sequencing, and assignable performance buttons empower new ways of working—beyond the classic production toolkit. Trigger clips that land on the one. Lock in basslines and grooves that form the backbone of electronic styles.

Whether you're building a live set or dialing in the perfect drop, this MPC is for modern performance.

KEY FEATURES

• [NEW] Expressive pads: 16 MPCe pads with 3D-sensing technology for flexible music production and expressive performance
• [NEW] 16-step sequencer: Dedicated controls for groovebox-style workflow
• [NEW] Built-in condenser microphone: For those moments when inspiration strikes
• [NEW] Direct sampling via USB-C: Grab sounds from your computer or smartphone to expand your palette
• [NEW] 8-core processor with 8GB RAM: The most powerful processor ever put in an MPC
• [NEW] 24-channel audio interface: With 32 channels of MIDI for seamless DAW integration, via class-compliant USB-C connection
• [NEW] MPC Pro Pack: Powered by next-gen MPC3 OS and enhanced with new MPC Pro Pack features like studio-grade time-stretch, clip-launching, expanded CV control, and new pro plugins
• [NEW] Clip Matrix: Clip launch workflow for enhanced song arranging and performance
• Classic MPC-style beatmaking and programming tools: All the essentials
• Wi-Fi and Bluetooth: To enable wireless collaboration and file transfer
• Ableton control mode: Connect via USB-C to use MPC as a controller for Ableton Live
• Standalone operation: Create freely and without distraction — no computer required
• 7-inch multi-touch display: Intuitive layout and easy navigation, stay in the zone and in control
• Touch-strip and four rotary encoders: Add tactile control for dynamic real-time performance
• Rechargeable 4hr battery life: Run your session off the grid or on the plane
• Powerful stereo monitors: For instant playback
• Included sounds and samples: Access over 1,000 MPC-ready drum kits and instruments, along with a collection of premium plugin instruments for instant inspiration

Specifications

• Digital Audio System
  • ADCs: 24-bit @ 44.1, 48, or 96 kHz
  • DACs: 24-bit @ 44.1, 48, or 96 kHz
  • Digital Signal Processing: 32-bit floating point
• Mic Inputs 1–2
  • (2) balanced XLR+1/4” (6.35 mm) TRS
    • Frequency Response: 20 Hz – 20 kHz (+0.2 / -1.2 dB)
    • Dynamic Range: 110.0 dB (A-weighted)
    • SNR: 101.8 dB (1 kHz, +4 dBu, A-weighted)
    • THD+N: 0.002% (1 kHz, +4 dBu, -1 dBFS)
    • Preamp EIN
      • -131 dBu (max gain, 40 Ω source, A-weighted)
      • -127 dBu (max gain, 150 Ω source, unweighted)
    • Maximum Input Level: +13 dBu (XLR-Pad ON), -1 dBu (XLR-Pad OFF)
    • Sensitivity: -46 dBu (XLR-Pad ON), -60 dBu (XLR-Pad OFF)
    • Gain Range: 59 dB
• Line Inputs 1–2
  • (2) balanced XLR+1/4” (6.35 mm) TRS
    • Frequency Response: 20 Hz – 20 kHz (+0.2 / -1.1 dB)
    • Dynamic Range: 110.6 dB (A-weighted)
    • SNR: 98.6 dB (1 kHz, +4 dBu, A-weighted)
    • THD+N: 0.002% (1 kHz, +3 dBu, -1 dBFS)
    • Maximum Input Level: +16 dBu
    • Sensitivity: -20 dBu
    • Gain Range: 36 dB
• Phono Inputs
  • (2) unbalanced RCA
    • Dynamic Range: 92 dB (A-weighted, 135 mVrms @ 1 kHz, -1 dBFS, 20 Ω source)
    • SNR: 79 dB (A-weighted, 4 mVrms @ 1 kHz, 20 Ω source)
    • THD+N: 0.002% (1 kHz, +3 dBu, -1 dBFS)
    • Maximum Input Level: +16 dBu
    • Sensitivity: -20 dBu
    • Gain Range: 36 dB
• Line Outputs 1–6
  • (6) impedance-balanced 1/4” (6.35 mm) TRS
    • Frequency Response: 20 Hz – 20 kHz (+0.03 / -0.18 dB)
    • Dynamic Range: 113.8 dB (A-weighted)
    • THD+N: 0.003% (1 kHz, -1 dBFS)
    • Maximum Output Level: +12 dBu
    • Output Impedance: 100 Ω
• Headphone Output
  • (1) 1/4” (6.35 mm) stereo headphone
    • Dynamic Range: 111.2 dB (A-weighted)
    • THD+N: 0.006% (1 kHz, -1 dBFS, 10 mW/channel into 32 Ω headphones)
    • Frequency Response: 20 Hz – 20 kHz (+0.03 / -0.19 dB)
    • Maximum Power Delivered: +50 mW (<1% THD, 32 Ω headphones)
    • Maximum Output Level: +11 dBu
    • Output Impedance: 32 Ω
• Pads
  • (16) velocity- and pressure-sensitive pas with 3D-sensing technology
  • (8) banks accessible via Pad Bank buttons
• Knobs
  • (4) 360° touch-sensitive Q-Link Knobs
  • (4) Q-Link Knob columns accessible via Q-Link button
  • (1) 360° encoder for display navigation and selection via push
  • (1) 270° volume control
• Buttons
  • (60) dedicated function buttons; red-, amber-, or green-backlit
• Display
  • 6.9” / 176 mm (diagonal)
  • 5.9” x 3.7” / 150 x 93 mm (width x height)
  • Full-color LED-backlit display with touch interface
• CPU
  • Processor: Quad-core ARM processor
  • RAM: 8 GB
  • Storage: 128 GB, expandable via SATA connections
• Connections
  • (2) 1/4” (6.35 mm) Combo XLR/TRS inputs (1 stereo pair)
  • (6) 1/4” (6.35 mm) TRS outputs (3 stereo pairs)
  • (1) 1/4” (6.35 mm) stereo headphone output
  • (2) RCA inputs (1 stereo pair)
  • (2) 5-pin MIDI inputs
  • (2) 5-pin MIDI outputs
  • (4) Stereo 1/8” (3.5 mm) CV/Gate outputs
  • (2) USB Type-A ports
  • (1) USB Type-C port
  • (1) SD card slot
  • (1) power adapter input
  • (1) drive bay for 2.5” (635 mm) SATA drive
• Power
  • via power adapter: 19 V, 3.42 A, center-positive, Included
  • via battery: lithium-ion, rechargeable, up to 3 hours of battery life with typical use
• Dimensions: 17.2 x 10.1 x 2.6 inch (435.9 x 256.0 x 67.1 mm)
• Weight: 8.6 lbs. (3.9 kg)