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Akai Professional is shipping the new MPD24 USB/MIDI Pad Control Unit.

Designed for interfacing with sample playback and editing software, the velocity sensitive controller incorporates innovative features, including 16 MPC-style velocity and pressure sensitive pads, transport controls for interfacing with DAW/sequencing applications, numerous assignable knobs and faders, and more.

Designed with the sensibility of a drummer/percussionist, the MPD24 offers a vastly superior interface over conventional MIDI keyboard triggering of drum and other sampled sounds.

With 16 MPC-style velocity and pressure sensitive pads, the new MPD24 offers performers and studio musicians alike the tried and true pad arrangement for triggering sounds that have made Akai Professional’s MPC Series products a hit for several years.

The pads are large, have a ‘wonderful feel’ to them, and should make drum programming and sample playback a pleasure. Further, the MPD24 provides four selectable pad banks for a total of 64 pads - so musicians and DJs will be hard pressed to run out of ‘space’ for their assigned sounds. The MPD24 also supports Akai’s MPC 16 Levels and Full Level features for comprehensive control over the instrument levels assigned to the various pads.

The MIDI programming tool provides six assignable faders and eight assignable, 360 degree pots for transmitting MIDI Control Change data, enabling musicians to manipulate their digital audio workstation’s (DAW) amplitude, filter, pan, and related control parameters with ease.

And for controlling DAW and MIDI sequencing applications, the MPD24 also includes REW, FF, STOP, PLAY, and REC transport controls that transmit MMC (MIDI Machine Control) commands. Combined with its pad system, the new MPD24 makes an uncompromising rhythm sequencing and production tool.

The controller provides a large, backlit LCD display to aid one in keeping track of the system’s various parameters. Of course, no controller is complete without software, and to get you started the MPD24 includes an editor/librarian application that is compatible with both Mac and PC, along with the Akai Sample Library of classic drum machines.

As the name categorically states, Akai Professional’s new MPD24 USB/MIDI Pad Control Unit has the facilities for interfacing with dedicated external MIDI equipment or personal computers via its onboard USB and MIDI ports. The MPD24 can also be powered via USB or via the use of an optionally available AC power adapter.

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