Exclusive details about Akai’s MPC Sample Key

Akai teased its new MPC Sample Key on Instagram earlier this week, and said it plans to open-source its software so the modding community can hack it to their hearts’ delight. While there’s no word yet on when the device will launch or how much it will cost, The Verge has received exclusive images of the upcoming instrument that offer some details about its feature set.

While the Sample Key shares many of the same controls as the MPC Sample — including the three context-sensitive encoders, a large main encoder — it seems designed for pitched sample playback, rather than chopping up drums. In fact, the “chop” button from the MPC Sample is missing entirely from the Sample Key.