Akai MPC Key 61 vs Roland & Korg - Is It Really a Workstation Killer?

[@chrisdavies9143]

What I'd like to see, if possible, is someone trying to create a quick song on each, to show the actual work flow, some of the challenges etc. Perhaps give 5 or 10 minutes per workstation.

[@joonglegamer9898]

You're gonna see a lot of this, and there's going to be a TON of youtube videos about this, the thing was just released 2 weeks ago, just like me a lot of people are having WAY too much fun with it now. I'd love to make a video again (I've suffered from Work-Burnout so I'm a bit slow to release videos on my main channel, this is an ALT I use for commenting and gaming), but I'm literally BURNING to show you all how almost silly-easy it is to use. It LITERALLY is just the following (and you can quote me on this later!): Start your AKAI - First thing you do is 1) Press New Empty Project. 2) Select a sound. 3) Press the TIMING button and chose wheter you like unlimited timing on/off or Quantize if thats your preferences, I prefer Un-timed workflow, sounds cozier and more natural for me). 4) Press MAIN and select the number of BARS (where it says 4, just click on that) and change it to something long say 20-24 ish, you could go 999 hah! but ...). 5) Press REC - and play till your hearts content. Now you can press -+ (down the bottom of the screen, it means NEXT TRACK) and Select sound with the SOUND button, and press REC again (or DUB if you like that), should you make a mistake, fine...just press UNDO as much as you like, this is a MULTI History undo/redo And when you wanna mix, just press MIXER button, and you have your entire play setup there and can adjust volumes to your liking. Should you wanna edit - just press GRID - and go nuts, copy/paste are the same as on PC - you can even paint notes too! And that's not all - if you prefer a different workflow (say work on 4 bars per section, you know - timed rythms with metronome and that traditional stuff) you can do that too! And later you can go to SONG mode and insert all of those Sequences you recorded in a pretty little "Shopping style list" and copy/paste/repeat/stretch to your hearts content :) It is THAT easy!

[@GerenM63]

If you want to see workflow of the MPC Keys, just watch any of the MPC One or MPC Live videos on making a song -- the workflow is the same. The biggest difference is that this has keys -- and damned nice ones, at that (I got to play with one a little bit the other day at my local shop). I don't think it's better or worse than the Korg or Roland, though it is a little different. And, it's got aftertouch, which the Nautilus and Roland "0" series do not. The keybed is not as nice as as the Kronos 2 61, though....

[@mrmister7355]

It depends on how familiar you are with the gear. I’m a Mpc head all day, but my family member has a fantom 6 and he’s nasty with it

[@thebiguglygamer]

only if its lee :D

[@chrisdavies9143]

@@thebiguglygamer might need to be a long video 😅

[@DNGMaestro]

The interest in comparing these machines is really not in comparing the sounds but in comparing the workflow to create, loops, ideas and songs.

[@INeedsMoneys]

The sounds them selfs are hugely important tho, after all it is the sound of the instruments that will define how good the end product will sound. But i agree the workflow is an important aspect too

[@1881Gordon]

I agree with you both to be fair. Production wise I'm certain that the Akai will bite big chunks out of the other two, but sounds will always play a part, however small. Another great quickfire video.

[@elvinlewis4233]

Completely agree.

[@djcliffyc]

Truth be told

[@thelibrarian3734]

I found that the Akai sounds were so uninspiring to play with that the work flow was irrelevant where as I forgave the basic sequencer on the Korg because the sound was beautiful x

[@philippeleblanc856]

I'm impressed with the thick and warm sound of the Akai. I have the key 61 and I'm glad that's the work station i chose. It really is a beast. Iv always been an MPC user from the MPC 60 through to the 2000xl, then The live, then The one retro and now the key 61. It just sounds more superior in my opinion. And we all know about the drums and sequencing ability that made Akai the beast it is. So Ya. Akai is the one... a.k.a... NEO!! Ya mon. Akai all day! Thank you for the comparison. Cheers bruh.

[@INeedsMoneys]

Ya mon! High like the mountain 🔥🌳 rastafari mon

[@nucentury08]

Yes I have the LiveII and just Got the X last week Man!!! X Sounds So much fatter louder then the Live2.😎

[@omedome2787]

I'm considering buying the Akai, it looks and sounds like the way forward. Have you had any problems with bugs or sounds not uploading? There have been some reports of those issues.

[@stuntmanmadeit]

@@omedome2787 it's a gem!! I also have an MPC live 2 that is my daily driver. The 61 is my main studio piece and it's flawless this far!!

[@no_sl303p]

If MPC did an 88 with graded weighted keys I'd get it in a heartbeat

[@Mawds69]

This

[@vincentdelmas2792]

i don't see any reason they won't gets us a model like this ( 88 notes ). Unless the mpc key is a huge fail ( wich don't seem to be ), we have a chance they make a 88 version.

[@AlbaCountertenor]

Pretty sure they will release a 76 and 88 key version fairly soon.

[@EdgyNumber1]

And streamed plugins. 8gb memory.

[@petersteur3848]

Still waiting !

[@mzonemusicful]

My MPC Keys will be arriving TODAY. I can’t wait

[@meissiah]

Nice. Let's do it again but, next time, invite the Yamaha MODX, Omnisphere, and Komplete to the party.

[@draglinedrummer]

I'm definitely interested in a direct comparison with the MODX.

[@budgetguitarist]

GREAT video! Love the comparisons. The MPC held its own with the other two. If I had to rank them, I'd go Roland, Akai, Korg. It's funny - I thought the Korg sounded tubby, and the touchscreen had some very obvious lag. In person I might prefer the Akai. I'm anxious to play one in person.

[@hsn10]

KORG Nautilus lags, KORG KRONOS don't.

[@koraamis5568]

A bit surprised to see so many comments placing the Korg last, I think ot was the most balanced sounding. Also, a bit of irony, starting the comparison wit the C7 and omitting the MODX6, which, being just a bit over half the price of the MPC keys, would have been an interesting contender with this type of presets.

[@mrdavies7894]

Looking forward to seeing you demo music creation and the "non-traditional" sounds, as well as what kinds of flexibility are available with changing/tuning the sounds. Great wrap-up; completely agreed that the current video is 2 apples to an orange comparison. Would love to see more of a "Akai in its own element" type of video, similar to the Mack videos, but with the Dux bringin' it!

[@succulenthd]

C'mon Jack, Andy is a wizard on MPC products but so are the Roland and Korg reps. Put them all in a room and see. You can make song just as quick on the Fantom or with Ableton. You're not showing all the loadings you have to see with MPC Keys.

[@EdgyNumber1]

Whoa! The Korg kills it with the piano and strings. My disappointment with Nautilus is that it cannot even come close to Akai with the GUI and the features and workflow of the DAW. I'm torn between the two! - Choose one of them, I want to purchase in the next few months.

[@Curious_Skeptic]

KRONOS for the win! It is still the most capable workstation despite Korg semi dropping it for the cheaper knock off nautilus. It compares more to the fa06 imho! The mpc 61 screen is impressive though. I think akai could come out with something closer to a kronos, they would kill it. Lack of knobs/sliders, I feel it's just another daw in a box. When I use a kronos 2 88, I just feel endlessly inspired by all the sound engines. You truly have everything you would ever want under one hood. Not sure Akia really is looking to compete w workstations, vs giving the traditional hip hop, old school mpc crowd an integrated midi keyboard. If they added 16 qlink knobs, now you'd have a killer station. Qlink, similar to Native instrucment knobs w two lcd screens give you a level of tactial hands on w versatile programabilty. Give me 16 qlink knobs, 73 keys, I'm in. Otherwise, good old kronos 2 88 yet to be beat!

[@88mokeyz8k]

It just blew them both away.Nautilus will be my choice! To be honest my Korg M3 is Killing both sonically❤

[@seanfromdaheights1508]

M3 is still a animal . Especially with the Radius . Good lord ....

[@gb3496]

Akai needs to come out with an 88 full-sized piano weighted key version of this NOW!

[@JunkSoap]

and stream to/from disk feature like the Force !!!!

[@Jorge.O85]

We're working on it..😬

[@gb3496]

@@Jorge.O85 I certainly hope so - it would be a game changer. Keep the exact same look - the black pads with RGB back-lighting - everything. Whoever designed the look of this board did an outstanding job. Can't wait to buy the 88 full-sized, fully-weighted piano key version!

[@poerava]

Wow Jack! You are a maestro on those keys. I could listen to you for hours. Great chords and great feel. Thank you! IMO, that Akai kilt it! By a big margin.

[@joonglegamer9898]

I am an AKAI MPC 61 Key owner and I've had mine since launch now (basically because when I saw it, there was in my mind no doubt that this will change the music world as we know it), and now I know it will because yes....every manufacturer of every synth till now ALWAYS says in DEMO videos how "simple" it is to use, well - we all know they're usually wrong, and we end up Menu Diving forever and going into an almost religious synth war between Roland Fantom, Korg Kronos, Nord Stage and Yamaha Montage. I have the Montage as well - and it's gathering dust. Sure, it's super powerful, got crazy good sounds, even better keyboard than the AKAI etc. But as far as actual usability when you need it here and now - NOTHING in this WORLD even comes CLOSE to the AKAI MPC key 61. I've NEVER been able to produce competent music THIS fast, ever. One thing that has me baffled is how old school reviewers are, and I've watched 100's of reviewers by now - they all review the MPC in such and archaic old-style way, and they all seem to dive into the MENUES...which is a waste of the new WORKFLOW this wonderbox has. You can do ALL of that DiRECTLY from AKAI's new Layout on the Key 61. There's quite literally a button for every menu screen, Sounds, Browser, Sequencer, Grid, Even Keyboard layout, Mixing, Layering, Recording, Dubbing...heck there's everything you want here - and you don't have to dive into a menu ever again. This thing is gonna change the world of music as we know it.

[@gruponemesis]

nobody is showcasing the ability to use your own sound library in a sequencer all the while having editing capabilities of a daw!!!! ive had my akai force for a year now...same interface as mpc keys....my kronos2 is gathering dust!!!!!!

[@joonglegamer9898]

@@gruponemesis I hear you friend. I feel kinda lucky to have "stumbled" upon the MPC world, because untill they actually made a workstation of it - to me I always pictured those as loopers/beatboxes (yes, that is how ingrown I have been 30+ years into regular synths and brands). I have never bought a synth this fast or bleeding edge, and 2000$ is not to be scoffed at it's a lot of money for most of us working stiffs including me, but when I saw it - something just told me...this is ME...this is what I have wished for all my life, I gotta do it. So I took a chance - and oh-boy am I happy I did that, I'm glued to that thing every day now.

[@darrickkeels6387]

I knew I’d find you here sharing your insight😄

[@joonglegamer9898]

@@darrickkeels6387 AKAI should totally hire me, hah! Nice to see you again Darrick, your DEMO videos are fantastic and of GREAT value to everyone. I can't wait to see your next video.

[@Culture_of_Ghosts]

Are you on the Akai payroll ?

[@chuckg100]

Recently got the mpc key 61, and it's a monster to figure out. By the time I pull up the sounds and patches I've forgotten the song that I had in my head...

[@session-lounge9097]

Best Organ in the AKAI for me, best Rotarysimulation! Reminds me of my Nord… Disapointed of Roland, fast Leslie sounds very Cheesy just as Korg too.

[@lordbachus]

Had a handson experience today with the mpc.. it ended up frustrating me.. in general i use workstations to set up for gigs (including the backings). The dissapointment comes from the loading times which disqualifies it for live use. I disliked the keybed, to springy in the pushback, combines with the missing faders…. Next to that i prefered the sounds of the Roland (but then i allways liked that sound)

[@sharingmatters]

Thanks for the video! AKAI is great with its pricing and a large touchscreen. I am wondering why you compare it to Korg Nautilitus where most KZbinrs say it is the worst out of all workstations - maybe I am wrong. It would be great to test it next to Kurzweil PC4.

[@blackdownAV]

Akai gear is great BUT you have to love the workflow. I’ve bought and sold all the modern ones except the X and this and I really want to love them. I just can’t get along… Whereas I enjoy the Roland workflow.

[@nucentury08]

X is a Monster and still King!!

[@floydkeys]

Love that you're playing Shine On You Crazy Diamond with the stings. I'm looking at thr akai because of the minimoog plugin!

[@rdboon]

Found this really interesting, and also the comments. You just can't tell properly by listening to such videos unfortunately. For instance I felt the Korg came off badly on this video, but I've had all three of these at home and I felt that in person the Korg was the best sound wise. But the screen on the Nautilus is just awful and you're forced to use it because of the lack of controls. The Akai looks amazing but in reality needs some serious firmware/software updates to fix some key problems and falls short in many areas. And the Roland for me has always been a conundrum because its sounds are just okay, nothing special, but there's lots of them with everything you really need and I really like the introduction of the clip based sequencing, it's just fun and easy. And the keys are very nice (I agree with Jack the Korg keys are the best though - the Akai keys are just terrible as they're too short and too firm). Everyone's opinion is different but I urge you to try for yourself. The Akai could be something special with some further updates.

[@Jason75913]

I hate the Nautilus front panel, but damn does it sound good.

[@joehenthompson2023]

I'm a Korg Fan, but I'm very impressed with the MPC 61Keys. The sounds, workflow, and how intuitive it is to use. There is no Workstation out there that can start up instantly like this one. Can the MPC 61 keys load up a set list of song patches and or sequence for live gigging without delay? Thanks

[@lordmusician]

I’m a Korg user too, answering your question, No, the issue with mpc 61 is not good for live gigs, because every time you change the sounds, it will load up like you do it with VST in your pc, so it’s not instant

[@joehenthompson2023]

Thanks for your reply. To be able the change your sounds at an instant is a deal breaker for live performance. I suppose there is no work around this problem?

[@lordmusician]

@@joehenthompson2023 not at the moment, that’s the only reason I can’t by amai mpc, because I need to change sounds quickly on live stage… but certainly akai wil come up with a better version…remember this is their 1st time doing this type of workstation

[@joshuasessions1695]

I would like to see Jack take a crack at building a drum, bass, and key loop or something. That seems like a way fun to use these keys. I’ve not followed MPCs close until now, a standalone key that functions like a DAW with an audio interface seems so awesome. Also very curious if it’s possible to build loops for an A section and B section (like different drums for verse and chorus while jamming out keys on top of those loops). The live performance options seem intriguing not having to deal with a laptop. Thanks Jack for the sweet demos!

[@OgamiItto70]

The Korg sounded like it was in mono even when it wasn't. What a drag. I liked its organ sound best, though, in spite of the mono flavor. It had that Jon Lord growl.

[@Syndrive]

Nice video, would loved to see the main features and distinctions compared instead of patches though.

[@SoundMadeVisual]

Yeaaaah, this is NOT a workstation Killer. Having tested this out, i already noticed tons of flaws that shouldn't exist in this. 1. Zero Seamless Transition 2. Learning Curve On The Interface 3. Keybed Is A bit Sticky. 4. EPs are very generic sounding right out. 5. MOST of the internal sounds LOAD pretty long before you can USE the sound (Huge Turn Off For Me). It really runs like a VST inside a Hardware body. 6. If you try to use use the sounds to fast when loading it will FREEZE on you and malfunction with a very loud sound like a VST will do sometimes. This is great for Live performances for SURE as far as Key Pads & Building tracks! Probably one of the BEST ever put out. But owning several workstations from Korg, Yamaha & Roland (those for ME are still better in terms of workflow & overall quality.) So dont fall for the hype, test this out for yourself before just buying it and being disappointed from the cons thats not addressed here. See if its for YOU and YOUR workflow. Its great in what its great at, but again doesn't have the particular elements i would expect a workstation to have. Still a great piece of hardware tho, congrats to Akai!

[@ramim.5856]

That sounds bad to me I heard same bad things here also on KZbin and the OS is slow too, but KZbinrs seems want to chop us and buy the keyboard!

[@earrelavant3816]

I mean as with any machine you have some limitations. Sometimes the limitations is what forces us as creators to make certain decisions which is not necessarily a bad thing. But after spending a considerable amount of time using it I can honestly say this thing is the future and at least raises the bar significantly! Also this is Akai’s first stab into the workstation arena so I’m sure the next version will be even sicker

[@whiteman1506]

I also own a MPC Key for about two weeks. I don't want to be a smartass but the Akai needs more time to power up than two seconds...😏 In fact it needs about 30 seconds to boot, but this is also very fast and ok for my opinion. But it would drive me nuts if i had to wait about four minutes to boot like the Nautilus... 😆

[@bjornkreuze7423]

I dont understand why people complain about a 2 min start up time. Them your high end pro studio is ready.Never her a drummer complain about a 60 min set up time for his gear

[@peterkadarmusic9728]

The Akai is coming along nicely. I wish they had a parameter to adjust the mic distance on the rotary sim. I’d love to see them do for brass what they did for the string library.

[@richsandness5409]

Good job Jack, I can see (imagine) what you're saying about Korg feel, but (although I was not using headphone) ... I thought that the Roland followed more closely to the Akai on piano & electric piano, "Korg" did not "seem" as bright on electric piano, but it did have a nice warm sound, in it's own right / and way, especially on string-like sounds, but as you intimate, (and I agree) the focus here is on simplicity of Process; work-flow & workstation production. You should know. 😉 (And do, IMO.) Back to "sounds" in particular though, I really liked the "brightness" of the Triton when it first came out. Very "cutting edge" and sharper than the M1 (understandably as it was their update). Even though Triton is older tech now, I sure would not mind having a module of ... since you mentioned it, ... and, "YUP!" They made more modules, it seems to me, back then. And while being on "the subject" of "Modules", I certainly would not mind "if" I saw more "modules" for/from - Yamaha, - Korg, - Roland, and etc. in general. Hey! 😉 Less weight, but "still great" sounds good to me, and then for "Stage" just have more of a "specialized" keyboard for that, according to the player's and band's desires and needs. Elsewise, IMO, "too many" keyboards, unless one is in a studio, and even then, ... It can become "redundant" for those who are not millionaires. or those who have a more "Abundant" Budget. 😉 Seriously, I have seen a significant reduction of "Modules" in the last 5 or 10 years, and I think that is wrong trend. Now obviously w Akai, they're coming from opposite direction, and their expansion for a "do it all" workstation is well placed and financially a 'smart move' also. I can think of 3, or 4 keyboards that are "buy-ready" right now, but other than those, I sincerely believe ... - There should be more "modules", and / or swapping over to more DAW's. Bottom bass lines and "Rhythmic structure" in "Key of Life?" I'm first of all just "happy" to be alive, interested, analytical, healthy, and creative, ... By the grace of God. (Amen)

[@christianokami2220]

Main thing about the Kronos/ Nautilus is that they are pre-loading everything (by default), whereas Akai boots a blank slate, changing the initial boot-up time. From what I’ve seen from switching patches in other videos, you would have to plan out your set as an entire project file in order to achieve seamless patch switching like the Korg.

[@robthemactv]

True!

[@mazzika-arabi]

Selecting sounds on the Akai is a bit slow, it takes some time to load the sound, you can see a Loding bar on the screen .

[@kb420ps]

This did not go as I expected it to. I really thought that the Korg and the Roland would blow the Akai away, but that's not really the case at all. The Akai seems to hold it's own from what I'm hearing. For some reason, the Korg sounds REALLY muddy to me. Like there is a lowpass filter on it that's cutting out the highs, and even some of the upper midrange.

[@INeedsMoneys]

Exactly my take aswell, sonic clarity was best on the Akai. Korg sounded especially dated, muddy like u said. But the strings on the korg was pretty good ill give it that

[@apoclypse]

Everyone talks about the Roland sound but Roland has basically been selling the same sounds for years. Some sound really dated. The MPC sounds modern. The nautilus to me just sounded so weak and lofi in this video. I don’t know if it’s a setup issue or what but the MPC was upfront and clean sounding in comparison.

[@bassnotes5468]

The nautilus is a step down from the Kronos. I’d think the MOD-X would have been a great addition to this shootout. Great vid btw

[@Jason75913]

Nautilus sounds cleaner than the Kronos in a side-by-side comparison, in my experience, otherwise equally as good.

[@matroswe]

Fact: From a sound perspective Kronos and Nautilus is the same. There are new samples to the latter, but the old ones work too.

[@SessionsWithMike]

Thanks a lot for this one!

[@mikebush3834]

I'm currently paying on a Fantom-08. I've got an MPC live and I love it so much but I went with the Fantom-08 after playing it in the local music shop. I'm gonna be using my MPC as the brain to sequence everything. Can't wait... 2 more weeks 😏🎶🎹

[@rjakiel73]

Needed a MOD-X in the mix

[@assassinaudiotore8379]

I have modx 6 and i'm not so happy it's not a specjal just normal synth middle 🤷🏻

[@rjakiel73]

@@assassinaudiotore8379 you obviously have never fully explored a MODX.

[@middle_pickup]

I think the MPC keys is quite cool, but they're really targeting modern music. The typical workstation keyboard has bread and butter sounds for gigging muso's. They're different sorts of things.

[@obscuresoundz]

I think Korg historically always had some of the best sounds; and its a testament that that old Nautulis can still hang with more modern sound boards

[@berobujanovi4331]

Roland and Yamaha are kings ,Korg was always third.

[@flossondatrack8861]

That Korg sounded Horrible, Besides the strings.

[@Jason75913]

@@flossondatrack8861 you probably like the treble boost on the other two, put some treble boost on this video during the Korg segments and see what you think, a lot of players boost trebles on their keyboards anyway (doesn't matter which) to get them to cut through a band's sound better on stage

[@Jason75913]

@@berobujanovi4331 Korg was always behind in the past, but this time around, Krome EX and Nautilus have the higher-fidelity samples.

[@jakesanchez3970]

@@berobujanovi4331 Not anymore, Roland has fallen a distant third in sales in both workstations and arrangers. Over the last 2 years, Roland has taken some major hits.

[@Denvermorgan2000]

The Akai sounds great i wish i had a set of sliders for the drawbars but other than that it sounds great.

[@JunkSoap]

This MPC Key could be the holy grail if it had 88 GHA keys and, more important, STREAM TO/FROM DISK like the Force....

[@southpau]

There’s a 76, 88 key version coming! 😎😎

[@christopherlyle2731]

I feel the Akai had a brighter/ warmer sound with the Roland a close second. The Nautilus had a dull sound to me except on the last patch, it sounds amazing. But over all the MPC is a winner in my book.

[@peteroppong1171]

GREETINGS..... Please in this comparison....the sig tune you ended the review with had a killer drum sound. Where was it from. Please 🙏

[@justinmerritt3843]

When the Roland goes through the rotator function on the organ, it sounds excellent. The Roland sounds very good in all honesty.

[@squeakD]

Do a vid for the Akai producing more traditional styles of music (using common bread and butter sounds). Demos those acoustic guitars, electric guitars, electric basses, acoustic drums, brass instruments (ensemble and solo brass). Use the Akai to make Jazz, blues, rock, ect, and see how it stands up against the big three for those genres.

[@g-soul4771]

It’s only hope is the fabric sound pack and it don’t even ship with fabric. You would have to purchase it separately or with the other sound packs otherwise this is just Kontakt mixed with a MPC drum machine. I didn’t buy It. I only purchased fabric and installed it on my MPC One. Fabric by far is the only thing that makes this relavent.

[@rdboon]

@@g-soul4771 the Key 61 ships with both Fabric and also Fabric XL. It doesn't need buying separately like it does for the MPC One.

[@g-soul4771]

@@rdboon Then it’s dope! Fabric makes it go from 0 to 100. It makes it a true workstation with bread and butter sounds that are categorized with the same sound character. Thats what makes a true workstation. It gives it that vibe like the 90s. The only software (besides Korg and Roland) that ever achieved that was Nexus and Logic Pro. That’s why nexus users had such a strong vibe.

[@rdboon]

@@g-soul4771 Yes it does make the difference, it's definitely the most useful of the available 'plug-ins', but although the sounds are laid out logically within Fabric itself, the MPC Key is still missing a basic search feature that would massively help when looking for certain sounds quickly. There's no way to group all of the machine's sounds by type like you can with almost all other 'workstation keyboards', most of which are grouped this way by default anyway. Because the Key 61 uses a plug-in format similar to that of a DAW it makes you search within each one manually for your required sounds. Fix that, and the transition speed when switching from one sound to another, and you have a very capable machine indeed.

[@DungeonStudio]

I'm so stoked to get the Akai soon. But am surprised how much the Nautilus was liked. To me it sounded really 'plastic' and/or muffled grunge on some of the patches. Which is okay for some cases. But between the Akai and Roland - I was imagining some sweet reverb being added, or to slightly EQ the sound to be 'muffled grunge' so to speak. Roland's got a LOT of controllers on top, which is good for some. But I think Akai is great that it's so simple, and hopefully assignable that one could could control a drawbar via ribbon or mod wheel if the composition needed that extra variance during recording. Whereas Roland seems more attuned to the 'live performance' aspect still. And hate to say, the Nautilus looked like a big Casio between the two.

[@ksager123]

Exactly. Idk how how thought the nautilus sounded better. It sounds worse than a stock FL studio plugin

[@ScottsSynthStuff]

Curious that you thought the Nautilus sounded best. Apart from the strings, I thought the Nautilus really fell flat against the other two. I would have liked to have seen the MODX included as well. I have the Fantom-06, but I don't think I would switch it for the Akai. Also, the Nautilus is...well, ugly. :)

[@DisInfoWars]

A Nautilus and a MPC one would be the winner

[@MonetaryGain]

Man, forget comparing sounds. All of them have great sounds and have the tools to make your own sounds. On which one can you produce a professional sounding song? Which ones have great mixing and mastering effects and great sequencer?

[@dennishunter5552]

Korg need to step up their game with the nautilus.

[@Sawtooth311]

Once they fix the MIDI note off problem that occurs when using with a midi controller it will be a workstation killer for sure!

[@SticksAandstonesBozo]

Well I can’t believe I’m saying it but the Akai absolutely killed the others. It’s not even close. I’m stunned.

[@JoelNetz]

6:07 You're going to tease us with the name of the patch but not play it?!? I expect a patch roulette video next :D

[@SufferahsmusicHD]

every time I hear that korg its soo emotionally triggering it sounds amazing

[@rickyperson4927]

I'd like to see the work flow of each myself

[@joannehorrex7548]

Love your videos Jack, personally would never buy Akai again I had an Advance 61 loved the Keybed and the pads but zero support not long after it was released eg no updates etc. now have arturia keylab 61 controller and Roland fa06…best decision I ever made. Phantom looks sick tho 🤩

[@Jason75913]

FA-06 + Axial Expansions (or just an Integra-7) gets you most of the Fantom's Zen-Core arsenal, which is all JV1080, XV5080, and Jupiter-80 presets redone in Zen-Core. Very same sounds.

[@sharingmatters]

All fantoms are the best looking keyboards.

[@JoeSmith-v7o]

The Nautilus had some great sounds but there is a lot of wasted space on top. They could have really made better use of the available space with some sliders, pad, and knobs.

[@gabrielegelfofx]

I doubt the Akai has the same computing power of the Roland + Zenology. Let’s listen to the virtual analog emulations created by the Akai software. In 2022 the Akai processor should have much more computing power than the Virus cpu.

[@jonnycavell]

Swings and roundabouts. Agree that VA isn’t the MPC’s strong point, but the sampling, sequencer and effects are really good. And it’s a true DAW replacement.

[@Jason75913]

Roland VA emulation is fairly mediocre outside of System-8 and System-1. Better hardware or software is highly abundant and very easy to come by. Akai is even worse at VA, though, lol! And even worse software is also abundant, so I'd say that in the end, Akai is just okay because there is piss-poor software around to take last place.

[@PreciseSense85]

The Yamaha MODX8 should’ve definitely been in this shootout

[@mysticsailor9]

As an MPC-X and ex-Fantom user, the short answer is a flat no. A workstation comes embedded with pretty much all, or close approximation of all, the sounds you will need to produce a track. Akai falls seriously short….if you want a sampling focused workflow then the mpc61 is better than an mpc one plus mpk61, but if you want a huge library of sounds this isn’t it….adding a keyboard to an mpc never made it a workstation competitor in the past and it doesn’t now…the entire mindset, focus and strengths of these units are in opposition

[@earrelavant3816]

I had the fantom and not gonna lie the sounds were very nice but I traded it in for the akai and I do NOT regret it. I was pleasantly surprised at how good the sounds are. Plus there are 16 slots (I think 16) where I'm sure new sound banks will be available to download for purchase of course. The fantom fell short for me in terms of workflow. The sequencer was terrible. Trust me I had the 1080, 2080, 5080 the original fantom and then the latest fantom so I really struggled on the decision to part ways with it. But I can honestly say the akai is the clear winner for me. On top of that you can always sample the sounds of a fantom or any other board for that matter. Just my 2¢

[@gruponemesis]

ive had every korg workstation since 1987. Ive had fantom, motif and stand alone digi recorders from the 90s. Akai IS THE WORKSTATION KILLER!!!! Geat fkn vid getting this beauty some exposure!!. I bought akai force last year paired with a nord grand....it has 80% of the GUI of the mpc keys. it is a fkn beast!!!!! SO PROUD OF YOU AKAI!!!!!!!! (oh...i have the akai s5000 too...im that old lol)

[@AutisticCuriosity]

How can the Force have 80% of the keys When the keys doesn’t have a arranger mode - nor does the keys have they clip launcher. The Force blows away the keys simply by adding a midi keyboard. The only difference is that Akai played dirty by charging £500 for the updated sounds to make the keys seem worth the ridiculous price. Oh and the Force will be getting these new instruments anyway in new update.

[@gruponemesis]

@@AutisticCuriosity ok you got me there...but 80% is till accurate.... The force is an animal and she has replaced all my workstations. i have a controller connected to it and the beast is just revolutionary imo. i have no need for the on-board sounds as i have a huge fkn library of sounds...in addition to every korg and roland workstation ever made😎 (plus my new nord grand)

[@AutisticCuriosity]

@@gruponemesis completely agree! The Force is awesome. I’m a nurse so can’t afford sound packs… yet . but what it has got with it is awesome 😎 and they do me.

[@michaels8607]

let sbe clear..It does not take $4000 to have a GREAT synth and the majority cannot tell the difference between similar sound sets. To add to that with a sampler,open source tools,and open ended EFX you barely have any limits. In other words I can run signals through my ASR10 sampler, and not one average person will figure it out. Understand that if there's 5000 'new' products in 2022 then 4000 of them are basically new versions of the same thing. Only on KZbin does everything need to be PERCIEVED as a 'comparison',TO SELL GEAR. In other words, MAKE UP some 'reason' to pretend everything new is better. From what I see,the MPC Key61 is NOT supposed to be nor says it is a Kronos/Fantom/Nautilus,etc..I have a 76 key bulletproof synth I paid $100 for with amazing pianos, and a Roland HS^0 for $250 that STILL rocks. Just be aware of the hype of certain things and the naysayers when it comes to things like the Key61...

[@KAliStudioConstanta]

I don't know what to say. I felt like all of them were kinda cold as pianos. I'm not really sure if Korg is better than Akai ,but the Roland surely is better than Korg imo. Also, i think the instruments on Akai are very useful because you can sculp the sound you like with it . But the piano i heard in this video as demo from akai is very different from what i heard in other videos.

[@CXtheproducer1]

To be honest after owning a Fantom X, Korg M3, they sound incredible but their sequencers are weak and so is the sampling on those keyboards but to be fair. Those units are not touted for their sequencers or samplers. We always sequenced the top 3 keyboards with MPC’S and it was just a matter of time when someone came will a solid workstation.

[@ramim.5856]

I agree the sequencers are really difficult I owned korg and it's bad for sequencing and Roland Fantom is better than Korg but it's also Hard nad I used a computer instead but the AKAI seams a different game!

[@zebracarriage3695]

Same, I thought the korg sounded really dated.

[@woodyforrest313]

"after owning a Fantom X, Korg M3, their sequencers are weak" maybe, but the sequencer of the current fantoms is completely different. more like ableton live and bitwig studio.

[@Tigerex966]

Where was Yamaha modx

[@joeylingle]

I'm a live player. On the MPC 61 How is the Set list mode. Can you store songs including audio so it will come up after it has been turned off and back on again? In stand alone of course.

[@Bigmojo75]

I don’t think it’s a “workstation killer”. I think it actually displaces the entire workstation concept. It would do more so still if external connectivity was better with say 4 midi outs.

[@darrickkeels6387]

You can connect a USB hub to it and control 30 or so devices via MIDI.

[@Bigmojo75]

@@darrickkeels6387 would 32 devices be 32 midi channels. 16 from the included out means just one midi out connection vie the usb device. My old Akai ASQ 10 and 2500SE could send to 64 channels on 4 outs, like the MPC X does now. For live use this could be incredible, syncing midi note information and sysex plus. sending show signals to say a midi to DMX converter to run lighting or even video playback.

[@thetruemrstallings]

I use an MX-8 midi patchbay with my MPC One for 8 midi outs. 💯

[@Bigmojo75]

@@thetruemrstallings cool, but are they 8 differently assignable outs or 1 plus 7 duplicates to limit midi daisy chain delays?

[@kaikiefer8303]

The one thing I notice that get little attention is the sonic variety of sampled instruments in the MPC - to me that is less deep to Yamaha / Korg / Roland categories like Wind or World/Ethinc sounds missing completely.... also many of the Keys Patches in the MPC do sound very similar. But to be fair the other side the MPC has (similar to Korg) engines that cover other territories like FM, Mellotron/Solenia , ARP/Tube, Hype ... FWIW

[@joonglegamer9898]

I agree completely. And take it from one who have had workstations for 30+ years, there is ZERO comparison. If you started comparing these (which would be so unfair to the others) the others would stand out as silly and over-engineered beasts, they really are more of "synth workstations" than actual music workstations. The MPC is a REAL Music workstation, select sound, next track, record, next track, select sound, record and repeat - it's THAT easy! Try doing that with the other ones.

[@kaikiefer8303]

​@@joonglegamer9898 MPC = Music Production Center, isn't it :) I hope AKAI continues to expand the sonic variety going forward ... I hope for good acoustic woodwinds/percussions samples in the Fabric. But good that AKAI has a deep ecosystems of sample packs.

[@tonylancer7367]

Maybe it's my ears but why the AKAI sound so much better than the Roland and Korg, like higher definition than the other boards? I wonder if there's an EQ on those patches on the AKAI.

[@Roguetrainer]

The only one that the Korg sounded better on for me was the rotary organ. The piano just sounded weird compared to the other two. I thought the Akai had more natural sounding strings. The big test would be how they behave as workstations. How easy is it to record patterns/songs and then edit them after.

[@gpr4eva]

Akai sequencer pretty much smokes all of them by a long shot

[@Roguetrainer]

@@gpr4eva having an MPC One I am likely to agree with you 😊. However, the more Ableton like clip process in the Roland may actually be better for full songs. I don’t own one, so cannot say exactly, but it does seem rather good from the videos I have seen.

[@gpr4eva]

@@Roguetrainer I don't have a fantom either but I hear it has a limited amount of measures within the sequencer and u can't record in a linear fashion.

[@thaJeztah]

Are the Akai keys shorter than regular? They seemed like they were

[@elvinlewis4233]

I don't know why they sound different, but the Nautilus does not sound like the Kronos. Kronos is much thicker and richer in fidelity..imo.

[@parham101k]

They forgot to add a separate earphone volume control for the people using studio monitors. It annoying switching back and forth. Also what up with the 7 plugin max? Other than that. 👊🏾I love it.

[@alldhat-n-den-sum4190]

I'm not being funny so please accept my apologies in advance if you think I'm being rude or sarcastic.... "I'm sorry". However I think the Video you did is a bit misconstrued regarding the perimeters of which you decided to test the keyboards against each other. If you are doing how the different instrument renditions playing on each keyboard. You will always get that they will do different instruments differently each well-known organ piano synth etc WILL sound slightly different and therefore one would have to choose a preference what they think the sounds should sound like or shouldn't sound like. That is a given. Yes the feel and quality of the keys the finger space between the key's the quality of the material of the keys such as wood vs plastic or types of plastic and plastic density, after touch, Channel touch etc etc yes these things ARE ALL RELEVANT, because manufacturers be seriously cutting corners on those things if they can get away with it. So what you are doing here is indeed valid and valuable. However, maybe it's just me but, people also want to know from the title the differences as in advantages and disadvantages regarding the feature set of these workstations. For example sequencing capability and Style, along with number of sequencing tracks each workstation, and also effects and the type of effects and the amount of effects per track per instrument /patch, and do you have to share the effects among tracks or instruments /patch and much much more. And also how the processing power of the CPU in the workstation is been taxed/drained utilised regarding playability and the use of effects sequences tracks and polyphony etc. That's what most people want to hear, as this will affect their thinking and decision-making when purchasing these wonderful machines. I will insert an example below of how these things should be assessed and compared with the KZbinr Darrick Keels... who demonstrates the processing power of the akai MPC 61 keys regarding tracks sequence and effects and CPU... To me this video is just one of the many ways of assessing workstation keyboards, stage pianos, rhythm groove boxes, drum machines, drum kits, bass guitars, electric guitars, effects pedals etc etc. This to me is how it should be done, and one becomes our friend when the on the consumers side and not the manufacturer side unless the manufacturer is bringing out something revolutionary and good value for money such as the Akai MPC 61 keys. Don't get me wrong I'm no Akai fan boy, neither am I Roland fanboy even though I admit I do like and have their previous workstations keyboard (G6 Series) and groove boxes, drum machines and the same with korg. Sometimes we have to call manufacturers out if they are giving us less features, a fall in build quality, regarding the price. And they should take note, the same way Akai I did when they brought out the Renaissance, and had to correct things to give us the MPC X and MPC LIVE. And Native Instruments did the same thing with the Machine Mark 3 and Mark 3 Plus... As I think manufacturers such as Roland, korg Yamaha, have fallen short and been able to get away with it because people keep just playing the basic preset sounds which are always going to be different even though they all sound good. However, we are not just buying these workstations just for the sounds that come with them, we are buying them because of what they are capable of doing regarding producing music and gigging on stage. Anyway thank you for hearing me out, and again I apologise if I've come across as been harsh and critical to your channel, again I apologise. kzbin.info/www/bejne/omfFi5yAf86sldE

[@drtolgaege]

It would be fine with solid metal chasis, 9 faders and knobs maybe wooden hammer action keybed : MPC key pro max :)

[@terrancegriffin1046]

What are you saying mate? Except for the cover you placed on over the organ rotary on the roland, ease of use and brightness was won by the 08!!!

[@DNYLNY]

The Roland and korg are better performance keyboards… but if your goal is to make a complete song on one machine (my idea of a workstation) or have great backing music on the same board while performing, then the MPC is the winner.

[@sailingstar8176]

Roland and Korg are digital synths with sampling and sequencing added. Akai is a sampler and sequencer, with digital synths and a keyboard added. The synth engines in the Roland and Korg make the Akai ones look like the free VSTs you get in a DAW. The sampling and sequencing functions in the Akai make the Roland and Korg look really limited, difficult to use and old fashioned. If you want to play great sounds, get the Roland or Korg (or Yamaha). If you want to compose great music, get the Akai.

[@williebender6204]

What song is that at 1:54

[@bigkeezo]

Peg by Steely Dan

[@larryclair2195]

I’ll take the Akai!

[@kostaskonstantinou4480]

But in a live situation is not usable …You Can’t change sounds without cutting sound also can’t have like live set of Yamaha or set list as Korg….

[@KeskeinenAika]

Not interested about dated vintage workstations. Akai, however, got my attention.

[@a2roland]

Thank you!

[@moneymike473]

I think the Roland has some better sounds and the More has other sounds that are better but the MPC is probably way better at sampling. All great keyboards but I'd go with the Mpc because I'd be doing more sampling. It's all about what tools you would need the most.

[@Jason75913]

The Fantom-0 is _less than basic_ at sampling. The MPC Key is certainly for you.

[@shabbee]

I agree about workflow really being important, as far as sound goes, it's subjective and depends on the application. The dark nautilus piano would be great for a solo, where the fantom would cut through in a band or house track. Hats off to Akai though for doing something different, a concept I suggested about 20 years ago at a time when it was technically impossible and financially astronomical.

[@AlfredoZauberer]

I got the FA-06 ….and in this line, the FA is the only Workstation that is able to Record Linear! This three Workstations you show us here, Record non linear! With the old FA you have all this Sound too, and with the FA Editor from a Customer, you can buy in the Win Store, you have some more good possibilities. In my opinion the Roland Maschine‘s have the best Sounds and possibilities. The FA have no Touch …but it is ok to work with it….as the Fantom-O came out, I wanna buy one and sell my FA. But as I realize the the Fantom-O can only Record „Non-Linear“ …I don‘t want to buy‘em!

[@darrickkeels6387]

The Nautilus and the Akai MPC Key 61 can both record in a linear fashion.

[@AlfredoZauberer]

@@darrickkeels6387 Yes I saw it afterwards…..but the delay time in the Akai 61 for any Soundset you change, sucks in the workflow at any time, I think so! The Sounds inside the Roland Maschine a directly available, when you choose one! So when you in search of a Sound and you must wait for any sound 5 or more seconds…that blocks heavy the workflow, in my opinion. The new Maschine’s, Nautilus too, looks incredible….yeah….! But the FA has only a Jogwheel and Direction Buttons and Enter, yes or no ….with that you make all your needs. Sometimes that’s block the workflow too ….at the beginning, when you learn to work with it. And when you inside the workflow of the FA, than you realize that for the most functions is a button or a button combination Available….or with shift! And you must wait for „Nothing“! The Important thing for a workstation, in my opinion is, that you can choose immediately and in a direct way, the sounds and the Instruments and the FX to build up your Song….and when you in that operation must wait, for any sound you search for, many seconds and that for any sound….that is really bad….and I don’t understand that Akai don’t fix that….so you have not the possibility to upload your own sounds, so why Akai give the 61 not a faster memory storage, that the sounds can load more faster….2 til 3 Seconds where ok….but 5 or more for any Sound, that is very very sad….or not? The Nautilus I don’t check out really….it’s not my class….what’s the new Maschine from Korg PA5x or what…is an amazing Maschine …but I miss in all that Maschine’s a Sequencer like the FA has….like a MIDI DAW Sequencer! Simple and the possibility to change any Note! The Akai has it …I know, yeah and it’s looking good, like a musician need it….but the delay time to load Sounds, is a Horror,

[@Syntaxband]

Is the Akai MPC Key 61 actually an upgraded Alesis Fusion?

[@blackrenaissanz]

What

[@stef5921]

What about for gigging? Akai MPC or Roland 0 series?

[@Jason75913]

Depends on your needs, there are folks out there using one or the other, even both. Fantom-0 is all the rage, though. Or Yamaha MODX.

[@spalding1968]

But misleading title . If you are going to call it a workstation killer then show it in workstation use . You know auditioning sounds , programming tracks , editing sounds etc

[@BananeHammond]

Thank you so much

[@gooneybird808]

Why not just use ableton and a midi keyboard? Hahah I know some just got mad haha

[@frankschroter2830]

The Akai sounds worlds better! Akai has more power by design. The sound of the Roland and Korg is much too flat! I love my MPC Key 61! :-)

[@Jason75913]

if they sound too flat, EQ them, I frequently run into people who say they crank up the treble on their Yamaha, Roland, or Korg patches to get them to cut through the mix better, whether old keyboards or the current Fantom-0, MODX, and Krome EX Akai and Nautilus have the higher-fidelity samples to my ears, and I know for a fact that Roland sports the lowest-res samples, I've heard the Fantom in person.

[@woodyforrest313]

displays are too small on all three machines. mpc x has the right size. fantom g had it also.

[@mercury8180]

In this test i thought the akai had the best sound with the roland second and the korg last. The korg and the roland had a plastic sound if there is such a thing. The akai had a more natural tone and is the one i would buy of the three unless that is if it is made in china as i have found if so it can be hit and miss but more often miss.

[@Jason75913]

all three are chinese-made, like nearly all other pro audio products of any kind from any big company

[@OMNS777]

I’m learning so many new things in my MPC keys 61 are great!! It’s definitely the future. I even upgraded my external drive to 1TB SSD. Wi-Fi? Sure! I’m in love with the new fabric XL synth. I love KORG but Akai won me !!

[@gffg387]

yes

[@ConeFlower-gx2qk]

Real question why does nobody take advantage of the sampling on the Akai. I got it not for any workstation stuff but cuz it’s the modern equivalent of an ASR 10

[@unclebrother6244]

I owned an asr10 back in the late 90s/ early 2000s. It was a beast. In your opinion, how close does the mpc61 key come to the asr10?

[@ConeFlower-gx2qk]

@@unclebrother6244 well that’s the thing I never had one and the places I found an ASR were more expensive than my MPC Keys. I’ll say it’s pretty damn limitless what you can do with it and with the flavor plugins you can definitely make stuff sound gritty

[@unclebrother6244]

@@ConeFlower-gx2qk ok cool. I appreciate the response.

[@kambata1]

May be if they make akai with 88 normal size keys

[@SpOoNmAn365]

The video does not represent how the boards sound in your room playing live. The Nautilus kills them in pianos, strings, guitars etc. I compared the mpc to a nautilus head to head in late January, not even close with traditional instruments. So I bought a Nautilus 61 mid February and it's amazing. With that said, I need more modern sounds and beats, so Fedex is delivering my Fantom 06 tomorrow. Honestly, if I can swing it, I may add the mpc key to the mix in the fall. I do all my playing on hardware only. Other notes... Korg needs to replace the dinosaur touch screens. And out of the 3, again, to me, Nautilus by far has the best keybed. And being in the Korg ecosystem since the M1, I'm just used to navigating around them. The Roland on the other hand... this will be my 1st ever 😮 Time to see if you can teaching old dog new tricks 😂

[@frankmumbles5006]

Good for you. I just bought all 3 in 61 key. I need a variety of sounds and textures and if I need true standalone then I route the roland and korg into the mpc61😊

[@Jason75913]

"I need more modern sounds and beats" "Fantom-06" 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 RIP in pieces, my sides

[@SouthernEmperor]

From on this side, audio wise the Nautilus din't sound good at all. For me it was the MPC 61 Key. It sounded the warmest out of all boards and thick.