When Akai first released the iMPC app, it wasn't exactly embraced by the beat making world. It does seem to be gaining traction, however, and I've noticed people like
Dunc from
DTMD giving it their co-sign. I think it's a great program for the price tag of $6.99. It functions as a portable sketch pad and helps you get out ideas in the moment. While the sound quality of beats produced on the iMPC cannot measure up to more advanced programs like Maschine, I think Akai is taking the right steps towards making it an effective mobile production unit.
I'm curious how much Akai will invest in this app. As companies like Ableton AG and Native Instruments continue to blend new technology with the analog button pushing aesthetic, it will be interesting to see if apps can ever become a serious part of the producing community. While the iPad itself is expensive, I'm sure the affordability of various production apps like iMPC makes them attractive to younger producers and amateurs alike.
The amount of
YouTube content featuring people on the iMPC continues to grow and I'm willing to wager it won't be long before a major player makes a video of themselves rocking with it. One of my favorite videos featuring the iMPC has DMV producer
Howard B. Knox using the program while riding in the passenger seat of his friends car. What he makes in the brief video (
there is also a Part 1) sounds great and I'd love to hear the finished product. Seeing Howard make a beat while riding around in a car is cool as shit. He should take this idea and turn it into a series.
Shout outs to the folks behind this clip,
Digital Hustle Films, for producing an endless stream of high quality videos and
introducing me to Howard B. Knoxz.
