Reader Steve Williams, was at MusicMesse and got a chance to see the new Akai MPC Fly. He was kind enough to put together an article to share his impressions!

The new Akai MPC Fly combines two of the most important musical production tools of recent years: the MPC controller and the iPad. The two devices seamlessly combine to create a laptop style case that securely protects your iPad. But the Fly is much more than just a case; it has 16 genuine MPC velocity-sensitive pads in the familiar 4x4 layout. In conjunction with the MPC app you can sequence up to 4 tracks simultaneously, allowing you to make beats wherever.

Although it bears the heavy Akai MPC reputation, I had the impression that the Fly is more of a producers ‘must have accessory’ rather than a serious production tool. Granted it looks and feels the part but in terms of out and out quality it doesn’t really compare to the more expensive MPC units I’ve used. At $300/£170 that is to be expected in comparison to the massive $1300/£730 MPC Renaissance. Unlike the Renaissance though, for professional purposes, the Fly needs to be integrated into a more sophisticated device or Digital Audio Workstation (DAW). Don’t be expecting any miracles from the Fly alone.

If you start to lower your expectations and look at the Fly for what it really is, you start to realise that it’s more of a cool gadget rather than a serious piece of gear. When I had this mind-set I instantly found the Fly much more fun and creative and with the introduction of the iPad, you get the benefit of a well-designed and integrated app. As I’ve mentioned you can sequence 4 tracks at the same time and there’s an existing library of various drum sounds and samples that were at a higher quality than I was expecting. You can also adjust each sample’s velocity, length and tuning through what Akai call the 16 level mode. I was also glad to see that you could take sample from your iTunes library which, in my opinion, is imperative.

You'll find on many sites that the Fly is being labelled as an iPad case and charger, although it is, to me that’s just a bonus. I think its best quality is its portability. Although you might look a little strange, as if you’re on a laptop for children, you really can take and use it anywhere! I think it’s important that I stress it isn’t compatible with the 1st generation iPads, so don’t make that mistake!

I was left with mixed feelings about the Akai Fly, it really wasn’t what I was expecting, but after a shaky start I really liked it. It is targeted at a larger audience, but for different uses. It could be a professional producer’s best friend to fine-tune songs on the way to the studio. Alternatively it could be used by your average guy in his room making tunes. You get a genuine Akai MPC for only $300/£170, so you really can’t go wrong. I’ve made my opinions clear, watch this video and see what you think.

Correction: I had stated (editorially, this is not Steve's fault) that the 1st and 3rd generation iPads would not be supported, based on all available literature from Akai. Akai has contacted me to say that the reason for this is not that they won't support it, but that they are still being certified by Apple. They can't officially say it supports the iPad 3 until Apple says they can. It is their intention for both iPad 2s and iPad 3s to be fully supported at release!