The Akai/Linn MPC60 II is a fascinating piece of music technology history that emerged as a refined successor to its predecessor, arriving with an interesting backstory. While the original MPC60's launch in October 1987 was somewhat overshadowed by the quite poor reputation of the Linn 9000, many musicians still took a chance on it, drawn by its revolutionary concept of combining a sequencer, sampler, and digital drum machine into one integrated system.

The MPC60 II represented a significant aesthetic upgrade, housed in an elegant Akai grey unified chassis rather than the previous model's somewhat fragmented design. The improved front panel featured a striking blue LCD display capable of showing 320 characters and graphics, now seamlessly integrated into a sleek, sloping fascia. The 16 velocity and pressure-sensitive rubber drum pads remained in their familiar position, accompanied by 56 tactile buttons that provided satisfying feedback with each press.

The layout was thoughtfully conceived, with the hi-hat decay fader on the left, a central data control wheel, and a 3.5" floppy drive tucked into the bottom right corner. A headphone jack occupied the far left, while a Stereo Mix Volume control sat beneath the distinctive red Akai logo. The overall design suggested a serious production tool built without compromise.

The rear panel proved equally impressive, offering extensive connectivity options. While featuring just one main stereo output pair, it boasted eight individually assignable Mix Output sockets with remarkable flexibility – each capable of carrying any combination of the unit's 32 possible sounds. The inclusion of six MIDI sockets (two inputs and four outputs) enabled up to 64 MIDI channels, while an Echo Mix Out with its own level control and stereo Echo Return provided additional mixing capabilities.

The sampling capabilities were professional-grade, featuring a balanced input option and a three-position range switch for optimal recording levels. The sync features were comprehensive, supporting seven different sync types including SMPTE and MIDI Time Code. Additional thoughtful touches included a metronome output, two assignable footswitch inputs, and provision for an optional SCSI port.

The sound engine delivered impressive specifications: 40kHz sampling rate, 16-bit converters, and samples compressed into a proprietary 12-bit format for improved noise performance. While the maximum sampling time of 13.1 seconds (expandable to 26.2) might seem modest, the 5-second per-sound limitation proved more restrictive in practice, particularly for lengthy cymbal samples.

The MPC60 II represented a significant price reduction from its predecessor's price tag, the price was nearly 2 times less! While not inexpensive, it offered a compelling value proposition for musicians seeking an integrated production solution without venturing into computer-based setups.

Sampling:

• Rate: 40kHz
• Resolution: 12-bit proprietary non-linear format
• Frequency Response: 20Hz-18kHz
• Time: 13.1 seconds/ 750K memory (expandable to 26.2 when memory maxed to 1.5Meg and to 52 seconds with the OS 3.10 and the double compression mode)

Sound Engine:

• Maximum Sounds: 34 (31 normal + 3 hi-hat variations)
• Simultaneous Voices: 16 (dynamic allocation)
• Tuning Range: +1/2 octave, -1 octave

Sequencer:

• Memory: ~60,000 notes (512k bytes)
• Resolution: 96 parts per quarter note
• Sequences: 99
• Tracks per Sequence: 99
• Songs: 20 (256 steps per song)

MIDI:

• 2 inputs (merged)
• 4 outputs (64 total channels)

Connectivity:

• 8 assignable mix outputs
• Stereo main outputs
• Echo send/return
• 2 footswitch inputs
• Sync in/out
• Metronome out
• Headphone output

Controls&Display:

• 16 velocity and pressure sensitive pads
• 56 buttons
• 320-character (240x64 dot graphic) LCD