Akai MPC60From real comments

Name: Akai MPC60
Rating: 3.2 (28 reviews)

Verdict distilled from 28 mentions across 9 aspects in comments under product review videos.

Positive sentiment80%

PROS 80%

CONS 20%

Rank based on 28 mentions across 9 aspects

View the verdict as

Buy this if...

You want the legendary MPC60 groove and sequencer feel praised by longtime owners
You value a dedicated hardware workflow with muscle-memory pad/button layout
You appreciate warm, punchy 12-bit sampled drum sounds

What users love

Legendary sequencer grooveKey factor0 mentions

Strongly positive

Warm, clean 12-bit samplingKey factor0 mentions

Strongly positive

Intuitive hardware workflowNotable0 mentions

Strongly positive

Proven musical pedigree0 mentions

Strongly positive

Durable/reliable in long-term use0 mentions

Widely praised

Skip this if...

You're not willing to pay the high secondhand/eBay prices commenters complain about
You need guaranteed reliability without repair or memory-expansion tinkering
You require modern conveniences like headphone out (only on the mkII, not the original)

What users complain about

High and rising secondhand prices0 mentions

Frequently criticized

Reliability/repair issues over time0 mentions

Frequently criticized

DAW sync affects feel0 mentions

Generally negative

Sampling artifacts on bass0 mentions

Generally negative

Compare in seconds

Based on user comments

Best choice

1Mid

Mad Professor Fire Red Fuzz

Articulate soundGreat with extended-range guitarsStrong overall tone qualityPrice concerns

Mad Professor Fire Red Fuzz

Articulate sound

Great with extended-range guitars

Strong overall tone quality

Price concerns

2Premium

Mad Professor Deep Blue Delay

Musical analog toneLong-term reliability and board loyaltySimple, intuitive controlsHigh price pointCheaper alternatives seen as comparableDistortion at high settings

Mad Professor Deep Blue Delay

Musical analog tone

Long-term reliability and board loyalty

Simple, intuitive controls

High price point

Cheaper alternatives seen as comparable

Distortion at high settings

3Premium

Mad Professor Sweet Honey Overdrive

Touch-sensitive dynamicsLong-term favorite / durability of appealSweet, low-gain tone qualityHigh price versus clonesDeluxe loses some original characterLimited mid control

Mad Professor Sweet Honey Overdrive

Touch-sensitive dynamics

Long-term favorite / durability of appeal

Sweet, low-gain tone quality

High price versus clones

Deluxe loses some original character

Limited mid control

Best value

4Mid

MXR Super Badass Distortion

Exceptional versatilityNatural, amp-like tonePowerful 3-band EQDemo videos undersell the pedalNoticeable noise floorVolume drop when engaged

MXR Super Badass Distortion

Exceptional versatility

Natural, amp-like tone

Powerful 3-band EQ

Demo videos undersell the pedal

Noticeable noise floor

Volume drop when engaged

5Premium

Eventide Orville

Exceptional reverb qualityHigh-quality warm pitch shiftingStrong aspirational appealHigh priceCheaper alternatives may sufficeEffect can feel like it plays for you

Eventide Orville

Exceptional reverb quality

High-quality warm pitch shifting

Strong aspirational appeal

High price

Cheaper alternatives may suffice

Effect can feel like it plays for you

6Premium

Origin Effects Deluxe61

Authentic amp-like toneExcellent low-to-mid gain driveUnderrated favorite among ownersHigh price pointLimited gain-staging flexibilityNo built-in reverb

Origin Effects Deluxe61

Authentic amp-like tone

Excellent low-to-mid gain drive

Underrated favorite among owners

High price point

Limited gain-staging flexibility

No built-in reverb

7Premium

Roland TR-808

Iconic, powerful kick drumWarmer, more alive analog characterCultural and historical influenceExtremely high collector priceAnalog noise and static requiring EQReliability concerns of aging hardware

Roland TR-808

Iconic, powerful kick drum

Warmer, more alive analog character

Cultural and historical influence

Extremely high collector price

Analog noise and static requiring EQ

Reliability concerns of aging hardware

8Premium

Moog Subsequent 37

Inspiring and addictive to playWarm, fat analog toneStrong DAW/VST editor integrationHigh price for what it offersLimited versatility outside bass rangeNeeds effects/partner gear to shine

Moog Subsequent 37

Inspiring and addictive to play

Warm, fat analog tone

Strong DAW/VST editor integration

High price for what it offers

Limited versatility outside bass range

Needs effects/partner gear to shine

Wampler Tumnus V2

Klon Centaur-style toneConvincing demo influenced purchaseExcellent clean boostNot suited for metal tones

Wampler Tumnus V2

Klon Centaur-style tone

Convincing demo influenced purchase

Excellent clean boost

Not suited for metal tones

10Mid

Wampler Paisley Drive

Transparent toneVersatile across genresWorks well across many guitar typesTwo-channel routing complexityDry signal bleed-throughInconsistent demo impressions

Wampler Paisley Drive

Transparent tone

Versatile across genres

Works well across many guitar types

Two-channel routing complexity

Dry signal bleed-through

Inconsistent demo impressions

You are here

31Premium

Akai MPC60

Legendary sequencer grooveWarm, clean 12-bit samplingIntuitive hardware workflowHigh and rising secondhand pricesReliability/repair issues over timeDAW sync affects feel

Akai MPC60

Legendary sequencer groove

Warm, clean 12-bit sampling

Intuitive hardware workflow

High and rising secondhand prices

Reliability/repair issues over time

DAW sync affects feel

Versatile
1. MXR Super Badass Distortionarrow_upward15
2. Wampler Paisley Drivearrow_upward6
3. Mad Professor Sweet Honey Overdrivearrow_upward4
Expensive
1. Moog Subsequent 37arrow_downward3
2. Origin Effects Deluxe61arrow_downward3
3. Eventide Orvillearrow_downward4
Dynamic response
1. Mad Professor Sweet Honey Overdrivearrow_upward8
2. Wampler Paisley Drivearrow_upward2
Build quality
1. Moog Subsequent 37arrow_upward3
2. Origin Effects Deluxe61arrow_upward1

Overall Impression

The MPC60's sequencer and groove are considered unmatched even decades later. Multiple owners state that 'nothing sequences like a 60,' citing its amazing groove and swing compared to other MPC models. One longtime user with two units calls the sequencer musical even without swing applied. Others specifically want the unit just for its sequencer, and one warns that sending MIDI clock from a DAW can mess with the feel, a quirk documented by other users online.

Its 12-bit sampling gives a warm, clean sound owners still chase today. Commenters describe the sampling as 'the cleanest 12-bit I've ever heard,' with kicks sounding especially good, though one owner noted abnormal clicks on deep bass. Another owner who tried recreating the sound on a 16-bit MPC2000 said they simply couldn't match it. Several ask whether smoothing circuitry inside the box explains the sound, showing genuine curiosity about the vintage components.

Ownership brings nostalgia, restoration projects, and frustration over rising prices. Several users still run original MPC60 units, including ones repaired, memory-expanded, or fully restored after purchase. Others recall touring with multiple units that 'never crashed.' However, more than one commenter laments 'silly prices on eBay' and calls current secondhand prices 'absurd,' showing that cost is now a real barrier to entry for new buyers wanting this classic.

Outdated / Not-accurate data?

speedLegendary sequencer grooveKey factor

6 mentions

Strongly positive

Multiple long-term owners say the MPC60's sequencer has a unique musical feel and groove unmatched by later MPCs or DAWs, even without swing applied. Users report it's burned into muscle memory after years of use.

@PermanentGreen

The midi sequencing and triggering of samples on 60,3000,4000, is still unmatched on a daw, or any of these new Mpc machines and that is the main reason people who have worked with both generation of machines, keep and still use the machines, if Akai would redesign all these new plastic glorified midi controllers to actually machines like we had in the past then we would have a technological breakthrough, but we don’t, Akai is a software company with a very nice midi controller, and thy just purchased another software company. Triggering audio from a native machine that has simple task will always be more precise and immediate than usb audio, therefore the issue for these new Mpc comes down to AD/DA conversion, which is sterile, hollow middle, and as you build tracks the audio breaks up, all you have to do is open one up, good luck putting it back together, just ask third party company who retrofits the converters, why would a new machine need an retrofit for their AD/DA conversion? Whatever you can do in new Mpc you can do it in a daw before, there just was no proper midi controller that thought all of it out like they have, someone please make a proper workstation it’s 2026! Thank you for great video and shout out to Mr.Linn, how did he write a simple code for those machines that we see go ga ga overt it ?

Akai MPC60chat_bubble_outlineFrom real comments

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Who wins on what

Versatile

Expensive

Dynamic response

Build quality

auto_awesomeOverall Impression

Akai MPC60From real comments

Buy this if...

What users love

Skip this if...

What users complain about

Overall Impression