5 Reasons Why I Sent The MPC KEY 61 BACK 

I am not here to bash your decision to send the MPC Key back. Ultimately a product has to work for you as a producer/musician and if it doesn't you should not keep it. This equipment is to expensive for most people to just have it laying around. I would like to offer a different perspective though on your issues with the unit though. 1. Pads Too Small It is first and foremost a keyboard. Unlike other MPC's which the pads are the centerpiece of the unit, the Key is designed for keyboard players that prioritize keys over pads. I believe the pads are the same size as all of their MPK keyboard pads that people use without an issue. 2. Screen too small It is a multi gesture high resolution 7" touchscreen. The Korg Nautilus, Roland Fantom, Yamaha Montage, Yamaha MODX, etc all have 7" screens and they all lack the high resolution the MPC Key has. And most of them are not multi-gesture screens. Not being a flip up screen is no big deal to most keyboard players. It's titled already to help viewing angles. The concern becomes the hinge breaking during travel and gigging. So the mechanism would have to be really robust. The Korg you are referring to PA5X cost over $5000. So...yeah the mechanism is built sturdy but you pay for it. 3. Not enough Q-links. No other keyboard on the market has 16 knobs equivalent to the Q-Links. Also, no other keyboard has touch sensitive knobs. More knobs adds cost. The Yamaha MODX is much cheaper than its "big brother" the Montage. It has all of the same sounds but far less knobs and buttons to reduce cost. 4. The keys are in your way. You want to move it and get busy with the pads. It's a keyboard. That's like a guitarist complaining about their strings being in the way of the knobs they want to adjust. The keybed is main feature of the MPC Key 61. If it is "in the way" it's not the product for you. 5. The sounds aren't top notch compared to NI and Arturia The sounds on the keyboard must fit within the hardware limitations of the keyboard. The latest Arturia V Collection is 32GB of sounds. That is literally all of the internal memory available in the MPC Key. Some of Arturia's sounds use 2.5GB of RAM. That is more than half of what is available in the MPC Key. And more than what the MPC X, Live, Live 2 and One even offer. My NI sounds take it almost a terabyte of space. Many require 4-8 GB and an I7 Intel processor to even play them effectively. Of course they sound better. Larger files carry more information which translates to better sound. Lastly you cannot take Arturia, Native Instruments, etc with you without also bringing a computer with you. None of those VSTs are offered in a hardware keyboard. The Maschine Plus give you some of their sounds but their large Grand Pianos, guitar VSTs are not offered because they are too big. 6. Crashes Yup you are right. It should not be crashing out of the box. Every MPC that upgrades to the latest firmware will experience the same thing. So that is not specific to the MPC Key. Lastly let's say Akai did add everything you wanted. Bigger pads, bigger screen, robust flip screen, 16 touch sensitive Q-Links, a "fold-away" keybed, and sounds quality like a Native Instruments or even Omnisphere. It would need at least 16gigs of RAM, 1 TB internal SSD. The processor would need to be upgraded to handle that sonic capability. Something equivalent to an Xeon Intel chip or MAC M1. Has to be high quality stuff so that in one or years it doesn't start doing weird stuff like most cellphones and computers nowadays. How much do you think that would cost? It would be more than the Korg PA5X. Because that keyboard has no where near the internal specs of what you would need to have to run what you want. That keyboard is over $5000. So let's say the MPC Key 61 was $6500. Who would buy it? Most Korg, Roland, Yamaha, and Kurzweil keyboard owners are already skeptical of the MPC Key as is. You think they would spend that kind of money on an experiment? No. Akai is breaking into a new market. They are trying to keyboard players outside of their normal MPC users to take a look at their product. It sounds to me like the perfect product for you is an MPC X with a MIDI keyboard attached to a computer in controller mode. You would then have everything you are asking for.

So one of your gripes with the MPC 61 keyboard, is that it has keys?

Fellas, AKAI just released its FIRST keyboard version of the MPC. Just like any "first", it will have room for improvement based on what users want. Myself, I like 76 keys. Just enough where I can have range without raising or lowering octaves with a button or switch and not have the weight or extra real estate of 88 keys. The gripes & complaints are what makes good products better. Looking forward to more keys!!!

This is why you see stores like guitar center still around because You can actually go in the store and try out the gear instead of making guesses by looking at what you see on the internet. I have been through that trial and error before with equipment that’s why when something new comes out I go to my local guitar center/music store and test it out to see if I like it before I order online.

Bro the keyboard you described would have costed 4,999 😂😂

DJ wanted a 55 inch screen on this keyboard😅😂

Pads doesn’t bother me. Screen should have been bigger. 4 q links are ok but the touch strip makes up for them in my opinion. The keys feel great. The keyboard sounds are not to be compared to digital sounds that are in computers . Your dealing with different components, there’s no way they can compete. But the sounds are excellent for a standalone unit. Also it depends on the way you manipulate the sounds. One has to create and put there own twist on them in my opinion . But I think you kind of touched on this. As far as it shutting down, all computers can and or will do this, at some point in time. My key 61 hasn’t done this yet, but if it did, I would not be surprised. My $3000 iMac has done this before. They are all computers at the end of the day. Created by man. Not perfect. No one can tell you how to spend your money. I understand . But I love my Mpc X and my key 61.

Well said man. It needed 16 q-links. This is why we need music shops. In the old days you would have seen the problems and never bought it.

Interesting perspectives. #1 Pads- I have not had a chance to play the Key 61 in person because the Guitar Centers that I went to did not have a display, but having seen the One pads, I think they would be sufficient for me. I could see how having them off to the top left may not be ergonomic. Maybe a better placement would have been a row right under the screen like the Korg Oasis, M3, etc. But, then it would not be a grid, but probably more ergonomic. They can make a special edition for you with only 6 mega pads😂 #2 -Flip screen would be great, I think 7" is acceptable at the price point compared to other workstation on the market. #3 - Qlinks -I have never really utilized the Qlinks on my 2500. On my 49 key midi controller, it has 8-10 rotary encoders and they don't really get used, but in theory I could be assigning them to parameters. Having 9 sliders is essential when using them as drawbars. More would be nice, and I suppose if I was using them and assigning them, maybe having 4 would bother me. #4 Keys - Well it is a MPC keyboard so if you prefer the pads to be the centerpiece of inputing your data, then this probably isn't for you. You got the X now, and maybe a 25 key controller would be good complement. I prefer a 61 key, but at least a 49 key. For me, I believe the MPC would consolidate the workflow. #5 Sounds - Sounds are subjective and I think comparing it to Native Instruments KOMPLETE or Omnishpere is not really an apples to apples. I think comparing it to what you would get in a Korg, Roland, Yamaha, Kurzweil, Nord, etc is more fair. However, price wise I could see some comparison as the price to add the VST suite to one of the other MPC's is in the same price range as NI, Omnisphere, Arturia, etc. Imagine how omnispere level sounds, KEYSCAPE, etc would eat up the RAM, CPU, etc. Also, think about when you are listening to all those New Jack Swing hits that used the DX7, D50, etc...how many hits still bump today from the Triton, and Motif ES sounds. I think the sounds on the MPC Key are good enough...not saying they are best of best, but listening to the demos, they sound good.

I keep hearing that this was Akai's first keyboard. But unless my memory is worse than I imagined, I used to own an Akai ax-80. Decent keys, but the digital sliders for analog modulations sounded steppy.

About the real estate for more Q-Links, larger Touchscreen etc: you can't really tell from looking at the outside surface if there'd be enough space available for the necessary internal circuitry and components. Might be crammed with other stuff already.

It is refreshing when I hear honest opinions about music products. I do not own MPC products, but thanks to Akai for creating music products for those producers who love them.

The unit would have required more depth to add full size pads. The keys take up a little more space inside. and each pad would have needed to be 25% larger. Add that up and look at the keyboard and you will see the unit would have to be at least 3" deeper to fit them properly and make it symmetrical.

It's really immersive & I like my MPC Key a lot more than I anticipated I would 💯🎹

Stay blessed brother 🙏 and thanks for the video

I love it I was keyboard player 1st before I got into making beats so maybe I’m a bit biased but I think it’s an amazing machine once you learn your flow with it. 💯

That's for saving me money 💰 Sticking to my MPC 3000 & ASR10

I've just ordered mine. It kinda breaks my heart to hear your opinion, BUT I'm gonna give it the benefit of the doubt and just see how it works out... but I appreciate you my brother. ❤

"The sounds are dope if you don't have nothing else " Lmao !!!

I miss my Ensiniq It was so easy to use

No bro. It's a keyboard first with an mpc built in. It's all about workflow. I still have my EPS 16+ and my ASR 10. They can't touch the key 61. I get the pad thing.... If you got Shaquille O'Neal hands! But the build of the board, the quality of the sounds, and the sequencing capabilities... This ting is tuuuffff!

What people don’t realize is it has been a while since Akai has released another midi controller Akai has not figured out how to get into the keyboard world. People got extremely excited about this when all they did was add keys to a MPC live. The MPC key is a MPC live combined with a midi controller.

You make some good points, but I think the layout is good for access and ergodynamics (at least for me) I'm coming from a Yamaha SY77EX (which I love!), a Yamaha EX5 (YUCK!) that was latched to a Roland SP-808. Synth, sample and effect wise, the two worked well together. But both were so intense with the surface layout, and the screens SO small. And it got to where I didn't know if I was making songs or science experiments! So this Akai job still looks good to me after your review - simple surface, a treat of a screen (for a guy like me), pads and strip just right for tapping out ideas and maybe the odd scratch effect. And yes, the sounds look pretty basic and general standards - but I'm armed with a pretty solid DAW on my lappy now as well. So for me, it's sitting at the keyboard - laying down some chords and bass, putting it to a straight forward beat, and strapping on a guitar to play along with it. And I think Akai has read my mind for my needs. Too bad it didn't meet yours, but hey - better than a Roland DJ-70 still, huh? LOL

What you're not understanding they can't put everything on the first keyboard you got to leave room for the MPC keys 2 the MPC keys 3 and so on.

Wow! I wish that I had seen this video a few days ago, as I Just ordered it this past Thursday 011923 I should be getting it in a day or two. I really believe that you made some very credible points and I would have expected more from Akai. I still have the ASR-10 Rack-mount Sampler, I already had too many keyboards, but Glad that I bought the Rack-mount version, And Bought It within days of its debut, I immediately maxed out the ram and made some of my best music with It. I still have the original box, manuals, and the floppy disc, including a ton of expansion discs. My Question To you, And This Will Help me make a decision as to whether I should return mine or not, Is, What did you find that was equal to the offerings of the MPC Key 61 Workstation, that you would have been happy with? Any suggestions for a similarly priced alternative? Or did you just forget about the Workstation platform? BTW, I had to sub. I will be checking out more of your content. Thanks for your honest review.

For a 61 key keyboard, those pads are average or even larger than average. You could see In the promotional images at launch it had a fixed screen. You can see how many Q-links it had in the promotional images.

I feel you on all your gripes brother. For me personally, if the Key 61 had 16 q-links (a must for such a big and expensive MPC) and more IOs it would be worth buying even with the smaller pads and smaller screen etc. Along with the X, the Key 61 could have been Akai's new flagship MPC if they just would've added a few easy-to-add-on features. I think Akai absolutely dropped the ball with this one. I'll wait for the MKII and hopefully, they will get it right next time. Until then, I think that an X, a Live, or a One with a separate midi keyboard controller is the more reasonable way to go.

This is a great keyboard for the money! It’s a KEYBOARD

U RIGHT ABOUT THAT FLIP UP SCREEN WE NEED DAT ASAP

8gbs ram is a joke on these machines if you wanna use all the inbuilt synths and effects and get more than 10 tracks .

Facts! I sent mine back the same day I got it. Pads are the MPC One pads. I didn’t like them. I agree with all your points.

It’s dope. I’m keeping it and already own the X. Just always wait 6 months first for software updates to kick in.

What are your thoughts on the 8 instruments track limit?

Thanks for your honest opinion, it's helped me to reconsider my options once more...

Ya they could have used the MPCX-10” screen [im 70] larger pads like LIVE2, and no guitar samples on a premium sampler? and no 16 Q-Link is a legitimate gripe. The Key61 [with XLR PhantomPower] should be AKAI’s flagship sampling keyboard! I like the X and its features but theres no integrated keyboard and i too thought Key61 bridged the gap but it doesnt. And i HAVE a high-end 76-key ROMer with a nice Tilt-Screen so Key61 should have. OR if AKAI wants to charge “big bucks” they should make a Studio61/76/88 including all of the aforementioned features. AND while i’m at it, there should be DEDICATED pitch/transpose +/- and octave +/- my MX49 have them and use them both ROMpler and MIDI. i Think my MX49 with a LIVE2 and 2-Mackie M48 battery phantom power units is a better MPC choice; for me. Plus the missing [OEM] sounds can always be sampled into MPC. LIVE2 has backlit buttons great for low light studio & stage environments! #HHNET

Who’s here after the MPC 37 release?

The fact they never kept the external SD card slot was a burner for me. Have the MPC X and having that option is huge. 👊🧡👍

All of your points are valid, however the PRICE TAG on it would have been much higher….did you thought of that?

You do realize that if Akai were to make this keyboard to your specs would have driven the price higher than the MPC X. Then you would probably complain that the price would be too high. You have to realize that Akai is in the business of making money, so engineering constraints have to be taken into account to keep the cost of keyboard down and attractive to most people. Also, the cost of materials such as processor chips are in a shortage and are more expensive to make. As far as the sounds are concerned, the choice of processor used was a cost-effective approach to provide what you now hear based on a popular Chinese-based ARM processor - so there will be limits to what it can do especially for plugins. In addition, since this is a new product you should expect some escaping defects to show on the product as well.

Man I want an ASR 10 oof. Almost even bought an ancient EPS to get me there

I have had one for only few days so not much experience but I agree 100% with sounds. They say 6000 sounds but it is like 100 same pianos with different ambient settings. There is not a single good guitar, the horns are only average at best, no good sax. Im still learning the use of it. I can't say anything about the bugs yet. It took a while to get used to the keyboard but it feels ok now. It is not a weighted piano kb though but it is ok. You can express but you probably need to play with the dynamics settings. The slow loading times is not a problem for me as I am not a performing player. For me the choice was down to money. it was either the Nautilus or the AKAI. Im sure if you put a few grand more you get more. This is sort of economy workstation in proper workstations and Im sure it is a lot of potential for the money, right now. As always technology goes forward and maybe next year there is something awful lot better available at the same price. But I am happy as long as it helps me to try to make some music.

hahahahahahahah this guy designed their keyboard on the spot. I screamed so hard LMAOOO

Good call bro! However, lets be fair. If it had X/Live pads, an X sized flip screen, & 16 Q's it would not be $1500 or even $1800. Even if they could afford tht & make a (smaller) profit you'd be killing sales of the X/X SE. All tht physical hardware costs money & thts why the X is $1k more than the Live. It's honestly amazing it does all it does at it's price as is. It took high sales of current gen MP's & then re-using the One pads & Live/One screens & internal boards to meet it's price. I personally find the strategy smart because it has better pads, a better screen, & a better sequencer than its keyboard workstation rivals for less money. Tht's it's hook as it knows it's behind on the sounds. Ur reason #4 is mad real & ur choice is smart to get it gone. Ur other requests are a bit unfair imo. Ofc they realize they have room to add Q links but at some point u gotta make biz choices. I could see them check every box u want for $4000. They'd need better industrial ram for nore read/writes, at least an i7 for sounds, & plus the extra cost of the hardware. I'd love it but i aint spending $4k. Also, Akai is known for a box w/ pads so I dont know tht they'd want to make the Key u & i dream of based on optics. It would replace the X as the overall company flagship. Kinda like if Chevy made the Camaro more expensive & more loaded than the Vette. They could, they know how. Prob dumb biz. Same w/ Akai. Still love the vid as I love my Key 61 but I daydream of ur same wishlist. Where we differ is Ive had MP's throughout my life cause I make sample based hip-hop. I always end up on a DAW or some lesser known unit because i just cant do much w/ tht square pad grid. I'd try an MP every 5-10 years & end up selling it because while it does what i want as a sampler i just do better w/ a keybed come time to lay it down. Im basically the opposite of ur #4. Id want the X w/ a keybed. Doubt ill get it ever & certainly not at $1500

Regarding the sounds... All my Samplers/ MPC's I got used and wiped... I had to sample & chop all my own stuff. Are people still digging through dusty crates of vinyl and chopping things up? Is this actually a sampler or just another rompler?

This could be your asr10 i never thought about that great comparison

Let me guess you got it again right ?

Yeah, its for piano players actually, however I paid for it and it was on back order and started seeing videos and I decided to buy the X. This is a $899 board. Equal to the NI Series. I agree with everything except the keys. I already have the MPK249, I just bought the MPK261 controller to ride with my X for $499. I'm good now.

I think your perception of the key 61 was a bit petty but I respect your opinion

Yeah I’m with you on the tiny a$$ screen. It needs to be twice the size. The pads were ok though. The rhodes and wurli were the best I’ve ever heard. Other sounds were very good.

you just added another 600-800$ to price tag. Cause they have to make money too. Besides all that, you're right.

you should have sent it to me I'm dying for this keyboard!!

I waited 2 months for mine and I love it. Your trippin on the pad size? You don't like the screen size? There should be more Q links? I understand why you dont like it, its because you dont know how to play keys. First of all, you can use it as a controller and access your vst's through the Mpc 2 program. You trippin on the sounds that come with it, then dont use them but for out the box sounds they sound good. Im a keyboard player and I beat the pads so I love the keyboard. You can always sample your own sounds in it. Your a beat maker so you shouldn't use keyboards. Ive never had an error issue since I've got it. I think if you make a video about a product you should do your research before you post a video. You just gonna go grab another one after you realized you've made a mistake.🤣🤣

Thanks for this! I might hold off on getting it

I just got 1 2 days ago I traded my asr 10 in for it I thought the sounds were going to be banging but the sounds in the mpc software are just like reasons 5 the sounds disappear when u hit 808s the base gets lost I fill like I'm om an mpc reason

Great thoughts, sticking with a MPC Live II

That's why I bought the komplete kontrol S49 Mk2. Almost all of your same reasons why didn't buy the MPC61 key. Plus I have the MPC touch and the MPC Studio2.I also like NI sounds better.

If you redesign this keyboard for real, I’ll be your FIRST buyer!!

This mpc keyboard is for music theory pianist/keyboard based producers. Outrageously big too. We saw the reasons not to pick this up immediately

I sent mine back 'cuz I was expecting a cup holder. I was like, yoooooo they told me it was gonna have a cup holder! Where I'm s'posed to put my syzurp? Bruh, your one and only legitimate gripe is the bug that cause your MPC to re-start. The others are matters of preference. YMMV

Fellas, this is standalone, I got mine for less than 1200$ last week, this is a total Bargain. Why? because you can avoid 100% computer and focus on production, that is priceless Why worry about souinds here? this is production machine, I can replace any sounds quite easily on a live studio recording or from a DAW later if really I'm serious about it. Put yourself on a studio where the computer was the sequiencer and that¡s it. You had samplers, keys, effects... In early 2000's I had all that is included here in hardware and it cost me many thousands more, much less flexibility, much more heat, power and space. Now I can have this and more, COMPUTER FREE in one box for less than 1500? nothing comes even close in price when we talk one box. My 3 year old daughter can learn and create classical and electronic music without a screen and a mouse, priceless

Lol!! Funny people think just because there is space on the top panel there must be room to add complicated electronics.. it is not just drawing pictures.. q-links and flip up bigger screen take additional electronics to make them work, have you seen in it? How do you know there is room inside for that?

That will be the next generation and it will be 2600 to 3000

Different Strokes For Different Folks.... new system shutting down on me I would have returned it as well. However my MPCKEY 61 is a game changer for me... maybe because It takes me out of my studio and bring me to my basement in front of a 65" TV to study its features... Just a change of workflow... none of these DAW, MPC are perfect...

I got a Live 2 and a Fantom 06. I don't need that shit. 😁

They should of been those mpc 4000 pads 😂

To be honest. most of your complaints are nitpicks and with time you could've got used to or found a work around for it. The last 2 points (which were the sounds and the machine cutting off) I could understand. But who really thought the sounds were going to be that great from AKAI compared to synthesizers from Yamaha, Korg or Roland? Hell, from a lot of these VSTs for that matter? You should expect the sounds in the MPC Key to be a bit lackluster. Also, with the machine cutting off, I've learned to never get any tech or things with moving parts when it first comes out. (Game consoles, vehicles, cellphones, keyboards synths etc) They almost always got kinks in them. That's why I wait for them to work out the kinks before I buy. My $0.02.

Sorry on your first point what do you mean it's a big keyboard they have enough real estate to put full size pads? Bro there is no space for bigger pads, look at it 😅 If they were to do it the keyboard would need to be MASSIVE to fit 16 MPC X sized pads.

but it looks like you kept the poster?

I am with you, smaller pads, smaller screen , pads and note repeat are placed to the left of screen, the screen is flat and reflects room glare, I found it awkward in comparison to the MPC x workflow so I sent it back and will keep the X , it’s a downgrade ……Although in the workstation category it’s not the same thing as the other workstations and I think apples and oranges ,

Flip screen?? What happened to the word “Tilt”

Can you sample into this machine and save the samples?

I agree w everything you pointed out + A few things U didnt Like the rear panel not having everything the X has plus a few other features th@ should have been implemented @$ well ,, i feel like akai cut a few corners or didnt have the team creative ingenuity to make the key61 the best it could have been ‼️

This is not more than an AKAI MPC on very cheap outdated laptop. AKAI should of installed more powerful processor and more memory

If you are using NI and went and bought an Akai keys then the question is why did you bother in the first place? Clearly you feel or felt something was missing with your NI setup? Comparing NI based on a PC to a hardware workstation with limited resources is plain fooling 🤷‍♀️

Screens that flip up, keys that flip up and move, sounds amazing but an engineering nightmare.

Five good enough reasons. I bought the MPC Live when it came out and it was so clumsy and faulty I immediately returned it. And yeah Maschine is better in all those respects. That thing of default instruments being all effected just shows there isn't a musician on those design teams. Even if they can all make beats. No-one really into an acoustic or electric piano is gonna want to deal with all those effects when he first hears it.

I'd say if Akai would fix all 5 issues or even 6 issues - key 61 would cost a grand and a half more. But the biggest issue now with keys 61 is bad firmware.

Moral of the story… go bigger or go homer!

No sample based woodwinds? A gaping hole in the 6000+ soundest, IMHO.

At first you say the mpc key reminds you of the asr10, and first issue you complain about is them small pads. Forget them pads bro just use the keys. Im getting one today

I agree, the sounds were half hearted

Buddy, you are not only not a keyboard player, you are not a musician and not an engineer... It's a sampler! If you know what is a sampler and how it works you will never complain about sound. And pads and screen size - when you getting older use glasses...

I’ve been dealing with Akai for years. Mpc key 61 is a trail run for the keyboard line, they are listening to all complaints to come out with a new and better one in the future. There not as experienced with keyboards like Roland, Yamaha, and etc

You can bet they will release the mpc 61 X with a flip up screen and 16 Q’ s and charge another 1099 in a years time

For all that you complained about would of costed an additional $1000. Lol

Definitely wish the screen was larger. They missed the mark with this keyboard.

It should have been an X with keys at minimal !!! With sounds that rival other keyboard workstations and vsts .. I guess they tried to keep it at a certain price point ... They should have went all out... And whatever the price had to be the price had to be... I believe people would have paid !!!! But they half-stepped. !!!

my dawg redesigned the mpc keys lmaaaooooo...what your saying is you dont like that the mpc keys is closer to the mpc one except with keys than achieving what the X is with a keyboard

100% built in sounds, some sounds great, some thin, can’t hold a candle to keyscape or Omnisphere or some of the arturia. But there are some incredible sounds this ships with. It is super buggy

They know what they doin... all of your suggestions will come slowly but surely fam. They gone change it again and charge us again. 1st generations be like that. Another of this is personal preference tho. Maybe you should have put some time in used the edit instrument tools for more flavor to the stock sounds. Your installation may have been wrong and you got the internal error. Just my opinion fam. This price of equipment change the game for me. Workflow is effortless. Let's collaborate sometime tho

On the real, you sent it back for One reason (The Last one), which I would have also. All the other reasons were nitpickish

I’m glad I didn’t buy it. All I need from Akai is the sampler and sequencer.

why did you buy a keyboard if you are not a keyboard player? and then complaining about the keys are in your way...😆 I just wish I could afford a keyboard like the MPC key61

Go for korg bro

True but in all in all you take your chances and all I see is brother need to move forward and stop being dam cheap period if you have a gift work with stop all that complaining period

They have to save something for you to by the next upgrade

Why you moaning if your not a keyboard player , stick to your MPC then my brother ?

😂 6:13 You are on the design team you’re just not getting paid for it. Akai is great about listening to complaints and making their products better. Believe me they have or will watch your video bruh!

my question is... can you play the drums on the keys? or do you have to use the pads to play the drums?

It sounds like the old Akai was more creative than the new Akai , whom-ever the new people are today running Akai . Adding a keyboard to the MPC is not all that innovative , most of us was doing that anyway with midi and a controller keyboard. So what , are they going to add monitors to it next . Be more creative , Akai .