Akai just released a portable and relatively budget-friendly MPC sampler

Akai just revealed specs and other details about the MPC Sample after . This is a portable sampler and groovebox that looks eerily similar to . It also resembles some legendary Akai gadgets from decades past, including the MPC3000 and MPC60. In other words, it’s easy on the eyes and sort of looks like a Super Famicom.

It seems pretty capable. The Sample has 16 velocity-sensitive MPC pads with poly aftertouch, which should please finger drummers. It can handle 32 stereo voices of polyphony and there’s a sequencer for making actual beats.

As for sampling, there’s an easily accessible chop mode, in addition to time-stretching and repitching capabilities. Samples can be edited via waveform, thanks to a full-color LCD display. The machine can resample internally with FX, letting creators make some unique soundscapes. The MPC Sample boasts access to four effects engines and 60 effect types.

The gadget ships with over 100 factory drum kits, but users can easily add whatever they want. It comes with just 8GB of internal storage, but there’s a microSD slot for more. It can, of course, connect to MIDI keyboards for playing melodic samples. The Sample also hooks up to DAWs.

The RAM is on the lower side, at just 2GB. However, this is the standard configuration for some more expensive units, like the MPC Live and Live II. It should be able to get the job done, but the MPC XL is the product to pick for those . That one has a whopping 16GB of RAM. It also costs nearly $3,000.

The rechargeable battery here lasts five hours, which is respectable but not groundbreaking. Teenage Engineering’s EP series boasts better battery life, but requires pricey AAs. Finally, there’s a speaker, but I’ve never had much luck with speakers on this type of thing. Bring some headphones to actually hear what’s going on.

Perhaps the biggest news here is the price. The MPC Sample costs just $400, which seems reasonable given the form factor and features. It’s available right now.

Casio recently unveiled another nifty-looking portable sampler . It also resembles a Nintendo product, but this time it’s a Game Boy and not the Japanese SNES.