At NAMM 2025, Akai Professional® and Native Instruments®, two industry pioneers, today announce an unprecedented collaboration designed to redefine music creation and performance. Central to this groundbreaking partnership is the integration of Native Instruments’ powerful sounds and tools into Akai Professional’s iconic MPC® platform, a revolutionary step that enhances the MPC’s legendary status as the cornerstone of music production. By merging Akai Professional’s hardware innovation with Native Instruments’ software expertise, this collaboration empowers musicians, producers, and creators with unmatched creative possibilities.
“For over forty years, Akai Professional has set the standard for music production and performance tools, beginning with the revolutionary MPC series that transformed sampling and music creation,” said Joe Richardson, EVP, Chief Commercial Officer of inMusic, owner of Akai Professional. “This collaboration with Native Instruments marks a new era for our users, seamlessly integrating our hardware with their renowned software to deliver unmatched compatibility, creativity, and inspiration for the next generation of artists and producers.”
“This collaboration bridges two iconic brands to provide creators with a fully integrated ecosystem,” said Simon Cross, Chief Product Officer of Native Instruments. “By combining Akai Professional’s legendary hardware with our expansive sound libraries and tools, we’re pushing the boundaries of music creation. This partnership represents a milestone in our commitment to offering musicians an open, interconnected platform that unlocks new pathways for creativity and makes professional-grade technology more accessible than ever.”
For more than four decades, Akai Professional has led the way in music production, sequencing, and sampling technology, forever transforming the industry with innovations like the groundbreaking MPC series introduced in 1988. This innovation not only reshaped music creation but gave rise to new genres and cemented the brand’s legacy as a trusted partner for top producers, beatmakers, and performers worldwide. Native Instruments will introduce its acclaimed Native Kontrol Standard (NKS) technology to Akai Professional’s MPK™ keyboard controllers starting late February, enabling seamless compatibility and offering unparalleled creative flexibility. At the same time, M-Audio’s® current-generation Oxygen™ Series keyboards will also become NKS-compatible, providing cutting-edge music creation tools for both stage and studio use. MPK Series owners will also gain access to Komplete 15 Select, the entry point to Native Instruments’ flagship bundle, offering a gateway to professional-grade sound. For the first time, Native Instruments’ genre-defining sounds and instruments have also been specially adapted for Akai Professional’s iconic MPC groovebox, further enhancing its workflow and expanding creative possibilities for producers and performers alike.A New Era of Integration and Inspiration
With this landmark collaboration, Akai Professional’s iconic MPC platform takes center stage, seamlessly integrating with Native Instruments’ creative tools to deliver an unprecedented toolkit for musicians, producers, and audio creators. This collaboration redefines what’s possible in music production by combining the MPC’s hands-on workflow with Native Instruments’ expansive sound libraries and innovative features.
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- Exclusive to the Akai Professional MPC platform, Native Instruments’ Play Series and Expansions have been meticulously tailored to amplify the MPC’s creative workflow. These tools unlock unparalleled creative flexibility, further solidifying the MPC as the ultimate hub for music production and live performance. The MPC Edition Play Series of virtual instruments provides an accessible gateway to Native Instruments acclaimed sound catalog, blending high-quality presets with intuitive controls to create distinctive sonic palettes. Available today are three signature instruments — Analog Dreams, Cloud Supply, and Nacht — each crafted to inspire unique creative expressions. Additional instruments, including Homage and Sway, are set to launch later in February. Complementing these are five genre-specific Expansion sound packs, Faded Reels and Hazy Days which are available now, with Lone Forest, Global Shake and Rare Vibrations to follow. All are expertly tailored for seamless integration with the MPC platform. Crafted by leading artists and sound designers, these packs feature one-shots, samples, tempo-synced loops, and exclusive FX chains, equipping MPC users with a versatile toolkit to elevate their productions. Both the MPC Edition Play Series and Expansions will be available for purchase at native-instruments.com
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- Native Instruments is also extending its powerful Native Kontrol Standard (NKS) technology to Akai Professional’s MPK Series. This integration empowers artists to seamlessly control all NKS-compatible plugins, including Native Instruments' flagship tools like Komplete Kontrol, which organizes and maps instruments and effects for intuitive play; Kontakt, the industry-leading platform for sampling and sound design; and Native Instruments’ premium portfolio of sounds and tools. It also extends compatibility to over 1,800 instruments and plugins developed worldwide. With pre-mapped controls and intuitive navigation directly from MPK controllers, including MPK Mini Mk3, Mini Play, Mini Plus, and MPK249, this integration provides an immersive, expressive experience that allows creators to stay fully in their flow. As an added benefit, every Akai Professional MPK purchase will include a custom Komplete 15 Select, featuring over $1,000 worth of industry-leading software titles like Native Instruments’ Massive X, Battery 4, and iZotope’s Nectar 4 Elements and Ozone Elements. Designed to provide seamless integration between Akai Professional MPK controllers and virtual instruments, the NKS (Native Kontrol Standard) compatibility ensures effortless setup, uninterrupted workflow, and intuitive control. Users will be able to register their purchase beginning late February to unlock this powerful bundle, tailored for a wide range of genres and creative workflows.
Empowering the Creative Community
This partnership elevates the MPC’s role as the centerpiece of modern music production, delivering professional-grade tools that empower creators at every stage of their journey. From aspiring musicians to seasoned professionals, the MPC continues to inspire innovation, supported by Native Instruments’ cutting-edge software.
Experience the Future of Music Creation at NAMM® 2025
Explore the next era of music innovation at NAMM 2025 at inMusic’s booth #204A, where interactive demos reveal the seamless integration of Akai Professional and Native Instruments’ groundbreaking products. Attendees can immerse themselves in hands-on experiences that highlight how this partnership equips creators with transformative tools to redefine their sound and elevate their artistry.
Discover the groundbreaking integration of Native Instruments with the Akai Professional MPC3. This overview highlights how seamless workflows and expanded sound libraries redefine music creation for producers and performers alike.
Akai Professional partners with legendary producer Zaytoven to showcase the revolutionary Native Instruments integration on the MPC. Witness the future of music creation in action.
High resolution images and media assets for Akai Professional x Native Instruments Media Assets are available HERE.
To learn more, please visit the www.akaipro.com. Join the conversation on social media by following @AkaiProVideo YouTube, @Akai_Pro on Instagram, @Akai_Pro on Tik Tok and @Akai_Pro on X.
