Akai MPC One G2 and MPC Key 37 G2: Same Brain, Two Very Different Bodies

The G2 generation rebuilds the MPC One from the engine out, and it arrives with a sibling: the same machine wearing a 37-key keybed.

Both moved to an 8-core CPU, 4 GB of RAM, and 64 GB of internal storage, roughly 4x the processing of the previous generation. Both ship with MPC 3, the OS that finally gives the MPC a linear arranger alongside the old pattern workflow. That's the headline: you can lay a song out start to finish on the hardware, then import or export the project to Ableton Live when you want a screen.

The interesting part is that Akai shipped two bodies for the same brain on the same day. One is for people who think in pads. The other is for people who think in keys. Picking between them is the whole decision, so let's split them.

What both machines share

Strip the keybed off and the two machines are the same instrument:

• The same MPC 3 engine. 8-core CPU, 4 GB RAM, 64 GB internal storage (expandable over SD and USB), and a 7″ multi-touch color screen on both. Up to 32 plugin instruments and 16 stereo audio tracks running standalone, no laptop required.
• A real linear arranger. MPC 3 adds song-length linear arrangement to the classic clip workflow, plus Ableton Live import and export. Sketch on the box, finish on the laptop, or stay standalone start to finish.
• 16 RGB MPC pads. The pressure- and velocity-sensitive pad grid Akai is known for, identical on both units.
• Modular-friendly I/O. Both carry CV/Gate (the One G2 runs 4 stereo jacks for 8 signals; the Key 37 G2 exposes 8 CV/Gate outputs), 5-pin MIDI In and Out, USB-C with 24-in/24-out audio and 32 MIDI channels, and a USB-A host port.
• 20+ GB of bundled sounds. Plus a stack of plugins and expansions (11 plugins and 9 expansions on the One G2; 13 plugins and 6 expansions on the Key 37 G2).

MPC One G2: the pad-first box

This is the compact one. 272 × 272 × 53 mm, 2.1 kg, finished in blue, and small enough to sit in front of a laptop or live in a bag. If your music starts as a drum pattern and a chopped sample, this is the natural fit.

One detail worth flagging, because the spec sheet buries it: the One G2 has the more flexible analog input of the two, with 2 balanced 1/4″ TRS inputs plus 2 TRS outputs and a headphone jack. The smaller box is the better sampler front-end on paper.

MPC Key 37 G2: the keybed version

Same engine, same pads, plus 37 synth-action keys with aftertouch, a pitch wheel, and a mod wheel. Finished in cream. If you play parts in rather than program them, the €150 premium buys you a real keyboard and expressive control you can't fake on pads.

The trade-off is honest: on paper the Key 37 G2 lists simpler stereo line in/out rather than the One G2's balanced TRS inputs. So you're paying for playability, not for a bigger audio front-end. Keyboard players will take that trade every time; sampler-first producers might not.

How they compare

Who buys which

Get the One G2 if your music starts on the pads, you want the smallest footprint, you sample a lot, or you just want the cheapest way into the new MPC 3 engine.

Get the Key 37 G2 if you play chords and melodies by hand and want aftertouch and wheels in the same box, and you don't mind paying €150 more for it.

Look elsewhere if you need a bigger keybed than 37 keys, or you already run an MPC X or Live II and mostly want a controller. Neither of these replaces a full-size workstation.

Pre-order and availability

Both ship in July 2026. Pre-orders are open now, and the EARLY5 code takes 5% off either machine. We'll update this post once we've had one on the bench.

Pre-order MPC One G2 · €829 Pre-order MPC Key 37 G2 · €979

Still deciding between pads and keys? Talk to the Soundium team before you order, we'll talk you out of the wrong one.

Soundium