Akai MPC3000

The Akai MPC3000 is the MPC of J Dilla. Released in 1994 as the successor to the MPC60 line, it moved the formula to CD-quality sampling while keeping Roger Linn’s sequencer and feel, and it became one of the most revered beat machines ever made.

History and specs

Roger Linn designed the MPC3000 with Akai and tuned its sequencer for timing and feel. It samples in 16-bit stereo at 44.1 kHz with 32 voices, a resonant 12 dB/octave low-pass filter with envelope, and memory from 2 MB up to 32 MB, about six minutes of sampling. The sequencer holds 99 sequences, 99 tracks and 75,000 notes.

J Dilla and “Dilla time”

J Dilla made most of his beats on the MPC3000, for Slum Village, The Roots, Common, Erykah Badu, D’Angelo, A Tribe Called Quest, Busta Rhymes and Janet Jackson. He often turned quantize off, playing drums slightly ahead of or behind the beat to create the loose, drunken swing now called “Dilla time.” His Limited Edition MPC3000 is in the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Other users

The MPC3000 is also cited in the setups of Dr. Dre, Just Blaze, DJ Quik, Battlecat, Puff Daddy and Jermaine Dupri.

Buying one today

MPC3000s are rare because owners keep them, and MusicRadar has called them a solid investment. Test all 16 pads and the note repeat, check the display, confirm how much memory is installed, and check the floppy drive or any storage upgrade. Akai’s MPC software and many plugins emulate the MPC3000 if you want its character in the box.