The Akai MPC has been around for a few decades already. Different generations of the MPC had different interfaces with the outside world. For sure there has always been an analogue output on the MPC. On their flagship models 8 analogue outputs are the standard. But what will the future bring? Is Dante the next big thing?
The Akai MPC and its digital connections
Beside the analogue outputs on an MPC there have always been different digital outputs as well. In the first generations this also included a word clock input for a sync with other digital equipment together with optical and/or coaxial S/PDIF or AES.
In the current generation of MPC’s (started in 2017) Akai provides for the digital connections a USB interface. A logical choice at that time considered that USB can also be used for MIDI interfacing, soundcard input/output and software controller support when it is used in combination with a computer.
Working in stand-alone mode the USB port offers limited functionality on the audio interfacing part. Only 44.1KHz sample rate with 16 bits is supported on the USB output. The USB port supports Audio Class Compliant connections to audio interfaces. But as most of us found out this does not automatically mean that it will work with every (top)brand audio interface that claims to be “class compliant”.Beside this there is a new and strong wish in the Akai MPC user world to have better sounding AD/DA (digital/analog) converters. Well, there is a new kid on the block called “Dante”. Dante has the power solving the mentioned issues and much more than this bringing easy interoperability between all other equipment in a studio. Let’s dive in more.
What is Dante (in a nutshell)?
Dante is a relatively new way to transfer audio (and even video) over an IP network (AoIP). It has been designed by the US company called Audinate with their first launch around 2008. The European entry was in 2011. Today around 500 manufactures around the world support Dante on their hardware including some major brands in the audio converter market like Lynx, Yamaha, Focusrite and RME. Other brands are working on their Dante entry (I heard some rumors about Dangerous Music).
The company Audinate provides the hardware components that the manufacturers need for adding Dante support into their hardware. For the end user this business model guarantees that a Dante unit will always talk with another Dante unit. Solving the end-user “USB Class Compliant” issues mentioned earlier. There is also a world standard directly linked to Dante called AES67 and all current Dante hardware supports this AES67 as well.
The physical connection between different Dante equipment is performed with a good old computer network cable (CAT 6) using your wired LAN network. Dante cannot work through WiFi by the way.
Routing
You can connect one Dante output to one or more Dante receivers within the network.
The routing is done by using a Dante controller application (free of charge) on a computer. You can’t connect multiple transmitters to one input (receiver). The latency within the Dante network is low. To be more precise, in my lab network the latency is around 450us. For humans that is real-time.
Within the Dante network you can configure the sample rate (between 44.1 till 192KHz) and bit depth (16-32bits). The most wonderful thing is the number of inputs and outputs that you can transfer between 2 hardware units (like an MPC and a DA converter for instance). At 48KHz you can send 64 audio channels real-time to your converter through a single CAT6 cable. For every channel you can decide what the destination will be. Imagine that power integrated within your standalone MPC.
Why integrating Dante into the next generation Akai MPCs?
Have a seat, take something to drink and be ready because this chapter might blow your mind….
Okay, let’s go.
With Dante build into the MPC the end-user can select an AD/DA converter of its own choice. Being it a digital Yamaha mixer, analog console like the new Harrison 32classic, or a DA converter like RME or Ferrofish. It’s up to you and your budget. Dante equipment will always work together with other Dante equipment, whatever brand. So no longer the USB Class compliant issues when buying a convertor for your MPC.
With Dante you could have 16, 32 or even 64 channels of inputs and output on the MPC in standalone mode! So, without the use of a computer. Most likely the stand-alone MPC cannot record so many channels at the same time but having all your outboard gear/instruments connected directly via Dante with the MPC and only a select the channel within the MPC and record your synth, would be more than great. With so many input and output channels a full hybrid workflow is possible on a standalone Akai MPC. Connect your favo analog compressor with Dante and record your beat through it.
Mixing with 16, 32 or 64 channels on an external mixer? There you go. Take the new Harrison 32classic console. It has already 64 channels of Dante integrated. So, If the MPC would have a Dante interface you could directly mix out your beat on the mixer. Just with a single ethernet cable. No support needed.
Interoperability
Another major benefit is the interoperability in recording studios. Currently I see very often that in large recording studio’s there is a $200 Focusrite used to interface to the studio $30K monitor system and that is it. The beautiful Rupert Neve console is used as a laptop desk. Why? Because it is not easy to interface with the console. Dante could glue the world of the home producer and the pro-recording studio together.
So, you arrive in a studio that supports Dante. You connect your MPC to the local studio Dante network and route it to the studio console or their high-class converters, with 2 mouse clicks. Or even better, if the recording studio created a hybrid Dante environment, the outboard gear could immediately be integrated into your session on your MPC.
Same applies for on stage performance where Dante is widely used. Being able to integrate in the stage network it will open new doors of system setup, integration, and sound quality.
Let’s move over to the Akai seat.
Let’s move over to the Akai seat.
Let’s move over to the Akai seat.
From the point of view of Akai there is also a big advantage, Akai can resolve the converter discussion with their end-users without breaking the bank. They do not have to team up with one top converter brand and integrate this hardware into the MPC. Akai can get the Dante board from Audinate and make use of all the existing integration knowledge and tools available on the market. They could start integrating by tomorrow.
A new flagship MPC with Dante AoIP makes it ready for the next 15 years or so. Akai would set a new benchmark in the music industry. Again.
First test: Akai MPC stand-alone with external Dante interface
With the current MPC generation from Akai it is, by using a work around, also possible to connect the MPC to the Dante network in stand-alone mode. You must use the USB port on the Akai together with an external USB-Dante converter.
Important in this scenario is that the USB Audio class complaint side of the converter speaks a sample rate of 44.1KHz/16bit and the Dante side of the converter can follow the Dante clocking and sample rate. Because the current MPCs in stand-alone can only work on 44.1KHz together with external gear.
I used a Muxlab 2×2 USB to Dante converter. This converter provides the necessary output support for the MPC but has also some issues (see my review of the Muxlab unit). So far I could not find any other suitable unit on the market.
After selecting the external soundcard in the MPC software you will see the MPC in the Dante network with one stereo input and output. Now you can route the MPC to any destination you like in the Dante network. During this test the latency was as low as 376us across a 4 switched network. The real deal would be if I could find an interface that supports more (8 or 16) I/O channels in the same manner. Thus, on the USB side 44.1KHz/16bit and on the Dante side 96KHz. Such an interface would already open the Dante doors in combination with the current generation of Akai MPCs. But eh, you never know what the future brings. Maybe some manufacturer gets inspired.
Dante and MPC fit as a glove
Dante is a strategic and operational choice for the near future in the pro-audio market. It fulfills the wishes of a large group of users that want to choose the type of AD/DA converters by themselves. Dante offers easy integration and routing in studios, at home and on stage in real-time. The pro-audio world, broadcast and AV world converge all to AoIP technology. The music industry will follow this path one day. May Akai Professional show the way to go.
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