Akai Professional has announced that its MPC Stems feature is now available for its MPC standalone hardware.

The launch follows the arrival of stems for its desktop software, which launched back in March, and now enables stem separation directly on MPC hardware for separating bass, drums, vocals and more without need for a computer.

• READ MORE: “I must say, I’m impressed with it”: Original MPC creator Roger Linn tests out Akai’s MPC Live II

This new launch marks the latest milestone for Akai Professional, opening “new avenues for creativity and production efficiency”, and making it easier for musicians to craft unique sounds and remixes on the fly.

MPC Stems utilises the advanced stem separation engine from zPlane, and Akai has optimised the interface to provide a smooth and intuitive user experience on hardware. While the desktop version still offers the fastest processing and highest fidelity, this new standalone hardware version provides the flexibility and convenience of stem separation directly on your MPC device.

MPC Stems for Standalone is compatible with the following Akai products: MPC Live series, MPC One, MPC One +, MPC X, MPC XSE, MPC Key 61, and MPC Key 37. Supported by the new 2.15 Software/Firmware update, this feature “ensures seamless integration” and enhances the user experience on all compatible MPC devices.

Here at MusicTech, we tested a range of stem separation tech to find out which works the best on vocals. We used the track Restless Mind by Steven Beddall for the test, and in all cases, the highest-quality configurations were chosen on the software. From our results, we compiled 12 of the best stem tools in a new guide, including Akai’s.

MPC Stems is available for purchase exclusively via the MPC store for $9.99 USD. ​All previous licences purchased for MPC Stem Desktop will include Stems Standalone.

Find out more over at Akai Professional.

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