A Prototype For Revolutionizing The MPC With An iPad

The 16 pads of an MPC are an iconic mark of the current age of music making, in which traditional instruments have taken a back seat to the digital tools of the trade. It follows logically that the MPC itself should evolve, beyond even its own cohort of production devices. You might say that this transition isn’t happening fast enough.

Unless you’ve got a laptop as part of your MPC setup, you’re going to be staring at the tiny screen on the device itself, not to mention carrying around a rather bulky brick of plastic and circuitry. In the era of sleek consumer machinery, there’s no reason the MPC shouldn’t be as sexy as an iPad. Attempting to bridge the gap, Akai released the iPad compatible MPC Fly early this year, but what we’re talking about here just looks so much better.

Designers Kyle DeHovitz and Isaac Blankensmith considered these issues, as well as the optimal usability of a touchscreen incorporated into the setup, and came out with something that any production geek would drool over. Their iPad MPC prototype is a relatively small device built from quality materials that’s designed for intuitive use.

When we heard about this design, we had to get some details as to how it came about and what it can do.

The Creators Project: How and when did you guys conceive of the iPad/MPC project?
Kyle DeHovitz & Isaac Blankensmith: The iPad MPC was designed as part of a RISD class taught by Jon Hayes. The idea was born from hours of brainstorming various ways to maximize a DJ’s workflow.

What were some of the considerations in its design?
While designing the MPC, our first goal was to simplify the entire controller. That meant eliminating buttons that could be built into the UI and creating a logical layout. We wanted the device to be intuitive for first time users, and efficient for experienced users. Besides that, most of the thinking went into the hardware and software aspects of it. We knew that we had to take advantage of the iPad’s multitouch display and create an experience that is only possible with the combination of hardware and software. We also wanted to focus on creating a device built from high quality materials and included subtle lighting effects, both of which helped ground the device.

You consulted with producer Nicolas Jaar about the usability of the device. What insight did he give you?
DeHovitz & Blankensmith: Most of Nico’s input was about the layout and workflow optimization. He was very helpful in helping us decide what was necessary to have as a physical button and what could be sourced over to the iPad UI. We also knew very little about how this type of device would be used live, so he helped guide us to the right layout.

How does the iPad display integrate with the MPC hardware?
The iPad connects to the MPC via a 30-pin port. The beauty of the iPad/MPC combo is that the iPad allows you to customize physical responses on the controller itself. For example, using the app, you can easily set specific colors, kits, FX, and samples to a unique pad on the MPC. The knobs and sliders all correspond to their respective counterparts on the iPad display. The idea is that you can quickly reference numerical values on the iPad display while manipulating the physical controller.

What softwares will the device be compatible with?
Ultimately, we’d like to make the device open source. Any company interested in developing software for it would be able to. The native software would be always available in the App Store.

To get down to the nuts and bolts—What is it made of? What are its dimensions? How much does it weigh?
At it’s current stage, we don’t all the technical specifications nailed down. What we can say is that the exterior of the device is made out of two different shades of brushed aluminum. The device is 16 × 10 × 1.25″. Based on it’s materials, it would approximately weigh 7lbs (without the iPad).

When can we expect to see producers using it?
We’re in talks with manufacturing facilities about producing this, but we would welcome anyone interested in helping make this a reality.

@ImYourKid