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MPC One G2

— Interactive guide · MPC 3.10

MPC One G2

Akai’s standalone sampler and sequencer, explained properly — sampling, chopping, tracks, the arranger, every effect and plugin and every setting from the manual, searchable in a keystroke, with Akai’s videos and the community’s best tutorials beside the topics they explain.

chapters
17
chapters
topics
179
topics
key combos
202
key combos
videos
60
videos

— Where to start

Your first hour

Plug in, learn the panel, record a beat and save it.

  1. 1Connections
  2. 2Powering up
  3. 3The panel explorer
  4. 4How a project is organised
  5. 5Your first beat
  6. 6The Save window
0/6

Making beats

Record from the pads, tidy the timing and edit what you played.

  1. 1Drum tracks
  2. 2Recording sequences
  3. 3Timing Correct
  4. 4Note Repeat
  5. 5Step Sequencer
  6. 6Grid View
0/6

Sampling

Record a source, chop it, put it on pads and shape it.

  1. 1The Sampler
  2. 2Sample Edit Mode
  3. 3Chop Mode
  4. 4Converting or assigning slices
  5. 5Samples/Oscs tab
  6. 6Looper
0/6

Finishing songs

Arrange it, mix it, add effects and bounce it down.

  1. 1Arrange Mode
  2. 2Editing arrangements
  3. 3Track Mixer
  4. 4Insert effects
  5. 5Send/return effects
  6. 6Audio Mixdown
0/6

— Explore the panel

What does this key do?

Tap any button, knob, pad or port. Hold Shift to light up the words under the buttons.

MPC ONEAKAIPROFESSIONALMAIN MODE120.00 BPM+ NEW TRACKREC ARMTRACKMUTESOLOBANKPAD 1PAD 2PAD 3PAD 4PAD 5PAD 6PAD 7PAD 8PAD 9PAD 10PAD 11PAD 12PAD 13PAD 14PAD 15PAD 16Q-LINKEDITAEBFCGDHFULL LEVELUSER LEVEL16 LEVELSNOTESCOPYDELETEERASECLEAR TRACKNOTEREPEATLATCHMENUPREFSLOADSAVEMIXERPAD MIXERTRACKMUTEPAD MUTENEXTSEQXYFXUNDOREDOSHIFTTAPTEMPOGLOBALTC ON/OFFCONFIG–+MAINTRACK VIEWARRANGESOUNDSGRID EDITSTEP SEQTRACK EDITTRACK SETTINGSAMPLE EDITSAMPLERRECRECALLOVER DUBSTOPRETURNPLAYPLAY STARTMETRONOMEFRONT EDGEAKAIPROFESSIONALSD CARDPHONESREAR, SEEN FROM BEHINDCV / GATEMPC ONE G2MAIN VOLMAIN LMAIN RINPUT LINPUT RREC VOL4/83/72/61/5MIDI OUTMIDI INLOCKUSB-CUSB-A12 VRESTRAINTPOWER

Pick a control to see what it does.

All 45 controls and ports, from the pads to the rear panel. The word under a button is what it does while SHIFT is held.

Redrawn from the manual’s panel drawings (pp. 360–364) and Akai’s photos · not to exact scale

— Contents

17 chapters, start anywhere

01

Start here

What the G2 is, how to plug it in, and your first beat, melody and song.

What the MPC One G2 is · How to read this guide · Connections · Powering up · Firmware updates · MPC2 vs MPC3 · What’s new in 3.10 · What’s new in 3.9 · How a project is organised · Your first beat · Your first melody · Your first audio track · Your first arrangement · Your first edits · Your first sample · A tour towards a finished song

0/16
02

Panel & controls

Every button, knob and screen gesture — and what Shift adds.

The panel explorer · Shift functions · The touchscreen · Pads and pad banks · The Q-Link knobs · Data entry and undo · The Menu · The Toolbar · The pull-down menu · The time counter and Locate

0/10
03

Main Mode

The home screen: sequence, track, arrangement and mixer on one page.

Main Mode overview · Sequence section · Track section · Track Edit window · Arrangement section · Mixer strips

0/6
04

Tracks

Six track types, and what each one is for.

About tracks · Audio tracks · Drum tracks · Keygroup tracks · Plugin tracks · MIDI tracks · CV tracks · Track View

0/8
05

Projects, files & sounds

Save your work, find sounds, and keep your drives organised.

Project window · The Save window · Browser · Sample Assign · Sounds Mode · Favorites and Setlists · Storage and drives

0/7
06

Playing & recording

Record, overdub, quantise, repeat — and play scales from the pads.

Recording sequences · Tempo · Timing Correct · Metronome · Note Repeat · Full Level and User Level · 16 Level · Pad Perform · Arpeggiator · Erase and Clear Track · Automation

0/11
07

Editing sequences

Fix notes in the grid, the step sequencer or the event list.

Grid View · Grid View with audio tracks · Grid View with MIDI tracks · Velocity and automation lane · Step Sequencer · Step automation · List Edit Mode

0/7
08

Arranging & performing

From loops to a finished song, live or on the timeline.

Arrange Mode · Recording arrangements · Editing arrangements · Arrangement track editor · Saving and exporting arrangements · Track Mute Mode · Pad Mute Mode · Next Sequence Mode · Song Mode

0/9
09

Track Edit: drums

Layers, oscillators, envelopes and modulation for every pad.

Track Edit Mode basics · Global tab · Samples/Oscs tab · Envelopes tab · Mods tab · Effects tab · LFO tab · Utilities tab · Mod Matrix tab · Anatomy of an envelope

0/10
10

Track Edit: keygroups & more

The sampler-synth inside every keygroup track, plus plugin, MIDI and CV tracks.

Keygroup overview: Advanced and Legacy · Global (Advanced and Legacy) · Samples/Oscs (Advanced and Legacy) · Filters (Advanced) · Envelopes (Advanced) · LFO (Advanced) · Utilities/Sensitivity (Advanced) · KG Stack (Advanced) · Mod Matrix (Advanced) · Randomize (Advanced) · Legacy keygroups · Track Edit for plugin tracks · Track Edit for MIDI tracks · Track Edit for CV tracks

0/14
11

Sampling & sample editing

Record it, chop it, process it, loop it.

The Sampler · Sample tab · Slice tab · Pad Tap tab · Pad Hold tab · Auto Sampler · Sample Edit Mode · Trim Mode · Assigning samples · Processing slices and samples · Chop Mode · Converting or assigning slices · Processing slices in Chop Mode · Pad Mode · Looper

0/15
12

Mixing & effects

Levels, sends, inserts, XYFX and every built-in effect.

Track Mixer · Pad Mixer · Effects overview · Insert effects · Send/return effects · XYFX Mode · Audio Mixdown · Delay and reverb effects · Dynamics effects · EQ and filter effects · Harmonic effects · Modulation effects · Vocal effects

0/13
13

Plugin instruments

The built-in synths and instruments, knob by knob.

Plugin instruments overview · Bassline · Electric · Hype · TubeSynth · DrumSynth · Mellotron · Solina · WayOutWare Odyssey

0/9
14

Q-Links, pads & MIDI mapping

Put every parameter under your fingers.

Q-Link Edit · Learning macro assignments · Editing macro assignments · Q-Links tab · XY Pad · Crossfader · MIDI Learn · Keyboard Control · Key Ranges Mode · MIDI Control Mode · Pad Color Mode

0/11
15

Connecting other gear

USB-C, MIDI, CV and Ableton Live.

USB-C and USB-A · USB audio · Controller Mode · MIDI ports and sync · Sequencing external MIDI gear · CV/Gate · Live Control Mode · Ableton control map · MIDI Machine Control

0/9
16

Preferences & reference

Every preference, the specs and the glossary.

Preferences: Info and Activations · Preferences: Wi-Fi and Bluetooth · Preferences: Audio Device and Audio/Export · Preferences: MIDI / Sync · Preferences: Hardware · Preferences: Sequencer · Preferences: Project Defaults and Project Load/Save · Preferences: General · Splice · Technical specifications · Glossary

0/11
17

The Pro Pack

Clip launching, advanced CV, Super Warp, extra plugins and Ableton import.

What the Pro Pack is · Clip launching and Clip Matrix Mode · Navigate Mode · Clip Editor Mode · Main Mode: the arrangement and clips section · Advanced CV track edit · Q-Link Edit: envelope follower and LFO · Super Warp algorithm · AIR Visual EQ4 · AIR Reverb Pro · AIR Utility · AIR Fabric Select · Import Ableton Live projects

0/13

— Muscle memory

The combos you’ll use every day

Nearly every button on the G2 has a second job under Shift. The full cheat sheet has all 202, filterable by key and printable.

Open the cheat sheet
SHIFT + LOAD | SAVE
Opens the Save window.
SHIFT + SAMPLE EDIT | SAMPLER
Opens the Sampler.
SHIFT + GRID EDIT | STEP SEQ
Opens the Step Sequencer.
Hold NOTE REPEAT | LATCH + PAD
Triggers that pad’s sample repeatedly.
SHIFT + 16 LEVELS | NOTES
Opens the Pad Perform window.
SHIFT + STOP | RETURN
Returns the playhead to 1:1:0.

— Watch

Learn it from Akai and the community

All videos & links

Getting Started on MPC One G2 | Getting Started

Akai Professional

Akai’s own first stop on the actual hardware: what’s new in the G2, the core controls and how to find your way round.

MPC Gen2 Units are here! MPC One G2 and Key37 G2 Review

Tefty Music Tech

An independent launch-day review of both G2 models with 3.9 on board; Tefty kept the review units but says Akai didn’t pay for the video.

MPC ONE Gen 2 DEEP DIVE - Full Setup & Beat Making

Ave Mcree

A 37-minute beginner walkthrough on the G2 itself, from setup and menus to sequencing your first drums.

An independent guide by boog.ie, not affiliated with or endorsed by Akai Professional or inMusic. Akai Professional and MPC are trademarks of inMusic Brands, Inc. Content is written in our own words from Akai’s MPC Standalone OS User Guide (MPC 3.10, October 2026) and Akai’s MPC One G2 FAQ; community material is credited and linked. When in doubt, the official manual wins. Akai’s MPC One G2 page