The best possible navigation implementation they could conceive is the exact thing they started using a quarter of a century ago? Of course not. What data? There's no hard drive, the data is on the computer. What the fuck is that data knob doing there? This is arguably the most technologically advanced device Akai will have produced to date, and they're shipping it with a fucking data knob. I hope they're great, but they could also be miserable, or anything in between. This also happens to be their first attempt at backlit pads. in the MPD and MPK lines, and a great many broken LPD/Ks. The Akai that just announced this product is the company responsible for the Worst. This isn't the company that made the 2000XL anymore, they're busy making refrigerators. Or attempted to deal with Akai support since they became part of the Jack O'Donnell empire. Re: Jake 'On the hardware end Akai are golden'…Clearly you haven't used an MPD, then. I already have issues with Machine devouring CPU cycles in Live (although that's really a 32bit/Live issue) and I'll be surprised if Akai manages to best NI in performance.

They're claiming 64-track sequencing either as a standalone app/plug-in host, or as a plug-in (presumably retaining that host functionality when running within a host).

I don't trust Akai to get the software right.

I'll definitely consider this, but I also definitely have some reservations. Initially I was smitten, after several months of ownership I still like but don't love Maschine. Last year I bailed on my annoying ass MPD32 and bought a Maschine. Apologies for the wall of text, this is copypasta of my post about the new MPCs on a synth forum:

Akai professional renaissance