Akai Professional

Akai Professional is the music production division of the original Akai Electric Company, founded in 1984 in Tokyo, Japan. The company revolutionized music production with the MPC (MIDI Production Center), designed by Roger Linn in 1988, which became the defining instrument of hip-hop and electronic music. Akai also produced the industry-standard S-series samplers and the EWI electronic wind instruments. After the parent company's bankruptcy in 2000, Akai Professional became a separate entity and is now owned by inMusic Brands.