Comparison

MPC Progression Builder vs MPC Sample Academy

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

MPC Progression Builder

Create and export musical chord progressions for your music production workflow. Features include keyboard, scale-based, and circle of fifths modes for building and refining harmonic ideas. Export directly to MPC devices or as standard MIDI files for use in any DAW.

Highlights
  • Virtual keyboard for direct chord input
  • Build progressions with up to 16 chords
  • Scale-based chord suggestions
  • Circle of Fifths progression builder
  • MPC-ready .progression file export
  • Standard MIDI file export
  • Instant playback and auditioning
Features
Read full description

Progression Builder for MPC is a powerful yet intuitive tool for producers who want to build rich, musical chord progressions and send them straight into their workflow. Designed with AKAI MPC users in mind, it also exports to standard MIDI files, making it equally useful for DAW producers, composers, and beatmakers alike. Build your progressions your way: - Keyboard Mode: Tap out chords directly on the built-in virtual keyboard and hear them instantly. - Progression Builder: Arrange up to 16 chords into full progressions you can audition, refine, and export. - Scale-Based Mode: Explore chords that naturally fit your chosen scale — perfect for clean harmonic flow. - Circle of Fifths Mode: Craft progressions using classic relationships that sound balanced and musical. Every chord pad can be customized, rearranged, or saved for later — giving you a flexible sketchpad for harmonic ideas. Whether you’re working on a soulful lo-fi loop, a jazz-inspired sequence, or a cinematic score, Progression Builder for MPC helps you find the right chords fast. Export your ideas with ease: - MPC-Ready Export: Generate .progression files compatible with MPC Live, X, One, and Force. - MIDI Export: Drop your chords into any DAW, sampler, or synth. - Instant Playback: Audition and tweak voicings, inversions, and timing before you export. - Clean, efficient, and tuned for real production environments, Progression Builder for MPC bridges the gap between music theory and creative flow — helping you stay in the zone.

About

MPC Sample Academy

Features
Read full description

Sample Academy is the fastest, most complete way to learn the Akai MPC Sample - the new entry-level standalone MPC sampler, beat maker, and groovebox. Whether you just unboxed your MPC Sample or you are upgrading from a phone beat-making app, this is the step-by-step path from your first pad tap to a finished, exported song. One purchase. No subscriptions. Everything unlocked. Built specifically for the MPC Sample. These are not generic MPC tutorials. Every lesson, every button press, and every screen reference matches the exact hardware in your hands - the 8 pad banks, Instant Sample Chop, KNOB FX, PAD FX, 16 Levels, Note Repeat, and USB-C audio export. ONE-TIME PURCHASE, FULL ACCESS - Pay once and unlock all 13 lessons forever - No monthly fees, no paywalls, no hidden upsells - Every beginner, advanced, and pro lesson included from day one WHY PRODUCERS CHOOSE SAMPLE ACADEMY - 13 structured, step-by-step lessons covering the full MPC Sample workflow - Every term explained in plain English: BPM, swing, quantize, velocity, dB, gain staging, aftertouch, timestretch, and more - An interactive hardware diagram that highlights the exact knob, pad, or button for each step - Per-step tips and pro shortcuts on every screen - No 200-page PDF, no endless YouTube rabbit holes - just clear, ordered lessons LESSON CHAPTERS Beginner: Meet the hardware, record your first sample, trim and assign sounds to pads, and program your first beat. Everything you need to make sound on day one. Advanced: Master Instant Sample Chop, practice chopping inside the app, dial in swing and groove, automate filters and effects with KNOB FX, and learn the difference between timestretch and repitch. Pro: Level up your finger drumming, sculpt sounds with PAD FX and Flex Beat, chain sequences into full song arrangements, and run a clean USB-C mixdown into your DAW. AI TUTOR ON EVERY LESSON Stuck on a step? Tap the Tutor. The built-in AI Tutor knows exactly which lesson and step you are on and answers in plain English, with advice specific to the MPC Sample. It can even read answers aloud so you can keep your hands on the hardware. No generic responses, no hunting through forums - just instant, relevant help. BUILT-IN SAMPLE PADS Practice anywhere with a full 16-pad kit right in the app. Tap to trigger punchy kicks, snares, hi-hats, claps, 808s, percussion, & FX. Record your pad performance, play it back, and save your beats. Four dedicated user pads let you record your own sounds with the microphone or upload your own audio files - sample your voice, your room, anything - and chop it across the pads to build muscle memory before you touch the hardware. BEAT TRAINER - RHYTHM GAME Sharpen your timing with a built-in finger-drumming game. Notes fall down four lanes - kick, snare, hi-hat, open hat - & you tap in time with your kit. Includes: - 11 patterns: Four-on-the-Floor, Boom Bap, Lofi, Trap, Drill, House, Reggaeton, Jersey Club, Funk, Drum & Bass, and more - Speed control from half-time practice up to full-speed challenge - Score, accuracy, and combo tracking - Personal bests saved per pattern and speed - Shareable score cards for Instagram and TikTok - Listen to any pattern before you play it STAY MOTIVATED - Daily streak tracking keeps you coming back - A Today screen shows your next lesson so you always know what is next - Progress tracking across every lesson and chapter WHO IT IS FOR - New MPC Sample owners who want results fast - Beat makers coming from FL Studio, Ableton, GarageBand, Maschine, or phone apps - Producers moving up from an SP-404 or other samplers - Anyone who has owned an MPC for months and never finished a beat GENRES YOU WILL MAKE Hip hop, lofi, boom bap, trap, drill, R&B, house, & more. The skills transfer to any style you want to produce. Sample Academy is an independent learning app & is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Akai Professional. MPC and MPC Sample are trademarks of inMusic Brands, Inc.

Screenshots

MPC Progression Builder3 screens
MPC Sample Academy4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: MPC Progression Builder at $2.99 against MPC Sample Academy's $3.99. On ads, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

MPC Progression Builder costs $2.99 and MPC Sample Academy $3.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Scorecard1 real difference · 7 level
MPC Progression Builder versus MPC Sample Academy: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMPC Progression BuilderMPC Sample Academy
Price$2.99 — better$3.99
Rating5.0 (2 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings2 — better—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaid—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS16.015.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size2 MB106 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDavid JonesKristen Granados

In-app purchases

None

MPC Progression Builder

No in-app purchases

None

MPC Sample Academy

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is MPC Progression Builder free?
MPC Progression Builder costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is MPC Sample Academy free?
MPC Sample Academy costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do MPC Progression Builder or MPC Sample Academy have ads?
Neither MPC Progression Builder nor MPC Sample Academy shows ads.

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