MPC60

linn designed the functions and interface, and his team in california wrote the software. english engineer david cockerell, who had worked on akai's s900 and s1000 samplers, led the circuitry team and designed the sound chip. akai handled production engineering in tokyo.[02][03]

stephen paine of syco systems, linn's uk distributor, connected linn to akai after linn electronics closed in february 1986. paine knew akai's management and proposed the collaboration.[03][01]

akai went bankrupt in 2006 and numark, led by jack o'donnell, bought the assets. o'donnell immediately stopped linn's royalty payments, refused his calls, and sent threatening letters. linn called him a bastard but let it go because challenging him would have been long and expensive.[03][04]

the mpc3000 was the last linn collaboration. when akai released the mpc2000 in 1997, they overhauled the operating system to avoid paying linn royalties for his hardware and software design. the 2000 lacked linn's signature swing program.[01][02]

akai needed a creative designer with ideas and i didn't want to do sales, marketing, finance or manufacturing.[03]

linn electronics had closed after the linn 9000 failed due to software bugs. akai professional, founded in 1984, was strong in production and sales but weak in design. the partnership let linn focus on interface and software while akai handled manufacturing and distribution.[02][03]

linn described the mpc as an attempt to properly re-engineer the linn 9000, his 1984 integrated drum machine and sampler that had closed his company due to chronic software bugs.[02][03]