AKAI NeoSoul Quest — Free Download
An MPC Expansion blending Neosoul, Funk, RnB, and Jazz with 40 drum kits, samples, and melodics crafted by Dan Diggas, featuring vocal melodies by Marie Dahlstrom.
Purpose and Inspiration
NeoSoul Quest is an MPC Expansion designed to bring the warm, laid-back aesthetics of neosoul, funk, RnB, and jazz into your beat-making workflow. It draws inspiration from iconic artists like Musiq Soulchild, D’Angelo, Erykah Badu, and Maxwell, aiming to capture their soulful production style.
Created by producer and multi-instrumentalist Dan Diggas, who has worked with artists such as Sinead Harnett, Mahalia, Tiana Major9, and Marie Dahlstrom, this expansion translates his signature chord progressions and melodic ideas into a ready-to-use format. It also includes bonus vocal melodies from Marie Dahlstrom, adding an authentic vocal layer to your productions.
Key Capabilities
The expansion provides 40 professionally crafted MPC-ready kits, each built from over 640 slick samples. These kits feature warm, punchy kicks, dirty snares, sharp rims, and dusty hats, all mixed and mastered for immediate use. You get instant access to a diverse palette of drum sounds that define the neosoul genre.
Beyond drums, each kit includes chord progressions and melodic elements such as warm Rhodes licks, soulful chords, pads, gospel organ, guitars, lo-fi piano, vintage strings, and deep basses. This all-in-one approach allows you to sketch complete song ideas without needing extra instruments. The vocal melodies add a distinctive human touch, making your beats stand out.
Workflow and Integration
NeoSoul Quest is built for the MPC ecosystem, requiring Akai Professional MPC hardware to use. It is compatible with MPC Touch, MPC Live, MPC X, MPC Renaissance, MPC Element (Essentials), MPK2 Series Keyboards (Essentials), and MPD2 Series Pad Controllers (Essentials). The kits load directly into your MPC, ready to be triggered from pads.
The workflow is straightforward: load a kit, browse the samples, and start building your track. The melodic progressions can be used as a foundation, while the drum elements let you craft rhythmic patterns. You can tweak each sound to fit your arrangement. This expansion is designed to let you focus on creativity, easing the technical overhead of sound design.
Practical Applications
This expansion suits producers looking to produce neosoul, RnB, or jazz-influenced hip-hop tracks. Use the kits to create smooth, head-nodding beats for songs that require a warm, vintage texture. The vocal melodies can be placed as hooks or background layers, ideal for singer-songwriter collaborations or solo productions.
The chord progressions and melodic elements are useful for crafting full instrumental arrangements, from piano-driven ballads to funk-infused grooves. Whether you are a beginner seeking quality inspiration or a pro wanting to expand your sound library, this expansion offers a cohesive set of tools to speed up your workflow and add soulful character to your music.
Key features
- 40 MPC-ready drum kits, samples, and melodics
- Fuses Neosoul, Funk, RnB, and Jazz sounds
- Includes chord progressions and melodic elements
- Bonus vocal melodies by Marie Dahlstrom
- Mixed and mastered, ready for production
- Created by producer Dan Diggas
Best for
Producers seeking an all-in-one MPC expansion to create soulful neosoul, RnB, and jazz-inspired beats with authentic drum kits, melodic progressions, and vocal touches. Ideal for those using MPC hardware who want immediate inspiration and professionally crafted sounds for songwriting or beat production.
