The Akai MPC is moving toward an open platform, and the first step is here with a GitHub repository and information about the hardware used in standalone MPCs.
On October 28, Akai announced that it was making its MPC Sample hardware sampler open source, as was the upcoming SampleKey. This sparked a lot of discussion. I think it’s actually the biggest event this year.
Then, last Friday, news broke that Akai planned to unveil 22 new products at NAMM 2027, many of which were open to experimentation. Today, Akai or inMusic has taken the first step by opening its MPC platform to creators – and it’s not just about the MPC Sample.
Akai MPC Open Source
Akai has yet to make an official announcement, but inMusic has opened an official GitHub repository managed by Pete Goodliffe, CTO (technical director) and lead developer of the MPC platform. Bang, did it happen, where?!
It contains the open source components required by the licenses under which they are distributed. This does not mean, however, that inMusic or Akai have released the MPC operating system as open source. This could help developers understand the underlying software environment.
Interestingly, this new repository suggests that they are about to open not just the MPC sample, but the entire MPC range. Additionally, they will add the SampleKey when it is released.
inMusic writes:
Thank you for your interest in the open source software used by inMusic Brands. We are happy to comply with the requirements of libraries and open source projects used in our products.
This repository contains archives of open source code for the Linux environment of our products. You will find very few changes here compared to the upstream projects; our goal is to submit all relevant fixes to the main projects.
You can now find three different open versions of Akai MPC on GitHub:
- MPC G1 devices and applies to MPC X, MPC
- MPC G2 devices: MPC XL, MPC Live III, MPC One G2 and MPC Key 37 G2.
- MPC sample
With this upcoming decision, the long-running “Hakai OS” project – for example, which allows jailbreaking of MPC hardware – is not going underground; it becomes an official project.
First impression
The first step towards opening Pandora’s Box has been taken and a new era for PPM is about to begin. This is a game changer, as one might say. The first step has been taken; the others will probably follow soon.
We’ll soon see many new projects that will transform hardware, both standalone and MPC Sample models, into entirely new instruments. If the community accepts it, inMusic’s plan will have succeeded.
As they announced yesterday, they want to provide creators with hardware that allows them to create music and also experiment with their own AI-designed or generated tools. We have exciting months ahead of us, during which it remains to be seen what exactly awaits us.
The Akai MPC framework and its components are now open source and available on GitHub.
More information here: Akai Pro / GitHub
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