        __ __| |           |  /_) |     ___|             |           |
           |   __ \   _ \  ' /  | |  / |      _ \ __ \   |      _` | __ \   __|
           |   | | |  __/  . \  |   <  |   |  __/ |   |  |     (   | |   |\__ \
          _|  _| |_|\___| _|\_\_|_|\_\\____|\___|_|  _| _____|\__,_|_.__/ ____/

🚀 MPC-LiveXplore

Akai MPC Live / X / Force / One technical explorations and hacks

📖 Don't forget the Wiki here: MPC-LiveXplore Wiki

📥 Downloads & Tools

📁 Folder Structure:

ssh/ : Contains the latest SSH update images for Akai MPCs and Force.
bootstrap/ : Contains Bootstrap SD card images (IamForce2, rtpmidi, etc.).

💡 Tip: To flash an SD card image, we recommend using Balena Etcher as it is secure and reliable. You will need a USB stick or SD card with at least 4GB of capacity.

❤️ Support Our Research

If you download any of these images or find our hacks useful, please consider making a small donation to encourage our team to continue their research into your favorite toys. This will pay for the coffees swallowed during the long nights of reverse-engineering!

🙏 Huge Thanks to: Gian Andrea, Christopher, Egil, Conte de Sociale, Jamie Fenton, Harald Fiekler, Michael Hess, Dawid Wenderski!

📂 Other GitHub Projects

🛠️ Hacking libraries and code for MPC and Force devices
🚀 Bootstrap: MPC/Force boot time customization
🎹 USBMidiKlik4x4: Advanced multi-port USB MIDI interface
🎛️ Kikpad: New firmware for the Smartpad, a Launchpad clone from Midiplus

📰 Hacks & News Log

🛠️ Autorun Hack (until 3.9 version)

By default, the built-in autorun feature is a low-level system mechanism designed only to execute official, digitally signed AKAI update scripts or factory content deployments from an external drive at boot or when a storage device is hot-plugged. This Hack is a workaround that bypasses the native cryptographic signature checks on the MPC's Linux-based operating system.

📖 Read the wiki here: Custom scripts with autorun on AKAI MPC

💻 SSH for V3.4.2 and New Image Maker Tool

As InMusic changed the .img format since the V3.4 BETA, it was necessary to write a new image extractor and maker utility. The utility was entirely rewritten in C language for speed.

You will find it in the /mpcimg directory of the GitHub repository. Binaries are precompiled in the /mpcimg/bin subdirectory.

🎁 ACVR: A New MPC for Christmas? (2023-11-15)

(Update: ACVR is the MPC KEY 37)

A member of the "MPC X LIVE ONE KEYS FORCE hacking group" reported that a new "ACVR" ID was under examination (prototype stage) at the FCC. Most probably a new device, maybe the "MPC MINI", or a boosted MPC LIVE with 4GB memory... like the One+. 🔗 FCC Documentation

🖥️ VNC4MPC: Remote Control Any MPC or Force (2023-04-15)

A new module will be available soon within the Bootstrap: VNC4MPC. It allows you to remotely control your Force or your MPC from any computer with a VNC client installed (TightVNC, UltraVNC, VNCViewer...).

🚀 I AM FORCE - V2 - BETA RELEASE (2023-03-30)

You liked IamForce, allowing your MPC to become a Force, so here is the V2 BETA, an entirely rewritten version of IamForce V1. IamForce2 supports 4 different MIDI devices with a plugin system, and a new standalone mode if you don't have any external controller.

📥 Download the latest bootstrap SD card img and burn it to a USB stick or an SD card.

IamForce2 does not update your MPC, but launches an isolated environment for the Force software from the external SD card. If you remove the card, you will find your MPC again at the next boot. However, you must have installed a modified MPC image for SSH activation. The latest version of the MPC SSH tkgl firmware is provided on the root of the card, so you can update directly from the MPC user interface. (If you own an MPC Live mk1 or mk2, IamForce2 can be used unplugged, on battery.)

📖 Documentation: Available here (Work in Progress)

📊 Collection of Our Usage Stats by AKAI/InMusic (2023-01-27)

Despite the fact that the checkbox "collect usage statistics" is unchecked in the preferences, my MPC keeps sending requests to Google Analytics. A network sniff of the WLAN0 interface (the WIFI) shows this without any doubt:

Host: [www.google-analytics.com](https://www.google-analytics.com)
Accept: */*
User-Agent: MPC/2.11 (AZ01; ACV8U; <unknown>; 5.15.78)
Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded
Content-length: 159

192.168.002.025.49444-142.250.075.238.00080: POST /collect HTTP/1.1
Host: [www.google-analytics.com](https://www.google-analytics.com)
Accept: */*
User-Agent: MPC/2.11 (AZ01; ACV8U; <unknown>; 5.15.78)
Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded
Content-length: 203

(and so on... more than 10 HTTP POST requests. As far as I know, Google Analytics is not a license activation server...)

🥁 MPC ONE MK2 FOR SOON ?? (2023-01-26)

I just realized that a new hardware identifier has been added in the latest MPC 2.11.7 image: ACVA2. ACVA is the MPC One.
Is there an MPC One MK2 in preparation in addition to the MPC XL (ACV5S) or is it just an identical hardware version that has evolved?

Akai image [MPC-2.11.7-Update.img] details :
timestamp : 639b5f86
description : MPC upgrade image
compatible : inmusic,acv5 inmusic,acv8 inmusic,acva
=> inmusic,acva2
inmusic,acvb inmusic,acvm inmusic,acv5s
inmusic,devices : 9e8403a 9e8403b 9e84046
=> 9e84056
9e84047 9e8404b 9e84052

Update: So it's confirmed. Compliance documentation available at the FCC.GOV website.

🎹 MPC XL - CODE NAME ACV5S - A NEW MPC X SOON (2022-12-20)

While exploring the latest Force 3.2 image update from Akai, someone from the MPC Live X and Force Hacking Group found a shell script containing an "ACV5S" hardware id in front of the "MPC XL" label. There are also similar traces in the latest Akai images header. So it seems that a new MPC X is about to be released soon, maybe with a larger screen, more pads, more knobs, more memory, etc... to be an XL one!

💬 Discussion: Join the thread here

⬇️ Direct Download Links for AKAI/AIR Plugins (2022-11-11)

If you want to get an instant download from any computer rather than doing that from your Force or MPC preferences menu, here are direct download links to all current plugins. You need to unzip and copy the content in the ad-hoc subdirectory of the Synths contents directory, on your external HD or USB key as follows: Synths/

⚠️ Notes: To download a plugin, simply click on one of the links above. The Fabric collection are not individual plugins: the main Fabric plugin is required for the other 3 to work (XL, Piano, Electric Piano). You'll need activation from Akai; this is strictly the content download.

🐧 New SSH Images Released for MPC & Force (2022-02-07)

C:\Users\tkgl>ssh root@192.168.x.y

 _____ _          _  ___ _                 _         _
|_   _| |_  ___  | |/ (_| |____ _ ___ _ _   | |   __ _| |__ ___
  | | | ' \/ -_) | ' <| | / / _` / -_| ' \  | |__/ _` | '_ (_-<
  |_| |_||_\___| |_|\_|_|_\_\__, \___|_||_| |____\__,_|_.__/__/
                                             |___/

Welcome to the MPC OS ssh mod !
Linux force 5.4.130-inmusic-2021-07-08-rt59 #1 SMP PREEMPT_RT Fri Jan 21 17:28:36 UTC 2022 armv7l GNU/Linux
Your IP address is 192.168.2.126
WARNING : you have root permissions. You could harm your system.
root@force:~#

This release adds a nice login banner, a useful command prompt, and allows you to launch a bootstrap script from a FAT32 disk. (Links at the top of the page).

🚀 I AM FORCE - V2 - PRELIMINARY RELEASE (2022-02-06)

This is a preliminary version of a further development of the IAMFORCE POC presented one year ago, allowing an MPC owner to test and run the Force software. This special image works with an SD card or a USB stick. No need to update your MPC. Plug it into your MPC, switch on the beast, and you will get the Force! (Important: you need an SSH modded image on your MPC. See links at the top of this page).

MPC settings are totally isolated from Force settings in a "chroot" sandbox, so you can't corrupt your MPC configuration. The Force image is embedded on the SD card img. It is an original root file system, version 3.1.3 including streaming, and USB audio compliance.

Known limitations: The shutdown doesn't work. It will make you return to the MPC mode, in which you can truly shut down your MPC. One last point for MPC Live users: it can be used on battery. The power supply status is faked.

🎹 MPC KEY 61 - CODE NAME ACVM (2021-11-30)

It seems that Akai finally decided to release not a Force (ACVK), but an MPC with a keyboard (ACVM). The Force synth project would have been abandoned in favor of an MPC synth.
Images path in the latest MPC img 2.10.1: /usr/share/Akai/ACVMTestApp/Resources

🔄 I AM FORCE (2021-02-11)

This Proof of Concept shows how an AKAI MPC Live and a hacked Midiplus Smartpad can be mutated to simulate a Force controller. Even if this project was technically challenging, believe me, the original Akai Force product offers much more comfort for almost the same price... one less tinkering!

🎹 FORCE 6 - CODE NAME ACVK (2021-02-03)

While exploring a recent MPC 2.9 update, someone from the MPC Live X and Force Hacking Group found a .png showing the FORCE 6 new keyboard from Akai. This confirms the upcoming release of a 5-octave hybrid keyboard, with 5×8 pads, 8 QLINKS, and a touch screen. The embedded software will most certainly be the same as the one already installed on the MPC/Force range, as well as the RK3288-based hardware core.
Png located internally at: /usr/share/Akai/ACVBTestApp/Resources/acvk.top.830x314.png

🎛️ GLOBAL MIDI MAPPING FOR STANDALONE MPC (2021-01-21)

I recently investigated more deeply around the "Global midi learn" to propose a less specific midi control than I did with the anyctrl.so LD_PRELOAD library. I discovered that the global midi mapping available in the MPC software is also available in standalone mode.
📖 Read the how-to here: MPC global midi mapping in standalone mode

🎚️ USE ANY MIDI CONTROLLER AS MPC/FORCE CONTROL SURFACE (2021-01-04)

This is a hack of the MPC standalone software, using LD_PRELOAD and a special library launched with the MPC binary allowing the use of any USB MIDI controller as a secondary control surface. It is thus possible to extend available buttons, pads, or qlinks like those of the MPC X or MPC One (track mute, pad mixer, solo, mute, etc.). This is particularly interesting for the Force which does not have an external controller mode in the MIDI settings unlike the MPCs.

🛠️ Check the preload_libs repo here: MPC-LiveXplore preload_libs

🔑 IMG WITH SSH ACCESS for MPC LIVE AND FORCE (2020-11-25)

If you want to get a remote Linux command line with SSH instead of opening your MPC, patched images are available (check at the top of this page). Very few things have been modified in that mod:

Empty password for root (Recent versions of Force Firmware added a password to the root account).
Permanent activation of ssh at boot (multi-user.target.wants/sshd.service).
SSH root empty password authentication in sshd_config.
Bootstrap to launch custom scripts on an SD card before starting MPC.

Installation: Remove any trailer after .img and copy the img to the root of a USB key. A non-empty USB key will work contrary to what is stated in the documentation.

⚙️ Launch your own scripts: tkgl_bootstrap
📖 More details: Enabling SSH on the MPC Live/X/One/Force

🥁 MPC V2.9.0 IS HERE - DRUMSYNTH PLUGIN IS IN! (2020-11-25)

The latest 2.9.0 MPC firmware features an 8-track DrumSynth, reminiscent of Roland's TRs, and Korg ER-1 that many will have forgotten! Honestly, this plugin is a success, and it is certain that many MPCs will be sold at Christmas!
Akai: Publish your APIs so third-party developers could create more plugins. Why not an MPC plugins marketplace?

📻 THE MPC LIVE MK II CONFIRMED (2020-03-18)

ONE MONTH LATER: CONFIRMED. Look at the FCC website.

📻 THE MPC LIVE MK II SOON? (2020-02-01)

Beyond my previous post in Gearslutz regarding a shell script mentioning the MPC Live MKII, other traces were found in the 2.72 MPC binary after a deeper analysis and confirmed by the existence of 2x4 dtb Linux drivers in the /boot directory.

I have also seen code areas mentioning new plugins that I think will be present in new releases or reserved for the new MPC:

MPC:DrumSynth
MPC:Xpand
MPC:OrganB3

We can therefore deduce that the 4 MPCs will share the same software platform and mainly the same core hardware. This is very good news for MPC Live owners as that means updates and new features probably in the near future for all.

🎼 MPC Arp Patterns and Progressions

You will find all arp patterns and progressions here. You must copy pattern files to: /usr/share/Akai/SME0/Arp Patterns and progressions to: /usr/share/Akai/SME0/Progressions.

⚠️ Note: Don't forget to remount the partition read/write with a mount remount / -o rw,remount command.

ℹ️ I want also to mention here this excellent source of information from niklasnisbeth: MPC-Internals