Akai previews open-source MPC Sample Key and shows community mods

In short: Akai is teasing an upcoming MPC Sample Key and says it will ship with open-source firmware, while showing off community-made modifications.

What happened

Akai is previewing a new music device called the MPC Sample Key. It has 37 piano-style keys and looks similar to the company’s budget MPC Sample, but it swaps the usual drum pads for a keyboard.

The device has not been formally announced yet. Even so, Akai has already posted short Instagram Reels showing what outside developers are building for it. Akai says it is giving some developers early access, and the MPC Sample Key will have open-source firmware (the built-in software that runs the device, like the operating system in a phone).

In the clips, Akai shows “mods,” which are user-made add-ons and changes. Some of these mods add synthesizers, including Native Instruments Massive, plus other types like virtual analog and FM synths (different ways to generate electronic sounds). One clip even shows the device running a completely custom operating system with several synths included.

Akai also suggests that similar community features could come to the regular MPC Sample. If that happens, it could mean Akai is planning to open up more of the MPC Sample platform, not just the new keyboard version.

Why it matters

For musicians, open-source firmware and official support for mods can mean a device that keeps improving after purchase. It is similar to buying a car that the maker allows you to legally customize, and even gives you the tools and instructions to do it. Akai CEO Jack O’Donnell told The Verge that inMusic brands plan to support this work by sharing early hardware, open-sourcing some software, and providing an SDK (a set of tools that helps people build add-ons).

Source: The Verge AI