Exchange tips and tricks for the Akai MPC4000
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By feline1 Wed Jul 29, 2015 7:31 pm
OK kids, today I upgraded my Windows 8.1 Pro (64 bit) desktop machine to Windows 10 Pro (64 bit)

Can I still run Ak.sys and communicate with my MPC4000 over USB?

YES! :smoker:

The same method (using Oracle VirtualBox, and installing Windows XP in that, and Ak.sys and the MPC4000 USB drivers) still works fine, just as it did for Windows 8, and I described in this old thread here
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=162362

Get in!!
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By feline1 Fri Jul 01, 2016 5:17 pm
I just wanted to bump this thread, because it's useful!
Indeed, can the mods make it a 'sticky top', perhaps?


I periodically check my Ak.Sys still works (as both Windows 10 and Oracle Virtual Box get periodic updates, so there's always the chance an update will screw things up...) but everything still seems to be working fine for me.

Probably worth mentioning: Windows 10 Pro still comes with Microsoft's "Hyper V" virtual machine host, but you can't use this for running Ak.sys because Hyper V won't let Windows XP talk to your real PC's USB ports, which is why you need to use Oracle Virtual Box instead.
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By feline1 Sun Jan 05, 2020 2:36 pm
Well, just to bump this thread one more time...

I got myself a new Windows 10 PC this Christmas,
and have used the method in this thread yet again to get it to talk to my MPC4000 over a USB cable. It worked! :)

In summary, you need to run Windows XP inside a virtual machine, as Akai's last MPC4000 USB driver was for Windows XP, and doesn't work on any later Windows version. My recommended virtual machine environment is Oracle Virtual Box. (Microsoft's own 'HyperV' doesn't work, as it doesn't let you access the USB ports).



1. Get an installation CD for Windows XP (32 bit) with Service Pack 3 included, and a valid license key. I got one from EBay for about £5. (Strictly speaking, Microsoft's licensing terms require them to also send you the dead PC that the license came from too ;) )

2. Get and install Oracle Virtualbox https://www.virtualbox.org/ (a free download)

3. Create a virtual machine in Virtualbox, and install Windows XP (SP3) on it.

4. In your Windows XP machine, go to https://www.akaipro.com/mpc4000 and download Ak.Sys v2.53 for Windows, and the v2.01 MPC4000 USB driver for Windows.

5. Unzip the driver to a folder.
6. Plug a USB cable between your PC and the MPC4000.
7. Switch on the MPC4000
(8. You may need to tell Virtualbox in its menu settings to make the MPC4000 USB device available to your virtual XP machine).
9. Wait for the Windows Add New Hardware Wizard to pop up. Follow the wizard and point it to your unzipped MPC4000 USB driver - it should hopefully tell you it has installed it sucessfully

10. Run the Ak.sys installer....

...and you should be in business!
By CharlesRandolph Sun Jan 05, 2020 2:58 pm
11. Go to USB Settings and click Add New USB filter and select the AKAI MPC. This will allow you to turn off and on the MPC, without having to manual, enable it.

12. Add a shared folder for your Virtual Box XP, Windows 10, and any other networked computer. This way you can place sounds or MPC 4000 project into that folder. Then drag those sounds or projects into ak-sys.