4 MIDI OUT support on MPC LIVE !!

Hi.

Like all of you here, I tried to connect a MIDI interface to the USB Host port of the MPC LIVE, only to find out that the additional MIDI OUT ports are not supported. Only PORTs A and B are visible, C & D indicating always "None".

While exploring the site https://niklasnisbeth.gitlab.io/mpc-internals, I understood that all the interface cards on the MPC Live/X went through USB, and lucky for me, the author had the good idea to provide a USB dump ( with an "lsub" command) right after the boot.

https://niklasnisbeth.gitlab.io/mpc-internals/cmds/lsusb.txt

The part that interests me most is the following:

idVendor 0x09e8
idProduct 0x003b
iProduct 2 MPC Live Controller

As an IT engineer, I quite recently developed a 3 I/O USB MIDI interface, and it allows to modify easily the VendorID and ProductID as well as the "Product String", identifying a USB device on a host system.
https://github.com/TheKikGen/USBMidiKliK4x4

So I simply modified the parameters of my MIDI interface, so that it would be seen as an internal AKAI controller.

-===========================================-
CURRENT SETTINGS
---------------------------------------------
Magic number: MDK7-1.181219.1306
Next BootMode: 0
=> Vendor Id: 9E8
=> Product Id: 3B
=> Product string : MPC Live Controller

After plugging in the reconfigured MIDI interface, and rebooting the MPC LIVE, I had the joy of seeing that 4 MIDI ports were now visible A, B, corresponding to the 2 internal MIDI ports, and C, D, corresponding to MIDI OUT 1 and 2 of my interface !!
It works !!

In addition, in the setup panel, you can see all MIDI OUT ports in the synchronization options. I haven't done any in-depth tests, but all MIDI OUT ports work directly, either on the tracks or in MIDI Clock sync.

Ohhhh sanp!!! Nice.... You just opened the flood gates for Hack Central

Good job.. I love these kind of hacks..

Amazing find!

If Akai picked up on this and provided an expansion box for the Live that included 2 extra midi, XLR with phantom and a few knobs/buttons for MPX X type controls etc they could be onto something big.

Can then leave the expansion in the studio and still use the live on knee while watching tele, travelling in hotels etc.

that way we would have benefits of live and X all at the same time with no compromise.

If Akai dont pick it up, I am sure it would be a nice project for Kickstarter. 200-300 GBP per unit would still make it cheaper than an X and yet in many ways better!

Very excited at the prospects.

well done.

This is pretty damn cool. How possible could it be to expand the number of inputs on the live so its tricked into think it is an MPC X?

what about audio outputs 7/8 those can those be hacked also?

Incredible indeed

what other USB devices have been tried out and found to work or get some sort of reaction (so far)?

Excuse my ignorance as I haven't needed to try yet; by midi interface do you mean a simple USB to Midi converter doesn't work on those two USB ports?

A simple USB interface will not be recognized as MIDI outs by the Live (however Midi In works erratically), because you need the right Akai PID/VID and product string name.

I tested a USB mouse . It works, but Ethernet USB or Serial USB don't.
Obviously, a USB midi keyboard works.

The KikGen wrote:A simple USB interface will not be recognized as MIDI outs by the Live (however Midi In works erratically), because you need the right Akai PID/VID and product string name.

I tested a USB mouse . It works, but Ethernet USB or Serial USB don't.
Obviously, a USB midi keyboard works.

I am using a USB3 MIDI 8x8 interface and I can use all 8 INPUTS, though the outputs are lost in the software.

Thums up for this mod! Would be great to get something from Akai to get 4 or more outs...

Nice work, Niklas and KikGen.

I am fairly sure that Akai just added code to filter out anything BUT "their" hardware (i.e. the strings you modified). I have a USB3 8x8 interface I also bought when I bought the MPC X, naturally assuming it would just be recognized by the MPC X. The MIDI In Ports works with no problems, but not MIDI Out Ports cannot be selected, of course, since in the UI, only the MIDI Out Ports matching the same strings you changed to can be used.

It appears that only the UI is limited to the built-in ports for MIDI Out (this may of course be an incorrect assumption), but ALL MIDI In Ports (whether built-in or USB) are all available for the currently selected track.

So in all, I would venture to guess that the biggest lack in all of the MPC X/Live MIDI land, currently lies in the UI part of the software. There are no select boxes for MIDI In Port/Channel, period, and the MIDI Out selection boxes are obviously limited to the built-in ports.

My guess is that premature decisions were made about the MIDI implementation early on, and that quickly backlashed once the units were released. I've been told "should've done your research, man", but I think that the ultimate issue is that there has been nothing "new" (still just MIDI) about basic MIDI in many years, but Akai decided to "bypass" quite a bit of MIDI fundamentals and that's what has caused the ruckus.

However, Akai has stated that they are working to rectify this, in my opinion, poor decision on their part.

My point is that if and when Akai pull this off, you can simply buy any USB MIDI interface and have as many (as long as they don't limit, of course) as you want.