Hakai - MPC Custom Firmware with For MPC X, LIVE and ONE

Ultros wrote:You guys wanna know something crazy? You can clone A number of inmusic hardware devices to a $130 (cad) soc you can purchase from amazon. This board will run all the inmusic rk3288 roms. https://www.amazon.ca/Tinker-Board-Quad ... 005&sr=8-1

The denon sc5000 and (m)
The denon sc6000 and (m)
MPC One, X, Live
Force (and force 6 when it comes out)

if you know how to use linux and are into arm soc's you can just make your own units.

Insane!
Wonder how AKAI would react to this..

This is really cool.

Any youtube videos available yet on this topic? Would like to see it before I try this on my X.

I would like to see the same, how it looks on mpc also with installing process without bricking the unit. Maybe it's worth to try

I've just tried it on my X.

This looks really promissing!!

But the main problem at the moment is that in Force mode the screen is upside down.

When I was in Force mode I went and checked out the bassline synth and the tube synth and I was able to trigger the sounds with the pads. Even the VU meter responded nicely.

I want to explore the Force Software on my X but it's too much of a hassle with the screen like that.
Any upcomming fix for this?

BTW thanks for all the effort!! Good job so far!!

Installing was easy and it won't brick your MPC like stated earlier in this tread. Just put the image on a stick that is formated to exFAT and enter update mode in stand alone. The process takes between 1 or 2 minutes.

Here are some images:

So okay, after playing around with it a little bit more (with the screen upside down) I've noticed that the pads dont work in Matrix or Aranger mode which sucks heavy.

But what I now know is that there's absolutly no limitation for Akai not to alow us to run the Force firmware natively on our MPC's. They can easly integrate a software button on the screen which will launch a drop down menu for the missing hardware buttons on the MPC. It shouldn't even take them a week to roll out a Beta version.

So the big question is: Why Not?
Maybe we're in for a big surprise when 3.0 launches, only time will tell..

That would be a good marketing strategy for them but not customer satisfaction wise.

I’ve analyzed what I really need to enhance my workflow. And the conclusion is that I need my MPC X (because of its form factor) with addition of the mixer and arranger thats on the Akai Force.

I believe many of us would like to see this combination on their MPC. It’s been asked so
many times now and I feel like its about time they start to deliver.

Why are they so afraid to show us a roadmap for the upcoming software?

Word on the street is Force is getting disk streaming and some new synths so I think they’re on the right track to deliver mixer & arranger on MPC’s too + the above ^

I just did some more digging and hooked up an MPK mini and was able to record notes into the arranger as you can see down below in my first picture (the screen is still flipped tough). I could even use the pads of the MPK.

To record into the arranger you use the shift+record button and to record into every other mode you use the record button.



It is even possible to jump into the grid and do some edditing simply by draging the little arrow. This is really sweet I'm telling you!!



From there you can switch from grid view to automation while still having the arranger on top in the same screen!!



Seeing all of this gives me the feeling that Force users have been getting more love from Akai than us MPC heads.

maybe its because their firmware is already at an 3.0+ stage..

Okay so @Ultros and @The Kick Gen,

It is possible to use the pads!! but you need to enter Padperformance mode and you can record the events from there!!

aside from this workaround, I think that the reason that the pads won't work out of the box is because you have to enable the Note button first which is missing on our hardware. See the video below and skip to 4:30



Once he enables the note button the pads start to work!! maybe we can remap the Note button to Note Repeat.

Anyway can you guys flip the screen (its still upside down) so i can do some better testing?

zangetsu01 wrote:Okay so @Ultros and @The Kick Gen,

It is possible to use the pads!! but you need to enter Padperformance mode and you can record the events from there!!

aside from this workaround, I think that the reason that the pads won't work out of the box is because you have to enable the Note button first which is missing on our hardware. See the video below and skip to 4:30

Once he enables the note button the pads start to work!! maybe we can remap the Note button to Note Repeat.

Anyway can you guys flip the screen (its still upside down) so i can do some better testing?

Hey, sorry about the delay. I know the screen is flipped for some of the users. I'm still working on things over here. I have a number of projects on the go at the moment. I will post an update when I feel like its been completed. I will add the ability to set the orientation from sd or usb.

An external midi controller will indeed record events, and an apc should in theory get you the force interface needed for the matrix. Not optimal to buy a matrix controller but meh. Easier than trying to hack it.

The reason the pads dont work in the matrix is because its not designed to have a pad layout on that menu. It's supposed to have a matrix pad. Force users on real force unit use the lower left quatrant of the matrix for the pad input. which would be padbank C to us.

However all the other buttons on the mpc interface fire right up and send their events. I personally use an MPK mini on an MPC one. The force software works the way it should, the only issue is the pads. (not enough to make me want to invest time into hacking at it)

I will post soon, but i want to make absolutely sure everything is spot on this time because im not sure i really want to maintain this as a project.

Screw it, here is my latest revision, used thekikgens 2.9.0 firmware, inserted the 2.9.1 software as well as force. image is ssh enabled as it is based on thekikgen's work. why reinvent the wheel the kikgen did a nice job so i just build ontop of that. (all devices are spoofed to mpc X when in MPC mode). The settings menu's work in both force and mpc now, and i've not enforced any rotational code so it should default to your machines orientation. I hope this one solves your issues. Download Here

md5sum 83a9a26fe66889e3c63875be1f70d190
shasum aec46b7bb93c89fa66e91689812502da36c86866

additional fun: ssh into the machine and run start-remote-midi.sh to initialise network midi. use the akai network midi software and whatever supported daw in the way you actually want to use it. With the device in stand alone.

Also lmfao i didnt read about the midi note thing before replying, that's some good info i wonder what the midi note value is? i guess i could hijack the midi device and send triggers until i find it... i will look into that, good call buddy. I don't mind if this becomes a community thing. I wouldnt mind some help from interested users with some computer knowledge. There's no reason we cant use this thread to share ideas and build something nifty. My time will be limited soon so there wont be any more updates or things from me for a while... this was never intended to be a *me* project its a *we* project and i encourage those of you with interest to dive in.

what i'd like to see happen is thekikgen takes the image i made there and and leave his ld preload lib in it and virtual interfacing / midi hijacking stuff all nicely automated. That'd really polish it off.

I just want to thank you and the Kick Gen for all of your hard work!!
Don't know if you guys have got a paypal acount but I would gladly donate! just sent me a PM.

1) Just updated and the screen orientation is normal (I actually have to get used to it now ).
2) The settings screen is also available now!
3) just like the previous version I haven't experienced any crashes or anything like that. More people should try it out it's verry sweet!!

Also lmfao i didnt read about the midi note thing before replying, that's some good info i wonder what the midi note value is? i guess i could hijack the midi device and send triggers until i find it... i will look into that, good call buddy.

I think on holding off on buying a launchpad for now as I hope you get it sorted out!! Would love to use the pads that are on board of the MPC to punch in those events!! And while your at it I think the main/Track button should toggle between the matrix and the arranger.

Anyway yes, it would be cool for more chefs to join the kitchen and cook up some nice firmwares. maybe it will ope up Akai's eyes and show them what the community actually wants. I would be glad to test out to Beta test but we need more people on board as well as a dev to support us too.

I'll happily await your next update, so don't be a stranger!!

zangetsu01 wrote:I just want to thank you and the Kick Gen for all of your hard work!!
Don't know if you guys have got a paypal acount but I would gladly donate! just sent me a PM.

One thing I will never do is accept or ask anyone for money. I do appreciate the offer though. It's not morally sound to "hack" a firmware then turn around and sell it to people. Even if I add things to the os to increase functionality the meat and bones really belongs to a number of developers who wouldnt be getting a cut.

Also, I love seeing that running on your X lololol. Dont be fooled tho there are some bugs. Click the sequencer button and twist the selection knob. it crashes it. (sequencer isn't supposed to show on the force but our hw interface triggers the remnant call to it in the force build anyways) it wont harm the unit it just restarts, you have to actually click buttons to find that menu / bug tho.

All in all its completely usable ive recorded a pile of analog sessions using the arranger. set up a bunch of matrix clips. Try this: Press over-dub then click a square on the matrix and it should start recording a clip. You can trigger the matrix on the display. I use my external controller for all event input currently.