AKAI MPC 3: Amazing Update for the MPC Now Officially Available!
4,7 / 5,0 | 
[22 January 2025] The AKAI MPC 3 update is now available. Actually, the firmware has reached version 3.4.1. This update brings some new features to the MPC that all users can look forward to.
All About the AKAI MPC 3 Update
MPC 3 is Here – The Final Version
This is what many have been waiting for: after an extensive beta phase, the latest update for the most popular MPC models is now available. Downloading and installing the latest firmware brings many new features to the Music Production Center, the most important of which are described in the following news from last year. What the AKAI MPC 3 firmware version 3.4.1 has to offer in detail can be read in this PDF.
One of the surprising new highlights is the integration of products from Native Instruments. Read more about the cooperation between NI and AKAI in this news.
All information about the update can be found here on the AKAI website.
MPC 3 (in Beta) – It’s the Magic Number
[26 July 2024] Behold Akai MPC 3.0 (beta)! It’s a massive and free update to the MPC operating system with a new main mode, DAW-style arranger, track and pad mixer and much more.
AKAI MPC 3
The Akai MPC community is losing its collective mind over MPC 3.0, the upcoming new MPC operating system. Free for users of compatible hardware, Akai MPC 3.0 is a complete redesign of the OS, with many long-awaited features finally seeing the light of day.
New Main Mode
The first and perhaps biggest update in Akai MPC 3.0 is the new Main Mode. This gives the user fast access to all of their different tracks from one place, with things like audio editing and MIDI information previews. You can even sample direct to pads from here.
Akai Professional says the Main Mode delivers “a significantly enhanced user experience, blending visual feedback, stunning colors and seamless navigation of every parameter of your project.”
Linear Arranger
Also new is the Linear Arranger (which appears to be ported over from the Akai Force). This is a DAW-style arranger that places all of your track types in one window. Audio and MIDI together at last. Things are color-coded too, making it easy to differentiate track types. There’s also automation for each track, submix and main output.
Mixer, Macros and More
Other significant changes to Akai MPC 3.0 include a track and pad mixer mode for quick audio adjusting plus individual XL channel strips for working with sends and plugins. You can change plugin order now too. Hallelujah!
There are a number of macro enhancements, with Q-Link macro controls plus an XY multizone performance macro pad.
Other new features include disk streaming, drum samples can now be stacked up to eight deep per pad, an updated grid mode and more. It will also work with Stems.
AKAI MPC 3 Availability
Akai MPC 3.0 is free and will support Live, Live II, One, One+, X, X SE, Key 37 and Key 61 models. It will be entering public beta in a few weeks. Sign up on the Akai Professional page for more information.
More Information
- Akai Professional MPC 3.0 product page
- All about Akai Professional
- All about MPC
- All about samplers
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8 responses to “AKAI MPC 3: Amazing Update for the MPC Now Officially Available!”
Boring
Is here (..) It will be entering public beta in a few weeks (doh!) so not here until christmas 😬
misleading article, it’s not here and won’t be here for us mere mortals.
A DAW for the dawless averse.
Misleading headline much ?
“This awesome thing you want is HERE NOW” read article…actually…”not here until some vague future date, oh and it’s beta lol”.
I guess clickbait is SOP now.
Cubase in a groovebox, timelines, controller lanes. 8 samples to a pad. But not yet. The ‘MPC community’, however, couldn’t go wild even if you set a hungry lion on it, some might argue….
why tell us about it and not let us have it? Beta should drop with the news at the same time. You don’t tell us about every update before the updates.. lol I WANT MY 3 NOW DAMNIT!!! thanks for letting me get that off my chest. Can you please send me a beta now?
I’m sticking with the current OS for now.
– I have been using MPC units since 1991, starting with the MPC-60II, and having created an extremely large library of very complex Programs for the current new generatin of MPC, I would just miss having the ability to switch programs on the fly ,or, have a selection of often used Programs loaded up, ready for a particular track, etc.
So for example, if I’m correct, I can’t just create a tambourine sequence, load up all my favourite tambourine Programs and see which one works best. Or, all my Sub Bass programs that I load up whenever I’m in a breakbeat frame of mind.
AKAI, give us a legacy mode, or at least the option to use programs.
I will say, I do really like the new look, much sleeker UI regarding the touchscreen, and the darker coloured touch screen graphics now sit really well within the black of the MPC, that is, if you have a black unit.
Still, I have massive respect for Akai keeping the prices relatively low on all their MPC units, and the constant updates.
god bless
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