MPC Sample System Config

2.1

Power & battery

5 V · 2 AUSB-C min source

~5 hmanual · FAQ says 6

Li-ioninternal, rechargeable

3 Wspeaker

0.92 kg2.03 lb

19.4×23.6×5cm (W×L×H)

Charging rules official

Power and charge over USB-C: wall adapter, power bank, or a computer's USB-C host port. No adapter in the box.
The charge icon lights only while charging. It goes dark when unplugged or full.
Gotcha: depending on the cable and source, it may only charge while powered off. Use the included cable and at least 5 V / 2 A.
At full charge on external power it runs from the source and only trickles when off.

Battery LED official

■ green	100–30%
■ amber	29–15%
■ red	14–5%
▣ blinking red	<5%: connect power now

Runtime: conflict the manual says ~5 h of continuous playback, the FAQ says "up to 6 hours". Speaker volume and backlight use change it. Teardown notes report a TI bq fuel-gauge routine in the panel MCU firmware.

Speaker logicThe built-in speaker switches off when anything is plugged into PHONES or AUDIO OUT, and while the internal Mic is the source with monitoring On/Auto (feedback guard). Silent unit? Check for a forgotten cable. Some 1.3.0 updaters also reported a muted speaker straight after updating.

2.2

Firmware & update mode

The unit runs a web server over USB. That's how official updates work, and it's the same door the hackers knock on (see 04).

Browser updater official

Power on, connect USB-C to a computer (or USB-C iPhone/iPad).
Open http://mpc-sample.local. If that fails, power-cycle while connected, then try http://192.168.155.1.
The page scans your version. Click update and stay connected; it reboots itself.
Got a file already? Manual Firmware Upload on the same page. The inMusic Software Center also works.

Sources

Update mode (desktop updater) official

Power off.
Hold and press POWER.
Connect USB, run the MPC Sample Updater from the downloads page.

Required on Windows 10: the browser updater isn't supported there. Also your fallback when the web page won't come up.

iOS & Lightning official

USB-C iPhones/iPads connect directly with the included cable. Lightning devices need Apple's Lightning to USB 3 Camera Adapter with a 20 W USB-C charger on its pass-through, plus a full-data USB-A→USB-C cable to the MPC.

Linux & stubborn macOS community

The MPC shows up as a USB network adapter (NCM) at 192.168.155.1/28 with its own DHCP. .local needs mDNS, so use the IP. Linux users got it working by letting the browser talk only to the MPC's interface (e.g. usb0) in a private window; some Mac users needed the IP too.

# see the link the MPC creates, then open the updater
ip addr | grep -A2 192.168.155
xdg-open http://192.168.155.1/

Version timeline

Version	Date	What landed
launch	24 Mar 2026	Ships at $399 / £349 / €399. Akai calls the day-one update required.
1.2.0	notes dated 19 Mar 2026	SD Card Access over USB · Export Song → new Sequence (automate FX over a whole arrangement; >128 bars locks length) · Loop Lock per pad (SHIFT + B1 in Trim) · better saving, disk streaming and autosave · fixes: Chop zoom crash on long samples, lazy-chop window, previews over USB audio
1.2.1	Spring 2026	Follow-up maintenance release; no public notes found.
1.3.0	13 Apr 2026	Normalize (SHIFT + B2 in Trim) · Knob Takeover modes (SHIFT + PAD 8); knobs/Knob FX now default to Scaled · fixes: attack after recording now 2 (was 0), internal mic recording in stereo after power cycle, Loop Lock not reset on clear, missing "insufficient space" on full SD, shutdown crash with corrupt temp project
1.3.0.12	build snapshot 2 Apr 2026	The full build number found inside the 1.3.0 updater by reverse engineers.

Known issue (1.2 → 1.3)Flex Beat can glitch while you change tempo. Workaround from Akai: set Flex Beat to 100% dry before touching BPM.

2.3

The five personalities of USB-C

One port, five jobs. Some can't run at the same time, which explains most "my computer can't see it" moments.

Mode	How to get it	Details	Badge
Power	Plug in	Bus power, wall or power bank. 5 V 2 A recommended.	official
Audio I/O	Input Config / Sample Record source = USB, USB L or USB R	Stereo in from Mac/Win/iOS/Android, so you can sample a phone app or DAW straight in. Reverse engineers see a UAC2 gadget running 2 ch at 44.1 kHz. Since 1.2, sample previews also play over USB audio.	official
MIDI	→ MIDI Port = USB	Class-compliant port named `MPC Sample` (USB VID `0x09E8`, PID `0x205C`). Silent until you switch the port to USB. The device echoes incoming MIDI back out (soft-thru).	verified
Network	Automatic when powered on and connected	USB NCM Ethernet: MPC at `192.168.155.1/28` with DHCP; web UI at `mpc-sample.local` (updater; auth disabled in config).	verified
Disk	→ SD Card Access	The microSD mounts on the computer as a drive. While it's mounted, other modes are locked and the USB-MIDI endpoints disappear. Eject on the computer first, then `B1`.	verified

Not a controller for MPC 3Akai says the MPC Sample does not work as a controller for the MPC 3 desktop software. It is still an ordinary class-compliant MIDI device, so any DAW or Web MIDI page can play its pads (and its pads can play things).

2.4

MIDI configuration

→ turn the ENCODER to a row, push to edit, push again to confirm.

Setting	Values	What it really means
MIDI Port	External · USB	One port at a time. External = the rear 3.5 mm TRS jacks; USB = the class-compliant USB port.
MIDI In Channel	All · 1–16	Listen to everything or one channel.
MIDI Out Channel	1–16	The single channel the pads/sequencer transmit on, so it sequences one external device at a time (users note this too).
Pad MIDI In	Off · On	Let incoming notes trigger pads. On hardware, bank-A pads answer notes 36–51 (C1 to D#2 in MPC numbering).
Pad MIDI Out	Never · Always · Empty	Whether pads send MIDI. inference Empty appears to send only from pads with no sample, so loaded pads play drums while empty pads play an external synth. Test on your unit.
MIDI Sync In	Off · MIDI Clock · MTC	Follow a DAW or drum machine.
MIDI Sync Out	Off · MIDI Clock · MTC	Lead other gear.
MIDI Thru	Off · On	Forward MIDI IN to MIDI OUT (chain gear).
Receive Program Change	Off · Sequence	Program-change messages launch sequences: a foot controller or DAW clip can switch song parts.
CV/Sync Out	Off · On	Enable the 3.5 mm SYNC OUT clock (next section).
CV/Sync Base	1–8	Base clock resolution; 1 = 1 pulse per quarter note.
CV/Sync Division	1–24	Multiplies the Base.
Takeover ×3	Pickup · Scaled · Instant	Since 1.3: separate for Parameters, Knob FX and Fader. See 2.9.
Reset Factory Settings / Data	B3 Yes · B1 No	See 2.10. Data reset is destructive.

Table source: User Guide v1.3.0

TRS Type A

The 3.5 mm MIDI jacks are Type A (spelled out from manual RevC on). Use Type-A TRS↔DIN adapters; a Type-B adapter (Arturia/Novation style) won't work. conflict the manual says adapters aren't included, while the FAQ talks about "the included adapter". Check your box.

Follow a DAW

MIDI Port → USB
MIDI Sync In → MIDI Clock
DAW: send clock to "MPC Sample"
Press PLAY in the DAW

Lead a drum machine

MIDI Port → External (TRS-A → DIN)
MIDI Sync Out → MIDI Clock
MIDI Out Channel = the machine's channel
PLAY on the MPC

2.5

Sync Out & PPQN

SYNC OUT is a 3.5 mm TS jack with 5 V clock pulses for modular gear, Volcas and Pocket Operators. Clock only: there's no separate run/stop line.

CV/Sync Base CV/Sync Division Tempo (BPM)

Pulses per quarter = Base × Division, per the manual's definition.

Target	PPQN	Base × Div
Quarter-note clock / clock divider	1	1 × 1
Korg Volca, Teenage Engineering PO (1 pulse per 8th)	2	2 × 1
Eurorack 16th-note sequencers	4	4 × 1
24 PPQN clock inputs	24	8 × 3 · 1 × 24
48 PPQN clock inputs	48	2 × 24

Target rates are common conventions for that gear, not Akai statements; check your device's manual. verify

2.6

Getting sounds in & out

8 GBinternal (~2 GB factory)

2 GBRAM

128 / 128samples / seqs per project

20 minmax per sample

24-bit44.1 kHz recording

32-bit floatengine

Four ways in

Card reader: copy WAVs to the microSD on your computer. The MPC creates MPC-Sample/Samples on the card. Browse with SAMPLE SELECT → B2 (External), though you can navigate anywhere on the card.
SD Card Access (fw 1.2+): → SD Card Access → drag files over USB → eject → B1.
Record over USB audio from a phone, tablet or DAW: source = USB.
Phone workflow: Andy Mac's tip is to grab samples on a phone (e.g. Splice) and move them onto the SD card.

Formats it eats official

Import: .wav .aif/.aiff .mp3 .flac .ogg, plus vintage Akai .snd (MPC2000-era) and .s1s/.s3s (S1000/S3000-era). Files at 16/24-bit and 44.1/48/96 kHz load; the engine runs at 44.1 kHz.

Save a sample: → name → B3 Do It.

Card format: not specified by Akai. Community tools use exFAT cards without trouble. community

Projects are an .xpj file plus a matching [ProjectData] folder. Move both or the project won't reopen.

microSD layout (as created by the MPC)

/  (microSD root)
├── MPC-Sample/
│   ├── Samples/        ← default browse target for SAMPLE SELECT › B2 (a User/ subfolder shows up in the wild)
│   └── Projects/       ← projects travel as a pair: MyBeat.xpj + MyBeat_[ProjectData]/
└── anything/you/like/  ← the browser can navigate anywhere on the card

MPC-Sample/Samples is documented ; the Projects and Samples/User folders were observed by community tool builders .

2.7

MPC 3.8 round trip

What works now official

MPC Sample projects open on MPC hardware and MPC desktop running 3.8+ (free update, released 30 Apr 2026).
3.8 can also export tracks back to the MPC Sample.
3.8 brings MPC Sample effects to the big MPCs (Color compressor, tape & vinyl emulators, vintage emulation and more).
Don't push full MPC 3 projects onto the Sample. Akai says not to.

Tricks & history

Launch manual v1.0 promised MPC 3 loading; RevB walked it back to "not currently supported, coming in a future update"; 3.8 delivered it.
Can't see the project data in the MPC 3 browser? Forum users point to the browser's gear menu to unhide [ProjectData] folders. community
Need Ableton? MPC2Live converts MPC projects to Live Sets.
A popular video claims you can get MPC Expansion content onto the Sample by way of MPC 3. unverified

2.8

Input config

. Most rows mirror the Sample Record page, except Rec Input Effects, which lives only here.

Row	Options	Pro move
Source	Mic · Rear · Rear L · Rear R · Resample · USB · USB L · USB R	Two mono synths? Sample them one at a time on Rear L / Rear R without re-patching.
Monitor	Off · Auto · On	On keeps the input audible in every mode, so you can jam over a live synth.
Threshold	−96 … 0 dB	Auto-start on the first transient: arm it, then drop the needle.
Rec Length	Free · Seq	Seq + playback starts at the next loop and records exactly one sequence: perfect loops.
Rec Input Effects	Off · On	On prints the active Knob FX into the recording: sample through Tape Delay or Amp Sim.

Live FX boxtry it The spec sheet lists "real-time processing of external inputs" and an input FX route. With Monitor On you can push a synth through the MPC's effects live and resample the result.

2.9

Knob takeover (fw 1.3)

Mode	Behaviour	Default for
Pickup	Nothing changes until the knob passes the stored value. Watch for the ◀ ▶ arrows next to the parameter name.	Fader
Scaled	Moves in your direction at a scaled rate until knob and value meet.	Parameters, Knob FX
Instant	Jumps straight to the knob position.	(nothing; great for performance)

Set separately for Parameters, Knob FX and Fader under .

2.10

Factory resets

Reset Factory Settings

Settings back to default, then restart. Your content stays. B3 Yes · B1 No.

Reset Factory Data

Wipes all internal user content, including the current unsaved project, and restores the factory library. No undo. Copy projects to the SD card first.

Both live at the bottom of .