AKAI MPC 3.6 Update and Pro Pack – also for AKAI Force!
New Update for the MPC Hardware Series
4,6 / 5,0 | 
[06 October 2025] AKAI released the MPC 3.6 firmware for the current MPC models and the Force, coinciding with the release of the MPC Live III (read our review here). Along with the free update, the paid MPC Pro Pack is now available, offering additional exclusive features.
All About the AKAI MPC 3 Update
AKAI MPC 3.6 update for MPC and Force
The AKAI MPC 3.6 update is free for all current MPC models, including the AKAI Force. However, the Pro Pack must be purchased separately and is only free for the new MPC Live III. Now, let’s take a look at the regular update.
AKAI MPC 3.6 introduces interesting new features, such as the ability to set a project’s time signature and apply it to the entire project. The Drum Articulation Engine allows you to assign flams and other drum effects directly to individual pads, which is intriguing! This feature takes advantage of the drum pads’ capabilities on the MPC Live III. A 32-cell modulation matrix is now available for drum tracks, allowing for greater creativity.
Another notable feature is Layer Play Offset, which involves creating a defined “sample window” determined by start, end, and loop points. This window can then be moved as desired.
For instance, if you set the start, end, and loop points so that the first sixteenth note of a one-bar sample is “framed,” you can use the Layer Play Offset parameter to move this window to different sixteenth note positions within the sample. Cool! Even cooler is the ability to control the movement of this window through modulation, such as with an LFO.
There are also new modulation options. LFO 1 now has additional parameters, and LFO 2 has been added for drum programs. Additionally, there is a note counter for stepwise modulation, as well as two ramps and drift LFOs, which are useful for slight pitch modulation.
The AKAI MPC 3.6 offers more options for crossfades. You can apply these between sample layers using envelopes or LFOs to create sounds similar to wave sequencing or vector synthesis. Layer crossfading is now available for key groups as well!
Additionally, automations are now limited by the length of a step. Individual pads can output specific MIDI notes to trigger external equipment or control light shows. The sequencer has expanded to include full recording and forwarding per event channel.
The MPC Pro Pack offers features such as Ableton Live project import; matrix and clip edit mode; follow actions; improved CV integration; improved Q-links, which have an envelope follower and LFO; and a super warp algorithm. Additionally, there are four plug-ins: AIR Fabric Select, AIR Visual EQ4, AIR Reverb Pro, and AIR Utility. As previously mentioned, the MPC Pro Pack is free and pre-installed on the MPC Live III. For all other current MPCs and the Force, the pack is available for a limited time at the special price of $99, regularly $199. For more information about the Pro Pack, visit AKAI’s website.
You can also find detailed information about the AKAI MPC 3.6 update and the update procedure in this PDF. The update is available for the MPC Live III, MPC Key 37, MPC One+, MPC X Special Edition, MPC Key 61, MPC One, MPC Live II, MPC X, MPC Live, and AKAI Force.
Amazing Update 3.0 for the MPC Now Officially Available!
[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.
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 3.6 Update and Pro Pack – also for AKAI Force!”
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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