HAKAI on MPC G2
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For those who have been out of the loop for a bit, the Akai Ecosystem has officially been open-sourced.
Starting with the Mockba mod, finishing with Hakai, and finally the death blow from Akai /inmusic releasing their SDK on GitHub, the MPC has entered the domain with Behringer and companies of the like. You can now MOD your MPCS
Why G2 MPCs Were Locked Out
The second Generation “G2” of MPC hardware (MPC Live III, MPC XL, MPC One G2, MPC Key 37 G2) were essentially locked out of the autorun exploit naturally as a security feature.
The stock MPC OS offers no root or SSH access, so any attempt to access this is directly bypassing Akai’s security features.
The older installer refused anything, but the first-gen 32-bit ARM devices like the Force, Live II, MPC One, MPC X, MPC Key 61, but the updated Hakai v1.1 brings some G2 exploits into the picture.
Now v1.1 can handle varied storage setups, meaning your plugins can live on the hard drive or a removable drive. Hakai 1.1 will check the MPC storage and find a usable location.
One thing to remember again, and we cannot overstate this: these are not official Akai instructions, and you can ‘brick’ your machine if you’re not aware of what you’re doing.
Below are some ways you can install the current installer on your device.
The One-Prompt USB Stick (OS 3.9.1 and Earlier)
The headline route — the simplest of the three.
The desktop installer app builds the stick itself: it downloads and checks everything.
Plug the stick in, confirm one prompt, and the MPC restarts with the OpenMPC Plugin Manager G2 installed.
No SSH, no network, nothing to set up.
Status: beta.
Tested on a Force and a Live III running 3.9.1.
If the stick fails, it writes g2-install-result.txt to the stick’s root — send that file plus your device and MPC OS version to the developer.
The Plugin-Manager Stick (All Versions, Including 3.10)
The route for 3.10 users — the one-prompt stick does not support 3.10.
Built on Twisted Cable’s USB plugin manager, with the OpenMPC Plugin Manager G2 option added.
Browse the catalog and install, update, or remove plugins on the MPC’s own screen.
On 3.10, there is a one-time helper import (steps are in the installer).
Confirmed on a Live III running stock 3.10.
The Developer Route: SSH on G2
For MPC OS 3.9.1 and earlier only.
On Gen 2 units (Live III, One G2, Key G2) you must use an SSH key: the root filesystem is read-only, so a password cannot be kept — the installer now says so explicitly.
Gen 1 units can use a password instead.
What Does This Hakai Enable My Machine To Do?
So currently only community and free plugins are available. Hakai has been explicit about not unlocking paid Akai plugins or the Pro Pack.
Some examples of plugins are MPC Synthdrums, Tal-Noisemaker, Shapey, Vader, etc
Community and free plugins only: the Hakai community has been explicit that it will not unlock paid Akai plugins (e.g., the Pro Pack).
Amit Talkwar has a MM plugin manager which helps to install, remove, track, and replace plugins. The Repository is linked in the Mockbamod Discord.
Now, just to be clear, we haven’t tried all versions of these plugins. There are some real risks involved; however,the ones that we have tried, like Liminal HZ and Model-72, are functional.
Risks, Backups, and Warranty
Remember, for the third time, this is NOT from Akai/inMusic, and these plugins have not been licensed or signed. So you’re installing something that someone else made on their computer, hoping for the goodwill of this person not to install malicious code on your home router or MPC.
Anytime you’re modifying the file system, you are risking bricking your unit and totally voiding the manufacturer's warranty, though some units may be outside of that warranty period anyway.
Make sure to back up your projects, AND
export your stems of music you create using these mods. There's no guarantee that the plugin you created today will be functioning tomorrow.
What This Means for MPC Users
A new day has arrived; this is the first no-mod, no-SSH route to having custom Hakai-style plugins on your MPC G2, but it's not the only one. AKai has also entered the game.
Catalog management is possible via the plugin manager stick instead of the terminal.,
Products mentioned in this post
MPC Live III
MPC One G2
MPC Key 37 G2
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