Akai MPC 3 Software Desktop Version Coming Soon ! Public Beta in May 2025

Following the highly anticipated launch of MPC3 and Akai Professional’s groundbreaking partnership with Native Instruments, we’re excited to share key development updates that mark a significant step forward for the MPC platform.

As we continue to push innovation, here’s what’s ahead:

• MPC3 OS for Standalone will receive highly requested updates in Spring, including Flexible Time Signatures, Wireless Expansion Transfer, and Enhanced MIDI Recording & Playback— addressing user-reported challenges with external gear and additional new features that will further elevate the MPC3 OS experience.
• The MPC OS 3.4.2 firmware update will be released later this month, delivering important fixes and optimizations to enhance Standalone performance.
• MPC3 Desktop Software will enter public beta in May, giving users an early look at its powerful new capabilities.
• MPK Controllers will be receiving Native Instruments NKS Integration including Komplete 15 Select (Akai Pro Edition) for free later this month.
• Force users can look forward to a major update entering Private Beta this month, integrating MPC features into the platform—one of the most highly requested enhancements from the community.

We appreciate the ongoing support and feedback from our dedicated community and look forward to sharing even more exciting updates soon!

Almost sounds like a quarterly update from NI… 🙄

Akai Force is getting updates, too…which means it may actually end up becoming a viable (and far cheaper) alternative to the Push 3. If it can do tempo/time sig changes after this upate, in addition to being a linear audio recorder & arranger, then I'm getting a used Force.

Why…? It’s still only a Live controller, it doesn’t run Live in standalone like Push 3 SA does. Yes, it would be revived as an option within Akai’s ecosystem, especially when you aim at ‘exporting’ and finalizing and/or performing your track in Ableton Live on desktop instead of Akai’s MPC Software.

Have to admit, I only know Force from some videos on YouTube, but from that I know it a completely separate product within Akai’s line of products. And that its users / customers felt left behind, because most of the love goes to the MPC product line.

That Akai is ‘soon’ bringing over (some) MPC3 features could be good news, but as far as I know it would remain a separate product, running its own dedicated software. And yes, besides that it is compatible with Ableton Live as a controller and for exporting projects.

There were also some rumors that production has been stopped. Maybe because there will be some new hardware, but it could also be the end of the line. Maybe MPC Software version 3 for desktop will support Force, too. In that case Akai could be moving away from Ableton, hoping that its customers will eventually jump over to MPC instead of Live.

Well teach me.

Because what I read now still doesn’t clarify things for me.
What exactly is ‘wrong’ with my understanding of a product I do not own?

From my POV the Force indeed is a (nice) standalone, but also ‘on its own’ within Akai’s MPC realm.
As a SA it‘s running its own software, and for desktop it relies on Ableton Live; that it can control.

I'm gonna stick my Maschine+ in an analog case w/ some controllers & possibly the Force, all hooked up to a mixer…that way I can write music in standalone mode with both, and record scratch vocals into the Force. I could work on a linear arrangement w/ both devices, then import both projects into their respective apps. Then, I can host Maschine as a plugin for Live, record M+'s half of the arrangement perfectly in time with the work I had done on the force. And at the end of it all, I'll have a finished demo that requires less work to polish up & release.

I own a Maschine+, the build quality is vastly superior to the Akai Force, would I buy a second Maschine+, no, I own 3 Akai Forces, and still happily look for another, the development of the software is night and day.

In the meantime, we continue without new firmware, without any signs of beta and this knowing that the next update will be only compatible with Maschine 2 (an abandoned software). We will not have the stems in stand-alone hardware either. At this point, compatibility with Maschine 3 will be for 2030???

Soon! soon … soon …

yes, we all heard it a meellion times already... MPC is soo much better than Maschine. beating a dead horse much? Why cannot you just enjoy your MPCs and sing its praises on the MPC Forums..