Akai and Moog open the door to community-made music gear mods

The company, which owns Akai, Moog and Native Instruments, intends to release code for devices such as the recently teased MPC Sample Key and offer a software development kit (SDK) to make modifications easier and reduce the chance of rendering a sampler unusable. In an interview with The Verge, O’Donnell said inMusic has begun sending devices to developers ahead of the Sample Key’s official release.

Reliability remains a priority, O’Donnell said: inMusic wants its official software stable enough for artists performing on stage. At the same time, he said, the company hopes to give users a reset option so they can test modifications without losing their existing work.

At NAMM, the annual music-industry convention in Anaheim, inMusic plans to showcase Creator Lab, where technically curious musicians can experiment with 22 new products from across its brands. That includes Moog gear, despite the apparent mismatch between community coding and analog circuits. O’Donnell said modifications could work if the company builds a platform for developers to work around the analog parts.

Other manufacturers are also opening products to modification. Erica Synths has released the source code for its LXR-02 drum machine, while Polyend has open-sourced its Tracker grooveboxes. Behringer has announced several open-source devices, including the $150 Kick, a clone of the MPC One, as well as clones of the E-mu SP-1200, the Anima DJ controller, the Ignite sequencer and the Polykeys 61 MIDI controller.

The shift has happened quickly. O’Donnell told The Verge that developer tools for modifying inMusic products were not on the company’s task list five weeks earlier. Elektron, by contrast, has barred links to hacks and modified firmware on its official forums, citing risks including bricked devices, blocked updates and affected warranty coverage, while allowing discussion of modifications. O’Donnell said trying to wall off developers would be a losing battle and that inMusic wants to embrace them.