Installing MPC Expansions into the MPC Software & MPC Beats App
This article shows the step-by-step process for installing our MPC Expansions into the MPC Software and the MPC Beats app using the included XPN file.
Please note: if you need to install your expansion into a standalone MPC or Akai Force, check out our separate ‘Standalone MPC Expansion Installation’ article.
Downloading & Extracting Your Expansion
After purchasing you can download the expansion from your File Bank. This will be a ‘zip archive’ so you will first need to extract the files to a location on your computer, otherwise you will experience issue installing the expansion:
Mac Users: Simply double click the zip file to automatically extract the contents of the zip file to a folder at the same location on your disk. If you use a third party application for opening zip files, make sure you use the option to fully 'extract' the contents of the zip file to your disk.
Windows Users: Right click the zip file, select 'Extract All' and choose a location for extraction - do not just double click the zip file as this only opens it as a virtual 'Compressed Folder' and the MPC Software is unable to install an XPN from here.
After extracting the files to a location on your computer, you’ll see something like this:
Most of our expansions are ‘multi-format’ and contain versions for different MPC models – the file you’ll need for importing an expansion into the MPC Software/MPC Beats will be an ‘XPN’ file with the words 'MPC Software Installer.XPN' in the file name. For example in the screenshot above, the MPC Software expansion installer is called ‘Platinum Percussion MPC Software Installer.XPN’.
In some cases we'll provide separate installers for different versions of the MPC Software, in which case these will typically be placed inside a folder called 'MPC Software Installers':
In the example above, users of MPC Software 3 should use 'MPC3 Software Installer.xpn' as this will install a version of the expansion fully optimised for the features found in MPC 3. MPC Software 2 users should instead use the MPC2 Software Installer.xpn
Installing the MPC Software Expansion
Launch the MPC Software/MPC Beats application on your computer - it doesn't matter which specific version you use, be it MPC2, MPC3 or MPC Beats as the installation process is identical for all of these apps. In most cases you can now just drag & drop the XPN file directly into the software UI from your computer’s File Explorer/Finder:
Please note that when using this method, you must 'drag and drop' the XPN, do not double click it (otherwise you'll receive an error message from the MPC).
If dragging does not work for you, try the alternative installation method. First, open the 'file browser' on the right hand side of your screen - you can use 'View > Browser > File Browser' or use the keyboard shortcut 'F'.
Now use the right hand 'up' arrow to navigate to the location on your disk where you extracted the XPN file to. Make sure you have the ALL file filter enabled, and the XPN file should now be visible in the browser:
You can now just double click the XPN file to begin the installation process. If you cannot see the XPN file here, first make sure the 'ALL' filter is selected and if so, ensure that you have fully extracted the XPN from the zip file, as per the instructions earlier in this article.
Common XPN Installation Issues
Here's some solutions to common problems you might experience:
- Dragging the XPN does nothing - make sure you have fully extracted the contents of the zip file to a location on your computer (such as the Desktop), then drag the XPN directly from there. Also make sure you are dragging into the MPC Software 'grid' and not to the application icon in the Dock/Taskbar.
- My cursor changes to a circle with a line through it - Windows users will see this for two possible reasons. First is due to the XPN not being extracted to disk (see previous solution). The second possibility is that the MPC Software/MPC Beats is required to run with 'administrator' privileges, in which case, you should use the 'File browser' installation method.
- 'MPC Project Failed to Load' - you'll see this specifically when 'double clicking' the XPN file from the Mac Finder or Windows File Explorer, it's a bug in the MPC Software. Just make sure you 'drag and drop' the XPN, or use the MPC File Browser method instead.
Importing the Expansion
After dragging/loading the XPN into the software UI you should see the following:
Select ‘Import’. You can now access the expansion directly within the MPC Software/MPC Beats Expansion Browser (‘X’ on your keyboard).
You can also access the expansion from the Media Browser (‘B’ on your keyboard).
If you have an MPC Software controller, such as an MPC Touch, MPC Studio, MPC Renaissance or a standalone running in ‘controller mode’ you’ll also be able to access this expansion via the hardware UI Browser whenever you are connected to the software via USB.
Remember that if you wish to access your expansions in ‘standalone mode’ you must separately install the expansion directly to your standalone MPC disk – see this article for full instructions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do a get an error message when I try installing the XPN file?
It is not possible to ‘double click’ and XPN file to install it, this throws up an ‘unable to load project’ error. Please make sure you are dragging the XPN directly into the MPC Software GUI, e.g. drop it into the sequencer grid, or use the MPC File Browser method.
Do your MPC Software expansions contain sample tagging?
Yes, programs and samples are ‘tagged’ using Akai’s own naming system. This allows you to browse samples and programs by ‘tag’ in the Media Browser. In the Expansion Browser this will group your sounds and programs into categories.
Can I install an ‘XPN’ expansion into a standalone MPC or an Akai Force?
No, XPN files are made specifically for installing expansions into the MPC Software and MPC Beats. All expansion pack purchases from MPC-Samples.com include a special drag & drop ‘standalone’ installer made specifically for standalone MPCs and the Force as well as a separate XPN installer for the MPC Software/MPC Beats.
How do I upgrade an installed expansion after you release an updated version?
Simply download the new version from your File Bank and drag the updated XPN file into the MPC Software GUI using the same method as before. The MPC will alert you that this installer contains an updated version of the expansion – simply hit IMPORT and the expansion will get upgraded.
For more tips & tricks on making the most out of the MPC, check out the MPC Bible.