Music gear makers are beginning to give developers and curious musicians more ways to change how instruments work. inMusic, the parent company of Akai, Moog, Native Instruments, and other brands, plans to provide tools for modifying some of its products, including access to code and a software development kit.
Opening up the tools inside music gear
The company’s approach is intended to make tinkering easier and reduce the risk of damaging a device. Its plans include making code for products such as the recently teased MPC Sample Key open source, alongside an SDK that developers can use to create modifications.
That combination could make it easier for people to build new features around instruments and samplers. The goal is to give the modding community access to the inner workings of devices, while making experimentation more approachable.
Akai has already started sending devices to developers ahead of the Sample Key’s official release. That gives them a chance to work with the gear as the company prepares for a wider community of creators.
Experimentation needs a safety net
Opening a device to modifications also raises a practical concern: musicians rely on their equipment working when they perform. inMusic CEO Jack O’Donnell told The Verge that the company wants its official software to be stable enough for artists on stage.
To help people explore without losing their existing setup, O’Donnell said the company would try to provide a reset button. That reflects a balance in the plan: let users experiment, while offering a way back if a change causes trouble.
The distinction matters because modified software can introduce problems that affect a device’s reliability. A safe way to recover could make the difference between a tool people are willing to try and one they avoid changing.
Making room for software around analog instruments
inMusic also plans to bring its Creator Lab to NAMM, the annual convention of music manufacturers in Anaheim. The company says the space will give technically curious musicians hands-on time hacking 22 new products across its brands, including Moog products.
Moog’s analog design may seem like an unusual fit for software-led modifications. O’Donnell’s view is that developers can still build a platform around the analog parts of a circuit, if the products are opened up in the right way. The idea is to let software and hardware makers work around the instrument’s analog components.
This approach suggests that modding does not have to mean replacing the core design of an instrument. Instead, developers may be able to add or change functions around it, extending what people can do with the device.
A wider shift, with different levels of caution
inMusic is not alone in opening products to modification. Erica Synths released the source code for its LXR-02 drum machine, and Polyend open-sourced its line of Tracker grooveboxes. Behringer has also announced a group of open-source devices, including a $150 clone of the MPC One called Kick, a clone of the E-mu SP-1200, the Anima DJ controller, the Ignite sequencer, and the Polykeys 61 MIDI controller.
Other companies are more cautious about the risks. Elektron has barred links to hacks and modified firmware from its official forums, while still allowing general discussion. The company warned that modifications could brick machines, prevent future updates, or affect warranty coverage.
That tension is likely to shape how musicians encounter modding: open tools can invite new ideas, but changes can also affect devices people depend on. inMusic’s position is that shutting out developers is a losing battle. O’Donnell said the company wants to embrace them, and the growing number of open-source releases suggests the music gear industry is adapting to that reality.