How to Create and Transfer Drum Kits to the MPC Sample (Step-by-Step Guide)

The Akai MPC Sample is a standalone drum machine, but getting your kits onto it takes a few specific steps. This guide covers how MPC Sample kits work, how to export them from the MPC desktop software, and how to load them on the device.

These instructions are for MPC desktop 3.8 or higher.
Akai changed the export step in 3.8. If you’re still on 3.7, the older method is preserved in the dropdown near the bottom of this page.

If you prefer a video guide, I made one of the full process below.

One step changed since I recorded this. On MPC 3.8 and up, you export your kit with File → Export → As MPC Sample File instead of saving it as a project. Everything else in the video still applies, just swap in that export step (covered in Step 1 below).

How MPC Sample Drum Kits Work

The MPC Sample holds one kit at a time, but a single kit can carry up to 8 banks, so one kit file can hold 8 different drum kits worth of sounds. That’s handy, since the device runs one kit per project.

On MPC 3.8 and higher, you get a kit onto the device by exporting it as a .mpcsample file. Each .mpcsample holds one kit (with up to 8 banks). On MPC 3.7 the process used project files instead, which is preserved in the older-method dropdown below.

What You Need Before You Start

  • MPC desktop 3.8 or higher (from Akai). The older MPC 2 software won’t work, and the export step below needs 3.8+.
  • Your MPC drum kit files saved on your computer
  • A microSD card inserted into the left slot of your MPC Sample

Step 1: Export Your Kit as an MPC Sample File (MPC 3.8+)

In MPC 3.8, Akai added a dedicated export for the MPC Sample. Here’s how it works:

  1. Open MPC 3.8 (or higher) and start or open a project.
  2. Load the kit you want into the project.
  3. Once it’s loaded, double-click the kit/track so it becomes the current, selected track. That’s the kit that gets exported.
  4. Go to File → Export → As MPC Sample File.
  5. Pick a folder and export.

This creates a small set of files: one .mpcsample file plus the loose samples that go with it. The samples aren’t tucked into their own subfolder, so if you export several kits into the same place, it looks like a messy pile of files. That’s normal. Once the files are on the MPC Sample, the device only reads the actual kit/track files, so it shows up clean and organized there.

Important: keep the .mpcsample file and its loose samples together in the same folder. They’re a set. If you split them up, the kit won’t load right. Exporting more than one kit? Give each export its own folder on your computer so every .mpcsample stays with its own samples.

Want more MPC Sample Drum Kits?
Kit Maker converts your packs and expansions into MPC kits automatically, with all 8 banks filled and sounds placed in a consistent pad layout.
Click here to learn more

Step 2: Transfer Your Kit to the MPC Sample

  1. Make sure your microSD card is inserted into the left slot of the MPC Sample.
  2. Plug the MPC Sample into your computer via USB.
  3. On the device, hold Shift and tap Pad 16.
  4. Select SD Card Access. The device shows up as a drive on your computer.
  5. Open the drive and copy your exported kit folder onto the card. You can organize your kits into subfolders.

Important: copy the whole set. The .mpcsample file and its loose samples need to stay together in the same folder on the card.

If you don’t see the SD Card Access option, update your MPC Sample firmware first.

Step 3: Load a Kit on the MPC Sample

  1. Eject the SD card drive from your computer.
  2. On the MPC Sample, go to Load and browse the SD card.
  3. Press the middle button to switch to External mode, which shows your microSD card contents.
  4. Navigate to your kit and press the Load Kit button.

Note: use Load Kit, not the full-project load. Load Kit swaps in the sounds while preserving any sequences you’ve already recorded.

Your kit will load with all available banks.

Tips for Working with Kits on the MPC Sample

  • Loading a kit updates all 8 banks at once. You can’t swap a single bank without replacing the whole kit, so keep that in mind when organizing your sounds across banks.
  • Sequences are preserved when loading a new kit. Pressing Load Kit updates the sounds but keeps your recorded patterns intact.
  • Pad colors are currently limited to yellow and blue on the MPC Sample. This looks intentional by Akai for now, though it may change in a future firmware update.
Older MPC 3.7 method (save as a project file)

On MPC 3.7 there was no As MPC Sample File export. Instead, the device loaded MPC 3 project files that each contained a single kit, and you built those project files by hand. If you’re still on 3.7, here’s the old Step 1. The transfer and load steps (Step 2 and Step 3 above) are the same either way.

Save Your Kit as an MPC Project File (MPC 3.7)

  1. Open MPC 3 on your computer and click New Project.
  2. Right-click to delete any existing kits or tracks so you have a clean, blank project.
  3. Use the file browser to navigate to your saved kit files. You can filter by the drum kit icon to show only kit files.
  4. Double-click your kit to load it into the project.
  5. Go to File → Save As, name the project, and save it to an organized folder on your computer.

Each saved project equals one kit preset (with up to 8 banks). To save multiple kits, double-click the next kit to replace the loaded one, then use Shift + Command + S (Mac) to Save As and name it.

From there, you transfer the project files to the SD card and load them on the device using the same Step 2 and Step 3 above (on 3.7, you’ll be copying project files and their companion data folders instead of .mpcsample files).

Automatically Build MPC Kits from Sample Packs

If you have a large library of sample packs or Maschine expansions and want them organized into ready-to-use MPC kits, Kit Maker (Mac & PC) can automate that. It turns your samples into properly formatted MPC kits with up to 8 banks, sounds placed in a consistent pad layout (kicks, snares, and hi-hats where you expect them), and the correct MPC file format.

Once the kits are built, you still follow the same steps above: export each kit as an MPC Sample file, copy it to your SD card, and load it on the device. Kit Maker just skips the manual work of building the kits themselves.

Summary

Here’s the quick version of the full workflow (MPC 3.8+):

  1. Open MPC 3.8, load your kit, double-click it to select the track, then File → Export → As MPC Sample File
  2. Keep the .mpcsample file and its loose samples together in one folder
  3. Connect the MPC Sample via USB, hold Shift + Pad 16, choose SD Card Access, then copy your kit folder onto the card
  4. Eject, then on the MPC Sample switch to External and press Load Kit

Once you’re set up, the MPC Sample is a seriously capable device, especially with 8 banks of sounds loaded per kit. Happy beat-making.