openplugin RESEARCHGitHub ↗

INDEPENDENT · NON-COMMERCIAL · AI-ASSISTED

Install OpenPlugin

Browse, install and update community VST plugins on Akai Force 3.10.0 and MPC Gen1, directly from the touchscreen. Combined JV-880 setup, community USB mouse support and SSH/SFTP transfers are included.

Built on poloq’s Plugin Manager and sd88me’s MPC VST Plugins. Original authors retain their credits and licenses.

SSH & SFTP included: transfer samples from your computer to device storage. Verified on the owner’s Force →

Start: download & update ↓Browse plugins
Original MPC-style sampler concept with sixteen pads and a touchscreen
Concept illustration.
OPENPLUGIN 0.8.2

Research firmware. Includes bundled artwork for Clif Tape, TinyFreaky, PulyTek and Magic Tape Echo, plus online loading and caching for missing thumbnails. Plugins install separately. Complete-image boot, audio load and MPC Gen1 still need hardware validation.

Details →

START HERE · FOR EXISTING 3.10.0 USERS

Download. Update. Open the manager.

Need firmware 3.9.1? Keep using the last 3.9.1 build, OpenPlugin v0.8.1-rc2.

You need your device, a computer for the first download, and a USB drive with at least 1 GB free. Back up your projects and keep the device connected to power. This is an independent research update; successful Force use has been reported, but MPC Gen1 remains hardware unverified.

  1. Download the file for your device

    Click one button below. You do not need a GitHub account, source code or a build tool.

    The MPC file is only for devices using Akai’s Gen1 firmware. Never use the Force file on an MPC, or the MPC file on a Force.

  2. Copy the IMG onto your USB drive

    Use a FAT32 or exFAT USB drive. Copy the downloaded .img file directly onto the drive, outside any folder. Do not unzip it or use a bootable-USB tool. Safely eject the drive, then plug it into your Force or MPC.

    The filename retains firmware 3.10.0 and OpenPlugin v0.8. If the device does not detect it, rename the Force file to Force-3.10.0-update.img or the MPC file to MPC-3.10.0-Gen1-update.img. Keep only the update you intend to install on the USB drive.

  3. Choose USB Drive Update on the device

    MENU → Preferences → Info → Update → USB Drive Update

    Select the update and confirm. If asked to update the same version, 3.10.0, that is expected: confirm to install OpenPlugin. Keep the power on and wait for the device to finish and restart.

    The release is OpenPlugin 0.8.2, but the device’s original internal version is retained. Renaming the file does not make it a higher version or bypass compatibility checks. If the updater rejects it, stop.

    Official USB instructions: Force · MPC

  4. Open Plugin Manager and browse

    PLUGINS → VST → Open Plugin Manager

    Load Plugin Manager on a plugin track. Connect your device to the internet, open CATALOG, then tap Refresh catalog to see available plugins and versions. Browse the cards and install from the touchscreen.

    For most plugins: INSTALL → CONTINUE → INSTALL & RESTART. Save your project before restarting. For JV-880, use Install ROMs + plugin—one action prepares both and restarts the app.

    Next: find, install and remove plugins →
File not found, checksums or more update help?

Check the filename, file extension and USB placement above. Avoid an accidental .img.img ending. This guide is for the supplied 3.10.0 firmware family; other versions and generations require separate validation.

Full USB guide and checksums · Release notes and files

MPC Gen1 · rendered preview

This is a styled render, not a hardware photo. Physical MPC operation still needs testing.

Rendered MPC Gen1 concept with the native manager interface

USE THE APP

Four common tasks

Current software workflow; see test status before using a firmware candidate.

DISCOVERY

Find a plugin

  1. Open Plugin Manager and select CATALOG.
  2. Select DISCOVER and browse or choose a category.
  3. Use FIND to enter a name, author or tag. Select Filter catalog, then return to CATALOG.
  4. Use Show all to clear a query. Use the refresh control to fetch the server catalog. In this interface it is labelled Refresh catalog. It updates available plugins and versions; it does not install them.

Internet is needed for the first catalog download. Later, a saved catalog remains available offline. Automatic connectivity-triggered reload is not implemented.

INSTALLATION

Queue and apply

  1. Review the author, version and available storage. Only use packages you trust.
  2. Select INSTALL to queue the package.
  3. Select CONTINUE to download, check and prepare it.
  4. Save your project before confirming INSTALL & RESTART.

Install only packages you trust; installers run with device privileges.

MANAGEMENT

Update or remove

  1. For built-in catalog updates, open UPDATES.
  2. Select UPDATE and review the apply queue.
  3. For removal, open INSTALLED → … → REMOVE.
  4. Save affected projects before confirming the restart.

Some manual installs cannot be removed. Imported source updates and full transactional rollback are not implemented.

EXTRA SOURCES

Add a repository

  1. Ask the author for the repository containing their compatible native package.
  2. Open FIND → Add source.
  3. Enter https://github.com/owner/repository and select Check source.
  4. Compatible latest-release entries are added to DISCOVER. Clear any previous filter if needed.

The scanner does not execute an installer while checking a source. General web pages and direct ZIP URLs are not accepted.

COMMUNITY INDEX

Browse indexed entries

Indexed from MPC VST Plugins and reviewed community metadata. Samplers overlap instruments; categories can be empty.

FIND examples:

Loading catalog…

Cards refresh with the scheduled catalog. Website actions open the author’s project or releases; they do not install on your device.

PUBLISH A PLUGIN

Make your project discoverable

Plugin authors can submit a public project URL, or propose a change to the source list. A root openplugin.json describes the plugin; it is different from the package’s mpc-plugin.json. Submissions are reviewed, not added automatically from an issue.

1. Describe it

Set title, author, category, tags and image URLs. Source-only projects can be listed.

Manifest example ↗

2. Validate it

Check the manifest against the community format. Native packages also need the existing portable ARMv7 package contract.

JSON schema ↗ · Package format ↗

3. Submit it

Submit the project URL using the form (GitHub account required). A maintainer adds it to the source list; the six-hour bridge then updates the JSON and cards. Package downloads need a separate review.

Submit a project ↗

Discovery guide for users and authors ↗

Data sources and formats

The bridge starts with MPC VST Plugins, then checks registered repositories and bounded GitHub searches. Search matches without a valid manifest remain candidates.

App catalog · Discovery report · Source registry

Device FIND accepts owner/repository or its GitHub URL. It checks the latest stable release for -mpc-armv7.zip, a SHA256 digest and mpc-plugin.json. Arbitrary websites and desktop VSTs are not supported inputs.

File extension reference

.zip package · .so native library · .json metadata · .xml registration · .xpl preset · .xpj project · .sh installer · .img firmware · .sha256 checksum · .pub public SSH key.

Desktop .dll, .exe, .dmg and general .vst3 bundles are not native MPC packages.

REMOTE ACCESS · OPENPLUGIN 0.8.2

Transfer samples with SFTP

Verified on the owner’s Force · 10 October 2026: SSH login, SFTP upload and download, matching file contents, and removal of the temporary test file.

Open Plugin Manager → REMOTE ACCESS. SSH starts automatically with the shared password mpc. Read the IP, use password mpc, and connect with username root, port 22. Choose SFTP in your file-transfer app and browse /media for internal, SD and USB sample folders.

Disable SSH saves your choice across reboots. This is full root access: use a trusted network. SSH login and SFTP are verified on one Force. Physical MPC Gen1 operation, disable/re-enable and reboot persistence still need testing.

Remote Access instructions ↗

BUILD & CONTRIBUTE

Build both images

Supply your original Force and MPC Gen1 firmware. The repository contains our additions and adapter, not Akai’s application source.

git clone https://github.com/MagicStino/force-openplugin.git
cd force-openplugin
bash build.sh /path/Force-3.10.0-update.img \
  /path/MPC-3.10.0-Gen1-update.img /path/output

Linux, Python 3.12+, git, gcc, e2fsprogs, binutils, OpenSSH tools and Chromium libraries are required. The build produces hardware-unverified images, checksums and manifests; it does not flash.

Build details ↗ · SSH / SFTP Remote Access ↗ · Firmware integration ↗

TEST STATUS

What is verified

OpenPlugin 0.8.2 on firmware 3.10.0 · 29 October 2026. Stock application version remains 3.10.0.49.

CheckResult
Force + MPC image buildsBuilt; filesystem, injected-file and original container verifier checks passed.
Native plugin loadingPassed under ARM emulation with both supplied runtimes.
Catalog and bridgePublished index and compatible package metadata checked; 21 automated tests passed.
Illustrated screen layoutGenerated layout and offline preview cache checked. 0.8.2 retains bundled bitmap thumbnails and larger controls, adds online thumbnail fallback for unbundled entries, and refreshes the catalog with Clif Tape. Online thumbnail appearance and audio-load testing on hardware remain pending.
Flash, boot, touch, audio, installation and SSHOwner reports successful Force boot, touch, plugin use and ROM download. SSH login and SFTP round-trip transfer verified on the owner’s Force (10 October 2026). MPC Gen1, disable/re-enable and reboot persistence remain unverified.

Installation is not transactional. Package checksums establish bytes, not trust or compatibility. In the current source, saved catalog fallback and refresh on manager load are implemented. There is no continuous polling or reconnection trigger.

Detailed validation ↗ · Retained last 3.9.1 build (predates illustrated native cards)

Device-specific status

Choose a device.

Questions

Why does a source show no installable plugin?

It may lack a stable ARMv7 release, checksum or compatible manifest. Desktop plugins and source code alone cannot be installed. Network errors and rate limits can also interfere.

What about Hakai and sample kits?

Hakai-associated native plugins need the same compatible package format. Universal compatibility is not established. MPC Sample is a separate kit editor; sample preview and kit import are not implemented.

Privacy and image credits

No analytics, accounts or uploads. Plugin images load from their upstream hosts, which receive the request. GitHub Pages has its own logging policies. Image rights remain with their authors.

COMMUNITY CREDIT

Built on community work

sd88me provides the MPC VST Plugins collection and upstream catalog JSON used by our server bridge. The repository also supplies the native wrapper, skin and build tooling used here. Plugins, ports, screenshots and artwork remain credited to their individual authors in the catalog and source/license records.

poloq Plugin Manager is the foundation of the native manager and already supports installation from the device. Our additions package it into the firmware, add illustrated cards and clearer search, publish a refreshed catalog bridge, retain a saved catalog offline, and combine JV ROM/plugin setup.

After the initial USB firmware update, you can discover and install compatible plugins directly on the Force/MPC touchscreen instead of transferring each package from a computer. This project is AI-assisted, independent and non-commercial; it does not replace the original authors’ work or licenses.

Force photo

Owner-supplied hardware photo · Akai Force