Extract text from Akai sampler files (AKP)
To convert AKP sampler files to another format, you need Akai MPC or other Audio software.
To convert other file formats to the "Sampler Program File" file type, you need software like Akai MPC or a similar tool.
The .AKP file is a proprietary Akai Sampler Program file created for vintage Akai hardware samplers, such as the S5000, S6000, Z4, Z8, and MPC4000. These files do not contain actual audio data. Instead, they act as instruction manuals that tell the sampler how to map external audio files (usually WAV) across a MIDI keyboard. They store critical synthesis parameters like envelopes, filters, LFO settings, and key zones. To open these files on a modern computer, you typically need specialized translation software like Awave Studio or Chicken Systems Translator. You can also import them directly into older versions of software samplers like Native Instruments Kontakt.
Working with .AKP files today is highly restrictive. The format is obsolete and tied to hardware that is decades old. It requires a paid software investment just to read the data if you no longer own the physical Akai unit. Furthermore, because the .AKP file is strictly a settings file, moving it without the associated WAV files will result in missing sample errors. Users usually need to convert these files into modern software sampler formats. The best conversion targets are NKI (Kontakt), SF2 (SoundFont), or EXS (Logic Pro). When converting, be aware that complex modulation matrix settings or specific Akai hardware filter emulations are often lost or altered in translation.
This file format is notoriously difficult to convert because it is a closed, proprietary binary format designed specifically for Akai's internal DSP architecture. Standard online audio converters fail because they expect streaming audio data, not hardware parameter matrices. Often, only the original software or dedicated reverse-engineered translation tools can properly read or export the data. However, just drag and drop your file to identify the format, view it, and convert it when possible on convert.guru. Our analysis engine can inspect the file, read the internal data to confirm its structure, and identify the referenced WAV file names to help you reconstruct your sample library.
Use Convert.Guru to open and convert your AKP file.
Users also converted APK, EFA, GIG and PROG files.
If you want to convert AKP file to MP3, WAV, AAC, FLAC, OGG, WMA, M4A, AIFF, OPUS, ALAC, APE or WV, you can use Akai MPC or similar software from the "Sampler Program Mapping" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert MIDI, AAC, TTA, AU, WV, DTS, MID, FLAC, RA, MP3, PCM or WAV files to AKP, try Akai MPC or another comparable tool in the "Sampler Program Mapping" category.
The history of Convert.Guru began over 25 years ago in California with Tom Simondi’s file-format database. A former contributor to Space Shuttle development and a software pioneer of the 1980s, Simondi established a trusted resource for file type analysis that was even referenced by Microsoft Windows XP. Today, we use modern technology to process and convert thousands of file formats while continually improving our AKP converter.