AKAI Force

[monsterism]

Lets all take a step back and chill guys.

[StudioES]

Force. (Latest firmware v3.7.1 is available in InMusic Software Center on Mac & Win).

btw, never liked MPCs. 4x4 wasn’t enough, Seq>Trk>Prog was illogical, Akai’s sampler’s S&S was weak compared to Kurzweil, Emu, Ensoniq, Yamaha, Casio…(it’s much more powerful now but OS needs serious optimization, bug fixes, etc.). Much preferred the MV8000, RS7000, heck even the buggy ASR-X Pro. Just my opinions.

[Poetic-Noise]

I checked there & can’t find it there. Where exactly would it be located in the app?

I didn’t like the 4x4 layout for playing keys/synths.

I didn’t use all those other samplers so I speak on that but I’ve heard many say the same about some them, especially the some of the EMU samplers. I think the MPC had a better sampler & sample management than the RS7000 with its SmartMedia cards that still think were the best looking memory cards ever!

[Poetic-Noise]

@HisNameIsAlive

So you’re literally saying the naming was a mistake. OK.

Nope. Both things can be true. The name wasn’t a mistake & yes it could’ve sold better with MPC in the title. That’s name went it for a reason. My opinion about doesn’t make it a mistake. I also put a reason why they may purposely went with that name. Why didn’t you take that in consideration?

@Poetic-Noise

Maybe the Akai knew it would’ve been more successful calling it the MPC-Force but wanted to just use it as a beta project to test out new MPC features without disrupting the MPC world too much.

@HisNameIsAlive

Lmao… touchscreens is reaching, but please explain which MPC that has been a major part of Akai’s marketing dialog - with 12 pads - in the past 10 years? I’ll wait. MPC Touch was the start of the “modern” MPC. Then the MPC Live and X, the MPC Keys, the One, the Live 2, the X SE, the Live 3, the XL… all traditional 16 pads.

You mentioned the traditional MPC that Linn was a part of which goes back to the 3k in on 93/94 as if it anything outside of the form isn’t a MPC. I was pointing out all the MPCs that changed that form. Now you moved the goal post by saying in the last 10 years what MPC had 10 pads which still doesn’t explain that there MPCs keyboards, synths, FXs & clip-matrix… If I can’t mention the 500 than you mention Linn. Also, there nothing stopping Akai currently own by inMusic which had nothing to do with Linn from making a MPC 64/32 or whatever. Linn MPCs didn’t have step-seq buttons & 16 Qlinks.

@HisNameIsAlive

No you didn’t.

Yes I did.

@Poetic-Noise

The Force being around for 6-7 years was more to do that they probably didn’t make as many & the OS was about 80% the same as the MPC & some people like the extra pads & clips, especially coming from Ableton. It seems like a print on demand kind of thing once they made it. As long as companies are asking for it they’ll make it & send it out.

@HisNameIsAlive

Disagree. Also - repeating your claims doesn’t make them any more a reality.

This is something that we’re going to have to agree to disagree on. But you haven’t giving me anything to make me think others wise. How would naming it the MPC-Force or even the MPC-64 hurt sales or made it less popular? You mentioned that MPC heads only like 16 pads & that’s a weak point. Since you can’t speak for all & they never option an MPC with more pads only less.

@HisNameIsAlive

And it certainly isn’t because it’s called “Force” and not “MPC 64”…

That’s your opinion thanks sharing. The lack MPC in the title, the bad release & poor marketing over years is part of also. I mentioned many MPC users don’t know shit about the Force & how its OS are very similar & that most of the MPC3.0 features they were happy to get was from the Force. That’s bad marketing on Akai. Just calling it the Force isolated it from the MPC to point of making potential customers not even consider it because all they know is MPC. It’s not that difficult to understand.

Naming it MPC-Whatever wouldn’t meant that everyone would’ve got it either but more people looking for the MPC experience would’ve had at considered it & it would’ve been part of the main MPC threads across the web & even this very site.

@HisNameIsAlive

Most users? Are you the authority that can make that claim?

No, but I read many comments from them on different sites & is something me & Force have joked about. I’m on MPC site/forums/YT channels more the Force sites. It’s not pretty obvious mosy only know about is the MPC.

@HisNameIsAlive

You first.

So you admit the we’re going in circles? Cool.

@HisNameIsAlive

Force 2 is definitely coming.

Force 2/ MPC-64/ MPC-Force I don’t care what they call it, just make it!

Peace!

@monsterism

L

We’re the only ones keeping this thread active
We can’t have a friendly disagreement?

[StudioES]

If you’ve registered it with InMusic (must use same email), then in the app, under Hardware your Force should be listed. Click on it and you should see the latest firmware (click to download). If you need help, just ask or DM.

Re: Old Samplers:
Emu: Much deeper synthesis options than Akai.
Kurzweil: Ridiculously deep synthesis (VAST, FUNS, KDFX, etc).
Ensoniq: Transwave (loop window modulation).
Yamaha A-series: Decent synthesis (deeper than Akai, interesting sample remixing (Emu later implemented something similar), cutting-edge tempo-synced FX, excellent digital filters).
Casio FZ-10m: Late 1980s sampler (1st one with a graphical display, additive synthesis, draw your own waveforms, excellent digital filters, extended envelopes, thick sound, etc).

[miles-dc]

All this activity on the thread I thought there was a leak or something! One can dream!

[Poetic-Noise]

Thanks looked & saw the updater but I thought that just the general app we needed to update via PC mode. When I clicked the i symbol I saw 3.7.1. I test it out later after work. Has it running OK? Many on the MPC have been saying it’s buggy & went back to 3.7.0.

Re: Old Samplers
You seem to know a lot about all this. Most of these devices came out when I watching Muppet Babies! But I love learning about this stuff. YT is great learning about all kinds of vintage gear. I wish Akai had EMU’s G-chip for its samples.

@miles-dc

All this activity on the thread I thought there was a leak or something! One can dream!

My bad, but this started off with a “maybe leak”:

AKAI Force

I’ve changed my mind - I am convinced there will indeed be a Force 2 at some point. It’ll have the same motherboard and CPU as the new MPC Live 3 and XL. Probably the same RAM as the Live 3. Mark my words - it’ll happen. And we’ll all be happy. Just as long as it doesn’t have that stupid soft plastic coating on it anymore LOL!

Hopefully, his feeling is true. Until then, like you, I’ll be dreamin’ like Vanessa Williams.

[stonecoldgroove]

I don’t care what they call it - if it has the CPU, RAM, and Audio Track increases I’ve been wanting for the last 3 years I’ll probably buy it, just make the thing already. They’re probably figuring out how to make the MPC-E (or whatever it’s called) truly badass so Force2 is the MPC choice for the instrumentalist who also happens to be a beatmaker.

Since I’m divining the future here, I’ll add:

Now if they’ll just sort it and port all of the Air Software to the MPC / Force OS, and buy Native Instruments and make that library of sounds and software available…

Imagine, the best of Maschine+ & Kontakt library absorbed into Force / MPC ecosystem like an in-utero vestigial twin, tweaked for optimal usage stand-alone or with the newly-titled Force Majeur software.

C’est lá vie

[Poetic-Noise]

I feel you on all that!

@stonecoldgroove

They’re probably figuring out how to make the MPC-E (or whatever it’s called) truly badass so Force2 is the MPC choice for the instrumentalist who also happens to be a beatmaker.

I think all they would have to do is take away some of the plastic that divides the pads, so that 4 pads like pad 1, 2, 5 & 6 would be connected but still independent or connect all the pads but add that a smaller version of bank divider pad cut design that’s in the middle of the 64 pads to middle of each of 4 sections of pads.

In other words the Force already has 64 sections & Akai would just have to connect them so they are 4x4, but still 64 independent pads. I hope that make sense.

[HisNameIsAlive]

@Poetic-Noise

The name wasn’t a mistake

Force? Correct - which is why it was chosen.

& yes it could’ve sold better with MPC in the title.

That’s your opinion; thanks for sharing. This is something that we’re going to have to agree to disagree on. But you haven’t giving me anything to make me think otherwise.

You mentioned that MPC heads only like 16 pads & that’s a weak point.

How is that weak when it’s literally the reality? 16 pads is literally - and philosophically - the “MPC”. But don’t take my word for it - look at the last ~10 years of the modern MPC.

No, but I read many comments from them

Me too, and I don’t read much about “most” MPC heads thinking that Force features were never on the Force. Funny how that works!

So you admit the we’re going in circles? Cool.

We’ve had this tango before - I doubt it will be the last.

Force 2/ MPC-64/ MPC-Force I don’t care what they call it, just make it! Peace!

Oh it’ll come, and it will be majestic. And not called MPC-anything. LOL!

We’re the only ones keeping this thread active We can’t have a friendly disagreement?

Yeah I’m not sure what monsterism is talking about - no one is being disrespectful or hostile.

@stonecoldgroove

I don’t care what they call it - if it has the CPU, RAM, and Audio Track increases I’ve been wanting for the last 3 years I’ll probably buy it, just make the thing already.

Your wish is their command. And it will still be called Force.

[Poetic-Noise]

@HisNameIsAlive

We’ve had this tango before - I doubt it will be the last.

Yup!

@HisNameIsAlive

Yeah I’m not sure what monsterism is talking about - no one is being disrespectful or hostile.

That’s one more thing we can agree on.

@HisNameIsAlive

Your wish is their command. And it will still be called Force.

If that’s what they wanna call it, make it happen. This time around the name won’t matter as much as MPC3.0 would have done most of leg work preparing MPC heads to the Force features - the main thing being the Clip-matrix, so now the new model comes out more of them will be more open & interested based on it having an OS that’s familiar but better designed to work with the matrix as the pads match the screen unlike the clunky-ass L3 & XL.

Also by then they should have the desktop software out of beta & Force being able to be used in controller mode (if they make it compatible) would be even more appealing.

Have you downloaded 3.7.1 & if so, has been running smoothly?
I’m about to download (now that I know where to find it. Akai website still says 3.7.0) but you seem to more of power users so if anybody would know it would be you. Thanks!

[StudioES]

@Poetic-Noise

3.7.1. I test it out later after work. Has it running OK? Many on the MPC have been saying it’s buggy & went back to 3.7.0.

Buggy, as expected.
Some of the features added in 3.5+ are powerful, but are CPU hogs. Spikes >80% in a project with only 3 tracks with Keygroups using sliced samplechains, each slice looping, Slice Motion on, Mod Matrix slots, quite a bit of random, yeah it should use more CPU, but not that much.

Gen2 is 4x more powerful? I fear it’ll be like the iPad 2, where Apple forced an OS update that was too much for it, turning it into a paperweight. “So what? Buy an iPad 3!”

[HisNameIsAlive]

@StudioES

Gen2 is 4x more powerful? I fear it’ll be like the iPad 2, where Apple forced an OS update that was too much for it, turning it into a paperweight.

My Live 3 seems to be doing just fine. As a new Force will use the exact same CPU/RAM, any weirdness will propagate over to both - and hopefully be addressed. Not worried about it.

[Poetic-Noise]

@StudioES

If you’ve registered it with InMusic (must use same email), then in the app, under Hardware your Force should be listed. Click on it and you should see the latest firmware (click to download). If you need help, just ask or DM.

The mod on MPC-Forums pointed out the new OS can be found on the Akai site in the “Looking for older versions” section:

https://www.akaipro.com/downloads-an…versions=older

[StudioES]

Sloppy.

btw, that project I was talking about earlier with >80% CPU spikes using only 3 tracks w/ advanced Keygroups…that project has a grand total of 3 samples.

[Poetic-Noise]

I know a meme isn’t the best you got. Make your case.

Also, I asked you a question about how is 3.7.1 is running for you?
I don’t mind having our friendly disagreements but we should also help each out as well or do you disagree with that too? If so, I don’t mind that, but I’ll like to know for the future.

[Poetic-Noise]

Had to edit this because it got flagged. LOL…

I was jokingly giving you props about your response to him, because I know you can do better than that, but if you felt he flagged your post I can see why you responded like that.

I didn’t know you didn’t install it & just thought you were ignoring my question. Nothing sensitive on my side just a misunderstanding. I just started selling new products for my company & haven’t had the time to deal with the Force lately, but now that I updated it, I’ll do my own test when I can. I just wanted to know others experiences as many have said it’s kinda buggy.