Yes, the Force and entire MPC range (original Live, Live II, X, and One) all use the exact same SoC and have the exact same amount of RAM. Essentially the OS are the same, with customizations for each particular platform (Force/all MPC’s) due to their hardware controller “containers”.
Whether we’ll see disc-streaming on the MPC’s relies more on what Akai will do to address other shortcomings though (such as no 1:1 track relation existing on MPC’s currently, no Arranger, etc). I suspect we’ll eventually see it, but there’s a lot more work to do since the MPC will need a whole new way of dealing with things. That could pi s s a lot of MPC users off, depending on how the changes are handled. As archaic as MPC’s workflow is, a lot of people like it - and actually prefer it. Just my 2 cents no one asked for…
Hi all. Just a note, maybe useful to others, haven’t read the whole 1500 messages, hope posting fits in.
After one year delay I finally bought the Force. And I am happy. It cando everything I want from it - albeit not always how I want it
Good (in no special order)
Useful pad calibration, almost like Maschine
Pad aftertouch for TC (“Arp”) based modulated hi-hat recordings
Many things controllable without touching the screen
Knobs with OLED-labels, either context-sensitive (“screen”) or programmable (macros)
64 pads for great polyphonic melodic playing performance
Auto-chop, lazy-chop (yeah, read this OT!)
Looper with resampling possibilities
8 (stereo) tracks but much higher polyphony
Absolute sonic control (insert and send FX per pad (!), track and master
Good sounding filters, lo-fi FX, useful delays
Chord, Harmonize, Chord Progressions
Step sequencer (2 variants - on screen and on pads)
Step sequencer with velocity
16 levels for monophonic melodic play of single pads (ok - here is where Maschine is better)
Easy to grasp clip concept
Linear Arranger that can record performances and automation with overdub
Bouncing of clips and tracks (still looking for a real bouncing function - like bounce 3 tracks to one)
Working touch screen
Sample accurate editing
Overall good sound
More than 2 outputs
Midi
CV
Simultaniously run clips with different loop lengths (polyrhythm! )
1 day learning curve
Accepts external keyboards and Midi devices
Ableton launch control
Possibility to use multiple audio I/O (not tested yet)
Standalone
Works as USB cardreader
Keygroups (i.e. classic polyphonic sampler with layers, zones and everything!!! )
Improvable (when software or hardware MkII)
Many context-dependent functions available – but seemingly completely randomly implemented (Shift-button, extra functions via screen flips (marked with dots), double screen tap, long hold button or long hold tap on screen, select via menu, save button, even swipe (only one instance of implementation: in order to see the return busses on the master mix screen page)
No dedicated knobs for sampler, sample editor, clip editor, arrange view
Master track view/toggle only via dedicated knob right lover corner (distraction, because level setting is in upper field with screen and knobs)
As far as I can tell - not possible to use same program on different tracks - need to save and reload
Change knob view only via long click (no simple toggle)
Bounce/flatten/freeze (Midi+plugin->audio) only via “save”, export clip, reload at different place
Export audio clip only with insert FX, not including send FX (workaround: looper)
Looper and export to clip while in running mode can yield to audible clicks at clip end (adjust fade in/out or start recording from stop)
Ableton control does not include possibility to use 64 pads for recording notes
As far as I can tell - no VSTs of the Force FX and plugins included to be used in Ableton (should work with MPCs and MPC software?)
Distracting graphic presentation of FX (differently in Air and Akai FX)
As far as I can tell - no rearrangement of FX
Great FX of Mellotron plugin not available for other instruments
Small non adjustable screen font
Mute is audio mute (not Midi mute) --> sudden tails when un-muting
No phono or line input
No line output
No standard Midi jacks
Bluetooth, but no BT audio (would be great to use it with BT speaker or headphones)
Ableton control incomplete - no editing of samples on screen, no recording of midi notes via pads, no selection of plugins, no arrange view (i.e. no push substitute)
No use as Ableton controller and audioface at the same time (or don’t know how)
No loading of complete folders (like on MPC1000 JJOS) and auto assign to programs
Not possible to select bar to edit with pad-based step sequencer (or I did not find how to cycle through the bars)
No programming of clip progression (i.e. loop 4x, then go to next or go to clip XY)
No routing of Midi data (for modulation from clips with different loop lengths)
No propability trigs (yes, I could record those from a connected elektron device
Wish for non-destructable TC (quantization) applied during playback like in Atari Notator SL
Screen does not need to be tiltable but would have been good to be built slightly tilted from the beginng (like MPC2000 OG).
Still miss the “soft buttons” below the screen
Would love it to be completely controllable via hardware knobs and encoders without the need to touch the screen (like Windows 3.11 - completely usable without a mouse if you’re a trained keyboard wiz)
When will hardware manufacturers finally remember sticky (toggle) shift keys?
Finally Elektron remembered the original and one and only true step-sequencer-input method (one step at a time, like in old hardware sequencers, old Cubase) with the DT and DN updates - when do others follow? Ableton, please! Akai please!! I mean c’mon!
Would love easy implementation of external FX (additional send FX to hardware, outputs 3,4, return to sample in)
“VW attitude”. Sturdy, reliable, works, gets you there, but not as sexy as a sports car or muscle car. (Porsche, Dodge Challenger, Corvette, DeLorean DMC-12 ) - please upgrade at least the on/off switch with the next iteration
Maybe some more.
I like it. I keep it. I think about retiring OT, maybe even DT.
Uhhhhhhhhhhhh WHUT?? Maschine doesn’t allow you to have 16 pads for any melodic single pad available AT THE SAME TIME as 16 pads of 16 levels + 16 pads of pitch + 16 pads of filter - Akai Force does. Accessible ALL AT THE SAME TIME, which is something Maschine can never do. Unless you’re talking about something else?
No, but Maschine allows you to play any pad of your 8x16 sets (A-H) chromatically (and also in scales AFAIR) and polyphonically. Never more than three button presses away. Oh - and you can assign the velocity and aftertouch to anything I guess. But since Force has keygroups as well, for proper poly stuff, I don’t care. I always found the 16 levels thingy of the MPCs a little constraining. Btw.: in Maschine you can have a different drumloop on every pad and open a subpanel to play the slices (chop-chop). However, I wanted to mention that Force feature in a positive way. Does that make sense to you?
I love Force because (in addition to classic MPC and X0X-style) it implements audioclips in a meaningful way (not like the FL-like approach in Maschine), you can record your live performance (record to arrange) and correct minor mistakes later. I believe you can do multitrack recording as well with the new version but I haven’t tested this as of yet.
You can have a different drumloop on every pad in MPC (and a Force drum program) as well, but you have to bounce that loop to it’s own Program to play the slices - unless you simply open any drum loop loaded on any pad in the Sample Editor during playback, hit slice mode, and start playback…
Anyway, glad you’re enjoying your Akai Force. It’s a brilliant machine - especially with proper disc-streaming now. Love mine!
I recently purchased the Force and been experimenting with the workflow for my live and the best to edit / load my samples into the force.
So far I’m kinda lost, I have never used MPC or Akai devices in my life and come mainly from an Elektron background but I’m really enjoying the sound quality and potential I have experienced so far.
What I would like to do but I don’t know if that’s possible is for example have on my Track one my Kick drum rack and load as many different samples as I want in this track. I made it possible by loading audio clips but with that way I can’t edit the patterns, while with the drum rack I can insert trigs but I didn’t figured out how to load multiple samples on the same rack.
I believe I’m just lost and it’s definitely possible so if anyone could help me that would be awesome
One way to quickly load up different kicks would be to have all kicks in a folder on the Forces drive. Then create a new drumgroup track. Then press the note button on the left side. Then load and find the folder with the samples you want to load.
Press one of the pads, and load a sample. Then press the next pad and load a different sample there. Its pretty fast after a couple of times.
I’m really happy so far but I need to practice a lot to master this monster, do you know a quick way to import samples from Ableton to Force’s scene or folder ? I know you can go to computer mode but for some unknown reason my SD can’t allow me to import samples in the SD folder I can do it only when its plugged directly to my mac…
Is your SD Card formatted in ExFAT? If so, it should be readable on both a PC as well as Mac. If it is formatted in ExFat, then perhaps try a different USB port on your PC?
Anyway, I’d highly recommend that you install a quality SATA SSD into the bottom of your Force and use that for your main storage and disc-streaming scratch disc (this is what Akai recommends for best performance). As for importing samples, just copy the content into any folder on your SD Card (or SSD), and make sure you software OS “eject” the storage medium before turning your Force back into Standalone mode, else you will eventually corrupt the data/file structure on said storage medium.
For quick transfer I would make a drum track or what it’s called in ableton and add the samples there. Then import that project on the force. Don’t use ableton so I haven’t tried but I think that should be possible.
Wouldn’t just copying your folder full of all your samples, samples packs, etc - over to the SSD (or SD Card) be faster than actually doing this all in Ableton Live?
That’s what I’m doing now, I imported all my samples into the SD card and use different notes to triger my samples.
I don’t know yet the guy I purchased the Force bought a SD card full of Splice samples and it doesn’t work on my computer. I will definitely look at the SATA SSD if you have any good recommendations I will take them.
If the seller you bought that Force off of left an SD Card full of Splice samples, they should both show up in your computer when in Computer Mode, as well as your Force - if you navigate to the Splice folder where they’re kept. Presumably he logged out of his Splice account on Force before selling it to you, but any content he downloaded should be there to stay forever. Splice will often save samples on Force in FLAC format, so make sure you have a free FLAC player like VLC in order to play them back on your computer. Ableton Live supports FLAC files with a resolution of 16-bit or 24-bit. As for quality SSD’s, there’s too many to list, but I’d start with Samsung’s 870 EVO or QVO line. Both are fantastic.
I would add macros to the pros list.
Envelope generators can add cyclical or random changes to many parameters.
Of the cons, I would say the GUI could be greatly improved.
The text on the knob screens is tiny and the touchscreen uses the space poorly for most of the instruments and effects. How about big numbers 1–8 on screen showing which parameter is currently mapped to each knob?
Still, I love it. After a year, the Force is the only device besides my computer and phone that always stays in reach on my desk.
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) - please upgrade at least the on/off switch with the next iteration 