New AKAI "FORCE" standalone MPC / grid controller

[koyl]

I was not really talking about using it as a looper (it'll be nice too though.. because yes, it has the same looper as the MPC, and the possibilty to save the loops as a sample) but being able to sample sounds and put them in a drum group and instrument group and sequence them without interrupting the playing of the track.

Doing this in Ableton is too clumsy:recording a clip is fast but then you have to create a track, add a drum device put the clip in a drum pad (which can't be done other than with the mouse). And generally speaking, working on a DAW makes it too tempting to record way too much material.

[solipsvs]

i think force doesnt do this without stopping the sequencer. not a deal breaker for me tho.

[thomachine]

I never use the "sampler" menu on my Force, except when i use autosampler to make keygroups. But thats not something you would do while everything was running anyway.

I usually just sample to a clip. And then edit that audio in the sample editor. Im pretty sure you can chop a sample, and export to a drum track with everything going. For what i do i mostly record things that are in sync anyway, so i just go into the sample edit and chop it automatically to 16th's. Then convert to drum track. Very smooth workflow. You can then go into the drum program and edit sample start and such without stopping anything.

There is from my experience very few things that require stopping of the sequencer. Only thing i can think of is that for one idiotic reason you cant change the max sample time in the "Sampler" menu when the Force is running.

[koyl]

Thanks for the info.
I didn't realize you didn't have to go to the sampler and that you can record in a clip instead, and still use it however you want: even better !

[solipsvs]

i still have a bit to learn on force. cant wait for the update!

[READYdot]

Just chiming in as an Force user: I love this machine. I have never been so productive with a machine, and I tried loads of them. This ticks all the boxes I need. Sure there are some shortcomings but all the other gear I used had way more shortcomings I couldn't deal with, and Deluge was a nightmare compared to the clarity of the Force. The update is a huge one so I think they'll up the game an make it a Major release. I've heard talks of Beta testers saying that we should be very patient, because the update will blow everything else out of the water... what it already does IMHO. I can't understand all the negativity around this machine... it's so powerful and able of so much that it almost feels like a niche product, the niche of doing everything...

[nangu]

Yeah, Force is awesome. Really looking forward to the update. There’s supposed to be a greatly expanded USB-MIDI setup like the recent MPCs got, where you can plug in a USB hub and then add a whole mess of MIDI devices. Plus an arranger mode. And a drum synth..


I just emailed this to a friend an hour ago- might as well post it here, too..

I think the Force is much better on a stand. The ergonomics are kind of terrible when it’s laying flat, and you’re more likely to get screen glare from overhead lights. Here are the two best stands I’ve found so far:



Super-stable while playing the pads, but pushing hard on the buttons up by the display or clicking the data wheel with enthusiasm can make the Force tilt a bit. Comes back to rest in the same place because of the grippy rubber bits at the contact points. Doesn’t block the SD card slot.



Adjustable angle, but the shelf at the bottom covers the SD card slot unless you shift the Force far enough over that the front right foot is off the platform. The platform is large enough to prevent instability no matter how hard you press the buttons up by the screen, but isn’t any bigger than it needs to be.

Overall, option #2 seems better for the Force if you can tolerate it obstructing the SD slot. Option #1 is better for my laptop and random drum machines.

[exper]

Get on it: 3.05 update!

https://www.akaipro.com/force-forcexus

[nangu]

[Voltcontrol]

Get on it: 3.05 update!

https://www.akaipro.com/force-forcexus

Snippet from that site:
NEW IN 3.0.5
Take your workflow to the next level with Standalone Power. Start to Finish.

Arranger mode for song finalization
MIDI Multi for expanded device connectivity
Macros - layered parameter assignments, effects, and automations
Assign control parameters to 64 pads, crossfader and touch UI [BH1]
Advanced 16 levels for dynamic sample triggering[BH2]
Ableton Live Project Import
And more!

[exper]

The macros and envelope follower are sooooo powerful. I've been loving it. The macros and envelope follower are sooooo powerful.

Here' the overview video:

[READYdot]

Came here to share my excitement for this update! Yeah, there are still things that are missing, but there is already so much to explore and use in this huge update,and it shows that Akai is dedicated on bringing things forward with the Force. So I think the rest of the features are just an update away. Fingers crossed this won’t take as long, as this update did..

[PYJAMAGROOVE]

That update sold a Force for me. I have it 2 days and it's pretty awesome. The arranger is perfect to randomize a stiff structure of the song by adding, erasing or moving elements from the arrangement and all in with the visual interface where you see all events at the same time. There is nothing like it.

[koyl]

Same for me: after several months of going back and Force between the Force, MPCs, Deluge, I found a good deal and got a Force.
I'm still getting the hang of, lots of things I haven't explore yet but I'm very happy with it so far.
I love how i can create a part on the modular sample it, immediately integrate it in the song structure before working on another part.
I thought it would feel the same than working with Ableton, but it's very different. I'm way more focused on the Force.
In 4 days, I did 2 tracks finished at 80% and started another one. It's crazy !

[exper]

FYI: Fresh Force (and MPC) update with new Drum Synths available now. Pretty cool new feature, I've had them a little while in the beta program. I asked for some more "experimental" drum instruments like FM drums and such, but mostly the models are analog, especially with processing /fx.

[koyl]

Great ! FM Drums would have been nice indeed. Maybe later ?

[kons]

It has FM drums...

[exper]

It has FM drums...

Sort of, but I meant something more MaschineDrum or Model:Cycles-like FM drums. Or even something like the new Roland TR6S has.

[Mndscrpt]

Anyone here observing maschine+ from distance?

[exper]

Anyone here observing maschine+ from distance?

I hear it’s full of bugs (granted so was the Force). I’ll take a look again when it gets much cheaper and the instruments are better integrated.

I do like the fact that there are Reaktor instruments on it, and that some have found a way to run other Reaktor ensembles on it. That’s a huge deal, I think.

Simultaneously I’m kind of waiting to see if there will be a standalone Push at some point. If that ever comes, and has the ability to run Alice’s effect and instruments, and perhaps even m4l, that will change things significantly.

[ziggomatic]

Anyone here observing maschine+ from distance?

I hear it’s full of bugs (granted so was the Force). I’ll take a look again when it gets much cheaper and the instruments are better integrated.

I do like the fact that there are Reaktor instruments on it, and that some have found a way to run other Reaktor ensembles on it. That’s a huge deal, I think.

Simultaneously I’m kind of waiting to see if there will be a standalone Push at some point. If that ever comes, and has the ability to run Alice’s effect and instruments, and perhaps even m4l, that will change things significantly.

Yeah you've got to believe Ableton is looking at or working on some form of standalone Push hardware. Max for Live in a hardware standalone box would be insane......

[exper]

Yeah you've got to believe Ableton is looking at or working on some form of standalone Push hardware. Max for Live in a hardware standalone box would be insane......

It would be, and I don't think it would be that much of a stretch since m4l is deeply tied in with ableton. I mean, that should be easier than getting stable vst support in a standalone box. Live's instruments/effects/midi plugins are already super powerful as it is, and I'd even be fine with that, but m4l support would blow anything else away.

We'll see.

[kons]

Push standalone would be a big jump for Ableton
. similar to the NI Maschine evolution... they should at least start with a built in soundcard so one cable from computer to Push handles: control, midi and audio. then they need to make it so that you can access ALL Live functions from the Push, and then they can start thinking about building in a processor running some form of Linux...

[gminorcoles]

Yeah you've got to believe Ableton is looking at or working on some form of standalone Push hardware. Max for Live in a hardware standalone box would be insane......

It would be, and I don't think it would be that much of a stretch since m4l is deeply tied in with ableton. I mean, that should be easier than getting stable vst support in a standalone box. Live's instruments/effects/midi plugins are already super powerful as it is, and I'd even be fine with that, but m4l support would blow anything else away.

We'll see.

Building VSTs to run on any given standalone box is solved, it is the easy part.

[Daisuk]

Anyone used Force as a live performing tool, or do you see it more as a production unit? I think it looks cool, but also a bit too much like an iPad with some knobs.