Akai Force Forum: Everything relating to the Akai Force, the new 64 pad, clip-based standalone sampler/groovebox from Akai. While not an MPC, it shares many similar software features to the MPC X/MPC Live including the same underlying code-base.
By jason moore Sat Sep 11, 2021 5:23 pm
Hi, Do you know if there is a way I can assign a midi note number to a particular pad when triggering externally with midi in. For example I would like pad D16 to always be triggered by midi in note #127.
Thanks
By pitchblender Sat Sep 11, 2021 10:22 pm
Hello, I've been looking into the MIDI capabilities of the Force and no, you don't have any control over the CCs going in. It looks like Akai released the thing way before the firmware was 'finished' so currently (firmware 3.0.6) all you can do is use MIDI keyboards/instruments and record any MIDI CCs going in to the Force, and edit them in the tiny window (where the automation data lives on the Force's timeline) but you can't re-allocate them. I've done this with a TB-03 and it recorded all the knob movements on the TB-03 when set to 'Automation Record' but I've no idea which CC did what unless I look at the charts...

One workaround idea is to get a MIDI box which you can program, like the Bomebox, MIDIHub or RetroKits RK-006 and you could probably program it to change the input from your actual value (CC 127 wasn't it?) to the equivalent Force pad CC (you'd have to find out that number - there are no Force MIDI Implementation charts). Lots of programming though. Might not be worth it especially with the new firmware coming, which will probably allow full external MIDI programming. Hope so...
Oh and there's also an iOS app called MIDIFLOW which does the same thing but I found it confusing and you have to wire up stuff every time, although if it was all Bluetooth MIDI it might not be such a problem...
Then again, if you want to control any other MIDI CC inside the Force, you can only use the macro knobs on the Force itself, and you can't name or reallocate the CC knobs. Not very friendly for serious use.

Hope this helps.