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 DEX Sun Oct 24, 2021 7:04 pm
I can't find where to download the new Akai Force software instruments. I have installed the update I have searched my website account, the manual and every place I could think of and nothing. I guess I have missed something but could you please help me. Thanks
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By Koekepan Sun Oct 31, 2021 5:14 pm
I'm going to say that Akai Professional screwed up a bit here.

OK, the content pack is about 1.1GB, so wrapping it all in a single bump to send out is not a problem for someone living where they can get fibre to their house, but for someone dealing with an old DSL line, or a cable contract with a cap, or tethered phone data or anything like that, it's not smart. They'd have done better to break it down by instrument or other selection so that it might have been more manageable, and offer an all-in-one combined pack as an alternative.

I won't say that they should check their first-world privilege and all that jazz, but it wasn't their most customer-friendly move. If you then add connections dropping and having to restart, it just gets uglier. If they'd split it into three (Solina/Odyssey/Mellotron) then each might have been around double the size of the software update, and that much friendlier.

Please understand, I'm not knocking the content. There's good stuff in there. It's just a customer service stumble.
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By EnochLight Mon Nov 01, 2021 6:56 pm
Koekepan wrote:I'm going to say that Akai Professional screwed up a bit here.

OK, the content pack is about 1.1GB, so wrapping it all in a single bump to send out is not a problem for someone living where they can get fibre to their house, but for someone dealing with an old DSL line, or a cable contract with a cap, or tethered phone data or anything like that, it's not smart. They'd have done better to break it down by instrument or other selection so that it might have been more manageable, and offer an all-in-one combined pack as an alternative.

I won't say that they should check their first-world privilege and all that jazz, but it wasn't their most customer-friendly move. If you then add connections dropping and having to restart, it just gets uglier. If they'd split it into three (Solina/Odyssey/Mellotron) then each might have been around double the size of the software update, and that much friendlier.

Please understand, I'm not knocking the content. There's good stuff in there. It's just a customer service stumble.


Personally, I don't really feel the size of the content is an issue at all. To be fair, if someone is in a position to drop $1000 USD on a completely unnecessary toy to make music on, Akai assumes they can access an Internet connection to download the optional content needed for updates. In an age where the average Internet connection in most markets where the Force is sold can easily accommodate large downloads, I have a hard time reconciling the need to cater to slow ISP's. Obviously YMMV, but I feel there are bigger fish to fry than this. :-D
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By MPC-Tutor Mon Nov 01, 2021 8:18 pm
Splitting instruments into separate downloads is not going to help people with data caps. 1GB is 1GB no matter how you split it. And people with slow or unstable lines can use a download manager. But 1GB really isn't a big file these days, not for 99% of people in my experience as a seller of digital files (most of which are over 1GB in size).

I'm sure if you send a fax to Akai they'll send out the synth content on a CD-ROM delivered by carrier pigeon. :wink:
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By Ultros Tue Nov 09, 2021 11:29 pm
wget is your friend. its a command line program that lets you download, and continue downloads so if you are ghetto like me with a crap connection and trash cap you dont lose your progress.

an example of its useage is like:

wget -c "http://suckyfileserver.com/myfile.zip"

the -c is to continue and the quotations are used incase there are any special characters in the url.

I've downloaded all of akais content available to me via a cellphone with a 4gb a month data cap. took a few months but honestly most of the content is junk i am not even interested in. The synth content is something worth having though.
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By Tray Sat Nov 20, 2021 5:05 am
pitchblender wrote:If you can't sign in or haven't got an account this is the link posted by Pink Buddha on YT for the synth plugins:

https://www.akaipro.com/amfile/file/download/file/1252/product/8366/

Just make sure you have the 'Synths' directory in the root of your SSD and transfer the contents over using the Force in External drive mode. If you use the SDCard to do this I think the new plugins will only work if you keep the SD card in the slot on the Force...

Here's his YT page in case you have problems. Lots to read in the comments...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oYcqSHCcGc&t=0s


I know project should not be saved on the internal storage but should these new synths not be placed in internal storage as well? (i.e: Just on an SSD or an SD card?)
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By MPC-Tutor Sat Nov 20, 2021 8:54 am
Tray wrote:I know project should not be saved on the internal storage but should these new synths not be placed in internal storage as well? (i.e: Just on an SSD or an SD card?)


The synths can be stored on any of the attached disks, be it SD card, USB drive or the optional internal SATA disk, there shouldn't be any performance issues no matter which disk you chose as long as the disk itself is functioning correctly.
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By Tray Mon Nov 22, 2021 2:59 pm
MPC-Tutor wrote:
Tray wrote:I know project should not be saved on the internal storage but should these new synths not be placed in internal storage as well? (i.e: Just on an SSD or an SD card?)


The synths can be stored on any of the attached disks, be it SD card, USB drive or the optional internal SATA disk, there shouldn't be any performance issues no matter which disk you chose as long as the disk itself is functioning correctly.


I totally get that. And I’m a complete newbie so this is might be a bit of a silly question, but:

Since these are symptoms and would be parts of many projects I’m just curious why or if they could be installed on the internal drive?

While I realize that projects should not be stored on the internal drive, these new synths are part of the system right? So wouldn’t it be natural to install them on the internal drive so they are available to all projects?

Without an SSD drive they have to be installed on each USB jump drive or SD card, which is not a big thing, but if they were installed internally they would be available regardless of changing the media.

I understand that the internal drive is limited in space and contains all of the factory defaults so it should not be messed with lightly… Just curious where new synth content falls in that scheme. I have not downloaded them yet, so perhaps it’s not even an option to install them on the internal drive, but I just thought I’d ask so I am prepared to answer the question correctly. Additionally, I think other new users might have that same question in mind.

Thanks.
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By MPC-Tutor Mon Nov 22, 2021 3:23 pm
While end users cannot install anything on the internal drive, Akai could install the synth content to that drive as part of the firmware update process. However, space on the internal drive system is limited and finite, trying to squeeze content onto that disk is only a short term solution.

Developing a system that uses attached disks is going to mean virtually unlimited space for more synths over time, for all existing MPC owners. I personally feel it's a great way of extending the life of the hardware while still being able to provide ever increasing amounts of additional (and free) synth content. Much more preferable than forcing users to buy new MPCs with bigger internal disks.

For MPC One owners, they must not forget that they have the 'budget' MPC, lack of SATA support was one of the compromises in exchange for the lower price. however, they can get a 1TB or 500GB SD card and leave it permanently in the SD card slot (virtually invisible). As the MPC One now supports computer mode for USB file transfer, there isn't really any pressing reason to remove that SD card once it's in there, so it's effectively acting like an internal drive. You could use the USB port for occasional drive swapping duties if need be.