AKAI Force Soundcard Support

Latency is not much of a problem if you're using the computer (and DAW) as an MTR anyway, because you'll be able to resynchronise every track as much as you want to. Hell, I do this with my MTR and it's no problem.

If what is coming out of the Force is all being dumped into the computer at pretty much the same time, latency of the tracks relative to each other should be basically nil, so the only other factor would be external synths or effects loops, and that's down to whatever their latency relations are. It could get pretty crazy in theory, but I wouldn't anticipate anything over 20ms, so fairly standard correction tactics in a DAW should fix that easily.

tomatoattack wrote:This thread confused the hell out of me as it sounds to me that you can somehow stream audio from a single interface which is connected to USB (MPC though) onto the DAW itself:

viewtopic.php?f=49&t=213732

I don't have an MPC so can't check, but they're talking about the Windows/Mac "MPC App" desktop software and its (desktop) VST plugin (the "MPC Plugin") version, and using the MPC in controller mode. If I understood the thread correctly, the MPC Plugin talks with the MPC hardware (that's in controller mode) and lets the host DAW application, inside which the MPC Plugin is running, access the MPC-side things.

No can do with the Force. The relevant part comes at the end:

The Force has a controller mode but no desktop software so you don't have any way to work with your projects in an integrated way with a computer.

There is an "MPC App" desktop software, and a corresponding "MPC Plugin". (don't ask me how exactly they work) But there is no "Force App" desktop software, or a "Force Plugin" either, so whatever PC DAW integration things can be done by using the MPC App and/or Plugin, cannot be done with the Force. (Unless the MPC App+Plugin interoperate with the Force, which they don't, I suppose?)

The Behringer UMC 1820 is pretty cheap, so as some kind of a workaround you might as well buy two of them, connect them together with ADAT I/O and stream 8 channels of digital audio from whatever happens in Force over to a DAW. It wouldn't be as nicely integrated and synced as what the "MPC App" probably is though, but something at least. Maybe you could add some syncing and control facilities with MIDI.

I'll show what happens when the Force is in Computer Mode and connected to a computer.

The Force's audio facilities are visible in Ableton Live as a "sound card": (if you wonder why it's saying "0 out", the outputs seem to be a separate interface that has "0 In, 4 Out")


I can connect more USB audio interfaces to the Force, and they will be visible to Ableton as well. First I connect a Focusrite interface (but DO NOT BUY this particular interface to use with Akai because it does NOT FULLY WORK, until Akai update their Linux drivers. I used this one for this demonstration picture only because it was at hand):


Then I connect a Logitech webcam, which offers its microphone as a USB "sound card":


The Force is only acting as a dumb USB hub here. You can use the devices connected to it as if they were connected to the computer: the Force's audio inputs and outputs, the Force's MIDI inputs and outputs, the buttons and knobs, the internal SSD or other hard drive, the SD card reader, whatever is connected to the Force's USB ports ... But there's one thing you cannot use: the Force itself, because it's in Computer Mode.



The Force's buttons and knobs are available to the computer as USB MIDI devices, but none of that is available to the Force's own standalone software because it has been knocked out, it's now in Computer Mode.

Thanks guys. This is massive help for me.

I will simply opt in for two Behringer interfaces and be done with it. Delay shouldn't be a big issue when it comes to everything being in sync if all channels coming from Force-UMC setup are merely routed into another UMC and then to computer - respectively. I am aware there will be delay, but I won't use second UMC until I reach to recording stage and just want to dump/record everything into computer.

I like it. Simple, effective, and if you want to do some premixing to get all fancy, well, the Force will do a lot internally.

Antelope Zen Tour works amazing as an audio interface for the force. Also behringer uphoria umc404HD and NI Komplete audio 6. motu 16a also works but configuring it is a nightmare as it is controlled through a web-based app. my forces internal sound card took a shit so ive been forced to use an external audio device not that i mind and the timing couldnt have been better as my internal sound card died the same week as the update allowing for class compliant external audio interfaces. SIDE NOTE: the mpc key 61 will NOT work as an audio interface for the force or vice versa! Akai's machines work incredible with just about every device out there,...except their own...whats up with dat huh?

@whoistherealjay I have both the force and zen tour Sc. Are you connecting the usb of force straight to the Zen tour?

Xntricity wrote:@whoistherealjay I have both the force and zen tour Sc. Are you connecting the usb of force straight to the Zen tour?

I also have the Force and the original Antelope Audio Zen Tour, I didn't even know that I could use it as the audio interface for the Force. There's just so little information available as to what it all entails, I mean the Zen Tour has it's own virtual mixer interface that is used to route everything so how does this translate in the Force? I've contacted Akai support so many times about things and only once did I find someone who personally helped me figure a lot of stuff out, but of course he quit not long after I got in contact with him

I want to ask @whoistherealjay directly about how he did it, but of course I just created an account and apparently Akai doesn't let me private message anyone until I start contributing to the forums.

mattdrago.music wrote:I want to ask @whoistherealjay directly about how he did it, but of course I just created an account and apparently Akai doesn't let me private message anyone until I start contributing to the forums.

This site isn't ran by Akai. They don't even acknowledge MPC-Tutor (the site owner).