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 voonta Sat Apr 02, 2022 7:13 am
Is it possible to run two Behringer 1820 Audio Interfaces in parallel/aggregate with the Akai Force?

I have a bunch of synths running in mono to the 8 Audio tracks of the Akai Force, I'm wanting to increase my inputs over the 8 I currently have with the Behringer 1820.

I have seen that the Behringer Ultragain ADA8200 can be connected and have seen in the Re: List of Working/Non Working Class Compliant USB Interface that the combination works, however, I have a patch pay installed in my rackmount and like that my connections are on the back of the 1820 to keep everything relatively tidy from the front, but also flexible enough to let me swap over synths when I want to test something out. The difference in price between the two is negligible.

Does anyone have any experience running two of these Audio Interfaces or any interface, do you have any advice on how to get them recognised in the Force, or is it a simple process?

Cheers for any advice.
User avatar
By Koekepan Sat Apr 02, 2022 3:29 pm
To the best of my knowledge, the Force only gives you one interface at a time.

In your position, I would get the ADA8200, and then add some cable management to your rack; there are some pretty cheap options out there.

An alternative would be to get a submixer, which is what I do.
By voonta Sat Apr 02, 2022 11:53 pm
Thanks for your reply Koekepan!

Too late!?!? The price I paid on eBay was too good so I pulled the trigger on the second 1820. Hopefully it will work as it has an ADAT/SPDIF input similar to the ADA8200 with a switch to enable it on the front panel. I'll report back in the working devices thread when I receive it and set it up.

With regard to the submixer, is that just a multichannel analogue mixer sent into a single audio channel on the Force?
User avatar
By Koekepan Sun Apr 03, 2022 5:07 pm
A submixer is a multichannel mixer (analogue or digital doesn't matter, I like analogue), sent to a single (or stereo) channel on the Force, or the Force's external audio interface.

In other words, you're sort of externally precondensing a larger number of tracks to a smaller set so that you can fit them into your limited inputs.

Often even a line mixer will work well for this job. However, for a submixer the humble Xenyx1202 will do a fine job.
By allreddv Mon Apr 04, 2022 12:29 am
Sounds like you are looking to do similar setup to what I have except I am using FocusRite 18i20 and then I have a FocusRite ADAT which gives me 8 additional inputs for a total of 16 wired ins. It works perfect with the force so your ADAT solution should work. One thing you might see is that the inputs for the ADAT probably won't match to what you think they are. For example my 18i20 inputs are as you would expect on channels 1-8 but then the ADAT are on channels 15-23, Pretty sure this is because the 18i20 has additional inputs that are not wired but can be used somehow. So when you hook up and don't hear anything on channels 9+ that could be why and just keep changing the channel until you get sound and figure out the channel numbers that way.

The mixer as suggested is a solution but then you can only record one channel coming out of it. So if you had say 4 synths coming out of mixer all on at same time you would be recording that output as one and then could not adjust the individual synths after. You could record one synth at a time using the mixer and then could process each individually or all of them together as one if you don't need to process them individually.
By misterflibble Sun Apr 17, 2022 3:02 pm
voonta wrote:Thanks for your reply Koekepan!

Too late!?!? The price I paid on eBay was too good so I pulled the trigger on the second 1820. Hopefully it will work as it has an ADAT/SPDIF input similar to the ADA8200 with a switch to enable it on the front panel. I'll report back in the working devices thread when I receive it and set it up.

With regard to the submixer, is that just a multichannel analogue mixer sent into a single audio channel on the Force?

You can only use one USB audio interface at a time so that second 1820 isn’t going to expand your I/O.
User avatar
By Koekepan Mon Apr 18, 2022 2:23 pm
Are you trying to say that a 1820 with an ADAT extender on a Force is like a duallie truck with raised suspension and neon orange trucknuts hanging from the towbar?
User avatar
By Koekepan Mon Apr 18, 2022 9:56 pm
I was joking, of course, but it suddenly occurs to me that I've never seen anything like that on stage. It might be quite the signature move.

A keyboard stand with an MPC X on top, and a sock with a couple of avocado inside, dangling beneath.

Tie-dye the sock with fluorescent paint, and put a blacklight strobe down there too.
By voonta Wed May 04, 2022 5:35 pm
So using 2 1820's is out of the question, unfortunately there is no way to make the interface master or slave, it's always master. Funny thing is it has both ADAT in and out which makes me suspicions.

I think they left it out intentionally to sell more ADA8200's which I ended up buying.
User avatar
By EnochLight Fri May 06, 2022 6:14 pm
voonta wrote:I think they left it out intentionally to sell more ADA8200's


Or they left it out because they didn't have time to reverse-engineer and properly rip off the PreSonus Studio 1824c it's "inspired" by. jk Sorry to hear things didn't work out for you. Maybe you can flip it on Reverb or eBay and get some of your money back?
User avatar
By Lampdog Sun May 08, 2022 3:43 pm
voonta wrote:Funny thing is it has both ADAT in and out which makes me suspicions.

That’s not funny. It means adat in/out as an effects box or pass through routing just like regular routing analog outs. Doesn’t mean slave device.