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 indirect Thu Aug 11, 2022 10:23 pm
Hi. I'm using force to play live sets and I must say I have some problems trying to fit usual 1 hr set into this thing. First of all, I'm using stems, so one track for me takes 7 audio tracks which are then to be cut into pieces into their proper scenes. I use warping, as I like my set to be dynamic and free tempo-wise. I use 128 GB SSD drive to hold my sets. I must say that even with disk streaming, memory is still being eaten by something, so I'm struggling to get 10+ songs into the set, it seems force likes single files more than many chopped samples. But the problem arises when using single files for the song (BD, Bass, Vox etc.) across many clips - when I switch to new scene many times there's either silence for a split second or sound is warbled and stuttering and after some time it starts to play normally. I have hard time comprehending what's wrong. I use 25$ cheap Kingston SSD, but I've tried to save/load my set to SD card and result is the same. I cannot play back the set without stumbling across this glitch. Sometimes I get no sound on 2nd or 3rd repeat of the clip. What is happening?
The worst thing is, I really like the workflow and I've already incorporated external midi instruments and they work GREAT. But I cannot tolarate bad sample playback.
By allreddv Fri Aug 12, 2022 7:45 pm
My first inclination is that something is setup wrong because I think in general both the Force and the MPC is very good at sample playback.

If you are seeing a lot of memory being eaten up it may lie there. Are you sure you have disk streaming turned on? Just because you are directing the samples to be loaded from the hard drive or SD card does not mean they are being streamed. You can check in your preferences "Audio/Export". make sure the disk streaming box is checked.

What percentage memory and CPU are seeing when playing a scene? This could tell a lot also. If you are audio warping 7 large audio clips it could be an issue. Audio warping is probably one of the biggest CPU hogs for the Force. If your maxing out CPU it could be an issue. Try changing your Warp Algorithm from "Pro Ten" to "Basic You can do this in the same "Audio/Export" preferences. Obviously Pro Ten is much better but if you change it to Basic and everything seems to work fine then you will know this is where your problem lies. I use ProTen and normally have 3 audio channels warping at the same time and have all my other audio channels and Midi and still usually at about 25% CPU average.

Along the same lines you could test by turning off half your audio channels for a scene just to see if that resolves the issue so you can learn where the issue is.

One other thing I could think of that might be an issue is if you had somehow recorded some automation without meaning to. It is pretty easy to do accidentally. I would clear all automation for each track and see if that is why your getting no sound in the beginning.

Report back your findings and we can go from there.
By allreddv Fri Aug 12, 2022 7:53 pm
Forgot to mention one other thing. Click "Menu" then at the bottom click on the Project Tab. This will open up a popup window which will show all of your loaded samples. There are two buttons on top of the sample list, "Memory" and "Streaming". You can click those to filter each type of sample. Make sure all your samples are being streamed. They will have a green soundwave icon vs a white one which means they are being stored in memory.

I have a feeling this is where your problem is lying, that your samples are actually being stored in memory and not being steamed.
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By SnowMetal Sat Aug 13, 2022 7:45 am
allreddv wrote:I think in general both the Force and the MPC is very good at sample playback.


No sir. Are you also putting 1-hour+ into one project file? Because I am, and sample playback is terrible. I have to jump through so many hoops to get properly-trimmed samples to play well, it's ridiculous. On the MPC, perhaps not, because it's a pattern-based machine, but in the Force there are no patterns. And that's where the true problems exist.
By allreddv Sun Aug 14, 2022 8:54 pm
Yes I have sets more than an hour long and no issues. Actually have done 2 hour plus sets.

Believe me, I could write a long list of things the Force needs to improve on, but playing samples properly I have not found to be an issue which is why I think you probably are just not doing something correctly to achieve what you want.

Trimming samples is super simple, and there isn't much of a difference between the MPC and Force when it comes to this. I have both the Force and MPC Live 2. So I am sure you can save yourself headache by figuring out how to do what you want it to do.

I am willing to try and help you get the most out of it, but only if you want the help and are willing to do the steps to confirm you are doing things correctly. If not, no worries, just trying to help because lots of people have helped me.

First, did you confirm that all of your samples are loaded as streaming samples? Meaning you confirmed all of your samples are only loaded as streaming (green) and not in memory (white). Also need to confirm that they are not doubled loaded both in memory and as streaming which is why you need to look at both lists as filtered and see what is where.

If they are loaded into memory this is most likely the cause, this is the whole reason streaming was added so that samples wouldn't eat up your memory storage. This is still an issue on the MPCs since they don't have disk streaming.


Not sure what you mean by the MPC being pattern based and the Akai not. For me I can't really think of much of a difference between "Patterns" on MPC and "Clips" on Force. They are essentially the same thing.

Force Track = MPC Program
Force Clip = MPC Pattern
Force Scenes = MPC Pattern Chaining or Song Mode


If you are loading samples into a drum program than your midi clip on the Force is the same as a pattern for a drum program on the MPC. If using an internal instrument it is the same thing. Loading audio clips as a track themselves is way better on the Force. It is one of the main reasons I prefer the Force since you can't really do this on the MPC very well.

For your trimming samples issues, I would need to know if you are loading samples as audio clips into an audio track or if you are loading samples onto pads into a drum program.

One confusing thing on the Force is that there are actually 2 different trimming types depending on how you are using the sample and you can use both at the same time, but both need to be setup independently.

If you are placing your sample into an audio clip on an audio track you will need to trim in the normal trim section of sample edit. If you are assigning to a drum program you will need select the "Pad" option and select trim points there. This confused me at first also as whenever I loaded samples into drum programs the starting points were not where I had set them, it will play the whole sample from the beginning.

One thing I do really miss about chopping up a sample in the Force is how the MPC gives you the option to load all your slices to a drum program but does so by placing the full sample onto each pad keeping a "virtual" slice for playback. This makes it a lot easier to make adjustments later and allows for the overlapping of slices.

Regarding your memory issue, I can't promise you can resolve it because I am still not sure where your issue lies. If it is that you have a setting wrong or are hitting a limitation of the hardware.

For sample playback and trimming that can 100% be solved.
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By SnowMetal Thu Oct 13, 2022 7:56 pm
indirect wrote:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWgxYIktaCw

BTW project tab has 100% of samples streamed


I commented in YouTube. I'm pretty sure the Force is having difficulty with that many clips and them all being warped. Warp doesn't sound great anyway, and makes the audio sound terrible. I'd turn warping off whenever possible.
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By 64hz Fri Oct 14, 2022 8:47 am
My force acted funny when I let it stream all my samples. Especially one shots are the problem. So I turned off disk streaming for everything and just use it per file.

One shots really **** it up for me and this was on just a track, not even a one hour set.
By indirect Fri Oct 14, 2022 10:19 pm
64hz wrote:My force acted funny when I let it stream all my samples. Especially one shots are the problem. So I turned off disk streaming for everything and just use it per file.

One shots really **** it up for me and this was on just a track, not even a one hour set.


That is actually proper disk streaming behavior. As a rule of thumb, keys samples and drums are to be loaded into ram. I'm talking about stems here.