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 converted Fri Feb 17, 2023 3:52 pm
is there anything that i will miss from the MPC one - which has been fantastic

i think you have more midi / key-group programs / drum tracks

8 audio tracks is enough for me - no problem

is there any things i will miss ? i guess the CV / gate configs are similar

is sampling the same ?

my main reason is i prefer the arranger to song mode on the mpc one

i'm really excited because i wanted a better sequencer / arranger for my outboard / eurorack + and been struggling to find a solution

is the sample quality the same ?
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By NearTao Fri Feb 17, 2023 4:03 pm
So it's mostly the same, but there definitely are differences.

You've got 8 audio tracks on the MPC and 8 audio tracks on the Force... how they are used is a bit different, but functionally it's the same amount.

Chopping is different (MPC feels to me much better here).
Song Mode on MPC vs Arranger/Clip on the Force... just different, and kind of hard to compare
Macros on Force (really handy)
Disk Streaming on Force (can be handy)
I personally find the pads on the MPC to be better/more sensitive.
Pad performance on the Force is night and day better and more options on the Force

Just the differences that come to mind. I've got both, and honestly if I had to have one, I'd probably go with the MPC... but I'm an old MPC head. The Force is a great evolution though, and I do hope that it gets another revision... plus I'll be honest... they both do work well together if you can afford (and fit) both in your studio.
By converted Fri Feb 17, 2023 4:42 pm
NearTao wrote:So it's mostly the same, but there definitely are differences.

You've got 8 audio tracks on the MPC and 8 audio tracks on the Force... how they are used is a bit different, but functionally it's the same amount.

Chopping is different (MPC feels to me much better here).
Song Mode on MPC vs Arranger/Clip on the Force... just different, and kind of hard to compare
Macros on Force (really handy)
Disk Streaming on Force (can be handy)
I personally find the pads on the MPC to be better/more sensitive.
Pad performance on the Force is night and day better and more options on the Force

Just the differences that come to mind. I've got both, and honestly if I had to have one, I'd probably go with the MPC... but I'm an old MPC head. The Force is a great evolution though, and I do hope that it gets another revision... plus I'll be honest... they both do work well together if you can afford (and fit) both in your studio.


thanks - my main thing is i like the arranger / song mode on the force more and makes more sense to me, rather than sequencing - sequences together ---
-
i think it would mean i could work more linear and not go to the daw with audio exports so much --

i have a digital desk too that the MPC can now USB into as an audio interface --- i think the force does the same
By converted Fri Feb 17, 2023 6:46 pm
NearTao wrote:So it's mostly the same, but there definitely are differences.

You've got 8 audio tracks on the MPC and 8 audio tracks on the Force... how they are used is a bit different, but functionally it's the same amount.

Chopping is different (MPC feels to me much better here).
Song Mode on MPC vs Arranger/Clip on the Force... just different, and kind of hard to compare
Macros on Force (really handy)
Disk Streaming on Force (can be handy)
I personally find the pads on the MPC to be better/more sensitive.
Pad performance on the Force is night and day better and more options on the Force

Just the differences that come to mind. I've got both, and honestly if I had to have one, I'd probably go with the MPC... but I'm an old MPC head. The Force is a great evolution though, and I do hope that it gets another revision... plus I'll be honest... they both do work well together if you can afford (and fit) both in your studio.



hi , i understand you can use up to max of 128 tracks (different combos) --- how does this relate the tracks / pads -- it looks like the screen / pad only relate to 8 tracks

is there a selector to access more tracks than 8? - and more than 8 can be added to the arranger
By HouseWithoutMouse Fri Feb 17, 2023 9:18 pm
In my opinion, the Force is MPC done right. But it's physically very big. What comes to the "arranger", IMO it's a misnomer to make you think about Ableton's arranger. "Multitrack recorder" would be a more accurate name. Who knows, maybe they'll add some actual arranging features it some day, like being able to move blocks around, have organizational helpers like verse/chorus etc. but currently it's just a multitrack recorder you can use before mixing. Maybe it works for full backing tracks as well.
By converted Sat Feb 18, 2023 9:47 am
HouseWithoutMouse wrote:In my opinion, the Force is MPC done right. But it's physically very big. What comes to the "arranger", IMO it's a misnomer to make you think about Ableton's arranger. "Multitrack recorder" would be a more accurate name. Who knows, maybe they'll add some actual arranging features it some day, like being able to move blocks around, have organizational helpers like verse/chorus etc. but currently it's just a multitrack recorder you can use before mixing. Maybe it works for full backing tracks as well.


yes the thing for me - compared to a lot of other sequencers this is heaps better than planning a section of a song and chaining them together - plus visual. i can live with no blocks moving around and editing what's added to the arranger -- but it's better for me

I was almost going to buy the squarp instrument hapax - and I'm happy I didn't - for all its midi fx smart stuff it lacks on patterns available, poor song arranger plus technically only 16 tracks -- very over priced too
By B-Wise Sun Feb 19, 2023 1:59 am
converted wrote:
HouseWithoutMouse wrote:In my opinion, the Force is MPC done right. But it's physically very big. What comes to the "arranger", IMO it's a misnomer to make you think about Ableton's arranger. "Multitrack recorder" would be a more accurate name. Who knows, maybe they'll add some actual arranging features it some day, like being able to move blocks around, have organizational helpers like verse/chorus etc. but currently it's just a multitrack recorder you can use before mixing. Maybe it works for full backing tracks as well.


yes the thing for me - compared to a lot of other sequencers this is heaps better than planning a section of a song and chaining them together - plus visual. i can live with no blocks moving around and editing what's added to the arranger -- but it's better for me

I was almost going to buy the squarp instrument hapax - and I'm happy I didn't - for all its midi fx smart stuff it lacks on patterns available, poor song arranger plus technically only 16 tracks -- very over priced too

I like the Squarp Pyramid because it has 64 tracks & each has 32 patterns or clips that has their own MIDI lane for CC & PC plus each track or pattern can have different bar lengths & time-signatures--Very Powerful little box!
By converted Mon Feb 20, 2023 8:38 am
B-Wise wrote:
I like the Squarp Pyramid because it has 64 tracks & each has 32 patterns or clips that has their own MIDI lane for CC & PC plus each track or pattern can have different bar lengths & time signatures--Very Powerful little box!


yep that's a great feature - mpc /force could also introduce euclidian rhythms - which would be fantastic

The hapax tho ---- it's limiting, 16 tracks at once -- but track 16 can be taken for transposing

8 patterns are available per track but again - 1 needs to be used as a mute pattern for arrangements/song mode and when that is a drum track - its only 7 possible patterns for your 8 drum sounds -- song mode is really naff on it

cost wise - it's more than force and more than most and it's just a pattern/note sequencer
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By mrmarbury Mon Feb 20, 2023 1:13 pm
I tried a Force two times now but always gave it back in the end with a bleeding heart. But that has solely to do with my workflow that at some point switches over to an in the box daw and pure audio. For one thing I don't want to lose the effects racks and so on in the process. Even though I might switch them out when in the box later. I still want them for reference. Exporting to Ableton project has always something missing like returns (did they fix that for the force? It's not working for the MPC). And since I can see all AIR effects from MPC SW as au's I bet this should not be to complicated to keep those effects.
So while I like the Force better than the MPC (and I have two MPCs) for the most part I really miss that you cannot explode tracks and that there is no direct DAW integration like with the MPC.
I usually finish a pre-mix in the MPC, go to the MPC software and track things out and go from there. I was never able to achieve the same usability with an MPC/Force switching to Ableton.


OT: My dream Force would be as well integrated into Ableton like the Push and feel like MPC + MPC Software. But the Force would need an Audio IF for that and a way to thru usb-midi.
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By Koekepan Sat Mar 11, 2023 4:20 pm
is there a selector to access more tracks than 8? - and more than 8 can be added to the arranger


I missed this question the first time around. You use the four direction buttons in the top left cluster to move your tracks around, so that you can fit in many, many (many!) more tracks than just the eight columns of pads.

Of course, you can only address eight tracks at a time on the pads.