Force/MPC compatability

Bought my first MPC (Live2) a couple of years ago and am now looking at buying Force. Bought a MacBook pro and Ableton Live/Push combination 10 years ago. MacBook now has update issues but is loaded with Komplete 10 Ultimate CE plus lots of other software so I have plenty of synths to sample to key groups.
Seems way more cost effective to stick to stand alone rather that fork out a sack of money for a new MacBook.
I like the familiarity of the Force and I'm more Country/Jazz focussed that Hip Hop.
My question is how compatible/transferable are song files between MPC and Force?
OR: To what degree are files interchangeable.?

Files will work on a force but since the structure is different you end up with each program track being a separate program in the force. I can easily use and edit my old beats from the mpc though.

Thanks.
Went ahead and ordered Force today, along with deck saver and gig bag. Also ordered a gig bag for my Live2.
Looking forward to getting into it and will no doubt have lots of questions.

Stevejaz wrote:Thanks.
Went ahead and ordered Force today, along with deck saver and gig bag. Also ordered a gig bag for my Live2.
Looking forward to getting into it and will no doubt have lots of questions.

I hope you like the Force & I suggest putting some black tape over the decksaver so you don't see an exploding rainbow very time it starts up!

Welcome to the Darkside & may the motha- ****' Force be with you!

I would have taken the deck saver off before starting it, but I'll have to try that. Exploding rainbows sound cool.
Just got dispatch email so early next week hopefully.

Stevejaz wrote:I would have taken the deck saver off before starting it, but I'll have to try that. Exploding rainbows sound cool.
Just got dispatch email so early next week hopefully.

It's only kinda cool the first time.
When all 64 pads & the screen start glowing in a dark room it can blind you.

Don't stare directly into the light of the Force.

Force arrived yesterday. Loved the light show. My main use is to be recording (looper?) Guitar/Bass/Vocals, along with drum kits, key groups etc. I'm assuming here that making key groups from VST instruments is best done on Live2 in controller mode, with files then transferred via memory card. I have a 32 gig one but I want to buy an SSD. I have a 500gig one in my Live2. Cant remember the brand and model but it works fine and has plenty of room left.
What brand is best? I assume this is important due to disk streaming. Samsung 870 EVO Sata111 seem popular and readily available. Is this a good one? and if not what is best? Unsure of size as yet but something between 500gig and 2 tb I guess. At what % capacity do they tend to become slower?

Stevejaz wrote:Force arrived yesterday. Loved the light show. My main use is to be recording (looper?) Guitar/Bass/Vocals, along with drum kits, key groups etc. I'm assuming here that making key groups from VST instruments is best done on Live2 in controller mode, with files then transferred via memory card. I have a 32 gig one but I want to buy an SSD. I have a 500gig one in my Live2. Cant remember the brand and model but it works fine and has plenty of room left.
What brand is best? I assume this is important due to disk streaming. Samsung 870 EVO Sata111 seem popular and readily available. Is this a good one? and if not what is best? Unsure of size as yet but something between 500gig and 2 tb I guess. At what % capacity do they tend to become slower?

I mean do they even make "slow" SSDs anymore. 500gb is great for most. I got a 1TB & more than enough for now & the foreseeable future. Now if you're a DJ or got a ridiculously amount of samples I still just get a 500GB or 1TB & see if it's holds.

If and when it's slow, it's not caused by the SSD drive, it's caused by the SSD being connected to the Force's CPU via a V.21 modem or whatever the bus was again.

Thanks guys
500gb Samsung EVO @ $75 or 1tb QVO @ $100?
Prices in Australian dollars, lately known as Sth Pacific Pesos.

Given the 500 gig should be big enough, is it worth paying the premium price for an allegedly better SSD?
Or go for the extra storage.

I have a lot of software synths and want to make lots of key groups on Live2 in controller mode and transfer them to the Force via memory card. Not sure how much storage I'd need for that. Also quite a lot of samples, loops etc. Will also be recording a lot of loops, Guitar, Bass, Vocals etc for use in song writing/arranging.

If you're not showing up with a massive sample collection already that you plan on loading onto the system, a 500gb drive is more than sufficient to store samples, songs, and experiments for many years.

The other factor I would consider... by the time you *would* want to upgrade, the price of the larger drive is likely to have been cut in half or more.

Thanks NearTao.
Sounds like one of those rare occasions when the cheapest option is also the best.
Apart from a few "2 steps forward one step back" occasions, I'm finding the Force easier to learn than I would have expected. Especially at my age (70). It always looked like an MPC with an Ableton Push stuck in the front of it, and that's pretty much how it seems. Not to say I am an expert with either, but my experience with both is helping lots.
By the time I loaded my 'Kitmaker' conversions from NI Maschine plus the few instruments included in the firmware update, there was not a lot of room left on my 32gig memory card, but more than enough to get me started.
After a couple of days I even have my 1st 3 tunes saved to it. I also have a plug in 250gig ssd with nearly 100 gig of samples which I've left alone for now, plus quite a bit more on my MBP.
My main concern was the size of keygroup files but given I have 500gig in my Live2, and that's where they will be created in the first place, I assume I can use the memory card to transfer them between units.
Still not clear on the EVO/QVO Samsung issue, but I'm sure the computer shop will fill me in when I go there on Monday. Various sizes are available in both. Those were just the smallest.
The EVOs seem to be about 30% dearer.
I have found a lot less in the way of instructional Youtube videos for audio recording as opposed to VST. Found last night though that you don't create a loop before recording audio, (Bass, Guitar, Vocals etc)
Still I guess, as they say, "if all else fails RTFM"
Next thing for me to have a go at will be transferring saved songs from MPC to Force.
Most are pretty simple One sequence affairs so it should work OK.

I’m very interested to hear what you create with it. Could this be the oldest member on this board?

Well I just recorded some guitar over one of the tracks I saved successfully. I have a bit of guitar (mainly) stuff on my Youtube page which I can share if permissible here, the most recent of which is some solo guitar/vocals from a bush fire benefit early 2020, right before Covid, which put the breaks on playing live.
I studied music full time for 3 years (2001-3) and was older than most of my classmates' parents. That's where and when I started using computers and took to it like a duck to water. Started acquiring computers, software and midi controllers once working and earning money again and never stopped. Still to learn much about using it. Was trying to get my head around the Behringer stuff last week but haven't bent it that far yet. (BCF2000, BCR2000 and FCB1010). Want to use the FCB1010 to control Force while playing live.
Also have a part time trio. Bass Drums and me on guitar/vocals, but the thing is I go fishing in Nth Queensland (tropic) over the winter.
Man this life as an age pensioner is hard.LOL.
In a few weeks, once I'm a bit more comfortable with the set-up, I'll put my phone on a tripod and film something to post on Youtube. Maybe something of the trio as well.