Looks like the Force is no longer being produced ('On Hold')

Response from Akai support to one of the members of the Akai Force Users Facebook group. No more units being made at this time, no mk 2 in the works. Force is currently 'on hold'.

No word regarding future software updates.

Hi Marc,
Thanks for your new question regarding Sweetwater stock! A new ticket has been created for your question. You'll receive a survey related to your previous, now closed, ticket. The message I am sending you now is part of the new, separate ticket.

As mentioned, while it's not officially marked as discontinued, the product is several years old and there are currently no plans to produce more units. This may change; depending on demand. As it stands, there is still plenty of stock in the channel which users can purchase online.

Currently, Force units are not being produced, but this may change. Only retailers who ordered Force units from the last batch have stock right now.

If Sweetwater do not have any stock, they cannot order more in at the moment.

You will need to search for a retailer who ordered stock from the last batch - http://www.akaipro.com/dealers
More Force models may be produced in the future, there is no Force MKII or nothing to surpass the Force model, so please see the production of this unit 'on hold'.

It appears that your question have been answered, for this reason I'm going to put your ticket into soft-close mode, but you can always reply to this email to reopen it, view your whole chat history and reconnect with me for further support on this topic. So please consider this a temporary closure; you are welcome to come back to us at any time.
Kind Regards,
<<<snip>>>
Technical Support Specialist - Level II
inMusic Europe Ltd

Is it possible for the price to drop as a result?

Thanks for the info. The thing is, if there was I new Force, the dude writing this email (Technical Support Specialist - Level II) may not know. I hope they make mk2 or at least drop more OS updates... Or leak the source code to the MockbaMod hackers & let them really take the Force to another level!

I think an obvious and really simple solution should have been the thing from the get go and I have no idea why it wasn't the case? The OS is essentially the same between Force and the MPC, MPC 2 has a clips section, MPC 3 may get it back. In a world that made sense Akai would be developing MPC3 with Clips in mind, and all MPCs could use the APCs they make for Ableton Live with the MPCs. They could then occasionally small batch produce Forces with a few improvements for people who like the form factor. I imagine a world where the APCkey 25-37 and MPC Live II cover all basses for a mobile setup.

Isn't the MPC clips just audio? & it doesn't have a clip matrix so even if it was the same clips as the Force it would be no real advantage.

Hi,

here is the full story:

I asked them after that answer this:

Thank you very much for theses info!

How about software updates, do Force users still get updates?
ATM we cant even use all AIR Plugins.

Can I post your answer on FaceBook?

Cheers Marc.

answer:

Hi Marc,

Thanks for your new question! A new ticket has been created for your question. You'll receive a survey related to your previous, now closed, ticket. The message I am sending you now is part of the new, separate ticket.

I'm being transparent here: I don't know the answer to your question, and it is not possible to find that out.

As I said, the Force is on halt, so all software updates, firmware, stock production is currently at a stand still. This may change, but that information would not come from me, instead it would come from a seperate email (if your inMusic account is left active), through social media, or through the Akai Pro website.

I have no control over what you post on FaceBook, but as this is a situation which may change in the future, I recommend that each user reaches out to us when they have questions about this. We may be able to provide updates or advise on any changes. The timing of questions and answers are the most important in this situation.

An example is on the Akai Pro MPC forums, a lot of users on there are complaining that certain features are not included, but they are referring to a post made 5 years ago and are unaware that things have changed since then and that feature has actually been added.

If the Force is taken off halt, this may cause a mismatch between what has been posted on forums vs what is actually happning. As I said, I can't confirm if or when it will be taken off halt.

You are entitled to post and I wouldn't want to dictate what you can and can't say, so please feel free to share what you'd like to share.

I'm going to put your ticket into soft-close mode, but you can always reply to this email to reopen it, view your whole chat history and reconnect with me for further support on this topic. So please consider this a temporary closure; you are welcome to come back to us at any time.

Kind Regards,
<<snip>>
Technical Support Specialist - Level II
inMusic Europe Ltd

my answer:

Hello,

If not you knows the answer please forward my question the the appropriate contact who can answer it please?

Cheers Marc

answer:

Hi Marc,

Thanks for your replY!

No. sadly that is not possible. Any information which is available for end users will be released via the Akai Pro website.

​I'm going to put your ticket into soft-close mode. I hope you have a nice week.

Kind Regards,
<<snip>>
Technical Support Specialist - Level II
inMusic Europe Ltd

Conclusion, there is still hope that things chnage.
PEACE!

Thanks for this info. They gotta drop at least one last update. Maybe we just gotta wait for the real MPC3 to get released. Keep in mind the Force 3.3 is still more advanced than MPC 3.4 in some ways.

I think that Akai is at the strange place where they don't know to keep supporting the current model or begin working on the next, just their just not being honest about for business reasons or something.

If the Force software is not updated, then it means that MPCs will have keygroup instruments with 8 layers/round-robins etc that don't work on Forces.

HouseWithoutMouse wrote:If the Force software is not updated, then it means that MPCs will have keygroup instruments with 8 layers/round-robins etc that don't work on Forces.

I've already accepted that I have to accommodate both types in my expansions for the foreseeable future, plenty of people will still need MPC 2 support for some time (especially for controller mode etc). 8 layers not a problem for MPC2/Force though, it's just the round robin/velocity layer mix that won't work.

TBH I haven't tested MPC3 XPM files in MPC2, it's possible that the 'slice motion' round robins will just revert to a single slice in MPC2 so it might be possible to still support both versions in a single XPM.

Implementing cool macros on the other hand requires 'track' files, not XPM, so definitely not backward compatible. One issue is that I like to include lots of 'patches' in my keygroup expansions, i.e. the same core instrument, same samples but with different FX and program parameters applied. Multiple XPM files can point to the same set of samples, but track files cannot, so you have to duplicate all the samples for each 'patch you create (or stick with XPM and forget about the more advanced macros).

Hopefully have an upright bass expansion coming out next week which will contain an MPC3 specific instrument with 8 layers, 3 round robins per layer. On-demand string muting via Qlink (touch & hold qlink to mute strings),,note off string release noises including the ability to set the 'probability' of the noise occurring, lots of other advanced macros. Only uses 3 sample chains for all the notes so quite easy to set up disk streaming.

I'd like more than 4 round-robins, preferably 5 or 7 or more, because it would allow removing repetitiveness in certain rhythms. The slice motion feature looked great too.

It would also be nice to get a fix for envelope followers and keygroup mod wheel modulation getting switched off and requiring a manual reset every time a project is loaded. Those bugs practically mean that I don't use those features. Envelope followers would be HUGE, but too much trouble.

But even as it is now, I have accepted what the Force is, I know what features I can use and what features I can't use, for whatever reason. It can do beats and MIDI sequences really nicely, and the clip/scene launch is excellent. Mixing and effecting facilities are more than adequate and easy to use. I can't use the Force as a looper, but I can sync a Boss RC-5 to it and loop my guitar stuff there. I know how to export stuff from Ableton 9 into the Force and convert sample programs to keygroups, and I've written Python scripts to merge multiple programs to use more than four velocity layers and to combine the samples of a keygroup program into chained wavs, etc. All I need to do is to create my own sample programs for the instruments I want, and I don't need to rely on a plugin or sound library manufacturer creating my sounds for me. I have even built external Arduino based things which add MIDI processing. Inmusic's software is not a limitation, I am the limitation.

The force is an amazing machine, shame some of the latest plugin don't work at the moment.

I would really like to see a Force-X

I guess it makes sense to focus development energy on a new OS on a single platform as updating the desktop software and the force will likely slow down production and all platforms will be cursed with bugs.

I understand that companies don't want their competitors to know what's coming, but in this case a competitor or two may target the opportunity to make a new machine of similar form and function

johndude wrote:The force is an amazing machine, shame some of the latest plugin don't work at the moment.

I would really like to see a Force-X

I guess it makes sense to focus development energy on a new OS on a single platform as updating the desktop software and the force will likely slow down production and all platforms will be cursed with bugs.

I understand that companies don't want their competitors to know what's coming, but in this case a competitor or two may target the opportunity to make a new machine of similar form and function

I think a MPC-64 would make more business sense. Combine the dope concept of the Force with the MPC brand name. Keep all the OS the same but just have different model types. The Force with its 64 pads is just as much as an MPC as a MPC Keys37/61.

What features do you want on a new Force?

B-Wise wrote:What features do you want on a new Force?

Buglessness!

HouseWithoutMouse wrote:

B-Wise wrote:What features do you want on a new Force?

Buglessness!