Akai Force Template Video by ED Miles

Found this cool video. Hopefully someone get some good use out of the concept of making templates.

From the video description:
This is demonstrating one of the templates I have setup to make working with Force, external MIDI gear, and my computer faster. It uses 45 tracks out of the available 128, and interfaces two drum machines, two sampler/FX boxes, and my computer for DAW integration.

Thanks. It's nice that you find these videos and post the links, but since you already took the time to watch the video, could you summarize the most relevant things with a few bullets? What do you think is new or the main "innovation" in this video and how is it different from, say, your own style of working?

HouseWithoutMouse wrote:Thanks. It's nice that you find these videos and post the links, but since you already took the time to watch the video, could you summarize the most relevant things with a few bullets? What do you think is new or the main "innovation" in this video and how is it different from, say, your own style of working?

Sounding a bit like a homework assignment there buddy

Yeah, well I'd certainly like to have that for youtube videos because a lot of the time, after watching for several minutes it turns out that the whole thing could have been explained in a few sentences, or that it was just basically equivalent of reading out loud a chapter from the manual.

I'll try to do some homework tonight.

HouseWithoutMouse wrote:after watching for several minutes it turns out that the whole thing could have been explained in a few sentences.

Doesn't that apply to 99% of youtube videos?

As an avid manual reader, I loathe the concept of making a video that remakes the manual.

Yes, there are a few things that are in the manual, but that’s not the focus.

Conceptually, I guarantee you that there is at least 1 thing in that video that is not in any manual.

I also hate someone wasting my time with inaccurate information that I could’ve read in seconds - so I try not to do it to you.

I watched this one. The guy seems to really have structured his whole studio around the Force.

- The template has dozens of tracks configured for the exact hardware setup, with many external MIDI devices (and a bunch of Akai/Air Force plugins) ready to go
- Some MIDI devices that were mentioned: Elektron Octatrack, Roland SP-404, Korg KP3, Nord Drum
- Everything is mixed through the Force with a Tascam audio interface (with nothing bypassing the Force? not sure)
- There are non-trivial routing facilities that'll probably require some practicing to even remember what's where, and what the routings actually do
- He uses some pads (clips) with the "exclude from launch" option activated, so he can use the pads for setting patches with MIDI program change messages
- He uses MIDI sends for layering sounds, so that the same MIDI track plays two different instruments simultaneously
- There's a "big ass drum program", which has pad banks/areas for many different things available at the same time: (1) drum samples, (2) MIDI out to Nord Drum, (3) Drum synth, (4) macros controlling mutes for the drum synth, arranged as pairs so that directly above every drum sound/note pad there's a mute toggle pad for that drum sound.
- He also "sequences" things from the Octatrack, but I'm not sure if that only meant using it as a MIDI keyboard.

I think some of that stuff could simply not be done with an MPC, for example the "big ass drum program", because there are only 4x4 pads, and I don't know how the macro contraptions would be done.

If I compare that with what I do, I always like to start from scratch and not have everything hooked in a fixed configuration. Start from something small like one MIDI instrument and one clip and expand from there, keep it manageable in size, preferably so that all tracks can be seen and controlled at the same time. And if possible, I like to bring things into the Force project as audio, either as audio clips or samples, so it all works after disconnecting all the outboard gear and without even having the external MIDI devices available at all later. I don't want to commit to having everything in one big fixed network, and having to make all those (physical) routings just to get a project working.

Anyway, it's reassuring to see that someone is comfortable with using the Force as such a centerpiece of a whole studio.

By the way, imagine how the Force (and why not MPC) could be expanded, if it was possible to set up external instruments, with MIDI mappings, names, labels, custom controller views etc. sort of like: https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/studio-module (blast from the past)

Excel? Lotus 1-2-3?

HouseWithoutMouse wrote:I watched this one. The guy seems to really have structured his whole studio around the Force.

Hi! Ed Miles here.

At times, my studio is centered around Force.
At times it’s the computer and an interface - it kind of depends on what I’m doing at the time.

Right now, I’m making a series of videos on Force & SP404mk2, so the two of them are in a different room altogether.

As I said in the video, that is One of my templates for working with my gear.
That one started out as a live set with Force&Octatrack. There are extensive Macros and control surface parameters that are designed to work with those two instruments and Ableton Live.

At the time of recording that, I was working on several songs for a record I hope to release this year. Force is my keyboard. Octatrack, Force, & KP3 are effects augmenting Force, while the computer is basically a rompler.

There’s lots more, but I will say that I often change the setup to spark creativity, or when I’m trying out a new piece of gear like the SP404.

I try to stay organized, and I have an engineers mindset, so repeatability is a thing I strive for.

I’m happy to answer any questions you may have about the video or that setup.

Cheers,

Ed Miles / Stonecoldgroove

I suppose you don't do any live shows with a setup like that?

Do you use a lot of audio effect plugins inside the Force, and do you not experience any software crashes? And how's the CPU usage, with dozens of tracks - it must be in the 32 ins / outs mode?

@housewithoutmouse

32 I/O, yes.

You’re correct, I probably wouldn’t take that whole setup out for a live show - it’s just to much stuff. I try to make load in and out as streamlined as possible.
Anything I write in that setup can be performed with any combination of gear, Force, Octatrack, SP404, Force+Octatrack, Octatrack+SP404, or Force+SP404.
It just depends, you know? I make whatever I feel like making.

I got Force to extend my live capabilities.
Live shows with Force have taken two different forms so far.
1) finger-drumming workstation as part of Octatrack-Looper/DTXM12/Live drumset rig
2) as keyboard/control surface/tone generator/loop player/effects with Octatrack, guitar, and vocal mic. This was more like a singer-songwriter type of gig.

The 2nd was the gig that created that template from the video B-Wise posted.

Typically, I use effects on all of the inputs, dynamics on the sends, subs, and master outputs, usually a long vocal chain with channel effects feeding a sub with more effects, and a few others here and there.

I’ve found a way to crash just about every piece of gear I own and use that can crash.
I do plenty of rehearsal, and if something isn’t working, I change it or omit it and use something else.

Regarding CPU usage, most of the tracks in that template are MIDI. 8 audio, 8 plugin, 1 drum program.
I’ll take a look at the CPU usage when I put that config back together, but it’s around 40% if I remember correctly.


SCG

HouseWithoutMouse wrote:Thanks. It's nice that you find these videos and post the links, but since you already took the time to watch the video, could you summarize the most relevant things with a few bullets? What do you think is new or the main "innovation" in this video and how is it different from, say, your own style of working?

I'm glad you like the videos, but NO to all that summary stuff. That's a $ervice you're gonna have to pay for. How much is my time worth to you?
I've been making music since 2002 - I wouldn't post something that wasn't somewhat helpful. If anything, change the play speed on YouTube (Shift >).

stonecoldgroove wrote:
Hi! Ed Miles here.

At times, my studio is centered around Force.
At times it’s the computer and an interface - it kind of depends on what I’m doing at the time.

Right now, I’m making a series of videos on Force & SP404mk2, so the two of them are in a different room altogether.

As I said in the video, that is One of my templates for working with my gear.
That one started out as a live set with Force&Octatrack. There are extensive Macros and control surface parameters that are designed to work with those two instruments and Ableton Live.

At the time of recording that, I was working on several songs for a record I hope to release this year. Force is my keyboard. Octatrack, Force, & KP3 are effects augmenting Force, while the computer is basically a rompler.

There’s lots more, but I will say that I often change the setup to spark creativity, or when I’m trying out a new piece of gear like the SP404.

I try to stay organized, and I have an engineers mindset, so repeatability is a thing I strive for.

I’m happy to answer any questions you may have about the video or that setup.

Cheers,

Ed Miles / Stonecoldgroove

Peace ED, good to see you here. I told you I'd pass your video around. I was doing the same thing on the Force, so I know how helpful this is & knew it would help out many others. Thanks for making this demo!

Just to confirm, it is not forum policy to enforce an accompanying 500 word critical breakdown whenever you post a link to a youtube video. You are free to just post a link to the video

ACK! Thanks and sorry.

stonecoldgroove wrote:As an avid manual reader, I loathe the concept of making a video that remakes the manual. .

Counterpoint: as an avid visual learner, I love myself a good curated video that breaks down and shows a quality tutorial, even though I could read the entire manual and get the same information. Sometimes I just want to watch a 15 minute video while I drink my morning coffee before work and don't have time to crack open the Dead Sea Scrolls/War and Peace-thick Force/MPC manual just to do some random reading.

Keep up the videos, Ed - they're appreciated!