Akai force is (almost) the greatest midi controller ever!

It's not just a fantastical statement. I never hear anyone talk about it's value as a controller. I'll list why it is the best controller dollar for dollar. Especially with used prices at 600-700 dollars you can't buy anything even in the same league.

1. When using as a midi controller every clip can be pre defined automation. Like LFOs or fades or stutters, sync'd mutes/solos, plus whatever else you can think of always at your fingertips.

2. You can use clips to create presets. Just set CC's and values in the clip. Then all you need to do to recall something is press a clip and it will send those settings to your device or software. This is more valuable with hardware that has limited preset storage or none at all even. 128 tracks vs however many scenes the max limit is.

3. You have 64 pads that can be assigned CC's. You can put as many CC's on each individual pad as the Force can handle without blowing up.

4. You have 4 assignable X/Y pads that you can also split into up to 8 columns or 4 quadrants, again assigning as many CC's as you desire.

5. You have 16 Crossfaders which you can assign CC's to the A and B side. What's even more magical........
You can assign CC's up and down the value scope of each side of the crossfader. Example CC 128 at value 128 and CC 50 at value 50 etc,etc....

You could assign 128 CC's to just one side of the crossfader if you are a wild and crazy guy! I don't think there is a midi controller in existence that gives you this kind of control.

6. Knobs, knobs, and more KNOBSSSS!!!!!

Every track has it own set of 16 knobs. SO that's 128 tracks x 16 knobs. You have a whopping 2048 OLED Qlinks. And that's just for tracks. The track knobs are set to the midi channel of the track, but then you also have 2 banks of project knobs which can be CC's across all channels. So that's another 32 knobs.

You also have the "midi bank" of knobs which will send your CC macros on the channel of whatever track you are currently on.

ALL in all , In a single project, you have 2096 knobs with Oleds, 64 pads/buttons, 16 crossfaders, 4 X/Y pads. If you set your knobs to momentary or toggle they can also act like buttons.

And I have not even touched on the envelope follower. I have no idea how to use the envelope follower regarding midi but as far as I can tell you can have CC's controlled by an audio source or have CC's respond to other CC's. I'll need a midi PhD to wrap my head around all that.

The drawbacks are you can't send midi notes in a midi macro, so no knob glissandos. You can't send program change messages, no step increase/decrease, no acceleration deceleration. I am mentioning these because these are control parameters often found in dedicated midi controllers.

Besides the omissions, the Force is probably the most expansive midi controller that has ever been created.

I gonna copy this & post it anytime some one needs reasons to get a Force.

You didn't even mention the Pad parameters 16 knobs.

Force will absolutely Send Program Changes - it (Force) just doesn’t respond to them.

And no onboard Pitch Bend bums me out sometimes.

Other than that, the ability to send MIDI Notes in a macro seems to be an oversight until you expand your definition of a what a Macro is…

It doesn’t send program changes in a track midi macro which means you can’t do something like assign touching a knob to a program change then while turning that knob adjust a parameter. The doing the same with another knob and a different program.

Not having notes in a macro means not being able to touch a knob to sound a note, then while holding that note, adjust the timbre or pitch or cutoff then engage an effect at a certain value.

In a more rudimentary sense, software or some hardware can use notes to map parameters. In trying to replace my array of MIDI devices, I have found the lack of adding notes and program changes to midi macros to be unpleasant restraints.

Especially when I’m trying to one for one recreate my mappings from other devices. I have midi processing boxes to transform messages but the Force could do so natively very easily. It feels like an oversight because practically all programmable midi controllers can send more then just CC’s from the controls.

I am still in awe what it can do, but I also desire it to go all the way, instead of just dipping most of the foot in.

I am sorry but i am not agree with this statement about " greatest midi controller" . I made a post here about that and perhaps it's time to up this ?
viewtopic.php?f=49&t=213291

Using the force as control surface was my first goal . I bought it for that because it had all that i needed and that i can't find on other midi controller .
But it was a nightmare regarding midi feedback loop !
I put the force assside and don't use it anymore .
Perhaps later when i will need it for doing music . But right now i still prefer Ableton .
...Perhaps things changed since my post ??