The integration of Ableton Live 11 into Akai Force HELP

I have been working on a live set for about three months, which I plan to perform in a club. The set consists of self-created samples extracted from tracks in the techno genre. I prepared the live set in Ableton Live 11 with the following structure:

Kick: 1-bar loop
Tom: 4-bar loops
Claps: 4-bar loops
Hi-Hats: 4- to 8-bar loops
Rides: 4-bar loops

Drumrack: Contains about 50 samples (all of which play at double the project tempo and are shown in the Force's “Sample Edit” view as “20 BPM.” Why is this the case, how can I fix it? These samples are also not synchronized with the kick.)
The kicks (1-bar loops) are properly warped in Ableton and are synchronized at a tempo of 143 BPM with the other samples – when played in Ableton.

However, when I load the project file into the Akai Force, nothing is synchronized anymore. I have no idea how to edit the files so that they run in sync on the Force as they do in Ableton. This experience is extremely frustrating.

I don't know what's going on, but it sounds Iike you're going to have to set each sample to the Force tempo.

So you worked on something in Ableton for three months before trying to load anything to the Force, and before learning what features can be used and what can't? Oh man. You have to assume that nothing works, unless you have tried that specific feature and combination.

I recommend starting with a new empty Ableton project. Add _one_ thing, something extremely simple, and see if it works on the Force. Then add another thing and see if it works on the Force. Repeat. When you find something that doesn't work or translates incorrectly, look inside the XML project file and see if you could fix it manually.

HouseWithoutMouse wrote:So you worked on something in Ableton for three months before trying to load anything to the Force, and before learning what features can be used and what can't? Oh man. You have to assume that nothing works, unless you have tried that specific feature and combination.

The Force ain't with this dude

You have to be realistic, the Force is not Ableton-in-a-box, it can do a subset of things that Ableton can. Don't spend three months of work before finding out what that subset is.

First of all, thank you for the help. However, I have to say I expect more from a device like the Akai Force, especially considering it is advertised with Ableton integration and the ability to handle audio tracks.

I would expect it to seamlessly detect and loop something as straightforward as my "simple audio samples." For example, my kick sample, which is 7 seconds long, has super clear transients and contains no other noise besides the kick itself.

Despite this, the Akai Force struggles to maintain tempo when adjusted by just 2-3 BPM. This is simply ridiculous, and honestly, it makes me feel like the only solution is to sell the device and move on.

What the Ableton project import tries to do, and how to use the feature, is explained in Force 3.0.5 software update release notes. And in the 3.0.5 features part of the user guide.

https://cdn.inmusicbrands.com/akai/Forc ... eNotes.pdf

Import Ableton Live projects
You can now import Ableton Live projects into your Force. On Force press LOAD and from the Browser navigate to the drive that contains your Ableton Live projects. Select an Ableton Live project (.als file) and then press Load. Note for a Live project to be successfully imported with all the assets you must have used the Collect All and Save option in Live to collect all of your project resources together.

Force will attempt to import and convert the following:
• Launch Matrix Tracks/Clips to Tracks/Clips.
• Arrangement View Sequence to Arrange tracks.
• ALS Colors to Force Colors for pads.
• Audio Clips to Audio Clips (with Looping points, names, warp, volume, pan, pitch adjustment).
• MIDI Notes to MIDI Notes at 960 PPQ units, with looping points and names.
• Basic conversion of ALS Drum Rack to XPJ Drum Kit. Only one “Selection” is handled. A maximum of four velocity variations per instrument.
• Basic conversion of ALS Impulse Instrument to XPJ Drum Kit.
• Basic conversion of ALS Sampler to XPJ Keygroup. (128 keygroup limit). Only one “Selection” is handled.
• Basic conversion of ALS Simpler to XPJ Keygroup.
• Plugin instrument tracks are converted to Force MIDI tracks.

If you have trouble importing a simple audio clip, it may be possible to fix the problem by editing the project file manually, if you just find what the problem is. But in this case I think you may have unrealistic expectations.

The Force is not Ableton Live. Audio warping capabilities are very different, and things are just done differently. Basically, there is no transient detection, and "audio warping" is bad. The Force does not have "warp markers" like Ableton. I wouldn't try to use audio tracks for kick drums, I'd use a drum rack and MIDI notes.

For each element you want, find out what is the proper Force way of doing it, and then find out what things you have to use in the Ableton project to make the things convert to that.

HouseWithoutMouse wrote:What the Ableton project import tries to do, and how to use the feature, is explained in Force 3.0.5 software update release notes. And in the 3.0.5 features part of the user guide.

https://cdn.inmusicbrands.com/akai/Forc ... eNotes.pdf

Import Ableton Live projects
You can now import Ableton Live projects into your Force. On Force press LOAD and from the Browser navigate to the drive that contains your Ableton Live projects. Select an Ableton Live project (.als file) and then press Load. Note for a Live project to be successfully imported with all the assets you must have used the Collect All and Save option in Live to collect all of your project resources together.

Force will attempt to import and convert the following:
• Launch Matrix Tracks/Clips to Tracks/Clips.
• Arrangement View Sequence to Arrange tracks.
• ALS Colors to Force Colors for pads.
• Audio Clips to Audio Clips (with Looping points, names, warp, volume, pan, pitch adjustment).
• MIDI Notes to MIDI Notes at 960 PPQ units, with looping points and names.
• Basic conversion of ALS Drum Rack to XPJ Drum Kit. Only one “Selection” is handled. A maximum of four velocity variations per instrument.
• Basic conversion of ALS Impulse Instrument to XPJ Drum Kit.
• Basic conversion of ALS Sampler to XPJ Keygroup. (128 keygroup limit). Only one “Selection” is handled.
• Basic conversion of ALS Simpler to XPJ Keygroup.
• Plugin instrument tracks are converted to Force MIDI tracks.

If you have trouble importing a simple audio clip, it may be possible to fix the problem by editing the project file manually, if you just find what the problem is. But in this case I think you may have unrealistic expectations.

The Force is not Ableton Live. Audio warping capabilities are very different, and things are just done differently. Basically, there is no transient detection, and "audio warping" is bad. The Force does not have "warp markers" like Ableton. I wouldn't try to use audio tracks for kick drums, I'd use a drum rack and MIDI notes.

For each element you want, find out what is the proper Force way of doing it, and then find out what things you have to use in the Ableton project to make the things convert to that.

And if your loops have a certain feel or groove, you can convert audio to midi in ableton live and import the midi files to your force to steer your drumracks with the groove or feel….