Akai Force

[Mr_You]

I'm GASing big time for this unit.

The short explanation is this is a combination music production/performing and sampler/phrase instrument that uses Abletons session view grid layout in hardware form for playing clips (samples and phrases) with pads. A scene is a horizontal combination of clips, multiple scenes (row by row) make up a song. Currently you can manually launch one scene after the other.

I don't want to do traditional DAW workflow. I work on a computer all day (too much total screen time with DAW) and creating music needs to be near instantly gratifying. Loopers are fun, but too limiting for live performance. Ableton is the way for most people, but I want quicker workflow and no laptop!

I'm planning on writing and performing with this unit once song mode is available. This will allow you to play multiple scenes/parts one after the other (right now you have to manually launch each scene). For writing I'll plug everything into my Helix, then the Helix into the Force. For performing live I want to have a click/guide track from the Force going to the musicians IEMs. I also like the idea of programming the unit to send MIDI preset changes to the Helix and any other units.

The possibility of combing backing tracks and improvisation in one instrument is awesome!

It's probably my next purchase. Really looking forward to it, but willing to hear about other potential options.

[Thurston]

That looks badass!

[BroSlinger]

Akai stuff kicks butt. I love my Tomkat drum machine and Timbre Wolf Synth.

[Mr_You]

Quantizing can be turned off or you can adjust from a hard to soft quantization (they call it Timing Correct). This unit has got to swing for me to really like it.

Note mode will let you play scales and chords without "mistakes". I also see this being very useful for practicing music theory.

[Devin]

That does look awesome

[Ostinato Rubato]

That does look cool. I'll be getting a new computer in a couple months, new interface, an Akai MK249 midi controller, and Ableton Live 10. Once I'm through getting set up I might look into stuff like this for the full techno experience.

Would end up using it mostly for hammering out rock drum patterns though. Loops are great but I want to move towards hammering appropriate rhythms out by hand on something like this.

[Loop Bizkit]

I'm a hardcore ableton guy, and was really excited to be in the beta group for Force.

It's neat, but if you think of it as a standalone Ableton machine, you WILL be disappointed. It's honestly best used as a complement to an Ableton rig, where you build sets in Live then take them out for performances with Force, rather than using force for the entire project. If you look at it that way, it's amazing.

[Mr_You]

It's neat, but if you think of it as a standalone Ableton machine, you WILL be disappointed. It's honestly best used as a complement to an Ableton rig, where you build sets in Live then take them out for performances with Force, rather than using force for the entire project. If you look at it that way, it's amazing.

I don't have any direct experience yet, but from my point of view it seems to be Akai MPC meets Ableton session view production workflow/live performance? Not necessarily fully replacing Ableton, but combining these two popular music production tools?

Being able to optionally "extend" the unit via Ableton and potentially easily collaborate with Ableton gurus is really attractive.

Are there any other units that compete with the Akai Force? What Ableton controllers could give you a similar plug-n-play experience? I want more of an instrument experience and less of a DAW experience.

[neilrocks25]

i use native instruments Mashine and its a lot of fun, i use it within cubase.

https://www.native-instruments.com/en/products/maschine/production-systems/maschine/

[Mr_You]

Well I read earlier that the next Force firmware version will not have song/arrangement mode and it's not expected until September or October.

I decided to go ahead and take advantage of Abletons 25% off sale and got Live Intro after considering Live Lite.

Gonna see about assigning Helix switches to it. I should know if I want the Force by the end of the summer.

[Loop Bizkit]

Well I read earlier that the next Force firmware version will not have song/arrangement mode and it's not expected until September or October.

I decided to go ahead and take advantage of Abletons 25% off sale and got Live Intro after considering Live Lite.

Gonna see about assigning Helix switches to it. I should know if I want the Force by the end of the summer.

If the helix switches send MIDI (they do)....it's as easy as holding ctrl+M or apple+M in LIVE, clicking on the param you want to control, then touching the corresponding switch/button/knob you want to assign to that value. SUPER easy.