I almost sold this // Akai Force 2024 - Long Term Review 

Here a list of over 40 Force button shortcuts I could find so far: BUTTON SHORTCUT= FUNCTION Edit + Assign A/B= Crossfader Edit screen. Edit + Knob 1-8= Knobs Macro screen. Edit + Knobs button= Macro page. Edit + Pad= Clip settings: set name, color, launch quantization, Launch mode (Toggle/Trigger) Program Change (From track/clip) Edit + Scene Launch= Edit Row Options: Insert 1 or 8 Rows, Insert & Capture (copies any active clips to a new Scene, Clear, Take Snapshot. Edit + a Track button or Double tap the Track header (the top box on the screen that has the track name & number)= Track Editor Shift + Double tap a Track button= Track setting: name, track/pads colors, transpose, & MIDI settings. Shift + ARP= Arpeggiator & Note Repeat Settings. Shift + Clear Automation (Button under Track 4)= Clears all automation on that track. Shift + Clip /Edit + Track button= Edit Track (like program edit; not available for audio tracks) Shift + Cursor Buttons: Left, Right, Up or Down= Matrix jumps to next 8 tracks. Shift + Data Dial= Fine Adjustments parameters values. Shift + Double (Bottom under Track 3)= Double Clip Length. Shift + Edit + Pad= Convert a drum pad to keygroup program. Shift + Knobs= 1 of the 4 Banks of Pad Grid in the Macro section. Shift + Launch (while in Launch Mode)= Launch Config settings: Default bar length, Empty Slot Off/Dim, Tapping a clip selects it (Play notes on one track while launching clips on another won’t automatically change tracks), Show arrangement in clip matrix Shift + Matrix= Ableton Live Control. Shift + Menu= Open up the last selected Preference Tab. Shift + Metronome (Bottom under Track 5)= Metronome Settings. Shift + Mixer= Open Pad Mixer on Drum. Shift + Mute/Solo/Rec Arm/Clip Stop= Mixer Config settings. Shift + Navigate= XYFX Settings. Shift + Note (while on a Drum Track)= Note Config options: pad Velocity Levels (As played, 12-93%, Half, Full) Shift + Note (while on a Non-Drum Track)= Note Config options: Types; Note Modes, Root Note, Octave, Scale, Velocity Levels, Filter Input, Pads Generate Aftertouch. Shift + Play= Play from where the seq was stopped. Shift +(Oct -/Oct +)= Change Drum Pad Bank/Note octaves. Shift + Rec= Record to Arrangement. Shift + Save= Saves to the Project. Shift + Step Seq= Step Seq Config options: Mode (Drum, Melodic, Lanes, Mono Steps 8x4, 8x8), Velocity, Step Size & Pads Generate Aftertouch. Shift + Tap Tempo= Set BPM/Tempo. Shift + Undo= Redo. Press Step Seq= Cycles thru the different modes: Drum, Melodic, Lanes, Mono Steps 8x4, 8x8. Hold any of these buttons: Clip/Launch/Knobs/Menu/Matrix/Mixer/Note/Rec/Step-Seq/Tap Tempo (release to return to previous view)= Quickly view that button’s window with the ability to edit it. Then jump back to last screen. Delete + Pad(s)= Will deletes the note(s) of that pad(s) as it plays in a seq while on that Track Delete + Mute/Solo/Arm= Popup screen with the option to clear Mute/Sole/Arm on all tracks. You’'ll have to be in Pad view to clear Mutes/Solos for pads. Delete + A/B= Clears A/B Assignments. Hold Assign A/B= Quickly assigns a parameter to the Crossfader. Press and hold an insert FX slot on the mixers insert page.= Quickly add a channel strip. MIDI Learn (while in Track Edit’s Edit-All mode)= Assigns all 128 pads to the Macro: Knob, Crossfader A/B, XYFX, Pad Grid, & ENV Followers with the MIDI Learned parameter. Long press a blank Track select button= Quickly add a track. While in. the browser, select a clip slot or drum pad. while looking at a list of samples, press the + and - buttons to load the next / previous in the list= Load samples/clips, overwritten sample is automatically cleared out of memory.shortcuts Hold Launch + Pads (while in Launch mode)= Move Tracks by 8 sections. The pad under Knob#1 takes you to Tracks 1-8 on row 1. The next pad goes to Tracks 9-16. The last pad under Knob#8 goes to Tracks 57-64. The 8 pads on the next Rows goes to lower Scenes on the Matrix - if you made more than 8. You just to play it this feature to get how it works. It even works while your in other window like Navigate - where you can really see in action if you got a lot of tracks & clips.

The force is the future for Akai. They need a Force 2 with a portable battery, updated clip launch to include better audio events, better looper and software to take it even further!

I just got a force used for a really good price to use as the brain of my setup and for sampling and drums. I was previously using a circuit tracks and circuit rhythm as the drums and sequencers for my hardware setup. Being able to play in parts, adjust them if needed and then arrange those parts into the arrangement screen has been amazing for my workflow. My problem with the circuit was I would come up with 4-8 good bars and have nowhere to go from there. But there isn't really a limit to how many song sections I can put together on the force. At least not a limit I'll ever need to hit. I can fit my starting 8 bars I would have on the circuit in just a single midi clip. I'm not really using the internal plugins. I have a summit, minifreak, K2 and 2600 that I sequence with the force, all just with a single USB cable to each using a small hub. It's definitely intimidating to learn, some stuff is super intuitive and some stuff definitely isn't but I'm having a blast with it so far

I also got a Force thinking that it would replace Ableton. Like you, I was initially disappointed. However, my change of mindset came when I started to view the Force like an 8 track audio recorder that also has great built-in synths and drum machines. I'm not an electronic musician per se - more a singer songwriter who likes synths and electronic sounds. So if I compare the Force's capabilities to a bog standard digital 8 track recorder for example, the Force wins hands down. I can record guitars and vox as loops or a full song, then I can build out the song arrangement with synths, drums and samples etc. I can do a full demo in stand-alone mode. I think this shows (along with your example) that the Force really is a jack of all trades that could suit lots of different workflows, while at the same time, it's not really the best at any one of the functions it has. In this way, I can see a lot of people being frustrated.

I originally sold my MPC X (after having it for about 4 years) for a Force. I got attracted to it because the MPC workflow doesnt work well with my brain. I bought the force because of the arranger mode, as I wanted to get away from the MPC's confusing sequencer way of things, as well doing so much in DAW programs that also kill my creativity. But still wanted to work on a linear style sequencer. However, Ive gotten used to the Ableton style 'clip' way of creating. But to be honest, I dont even use the arranger mode on it. I mainly use it to program my drum samples, or use the stock drums on it. I dont use the plugins or synths, as I have a Moog One, Moog Matriarch, Yamaha Montage, Novation Bass Station 2 and Native Instruments latest release of Komplete as my only VSTi (all that I need for a VSTi). And a bunch of top notch outboard gear. I honestly don't even create many clips on it. I'll make one and beef it up with my outboard gear and the SP 404, then record it into Logic Pro. Or file transfer my clip if the midi is not acting right between the Force and Logic Pro (on any given day 😅). I don't sample much, but I know that I have a great MPC style sampler if I ever need or want to. I mainly use it to edit the drum and instrumental samples I already have. I like how you can set up effects via macros on the touch sensitive knobs. It enhances my created drum loops a bunch. And I have the ouputs going into my Roland SP-40= MKII like every other asshole. But I dont create that oversaturated style of Lo-fi lmao. All-in-all I truly believe the Force is way better than the whole lineup of MPCs that started being created in recent years, including the MPC X and Key 61. I would never trade my Force for one. The Force does have some wild learning curves, especially with the button combos you have to do to get to certain settings. I dont really do anything that requires me to edit on the touchscreen (thank God). It is weird to figure out how to record audio at first. But for anything that needs to be learned, a simple RU-vid vid has said tutorial covered.

My MPC experience actually made the learning curve steeper, because my muscle and feature memory was useless. I hang in and am glad I did, once you get into the workflow it's so much faster than the MPC and yes that might be my own opinion. The best feature is the one that took me the longest to wrap my head around and that is that the top and bottom of the machine work independently. Once it clicked it clicked hard and Force became what I had hoped it would be a powerful performance device. I love my Force and last year I bought an MPC live 2 only to realize that there is no going back. The MPC workflow is too slow for me and many things I got used to on the Force were not there. I ended up selling the Live2 after giving it a good year. I hope the Force gets more love and maybe sees a MK2 in the near future. Indeed a tilted screen but also polyphonic aftertouch and large midi ins and outs are what are on my wishlist. Software wise I'm sad that Akai decided to give the MPC more and faster love, but I understand it because it remains their best sold product and you can't blame them for putting it on a pedestal.

Thanks for making this video. I really loved the long term review, and also appreciate your music, opinions and creativity. Your other videos are great too. I especially liked the "Beat Making from Vinyl with the Akai Force" Very nice to watch. Thanks! :)

I have the AKAI Force as well have tried several times to "work it into" my workflow, but that never really seems to get me where I want to go. I have several other sequencers that are connected to my hardware synths and the Force always seems to be in the way, so I haven't been using as much as I should. I have come to the conclusion that I just have to commit to making it the center-piece / brain of my set-up and focus on changing my workflow to make better use of the Force and deal with the good and bad of the unit. Pull out the other sequencers and just simplify my connections to my hardware synths. I am looking forward to seeing how this works out. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the Force. As always I enjoy your down to earth approach to the content on your channel. Cheers, Bill

I agree the touchscreen is fiddly for editing, what helped me was watching Tom Nice Things Force tutorials which show a lot of great workflow tips. Like you I bought it as a DAW alternative but I mainly just use it as a sampler too, I don’t have much use for the plug-in synths, but great machine overall though.

great video, mate. thanks for covering the topic. I've been lately interested in an MPC again and you've forced me to look at my options. ;)

Great review

It was because of your video all that time ago that I went out and purchased a Force.,,look what you did !! …to be honest I love the device albeit there is some frustration involved especially when learning it’s operation and workflow. The 3.1 firmware update has delivered so much to the device including class compliant audio interface (32 inputs),(32 outputs),disk streaming amongst a whole load more too! I’m hopeful that AKAI do indeed introduce Stem separation in which has just been released on MPC,,,that would be a superb addition to Force and very much welcomed. Would love to hear you thoughts and opinion on the Stem Separation feature that has just been released,,maybe a possible video from yourself??🤔 ,,,it’s always good to hear those thoughts and opinion!🙏

Great summary! I got my Force used (was basically brand new, lol) and i see why it doesn't click right away. Like you said, you have to commit to it and manage your expectations, give it a certain job in your setup. I currently use it with an iConnectivity Audio4c interface alongside an iPad, as a sampler/drum machine and midi sequencer. I love the build quality, it just feels supreme.

At 1:44 if you tap that grey oval tab with the ^ icon at the bottom of the screen you can left it up more & then edit the Arranger seq data easier like in the clip editor - LOL that you still had problem with, but it still better than trying to do it in that first screen. Also, the two inputs gain knob are great (tho a center indentation would be nice) because we can use them to balance an uneven signal, like when I was recording some old cassette tapes of radio show from the 90s where some tapes audio was messed up with the stereo vol balance was going all over the place, but I could just ride those knobs in real-time or just rewind & do it again if it was too unpredictable. They also allow you to record 2 different things at different levels at the same time. Like two singers with very different voices with maybe different mics or 1 singer & a synth. If your in a rush & can't setup ideal levels, you can use them to sample the same mono signal at two different levels as a stereo sample then convert them to separate mono signals later. One could be at the level you may thing is decent the other could be higher/lower (just in case) or maybe you purposely want one signal to be over-saturated. This dude made a tilt screen Mod: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-wHiX1MHWmk4.htmlsi=hn8ZwDVGjRePHg2q

looking for akai force videos, come across some mad Frankenstein synth geezer, you tube is hilarious. but you gave me the answers I needed, thanks fella.

I swapped my MPC Live II for an Analog RYTM a month ago. This current generation of MPC and Forxe stuff was and remains awesome, it also showed me definitively that I need to spread out the steps in my process or I get nothing done!

love the haircut!

I slave mine to my Hapax and use it as a loop launcher for samples and the onboard VSTs I find the Force on board sequencer a pain in the butt

Great video..Force rules..sold it bought it back again,repeated this proces for 3 times..owned the mpc x and one too..but the force we'll just love it more every time I use it..steep learning curve..but always interesting..regards..🎉

I had the Force for some months .The Macros where awesome . Assigning tones of parameters on both pads and knobs makes Force on of the best performing tools out there PS. You can rearrange the effects since v3.2.1

Thanks for this. The music/composer side of me loves the Potential of the Force; but the practical side of me(who still struggles with the SP404mk2) can see it as another gadget that I will get frustrated with, unless I'm stuck on a desert island and its the only thing I have to use.

Scottish tongue twister: "frequently frustrated"

I have an MPC One running the IAMFORCE firmware so it looks like a crippled force right now. I’m in love and was lusting mightily for an akai force. Thanks for helping to manage my GAS. As for the observation that you can’t reorder effects I could have sworn I saw wee arrows that enable just this a few days ago. Maybe AKAI heard you complaining? 😂

You can do step fx😉

Thank you. I share a lot of your thoughts about the Force.

100% agree that navigating the midi/piano roll and editing the notes is a total ball ache.. I wish there was a stylus or mouse input (which I know would defeat the purpose of the touch screen but working in that screen is gash!) TBH every time I fire up the Force after a break playing around with other gear I find myself lost in the woods. The workflow isn't intuitive.. simply trying to record a clip will have you pressing the same pad multiple times until you find the right way to arm the clip which isn't obvious... There are many clunky ways to get to where you want to go and each time you fail it pulls you out of the zone, it is a machine that you need to really focus on to get somewhere and I've made music quicker with machines that have a fraction of the pads and buttons and no screen!

I am able to record automation on the xy pad and reorganize effects. What firmware are you using?

Finally, got to play with my new Force today. 100% CLUELESS on creating anything. That said, I see amazing potential. I'm glad it isn't my only kit though! As a prior owner of NI's Jam and Maschine Studio, I see it as a combination of an all-in-one beast of those two. Having some concern with clipping on my 990 headset. Not sure if the headset, or I messed up by going with 250omh headset :( I'll had to bring out my headphone amp and see if that helps. At first glance, the user interface sort of stinks! The MPC One plus/Key 61 are so straight forward. Force is like starting over. Patience I guess.

0:12 oh my!! How long have I been following your channel?? I remember that like it was yesterday, haha.

I'm curious if you have had a chance to compare the force with the current gen of mpcs? Given the software is almost identical except for the sequencer, and the hardware seems to lend itself more towards sampling, I would think that might suit your use case better?

Great video, when I brought the Akai Force, I was hoping to upload Abelton live Project files into it , to go back and forth. They advertise that it could do it and I’v seen the video of them doing it. I don’t think Aki Force will fix the problem, because Abelton push is there main music gear, Unless I’m wrong .

I've had a similar experience with MPC X.....hated trying to edit midi on the screen....switched to just layering samples on it and it's way more fun

what are those studio monitors you have krk rocket 5s that have been sprayed ?

I own an Akai Force. This video was spot on. Akai treated the Force as an experiment. It hardly gets any support and Akai hasnt listened to any feedback. The best they did was release yet another product... The APC 64 which is what the Force should have been only with additional professional live performance features.

While the Mpc workflow and I got along like a non alcoholic drink, I can appreciate the message. Sometimes gear doesn’t click at first. Instead of selling it, hang on. Let my knowledge grow. Sometimes it then clicks and you feel like you got a new device again. I’ll drink to that. Maybes I should revisit Mpc again. Do they have it in the alcohol version?

Thanks for this video. I've been on the fence about buying the Force for a while. I've been very tempted since the firmware update that introduced a load of stuff that should have been there from the start (disk streaming etc). I'm still undecided though because if I did buy it, I'd want it to be a DAW replacement, and it still sounds like it's not up to the job for that

Do you have the latest firmware? You can indeed record XY effects on output 1/2 or any outputs or submixes. Also you can re-order the effects on the effect chain as well.

It is possible to rearrange the effects. Press the insert button above the track and you will see arrows up and down 😁

I had similar ups and downs but have come to like it, no, love it, like you as a sort of musical sketchpad. Its just crazy fast to bang in some stuff and jam with. Small things like the chord or progression mode gets you going really quickly, even if you end up getting stuck because editing the notes is so fiddly. So, just go as far as it takes you. Do stuff where its easiest.

I agree while it can be frustrating at times it’s still a good machine. I use it for tracking and idea scratches. It has been a great way for me to just sit down and get ideas out and later transfer them to Ableton to further refine the ideas. I am hoping for the ability to explode the drum track audio and midi. I normally have to reprogram all of my drum parts in Ableton because I just don’t want to have to create separate drum part tracks on the force. The use of the drum interface in practice should interface better with abletons drum racks. The continued ignoring that we need to be able to change time signatures a basic musical concept and the manual are disturbing. The arranger for me was something I appreciated until i really dug into it. The screen is just too small to really navigate the features. Then there are the hard bar limitations and the midi bugs. The force is like being in a relationship with a fine ass girl. She looks great even has a great personality, but she also has flaws that make you want to pull out your hair.

re 0:12 It's not the hair or the glasses Stephen, it's pretty apparent you just look better overall 2024 compared to 2021. I thought about buying a force and got a MC707 instead around the same time. It's a machine with similar capabilities and on paper it could do anything I'd ever need and even more. I never warmed to the cumbersome workflow and some clunky aspects of the interface and menu diving and solt it eventually. I suspect it'd have gone the same way if I bought a Force. If you don't click with the way the engineers envision music production, or you're gonna fight with the machine ending up constantly trying to find ways to use a drill as hammer so to speak.

I had one, bought it to amuse myself in lockdown. When i first had it, it was quite buggy. I sold it last year, but mainly because I prefer my ipad and macbook. I think I would be very tempted if a Force Mkii comes along. I think initially, Akai didn’t know where they were going with it. Such as some of the buttons are in wrong places or none existing (to page through sequencer bars as an example needs a push and hold combi). Its clunky and unintuitive in use. But it’s certainly the most powerful sampling workstation money can buy… its 64 pads beats the MPC. The macro update really did make it next level though… roll on the mkii.

I use an MPC One, to probably do what your original goal was to the point i'd almost consider an MPC-X Even just for the fold up screen. But my workflow is a bit different, I use alot of the internal synth engines, especially the Jura. I also use a Keystep Pro as an input device, and often only record the midi out into the MPC once i've got it more settled, because as you say re editing Midi on an MPC is a real pain. On the other side an MPC lets you run any class complaint interface instead of the internal IO so I run an Audient Evo 16 with mine, then with ADAT from that I use an Expert Sleepers ES-8, I can send 8 channels of Audio from the MPC to Eurorack for FX and Mixing, then another 4 channels back into the MPC, I do my main mixing in Eurorack and then just send a line level stereo mix back into the MPC. Really i'm moving slowly more into more Eurorack as I have budget because I like the hands on and half the time the MPC is filling the gaps. Also givne Akai is adding stems in a free firmware upgrade I haven't yet given up hope on a tracker mode firmware upgrade, but I suspect i'll get a Polyend Tracker Mini before that ever happens

Didnt they add reordering effects in some of the recent updates?

I have an MPC One but am thinking I need a Force. Wonder if they have a Force 2 in the works?

The Force could be well.... A force... IF it integrated with MPC Beats Pro on the desktop and was a control interface similar to how the Push is with Ableton. Either that or do what the Reliq is going to provide and be an all in one hun for external gear with easy routing like Flock Audio systems. Overall, its an all in one printer that tried to be many things, but ended up subpar with each ... print, copy, scan, and fax.

I really wanted a mpc one or force before just for the piano roll stuff..... its immensely irritating that we are still limited to 64 or 128 steps as a norm for most built in sequencers. Im fine for now but I think a Squarp Hapax or Pyramid might be in my future thoughts to combat the 8 bar loop lmao

How do you hear all those gears from those monitors? Beg pardon :D

Is it possible to do a live set with the force playing different songs in different tempo’s and keys, without having to stop the music? So one song would blend into another like a continous set?

You can reorder effects chains now

There is a tracker on there. It's called the list edit mode though.

Too right, that screen is a bastard.

What’s that Akai device on ur back left but back right on the screen?? Is that a new device ur testing??

I’m going to watch your video because I just about to sell my Akai force just open my force out of the box right now and I was gonna sell it so I’m looking at your video 1st

I hope Akai hears you!!! 😁🐀

Weird, I just sold my Force on eBay two days ago. Loved it but I want something more portable, too big for me.

use the live 2 and hate the touchscreen too but you should try a styluspen its a gamechanger

Wish they would just add follow actions or chaining to the matrix scenes. For me the arranger is just not useful as it should be a way to arrange scenes/clips from the matrix view with the addition of full length clips. After all this time to not include these just frustrates the hell out of me. Also wanted to open Ableton als files (as they advertise) but hardly of these open properly. It is powerful but for live playing for my use case pretty useless.

The Force never really appealed to Me, I did think hard at one point about getting a MPC Live2 but decided not to.

Yeah realising its just an MPC and NOT a push is a big aha moment.

Can you say purple burglar alarm?

i have a push and it took me years to figure outbest to use it for me. now i just need the force to play live without the nonsense

Check out the Akai Mpc 37 keyz bro

The arranger is mostly useless. That's why the MockbaMod firmware added row automation: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-KOV_PBQQOtQ.html

No bro , the force is super dynamic, I DJ for a living The force is amazing for production!

With all do respect I feel like you haven't given Akai Force a real effort cause I have only been producing music for a month and I have practically made my force my B.... And in just this short time of thinking outside the box I have figured out how to produce songs in under an hour and reading to play live with exceptional quality! Macro dials pad parameters

What’s that accent? Are you from New Jersey or something? 😂 🤘🏽

The Force seems better for live composing rather than editing in the arranger. It blows my mind how Akai seems to not be in business of giving out common sense features for the Force.

The sad thing is there is nothing better than the force for stand alone work stations. I have been suffering with this thing for years and just caved and started back with ableton. I think going back and forth and using force for live is the answer. This thing didn't even have the ability to insert a track or move tracks around for years after release. What a joke.

Admittedly, it took me quite some time to understand that you've said " _built-in_ sounds" and not " _bellend_ sounds" 😂

I see you trying to throw witchcraft fking spells at me with your tattoo palm but I have drank an antidote potion already.

I don't like what the present MPC's are made of, you just touch them and they mark, like a plasticky, i prefer the MPC 1000 metal.

1st