This is my honest review of the Akai Force. I really try to share what it's actually like to use it every day, what the device hardware feels like etc. It is the worlds first standalone music production studio and features everything you need to make music without connecting to a computer
Hello sir iam from india love your work sir...i need some help can you make video...if i have lyrics and tone of that lyrics and i know that its right,how can i put music in it and set the metronome and beats in that song...
@@fencefirst2722 This is NOT a controller ... It's a stand-alone machine with its CPU and SW, internal sounds and virtual devices, etc ... it works without connecting it to any computer !
This is what i was always hoping from back then when i played live with Ableton crashing on stage more than once. If you ever played in front of a crowd you start to value other things like VST plugs , you only need stability . So, AKAI, keep it like that, do not listen to the free lech community, let us have a rock solid box to fire of clips , tracks and midi loops and you did the best thing ever to the live crowd :)
Sorry, but I don’t quite understand your review. Do you really recommend this device for onstage or is there something better out there to bet your $$$ on?
I've just recently found your channel, and I must say, you've already helped me a lot with problems I'm having when learning about music production. I've just started my journey with mixing and mastering. I've been playing guitar/drums/bass for a while, but the process of making my own stuff from start to finish is relatively new! It seems like such a long road, yet I'm finding it all so interesting. I always thought 'if you want to truly have your own sound, learning to mix and master is the key to achieving that'. I was never happy when I went to studios. I never could fully achieve my own vision of a sound when someone else tweaked my recorded tracks according to their own taste. It seems like absolute ceative freedom when writing songs, only happens when you get into sound engineering. That's why I love the idea of it. Anyway, back to my main point. Thanks for being you, dude. You're an absolute inspiration, who I strive to be like someday. 😎😎
Im glad you mentioned what the word standalone means. A independent device that runs its own processing unit. People seem to confuse that word with battery powered mobile device alot
Great, professionally rendered review. Many of us FORCE users would surely appreciate more detailed views of using this amazing device exactly the way you do it! When the FORCE was new to you, you surely met some situations that may have confused you or slowed down the same way us users. I know your time and effort put into making such videos is really demanding and so, please take this comment only as a humble asking that aims to make our occasional FORCE frustration unnecessary...
Like a breath of fresh air, one of the most gifted reviewers on the web, makes a bit more sense of this overwhelming product. I get the concept, but would definitely like a more in depth analysis.
Just wish it had a Battery. still gonna get one though. looks like a beast. hats off to Akai for always pushing the boundaries. you know third party plug-ins are coming to Akai's standalone devices in the future sometime. its looking good.
Very good. Good that you make targeted and detailed videos. I'm just seeing your channel and I have to say you're great! Excellent tips and tutorials. I really appreciate that you have subtitles so those who have difficulty with English ( I hahaha) can better understand and translate the whole thing. Thank you so much and keep it up!!!
With this instrument, I could be a radio man with immediate one stop / all gadgets around with me. Woow . THANK you for the Info here, watching from ROMA con AMOR!
i wish one of the 1000s of videos would explain the pads in every mode? i use it with my midi but the layout of pads for notes octaves sharps i see videos with with people using modes other than the record to make tracks i don't understand why the heck no one explains the pads!
Excellent video young man. Nice fast delivery, chock full of completely relevant details on this item. I'm certainly going to take a closer look at this unit. I'm interested in using it live, and would love to see another video from you that focusses on using it live. (i.e. - music already produced, but arrangements created on the fly.
2:18 does this lcd screen have some bluelight filter and brightness control? is it easy on eyes to use in darkness? (maybe some issues with PWM backlight flickering, blue tint, not comfortable minimal brightness level or supersmall fonts?).
Not sure how I feel about this. On the one hand, it looks like it might be quite fun, but on the other it's hard to think of a good reason to use this and not just a laptop. Plus not being able to use third-party plugins seems to make it quite limited.
hey man. first of all great video. it was the one that brought me to the channel and I have loved watching your other videos. please make more videos on Force as I think it is a great thing and that you have a fantastic creative ability and skill in explaining things. thanks a bunch!!!
A always, it was a true pleasure watching this video of yours!!! Thank you. I wonder if you could still offer a tutorial on this device for those of us interested in making some tracks for genres like trance, dance, minimal techno, melodic techno, psytrance (which some people claim is not music), and happy hardcore maybe 😁😁😁😁
This guy is perfect ... Perfect reviews talented musician excellent sound engineer perfect voice he's like a robot that really looks human the best AI specimen so far 😎 by the way the Force looks amazing 👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽
More Force I Just Found One For 925$ Used Only A Couple Of Times I May Purchase That Or A Brand New Akai MPC One On Amazon On Sale Now I Have A Roland MC101 And A Circuit Tracks In My Collection Thats What I've Been Using For The Last Couple Of Months And I'm Steadily Collecting The Roland Boutiques "Gotta Catch Em All" And I've Got The Aira Compacts As Well But There's something about the standalone beat machines that I just love
It would be really cool if you made a couple of videos of you making a complete song from start to finish. Producing, mixing, mastering, all of it. It would be really informative!
If you haven't already, could you get Akai to lend you an Akai MpC One to do a review with ? I find your reviews not only to be extremely comprehensive but also fair and honest.
This is so dope!!! Why are people acting like they can't run the sound from their laptops/computers through this? I see so many people have no creativity in real life. So many solutions to your problems are already there. Modern producers are largely their own technicians. Signal flow principles should be in every modern producers repertoire. How can y'all not see how dope this is?!?!
This is amazing I still create on my MPC 2000XL and have been waiting for AKAI to merge both worlds. I've used Maschine for a while but went back to my MPC because it's I can do much more with it. I can't wait to add this to my studio.
Wouldn't be awesome if FL studio came out with a stand alone hardware unit like this that can do everything you do on the pc in FL within that one hardware unit with drum pads like this one ?... I'd grab one in a heartbeat...
I want to start writing songs using this . When covid hit , all my gigs went away . I'm just not sure , I'm 63- It may be too late to learn how to use it .What is the learning curve for someone revisiting this type of music making ? I had a small midi setup in 1990 ,Back then it was a nightmare .I'm impressed with how far these units have come . - I want to write new songs using all the cool things this can do .
For me this is a game changer! I use hardware only for my LivePA Techno set. This year I had planned to move away from the laptop. This device makes that very clear now!! Thank you Akai!! ;)
I've gone full circle with Akai and I agree they have always produced great equipment, I don't think much of the MPC series and prefered to go rack mount and use a controller keyboard....and sequencer....and that's the gig here, pads will never replace the capabilities of a nice keyboard and the screen doen't perform as well as a lappy or desktop, standalone works with guitar pedals and drums but not a sampling machine, that only has 4 outs and 2 xlr ins, this is a great review but really shows the unit to be weak sauce.
You can connect a normal keyboard via MIDI or USB (since it works as a host) to play the instruments using a keyboard. Plus, you dont need to work with just the Force, you can use the force as one (or to replace many) new instrument in your kit. I guess if they fit the unit with a few creativity boosters (realtime midi pattern remix, sequence inverters, parameter locks, random patch generator for synths, etc.) this will become a geeks paradise unit :)
I am confused by the lack of inputs or the option to connect an audio interface. This thing would be more than amazing if they had added an ADAT connection at the back. sequence and record any gear in one box would be a huge selling point. As it stands you have to either just record one item or use a mixer and solo the channel you want to sample. Not hard to overcome this limitation, but i was hoping this gonna be an 8-track recorder / sequencer when i saw it the first time.
Stand alone mode would be cool if you could use third party plugins. I have never used this but I can tell you it’s limited. 16 GB don’t compare to my 660 GB of plugins and sounds from my komplete ultimate bundle. Nice looking device though. Plus I don’t mind using a computer. It’s not a hassle for me.
You can put an SSD or HDD inside, and i would dare you to ask yourself how many of those 660 GB of plugins and sounds you actually used during last year :) Focus is an important matter when producing, and if you pick 100 GB of samples + the internal patches and effects you can program with Force's instruments + fx, then i guess you have sound material for the next 10 years
Nuno Mesquita You are Right there is no way I’ll use all these in sounds and patches in this life but I’m equipped with whatever need when I need it. Native Instruments is top dog. I focus on whatever job needs to be done so having a huge selection doesn’t break my focus if anything it helps it because I know I have whatever I need.
Daz Dee yea I feel you but NI sounds are unrivaled. I’ve gotten several placements using NI. My engineer doesn’t have to do much l. Sampling is cool but time consuming.
Clutch Million valid point, if it’s not got a arrangement page like a daw then it’s not at this stage for me, but I will at least wait for the first update anyway as I always do before I buy .
That ending is inspiring. Would you make a video on learning instruments such as the guitar? (Maybe a few tips n' tricks) Or maybe a video that talks about your background with learning your instruments?
Wow. I guess if you thought it was a lousy device you would not have bothered with it instead of giving a thumbs down review, which is fine. I want to be rich only so i could just buy devices like this without thinking or saving for it. I want to be spoiled. Thanks for another excellent video. Its not only what you say but you do a great job editting and polishing the audio
Very impressed by the A/D converters of this machine, club-ready quality, it sounds like a million $ ... I choosed it over the MC-707, which sounds good too but the sound's less fuller in my ears than Force
Thanks, I didn't know it had mic inputs that was helpful. Nor did i know that those pads were organized (in a certain mode) to be the tracks. There are a couple of areas in which I'd like to see more depth. 1) Instruments available -- are there nice strings or horns available, or a vibraphone? 2) Notes -- how do you know order since the pads are not laid out like piano keys.
I have an MPC touch and the showing of 1 fx at the time on screen has been there forever and i dont think they will change that :) The latest MPC s/w (2.3) is very stable and nice with the new akai synths. I do have 3 party plugins like different U-he and they are almost as good as they. i sequence and record my analog gear into the mpc s/w and it works great. Only pickle i have is that i miss some updated drumkits because Akai thinks ONLY R&B and rap artists use this device....
I think it's an interesting concept, especially having it all in one consolidated package. However I feel as somebody who has come from a DAW side, it still feels more limited. I see this thing more as an instrument rather then a replacement for a DAW. But who knows what direction this will go to. Tighter integration or just easy export options might make this an ideal tool for a first draft or songwriting aspect, which you can then later expand on later in the production cycle.
Honestly I agree with you! Right now it doesn't integrate with my set up but I use it to produce in a way of would never have thought of before, if I get ideas going that I like I will bounce down or run the outputs directly into my Audio interface and record into a session. I've actually done this for a song I'm working on and I'm so glad I started the project on the Force and finished it in the DAW. I'm looking forward to seeing how people fit it into their workflow, I do think it would be great to be able to use a mouse with it, hook it up to a screen etc if you wanted to make it a core station too
Excellent video thank you Michael. I have some question would really appreciate if you can answe for me, thanks: 1)I use VSTIs (Arturia, Spectrasonics,etc.) with my laptop in Ableton. Is there a way to do this from AF so that I don't need my OSX with Ableton on stage? 2)Can I send a metronome to my drummer via headphones from AF without it being played on the master track? THANKS🙌🏼
Greetings, Thanks for all you do to help us producers/engineers. What is the Note repeat/Arp range of this new product (Ex:1/4, 1/2.....1/256, dotted, triplets, etc). Can you punch them in on separate buttons as well as dual the value in on a knob?
Can you use this to send / receive midi to external synthesizers? Wondering if this would be good to use with a mixer for all live instruments... but for what I like to do, I’d need to be able to record midi live with my analog synths, and use this to loop the midi. Would be sweet to be able to do all that with no laptop and then have drums and stuff programmed into the force. Anyway thanks for this vid! Super informative and helpful as always
Love my Force! When we get drum synth and arranger mode? I guess you don't really need it and it's fun to be able to rearrange your songs buts still.. you said we would get it and we didn't yet... What the deal? And is it normal to save slow with splice samples? Mine does when saving to SD card. Maybe it's the card
isn't that space on the bottom to attach the mounting plate? I've not got any of these sorts of devices (I wish I had) but that's the same shape, and the holes in the same place, as mounting plates on a lot of devices e.g. Roland SPD SX
Does it do the clip mode like the MPC live? I want to be able to have a set list of all the songs I’ve made before hand and put all the loops on to the until and be able to turn the loops on and off with by loop format, four bar countdown, or single shot mode.
Would it not be conveniant to have hdmi monitor connectivity and mouse on all modern standalone studio machines, for more complex projects on those quite capable machines? Some do more than just beats.
Unfortunately it has a very limited RAM spec. 2 gb isn't enough for some complex projects, and knowing Akai it probably isn't upgradable. Great video by the way.
Hi Michael (and other readers) Probably way of topic but I seem to need some advice. As an absolute amateur composer I even have no idea what this Akai Force controller does besides shining it's colorful lights (take a second to bury your head in your hands). I also searched trough the vids looking for information on a new mixer (or interface?). My current 4 channel mixer is over 20 years old and is starting to make noise. I've connected my Yamaha Moxf via USB to my Pc and I'm also using the analogue outputs which I've connected to the mixer. Both (Pc and Synth) are connected to my Hifi amplifier. As I use Cubase and I'd like to improve myself musically and sound-wise I'd appreciate any advice or even direction where I could start. Thanks in advance for your advice. Greetz, Ed S
I would like to see a demo of this prepared for a live setting with it set up to play 7 or 8 songs, would you have all your tracks set up in one project?
I would set up all my tracks in one project I think, there are so many tracks and scenes to navigate that it might be the easiest way, however I would also use it in conjunction with a cdj for mixing and that would queue a song for if you wanted to load a new project
@@inthemix What about in a band application, where the songs don't have to be mixed and all the songs tempos vary from 112 to 150 depending on the setlist, so launching a scene could essentially be viewed as starting one song if I were to set it up like, but I am guessing that scenes can not be set up with independant bpm right? You can't just go Scene 1 is track one at 120bpm press stop and vocalist says whatever it is they say to people from the stage(I'm sure it's always really important) then you start the next scene loaded with stems of the next song at say 130bpm?
@@void_division that's interesting, well you can realtime tempo shift using the encoder so if you know the BPM you can simply adjust before you launch, it takes two seconds. Or you could launch the clips and adjust smoothly into the next clip. What I might do is use the crossfader to blend in another song/ background music while you tempo shift the project to shift.
This is my honest review of the Akai Force. I really try to share what it's actually like to use it every day, what the device hardware feels like etc. It is the worlds first standalone music production studio and features everything you need to make music without connecting to a computer
What DAW is using for this controller?
Hello sir iam from india love your work sir...i need some help can you make video...if i have lyrics and tone of that lyrics and i know that its right,how can i put music in it and set the metronome and beats in that song...
@Nico just £ 1.469 :)
@@enpawang765 its for Ableton
@@fencefirst2722 This is NOT a controller ... It's a stand-alone machine with its CPU and SW, internal sounds and virtual devices, etc ... it works without connecting it to any computer !
One of the best reviews I've seen. No fluff. Straight to the point. Covers the basics nicely in a well thought out order. Thank you.
I just bought mine, it is a 9/10 purchase for me. I no longer use Ableton since the Akai Force is my go to piece of kit. Excellent product.
One of the best reviews of a product. Look forward to more from you on other products. This Akai Force is just brilliant.
This is what i was always hoping from back then when i played live with Ableton crashing on stage more than once.
If you ever played in front of a crowd you start to value other things like VST plugs , you only need stability .
So, AKAI, keep it like that, do not listen to the free lech community, let us have a rock solid box to fire of clips , tracks and midi loops and you did the best thing ever to the live crowd :)
Sorry, but I don’t quite understand your review. Do you really recommend this device for onstage or is there something better out there to bet your $$$ on?
I've just recently found your channel, and I must say, you've already helped me a lot with problems I'm having when learning about music production. I've just started my journey with mixing and mastering. I've been playing guitar/drums/bass for a while, but the process of making my own stuff from start to finish is relatively new! It seems like such a long road, yet I'm finding it all so interesting. I always thought 'if you want to truly have your own sound, learning to mix and master is the key to achieving that'. I was never happy when I went to studios. I never could fully achieve my own vision of a sound when someone else tweaked my recorded tracks according to their own taste. It seems like absolute ceative freedom when writing songs, only happens when you get into sound engineering. That's why I love the idea of it. Anyway, back to my main point. Thanks for being you, dude. You're an absolute inspiration, who I strive to be like someday. 😎😎
Wow thank you for the lovely words. I agree entirely! Have a good one :)
Excellent content. I especially enjoyed the demonstration of the reverb with the guitar at the end. Thanks!
Thank you for this tutorial man!
Im glad you mentioned what the word standalone means. A independent device that runs its own processing unit. People seem to confuse that word with battery powered mobile device alot
Great, professionally rendered review. Many of us FORCE users would surely appreciate more detailed views of using this amazing device exactly the way you do it! When the FORCE was new to you, you surely met some situations that may have confused you or slowed down the same way us users. I know your time and effort put into making such videos is really demanding and so, please take this comment only as a humble asking that aims to make our occasional FORCE frustration unnecessary...
Like a breath of fresh air, one of the most gifted reviewers on the web, makes a bit more sense of this overwhelming product. I get the concept, but would definitely like a more in depth analysis.
Elvin Lewis I wonder if we can use third party vsti instruments with the Akai Force?
I’m telling you,, because of you’re easy to understand explanation I’m switching to the force. Anybody want to by a MPC Live?😂
I'm an mpc user but the force looks very appealing..would love to have one
Do a video making a full song with the Akai Force whilst showcasing as much features it has. Then you can make more tutorials for FL studio.
Go make me a sandwich , then you can wash my car.
I love it please continue to put out more videos about force and tutorials. I truly appreciate your work.
i love your guitarplay at the end
Thank you, means a lot to me :)
Try to make a tutorial about how you produced some of your own tracks! About how you made the chords, melody, drums...😊
This is the BUSINESS 🤓 return of the MPC 💪🏻
Just wish it had a Battery. still gonna get one though. looks like a beast. hats off to Akai for always pushing the boundaries. you know third party plug-ins are coming to Akai's standalone devices in the future sometime. its looking good.
Very good. Good that you make targeted and detailed videos. I'm just seeing your channel and I have to say you're great! Excellent tips and tutorials. I really appreciate that you have subtitles so those who have difficulty with English ( I hahaha) can better understand and translate the whole thing. Thank you so much and keep it up!!!
That’s a great sounding mic preamp
Not actually bothered about this box of tricks - but I really liked your review style, very thorough. Easiest subscribe I’ve ever done.
With this instrument, I could be a radio man with immediate one stop / all gadgets around with me. Woow . THANK you for the Info here, watching from ROMA con AMOR!
i wish one of the 1000s of videos would explain the pads in every mode? i use it with my midi but the layout of pads for notes octaves sharps i see videos with with people using modes other than the record to make tracks i don't understand why the heck no one explains the pads!
Best instrument purchase of my life. This thing is wonderful. Deep, and a lot to learn, but wonderful.
Excellent video young man. Nice fast delivery, chock full of completely relevant details on this item. I'm certainly going to take a closer look at this unit. I'm interested in using it live, and would love to see another video from you that focusses on using it live. (i.e. - music already produced, but arrangements created on the fly.
2:18 does this lcd screen have some bluelight filter and brightness control? is it easy on eyes to use in darkness? (maybe some issues with PWM backlight flickering, blue tint, not comfortable minimal brightness level or supersmall fonts?).
Not sure how I feel about this. On the one hand, it looks like it might be quite fun, but on the other it's hard to think of a good reason to use this and not just a laptop. Plus not being able to use third-party plugins seems to make it quite limited.
That drum sequencer blew my mind
hey man. first of all great video. it was the one that brought me to the channel and I have loved watching your other videos. please make more videos on Force as I think it is a great thing and that you have a fantastic creative ability and skill in explaining things. thanks a bunch!!!
A always, it was a true pleasure watching this video of yours!!! Thank you. I wonder if you could still offer a tutorial on this device for those of us interested in making some tracks for genres like trance, dance, minimal techno, melodic techno, psytrance (which some people claim is not music), and happy hardcore maybe 😁😁😁😁
Hey Akaï, don't 'Force' me into something i needed ten years ago.
ha! so true!
Good job with the guitar! Know you haven't played it so long, yet you're doing really well.
Thank you, yeah I'm pushing myself to play on camera as a challenge!
Good man for mentioning what your motivations are . Good review aswell
This guy is perfect ... Perfect reviews talented musician excellent sound engineer perfect voice he's like a robot that really looks human the best AI specimen so far 😎 by the way the Force looks amazing 👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽
Ableton push and mpc live had a baby 🍼
Put a diaper on it 😂
haha
Inside of a hyperbolic time chamber 💪
Leoo Pokat 👶🏼😂😂
Regression rather ...
Looks like a beast of a unit!
Can you adjust the light level on the pads?
Thanks for all your videos. You have a subscriber for life
Yo this was a great video. Love your editing.
More Force I Just Found One For 925$ Used Only A Couple Of Times I May Purchase That Or A Brand New Akai MPC One On Amazon On Sale Now I Have A Roland MC101 And A Circuit Tracks In My Collection Thats What I've Been Using For The Last Couple Of Months And I'm Steadily Collecting The Roland Boutiques "Gotta Catch Em All" And I've Got The Aira Compacts As Well But There's something about the standalone beat machines that I just love
Also, can we control how *bright* the pads are, please?
Would love to see more Akai force in depth tutorials 👍
Nicely done! Great details. This device looks more compelling every day.
I have a Deluge and I wish it had a screen and pressure sensitive pads like this..but saying that the Deluge is fully portable .
OH YES MORE PLEASE! GREAT VIDEO - 5 STARS!
Very good video. Thakyou.
It would be really cool if you made a couple of videos of you making a complete song from start to finish. Producing, mixing, mastering, all of it. It would be really informative!
If you haven't already, could you get Akai to lend you an Akai MpC One to do a review with ? I find your reviews not only to be extremely comprehensive but also fair and honest.
This is so dope!!! Why are people acting like they can't run the sound from their laptops/computers through this? I see so many people have no creativity in real life. So many solutions to your problems are already there. Modern producers are largely their own technicians. Signal flow principles should be in every modern producers repertoire. How can y'all not see how dope this is?!?!
It's quite sad that they can't overcome small challenges. It makes us all look bad!
Hahaha that is what separates true artists from these posers. I haven’t owned a computer for making music since... I started making music.
This is amazing I still create on my MPC 2000XL and have been waiting for AKAI to merge both worlds. I've used Maschine for a while but went back to my MPC because it's I can do much more with it. I can't wait to add this to my studio.
@@spizal what about mpc live
Wouldn't be awesome if FL studio came out with a stand alone hardware unit like this that can do everything you do on the pc in FL within that one hardware unit with drum pads like this one ?... I'd grab one in a heartbeat...
OH man thats such a good idea
unfortunately we will have to be happy enough with the Akai Fire and the new FL keyboards comming out
Good work mate. Informative video 👍🏼
I want to start writing songs using this . When covid hit , all my gigs went away . I'm just not sure , I'm 63- It may be too late to learn how to use it .What is the learning curve for someone revisiting this type of music making ? I had a small midi setup in 1990 ,Back then it was a nightmare .I'm impressed with how far these units have come . - I want to write new songs using all the cool things this can do .
For me this is a game changer! I use hardware only for my LivePA Techno set. This year I had planned to move away from the laptop. This device makes that very clear now!! Thank you Akai!! ;)
The freedom of working standalone sold it for me to be honest
I've gone full circle with Akai and I agree they have always produced great equipment, I don't think much of the MPC series and prefered to go rack mount and use a controller keyboard....and sequencer....and that's the gig here, pads will never replace the capabilities of a nice keyboard and the screen doen't perform as well as a lappy or desktop, standalone works with guitar pedals and drums but not a sampling machine, that only has 4 outs and 2 xlr ins, this is a great review but really shows the unit to be weak sauce.
As long as the review helped you see what the product actually is, them I'm happy. It's not for everyone :)
You can connect a normal keyboard via MIDI or USB (since it works as a host) to play the instruments using a keyboard. Plus, you dont need to work with just the Force, you can use the force as one (or to replace many) new instrument in your kit. I guess if they fit the unit with a few creativity boosters (realtime midi pattern remix, sequence inverters, parameter locks, random patch generator for synths, etc.) this will become a geeks paradise unit :)
Only 4 outs and 2 XLR ins? LOL wtf how many do you need? Is that not what mixers are for?
How can I transfer my sounds from my FL Mobile on my iPhone to this? Also can I DJ with this? Thanks 🙏 please let me know!
I am confused by the lack of inputs or the option to connect an audio interface. This thing would be more than amazing if they had added an ADAT connection at the back. sequence and record any gear in one box would be a huge selling point. As it stands you have to either just record one item or use a mixer and solo the channel you want to sample. Not hard to overcome this limitation, but i was hoping this gonna be an 8-track recorder / sequencer when i saw it the first time.
Seems like a decent peace of hardware from akai! Thanks for the sweet review :)
Stand alone mode would be cool if you could use third party plugins. I have never used this but I can tell you it’s limited. 16 GB don’t compare to my 660 GB of plugins and sounds from my komplete ultimate bundle. Nice looking device though. Plus I don’t mind using a computer. It’s not a hassle for me.
You can put an SSD or HDD inside, and i would dare you to ask yourself how many of those 660 GB of plugins and sounds you actually used during last year :) Focus is an important matter when producing, and if you pick 100 GB of samples + the internal patches and effects you can program with Force's instruments + fx, then i guess you have sound material for the next 10 years
Nuno Mesquita You are Right there is no way I’ll use all these in sounds and patches in this life but I’m equipped with whatever need when I need it. Native Instruments is top dog. I focus on whatever job needs to be done so having a huge selection doesn’t break my focus if anything it helps it because I know I have whatever I need.
Clutch Million you got any sound you want as it’s a sampler as well
Daz Dee yea I feel you but NI sounds are unrivaled. I’ve gotten several placements using NI. My engineer doesn’t have to do much l. Sampling is cool but time consuming.
Clutch Million valid point, if it’s not got a arrangement page like a daw then it’s not at this stage for me, but I will at least wait for the first update anyway as I always do before I buy .
I hoped to see a PHONO with ground on the back, but I suppose that keeps the MPC Live relevant as the drum kits + vinyl sampling brother, eh?
That ending is inspiring.
Would you make a video on learning instruments such as the guitar? (Maybe a few tips n' tricks)
Or maybe a video that talks about your background with learning your instruments?
Awesome review! Can you please upload more tutorials I'm definitely purchasing one. Thanks 🤙
I've been trying to build my setup to what this is lol. Nearly copped an mpc live to pair with my push. This is perfect 😢💚
Wow. I guess if you thought it was a lousy device you would not have bothered with it instead of giving a thumbs down review, which is fine. I want to be rich only so i could just buy devices like this without thinking or saving for it. I want to be spoiled. Thanks for another excellent video. Its not only what you say but you do a great job editting and polishing the audio
Very impressed by the A/D converters of this machine, club-ready quality, it sounds like a million $ ... I choosed it over the MC-707, which sounds good too but the sound's less fuller in my ears than Force
Thanks, I didn't know it had mic inputs that was helpful. Nor did i know that those pads were organized (in a certain mode) to be the tracks.
There are a couple of areas in which I'd like to see more depth. 1) Instruments available -- are there nice strings or horns available, or a vibraphone?
2) Notes -- how do you know order since the pads are not laid out like piano keys.
great use of the force,i tend to use more as an audio sequencer
was a bit short...was hoping to see the midi working and cv gates...also is it limited to steptime on 2 bar loops?
excellent overview of this device.
YES SO SICK MORE VIDS PLEASE !! ALL THE VIDS !!
Love this.Need more video on force.
I have an MPC touch and the showing of 1 fx at the time on screen has been there forever and i dont think they will change that :) The latest MPC s/w (2.3) is very stable and nice with the new akai synths. I do have 3 party plugins like different U-he and they are almost as good as they. i sequence and record my analog gear into the mpc s/w and it works great. Only pickle i have is that i miss some updated drumkits because Akai thinks ONLY R&B and rap artists use this device....
Fabulous introduction, thanks 🙏
Excellent introduction video. For some reason your video (compared to others I've watched) made this beast look less intimidating.
That's One Bad Ass Machine 😍😍😍
Nice video BTW 👏👏👏
You've made me want one 😂
I think it's an interesting concept, especially having it all in one consolidated package.
However I feel as somebody who has come from a DAW side,
it still feels more limited.
I see this thing more as an instrument rather then a replacement for a DAW.
But who knows what direction this will go to.
Tighter integration or just easy export options might make this an ideal tool for a first draft or songwriting aspect,
which you can then later expand on later in the production cycle.
Honestly I agree with you! Right now it doesn't integrate with my set up but I use it to produce in a way of would never have thought of before, if I get ideas going that I like I will bounce down or run the outputs directly into my Audio interface and record into a session. I've actually done this for a song I'm working on and I'm so glad I started the project on the Force and finished it in the DAW. I'm looking forward to seeing how people fit it into their workflow, I do think it would be great to be able to use a mouse with it, hook it up to a screen etc if you wanted to make it a core station too
Fantastic Demo on this instrument. I’m a Dj and could see this as an addition to my equipment.
I think Just Blaze is dropping a video soon showing how he uses it live to DJ. It's so easy to connect
Nice review, thanks for posting. I think want one...
I think it looks really cool.
This looks sweet!! Quick question - do you know if it can do side chain compression? 😀 👊
Excellent video thank you Michael. I have some question would really appreciate if you can answe for me, thanks:
1)I use VSTIs (Arturia, Spectrasonics,etc.) with my laptop in Ableton. Is there a way to do this from AF so that I don't need my OSX with Ableton on stage?
2)Can I send a metronome to my drummer via headphones from AF without it being played on the master track?
THANKS🙌🏼
This was a good video and it helps. When you get a chance could you make a video on the basics of recording?
Good video mate, appreciated it.
Thank you for this excellent review
Greetings,
Thanks for all you do to help us producers/engineers. What is the Note repeat/Arp range of this new product (Ex:1/4, 1/2.....1/256, dotted, triplets, etc). Can you punch them in on separate buttons as well as dual the value in on a knob?
thanks, I do want to know more about the Akai force
Nice video.. force to me looked like an upgraded idea of Ableton Push 2..
Can you use this to send / receive midi to external synthesizers? Wondering if this would be good to use with a mixer for all live instruments... but for what I like to do, I’d need to be able to record midi live with my analog synths, and use this to loop the midi. Would be sweet to be able to do all that with no laptop and then have drums and stuff programmed into the force.
Anyway thanks for this vid! Super informative and helpful as always
Love my Force! When we get drum synth and arranger mode? I guess you don't really need it and it's fun to be able to rearrange your songs buts still.. you said we would get it and we didn't yet... What the deal? And is it normal to save slow with splice samples? Mine does when saving to SD card. Maybe it's the card
isn't that space on the bottom to attach the mounting plate? I've not got any of these sorts of devices (I wish I had) but that's the same shape, and the holes in the same place, as mounting plates on a lot of devices e.g. Roland SPD SX
Does it do the clip mode like the MPC live? I want to be able to have a set list of all the songs I’ve made before hand and put all the loops on to the until and be able to turn the loops on and off with by loop format, four bar countdown, or single shot mode.
Would it not be conveniant to have hdmi monitor connectivity and mouse on all modern standalone studio machines, for more complex projects on those quite capable machines? Some do more than just beats.
Great review, enjoyed how you covered the Force! Wishing for that 4th synth, cleaner looking UI and track mixer on my MPC Live! Subbed!
Unfortunately it has a very limited RAM spec. 2 gb isn't enough for some complex projects, and knowing Akai it probably isn't upgradable.
Great video by the way.
My mv8800 sampler has 500mb ram and that equals 50 mins of audio. So i wouldnt be too bothered
Can you completely swap out the crossfader with a better one? Looks like he’s only referring to the fader-cap
Hi Michael (and other readers) Probably way of topic but I seem to need some advice. As an absolute amateur composer I even have no idea what this Akai Force controller does besides shining it's colorful lights (take a second to bury your head in your hands). I also searched trough the vids looking for information on a new mixer (or interface?). My current 4 channel mixer is over 20 years old and is starting to make noise. I've connected my Yamaha Moxf via USB to my Pc and I'm also using the analogue outputs which I've connected to the mixer. Both (Pc and Synth) are connected to my Hifi amplifier. As I use Cubase and I'd like to improve myself musically and sound-wise I'd appreciate any advice or even direction where I could start.
Thanks in advance for your advice. Greetz,
Ed S
Nice video i really enjoyed it
So I'm looking to replace a Mia drummer permanently, would this work ?
Why not? The bigger question is can you find something more suitable or convenient.
Hi, can it do multitrack midi recording of several midi channels on different midi tracks at once from external midi instruments? Thanks
Hey, just to clarify, its a 10-Inch display not 7... :) so 3-Inches larger than the MPC Live (but who can complain about 3 more inches ?!) :)
Would to see a vid dedicated to sample edit mode. Curious how much of the real time stretch has improved.
I would like to see a demo of this prepared for a live setting with it set up to play 7 or 8 songs, would you have all your tracks set up in one project?
I would set up all my tracks in one project I think, there are so many tracks and scenes to navigate that it might be the easiest way, however I would also use it in conjunction with a cdj for mixing and that would queue a song for if you wanted to load a new project
@@inthemix What about in a band application, where the songs don't have to be mixed and all the songs tempos vary from 112 to 150 depending on the setlist, so launching a scene could essentially be viewed as starting one song if I were to set it up like, but I am guessing that scenes can not be set up with independant bpm right? You can't just go Scene 1 is track one at 120bpm press stop and vocalist says whatever it is they say to people from the stage(I'm sure it's always really important) then you start the next scene loaded with stems of the next song at say 130bpm?
@@void_division that's interesting, well you can realtime tempo shift using the encoder so if you know the BPM you can simply adjust before you launch, it takes two seconds. Or you could launch the clips and adjust smoothly into the next clip. What I might do is use the crossfader to blend in another song/ background music while you tempo shift the project to shift.