In the same file cabinet with disk streaming, 4th floor of the AKAI offices.
Department 405: “Sorry, not sorry”
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I was not able to figure the basic of arranger out within 30 minutes, but Iraq’s able to constantly mess with the matrix stuff. While doing so it was pretty clumsy… Force went back to storage for a time I am not in the mood to be productive…
Cool update. You can export the jam session to Ableton?
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For me the arranger is perfect for recording a complete jam. And just export everything as individual tracks, and import to daw for a proper mix.
Arranger seems manageable, but nothing beats a complete daw, and large screen for a good overview of alot of tracks.
Yes. You can even import ableton live projects.
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I wasn’t interested in the Force. Now I am - nice update
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I’m watching the update video now. It’s literally Ableton Live in a box; with an MPC workflow?
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Curious - (sorry for so many posts) - are there rumors of an arranger coming to the MPC Live?
Supposedly and hoping
I was under the impression that the overall plan was to unify the OS for the Force and Mpc. Can’t remember where I read that though.
The arranger currently need the grid view to perform the song and record it into the arranger. As that isn’t available, it might need to be changed to fit the MPC series.
Besides that, the arranger feature completely ignores all the buttons that device the force (in my opinion a big useability bummer!) but makes it more likely to be used on the MPC.
Hmmm. I have a MPC Live. Fired it up this morning as a matter of fact.
Maybe I’ll wait and see what happens.
Clearly Ableton and Akai are in close coordination. But why don’t I see Ableton hyping them up…
Well, Akai is testing their customers quite badly with selling features that are not available on launch, get announced regularly over nearly 2 years until they get released and lower the price of the device enormously (1400->999€) at the peak of that discussion and with that lowering second hand prices for those who want to sell them after that…
Maybe Ableton does not want to be pet of that!
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This is kind of an competitor to Ableton with a Push. Not that they are that similar, but i dont think they are working together on this. If they where, i would think the ableton controller mode would be more integrated. They dont use the same comunication “bus” as the Push for instance.
This is a huge update, probably the most substantial single firmware update I’ve ever seen on any piece of hardware. For someone like me, who just wants to record live performances, this update is a dream: I can record performances without having to record the audio out to a separate device, there are Elektron-style performance macros with unlimited parameters on one knob or crossfader or pad or screen, there’s multi-MIDI, and there’s so much more. This has vastly increased the usability of this device for me, and I’m really excited to try it all.
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I’m completely done switching machines and I was happy with the Force as it was. But this update solidifies my commitment to the platform now.
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I hadn’t paid not bit of attention to the Force because it was so big. But this update really has me curious.
Another question: Does the Force “feel” like working with an MPC, or more like working with Push…?
Thanks!
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I think it is a limit on how many things you can control pr knob. But you have a lot of them to assign stuff to. And you have several different places to make them. Have the important ones on project. Then have track spesific ones on tracks. It is very cool to play around with. And the momentary function is awesome for a fast break with some highpass, reverb and delay.
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Akai Force 3.0.5 gets Ableton .als import+export, advanced 16 levels (Tune+Filter+Layer+A+D), recordable performance modes and macros ala OT + Rytm, sample parameter automation ala OT (not quite OT territory), song arranger (and can record directly into it), envelope followers on audio input as a modulation source (or use as global LFOs), Elastique Pro, multi-MIDI (over USB), flatten clip to save CPU, Retrospective Record ala Live/Cubase, lazy chop, FX racks w/ macros (using the 64 pads+encoders+XY+crossfader), multitrack MIDI recording, stem export…
Biggest update I’ve ever seen on a piece of hardware in 25 years. And it only took 2 years. 
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does the new arranger mode allow you to hear playback when you drop the track pointer anywhere on the grid? or do you have to start at the very beginning of each sample clip?