With that much more buttons and controls than the MPC Live (and if it runs the same software) my guess is that it is more likely in the 1500€ range.
sigh. you might be correct. that’ll surely make it very Hard to justify as a “nice to have” item then. If it were priced more like a digitakt/digitone price bracket, td make much more sense tbh
Developing, yes, successfully… that’s a question of taste 
Using the MPC Live (and thus the MPC software) extensively, I think it’s a mess of UX failures, bad design decisions and quirky workflow. But the MPC Live is such a winner for me because on paper, it’s exactly what I need and had it been implemented properly, I could have sold most of my gear a while ago as a result. Every time something bizarre in the MPC workflow/UI/UX stops my creativity, I’m reminded that it’s way too early for that.
I’m happy to see this show up for one reason, though : the Clip Launch functionality on the MPC Live is very badly implemented, and this product showing up probably means a much better implementation of it, which is likely to make it to the Live/X in some form or another. And anything would be better than what they have now.
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Proper integration with Ableton Live including MIDI sequence importing would make this very tempting. It’s one of the few things I’ve been missing from Octatrack.
I’m very sure this isn’t running Ableton software. Ableton moved away from working together with Akai. Ableton creates their own hardware and last year they were searching for embedded linux developers (aka standalone Ableton).
This Is rather running the MPC software, just with tweaks to add the new grid layout. Akai has their MPC software already running on hardware and with it’a newest update it added plugin synths. The manual of this APC clearly shows it’s running MPC software and the Ableton trademark in the APC manual is just for Ableton Link. The trademark text is e.g. also included in the current MPC hardware manuals.
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Almost nailed it (€1578.-) 
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Force blurs the lines between contemporary music production solutions and the latest technologies available for DJ performance, a first among the industry standards. By merging clip triggering, step-sequencing, sampling, but also in-house synthesis engines, not to mention the latest-generation touchscreen, all in one stand-alone performance equipment, the Force combines the essential features to offer ultra-intuitive ergonomics and allow you to give free rein to your creativity.
Force embeds a matrix of 8x8 trigger pads with RGB backlight, a 7-inch color touch screen, 8 touch-sensitive potentiometers with individual graphic OLed display, 2 audio inputs, 4 audio outputs, not to mention the MIDI and CV Gate connectivity . All this end to end leaves the user unprecedented creative freedom, since it even goes to emancipate a complementary computer.
The very essence of Force consists of a workflow focused on the use of the clips, which are at the origin of your creative performances. Choose multiple modes such as plugins, MPC-style drum tracks, but also audio tracks, Keygroups, MIDI tracks, and CV tracks to set your clip type, then customize them with step sequencer and performance pads , and add notes via the edit window or the smart-scales, chords or progressions modes.
In addition, Force has advanced real-time timestrech capabilities and pitch modulation with quality equivalent to current music production software, effects plug-in from AIR Music Technology collections, and TubeSynth synthesis engines. , Bassline and Electric. Another synth, Hype, extends this list, a synth based on presets and macros accumulating several synthesis engines in one plugin, easy to use. Force can also record up to 8 stereo audio tracks.
Force includes more than 10GB of embedded sounds, from the most famous collections of premium content like SampleTools by CR2, MSX Audio and Sample Magic. With 248 kits, 16 demo projects, more than 2,500 loops and 500 designs, the Force library opens the doors to the best sounds for your creativity.
As of March 2019, Force will also include deep integration with Ableton Live in controller mode. This feature will include visibility and full control over the Ableton clip array, touch control of mix parameters including crossfader assignment, and control of Force settings on the Ableton Live workspace, via the screen. Touch and Force Q-Link knobs.
In addition, March 2019 will also mark the integration of Splice into Force. Splice Sounds powers the creativity of producers around the world with access to millions of high-quality, royalty-free samples, sounds, presets and loops, covering almost every genre of music. With the integration of Splice, Force users will have immediate Wi-Fi access to their own Splice library directly from the touch user interface - perfect for ultra-fast auditioning of sounds to be integrated into their project.
- Standalone - no computer needed
- Matrix of 8x8 RGB pads for triggering clips
- 7-inch multi-touch screen
- 1 push encoder wheel for navigation and selection
- 1 crossfader A / B
- 2 combo inputs Xlr / Mic Jack / instruments / line
- 4 TRS outputs
- MIDI In / Out / Thru minijack (minijack to 5-pin adapters included)
- 4 configurable CV / Gate outputs
- Remix, merge and produce with 6 different programs for complete audio / MIDI / CV sequencing
- Performance modes including drum MPC, notes, smart note suite, chords and chord progression
- MPC Sample Editor
- Automatic detection of BPM, real-time time stretching and pitch modulation
- 8 Q-Link touch-sensitive potentiometers with individual graphic Oled display
- 4 powerful and fully customizable synthesis engines
- 16 GB of internal memory (including more than 10 GB of sounds included)
- SD card slot and 2 USB 3.0 ports compatible with USB storage devices or MIDI controllers
- 2.5 "SATA connector internally (SSD or HDD) for an extension of the internal storage by the user
- 1 Type-B USB port for connecting to a Mac / PC computer
- 1 TRS headphone output
- Weight and dimensions: 3.87 kg, 350 x 389 x 72.5 mm
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Looks tasty.
Just as the MPC Live did at the time, it sure looks much better all lit up than in those drab FCC regulator photos.
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So it’s just a bigass 64 pad mpc live? I think I’d still take a live and a launchpad over it. Or an MPC X at that price range
Edit: skimmed the ableton integration. Comment still stands though
Edit 2: I changed my mind it looks pretty good
They just took the Force page offline.
Here’s a larger photo:
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Is that a cross fader I spy? I wonder if it’s for more than dj purposes
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yep!
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Oh man oh man why do they do this to me, I don’t need more samplers 
those tilted oleds are a nice touch too. Q link names was one of my big beefs with the live. It’s like every time I get closer to having the setup I like they go and put more features into a single unit. It looks like the designs got a bit slicker too, very reminiscent of maschine mk3 with those low profile square buttons.
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Oh good, someone will have hard time after this. If they don’t act like stupid they’ll change the game
It may be standalone, but what would normally be on a laptop screen is now gonna be crammed into that little screen.
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I honestly don’t have trouble getting information from my phone screen, because it’s designed for it. I wouldn’t worry
I wonder if it is still build on the same hardware as the MPC Live and X (especially regarding the amount of RAM and the used processor).
i think they made a mistake with the design. It should be angled the upper part or at least the screen should be angled
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