Akai Force Firmware

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Hermila Farquhar

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Aug 3, 2024, 11:14:14 AM8/3/24

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In early 2019, Akai Professional released a powerful standalone instrument with step sequencing, sampling, synths, a 7-inch multi-touch display, and more called FORCE. Targeting the live performance market and those who wanted to move away from needing a computer on stage, FORCE was initially thought to be like Ableton Live in a hardware box. And while this theory is pretty much on point, FORCE also boasted a dedicated control surface with lots of features taken from their iconic MPC beat making software.

Fast forward to today, FORCE has received steady improvements and now arrives at the latest firmware update, version 3.0.5. This update brings lots of user-requested features and improvements that really make it a force to be reckoned with for live performance (no pun intended).

With FORCE 3.0.5, you can now capture your live performance with automation and edit, and then arrange your song in a linear format just as the previously mentioned DAWs. After finalizing your arrangement, you can now export stems, which is great for finishing your project in another DAW such as Pro Tools where you may want to record vocals and other live instruments.

Besides the exporting of stems, you also can render out a complete stereo mix of your song or performance with some added polish from the included AIR plugins and even export to an Ableton Live format. What!

With FORCE 3.0.5, you can now connect up to 32 music devices via USB Hub. Within the last few years, lots of new micro synth products have hit the market. These micro synths are very popular due to their small footprint and running off batteries or a powered USB connection. Most of the devices use a Micro USB connection, which can power the device, act as a MIDI interface, and in some cases even function as an audio interface.

Most of these smaller devices lack the traditional 5 pin MIDI connection and this is where this new 3.0.5 update comes in handy. By simply connecting all these USB music devices into a USB hub, which then gets connected to the Akai FORCE, FORCE can recognize all of these devices individually and now send and receive MIDI from all of them on their own independent MIDI ports. Traditional 5 pin MIDI connections can also be added on with a traditional 5 pin MIDI to USB converter. With these devices connected, you can now set a master keyboard such as an Akai MPK series to play and control all the connected devices.

Coming in at #1 for me is the ability to import Ableton Live projects. It only makes sense at this point since FORCE and Ableton Live are very similar in how they handle live performance, but only one does not require a computer to do it.

Additional improvements within the new 3.0.5 firmware update include Timing Correct enhancements, Sample Editing improvements, Pull Down menus, and more. To see a full list of stability and reliability improvements, click here.