Akai Force Review and Demo

This is my honest review of the Akai Force controller. 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
Overall I love the device and think it's a huge game changer, I was happy to be asked to help out with the tutorial series on Akai Pro KZbin and I look forward to hearing what producers and beat makers create on it.
I also want to highlight that while I said the screen "Isn't the same as a high end tablet" it is still the best and only touch screen technology being used in this industry and it is truly revolutionary, I didn't want anyone thinking it was laggy or buggy, it's razor sharp and great to use!
Akai Pro -force.akaipro.com/
Force Tutorial Videos - • Force Tutorial Series ...
▶What Gear Do I Use In My Studio?
These links are the cheapest prices I can find. If you order using them, I will get a small commission to help fund new equipment for the channel :) Thank you
▶DAW (FL Studio 20) USA -amzn.to/2BL1hab UK - amzn.to/2PDe7u3
▶Microphone USA - amzn.to/2mMCzf7 UK - amzn.to/2LLn3zc
▶Midi Keyboard USA - amzn.to/2RBxIep
▶Dynaudio Monitors USA - amzn.to/2DILshD UK -amzn.to/2mu0D63
▶Audio Interface USA -amzn.to/2NhQJkQ UK - amzn.to/2KEp92s
▶Headphones USA -amzn.to/2Dhkgpr UK - amzn.to/2mtDAbB

[@inthemix]

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

[@enpawang765]

What DAW is using for this controller?

[@CheatCode7O7]

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...

[@wizmos74]

@Nico just £ 1.469 :)

[@fencefirst2722]

@@enpawang765 its for Ableton

[@MagDiSante]

@@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 !

[@SeattleFocusBlue]

One of the best reviews of a product. Look forward to more from you on other products. This Akai Force is just brilliant.

[@sebastiank.5137]

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.

[@janeway1111]

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.

[@Art-zs6sl]

Excellent content. I especially enjoyed the demonstration of the reverb with the guitar at the end. Thanks!

[@ArguZ72]

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 :)

[@ironman1290]

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?

[@apostleofozu6005]

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. 😎😎

[@inthemix]

Wow thank you for the lovely words. I agree entirely! Have a good one :)

[@mshatiti1]

I love it please continue to put out more videos about force and tutorials. I truly appreciate your work.

[@peterradd6836]

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.

[@201brighthorizon]

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!!!

[@graunm1]

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!!!

[@Racingheartrecords]

Nicely done! Great details. This device looks more compelling every day.

[@younggospel2225]

Yo this was a great video. Love your editing.

[@devinkaptanoglu8550]

Awesome review! Can you please upload more tutorials I'm definitely purchasing one. Thanks 🤙

[@molestingmoss5883]

This channel is sooo underrated. Also more videos on maybe automation and sound design or maybe explaining what the nobs do in fl plugins such as wet, dry, hold, delay, etc.

[@LukeLine]

Great review, enjoyed how you covered the Force! Wishing for that 4th synth, cleaner looking UI and track mixer on my MPC Live! Subbed!

[@IJLAudio]

This is the BUSINESS 🤓 return of the MPC 💪🏻

[@ruru2316]

Seems like a decent peace of hardware from akai! Thanks for the sweet review :)

[@danielkeenan1984]

Good man for mentioning what your motivations are . Good review aswell

[@SGLP93]

Would love to see more Akai force in depth tutorials 👍

[@davidrhodes6413]

Not actually bothered about this box of tricks - but I really liked your review style, very thorough. Easiest subscribe I’ve ever done.

[@morgan_westerholt]

i love your guitarplay at the end

[@inthemix]

Thank you, means a lot to me :)

[@DAVEDigitalandVinylExpert]

Good work mate. Informative video 👍🏼

[@lessthoughts]

Try to make a tutorial about how you produced some of your own tracks! About how you made the chords, melody, drums...😊

[@elvinlewis4233]

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.

[@NikiFrancesca]

Elvin Lewis I wonder if we can use third party vsti instruments with the Akai Force?

[@basscliff55]

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?😂

[@mrclaytron]

Nice review, thanks for posting. I think want one...

[@mtothezine]

Thanks for all your videos. You have a subscriber for life

[@DolbyAtmosMixing]

That’s a great sounding mic preamp

[@rootstudio247]

Fabulous introduction, thanks 🙏

[@MasonToryen]

Thank you for this tutorial man!

[@drizzl8899]

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

[@AFlyingBanana10]

Good job with the guitar! Know you haven't played it so long, yet you're doing really well.

[@inthemix]

Thank you, yeah I'm pushing myself to play on camera as a challenge!

[@1357973328]

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!

[@gaborvogl5674]

That's One Bad Ass Machine 😍😍😍 Nice video BTW 👏👏👏 You've made me want one 😂

[@drk_fi]

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 😢💚

[@bikashm2481]

Love this.Need more video on force.

[@dolo747]

excellent overview of this device.

[@kevinbirge2130]

Best instrument purchase of my life. This thing is wonderful. Deep, and a lot to learn, but wonderful.

[@seabreak532]

great use of the force,i tend to use more as an audio sequencer

[@AR9ify]

Thank you for this excellent review

[@qualaup]

Hey Akaï, don't 'Force' me into something i needed ten years ago.

[@alexgregory1427]

ha! so true!

[@brave7033]

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 👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽

[@audiobenderab4447]

This was a good video and it helps. When you get a chance could you make a video on the basics of recording?

[@vukola4358]

Nice video i really enjoyed it

[@MarkCapillanes]

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.

[@benhall2235]

Go make me a sandwich , then you can wash my car.

[@inationrecords7488]

Good video mate, appreciated it.

[@chillmanhillman2946]

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.

[@ElectronisoundsAudio]

Also, can we control how *bright* the pads are, please?

[@PAULSANTIAGOMUSIC]

OH YES MORE PLEASE! GREAT VIDEO - 5 STARS!

[@COSMOBEATMUSIC]

Amazing video !

[@ludekkolenaty2209]

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...

[@lotdproduction]

Excellent introduction video. For some reason your video (compared to others I've watched) made this beast look less intimidating.

[@holotropik]

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!! ;)

[@inthemix]

The freedom of working standalone sold it for me to be honest

[@moesalamander7012]

That drum sequencer blew my mind

[@iio58]

Great video thank you

[@ManuelInnaro]

Very nice presentation. Very well !

[@innocentidaniel2593]

Super cool !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! bravo tuto

[@dredoravens]

thanks, I do want to know more about the Akai force

[@alecsbuga]

Do the AIR Effects bundle have an amp & cab sim? I really wish they include those effects into the MPC Live also since it's basically the same OS Oh and the mixer view. That's amazing. I really want that on the MPC Live.

[@MxRelli]

This may be everything I would need to take my productions to a much higher level. I’m subscribing just to see if you do some more in-depth review/tutorials with the Force. This is my first video of yours (I went searching for reviews the second i got the release email). If this is a good example of your content, I’ll likely stay subscribed regardless. But I am dying to see more of the Force. I really want to know more about it’s real world use case before I make an investment that large. Also considering waiting for used units to start hitting the market. But if it’s as useful as it looks, I may want a brand new one just to peel the plastic off myself . . .

[@ironman1290]

Hey there dude. So, did you buy this device and are you still working with it? Sorry about me asking you a whole year later. I’m just starting out on a journey into this kind of music making and I literally have no clue which thing to buy that is stand alone and won’t crash on stage.....Any suggestions?..

[@gurvinder63]

Hi great video as always,have you tried using it with any analog synth,if yes any issues ?

[@ryanvanbuskirk7178]

YES SO SICK MORE VIDS PLEASE !! ALL THE VIDS !!

[@cresshead]

was a bit short...was hoping to see the midi working and cv gates...also is it limited to steptime on 2 bar loops?

[@djdel1122]

Fantastic Demo on this instrument. I’m a Dj and could see this as an addition to my equipment.

[@inthemix]

I think Just Blaze is dropping a video soon showing how he uses it live to DJ. It's so easy to connect

[@ElectronisoundsAudio]

This looks sweet!! Quick question - do you know if it can do side chain compression? 😀 👊

[@andreweyison8406]

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?

[@NikiFrancesca]

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🙌🏼

[@gawpboi]

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...

[@neonblack211]

OH man thats such a good idea

[@neonblack211]

unfortunately we will have to be happy enough with the Akai Fire and the new FL keyboards comming out

[@Zemael]

Hi, can it do multitrack midi recording of several midi channels on different midi tracks at once from external midi instruments? Thanks

[@Meisolus]

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?

[@matthewcoldrick6110]

Great introductory video. How does it work streaming long audio clips i.e 4- 5 minute ambient backing tracks to jam shorter clips over ? and is there patchability to send to external effects unit, again for live dubs etc ? thanks .

[@MuffinMachine]

hey hey just wondering how you feel about this thing a year into using it? thanks for your review of this.

[@BritoWorx]

Wasn’t tryna spend more money but I had to pre order 😩 great review

[@fonzarullo8087]

great video, ty

[@CLaw-tb5gg]

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.

[@cameroncollins4423]

so stoked!

[@andrewgjordeni]

Amazing! So am I able to put on Akai sample of kicks and leads and vocals ect. And putting the like in a DAW and start producing right?

[@jdframpton]

Very good video. Thakyou.

[@magnusjohansson295]

Looks like a beast of a unit! Can you adjust the light level on the pads?

[@kassie2k4]

thanks for the good vid, if you do another i would like to see the sampling and sample edit workflow, as well as midi controller support and general midi configuration, running it from external devices or daw (how deep can this be setup with program changes etc) and how much can you drive with the force itslf, like could you import a sysex midi file and have it configure your external synths for patch storage etc (so you dont have to remember what patch the other synth was even on, you just send it back what it spit out for devices that support this kind of feature) thanks again i hope to save up for one for christmas, this is definitely the finest and deepest device yet of its kind

[@josehaya6362]

great review! thx. do you know if it has tempo nudge?

[@ThunderRodProductions]

Great presentation! I have the MPCX and Live, wished this had the lithium ion battery for use without the AC power if so desired. Still love the unit though! May have to wait awhile to get this one.

[@inthemix]

I really wish it had a battery pack too

[@georgewilkins4231]

Marvelous.

[@entyce66]

Ableton push and mpc live had a baby 🍼

[@leoopokat8235]

Put a diaper on it 😂

[@samprock]

haha

[@drk_fi]

Inside of a hyperbolic time chamber 💪

[@entyce66]

Leoo Pokat 👶🏼😂😂

[@AudioPervert1]

Regression rather ...

[@cal_blac]

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

[@reenuswiliams]

i love your smooth voice

[@padlockbeats151]

More.. whole vid just on sample based production. Also I'd like to see how the pads respond to different time signatures. & Using the crossfader for more turntablist style applications.. Good stuff.

[@RosssRoyce]

So this is like the iPads BeatMaker but hardware physical, in way? Thanks for vid!

[@resofactor]

Looks pretty cool.

[@ajahncodar]

Great video, you are so good with details and the editing is really fantastic. I am still pretty beginner with production but really want something to help me get ideas out more easily. If I had the money I would not hesitate to get this as it looks like everything I want and more but it is super expensive. Do you have any recommendations for cheaper alternatives? I'd really like something standalone but not sure there are such things in much lower price ranges. The Akai MDP226 seems like my best bet right now but I'd really like something that has hardware and software. It is a bonus that it comes with Ableton Live Lite though as I'm still using the trial version of FL and have not yet purchased a DAW. But something dynamic with lots of buttons that can work stand alone would be ideal

[@DopeTechy]

Awesomely Played Guitar Men...... Awesome

[@tsongyt7539]

Oh god i need this!

[@areyoujelton]

Tsong YT saaaaame!

[@Freddy_VHS]

i just bought an octatrack and im really happy with it! so i stick with that one

[@28iFmusic]

Thank you for the video. This thing looks great but is there a swing or groove function? I haven't seen anybody talk about that.

[@inthemix]

Hmm I haven't used it but I'd be surprised if there wasn't that function...you can certainly quantise however you like and personally I play without quantisation if I want Swing

[@justinrauman4801]

Love the video!! So does this work as a controller instead of standalone like my push 2? I'm curious if it's basically a push with a built in audio interface and standalone capabilities.

[@inthemix]

It is completely standalone. It can do everything a push can do with ableton integration but it also has it's own computer and IO

[@justinrauman4801]

@@inthemix wow this is amazing. Thanks! Great videos I love the channel!

[@digitaldiezel5870]

Great Job! I love this video! How many tracks can be created in standalone mode and exported into Ableton?

[@digitaldiezel5870]

Nvm - looks like its 16 tracks in standalone mode. That should be enough to get an idea down, I can add more in Ableton if I need to.

[@DJYukie]

I think it looks really cool.

[@samprock]

Userfull zoom-in and pointing details. Devil is in details indeed. So more of your finds is great to hear. Though it’s decided to go it, also nice to see the practical skills you’ve developed in 3 months and see some tricks maybe, with the performance, which is great! Couple questions. How are the pads feel comparing to Push/Maschine? Is it easy to get own sound packs (just wav files or some structured format)? Would it be possible to play notes on pads and send midi to hardware synthesizer, while getting return audio signal for recording same time? And if synth is played on keys, can device capture midi and audio from it same time? Great presentation man! Watching you often and glad you got your hands on it. May the Force be with you! :) (newly bought Push 2 goes back to GC, while still can return, and my studio is waiting for the Force to be tightly coupled with Moog Subsequient 37CV and guitars, no computer .... so cool ... finally Ableton flow in hardware!)

[@M0RGENDUGG]

Thank you for a great short review. Is there a arranger? Can you record your performance in one take (pattern changes included automation, faders, mutes, filters, fx etc.)?

[@inthemix]

Unfortunately not. This is something I really wanted to see on the device but it's just aimed at a different user, o thought that would kill it for me but it sort of made me produce in a different way, not necessarily ideal for everyone's needs but when I arrange I just bounce out and pull into my DAW

[@numanuma20]

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.