Akai Force

Akai
This might be Akai’s biggest release ever
This time next week, NAMM 2019 will be underway, and announcements are ramping up in anticipation. Today, Akai has announced their newest piece of hardware, called Force. A leak was circling around the internet, with people speculating it would be called the APC Live, but Akai has now released full details. Taking what makes the MCP Live successful, and combining it with an APC 40, the Force takes center stage as a full-fledged standalone controller and live instrument/sampler. Clip launching, step sequencing, live sampling, onboard synths, and a host of other features. Not only that, but it looks serious. 
Force features an 8×8 RGB clip launch matrix, a 7-inch full-color touch-capacitive multitouch display, 8 touch-sensitive knobs with graphical OLED displays, two audio inputs, four audio outputs, MIDI and CV I/O. Together, this comprehensive versatility affords the user an unprecedented degree of creative freedom and expression, while remaining totally free of the constraints of being tethered to a computer. Additional features include time stretching/pitch-shifting in real time, a comprehensive set of onboard effects by AIR Music Technology, plus the TubeSynth, Bassline and Electric synth engines. It also boasts an additional synth called Hype, a preset and macro-based synth combining several different synth engines into a single easy-to-use package. Force also has the ability to record eight stereo tracks. 
Features/Details:
"Force is aptly named since this unit truly delivers a new level of creative force and energy to the music production/DJ performance world,” said Dan Gill, Akai Professional Product Manager. “With its Ableton Live-style workflow, 8×8 clip-launch matrix, touch-sensitive knobs with graphical OLED displays and 7-in multi-touch display and total freedom from the computer, users will experience a degree of creative expression and spontaneity they simply can’t find anywhere else.”
In March 2019, Force’s development program includes in-depth Ableton Live integration. This functionality will include total visibility and command of Ableton’s clip matrix, tactile control of core mixer parameters including crossfader assignments, and control of device parameters instantiated in Ableton Live’s workspace via the touch user interface and Force’s rotary encoders / OLED displays. Additionally, March 2019 will also see Splice integration within Force. Splice Sounds fuels the creativity of producers around the world with millions of high-quality, royalty-free samples, sounds, presets and loops, covering nearly every musical style. With Splice integration in 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 for implementation within their Force project. For further information and updates on this update, visit akaipro.com/force.
Force will be available on February 5th for $1499
Assistant General Manager, Resident DJ, Presenter and Host of In Conversation

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