Ableton Integration In Akai Force And MPC

US New firmware delivers control of Ableton Live's session view, mixer, effects and devices via Wi-Fi for Force, MPC X and MPC Live 17/12/19

Akai Professional has announced Force firmware 3.0.4 and MPC firmware 2.7 that include the highly-anticipated Ableton Live Control.

Force and MPC come pre-mapped for deep tactile control of Ableton Live clip launching, mixer panel and of course, Ableton devices. Ableton Live Control functions wirelessly over a Wi-Fi network via Ableton Link. Akai says that this is an unparalleled level of Ableton integration from a standalone device. Ableton Live Control mode has been carefully designed to enable users to instantly switch between standalone operation and Live Control mode without ever stopping playback from either platform.

With Ableton Control integration, Akai Professional tells us that they have bridged the standalone and Ableton worlds seamlessly for an unprecedented amount of creative power. The believe that the ingenuity of Force and MPC plugin instruments Bassline and Tube Synth, pristine sound processing FX and stellar sample manipulation algorithms, paired with Ableton and the power of clip launching is here and ready for musical ambitions of the most adventurous kind.

Ableton Live Control Features:

Matrix Tab - The Matrix tab displays an 8x8 section of Live’s Session View marked in the Live GUI by the coloured session ring. Users have a complete overview of—and immediate access to—the scenes, clips,play status, recording status as well as control over playback, recording quantize functions and scene / clip management.
Mixer Tab – The Mixer Tab provides instant access to Live’s key mixing functions, divided into three views for control of Levels, Main mixer parameters and Sends. Using Force’s touch interface, control any slider/knob or bring up a full screen editor for precise adjustments.
Device Control Tab – The device tab controls the device on the current track at Ableton Live’s Blue Hand position, providing control and key visual feedback on Ableton Instruments and third-party plugins.
Control Bar – At the top of the touch user interface, users can customise the Control Bar to display preset displays for Session, Arrangement and Performance modes including BPM, Phase Nudge Down/Up, Metronome, Follow, Overdub, Automation Arm and more.

Dan Gill, Senior Product Manager for Akai Professional told us, “With every update, we redefine the products and extend the scope of their capabilities. With these firmware releases for Force and MPC, our standalone platforms join with Ableton Live to provide musicians, performers and producers unparalleled creative possibilities. Following an extensive Beta testing programme, and listening to our customer’s feedback, we are delighted to provide the production community with a control solution for Ableton Live, while harnessing the sheer creative power of the world’s greatest standalone production and performance solutions.”