Akai Force Just Got a Huge Beta Update—Here’s What’s New

Akai just dropped a massive beta update for the Force, and if you’re a user, you’re going to want to jump on it. Borrowing some of the best features from the MPC 3 update, this open beta gives Force users new ways to build, perform, and export music—all without stepping outside the standalone ecosystem.

Whether you’re deep into the Force already or you’ve just been waiting for a more complete setup, this update changes the game.

Main Mode, Finally

Let’s start with the big one: Main Mode. Borrowed straight from MPC 3, it’s now fully integrated into Force. Hit navigate + matrix, or just tap the house icon, and you land in a centralized control hub. This view lets you see what’s loaded, manage clips, change recording settings, and even duplicate clips with a single tap. It’s fast, clean, and finally gives Force users a true one-screen workflow overview.

From there, you can launch into recording instantly, edit your clips, shorten or lengthen them, and duplicate at will—no extra menus, no guesswork.

New FX, Follow Actions, and Sample Layering

The update also brings in some of Akai’s latest FX plugins like Soft Clipper, Subfactory, and Low-fly Dirt. You get more coloring options and signal shaping directly in the box. The new XL Channel Strip makes it easier to tweak track parameters, manage outputs, and reorder your signal chain. You can now drop in a limiter, reorder plugins, and route audio faster than ever.

Follow actions are another standout. You can now set a row to jump to another row after a set number of bars, with full options for next steps—sequential, random, or looped. It’s a powerful way to experiment with arrangement, especially for anyone stuck in a loop or looking to shake things up live.

Sample layering has been upgraded too. You now get eight layers per pad or keygroup, with flexible setups for velocity, round robin, or brute-force stacking. The modulation side also gets a bump with dual filters, four global LFOs, and a new harmonizer tab to generate octave stacks or pitch-shifted layers.

Sequences, Row Tempos, and Stem Exporting

One of the most requested features—multiple sequences—is now here. Instead of one fixed arrangement, you can now build and chain sequences together, experiment with automation in isolation, and switch up performance styles without overwriting your work.

And yes, row-specific tempos are a thing now. That means one row can be doing halftime trap at 70 BPM while another runs house grooves at 128. It’s fluid, and it opens up a ton of live remix potential.

Exporting gets a quality-of-life upgrade too. You can now export drum pads as stems straight from the arranger. It’s drag, drop, done.

This beta update turns the Akai Force into a far more complete tool for production and live performance. It’s deep, flexible, and full of long-awaited additions. If you’re already using Force, grab the beta and dive in. If you’ve been on the fence? This is probably your sign.