Today, Akai announces Force 3.5 – a free update that they call their biggest update yet.
New in Akai Force 3.5:
Plugin Instruments and Effects: FORCE now supports new plugin releases from AIR, Akai Pro, and Native Instruments (MPC Editions), offering seamless integration of professional-grade sounds directly within the standalone system.
MPC Stems separations for sampling, remixing and mashups: Users can isolate vocals, drums, and music elements from tracks, ideal for sampling, remixing, and live performance creativity. (MPC Stems License Required)
Tempo automation, follow actions, and new arrangement tools: Advanced performance sequencing empowers users to create evolving arrangements and dynamic live sets with greater control.
MPC sequence import, advanced keygroup synthesis, and warp algorithm choice: Offers expanded compatibility and flexibility with MPC workflows, enhanced sound manipulation, and precise audio warping.
New modes: Main Mode, XL Channel Strip, Sounds Mode, and more: Upgrades navigation and workflow efficiency, giving users better visual control and faster access to instruments, tracks, and mix parameters.
Significant speed boosts including faster sample loading and expanded export options: Streamlines production by reducing load times and offering more ways to export stems and sessions efficiently.
Native Instruments Plugin and Expansions MPC Editions compatible with Force. Users can purchase – Analog Dreams, Cloud Supply, Nacht, Sway, Homage, Lone Forest, Faded Reels, Hazy Days, Rare Vibrations, Global Shake
Akai Force 3.5 is available now as a beta release.
In this video, via Christian Halten, Tatsuya ‘Tats’ Takahashi discusses Korg’s unique phase8 synthesizer.
Takahashi discusses their journey in creating the phase8, goals for the project and his interest in tactile interaction with electronic instruments.
The phase8 is an eight-voice electro-acoustic instrument, with envelope control, sequencing, waveshaping and audio modulation. It generates sound using eight independent electro-mechanical voices, where the sound is generated using electronically controlled metal resonators.
Korg expects for the phase8 to be available starting in Q1 of 2026, priced under 1000 Euro.
Developer Dr Schlange has introduced Nallely, a MIDI companion, designed to help you map MIDI controllers/instruments together, create/use virtual devices (LFOs, EGs) and more.
“About a month ago, I started writing a small Python abstraction to control my Korg NTS-1 via MIDI, with the goal of connecting it to any MIDI controller without having to reconfigure the controller,” notes Schlange. Things quickly got out of hand. I began extending the system to introduce virtual devices—LFOs, envelopes, etc, which could be mapped to any MIDI-exposed parameter on any physical or virtual device. That meant I could route MIDI to MIDI, Virtual to MIDI, MIDI to Virtual, and even Virtual to Virtual. Basically, everything became patchable.”
“It’s now turning into a kind of organic meta-synthesis platform—designed for complex MIDI routing, live-coding, modular sound shaping, and realtime visuals. “
Features:
Programmatic seemless API to your MIDI Device
Vvirtual devices (LFOs for example) you can connect to your MIDI devices (as source or target)
“Introspective API” for auto-adaptive virtual modules
Links are formally defined and are entities of the domain
“Bouncy links”: links can trigger target port associated link to have reaction chains
Python API code generator for your device if it is listed by the MIDI CC & NRPN database project
Bind/unbind control/pad/key of your MIDI devices between each other or virtual devices, converting the CC between source and target if required
Bind/unbind the velocity of the pad/key of your MIDI devices to any CC control
Bind/unbind pad/key individualy to any control, note, parameter of MIDI devices or virtual devices
Bind/unbind a key/pad to another one (even if not the same note, you can map a note to its octave on the same device or another one)
Scaler for the values that goes from a source to a target: you can restrict the range of values that will be sent to the target,
Auto-scaling: if you want the source to adapt to the range of the target without setting the range yourself
Websocket-based bus on which external services can auto-register and expose parameters to which you can bind your MIDI/virtual devices in a seemless way
LFOs composition with mathematical expressions
Envelope Generator
A web interface relying on a websocket protocol (named Trevor) which allows you to do graphically what you would ask Nallely to do in normal time (map devices, parameters, scalers)
Interactive code playground in the browser (through Trevor UI) inspired by Smalltalk playground
Small web-based widget oscilloscope integrated in the web interface
Save/reload preset for any MIDI device
Save/reload patch for full connection between MIDI devices and virtual devices
Random preset generator for MIDI devices and virtual devices
Full random patch generator (basic at the moment) with auto-generative capacity as virtual device (you can control it from MIDI devices or other virtual devices)
