Akai Professional, a leading manufacturer of music equipment for performers and producers, has released its new standalone Force music production/ DJ performance device, with clip launching, step sequencing, sampling, synths and a 7-inch multi-touch display. Force is designed for the user who wants a standalone product with the latest in modern workflow techniques, free from being connected to the computer. Force is the first standalone music production device that truly captures the modern clip-based workflow.

Force features an 8x8 RGB clip launch matrix, a 7-inch full-color touch-capacitive multitouch display, 8 touch-sensitive knobs with graphical OLED display, 2 audio inputs, 4 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 on-board 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 8 stereo tracks.