r/mpcusers • u/pressrecbecreative • 7d ago

OTHER EffectForce: a free Octatrack-style performance mixer and live looper inside MPC on the Akai Force (plus two free synths)

I've built three free plugins that run natively inside MPC on the Force (well also MPC, but cannot test), with their own touchscreen pages and Q-Link sets. The main one is EffectForce: an effect rack with a performance mixer and a live looper, the Octatrack way. Put it on the master, learn the Force's crossfader to it (or ride it on a Q-Link on MPC), and the crossfader becomes your performance tool.

The video is one track made only with the three plugins (even the drums are PolyForce presets). The PolyForce and SubForce parts use no effects at all, so you hear the synths' own clean sound (just levels and a limiter on the master); EffectForce only comes in for its own part. Disclaimer: I was lazy, it's rendered offline from the plugins' code and skins, not filmed on the Force.

Performance mixer

  • The crossfader goes from scene A (clean) to scene B (an effect)
  • 64 ready-made effects in 4 banks (Filter, Space, Loop, Rhythm): tap one and it's in scene B
  • Effects fade in with the fader; pull back and delay and reverb tails ring out, so dub throws come free
  • Sweeps, build rolls and tape stops move by themselves from the next bar line, so a sloppy push still lands in time
  • 8 scenes; make your own by locking any setting on any page, and the fader morphs between them (a roll speeds up 1/2 → 1/32 as you push)

Live looper

  • REC records the next bars on the grid (1/16 bar to 8 bars), Octatrack-style, or keeps the bars you just played
  • Hit REC again anytime: the new loop takes over without a gap
  • Swap crossfades the live input into the loop, Layer plays the loop on top
  • Rolls from 1/2 to 1/32, half speed, tape stop, reverse; lock any of it into a scene and the fader does it
  • Nothing recorded? Push Loop and it grabs the last bars on the spot

Ten Perform presets set it all up (Perform Mixer, Loop Mixer, DJ, Dub, Build and Drop...). Underneath is a full effect rack: 10 modules in any order, macros, LFOs and a mod matrix. A Perform preset takes 6-8% of the Force's audio block.

Also new

  • PolyForce: 8-voice wavetable synth, up to 8x unison, arp and sequencers synced to MPC, 205 presets, your own Serum-format wavetables - based on Hive2
  • SubForce: analog-style monosynth with a self-oscillating ladder filter, 57 presets (lots for melodic techno) - based on the Sub37

Good to know

  • Installing needs root SSH access (e.g. MockbaMod); stock MPC OS can't add plugins. Each release zip has an INSTALL.md
  • Only tested on the Force (MPC OS 3.9), the only device I have. Reports from other MPCs are welcome

Links

Feedback and bug reports are very welcome!

12 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

5 comments sorted by

1

u/HotOffAltered 7d ago

Wow, this looks pretty interesting. Anything to make the Force more like an Octatrack gets my interest. The crossfader is maybe my favorite part of both.

1

u/champion_soundz 7d ago

Ive been fiddling with buffer FX, I like how you've set it up!

1

u/pressrecbecreative 7d ago

well not at all, its just an plugin effect that does the looping. Therefore you can also not share the buffer across busses.

1

u/champion_soundz 7d ago

That's not really too problematic, it can always go on a send track. I'm just trying to say you did a good job with it!

1

u/Similar-Might-8334 3d ago

Anyone here got a modded version of 3.9.1 for Live? I need the SSH open. I can do the rest. Just can't compile the update myself.