"Virtual-Analog Synthesizer with Vocoder Developed in Partnership with AlesisCumberland, R.I. (Aug. 27, 2009) – Akai Professional, the name synonymous with music production, announces that the MINIAK, the synthesizer specifically designed for today’s music production and performance styles, is now shipping to retailers.
The MINIAK is a new synthesizer from Akai Professional. It was developed in partnership with the world-renowned Alesis synthesis team. The MINIAK brings together Akai Professional’s excellent control feel with powerful DSP sound-generation technology. The MINIAK is a perfect synthesizer for producers in the studio and live performers on stage because, while it is extremely compact and portable, it is also a powerful instrument for creating sounds for performance and production.
The MINIAK enables users to create programs with up to eight multi-timbral voices, each with three oscillators. The user can create interesting and unique sounds and take advantage of the synthesizer’s more-than-600 preset sounds. Users can create complex and refined sounds using the MINIAK’s two multimode filters, three envelope generators, two LFOs, stereo effects and 40-band vocoder with gooseneck microphone. The MINIAK also has a comprehensive sequencer with step and dynamic real time phrase sequencing, a drum machine/rhythm sequencer and an arpeggiator.
Users will appreciate the MINIAK’s high-resolution, 24-bit balanced quarter-inch inputs and outputs for excellent sound quality. The MINIAK has a 37-key semi-weighted keyboard with velocity sensitivity for all-in-one performance. It can also be used as a sound source for MPCs, computer software and keyboards via MIDI.
“We have been watching a trend in music production towards using more synth sounds alongside samples,” said Adam Cohen, Director of Business Development, Akai Professional. “The MINIAK is the perfect way for anyone to get into synthesis, yet it is powerful enough for any professional to create the precise sonority they are after.”
The MINIAK is available from musical instrument and professional audio retailers and has a U.S. Retail Price of $699.00 with an estimated street price of $499.00."
Is this a repackaged alesis micron?
ReplyDeleteMy god, it's full of teh fail.
ReplyDeleteWas just going to ask that myself. All the specs look approximately the same.
ReplyDeleteThere was talk about this on the Yahoo group for Ion & Micron. It's basically an improved Micron in an Akai built body.
ReplyDeleteNo USB port and no software editor... sigh...
ReplyDeleteImproved how, exactly?
ReplyDeleteWell, never mind. There's a reference manual up for download now, so I'm going to read that and see what's changed from the Micron...
ReplyDeleteI wonder if in anyway the MPC5000 internal synth is in any way shape or form related to this MiniAk Micron or ION.
ReplyDelete...right, then. As far as I can tell, not only is the Miniak functionally identical to the Micron, it's identical to OS 1.0x of the Micron - OS 1.10 introduced various features, of which the most notable is probably 16-bar patterns, yet the Miniak describes its patterns as limited to 4 bars. Oh dear.
ReplyDeleteThis is just based on the manual, of course; it may well be that the manual has been cut and pasted from the Micron's, and the actual OS has been improved. But...
An aside: the word verification wants me to enter the word "billeeb". Apt, no? ;-)
inteliko: the MPC5K is suspiciously similar to the Fusion, although its VA section has been stripped down. The engines are of equal quality, but do sound different; the underlying hardware is very different, too, in a way that makes porting anything between them very difficult.
ReplyDelete(to clarify: the engines of the Fusion and the Micron are of equal quality but sound different &c)
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone know if the knobs and wheels are improved?
ReplyDeleteSeems to be almost exactly the same specs as the Micron, from what I can tell - just now with proper mod wheels?
ReplyDeleteIf it has the same or similar engine as the Micron, it will be worth the street price, but it certainly doesn't seem to be anything new. I agree with Bogdan above that it would be nice to see USB connectivity and a proper software editor - that would be a whole new ballgame.
You may as well pick up a used Micron from Ebay for $250-$350 (as I did - totally worth it).
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ReplyDeleteDoes anybody have check if this synth works with any of the Micron´s editor??
ReplyDeletehttp://mrbook.org/micronizer/
http://www.bizune.com/microzune.swf
http://midictrl.com/
http://www.hypersynth.com/ion-editor.html
http://music.geocities.jp/icontrolit56/
Thank you if you could give an answer ;)
I have a Micron. I'm not sure if the micron editor will work with the Miniak but there is a Miniak editor out here http://www.bizune.com - I've been using their micron editor for about 2 years, it's got the best interface by a mile. They also have a program for making beats on the synth and it totally rules!
ReplyDelete