Real or not? You be the judge. I'm not seeing anything on the Akai site yet. This one is in via Soviet Space Child. Synthtopia is reporting on it and the following is via Gearslutz. $199 price point.
Update: some discussion on The MATRIXSYNTH Lounge
Update2: looks like the Akai site is down. Updates coming or too much traffic?
Update3: The site is back and the info is up here. Supersize image and press release captured further below.
"Musikmesse 2014: Following in the wake of the Korg Volcas and Roland's Aira range, Akai is the latest brand to get in on the vintage-inspired groovebox action with the announcement of the Rhythm Wolf – an analogue unit combining a five-voice drum machine and single-ocsillator bass synth.
The drum machine section of the Rhythm Wolf comprises kick, snare, metallic percussion, and open and closed hi-hat sounds, all of which are tuneable. The bass synth, meanwhile, can be switched between saw and square waveshapes, and features a filter with resonance control and a basic envelope shaper. Akai describes Rhythm Wolf as having an "authentic analog design that references classic rhythm machines and synthesizers" - no prizes for guessing which instruments the company is alluding to.
The whole unit is built around a 32-step sequencer, and also features six MPC pads for live performance. There's also a 'Howl' distortion circuit for adding a bit of dirt to the sounds. Additionally, the Rhythm Wolf features a USB MIDI connection and has both MIDI and gate in and out ports, so can be triggered via a DAW or external hardware. It packs a swing control on its front panel, and the unit also appears to have a built-in preset bank.
Arguably the most interesting aspect of the Rhythm Wolf, however, is its price. At an estimated street price of $199, the unit comes in at slightly cheaper than the combined price of the Volca Beats and Bass, and cheaper than either the Roland TR-8 or TB-3.
The Rhythm Wolf is due to arrive summer 2014. Visit Akai Professional for more details.
Rhythm Wolf highlights (from the official press release)
5-voice analog drum machine and synth—authentic analog design that references classic rhythm machines and synthesizers
Legendary analog drum sounds—kick, snare, open & closed hi-hat, and metallic percussion
Synth-bass module—selectable square or sawtooth wave with classic filter design for warm, deep basses and squelchy leads.
Onboard 32-step sequencer—classic drum machine workflow for quickly laying down grooves and melodies
Six genuine MPC pads—responsive controls for sequencing and finger drumming
Howl knob—custom distortion circuit for additional sound design
USB-MIDI and MIDI In/Out—flexible MIDI connectivity for easy integration into modern studios
Gate Trigger—triggering via modular synths, vintage sequencers, or external sound sources
Independent audio outputs—dedicated outputs for the drum machine and synth-bass module for precise mixing"
Update: full size pic & press release:
Leading music production equipment manufacturer debuts an analog drum machine and bass synthesizer inspired by the classics.
Cumberland, RI, USA—March 11, 2014. Akai Professional (akaipro.com), a leading innovator of music equipment for production and performance, announces the Rhythm Wolf, an analog drum machine and bass synthesizer module with built-in sequencing.
The Rhythm Wolf is an authentic analog instrument that combines the coveted sounds of early electronic and hip-hop music with genuine Akai Professional workflow. Inspired by the classic analog beat machines and synthesizers of the past, Rhythm Wolf enables today’s musicians to harness iconic analog sounds for music production and performance. The drum machine consists of five highly-tweakable drum sounds and includes a kick, snare, open & closed hi-hat, and metallic percussion. Onboard controls allow users to customize the tuning, amplitude envelopes, and volume of each drum voice separately for precise real-time adjustment. The bass synthesizer features a selectable oscillator (sawtooth or square wave), classic filter design, a filter envelope with variable decay, and is capable of creating powerful bass sounds and squelchy leads.
Outfitted with six genuine MPC pads and a built-in 32-step sequencer, the Rhythm Wolf provides an ultra-responsive interface with a classic drum machine layout. Drum patterns can be fine-tuned using the Rhythm Wolf features USB-MIDI, MIDI In/Out, a gate trigger, and integrates seamlessly with modern and vintage equipment.
Rhythm Wolf Highlights:
• 5-voice analog drum machine and synth—authentic analog design that references classic rhythm machines and synthesizers
• Legendary analog drum sounds—kick, snare, open & closed hi-hat, and metallic percussion
• Synth-bass module—selectable square or sawtooth wave with classic filter design for warm, deep basses and squelchy leads.
• Onboard 32-step sequencer—classic drum machine workflow for quickly laying down grooves and melodies
Swing function, Pattern Select, and Tempo Control knob. A custom
distortion signal path, activated by the “Howl” knob, adds grit and character for additional tone
shaping.
Two audio outputs enable producers and
performers to mix percussion sounds and bass independently.
• Six genuine MPC pads—responsive controls for sequencing and finger drumming
• Howl knob—custom distortion circuit for additional sound design
• USB-MIDI and MIDI In/Out—flexible MIDI connectivity for easy integration into modern
studios
• Gate Trigger—triggering via modular synths, vintage sequencers, or external sound
• —dedicated outputs for the drum machine and synth-bass
Akai Professional Product Manager Dan Gill notes, “The Rhythm Wolf puts those sought after analog drum machine and synthesizer sounds right into the hands of today’s musicians. We set out to make a compact drum machine and bass synthesizer, inspired by the classics, that can adapt to any studio setup and integrate with modern and vintage music equipment.”
The Rhythm Wolf will be available in Summer 2014, distributed worldwide with a $199.99 USD street price. Akai Professional will unveil the Rhythm Wolf at Musikmesse, Hall 5.1, Booth B45, March 12-15 in Frankfurt, Germany. For more information, visit: akaipro.com/messe2014.
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About Akai Professional
The world’s most influential manufacturer of music production gear, Akai Professional (akaipro.com) develops creative technologies to empower music makers with tools that are unmatched in expressive capability. Akai Professional is best known for creating the legendary MPC, an instrument that has inspired generations of producers and performers and spawned entirely new genres of music. Akai Professional is a part of the inMusic Brands family (www.inmusicbrands.com)."
Update4:
Musikmesse 2014: Akai Rhythm Wolf Video
Published on Mar 11, 2014 delamartv·373 videos
Unfortunately no audio demo.
