Akai Analog Drum Machine

[natrixgli]

Got this reply from Akai today regarding the scaling issue:

The Rhythm Wolf uses analog oscillators that can vary depending on voltage, humidity, and temperature. Of the thousands of units sold, a limited but not negligible number of customers have reported that their bass synths will not scale properly. They were set at the manufacturer prior to shipping. We are in the process of developing an application that allows the end user (i.e., you) to adjust the tuning on the Rhythm Wolf bass synth via the firmware on the unit and the USB cable. We are expecting that in the coming weeks.

[Walter Ego]

Had a chance to fink around with a Rhythm Wolf last night at GC.

(Sidebar--the keyboard section of this Guitar Center was really badly organized. Nothing was plugged in--I had to steal a cable from a MiniBrute just to hear it. Almost everything was disconnected. I don't know how they're going to sell any synths if they won't even connect them to a mixer.)

Anyway...I found programming very easy. Nice workflow on the rhythm making. And though I am disappointed to say it, I found the bass synth very underwhelming. The resonance cancels out the signal and the howl feature is okay, but I don't think it adds a very musical distortion. It really could have benefitted from some more development. As a drum machine, I like its character and programmability. Weakish snare, but I like the sort of tame white noise percussion. Still a great deal at $200. I just wish it had a song mode. And of course multiple outs would be cool, but for the price, you get what you get.

The next step is for someone (read: KORG or ARTURIA) to release a fully spec'd drum machine. Both those companies seem poised in the market to do that. Okay, I guess Elektron already kind of did. But maybe a mass producer...

I thought Korg might have gone all in after the success of the Volcas, but instead they went the other direction with the Electribes.

[calaverasgrande]

I wonder if Arturia would want to eat into the Spark/SparkLe market share with an Arturia analog drum machine?
Well I suppose you could say the same for their brutes vs their analog sim/controller packages, so maybe that point is moot.
korg already gave us the Volcas and their new electribes. I would love to see them debut an analog rhthymer with a song mode. But I doubt it.

I'm also curious if we will see an Alesis version of this that is badged differently. They did it with that one drum machine, model escapes me, but it was basically one model with Akai and Alesis versions (same parent company).

[Blue Monster 65]

I'm also curious if we will see an Alesis version of this that is badged differently. They did it with that one drum machine, model escapes me, but it was basically one model with Akai and Alesis versions (same parent company).

The Akai XR20. It was similar to the Alesis SR-18, but had a different layout and very different sounds. That said, I'd like to see what Alesis would do with the Rhythm Wolf's guts, too. I wonder if it would be different enough to make a difference, if you know what I mean.

[calaverasgrande]

I don't recall where, maybe it was gearsluts or tape op. someone had pics of the guts of both machines and it was basically the same pcb and chips, just different sounds inside and buttons outside.
I'm not aware of any other akai alesis crossovers. maybe numark didn't see any benefit from alesis mpc's or akai reverbs.

[salwa]

I don't recall where, maybe it was gearsluts or tape op. someone had pics of the guts of both machines and it was basically the same pcb and chips, just different sounds inside and buttons outside.
I'm not aware of any other akai alesis crossovers. maybe numark didn't see any benefit from alesis mpc's or akai reverbs.

Wasn't Miniak rehoused Alesis Micron? Or there were differences between them?

[Blue Monster 65]

The only difference that I recall was the housing.

[Stab Frenzy]

The only difference that I recall was the housing.

Yeah they were the same as the SR-18/XR20, same voice board with a different enclosure and control board.

[chipaudette]

Not a terribly flattering review:

http://createdigitalmusic.com/2014/11/a ... an-better/

Bummer. I want it to be a winner.

Chip

[calaverasgrande]

thats a pretty whiny review.
It costs $200, has midi and CV. The complaints are unrealistic. It' isn't perfect, it does not have features of other drum machines that aren't analog or aren't $200.

If you want knobs that transmit CC in addition to controlling the analog stuff, you want to pay a buck more per knob.
If you want additional outs, you want to pay for multiple busses and output amplifiers per each. Check out the price difference between an 8 buss mixer and a plain stereo one. It adds up.
I'll reserve judgement until I can make it to a GC or some other store.
Honestly I hope they flop and I can buy one on clearance for $100. I dont need anything like this, but I dig it.

[supermel74]

His main complaint is that it sounds like garbage.

[sequentialsoftshock]

I like how the emphasis was on the snare. =D

[calaverasgrande]

I didn't see him do much to fix the sounds. just "see it sounds like c**p out of the box, I twisted a knob and it wasn't fatt beatz".
99% of real vintage analog wasn't a 909 or 303. people should stop having these absurd high expectations for cheap toys that have midi and cv!

[griffin avid]

I'll reserve judgement until I can make it to a GC or some other store.

But you won't reserve judgement for the people that actually have used it and are reviewing it.
Point blank, they are saying it does not sound good.
Not the base tone or the filters or what they hyped and included as its main effect --> HOWL.

And worse it arrives to stand next to another piece that does a bunch of this (suggested as) better.
What did everyone expect that was absurd? A useable analog drum machine for cheap.
It actually sounds like a lot, but as others pointed out, it's not in context of what already is on offer by other companies.

If the answer to every thing that sounds cheap is to hook it to other things that are expensive...
Sounds like more Western thinking to me...
I dunno.

Someone will probably grab this and make something incredible and everyone will go bats over it.


We live in a production-heavy time, with lots of choices and competition.
That alone changes expectations.
It's always the solid verse the sound.
Physical experience verse the end result.
How you make stuff verse what stuffs you make.
Turned on by the box? Get it and make it work....
Think it sounds weak? Don't get one.

FREE wouldn't make me use something that I didn't like the sound of.
And I suspect, for most of us round these parts, it's more about SPACE at this point.
That said, I'm still looking at the KORG tribe. That sounded good.

[calaverasgrande]

I'll reserve judgement until I can make it to a GC or some other store.

But you won't reserve judgement for the people that actually have used it and are reviewing it.
Point blank, they are saying it does not sound good.
Not the base tone or the filters or what they hyped and included as its main effect --> HOWL.

And worse it arrives to stand next to another piece that does a bunch of this (suggested as) better.
What did everyone expect that was absurd? A useable analog drum machine for cheap.
It actually sounds like a lot, but as others pointed out, it's not in context of what already is on offer by other companies.

If the answer to every thing that sounds cheap is to hook it to other things that are expensive...
Sounds like more Western thinking to me...
I dunno.

Someone will probably grab this and make something incredible and everyone will go bats over it.


We live in a production-heavy time, with lots of choices and competition.
That alone changes expectations.
It's always the solid verse the sound.
Physical experience verse the end result.
How you make stuff verse what stuffs you make.
Turned on by the box? Get it and make it work....
Think it sounds weak? Don't get one.

FREE wouldn't make me use something that I didn't like the sound of.
And I suspect, for most of us round these parts, it's more about SPACE at this point.
That said, I'm still looking at the KORG tribe. That sounded good.

or maybe instead of bitching about how bad it sounds, try turning knobs?
I think if this was the product of some kickstarter people would be jumping up anddown about how much they love it. Akai they expect gold plated thunder.

OTOH, what are these other 'great' cheap analog drum machines? I was kind of bored by the volca, and it is pretty limited in terms of ins and outs. Is there some other?