Akai Timbre WolfIt was only nine months ago that Akai Professional took the music production world by surprise with the announcement of the Rhythm Wolf, and now they're following up with two more similarly animal-themed instruments.
Today Akai announce the introduction of their new Timbre Wolf analogue synthesizer and Tom Cat analogue drum machine.
Timbre Wolf
The Timbre Wolf is an authentic analogue four-voice polyphonic synthesizer. Configurable as four mono synths, a four-voice unison or a four-voice polysynth, Timbre Wolf includes a professional-quality 25-key custom Akai Pro keybed. The user can easily customise the sound of each voice independently as they play, and there is a 32-step sequencer for each voice. An LED display and Octave +/- controls add further control and flexibility for the user.
Tom Cat
Akai Tom CatTom Cat is a true analogue drum machine with five built-in percussion voices, including Kick, Snare, and Clap sounds with chromatically tunable Disco Toms. Onboard controls, all of which are continuously variable, enable users to customise the tuning, amplitude envelopes, and volume of each drum voice separately for precise real-time adjustment.
Outfitted with six MPC-style pads and a built-in 32-step sequencer, Tom Cat provides a responsive interface with a classic drum machine layout. Drum patterns can be fine-tuned using the Swing function, Pattern Select, and Tempo Control knob. A custom signal path, activated by its unique 'Maul' circuitry, lets the user distort their drum beats for just the right effect.
Akai Professional Product Manager Dan Gill notes, “With our new introductions of Timbre Wolf and Tom Cat, we’ve put those classic analogue synthesizer and drum machine sounds directly into the hands of today’s musicians. Our goal was to make a compact analogue polyphonic synthesizer / keyboard and an analogue multi-voice drum machine that easily integrate with both modern and vintage music equipment, so musicians could effortlessly bring that great analog sound into their music. That’s what these two do and the creative potential they open up is endless.”
Timbre Wolf and Tom Cat will be available in Q2 with MSRPs of £299.99 and £149.99 respectively.
We'll be trying them out at the NAMM show so keep you eyes peeled for video demos.
