Image 1 of 2 Akai's Wolf pack is expanding: meet the Timbre Wolf. Akai Timbre Wolf Image 2 of 2 Tom Cat gives you five percussion voices to play with. Akai Tom Cat

NAMM 2015: Its Rhythm Wolf drum machine/bass synth may have had a mixed reception so far, but Akai is pursuing its strategy of releasing affordable analogue instruments by announcing the Timbre Wolf synth and Tom Cat drum machine.

The Timbre Wolf looks particularly bold: a 4-voice polyphonic synth that's set to retail for £300. It can be used as four monosynths, in 4-voice unison mode or as a 4-voice polysynth. Each voice has its own 32-step sequencer, and there's a full-size 25-note keyboard.

Tom Cat, meanwhile, offers kick, snare, hi-hat and clap sounds and chromatically-tunable disco toms. You can adjust the tuning, amplitude envelope and volume of each voice independently.

There are also six pads and a 32-step sequencer, along with swing, pattern select and tempo controls. It's said that you can 'dirty up' your beats using the 'Maul' circuitry. Tom Cat will sell for £150.