Musikmesse 2014: Akai Professional today announced the Rhythm Wolf, an analog drum machine and bass synthesizer module with built-in sequencing.

The Rhythm Wolf is an authentic analog instrument that incorporates the sounds of early electronic and hip-hop music into the Akai Professional workflow, enabling musicians to harness “iconic” analog sounds for music production and performance.

The drum machine consists of five “tweakable” drum sounds and includes a kick, snare, open and closed hi-hat, and metallic percussion. On-board controls allow users to separately customize the tuning, amplitude envelopes, and volume of each drum voice 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.

The Rhythm Wolf is also outfitted with six MPC pads and a built-in 32-step sequencer, for a responsive interface with a familiar drum machine layout. Drum patterns can be fine-tuned with Swing function, pattern select, and tempo control knobs. A custom distortion signal path is activated by the Rhythm Wolf’s whimsically named “Howl” knob. It also has USB-MIDI, MIDI In/Out, a gate trigger, and the Rhythm Wolf integrates easily with both 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 and closed hi-hat, and metallic percussion

Synth bass module: selectable square or sawtooth wave

Onboard 32-step sequencer

Six genuine MPC pads for sequencing and finger drumming

“Howl” knob: custom distortion circuit for additional sound design

MIDI connectivity: USB-MIDI and MIDI In/Out

Gate Trigger: for triggering via modular synths, vintage sequencers, or external sound

sources

sources Independent audio outputs: dedicated outputs for the drum machine and synth bass module for more precise mixing

Dedicated outputs for the drum machine and synth-bass

Pricing and Availability

Akai Pro’s Rhythm Wolf will be available worldwide later this summer, with a “street” price of US $199.99. For more information, check out the Akai Professional website.