Akai 'Tom Cat' / 'Timbre Wolf'

The Lounge Other Gear
#1

Tom Cat:

"Tom Cat is an exciting true analog drum machine with five built-in percussion voices, including Kick, Snare, and Clap sounds with chromatically tunable Disco Toms. Onboard controls—all continuously variable—enable users to customize 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 an ultra-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 ‘dirty up’ their drum beats for just the right effect."

Timbre Wolf:

“The Timbre Wolf is an authentic analog 4-voice polyphonic synthesizer. Configurable as 4 mono synths, a 4-voice unison or a 4-voice polysynth, Timbre Wolf includes a professional quality 25-key custom Akai Pro keybed. The user can easily customize 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.”

The Rhythm Wolf was universally panned so two more synths based on the same engine dont bode well, but you never know…

edit neither videos or pics seem to be successfully embedding at the moment, suggestions…?

Akai Timbrewolf
#2

thanks for the post … i hardly EVER dislike youtube videos … but his , omg… made me cringe ! … cant believie AKAI is putting this out there …

#3

Yeah, my thoughts exactly TrabanT.

One would’ve thought that the reception the Rhythm Wolf got would have got them thinking carefully about what to put out next, but no. They come up with these. And they are pitiful, to be honest.

I mean, the … Well, the bass synth was probably the most hated ‘feature’ of the Wolf, and they go right out and say ‘remember the bass synth on the Wolf? Well, we took four of them and put them in this box and that’s our new analog poly synth!’ It has the punch of a mitten filled with cranberry jam.

I hope somebody at Akai has the guts to kill the, uh, animal range of Akai products. Enough, I say.

#4

I posted here lol it’s terrible

http://www.vintagesynth.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=78530

#5

Oh man… I’m really not one to shit talk gear and hell, I even really liked most of the new roland aira stuff which seems like it puts me outta step with 95% of the music making world but goddamn that “tom cat” just sounds really really bad.

Its like they listened to the last 30+ years of electronic music and chose to just totally ignore it cos I don’t think I’ve ever heard drum sounds like that anywhere before.

Actually I take that back, I had a weird karaoke machine/ boombox toy when I was a little kid that had this really awful built in drum machine as part of it and my first though when i heard the tom cat was that it sounded just like that thing.

Definitely a weird direction for Akai to go in.

#6

I feel a little bit sorry for Akai, sounds are just unpalatable

#7

S950 users
Fatboy Slim, Moby, Skinny Puppy, Depeche Mode, Future Sound of London, Sneaker Pimps, The Bomb Squad, Dr. Dre, DJ Premiere, Prince Paul, Vangelis, Digable Planets, A Guy Called Gerald and Asian Dub Foundation.

Timbre wolf users

Hmm how & when did it all go so wrong for Akai?

1 Like
#8

I can’t believe that a company is so self unaware and has it’s head in the sand so deep that this would actually get to production phase. A company run by the marketing division, it seems. Trying for a trendy cash in and failing miserably.

Also: a two octave poly synth? HIGHLY PLAYABLE

Now to go power up my awesome and unique AX 60 from 30 years ago.

#9

This picture pretty much sums up my thoughts:


As if the guy from Akai literally took a shit on the desk. But product aside, I found myself struggling to care about watching the remainder of both videos since the guy presenting the product comes off pissy and annoying to listen to. Spit out the gum and have some enthusiasm for christ sake.

#10

hmm… not so sure about the rhythm wolf being a complete fail.
while not the best sounding box out there, i find it great to record spontaneous jams on top of better gear. really spices things up with some roughness you usually won’t get out of more expensive instruments.
not saying it’s indispensable, but it has it’s merits (haptics, immediacy, character).
all the better if it doesn’t get overused by everyone! : )

the tom cat is pretty much what i wanted the wolf to be in the first place, but looking at the vids, i’m rather skeptical about the BD, seems to lack punch, just like the wolf’s.
not that it would ever get used as a primary BD, i’d probably use it as an off beat sub hit, while a proper kick comes out of a volca or AR.

as for the wolf’s bass synth… it is kind of shit, but in a good way. turn up the resonance (which attenuates/bandpasses it) and howl (distortion), and you are in distorted, screaming 303 territory, punch, squelch and all.

#11

That gum is just completely insulting as a viewing customer. The only person who may be able to get away with that is Amos from Moog only because he’s presenting kick ass products with such enthusiasm the gun would be the last thing on your mind. This guy presenting these products, i see nothing but the gum.

#12

Dear Akai Professional
This boat has long since sailed & you’re still hanging around in the harbour!

There’s a plethora of boutique manufacturers out there with creative minds.
If I were in your shoes I’d think less about sailing & more about poaching!!!

All the best
A once Akai fan now white water rafting with the MD & AR!
xxx

#13

That gum is just completely insulting as a viewing customer. The only person who may be able to get away with that is Amos from Moog only because he’s presenting kick ass products with such enthusiasm the gun would be the last thing on your mind. This guy presenting these products, i see nothing but the gum. [/quote]
Aww man stop bashing this akai guy.
The products Sound really bad and he knows that.
How enthusiastic would you look if you have present a load of shit.

#14

I know this is inappropriate, but he seems to be chewing a lot of gum, in all the vids. Look at those jaw-muscles, he’s really not having a good time. :zonked:

#15

Lets face it, this has a target market though, which aint really us. Its a save up your paper round money price point, and im sure that when its run through a few cheap guitar pedals in the high school music rooms during a band practise, its far more fun. Rather have a volca though. Am just playing devils advocate btw XD

#16

Actually thinking about it in a year or two these will appear on ebay really cheap, wonder what bending opportunities there are with them? May wait and pick one up to pull apart…

1 Like
#17

can say the same about a tin can, cept you get to eat first :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

#18

Wow this presentation was BAD…so bad it was actually really funny. But maybe we should give it some credit. Lets make a list of bad reviews. This one would come 2nd place:



#19

for me it just seems like its just too similar to the rythm wolf. they should have just combined both ideas into one box

#20

Yeah those new Akai drum boxes sound like shit to me, but I had the same thought. Put em through a weird effects chain and you could do something cool