USB stuff has nothing to do with when a device was released, but with what chipset it was designed. While Yamaha might have been doing a better decision with a more modern chip, it seems Elektron seems to have picked one, that is not able to provide usb audio.
Accusing them for making the problem up to sell more units? What do you think do they want you to buy? There is no update for the AK available. I am quite sure, looking at the firmware politics with Elektron: If they were able to add that feature to the MK1 series, they would have done so.
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The USB bandwidth increased in the mkII’s, but the mk1’s are still capable of streaming multiple audio tracks over OB, so although it may seem that it should be simple to implement class compliant mode too (only 2x2 channels), it clearly isnt, so we have to assume some other technical limitations are stopping it from happening. Oh well. The AK is 7 years old, has been out of production for years, and yet is still getting new features. Is that not a small reason to be cheerful?
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so it seems that it should be simple to implement class compliant
Because I read this kind of statements a lot, I am quite fascinated how many software-developers with lots of experience in developing firmware for hardware devices are around here 
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FWIW I wasn’t stating that it’s simple to do. I was trying to make the point that it may seem simple to us on the outside, given the existing possibilities of OB. Post above edited to make more sense
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Like how easy it is to score a number one single, because there are so many already, can’t be that hard.
Didn’t mean you in person. It’s just getting more and more, that people argue about how easy something is to do, without having any clue about the material at all, based on some self-constructed facts, while it is mostly obvious (Let’s don’t talk Akai here 
), that the companies would, if they could.
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I can assure you that @garf and myself (and others) are privy to some insider snippets that it wouldn’t be fair or appropriate to share, but we get occasional straight feedback to such queries and I can assure everyone that this is not a light decision being made by Elektron, there are genuine reasons - and to be blunt, some of it results from a lack of anticipation of OB itself, this is documented somewhere in the open forum, but the original circuits for the Mk1s had an issue with noise when the faster than we see USB 2 chipset was utilised - it had to be throttled back to USB 1.1 speed minimise the issue
So the issue stems from the boards, not the chipset, there’s been many hoops jumped through to get partial OB streaming on those and for undisclosed reasons it hasn’t been possible on the Mk1s - I’m going to go out on a limb here, but the Mk2s had Class Compliant audio a while back but even on those it had to be pulled - it was not as straightforward as folk may like to think - the up-selling $ argument is just ridiculous, you can be sure of that
I too had the same concerns that if it was possible to accommodate X bandwidth on OB it surely would be doable to accommodate X-Y bandwidth, but the equation is evidently not that simple - nothing works in isolation, I guess it’s like they’re conducting an orchestra - there are other players in this and I have complete confidence when I hear the Elektron peeps say that they couldn’t deliver what they wanted without great consequence to achieve and support it given those constraints
Either way, it is what it is, there’s a tonne of things I think are inexcusably implemented or absent, but you have to just hope and wait and focus on the possibilities, not the stuff you (a frustrated community) perceive as missing
The other thing to keep in mind is that development happens in cycles, often there’s no time to schedule in small nice things as it appears the teams work on the next thing in fairly focussed chunks of time - we may see a few bug tweaks on the analogs, but then it’ll be a long wait whilst the other gear is worked on - time can be a factor too, it may just have been unworkable to devote the time necessary without sacrificing other functionality, and to be fair we’re talking about legacy gear that is still getting great firmware boosts. There’s more reasons to be happy than sad, but that is the way of the internet
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Maybe not audio, but I was able to send midi clock OUT of the A4 USB, into my iPad via iTrack dock. I haven’t tested more to see if the iPad sees notes as well, but it’s getting midi clock from the A4 via usb…
I don’t screw around with iPad much, because I’d rather have the A4 plugged into my macbookpro so I can use the VST editor…
Yeah, enough with these self-truths on what Elektron does and why. Like some other folks here, I know a thing or two I’d never tell cause that’s how trust works, but the stronger bond is when you trust and don’t know. We’re not entitled to full insight and if we require it before we can trust good intentions, the issue is with ourselves and we’re free to walk away.
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Elektron be like:
Edit: this is sarcasm. I don’t believe elektron are deliberately crippling the AK to get OP to buy anything. That’s just silly.
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I see the argument that xxxxx piece of gear has a certain feature why doesn’t xxxx2!have it . I’m not sure it’s relevant
If this were valid then why not apply it to pc , cars , tv’s , toasters , drills , cameras.
New apple laptops have usb 3 why don’t 10 year old apple laptops have as quick usb … because things get quicker and things develop( obviously ) …
2nd argument
An old Yamaha keyboard having a certain feature has no relevance to another manufacturer having the same feature. Otherwise why doesn’t my bass station2 have class compliant audio , or my brand new pro1 … it has usb.
If you simplify any feature to ‘usb is all the same ‘ then why not ‘ graphics cards are all the same ‘ and therefore why hasn’t my ps1 had a free firmware upgrade to run ps2 games … ?
Of course many devices are sold on specific pieces of hardware being upgraded with great a great deal of info about it. They’re sold on specific specs being improved , how else would nvidia stay in business
Maybe if synths called out the specific chipsets used then it might be more obvious , personally I think this would be silly.
The analog keys is old tech , analog 4 mk2 isn’t just a new box, things changed .
Plus I suspect it’s a niche product that didn’t warrant the effort in making mark2 so they focused on other newer modern boxes .
I think there is some logic in this post somewhere. I’ll read it again in an hour and probably delete it.
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Fragments on iOS is far better than the vst editor
They are totally trying to force us to buy the AK mkII
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It doesn’t exist ( unless I missed something ).
( I wonder if there are car threads with people upset that old cars don’t have upgraded features of new ones. People are being forced to buy new cars ?? )
The AK has too many features. Waaaay too many.
I’d like to see an Alt OS that removes all sequencing capabilities, all project management and sound management.
First world problems 
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Yip, I replied to a sarcastic comment with yet more sarcasm.
There is no AK mkII, you are correct.
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Hi all. OP here. Welcome to sarcastic community (sarcastic generation). Not only sarcastic but also apparently Elektron’s shareholders (allow me this sarcasm please). For those who don’t remember, it was known (or at least suspected) FOR YEARS that AK or A4 were capable of midi out and it was clear that there was not such feature because that would impact octatrack (which already had it at the time) Until finally, YEARS after A4 and AK came out, MIDI OUT capabilities were included even for oldwe models. In the meantime, hundreds (thousands?) of users bought octatrack almost only for this feature (of course taking advantage of the rest of its features). For this and many other similar examples in the last few decades on many other synths, the car’s example does not apply.
Regarding AK, it is clear that I am referring to sell it for buying the A4 MKIi (plus controller).
Even more: does elektron have the right to do it even for commercial purposes? The answer is yes. It is just I don’t like it, because I paid a lot for the three devices I have (with quality issues). And when I say a lot I am comparing with other devices.
Very glad you received these machines for free (my last sarcasm).
utterly speculative and already debunked as a nonsense argument - it’s beyond pointless now to keep throwing this stuff out there
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Not speculative since the moment we now know they finally had the ability to do it!
Maybe pointless for you, not for me. It shows some logic behind a company.
that was never what was said in the first place - there was never a denial it could be done, it was quite clear it was driven by nothing to do with these arguments
no, it only shows how cynically other people tend to think the whole world works and how little research goes into most of those assertions
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So now you also call me cynical? Is this forum some kind of an autocracy led by you?