First of all, this name is pretty badass. A rhythm wolf? It’s Akai Professional’s drum machine and ‘bass synth module’. With five analog drum sounds: an analog kick, snare, percussion synth, open and closed hi-hats, and a single-oscillator bass synth. You get two modes: performance or step mode, allowing you to either play the bass with the lower keys or by certain steps. Let’s take a look at the other features of the Akai Rhythm Wolf.
It’s a 100% analog drum machine. A nice little finish to this drum machine as well with wooden sides. It’s got a USB MIDI in and out, basically sending or receiving USB information.
- Retail price: $199.99
- 32-step sequencer
- Thick sounding drums
- “Howl” knob for distortion customizing for some cool warping of sounds
- The pads are MPC (of course)
- Out in July of 2014
Our rating of the Akai Rhythm Wolf
Well, we’re not so sure as of now. If you’re into some old school analog stuff, this is definitely something to take into consideration. As far as a more digital approach and new-tech vibe, no. We’ve given it a 3 because it isn’t necessarily too relevant in today’s industry, but it really depends on the person. As far as the features go, we really like the thick sound it comes with. Very retro-sounding yet not too warm to where it can still sound relevant in a song today. I’m a huge MPC 1000 and SP1200 fan, so this sound really got me going considering it’s brand new for the year 2014.
Here’s an exclusive video of the Akai Rhythm Wolf in action to hear what it sounds like.
