Akai Explained

Akai
Type:Manufacturer
Foundation:as Akai Electric Company Ltd, Tokyo, Japan
Location:Hong Kong
Parent:Grande Holdings (1999–present)
inMusic Brands (Akai Professional)
Industry:Electronics
Products:Hi-fi equipment
Homepage:

Akai (Japanese: 赤井, pronounced as /ja/) is a Hong Kong manufacturer of consumer electronics. It was founded as Akai Electric Company Ltd in Tokyo, Japan, in 1946.

Following the controversial collapse of the original business in 2000, the Akai brand is now owned by Grande Holdings in Hong Kong which distributes various electronic products such as LED TV, washing machines, clothes dryers, air conditioners and smart phones, through collaborations with other electronics companies bearing relevant expertise.

The "Akai Professional" electronic instrument division was spun off in 1999 and remains under separate ownership from that of the main "Akai" brand.

Corporate history

Akai was founded by Masukichi Akai and his son, Saburo Akai (who died in 1973) as, a Japanese manufacturer in 1929[1] [2] [3] or 1946.[4]

The company's business eventually became discombobulated and it left the audio industry in 1991. At its peak in the late 1990s, Akai Holdings employed 100,000 workers and had annual sales of HK$40 billion (US$5.2 billion). The company filed for insolvency in November 2000, owing creditors US$1.1B.[5] It emerged that ownership of Akai Holdings had somehow passed in 1999 to Grande Holdings, a company founded by Akai's chairman James Ting. The liquidators claimed that Ting had stolen over US$800m from the company with the assistance of accountants Ernst & Young who had tampered with audit documents going back to 1994.[6] Ting was imprisoned for false accounting in 2005, and E&Y paid $200m to settle the negligence case out of court in September 2009.[7] In a separate lawsuit, a former E&Y partner, Christopher Ho, made a "substantial payment" to Akai creditors in his role as chairman of Grande Holdings.

The "Akai Professional" division specialising in electronic instruments became a separate business in 1999. It was bought in 2005 by businessman Jack O'Donnell (later becoming a part of his inMusic Brands group)[8] and is no longer associated with the main "Akai" brand.

History

Historical products

Akai's products included reel-to-reel audiotape recorders (such as the GX series), tuners (top level AT, mid level TR and TT series), audio cassette decks (top level GX and TFL, mid level TC, HX and CS series), amplifiers (AM and TA series), microphones, receivers, turntables, video recorders and loudspeakers.

Many Akai products were sold under the name Roberts in the US, as well as A&D in Japan (from 1987 after a partnership with Mitsubishi Electric), Tensai and Transonic Strato in Western Europe. During the late 1960s, Akai adopted Tandberg's cross-field recording technologies (using an extra tape head) to enhance high frequency recording and switched to the increasingly reliable Glass and crystal (X'tal) (GX) ferrite heads a few years later. The company's most popular products were the GX-630D, GX-635D, GX-747/GX-747DBX and GX-77 open-reel recorders (latter featuring an auto-loading function), the three-head, closed-loop GX-F95, GX-90, GX-F91, GX-R99 cassette decks, and the AM-U61, AM-U7 and AM-93 stereo amplifiers.

Akai manufactured and badged most of its imported hi-fi products with the Tensai brand (named after the Swiss audio and electronics distributor Tensai International). Tensai International was Akai's exclusive distributor for the Swiss and Western European markets until 1988.

Akai limited its consumer hi-fi product line in the United States and Europe towards the end of the 20th century.

Introduction of the on-screen display

Akai produced consumer video cassette recorders (VCR) during the mid 1980s. The Akai VS-2 was the first VCR with an on-screen display,[9] originally named the Interactive Monitor System. By displaying the information directly on the television screen, this innovation eliminated the need for the user to be physically near the VCR to program recording, read the tape counter, or perform other common features. Within a few years, all competing manufacturers had adopted on-screen display technology in their own products.

Akai Professional

In 1984, a new division of the company was formed to focus on the manufacture and sale of electronic instruments, and was called Akai Professional.

The first product released by the new subsidiary was the MG1212, a 12 channel, 12 track recorder.[10] This innovative device used a special VHS-like cartridge (a MK-20), and was good for 10 minutes of continuous 12 track recording (19 cm per second) or 20 minutes at half speed (9.5 cm per second). One track (14) was permanently dedicated to recording absolute time, and another one for synchronization such as SMPTE or MTC. Each channel strip included dbx type-1 noise reduction and semi-parametric equalizers (with fixed bandwidths). The unit also had innovations like an electronic 2 bus system, a 12 stereo channel patch bay and auto punch in and out, among others. The unique transport design and noise reduction gave these units a recording quality rivaling that of more expensive 16 track machines using 1" tape. The MG-1212 was later replaced by the MG-1214, which improved the transport mechanism and overall performance.

AX series analog synthesizers

See main article: Akai AX80 and Akai AX60.

Other early products included the Akai AX80 8-voice analog synthesizer in 1984,[10] followed by AX60 and AX73 6-voice analog synthesizers ca.1986.[11] [12] The AX-60 borrowed many ideas from the Roland Juno series, but used voltage controlled analog oscillators (VCO) as a sound source as opposed to Roland's more common digitally controlled analog oscillators (DCO), and also allowed the performer to "split" the keyboard (using different timbres for different ranges of keys). The AX-60 also had the ability to interface with Akai's early samplers through a serial cable, using 12-bit samples as an additional oscillator.[13]

Digital Samplers (S, X, Z series)

The S612 12-bit digital sampler in 1985, was the first in a series of (relatively) affordable samplers already in 19-inch studio-rack format but in black color.[10] It held only a single sample at a time, which was loaded into memory via a separate disk drive utilizing Quick Disk 2.8-inch floppy disks. The maximum sample time at the highest quality sampling rate (32 kHz) was one second.

The introduction of a "professional" range of digital samplers began with the 12-bit S900 in 1986,[10] followed by the X7000 keyboard sampler in 1986,[14] and the S700 rack-mount version in 1987.[10] Unlike the single-sample S612, however, they allowed the use of six active samples at once, had a built-in disk drive and could be extended with six individual outputs via cable and a flash memory extension which added another six samples to the memory for multisample playback. The S700/X7000 sampler series were light-grey colored, which didn't change throughout the whole "professional" range of Akai samplers.

The 16-bit Akai S1000 series followed in 1988, adding the option to read CD-ROMs and write to hard disks via SCSI. This range was superseded by the S3000 series in 1993, with optional built-in CD-ROM drive, followed by the S5000 and S6000. Additional releases of note were the Z4 and Z8 24-bit 96 kHz samplers.[10]

Sampler Models[15]

MPC

See main article: Akai MPC. Akai also produced several Digital MIDI sequencers and digital synthesizers such as the MPC range, a line of integrated drum machines, MIDI sequencers, samplers and direct-to-disk recorders.

New ownership of Akai Professional

In December 1999, one year before the application of the to Akai Electric Company Ltd., the brand of its musical instrument division, Akai Professional was acquired by a company of the United States. The new company was dubbed "Akai Professional Musical Instrument Corporation".[16] (AKAI professional M.I.) was established in the same year, however it was bankrupted in 2005.[17]

In 2004, following a US distribution deal, the Akai Professional Musical Instrument division was acquired by Jack O'Donnell, owner of Numark Industries and Alesis. In 2012, inMusic Brands was formed as a parent company for O'Donnell's companies, including Akai Professional.

Current products

In early 2003, Grande Holdings began undergoing a re-exposure of Akai's brands by marketing various audio visual products manufactured by Samsung. In the same year, Grande began to distribute Akai home appliances such as air conditioners, vacuum cleaners, and refrigerators. In the 2010s, it began to distribute Akai smart phones in collaboration with some Chinese smart phone manufacturers such as Gionee, in India and other countries.

Video

Mobile sound

Home appliances

Audio

Digital

Television

Akai Professional products

Synthesizers

Music Production Center

See main article: Akai MPC.

Computer audio interfaces

Drum machines

Electronic wind instruments

Effects units / Utilities

Guitar pedals

iPod/iPad Keyboard Controllers

MIDI Sequencers

Standalone Multi-track Audio Recorders

Studio Monitor Speakers

USB MIDI / MIDI controllers

See also

Notes

  1. Web site: Akai Electric Company Ltd. . Reel to Reel Tape Recorder Manufacturers . Museum of Magnetic Sound Recording . 2013-07-02.
  2. Web site: About Akai . akai.com . Akai . 2013-07-02.
  3. Web site: Akai History . adt-digital.com . Akai . 2013-07-02 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130810022721/http://adt-digital.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3&Itemid=2 . 10 August 2013 . dead .
  4. Although reliable sources are not yet found, according to the several sources (kotobank.jp,), Masukichi Akai established Akai Press Industry in 1923, then his son, Saburo Akai established Akai Electric Company Ltd. in 1946, and Masukichi served as the president of both.
  5. Web site: Akai Liquidator to Receive Payment in Settlement With Grande . Bloomberg . John . Duce . Andrea . Tan . 5 October 2009 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140222154521/http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aWP18uiUC6dQ . 22 February 2014.
  6. News: Raids, arrest as fraud police probe Akai files . Naomi . Rovnick . Clifford . Lo. 30 September 2009 . South China Morning Post.
  7. News: Ernst & Young pays up to settle negligence claim . Naomi . Rovnick . 27 January 2010 . South China Morning Post.
  8. Web site: About inMusic and Jack O'Donnell. In 2005 [..] O’Donnell purchased [..] Akai Professional, one of the world’s most influential manufacturers of music production gear. https://web.archive.org/web/20230326021149/https://www.inmusicbrands.com/about/. 2023-03-26. 2023-05-24.
  9. News: The Sydney Morning Herald . 24 Apr 1983 . Stylish Akai VS-2 appeal .
  10. Web site: Akai Professional / Akai Digital – Product History . Akai Professional M.I. . c. 1999 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120130202811/http://www.hollowsun.com/gagnon/about/prod_hist.html . 30 January 2012 .
  11. Web site: Akai AX60 . vintage synth explorer.
  12. Web site: Akai AX73 . vintage synth explorer.
  13. Web site: Akai Professional AX73 / VX90 / AX60 . https://archive.today/20130728105502/http://www.hollowsun.com/gagnon/products/archive/ax73/index.html . dead . 2013-07-28 . Archive Products . AKAI Professional M.I. Corp. . 1999–2005 . (archived on HollowSun.com). “The AX73 was a simple analogue synthesiser based around the Curtis CEM 3394 chips ... Internally, the AX60 had the same voice architecture as the AX73 and VX90 ... Common to all models in the range, however, was a proprietary 13-pin DIN socket that allowed you to connect an S900 for processing through the synths' analogue filters. ...”
  14. Web site: Akai X7000 . vintage synth explorer.
  15. Web site: Akai Synthesizers . Encyclotronic . 6 October 2020 .
  16. Web site: Akai Professional / Akai Digital – Company History . AKAI professional M.I. Corp. . c. 1999 . Akai Professional entered the electronic musical instrument world in 1984 with one purpose – to give artists the tools they need to express and explore new musical ideas.”, “In 1999, Akai Professional Musical Instruments Corporation (APMI) was formed. . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130503082508/http://www.hollowsun.com/gagnon/about/index.html . 3 May 2013 .
  17. News: . 2005-12-07 . ja:アカイプロフェッショナルエムアイが破産手続き開始 . Akai Professional M.I. entered bankrupt proceedings. . http://www.kanalog.jp/news/local/entry_16076.html . https://web.archive.org/web/20060112023246/http://www.kanalog.jp/news/local/entry_16076.html . 12 January 2006 . ja . 民間信用調査会社の帝国データバンク横浜支店によると、音響機器製造のアカイプロフェッショナルエムアイ（横浜市都筑区北山田、駿河道生社長、従業員十七人）は七日までに、東京地裁から破産手続き開始決定を受けた。...　同社は一九九九年十二月、赤井電機（東京都）の電子楽器部門のブランドを買収した米国系企業が、製造・販売目的で設立した。 . dead. [Abstract: according to the private credit research company, [[:ja:帝国データバンク|Teikoku Databank]] Yokohama branch, by the 7th (December 2005), Akai Professional M.I. received a bankruptcy proceedings decision by the Tokyo District Court. ... Akai Professional M.I. was established in December 1999 to focus on the manufacture and sale of electronic musical instruments, by a company of the United States who acquired the brand(s) of musical instrument division of Akai Electric Company Ltd.]
  18. Tape dec
  19. Web site: Akai SG01v. Sound On Sound. February 1996. https://web.archive.org/web/20150606081142/http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/1996_articles/feb96/akaisg01.html. 6 June 2015.
  20. Web site: Akai Miniak. Sound On Sound. May 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20150607013720/http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/may10/articles/akaiminiak.htm. 7 June 2015.
  21. Sampling The Japanese Way. Sound on Sound. December 1985. 34–8. 0951-6816. 925234032.
  22. Akai S900 – Revisited. Sound on Sound. October 1987. 40. 0951-6816. 925234032.
  23. Akai X7000 Sampling Keyboard. Sound on Sound. January 1987. 0951-6816. 925234032.
  24. Web site: Akai S700. Sound on Sound. March 2001. https://web.archive.org/web/20151017191405/http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/mar01/articles/retroakais700.asp. 17 October 2015.
  25. Akai S950 Digital Sampler. Music Technology. January 1989. 50–52. 0957-6606. 24835173.
  26. Akai S1000. Sound on Sound. November 1988. 0951-6816. 925234032.
  27. Akai S1100. Sound on Sound. December 1990. 0951-6816. 925234032.
  28. Akai S01 Sampler. Sound on Sound. November 1992. 0951-6816. 925234032.
  29. Akai S3000 and S2800 Samplers. Sound on Sound. March 1993. 0951-6816. 925234032.
  30. Akai CD3000. Sound on Sound. September 1993. 0951-6816. 925234032.
  31. Web site: Akai S2000. Sound on Sound. November 1995. https://web.archive.org/web/20150608005310/http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/1995_articles/nov95/akais2000.html. 8 June 2015.
  32. Web site: Akai S20. Sound on Sound. July 1997. https://web.archive.org/web/20150919151142/http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/1997_articles/jul97/akais20.html. 19 September 2015.
  33. Web site: Akai CD3000XL. Sound on Sound. January 1997. https://web.archive.org/web/20150608013404/http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/1997_articles/jan97/akaicd3000xl.htm. 8 June 2015.
  34. Web site: Paul . White . Akai S5000 & S6000 . Sound on Sound . January 1999 . 16 May 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20060523091422/http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/jan99/articles/akais5000.325.htm . 23 May 2006 .
  35. Web site: Akai Z-Series. Sound on Sound. July 2002. https://web.archive.org/web/20151017191340/http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/jul02/articles/akaiz8.asp. dead. 17 October 2015.
  36. Web site: Akai MPX16. Sound on Sound. May 2015. 26 June 2018.
  37. Akai MPC60. Music Technology. April 1988. 40–44. 0957-6606. 24835173.
  38. Web site: Akai MPC2000. Sound on Sound. April 1997. https://web.archive.org/web/20150607055654/http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/1997_articles/apr97/akaimcp2000.html. 7 June 2015.
  39. Web site: Akai MPC 4000. Sound on Sound. September 2002. https://web.archive.org/web/20150405232643/http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/Sep02/articles/akaimpc4000.asp. 5 April 2015.
  40. Web site: Akai MPC500. Sound on Sound. May 2007. https://web.archive.org/web/20150607080043/http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/may07/articles/mpc500.htm. 7 June 2015.
  41. Web site: Akai MPC2500. Sound on Sound. January 2007. https://web.archive.org/web/20150613122550/http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/jan07/articles/akaimpc2500.htm. 13 June 2015.
  42. Akai MPC5000. Future Music. 203. Future Publishing. 0967-0378. 1032779031.
  43. Web site: Akai MPC5000. Sound on Sound. December 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20150606091121/http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/dec08/articles/akaimpc5000.htm. 6 June 2015.
  44. Web site: Akai MPC Renaissance. Sound on Sound. February 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20150405235635/http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/feb13/articles/akai-mpc-renaissance.htm. 5 April 2015.
  45. Web site: Akai MPC Studio. Sound on Sound. June 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20150607061058/http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/jun13/articles/akai-mpc-studio.htm. 7 June 2015.
  46. Web site: Akai MPC Touch. Sound on Sound. September 2016. 26 June 2018.
  47. Web site: Akai MPC Live. Sound on Sound. April 2017. 26 June 2018.
  48. Web site: Akai MPCX. Sound on Sound. September 2017. 26 June 2018.
  49. Web site: Akai EIE Pro. Sound on Sound. May 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20150608202458/http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/may12/articles/akai-eie-pro.htm. 8 June 2015.
  50. Akai XE8 Drum Box. Sound on Sound. December 1988. 42–4. 0951-6816. 925234032.
  51. Akai XE8. 84. Music Technology. April 1989. 3. 5. 0957-6606. 24835173.
  52. Akai XR10. Music Technology. June 1990. 42–6. 0957-6606. 24835173.
  53. Web site: Akai XR20. Sound on Sound. July 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20150608204238/http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/jul08/articles/akaixr20.htm. 8 June 2015.
  54. Web site: Akai Rhythm Wolf. Sound on Sound. March 2015. 26 June 2018.
  55. Akai EWI-2000 & EWV-2000. Music Technology. April 1988. 33–5. 0957-6606. 24835173.
  56. Akai EX90R. Music Technology. March 1988. 32–3. 0957-6606. 24835173.
  57. Akai MIDI Effects. Sound on Sound. February 1986. 14–15. 0951-6816. 925234032.
  58. Taking Notes. Music Technology. September 1986. 32–6. 0957-6606. 24835173.
  59. Patching Up. Sound on Sound. July 1986. 30–1. 0951-6816. 925234032.
  60. Effective Automators. Sound on Sound. March 1988. 14–15, 64. 0951-6816. 925234032.
  61. Akai ASQ 10 Sequencer. Sound on Sound. May 1988. 49–53. 0951-6816. 925234032.
  62. Web site: Akai DPS12. Sound on Sound. March 1998. https://web.archive.org/web/20150607011457/http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/mar98/articles/akaidps12.html. 7 June 2015.
  63. Web site: Akai DPS24. Sound on Sound. May 2002. https://web.archive.org/web/20140914194104/http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/may02/articles/akaidps24.asp. 14 September 2014.
  64. Web site: Akai APC20. Sound on Sound. August 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20140915133412/http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/aug10/articles/akai-apc20.htm. 15 September 2014.
  65. Web site: Akai APC40. Sound on Sound. September 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20150606075730/http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/sep09/articles/akaiapc40.htm. 6 June 2015.
  66. Web site: Akai APC40 MkII. Sound on Sound. April 2015. 26 June 2018.
  67. Web site: Akai LPD8 & LPK25. Sound on Sound. March 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20150608161941/http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/mar10/articles/akailpd8lpk25.htm. 8 June 2015.
  68. Web site: Akai MPD24. Sound on Sound. September 2007. https://web.archive.org/web/20140915034125/http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/sep07/articles/akaimpd24.htm. 15 September 2014.
  69. Web site: Akai MPK25. Sound on Sound. October 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20150608204422/http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/oct09/articles/akaimpk25.htm. 8 June 2015.
  70. Web site: Akai MPK49. Sound on Sound. February 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20150607005442/http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/feb08/articles/akaimpk49.htm. dead. 7 June 2015.
  71. Web site: Akai MPK Mini. Sound on Sound. March 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20150606112314/http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/mar11/articles/akai-mpk-mini.htm. 6 June 2015.
  72. https://www.akaipro.com/mpk-mini-play-mpkminiplay MPK Mini Play
  73. Web site: Akai Max49. Sound on Sound. July 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20150606093215/http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/jul13/articles/akai-max49.htm. 6 June 2015.
  74. Akai MX73. Music Technology. December 1986. 30. 0957-6606. 24835173.
  75. Akai MX76. Music Technology. May 1989. 82–3. 0957-6606. 24835173.

Further reading

External links

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