Akai

Explore 21 Akai vintage synthesizer models — specs, production history, reviews, and market values in the VTA archive.

Analog Synthesizers

• VX600 — Akai VX600 six-voice analog matrix synth with EWI/EVI breath controller terminals, 37-key velocity/aftertouch keyboard, and BR-16 memory card storage.

Drum Machines

• MPC Live — Standalone music production center with touchscreen, battery power, and internal processing for mobile beat-making. Find when it was made here.
• MR16 — A rhythm oscillator bank using analog-generated sounds, part of Akai's 1980s 'microstudio' system. Find full specifications and production years here.
• Rhythm Wolf — Analog drum machine and monophonic bass synth with 5-voice polyphony, released during the 2010s analog revival. Includes when it was made.
• XE-8 — Rack-mount 16-bit MIDI drum expander with programmable sample playback and ROM card expansion. With detailed specs and production dates.
• XR10 — A 1990 Japanese drum machine using PCM samples, 8-voice polyphony, and a Z80 CPU, designed for electro and industrial rhythms.

Midi Controllers

• Professional MPD24 — Akai Professional MPD24 pad controller — 16 MPC-style velocity/pressure pads, 4 banks (64 pads), 6 faders, 8 knobs, MIDI CC control for DAW rigs.

Sampler

• S900 — Akai S900 12-bit sampler — the de facto standard of late-80s sampling, with 20kHz range, 63-second sampling, and a massive disk library.

Samplers

• CD3000 — Akai CD3000 — 32-voice 16-part multitimbral sampler with built-in CD-ROM drive, 18-bit DACs, 8MB RAM (to 16MB), SCSI, and five bundled CD-ROMs.
• CD3000XL — A 32-voice stereo digital sampler with CD-ROM and hard disk recording, released in 1996 as Akai's second dedicated CD-ROM sampler.
• MPC — Akai MPC — a product line, not a single machine. The MPC1000 manual documents the pads-sequencer-sampler architecture shared across models.
• MPC 4000 — Akai MPC 4000 sampling drum machine/sequencer workstation. Flagship MPC from the early 2000s, praised for audio quality and pads. Original UK price ~£1,400.
• MPC 60-II — Akai MPC 60-II Music Production Center (1991). 16-bit 44.1kHz sampling, 300-note sequencer, 8 individual outs, 4 MIDI outs.
• MPC Element — Compact USB-powered pad controller with included MPC Essentials software, introduced in 2013 as the smallest and most affordable MPC at the time.
• MPC Key 61 — The first MPC with a built-in keyboard, combining a 61-note synth-action keybed with a full standalone production workstation.
• MPC Live II — A standalone music production workstation released in May 2020, featuring a 7-inch touchscreen and 16 velocity-sensitive RGB pads.
• MPC One — A compact, standalone sampling workstation with touch interface, built-in synths, and CV/Gate support. With detailed specs and production dates.
• MPC Renaissance — A hybrid music production controller combining hardware interface with software integration, favored in hip-hop production.
• MPC Touch — A hybrid sampling workstation with a 7-inch multi-touch display, requiring a Mac or PC to operate. With what it sells for today and full specifications.
• MPC1000 — 32-voice sampler/sequencer with 16-bit/44.1 kHz sampling, expandable RAM, and 64 tracks per sequence. Covers production dates.
• MPC2000XL — 16-pad music production center with 64-track sequencing and time-stretch processing, co-designed by Roger Linn. Covers when it was made.
• MPC2500 (2005) — Akai MPC2500 (2005): the last traditional MPC — 32-voice standalone sampler, 16 pads, 64-track sequencer, CF storage, JJOS-ready.
• MPC500 (2006–2013) — Akai MPC500 (2006–2013) — the first battery-powered MPC, 12 pads, 48-track sequencer, 32-voice polyphony, £399 in 2007.
• MPC5000 (2008) — Akai MPC5000 (2008) — Akai's last standalone sampler, with a 16-voice virtual analog synth engine, 8-track recorder, and 10 analog outputs. Used $530–$1,800.
• MPX16 — Compact USB-powered sampler and MIDI drum controller with 16 velocity-sensitive pads, 64-voice polyphony, and 48MB sample memory.
• MPX8 — A portable sample pad controller with SD-based sample loading, announced at NAMM 2013. Find detailed specs and production dates here.
• S01 — 16-bit rackmount sampler with 8-voice polyphony and 32 kHz sampling rate. Find current market value, detailed specs and production dates here.
• S20 — Compact stereo phrase sampler designed for DJs and home studios, featuring resampling, beat looping, and floppy-based storage.
• S2800 — Akai S2800 — third-generation 32-voice rack sampler with MPC3000 converters, 16-bit/64x A-D, 20-bit D-A, and a base model that skips SCSI.
• S3200 (1993–c.1996) — Akai S3200 (1993–c.1996) — Japan-made 3U 16-bit sampler with EB-16 effects, digital I/O, SCSI, SMPTE, 8 assignable outs.
• S3200XL (1996) — Akai S3200XL (1996) — 32-voice 16-bit rack sampler with standard EB16 effects and IB304F filter cards, 2 MB expandable to 32 MB, SCSI and QList sequencing.
• SG01p — A half-rack PCM rompler module from 1995 focused on piano, Rhodes, and Clavinet sounds, built in Japan with 32-voice polyphony and onboard reverb.
• SG01v — A half-rack vintage synthesizer sound module using PCM samples from classic synths and drum machines. Covers detailed specs and production dates.
• X7000 — Akai X7000 12-bit sampling keyboard with 61 velocity-sensitive keys, 4kHz-40kHz sampling, six sample points, and QuickDisk storage.

Synthesizers

• AX60 (1985/1986) — Akai AX60 (1986) — 6-voice CEM3394 analog polysynth with BBD chorus, bitimbral split, and 13-pin sampler input. A hands-on Juno alternative.
• AX80 (1984) — Akai AX80 (1984): Akai's first synth — 8-voice Curtis-chip analog with five bar-graph displays and a thick, Prophet-like sound.
• MINIAK — A virtual analog synthesizer with 8-voice polyphony and a 37-key velocity-sensitive keyboard. This page has the complete spec table and when it was made.
• VX90 — Rack-mount 6-voice analog synth module with CEM3394 chips, menu-driven interface, and MIDI control, identical to the AX73.

Other Models

• EWI SOLO — A standalone wind controller with built-in sounds, speaker, and OLED display, designed for portable performance. Includes full specifications.
• EWI1000 — Akai EWI1000 electric wind instrument — a proprietary breath controller built for the VX600 synth, with breath-routed filter, pitch, and VCA modulation.
• EWI3020M — An analog monophonic rackmount synthesizer module designed to pair with Akai wind controllers. With detailed specs and production dates.
• EWI4000S — A MIDI wind controller with onboard analog modeling synthesis, introduced at Winter NAMM 2006. Includes full specifications and production years.