Akai Pro Intros Tom Cat Analog Drum Machine

akai-Tom-Cat-drum-machine

2015 NAMM Show: Akai Professional today announced the Tom Cat analog drum machine.

The Tom Cat is a 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 a esponsive 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, also lets you ‘dirty up’ drum beats.

The Akai Tom Cat analog drum machine is priced at US $200 and is expected to be available in July.

36 thoughts on “Akai Pro Intros Tom Cat Analog Drum Machine

    1. Have you played with it in person and/or with good phones / monitors? Every single one of the videos were really terrible, and to top it off none of the reviews in person were positive. HOWEVER (not contradicting your opinion, just throwing another to the mix). I bought one on a hunch. I saw that no one really meaningfully messed with the envelopes / controls for the kick or snare in any of the videos for some reason, and I figured because of the basic components of the sounds there it would have some potential as my primary drum machine. Having the Volca Beats, another cheap analog box, I wasn’t looking for something too marvelous, as it seemed to do the whole ‘immediate, fun, and sounding good’ thing already. The Volca seems to cover most of the bases well, and something by Akai wouldn’t really replace it eh? I don’t know if it’s related to my tastes in music or what, but the first jam with the Rhythm Wolf, and every subsequent experience with it has been overwhelmingly positive. It sounds beefier, rounder, brasher, and overall more diverse and able to be manipulated than any of the drum machines I have owned and/or used in the past (DR110, TR505, VolcaBeats, WurlitzerSwinginRhythm, MRTRhythmTrak; admitedly a rather terrible list, but hey a drum machine is a drum machine, and they all have their nice unique timbres like real drums do). It really reminds me of a 909 in some ways, and of much older machines (swingin rhythm kick perhaps) in other ways. I dig it.

      Case in point, I will make sure to post a proper demo or song at some point to showcase it, as I feel it has been vastly underestimated, and is actually capable of far more than has been let on in the limited format of short web reviews.

      1. companies need to release a high quality video before announcing the product most people record audio through the camera which for people into music is a bit retarded

  1. I think it’s hilarious that people get all riled up about the rhythm wolf. If you spend time with it like anything it has a lot to offer. But if you are looking for more than that for 200$ then you are just an idiot. Prob should find another hobby and hopefully you don’t make music for a living

      1. Um, last time I checked a Volca Beats does not have a bass synth section. For the same functionality on a Volca Beats you’d need to buy a monotron and hack it for CV/gate in and out, which would be equal if not more expensive and take a lot more effort too.

  2. $200? I have a 7 year old daughter I want to start showing synth and drum machines to. This would be a perfect product. And I’m not knocking it in the slightest.

  3. Out of curiousity, what was actually wrong witht he rhythm wolf? I know it probably wasn’t as flexible or sonically powerful as many other drum machines 5 or 6 times its price but most young musicians can’t really afford a tempest or whatever as their first drum machine. Is it really so terrible that it doesn’t serve its place? Genuine question – I’ve never owned one but have always been curious. I’m pretty sure there will be some interesting records made with this drum machine as long as its cheap and does what it says on the box… I know that this was EXACTLY the kind of thing I was looking for when I was first starting to make music as a kid, at a time when everyone was recommending me to buy Reason and other DAW stuff, and that standalone hardware was now redundant etc…. I later realised all I wanted was an analog drum machine and synth. At the time it was totally out of the question but now kids can get this stuff as cheaply as they can buy a squier stratocaster and that is cool by me!

  4. I just got my rhythm wolf in the mail and can’t understand why it’s being slammed so much. It’s no tempest but it’s 1/8 of the price. I quite enjoy it’s sound for the price and have found it to be very fun. Reminds me of playing with the Korg ER1 for the first time 10 years ago. Pure joy.

    1. How can they keep putting out products where knobs do nothing, or do too much, and nothing you do makes it sound any good!? It’s like they developed the casing first and asked some idiot to make a sound chip that would do the rest. Cos who cares what it sounds like right?

  5. That’s a pretty weak demo. The guy was just kind of hitting buttons to prove it worked – there was absolutely nothing musical about that demo that would make think – that’s an instrument I need,. That’s a fail for a company trying to erase the memory of a really poorly received product….

  6. Annex to Akai Tom Cat Software CD goes to replace kick for example, hard kick Hardcore kick ? otherwise I do not need buy Akai Tom Cat

  7. I need advice to help me compose techno music.
    I played what I need and most importantly get into that its samplec his kick their hardcore samples thank you

  8. Thinking NEED to know if a CD in the package KDE SOFTWARE CAN KICK FOR HARDCORE modify KICK KICK A TEKNO form.
    I want to purchase VERSION CAT but do not want to drive a MONEY ON UNNECESSARY bulls in which NEDO CHANGE HARDCORE PACK PACK PACK TEKNO. We advise?

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