Is AKAI Bringing Back The AX Synthesizer? (2016 NAMM Show)

akai-ax73

Could AKAI be bringing back the AX analog synthesizer?

On AKAI’s Facebook page, they shared a user demo of the AKAI AX73 6-voice analog synthesizer, with this note:

It’s easy to forgot how great the analog AX series synths sounded. Celebrating the 30th anniversary of its release, check out this #tbt sound demo video. Might be a great board for us to bring back…

Here’s the video preview:

We expect to find out more at the 2016 NAMM Show, which is scheduled for Jan 21-24, 2016.

36 thoughts on “Is AKAI Bringing Back The AX Synthesizer? (2016 NAMM Show)

    1. ??? the ax60 especially was essentially a 6 voice odyssey with tons of sliders and fm options for 6 vcos. Ax range is amazing analog, most worthy of full-on reissue.

  1. I have a sneaky feeling that this NAMM is going to be all about the poly synths. Korg has already announced a 4 voice.

    If anyone is going to NAMM watch for me. I will be the cranky looking old guy wearing a lab coat.

        1. the comments baffle me.
          you can expect some half baked product that tries to capitalize on brand name and past glory.
          nothing more.

  2. the thing I don’t get about akai is their price pointing – it seems like some 5 year old is given a price gun – there are some inexpensive quality pieces and some overpriced mediocre offerings – it would be nice to see them offer some stuff that is middle of the road pricing for gear – eg – I have an apc mini – which I love and was a steal @ $49 for how solid it is and it’s usefulness – the next step up though – the apc 40 goes to $300 which is like 6 times the cost – you saw the same thing with the rhythm wolf and the timbre wolf – where the drums debuted at 200 (more like 120-149 now ) considered underpriced for what you get whereas the synth debuted @ $500 which is overpriced to the comparable options…..

  3. theyd be stupid not to… but then again they just came out with the rhythm wolf and tom cat and that other thing, which all SUCKED DONKEY BALLS

    so, not hopeful

  4. they will never get that sound of ax series from ’80 ,especially ax80 which is the next best thing ever beside mpc60/3000…I’m not saying that new products are not good or not usable but the ’80 and ’90 was the golden age of akai.

  5. Akai needs to make a new hardware MPC before even thinking about making another synth.

    AKAI should stop trying to follow the trends and stick to their niche: sturdy, stand alone hardware sequencing samplers… with at least 4 midi outputs and 8 audio outs on back.

    Bringing back the 2000xl or even the 2500 has to be easier than an analog synth…. wtf akai?

  6. right. news from mpc forums: “2 major german retailers don´t carry the ren anymore. so the ren indeed has been discontinued.” A lot of Akai statements on Facebook stating “This is just the beginning”, in response to “standalone” comments. My guess is there will be an announcement at NAMM regarding a hybrid/standalone windows embedded mpc. Reason: Roland´s new standalone 16 pad sampler/workstation w/ ACB technology. My guess is also that NI is coming with a standalone Maschine based on the Rhizome. Native´s CTO Mate Galic and former Feeltune CEO Nicolas Piau were seen together. 2015 was the year of the hardware (step) sequencer), 2016 will be the year of the standalone hardware unit IMO. The time of simple controllers is over. The new Electribes were the beginnings. Problem: they lack song mode. Their event recorder is crap, because event recordings – as of now – do not work as midi slave. there´s currently no way one can hook two of the new electribes together, one being the master, one the slave when using the event recordings. epic fail.

  7. Ah NAMM… one of my favourite times of the year. Looking forward to re-doing my ‘wish list’ for 2016 in coming days as more new products get released.

    As for this Akai synth, so far I’m yet to be impressed with Akai synths, but having said that, the AX is one of those keyboards I’m not that familiar with. It looks like its from the DX-7 / D-50 era.

  8. well obviously they’re not bringing it out…It’s not like they hinted at it when we’re 2 weeks away from namm, that’s absurd.

  9. I have an AX80; wonderful synth. You don’t get the real-time control of any but one parameter, but teh sound is really nice… I find the bar graphs on it really help you know what the settings you have set in the patch really quickly.

  10. God.

    I have one. And its such a pain in the but
    menu diving that i just use it as my midi keyboard to play other synths. Nothing plugged into the audio out..

    Its not like im scared to menue dive (i program a tx81 using the front panel) but the resaults on the tx are actually worth it…

    This synth is really not that amazing…

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