For over 80 years, the Japanese company Akai has been a significant force in the music business. Masukichi Akai established the business in 1929 as a producer of electrical machinery and appliances. But Akai started to establish itself in the realm of musical instruments in the 1970s.
In the 1970s, Akai made its first push into the music industry by introducing its reel-to-reel tape decks. Due to their sturdy construction and excellent sound, these decks were favored by producers and musicians. But what made the company famous was the release of the Akai MPC (MIDI Production Center) in 1988. The MPC was a ground-breaking instrument that merged a sequencer, sampler, and drum machine into one device. This ground-breaking tool immediately became a requirement for hip-hop artists, and electronic music producers still rely on it today.
Akai unveiled a number of additional innovative instruments in the early 1990s, including the Akai S1000 and S3000 samplers, which many musicians and producers extensively used. These samplers were used on numerous successful records throughout the decade because of their well-known high-quality sound and sample manipulation capabilities.
Additionally, Akai had a significant position in the home audio and video market; the business produced TVs, DVD players, and VCRs. With a wide range of products like digital audio workstations, audio interfaces, and studio monitors, it also had a significant position in the professional audio market.
The Akai MPC Renaissance and MPC Studio are only two of the innovative instruments and gadgets that Akai released during the 2000s. However, the business found it difficult to keep up with the music industry’s rapid developments, and in 2012 it declared bankruptcy.
The MPC X, MPC Live, and MPC One are just a few new products and instruments that Akai Professional, a division of inMusic Brands, Inc., continues to release. It is still regarded as a top brand in the music industry. The heritage of Akai is carried on by its extensive line of products, which are still in high demand among producers and musicians worldwide. The business is still well renowned for its cutting-edge instruments that push the limits of what is conceivable in music production.
Important models
Synthesizer Online 