Musikmesse 2015: Akai and Numark’s New Products

Akai and Numark have today announced that they will be showcasing a range of new for 2015 product lines. Read on for more detailed info…

Press Release

Ash Vale, UK (March 30, 2015)—Akai Professional (akaipro.com) and Numark (Numark.com), industry-leading manufacturers of music equipment for music production and live DJ performance,today announced their attendance at Musikmesse 2015.

Akai Professional
Akai Professional’s attendance at Musikmesse will see the manufacturer exhibit a range of new for-2015 product lines that highlight it’s continuing mission to provide artists with the tools they need to express themselves and explore new musical possibilities.

Alongside 2014 favourites,including the AMX and AFX Serato DJ controllers, Akai Professional will exhibit all-new additions to its analogue electronic instrument range with Timbre Wolf and Tom Cat. Taking centre stage on the Akai Professional stand will be the highly-anticipated Advance Keyboards, a winner of the 2015 ‘Best in Show’ award at January’s NAMM and a guaranteed show-stopper for Musikmesse.

Advance Keyboards
Available in 25-, 49- and 61-key sizes, the all-new Advance Keyboards provide musicians and producers with an entirely unique take on VSTi/DAW control—transforming modern music production and live performances reliant on computer processing into an entirely hands-on playing experience. The Advance Keyboard’s Virtual Instrument Player (VIP) software assures VSTicompatible plugins from all leading software developers are effortlessly catalogued, providing users with immediate access to any virtual instrument within their collection from one application; conveniently-located, easily-accessible controls on the Advance Keyboard itself allow the user to seamlessly browse, load and edit any patch loaded in VIP.

The Advance Keyboard’s 4.3-inch high-resolution, full-colour display instantly provides musicians and producers with immediate 1:1 control and feedback of all virtual instruments; an innovative workflow solution that shifts the focus away from the computer screen and provides an intuitive platform for rapid creative expression.

“The Advance Keyboards fuse the unrivalled sonic capability of VSTi plugins with the familiar layout and hands-on immediacy of a traditional keyboard workstation” notes Dan Gill, Product Manager for Akai Professional. “Our goal with the Advance Keyboards was to place the player firmly in the driving seat with unrestricted access to any virtual instrument in their library. The result? Limitless creative possibilities and a truly inspiring user experience.”

Timbre Wolf & Tom Cat
Following 2014’s release of Rhythm Wolf, the newTimbre Wolf and Tom Cat complete Akai Professional’s all-analogue animal pack, giving musicians additional in-demand analogue bite at ultra-competitive price points. Timbre Wolf, a versatile 4-voice polyphonic synthesiser, guarantees to add a distinctive, instantly-recognisable character to any musician’s repertoire thanks to its flexible voicing options and onboard 32-step sequencer for each voice. Timbre Wolf’s pro-grade 25-key custom keybed, LED display and Octave +/- controls add further control and flexibility for the user.

Tom Cat builds on the popular classic drum machine layout of Rhythm Wolf and introduces an entirely new sound-set comprising kick, snare, clap and chromatically tuneable disco toms. With onboard controls for precise real-time drum voice adjustment, coupled with dedicated global controls for swing, pattern select and tempo, Tom Cat assures effortless integration into modern setups and provides a user-friendly, cost-effective solution to achieving a truly authentic analogue sound.

MIDImix
Akai Professional’s all-new MIDImix is an ultra-portable high-performance MIDI-mixer that provides users with an innovative, feature-packed solution for Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) mixer control. MIDImix features the intuitive layout of a traditional mixer with 8 individual line faders and a master fader, 24 control knobs arranged 3 per channel and 1 to 1 mapping with Ableton Live (Ableton Live Lite is included).

With MIDImix, users can send all the mixer’s settings to their DAW with a single press of a button; now artists can mix and modify/manipulate their projects concurrently in real time, giving them a much wider array of creative options as a result of the far greater creative flexibility afforded by MIDImix.

Numark
Musikmesse 2015 will see Numark exhibit a range of product lines that continue to cement it’s legacy as a global leader in developing professional DJ equipment, unmatched in capability and design. Alongside Numark’s 2015 product roster, 2014 favourites will also be exhibited including NV – a highly revered, feature-packed Serato DJ Controller that assures future-proofed
functionality and real-time onboard visual feedback from Serato DJ via its iconic high-resolution
full-colour displays.

MIXTRACK 3 & MIXTRACK PRO 3
Numark’s 2015 Musikmesse product lineup highlights its commitment to providing both professional and amateur DJs with the latest up-to-date tools that enhance the DJ experience – critical updates to Numark’s best-selling MIXTRACK series pay testament to this commitment. The new MIXTRACK 3 and MIXTRACK PRO 3 retain the design, layout and core functionality of their predecessors with the inclusion of a range of new features specifically engineered to enhance the
core user experience; these include all-new 5-inch high resolution metal jog wheels, multi-function touch strips for dynamic FX control and track search, dedicated filter knobs for each channel, 100mm pitch sliders for fine pitch adjustments, a Prime Loops Remix Tool Kit and the popular TOOLROOM Artist Packs.

NS7III
Taking centre stage on the Numark stand will be the NS7III, a premium four-deck controller for Serato DJ that combines three high-resolution colour screens with a DJ-friendly interactive control surface. The direct successor to the highly-acclaimed NS7II, the NS7III reimagines the DJ experience combining real-time high-resolution feedback of Serato DJ, variable-torque motorized
platters and dedicated touch-activated controls for critical controller functions (including filters and Serato’s 12 professional iZotope®FX).

“The NS7III marks a turning point in the professional DJ controller market” said Chris Roman, Numark Product Manager. “The NS7III fuses intuitive next-generation control with the unmatched convenience and flexibility of Serato DJ; the inclusion of 3 high-resolution screens places the user at the heart of the performance and above-all lets the DJ focus on what’s important, the music.”

The Akai Professional and Numark 2015 product lineups will be exhibited at Musikmesse 2015, April 15 -18 April in Hall 5.1, Stand B35, Frankfurt am Main, Germany. For more information, visit www.akaipro.com & www.numark.com.