The new Akai MiniAK ($399 street) is a 37-key virtual-analog synth with a host of additional features that belie its diminutive size—a built-in 40-band vocoder (with mic included), a step sequencer, an arpeggiator, phrase and rhythm sequencers, and a collection of stereo effects (see Fig. 1). By calling it virtual-analog, Akai suggests that the digital MiniAK offers analog-like sounds by modeling the behavior of subtractive-synthesis elements used in analog instruments, such as oscillators, filters, and envelope generators. To produce its sounds (called Programs in this instrument) the MiniAK can use up to eight multi-timbral voices, each of which can have three oscillators, two filters (chosen from a list of 18), three envelope generators, and two LFOs, to which you can add stereo effects and control with the vocoder.

And to Akai's credit, the MiniAK comes packed with useful presets, allowing you to take advantage of its wealth of features right away.

From the Top
The MiniAK’s plastic case has a reassuring weight and a sturdy feel. Two underside indentations act as convenient handles. The keys are semi-weighted, Velocity-sensitive, and decently sized—there is nothing mini about them. On the back you’ll find two balanced 1/4-inch TRS output jacks, a pair of balanced 1/4-inch TRS input jacks, 1/4-inch controller jacks for expression and sustain pedals (not included), a 1/4-inch stereo headphone jack, and MIDI In, Out, and Thru ports (see Fig. 2).

For this review, I used an M-Audio Firewire 410 interface with Avid Pro Tools M-Powered, on a MacBook Pro 2.2 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo (with 2 GB of RAM), running Mac OS X 10.5.8. The MiniAK doesn’t have a USB port, so I ran a MIDI cable from the MiniAK’s MIDI Out to the Firewire 410’s MIDI in.

The MiniAK’s interface includes a pitch wheel and two modulation wheels above the lower keys. The extra mod wheel is a useful addition; with one hand, you can radically sculpt a sound using all three wheels simultaneously. The wheels are large, rubberized, and nicely shaped for this purpose. They’re also illuminated with a soft orange light, making them easy to see in the dark and giving the unit a distinctive look. Typically the first mod wheel adds vibrato and the second sweeps the filter’s cutoff frequency. However, the mod wheels do a few other things depending on which sound is selected.

FIG. 1: Yeah, the pitch and mod wheels are above the lower part of the keyboard. Not the best layout if you’re a performer, but it keeps the instrument’s size down.

The three rotary encoders, labeled X, Y, and Z, change a wide variety of parameters depending on which sound is selected, though each of them can be re-programmed. Unlike the mod wheels, the rotary encoders are tracked by the LCD, giving you a numerical value for the parameters you tweak. Touch one of these knobs and its value appears on the LCD. Let go and the LCD returns to its previous display setting.

Above the XYZ knobs is the mic input where you’ll plug-in the sturdy, yet flexible, gooseneck mic to use the 40-band vocoder. With it, you can create effective robot sounds, mouse voices, and the like—a number of the presets can get you started. On a few of the effects, I had to increase the gain sensitivity of the vocoder for it to work effectively.

Of the six Performance Controls, the Keyboard Octave buttons raise or lower the pitch of the keyboard up to three octaves, glowing progressively brighter the farther away you go from middle C. This allows you to see at a glance whether the keyboard has been transposed, and it’s easier than you might think to distinguish the three brightness levels.

Latch Arp repeats melodic patterns and rhythms until you press it again or switch to another mode. Phrase Arp turns phrases you play into arpeggiated sequences that are transposed by whichever note you play. Pattern Play engages or disengages the playing of patterns in Multi mode (in which the keyboard is split into areas for beats, arpeggiated sequences, and leads), and allows the beats to play alongside other elements.

The Tap Tempo button doesn’t illuminate when pressed, though the associated amber light above it blinks to the current tempo. Personally, I find this a bit distracting, and I’d prefer a digital readout of the tempo, but some might prefer the constant visual reinforcement. Tap this button while a sequence is playing to set its tempo. To make subtle changes in tempo, hold down the Tap Tempo button and turn the Data knob (more on the Data knob in a moment).

Get With The Program
The heart of the MiniAK is the four-button section labeled Program Controls. These select one of four different MiniAK modes:

Multi: Splits the keyboard into areas combining arpeggiated sequences, rhythms, and leads.

Sequences: Plays melodic sequences when you play keys, either the whole way through (Sequence mode) or note-by-note (Arpeggio mode).

Rhythms: Plays percussive sequences when you play the keys. This is your drum machine.

Programs: Plays the individual notes or sounds that can be used on their own as well as in any of the other three modes.

In each mode, Multis, Sequences, Rhythms or Programs can be chosen and played from myriad presets or edited to create new ones. The MiniAK can store up to 1,000 Programs and Multis.

The blue-on-blue, two-line, 32-character LCD above the Program Controls is difficult to read from a seated position because, at that angle, there is less contrast and the bottom line gets partially cut off by the frame. The contrast can be increased beyond the factory defaults, which improves legibility, but the best fix is to stand over it. Understandably, this won’t be an ideal fix for those who intend to use the MiniAK in a studio setting.

To the right of the Program Controls section is the Data knob, which sits above its two associated buttons: Config takes you out of the MiniAK’s four main modes and brings you into an “under-the-hood” configuration mode; Store is used for creating a new Multi, Sequence, Rhythm, or Program. By turning the Data knob, depending on which main mode you’re in, you scroll through the MiniAK’s 113 Multis, 326 Sequences, 320 Rhythms, or 686 Programs (when in Program mode). Hold down Programs and press one of the labeled Sound Bank Select keys to move the Data knob to a sound-bank category: Recent, Faves, Bass, Pads, Strings, Brass, Keyboards, Comps (“accompaniments,” or sets of keyboard sounds suitable for quick-attack chords), Drum, Vocoder and assorted effects, or a view of all Programs in a single (very long) list.

FIG. 2: The MiniAK has a number of I/O options, except USB.

You can also press the Data knob to enter Edit mode, and the corresponding Multi, Sequences, Rhythms, or Programs button will glow red. In Edit mode, you navigate and change parameters by turning and pressing the Data knob—turning it cycles through a list of options and pressing it chooses the option.

The MiniAK is fairly deep. When editing a Program, for example, you can navigate dozens of menus for hundreds of parameters (more on Programs in a bit). As you can imagine, using a single clickable knob to navigate dozens of menus on a two-line LCD takes patience.

It’s too bad that the MiniAK lacks a computer-based control panel for editing the many parameters. Hypersynth makes a MiniAK Editor ($38), though it only supports Windows operating systems.

Sounds Like
The MiniAK’s Programs are rich and varied, with glossy pads, gritty leads, earthquake-inducing basses, and everything in between. They’re thoughtfully and intricately designed, often sounding as though they’re using the MiniAK’s eight voices to their fullest, with interesting panning and long, complex envelopes.

Like a true analog synth, you have control over a great many parameters, including the frequency modulation (FM) amount (where one oscillator modifies the frequency of another), the waveshape (which you can adjust ±100%), and the behavior of numerous filters. The MiniAK also has specific sections for setting the mix just prior to the filter stage, setting the level and pan of the Program’s output (the post-filter mix), and applying a variety of amplification effects in a separate output stage. Although the editing process can be painful, the MiniAK provides some nice shortcuts: Hold down the Programs button and touch one of ten labeled keys to jump into Edit mode within a particular category of parameters, such as Oscillators, Filter, or Envelope. Patient programmers will be rewarded, as the MiniAK’s sounds are eminently tweakable, responsive, and expressive.

MiniMe
With a street price of $399, this little synth is a steal. The MiniAK produces very powerful sounds while providing a welcome amount of flexible, performance-oriented controls with which to bend and mutilate the sound in real time. Its Rhythms and Multis will be enjoyed by creators of dance music, while its varied sound palette will serve those leaning towards synthy rock and other electronica-flavored genres.

PROS: Vocoder. Included mic. Simple to use. Built-in sequencing and drum machine. Loads of sounds. Relatively inexpensive.

CONS: Small screen difficult to read while sitting. No USB port. Doesn’t include programming software.

David Weiss is a San Francisco Bay Area-based songwriter, home-based-self-producer, and music technology writer.