Akai

Akai Sales Pte Limited
Manufacturer
Industry Electronics
Founded Tokyo, Japan
(1929 (1929))
Headquarters Singapore
Products Hi-fi equipment
Parent Grande Holdings (1999–present)
Website www.akai.com
www.akaipro.com

Akai (Chinese: 雅佳; pinyin: Yǎjiā, Japanese: Akai in rōmaji) is a consumer electronics brand, now headquartered in Singapore. At its peak in the late 1990s, Akai Holdings employed 100,000 workers and had annual sales of HK$40 billion (US$5.2 billion), but it collapsed in 2000 owing creditors US$1,100m. In addition to some development of musical instruments, the Akai brand name is also used to rebadge electronics manufactured by other companies. "Akai" means red, hence the logo color, earlier also accompanied by a red dot.

Corporate history

Akai was founded by Masukichi Akai and his son, Saburo Akai (who died in 1973[1]) as Akai Electric Company Ltd. (赤井電機株式会社 Akai Denki Kabushiki-gaisha), a Japanese manufacturer in 1929[1][2][3] or 1946.[note 1] At its peak in the late 1990s, Akai Holdings employed 100,000 workers and had annual sales of HK$40 billion (US$5.2 billion), but it collapsed in 2000 owing creditors US$1.1B.[4] It emerged that ownership of Akai Holdings had somehow passed in 1999 to Grande Holdings, a company founded by Akai's chairman James Ting. The liquidators claimed that Ting had stolen over US$800m from the company with the assistance of accountants Ernst & Young who had tampered with audit documents going back to 1994.[5] Ting was imprisoned for false accounting in 2005,[5] and E&Y paid $200m to settle the negligence case out of court in September 2009.[6] In a separate lawsuit, a former E&Y partner, Christopher Ho, made a "substantial payment" to Akai creditors in his role as chairman of Grande Holdings.[4]

History

Historical products

Stack of historical AKAI machines

Akai's products included reel-to-reel audiotape recorders (such as the GX series), tuners (top level AT, mid level TR and TT series), audio cassette decks (top level GX and TFL, mid level TC, HX and CS series), amplifiers (AM and TA series), microphones, receivers, turntables, video recorders and loudspeakers.

Tape recorder GX-630D

Many Akai products were sold under the name Roberts in the US, as well as A&D in Japan, Tensai and Transonic Strato in Western Europe. During the late 1960s, Akai adopted Tandberg's cross-field recording technologies (using an extra tape head) to enhance high frequency recording and switched to the increasingly reliable Glass and crystal (X'tal) (GX) ferrite heads a few years later. The company's most popular products were the GX-630D, GX-635D, GX-747/GX-747DBX and GX-77 open-reel recorders (latter featuring an auto-loading function), the three-head, closed-loop GX-F95, GX-90, GX-F91, GX-R99 cassette decks, and the AM-U61, AM-U7 and AM-93 stereo amplifiers.

Akai manufactured and badged most of its imported hi-fi products with the Tensai brand (named after the Swiss audio and electronics distributor Tensai International. Tensai International was Akai's exclusive distributor for the Swiss and Western European markets until 1988.

Akai limited its consumer hi-fi product line in the United States and Europe towards the end of the 20th century.

Introduction of the on-screen display

Akai produced consumer video cassette recorders (VCR) during the 1980s. The Akai VS-2 was the first VCR with an on-screen display,[7] originally named the Interactive Monitor System. By displaying the information directly on the television screen, this innovation eliminated the need for the user to be physically near the VCR to program recording, read the tape counter, or perform other common features. Within a few years, all competing manufacturers had adopted on-screen display technology in their own products.

Akai Professional

In 1984,[8] a new division of the company[9] was formed to focus on the manufacture and sale of electronic instruments, and was called Akai Professional.

Akai's portable studio, Akai MG-1214 unit

The first product released by the new subsidiary was MG1212, a 12 channel, 12 track recorder in 1984.[10] This innovative device used a special VHS-like cartridge (a MK-20), and was good for 10 minutes of continuous 12 track recording (19 cm per second) or 20 minutes at half speed (9.5 cm per second). One track (14) was permanently dedicated to recording absolute time, and another one for synchronization such as SMPTE or MTC. Each channel strip included dbx type-1 noise reduction and semi-parametric equalizers (with fixed bandwidths). The unit also had innovations like an electronic 2 bus system, a 12 stereo channel patch bay and auto punch in and out, among others. The unique transport design and noise reduction gave these units a recording quality rivaling that of more expensive 16 track machines using 1" tape. The MG-1212 was later replaced by the MG-1214, which improved the transport mechanism and overall performance.

AX series analog synthesizers

AX80
Main articles: Akai AX80 and Akai AX60

Other early products included the Akai AX80 8-voice analog synthesizer in 1984,[10] followed by AX60 and AX73 6-voice analog synthesizers ca.1986.[11][12] The AX-60 borrowed many ideas from the Roland Juno series, but used voltage controlled analog oscillators (VCO) as a sound source as opposed to Roland's more common digitally controlled analog oscillators (DCO), and also allowed the performer to "split" the keyboard (using different timbres for different ranges of keys). The AX-60 also had the ability to interface with Akai's early samplers through a serial cable, using 12-bit samples as an additional oscillator.[13]

S series digital samplers

S612

The S612 12-bit digital sampler in 1985, was the first in a series of (relatively) affordable samplers already in 19-inch studio-rack format but in black color.[10] It held only a single sample at a time, which was loaded into memory via a separate disk drive utilizing Quick Disk 2.8-inch floppy disks. The maximum sample time at the highest quality sampling rate (32 kHz) was one second.

S6000 remote
S900
Z4

The introduction of a "professional" range of digital samplers began with the 12-bit S900 in 1986,[10] followed by the X7000 keyboard sampler in 1986,[14] and the S700 rack-mount version in 1987.[10] Unlike the single-sample S612, however, they allowed the use of six active samples at once, had a built-in disk drive and could be extended with six individual outputs via cable and a flash memory extension which added another six samples to the memory for multisample playback. The S700/X7000 sampler series were light-grey colored, which didn't change throughout the whole "professional" range of Akai samplers.

The 16-bit Akai S1000 followed in 1988. The latter was replaced by the S3000 series in 1992–1995,[10] which notably featured a writeable CD-ROM (on S3000CD) and hard disk recording (on S3000i), and was followed by the S5000 and S6000. Additional releases of note were the Z4 and Z8 24-bit 96 kHz samplers.[10]

MPC series Music Production Center

MPC2000
MPC60

Akai also produced several Digital MIDI sequencers and digital synthesizers such as the MPC range (Music Production Center), a line of integrated drum machines, MIDI sequencers, samplers and direct-to-disk recorders that resemble drum machines.

New ownership of Akai Professional

In December 1999, one year before the application of Civil Rehabilitation Act to Akai Electric Company Ltd., the brand of their musical instrument division, Akai Professional was acquired by a company of the United States. The new company “Akai Professional Musical Instrument Corporation”[8] (AKAI professional M.I.) was established in the same year, however it was bankrupted in 2005.[9]

In 2004, following a US distribution deal, the Akai Professional Musical Instrument division was acquired by Jack O'Donnell, owner of Numark Industries and Alesis. Numark, including Akai Professional, was acquired in 2012 by inMusic Brands.

An Akai Professional product that is somewhat sought after in current times is the model DM13 microphone. This small, unidirectional unit was originally made for tape recorders, as well as CB radio equipment. Today, they can be found in the arsenal of many blues harmonica players due to its high gain and high impedance properties.

Current products

In early 2003, the consumer electronics company began undergoing a re-exposure by marketing various rebranded video products manufactured by Samsung. In the same year, Akai began to distribute home appliances such as HVAC units, vacuum cleaners, water filtration devices, and refrigerated store showcases.

In Canada, Akai portable DVD players were sold at 'The Source by Circuit City', and at Zellers, a division of the Hudson's Bay Company.

Video

Mobile sound

Home appliances

Audio

Digital

Television

Akai Professional products

Akai Synthstation 25

Akai Professional, a division of Numark Industries (based in Rhode Island, United States) since 2004, is currently not affiliated with Akai (a consumer audio and television brand).

Synthesizers

Audio Samplers

Music Production Center

Computer Audio Interfaces

Drum Machines

Electronic Wind Instruments

Effects units / Utilities

Guitar Pedals

iPod/iPad Keyboard Controllers

MIDI Sequencers

Standalone Multi-track Audio Recorders

Studio Monitor Speakers

USB MIDI / MIDI Controllers

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Although reliable sources are not yet found, according to the several sources (kotobank.jp, ja:Akai Professional), Masukichi Akai established Akai Press Industry in 1923, then his son, Saburo Akai established Akai Electric Company Ltd. in 1946, and Masukichi served as the president of both.

References

  1. 1 2 "Akai Electric Company Ltd.". Reel to Reel Tape Recorder Manufacturers. Museum of Magnetic Sound Recording. Retrieved 2013-07-02.
  2. ↑ "About Akai". akai.com. Akai. Retrieved 2013-07-02.
  3. ↑ "Akai History". adt-digital.com. Akai. Retrieved 2013-07-02.
  4. 1 2 Duce, John; Tan, Andrea (5 October 2009). "Akai Liquidator to Receive Payment in Settlement With Grande". Bloomberg.
  5. 1 2 Rovnick, Naomi; Lo, Clifford (30 September 2009). "Raids, arrest as fraud police probe Akai files". South China Morning Post.
  6. ↑ Rovnick, Naomi (27 January 2010). "Ernst & Young pays up to settle negligence claim". South China Morning Post.
  7. ↑ "Stylish Akai VS-2 appeal". The Sydney Morning Herald. Apr 24, 1983.
  8. 1 2 "Akai Professional / Akai Digital - Company History". AKAI professional M.I. Corp. ca.1999–2005. Akai Professional entered the electronic musical instrument world in 1984 with one purpose - to give artists the tools they need to express and explore new musical ideas.”, “In 1999, Akai Professional Musical Instruments Corporation (APMI) was formed. Check date values in: |date= (help)
  9. 1 2 アカイプロフェッショナルエムアイが破産手続き開始 [Akai Professional M.I. entered bankrupt proceedings.]. 神奈川新聞 (in Japanese). 7 December 2005. Archived from the original on 12 January 2006. 民間信用調査会社の帝国データバンク横浜支店によると、音響機器製造のアカイプロフェッショナルエムアイ（横浜市都筑区北山田、駿河道生社長、従業員十七人）は七日までに、東京地裁から破産手続き開始決定を受けた。...　同社は一九九九年十二月、赤井電機（東京都）の電子楽器部門のブランドを買収した米国系企業が、製造・販売目的で設立した。 [Abstract: according to the private credit research company, Teikoku Databank Yokohama branch, by the 7th (December 2005), Akai Professional M.I. received a bankruptcy proceedings decision by the Tokyo District Court. ... Akai Professional M.I. was established in December 1999 to focus on the manufacture and sale of electronic musical instruments, by a company of the United State who acquired the brand(s) of musical instrument division of Akai Electric Company Ltd.]
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Akai Professional / Akai Digital - Product History". Akai Professional M.I. ca.1999–2005. Check date values in: |date= (help)
  11. ↑ "Akai AX60". vintage synth explorer.
  12. ↑ "Akai AX73". vintage synth explorer.
  13. ↑ "Akai Professional AX73 / VX90 / AX60". Archive Products. AKAI Professional M.I. Corp. 1999–2005. (archived on HollowSun.com). “The AX73 was a simple analogue synthesiser based around the Curtis CEM 3394 chips ... Internally, the AX60 had the same voice architecture as the AX73 and VX90 ... Common to all models in the range, however, was a proprietary 13-pin DIN socket that allowed you to connect an S900 for processing through the synths' analogue filters. ...”
  14. ↑ "Akai X7000". vintage synth explorer.
  15. 1 2 Paul White. "Akai S5000 & S6000". Sound On Sound (January 1999). Retrieved 16 May 2011.

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