Trend price : 1000€
Analog synthesizer from the mid-eighties produced by the famous sampler company
Company: Akai
Model: AX-80
Class: Synthesizer
Keyboard: 61 keys
Dates: 1984
Country: Japan
Weight: 15,2 kg
Dimensions: 1080 (w) x 102 (h) x 392 (d) mm
Display: VDF
Synthesis: analog sub
Polyphony: 8 voices
Oscillator: 2 DCO
Suboscillator: yes
Crossmod: 2 modes
Multitimbric: 1 part
Filter: analog LP +HP
LFO: 3 modulators
Envelope: 2 EGs
Memory: 64 slots
Effect: none
Storage : tape
Midi: IN / OUT / THRU
CPU: Zilog PD7811
IC: CEM 3372
Demo: 1
Video: 1
Review: 1
DOWNLOAD: user manual - service manual -
Overview
KEYBOARD 61 velocity keys.
The main panel offers 56 buttons, 4 knobs and a rotary encoder.
Back panel terminal connectors:
- mono signal out
- headphones
- Midi interface
- tape interface
- sustain pedalswitch input
- program change pedalswitch input
Sound
The synth manages 8 voices based on subtractive synthesis.
DCO1: saw / pulse PWM / saw + pulse mix
DCO2 :saw / pulse / saw + pulse mix
SUBOSCILLATOR: yes
Crossmodulation
- soft sync mode
- hard sync mode
Envelope
- EG1: amplitude ADSR for both DCO
- EG2: filter ADSR (lowpass)
Filter
features 2 filter modes:
- lowpass at 4 poles also based on 8 excellent CEM 3372 (IC act also as EG)
- static highpass
LFO
There are 3 modulators in total sharing same frequency (range from 0.1 to 20 Hz) and 4 waveforms (saw up, saw down, triangle and a pulse).
Destinations are:
- OSC1 pitch
- OSC2 pitch
- VCF cutoff
Memory
- 32 ROM preset
- 64 RAM slots
Review
OK: filter / display / Midi
NOT : storage / weight / no unison mode
"Really different and more harsh than Roland! analog pads and sweeps are just great. Really underrated."
