REVIEW of Akai Tomcat

[@btvonders]

The disco tom becomes a lot more fun when you plug a velocity sensitive midi keyboard in to it! Like a $10 rockband keytar. You can pretty much replace the bass drum with a low pitched 'pew' tom, and sounds really good bouncing fifths similar to sequencing a volca kick. The separate outs mod + a couple cheap headphone mixers are also really useful for routing effects and taking this machine to the next level.

[@EnochDark]

Anyone still selling these new? Seems like all the big sites no longer carry them...

[@officialloner88]

I really like the form factor of these drum machines, they look fun but I just wish they put more thought and money into the internals.

[@BasementArcade]

For sure, they're really well built and I feel like I could take them anywhere. I would recommend doing the individual outs mod on them and really taking these sounds through some processors. The only issue I'd have then is the sequencer not starting back on 1 when it's being triggered by another machine. ugh.

[@fitagoraz]

Totally agree! But they have potential..

[@hubblebublumbubwub5215]

Not sure about the money. It would defeat the purpose of a budget device. It's perfectly useable if you learn to work around the flaws.

[@NoirEtBlancVie]

Good review! What's next??? :)

[@BasementArcade]

Thanks man! Well, I actually moved across country just recently and purchased a house. In it is an actual room I'm going to be converting in to a recording studio. So as of right now until the beginning of the year, my gear is locked up (what I haven't sold... it's a pain to move, might as well use it to upgrade). Once I get it out of storage I'll start up again. Which is most likely be one of my very favorite synths, the Critter and Guitari Organelle.

[@hern19]

How much

[@donallfinn]

I don't have my Tom Cat plugged in right now, but hitting the play and velocity buttons simultaneously is supposed to be the "PLAY START" button, and should reset the sequencer to the 1, if you are stopping mid patern I'm not going to guarantee this actually works until I test it, because.....hey, we know Akai right? Printing a function on a panel, but not actually including that function ain't no thang to them.

[@PhoenixGuitars]

You are correct. Manual states this. Last resort... Read lol

[@New_Zealand_Music]

Hey mate I'd love to know how you synced up the volca and the Tomcat so well any help would be thoroughly appreciated thank you very much I have been following your work and enjoying it very much.

[@BasementArcade]

I think that was simply through the CV out into the Volca.

[@backoffbrent6199]

I have the Rhythm Wolf, Volca Bass, and Volca Kick. I sometimes chain them with my Boss Dr-880 as the master machine. I go from the 5 pin midi out on my Dr-880 to the 5 pin in on the Rhythm Wolf, then 5 pin out to 5 in on the Volca Kick, then I use the CV out of the Kick, to the CV in on the Volca bass. I discovered that the 5 pin connection offers more control over everything, but you have to set your machines to midi channel 10. Took me a while to remember that channel 10 is standard GM (general midi) for drums. When I'm connecting all of my synth stuff I use my Roland MC-50 mk2 as the master controller. The designated rhythm track on the sequencer automatically picks up drums on my digital modules, synths, drum machines, etc on channel 10 as well. Not sure if this helps out, or not. My rig is pretty mixed up with old, and new stuff. Just thought I'd mention what works for me.

[@New_Zealand_Music]

@@BasementArcade Late comment sorryI love the Akai Tomcat it's a beast. So underrated. I think it'll be an ungrounded classic!

[@New_Zealand_Music]

Ungrounded, lol.

[@t55a2]

Good video mate. I like the AKAI stuff. Did you solve the 'pew/woop' issue? The 'woop' is more subtle, on what I've heard of the Tom Cat. I do like it, mostly for the same reasons as you.

[@citizenchris099]

Why can't I find one of these ANYWHERE. There 0 on Reverb or Ebay. If anyone has one they'd like to sell please DM me

[@BasementArcade]

SO weird! You're right, they are fairly rare now after being available on Musicians friend for like $99 every so often. Now I see them and the Rhythm Wolf on Reverb for like $300. What gives?

[@nevertorecover]

ILL TRADE FOR SOME CASH AND A TELECASTER OR ANY SOLID 350-500 ELEC GUIT. OR A GOOD TUBE GUITAR AMP MY CHANNEL IS THEPOSTWARSHOW ON KZbin AND EMAIL IS [e-mail]

[@Xakutor]

Because the Tom Cat was realeased AFTER the Rhythm Wolf, the bad reviews of the Wolf already tarnished the reputation of the Tom Cat before it was even released, so not as many people purchased the Tom Cat.. making it more rare than the Wolf. Additionally, It turns out while the Tom Cat still left a lot to be desired, it's ultimately a better drum machine than the Rhythm Wolf was (albeit, only slightly) which in turn had it's users/owners hold onto them rather than sell them off. I owned a Tom Cat & a Rhythm Wolf but sold them both about 2 years ago.. I missed the sound of the Tom Cat so I purchased another one recently (at an elevated price) but I have no desire to ever buy the Wolf again..

[@TROGULAR10000]

These pads are not velocity sensitive and the velocity setting does not affect their sensitivity. Velocity (one of three levels) is applied per step, and can be adjusted for each step after recording your pattern. The low volume of the kick is the same problem as rhythm wolf. What you do is indeed crank it up and just remember that all other individual volumes will be very low in comparison to the kick. Also, I'm pretty sure you can start from the start of the pattern by pressing either shift-start or stop-start together.

[@BasementArcade]

Thanks!

[@TROGULAR10000]

you're very welcome. what would be cool is if you told us or demonstrated whether one can get an interesting bass sound out of the toms played chromatically with the "keyboard".

[@BasementArcade]

Hmm.. I'll try that tonight. Never knew that was a thing.

[@TROGULAR10000]

yeah it's an interesting feature of these little machines. the color coding of the sixteen step keys are like a 16-key piano keyboard. you in rec perf or rec off and then the step keys play it chromatically, if it's the same as on the rhythm wolf , The RW has instead of the disco toms a bass synth with a choice of triangle or square wave form. It sounds ok. the only problem is having to calibrate it with the PC and it's still not quite in tune, and you have to do it over and over. I'm basically wanting to know if i'm gonna like the tom cat better and if the tuning is not so bad and if the toms can be used to make bass sounds

[@PaulTheSkeptic]

I like it. It sounds a bit fuller than the Volca. The silent bass is quite a drawback though.

[@BasementArcade]

If you're able to do the individual outputs mod on the unit, it makes it much more valuable. Things that bother me like the kick and toms can be adjusted using outboard compression and effects. But yes, I agree, it's much better than the volca beats as far as having an inexpensive analog drum machine.

[@donallfinn]

Also, I find it hilarious that triplets is an either-or decision, you can either be on a triplet grid or not, you can't have triplets in an otherwise regular pattern.....yes, there are workarounds, but seriously, we shouldn't NEED a workaround, notes entered in triplet mode should be like notes entered at a velocity layer, it should be part of that individual triggers data, it shouldn't change the whole f**king pattern............1st world problems.........

[@stephenkyburz6529]

That electribe in the background :P

[@BasementArcade]

Yeah, it's been my go to machine for sequencing. I've sold almost all of my stuff (upgrading) and so far the only thing I've kept are the EMX, a few volcas, and the organelle.

[@EnochDark]

HMU if you ever wanna part with the Organelle!

[@Decoy303]

Mine is the same so... WHOOP there it is (or isn't).

[@BasementArcade]

yeah what's up with that? I swore it worked for a little bit and then I moved the knob one day and it just decided to quit.

[@faustocastillo4740]

Cool mexican blanket you have there

[@ChrisSmout]

Don't hold your breath on new firmware, chap.

[@BasementArcade]

Ha, didn't think so. Stranger things have happened though.

[@donallfinn]

Yep...Akai dropped this whole line so fast I'd be surprised if they even claim knowledge of or responsibility for their existence....."Wolf? What? Never heard of it......oh, that must be the OTHER Akai" I'm surprised the Wolf got the tuning app, but there is no firmware comning for any of Akai's doomed analog zoo line

[@dvdny]

Unfortunate, it has good bones, it just likely needs some bug fixes. If these companies are going to abandon such potentially useful items, they should at least open-source the codebase. What a waste.

[@Nervejam]

Drums sound great. The rest, not so much..

[@jeneruda4338]

you're very good bro :) very very

[@jnkmal9519]

Wait. Is this the same drunk guy from the thumbnail?