Akai SG01k GM Sound Module

Easy as pie, I didn't have an instruction manuel and I was still able to figure out 90% of what it does.

I use it on a WX-5 wind instrutment and yeah, itis ok, midi is very easy with one in, one out and a through.

I don't know why everyone bags it, for the price I pais $160au I'm really happy with it, there is a little bit of hiss, but you barely notice it. Love the scream and car sounds. Sax sound not to bad ethier after a tiny bit of editing

No Probs Yet

Yeah, a bit tricky in Oz, haven't found and web sites for the manual ethier

Yeah good little unit for the price, just don't expect a $1000 machine for the price, the gm is good, would probaly buy another one if I lost it.

I'm using this with a Mac, with Cubasis and Pro Tools Free. The manual is very clear, the module is easy to understand and use.

Polyphony is what we've come to expect from a GM-module. It's enough for GM sequencing.

Definitely not the best sounding GM-unit around. Pianos are really bad, as are the organs. Brass is nice, but metal-like sounding. I was expecting much more from this #1 sampler manufacturer. Never tried to edit sounds.

It looks sturdy, I would rely on it without thinking.

I never dealt with Akai.

I really dug my Roland SC88 and wanted another GM unit for another Mac. I figured that a different brand would give me diffent (better?) sounds. Big mistake! I now use it for gigs, which in my case is twice a year. If lost or stolen, besides really pitying the thief, I would replace it with a Kurzweil micropiano, since these are the sounds I really need.

very easy to use. straight forward, manual works.

32 polyphony (31 with effects)
many types of reverb
no expansion
fully GM compatible
works best with advanced MIDI Controller that can send special editing messages, such as LFO/Cutoff etc...

The worst piano sound i've heard, somewhere near C2 key range.
maybe they want us to buy the SG01P piano module. The piano sounds so ugly, its sickening, and unusable at all. The others are of high-quality, due to S3000 chipset and 8MB WAVE ROM. nice guitars/bass/drums. mediocre strings. harp is nice

Seems reliable. High-quality product.

N/A

I wont buy it again, its just a simple GM sound module. I own some roland,casio, yamaha, korg. the output is clean ! crystal clear. deep bass. might be usefull for bass/drums. other not so good.

The AKAI SG01k General MIDI sound module comes in a 9.5" half size rack case with controls which are clearly laid out. The instruction manual provided is easy to understand and covers everything that you need to know.
The front panel features a master volume control and data up/down switches for selecting the various instruments. Other switches allow you select various presets etc. (Shape, Tone, Special, Level, FX Level). A large red LED display is used to show the settings and program number.
The rear panel features various connectors. The power jack (for the power adapter supplied) and on/off switch are also on the rear panel. There are three 5 pin DIN sockets for MIDI In, MIDI Thru and MIDI Out. A 3.5 mm stereo jack is provided for headphones and jacks are provided for outputs etc.
A 8 pin mini-DIN connector is also provided for connecting directly to a computer - however this is not advisable for PC's, where it's usually easier to use the MIDI port on your sound card. For Macintosh computers though, this serial connector may be useful.

The AKAI SG01k GM sound module is a 16 bit linear sampling synthesizer with 32 polyphonic sounds. 189 melodic instruments are included, together with 124 percussive instruments. 30 reverbs round off the spec and all samples are of very high quality.
The SG01k is an expander and as such is intended primarily as a addition to an existing synth setup. To use as a stand-alone device, you would require a master keyboard and a separate sequencer.

The sounds provided by the AKAI SG01k are of very high quality because they use the same technology implemented in the larger S-Series samplers.
The pianos are pretty good - but if you want a lot a good keys, go for the SG01p module (see separate review). The chromatic percussion is also pretty good, but the organs are nothing amazing.
The guitars are as good as on any other synth - if not slightly better - and the bass instruments have a good rich sound. The synth lead and synth pad sounds are probably my favourites and the sound FX samples are also fun, but maybe not that useful in practice.
There aren't really any vintage analogue synth sounds because they form the basis of the third SG01 module - the SG01v Vintage expander (see separate review).

I've never had any AKAI gear fail on me yet and the Chinese build quality seems fine. Switches, connectors and pots all have a good sturdy feel and you don't need to worry about anything falling off.

I've never had occasion to deal with AKAI Deutschland other than for brochure requests which have been fulfilled promptly.

The AKAI SG01k GM sound module is an ideal addition to your synth setup. The sounds will probably be of superior quality to those on the average synth and will broaden your sound palette for a moderate price.
The SG01 series (Piano, GM and Vintage modules) was discontinued sometime around 1997 - so remaining stocks are slowly dwindling. However, due to aggressive pricing these units can now be picked up for less than a third of the original new retail price - if you can find them.
If my SG01k got lost or stolen, I would probably try and replace it with another new unit - however I think this may not be a viable option for much longer. If I couldn't find a new SG01k expander, I may wait and save up for a S2000 sampler instead - or maybe just buy a second synth with different sounds. You never know, perhaps AKAI will come up sometime with a replacement for the awesome SG series.