The Akai XE8 was way ahead of its time offering a wide range of 16-bit drum samples in a 1U rack mount unit for triggering from a keyboard or a sequencer or by the Akai ME25T pad-MIDI converter.

Extended information

Released around 1988, the Akai XE8 preceded other similar drum modules such as the Roland R8M, the Alesis D4 and D5 and the Emu Procussion modules by many years.

It came with 16 internal drum sounds which could be augmented using (optional) ROM cards. Up to two cards (Ext 1 and Ext 2) could be used simultaneously. Sounds (internal or external) could be extensively edited and modified. You could adjust pitch, pitch modulation, amplitude envelope, amplitude modulation and more. Sounds could be assigned to any note and the unit also had eight individual outputs to which any drum sound could be assigned for outboard processing and manipulation.

Technical specifications

* Type: module/
* Synthesis Type:
* Polyphony:
o Max: 16
o Typical in use: 4-8?
* Multi-timbral (number of parts): 1
* Controllers : n/a
* Drum Section :
o Number of Drum Kits : 1 (+2)
o Number of Drum sounds : 16 per kit
* Keyboard :
o Number of Keys :
o Can send on 0 simultaneous MIDI channels
o Responds to :
o Sounds can be split by :
* Inputs and Outputs :
o Number of Audio Outs (excluding Phones) : 9
o Number of Audio Ins : 0
o Number of MIDI Outs (excluding Thru) : 1
o Number of MIDI Ins : 1
* Upgrade Options : 4 possible sound Library cards( only 2 slots on the module), each holding one more kit(16 drum sounds).