The Akai Z4 Sampler represented a major step forward in hardware-based sampling at a time when many producers were becoming increasingly frustrated by the limitations of software samplers and the strain they placed on host computers. Designed for professional use both in the studio and on stage, the Akai Z4 delivered pristine 24-bit/96kHz audio quality while offering powerful synthesis and performance capabilities that set a new benchmark in sampler design.
At the heart of the Akai Z4 was a custom-designed LSI sampling engine, working in tandem with a high-performance Intel StrongARM CPU to provide ultra-fast audio processing and dependable real-time operation. This allowed the Z4 to manage complex sampling tasks with ease, freeing your computer from CPU overload while delivering the sound quality and responsiveness required in professional workflows.
The Akai Z4’s sound-shaping capabilities went far beyond traditional sample playback. A powerful synth engine offered no fewer than 36 resonant filter types, each capable of subtle tone sculpting or dramatic transformations. The Akai Z4’s innovative filter section included three independent 2-pole digital dynamic filters per voice, enabling 6-pole configurations and complex filter routing not previously seen in hardware samplers. Realtime control of filter cutoff and resonance could be achieved through MIDI or directly via the front panel.
One of the most groundbreaking features of the Akai Z4 was its implementation of Q-Link real-time controllers. Four freely assignable Q-Link knobs on the front panel allowed hands-on manipulation of critical parameters such as level, pan, tuning, effect sends, sample start offset, and more. Each knob could be individually mapped to affect an entire program or a single keygroup, offering extraordinary flexibility for live performance or studio automation. Crucially, Q-Link movements could be transmitted as MIDI controller data, making it possible to record and playback expressive performance data from a sequencer.
To complement its powerful sampling and synthesis features, the Akai Z4 included a new four-channel 24-bit/96kHz effects processor capable of running over 40 different effects types. Alongside high-quality reverbs, delays, choruses and flangers, users also had access to phasers, pitch shifters, rotary speaker emulation, auto and touch wahs, compressors, noise gates and more. Notably, a pitch correction effect was also included, ideal for vocal processing. These effects could be applied in both creative and corrective contexts, and were fully adjustable in real-time.
Another standout element of the Z4 was its seamless computer integration. A USB slave port allowed direct connection to a PC or Mac, providing full compatibility with Akai’s powerful ak.Sys software. This software environment gave users a rich, graphical interface for managing programs, multis, and sample libraries. With drag-and-drop functionality and high-speed file transfers, ak.Sys made it easy to move between the worlds of hardware and software, combining the immediacy and reliability of standalone operation with the convenience of computer-based editing.
Importantly, all DSP processing was handled internally by the Akai Z4 itself. This allowed producers to continue using their favourite DAWs or virtual instruments on the same computer without the resource conflicts often caused by software samplers. Whether in a professional studio or on stage, the Z4 provided the kind of rock-solid reliability that only dedicated hardware can deliver.
The Akai Z4 built on the heritage of the legendary “S” series samplers while incorporating the real-time performance features of the MPC range and the studio-grade effects of the DPS16 and Akai’s stompboxes. The result was a new kind of sampler, one that could stand at the centre of a modern production setup, offering advanced synthesis, deep integration, and live performance flexibility in a single, robust package.
The Akai Z4 wasn’t just another sampler, it was a new breed of sampling instrument from a company that had already defined the artform.
Features
- 24-bit/96kHz operation
- Q-Link knobs for realtime performance control
- Automation of commonly performed sampling functions such as normalise and sample assignment
- 36/6-pole resonant filter types with special ‘Triple’ mode
- New 24bit/96kHz 4-channel effects processor
- Quick FX for rapid sound manipulation
- Capacity for up to 512Mb on board SDRAM using off-the-shelf memory
- USB host/slave connection – use off-the-shelf USB keyboards for easier naming and USB drives.
- ak.Sys software for computer control over USB
- 64-voice polyphony
- Dual independent LFOs with internal and external modulation control and MIDI clock sync
- Balanced analogue I/Os providing full 24bit/96kHz A/D and D/A conversion
- Sample rate conversion
- Choice of analogue or digital assignable multiple outputs
- Sound Library compatibility with a wide range of Akai and other formats
- FAT32/DOS disk format and .wav implemented as native format
- .AIFF also supported using Mac ak.Sys
