$50 · Akai U4 Compact Phrase Trainer Black Super Rare

" Imagine being able to digitally record a couple of bars of the hottest bands and play along with them while you practice. The Akai Professional U4 Phrase Trainer lets you do just this, and much more". Very rare, vintage, Akai U4Phrase Trainer. In really good condition. Guitarist Magazine recently ranked the classic Akai U4 3rd in "The 30 most important guitar products of the last 30 years" poll. They said "the first affordable desktop trainer made flurries of notes intelligible for fledgling shredders". Here is the manufacturers (rather excited) blurb from the time ; "Imagine being able to digitally record a couple of bars of the hottest bands and play along with them while you practice. The Akai Professional U4 Phrase Trainer lets you do just this, and much more. Enter the 4th dimension time - Every guitarist, bassist, and keyboard player who has ever wondered how some of those flashy solos were played, can now capture the sparkling magic of a hot lick and play it back AT ANY SPEED (45%-250%) WITHOUT CHANGING THE PITCH. Unlike a tape deck, the U4 does not change as you vary the speed so there is no need to change key or retune your instrument to different play back speeds. And the built-in parametric EQ lets you adjust the tonal balance for clear reproduction". The unit runs on 6 x 1.5v AA batteries, or 9vDC