Alesis Andromeda

First off, I would like to congratulate Alesis for having the balls to make an analog poly synth. For about 5-10yrs ive been pulling my hair out....I hate the sound of VA's, yet I didnt want to commit ### to an ageing OB8 or JP8 (despite the fact I have used both). The A6 is what I have been waiting for...I should imagine there are alot of others who feel like me.

I am totally overjoyed by the depth and complexity this synth offers.....Such a powerful interface, this is really cool. A little hard at first but immensely rewarding in the long run. Awesome interface for an anlog synth! This is definitely aimed at the professional. Anyone thinking of shelling out #2000 must be making their money through their music. As an expeirenced sound designer, I find the A6's interface easy and so so powerful, I love it.

When you compare the synth engine of the A6 to a JP-8, OB8, P5 etc....its clear to see that this IS defintely the way forward for analog synths. An incredible amount of features when you think about. In comparison to a VA....I really do think the A6 is better.

I love pure digital (Sequential Prophet VS, Casio cz3000, Yamaha DX-7, Roland D-50, Roland JD800, Korg Wavestation etc etc) and I love the old analogs (SCI Pro-One, Korg MonoPoly, P5, JP-8, OB8) BUT....

I really dont like VA synths. Ive owned the Nord 2, Nord 3 and Virus KC and I thought they all sounded pretty crap and unexciting....a real dissapointment actually. The Virus KC was the biggest dissapointment...it just sounded so muddy and lacked clarity....it was so shit.

Analog synths tend to have a more powerful, raw sound...and when playign live they certainly always have greater presence over a VA. There is no doubt in my mind analog sounds better......VA buffs are deluding themselves im afraid.

Ok, now to the sound of the A6. All in all a great analog sound and certainly the most versatile. In fact I really dig this thing, it has great presence and depth and a wide sound. Not quite as warm as I would have liked (OB8, JP8 cant be beaten) but definitely as satisfying. Playing the A6 makes you go WOW! I never got the WOW factor using a VA...so go figure.

The A6 along with the Omega 8 and perhaps the Moog Voyager will undoubtedly become classics in the future.

Great job Alesis....f$&%ing awesome synth!

No probs with mine so far. If I do have a prob Ill get it fixed....just like a car.

Not had to contact them yet.

21 kg's of circuitry and a solid chassis. Analog components have a far longer lifespan than a digital component. The A6 represents the latest in analog poly technology and I think it is simply awesome.

I think a #2000 is very reasonable. Alternatively you can go buy yourself a shit, muffled sounding Virus KC for #1429 (I did! Doh!!). Digital components are so cheap and it amazes me that Access can get away with charging #1400+ for a light (13kg) digital synth. #2000 for a REAL analog pisses all over a VA.

If you cant afford #2000 for an A6....then just wait and save up...for god sake I hope you dont do what I did and buy a N3 or Virus KC...you'll be sorry.

Just my opinion at the end of the day.

Powerful yet pretty easy to use. Take a bit of time with it and you'll soon realise how easy and fun it isd to program wicked sounds.

All the neat features you would expect from a modern synth. Check out www.alesis.com for a list of features.

All the features work great in my studio...no problems.

I always use analogs. The A6 in my mind is just as satisfying in expression as my Jupiter 8 and Prophet 5. If this werent the case I wouldnt have bought it!

Its wonderful to have a 16 note analog polysynth. I can create just as lush ambient pads and dirty dark sounds as any other analog synth.

I think this synth sounds much better than VA's

21 kgs
Solid construction.....very much like my JP8

Ive had no problems with this synth. I will however, in 5 yrs time start to get it serviced every 1 or 2 yrs though.....my JP8 and P5 wont live forever!

Great company, great products, great support (should you need it!)

A genuinely lovely sounding analog synth which has its own distinct character. If you can afford one of these then dont hesitate...it blows all VA's out of the water.

As of Jan 2003 you can buy them new for #2000. I should think in 2yrs you'd be able to pick one up for #1400 - BARGAIN!

Latest software version.
Editing patches is amazingly easy. The only people that might need help with this are people unfamiliar with subtractive synthesis. The manual is great at explaining every little detail even explaining things they really don't need to just so the reader can understand synthesis/waveforms/sound/etc. better.

16 voices. Very good for real analog, not too great compared to every other synth out there. I don't care though, I don't need any more than about 12. The keyboard action is VERY good. I grew up on piano and until now hated all semi-weighted or non-weighted keyboards. I used my QS-8 to control all my other synths. With this thing I feel like I NEED to use its own keyboard.
The built-in effects are pretty good. They might not be the greatest for realism, but I think they add a lot to this synth's sound.
This thing has the best/most features of any subtractive synth I've used. Read the manual if you don't have it, you'll see what I mean.

Amaaaazing expressiveness. ESPECIALLY with the ribbon controller. I'm convinced every synth should have a ribbon controller like this one. The sounds are the best. Sounds like real analog with all the bonuses of today's VA's. But I've also gotten a lot of unique sounds that give it it's own character. If you just want to sound like old school analog, buy an old school analog. If you want unique, exciting new sounds, get this.

The whole thing is pretty sturdy. I don't know why people complain about the knobs. They seem a biiiiit wobbly but I like these knobs more than any other piece of musical equipment I've ever used. Really.

No clue

If it were lost or stolen, I would cry. Then I would try really hard to get enough money to buy another one.
Basically because of the sound, universe of features, and overall coolness, this is IMO the best synth ever made. I've thought long and hard about that, and I really believe this.

There are just too many features on this thing to call it easy to use, although it is layed out pretty intuitively. I would rate it an 8, but am submitting a 10 because a single reviewer padded the ratings by posting multiple bad reviews that were obviously due to nothing more than spite.

It is a bit lacking on the controller side, but simply as a synth, it has just about everything you can ask for, An 8 hear to, but due to the padded negative reviews, I am submitting a 10.

The synth engine is wonderfull. Sounds just as full as an OB-8 or Jupiter-8. The effects are not that great, but I don't use them anyway, as I use this in the studio only, and add effects post record. A 9 here, but again due to padding of the negative ratings, I submit a 10

My one gripe about this thing is the cheap feeling knobs. In Alesis' defense, I have not seen a decent feeling knob on a synth since the Nord Lead 2. I don't know if they're just cheap, or they are designed to flex for protection, but I don't like the feel. I'd rate it an 8, but again, to negate the unfair negative reviews, I submit a 10

Can't rate this because I have never contacted them.

If you were thinking about shelling out $4000+ for a Studio Electronics Omega-8 (as I was), try this board before you buy. It sounds just as phat, has more features, and is almost half the price. Definitely a great value.

I just got seriously in to using this thing today. I got it about a month ago, but I've been swamped dealing with
hard disk recording issues. This thing is WICKED!! I've been seriously going through it now for about 30 minutes and I think
it just became my favorite synth (and I've got about 15). The presets are awesome, and there are a ton of them.
Editing is simple as can be, the whole front of this thing is all knobs, every parameter is right there ready to be edited. Didn't even look at the manual yet, haven't needed it.

I haven't completely gone through it yet, but so far I have not one single complaint about it. The polyphony is amazing!
Haven't tried do anything with the MIDI yet, but this thing is brand new, I'm sure it's got all the MIDI features I could ever need.

The sounds of this thing are the BEST! Everything is really warm and full. The basses shake the walls and the pads float along.
I play breakbeat and ambient music and I can see this working equally well for both. It's got the dreamy pads and drones perfect
for ambient stuff and the hard hitting bass and leads for my more hectic breaks. I love this damn thing and I've barely touched the surface of what it can do.
I especially love the Ribbon controller w/the hold function!!!!!

Haven't had it long enough to really comment on this. Seems solid enough.
I treat all my gear very well though and this thing won't be gigged with ever, so I don't see any problems arising with it.

I would DEFINITELY buy another one of these if it were stolen. I guess I would have to rob a bank first
seeing as I would take about a year to save up the money again otherwise. It is a pretty costly piece of gear, that would be the only thing
I can complain about so far. I've got a lot of other synths, vintage and new virtual analog and I think this thing is quickly becoming my favorite of all of them.
This thing has done nothing but help with my music. I used it for 30 minutes and had 3 new song ideas in the works just from tweaking a few presets!
LOVE IT!

I am usig the latest o.s on the andromeda and I have never had one problem with it. I find the Andromeda to be very easy to get around and very logically laid out. I really like the seperate outs for the voices and fund multitimberal operation to be a snap.

The effects in the unit are incredible and very pro sounding"unlike alot of cheap sounding effects built into synths". the filters on this thing are awesome and very classic sounding.

This is a synth you need to buy if you can afford it. BIG BIG BIG BIG BIG BIG ANALOG TONE ALL THE WAY!!!!!!

This is the real deal holyfield.

I'm using software version 1.40.01.

At first you look at the A6 and think: I'll never learn!
Then you set aside that feeling and begin to turn those knobs.

After a while you'r not afraid anymore and it's quite easy to make a sound.

The presets are funny to take a look at and learn some of the capablities of the A6. A lot of the sounds are sound effect. Just a few I think are usefull for making music. But then again, I also downloaded the Soundset from Klaus Peter Rausch at Alesis' site, this person knows how to make GOOD sounds. Really bright and full of sound.

The Manual is ok, nothing special.

The features of this synth are huge. Every day of your life you can make a different sound, and then, when you die you made just a few of the total posibilities.

Since the last software update, al the knows send cc data. Midi is now complete and working as it should.

I never use the onboard sequencer.

I know this is the Analog synth with the highest number of voices, but I still want more. :)

The instruments are REALY thick. This is good since it is much easier to modify a thick sound into a thin one that the other way around.

Since the update the onboard sounds are much more usefull than before. Before the update they made the A6 sometimes sound like a casio (big shame). Now they are ok, but nothing special.

As for velocity and atertouch etc. It's as if you connect this synth to your brains and use it as an extra way to express yourself.

Most of it feels ok, but I found out that one button (the up selection button) isn't always working as it should. Too bad.

Well, they get their updates once in a while. Don't know how the customer support it.

If this one got stolen I would be depressed for a long time. I have to buy a new one, since this machine got the sound I like.

I compared this machine to a lot of synths before I bought it. It was the only synth that made my heart tick (and again when a saw the huge pricetag!)

I love this synth. It's part of me.

i am using the latest os as of nov 2001. this synth is very easy to program sounds with...a dream really. so many knobs for various parts of it's synthesis...and easy patching to just about anything. this is almost a full blown modular...almost. =]

i t loses 2 point only for the following:

1. the manual is not that well written or organized
2. the os is a bit buggy at times (still a work in progress)

as far as features, this synth is amazing. one thing to consider is that it is a full analog synth. 16 voices based off of real osc is an amazing amount for the price. the filters are beautiful, and the synth is very fat and warm sounding. some other reviewers tried to say otherwise... i am not sure what they could be missing... i hav played a lot of classic analogs and this synth has been overall much nicer in sound than any of them. the effects are nice... not what you will get on a VA as far as number and power, but then again, this is not a synth based off a computer program. they had to make a trade off between functions and price, and i think they found the best mix of both.

i think the step sequencer is very interesting, and the massive amount of outputs wonderful. you can really tell that true analog synth users built this great machine.

this synth is amazing for any type of music i can imagine. i do a lot of experimental industrial, modern dance and psychedelic trance music... and it has wonderful tone to offer them all. i love this thing, it is my most used synth at this point... and i have most of the popular ones available. i think that the sound quality is wonderful and immense in size. this is definately not your usual old school alesis product.

the os can be a bit quirky to really call reliable like my nord or waldorf stuff. it has gotten much better tho. i must say it has a way to go as far as that. little lock ups and things would be bad on stage, but haven't been an issue in my studio at all. i think anybody crazy enough to bring a synth this huge and expensive on stage is on crack, so i wouldn't recommend it. i would love to bring it live, but will have to buy a second one first... which i would consider. i would never risk it with my only one. i have found that VA synths are generally able to sound fine live without the risks, and most people can't tell the difference with live sound anyways.

never needed it. i usually refer my questions to mike peake...who really was the one who sold me on this synth. he is a really nice guy, and really loves this synth. i have never regretted my purchase... not once. thanks mike!!

i think this is a work of art, and has become an amazing part of my sound. anybody who really loves analog needs one. it really replaces and even betters most of the originals due to its extremely flexible programming. i was luck enough to get a red one, and would even buy another blue one for live if i had the extra cash. get one before they go away!! it only loses one point for the os issues i mentioned above, and as long as alesis stays open, i expect those issues to go away.

I am using the latest version of the software. It is a lot more stable than the first version, but it still has to be updated. Every once in a while the A6 goes wildly out of tune. The only way to correct the problem is to power cycle and Auto Tune again.

If your goal is to make music with the synth right out of the box, then forget it. The presets are trash. They show off the capabilities of the A6, but they are not oriented towards making music. A lot of them are phrases and effects. Get an SRAM card and load the free patches. There are not many good ones, yet they will help tremendously.

Make no mistake, this is an advanced analog synthesizer. If you are not already an experienced analog synthesist, you will NOT be creating anything any time soon. For that matter, most analog owners do not create new patches any way. Need proof? About 700 of these synths have been sold, and hardly anyone has created any patches. Everyone is playing the factory presets and the few free patches!

The manual is generally alright. It is not in tutorial format. Rather, it well documents the synth features in a handbook style.

The A6 has 16 voices. Given that technology is rapidly changing, this is the minimum standard these days. The other hot synths have more voices. The keyboard action feels both solid and mushy. Not responsive like a piano board and not springy like a Nord Lead 3 or JP-8000.

There are enough built-in effects to keep anyone busy. However, they are advanced features again with plenty of settings. Do not expect to master them overnight. The A6 accepts one SRAM card available from just a couple vendors for roughly $120. It will allow you to store hundreds of patches. Be sure to get it.

I do not use MIDI, so I cannot comment on it. However, the manual is in need of an expansion when it comes to using MIDI and how to update the OS. It is very minimal. Beginners will be completely lost.

An on-board sequencer is available. This is not a typical sequencer like the Akai 2000XL. It is an analog sequencer that allows interruption of the sound. Think of the rhythm on Madonna's "True Blue" and you get the idea.

The expressiveness and sounds are generally excellent. You should not expect a good piano sound with only 16 voices. No one has synthesized a decent one yet, and I do not think it can be done.

Most types of music could benefit from an A6. This is not a super techno board, so don't expect that. Instead, it is something for the analog purist. If you are not one of these, you may be disappointed. Try before you buy!

There have been minimal problem reports. I do not gig with my A6. This rig is quite large and heavy. Anyone planning to gig with it better buy a very sturdy and expensive case.

Alesis is temporarily bankrupt. Support is through the A6 mailing list, and is generally very good.

If it were lost or stolen I would have a difficult time justifying the purchase of another. That statement applies to ANY synth because I like trying new synths. I own many, including the latest hot synths like the Nord Lead 3, Virus, etc.

What do I hate about the A6? It goes out of tune. Often the only way to correct this this is to power cycle the unit.

I wish it had a third oscillator and a MINIMUM of 32 voices, expandable to 64 or more. Also, the master volume is less than most synths. It is easy to tell using headphones.

The price has dropped to an average of $2,500. I paid $3,000, including tax. My feeling is that it is worth maybe $2,000 for what it does. On the other hand, the sheer size of this unit tells you a lot went into it. You will not see a $1,500 price any time soon, not until the A7 or something surpasses it.

Regarding sound, the A6 has its place and its characteristics. It is not the super warm, think analog sound that some people describe. I would classify it more as a solid analog sound, not thin or nasal like some VA synths.

Lastly, this is NOT an easy synth to create new sounds. Only the advanced should consider buying it with that in mind. Or expect to wait months or years while you learn both Subtractive Synthesis and the A6.

The ease of use of this synth is variable. It can be very easy to use because the most common parameters have their own dedicated knobs right there in your face (over 70! And I'm not counting the push buttons yet!) I've never seen an analog synth with this many knobs and buttons! On the other hand, a patch can have about 700 parameters(I think...) to tweak and you might have to go to a menu if you want to get complex with the sounds. Still, the submenus are not that hard to use though... I'm only giving it a 7 because the OS is a work in progress.

It's 16 voice polyphonic beating anything analogue out there. Put it this way, this synth has more features than any analog synth ever made, even the Oberheim Expander! The keyboard action is so good to me that now it's my main controller. Just go to Alesis website and check out all the features. Too many to list them all.

OK, this was my main consideration before buying this synth. I had many classics analog synths in my arsenal and I was very skeptical about it until I played it first hand in a store. Let me tell you, this is where this synth SHINES!!! I drove all the way from AZ to CA just to pick one up! Great filters! Not exactly an OBXa and Minimoog but close enough to sell all my other analog synths (well, perhaps not a couple of Rolands...). The FXs are more than adequate. The pallete of sounds for this synth seems endless. Who said subtractive synthesis was boring? Anyway, I would buy this synth just for its sound quality. If someone says the contrary, they must be deaf (or they're one of those Alesis haters...)

I only had it for two weeks...

Haven't had to call them...

This was my wish come true synth. I had many analogue classics that are all gone now. My live setup is a very stable old Mac Classic running Cubase Lite and the Andromeda. Nothing else! At home, even though I have a few other synths, the Andromeda is the backbone of my studio. The other synths are there just to complement it (mostly on the digital side of the spectrum). Just to let you know, the store I bought it from had my two other candidates for purchase side by side along with the Andromeda, the Waldorf Q and the Nord Lead 3. When I walked out of the store, I was very assured of my purchase.