Alesis Andromeda

The Andromeda has loads of knobs so its a joy to program. However, this synth is very complex and is not as obvious as some other analogue polysynths. I have been playing synths for 10 years and the Andromeda makes me feel a bit amature. But the huge number of knobs makes up for its complexity and means you can create complex sounds with ease.

I must point out, every time you turn a knob a menu pops up on the display screen. So there is more to the Andromeda than the 72 knobs and 144 buttons point out! This synth is analogue heaven.

The Andromeda boasts a massive number of voices for an analogue polysynths. This aint like the your old OB-XA or Prophet-5, it has 16 voices which is more than enough for an analogue polysynth. Not just that, these voices are the most complete analogue voices availble. They offer 2 VCO's, 5 waveforms (which are mixable!), FM, 'Hard' and 'Soft' sync, ring mod and noise.

One thing i have noticed is that on the Andromeda, nothing is missing. The VCO's are very complete, there are two separate filters per voice, The envelopes a hugely complex and there are 3 separate LFO's per voice. The Andromeda also offers a massive modulation-matrix so there is an endless amount of modulation possabillities.

The built in effects are good but a few (the reverbs) could be a bit better. The analogue distortion sounds awesome and really gives a cutting edge to your sounds.

There is a slot for a card on the rear panel so yes the Andromeda is expandable. These cards offer more memory.

There is loads of memory on the Andromeda and it can save splits and layers as a performance. This is very useful.

I have not used the MIDI yet but it seems well-implanted.

The Andromeda boasts a useful arpeggiator and a 16-step analogue style sequencer, very similar to the old sequencers found on modular systems.

I own a Jupiter-4, CS-40M and have used Juno's, JX's, Jupiter-8's, Prophet-5's and a CS-80. The Andromeda is one of the best sounding analogue synths i have ever used. Its up there with the CS-80, seriously. It can emulate all the old classics plus do all the modern dancy shit. For me, nothing beats the Andromeda.

My Andromeda is very reliable and i gig it every week. As long as you give it a bit of time to warm up, its just fine.

Never needed it.

If this was lost or stolen, i would sell half of my studio to buy another. This is the finest analogue polysynth out there. It sounds truly amazing and is more versatile than any of the old classics.

Just buy one, its worth every peny.

Latest OS.

The andromeda is not the easiest synth to use at first because of the staggering amount of parameters but it is very logical once you get used to it.

My biggest complaint is the jittery nature of the soft knobs for micro adjustment of parameters. A fine adjustment option by way of a shift key would have been a good idea. As it stands now the adjustments are far too coarse.

On the plus side the Andromeda is very well endowed when it comes to adjustable parameters and is very flexible in the way you can change how it sounds.

The presets are terrible IMHO and it is hard to understand what the appeal would be for the type of sounds included. There are better presets available on the net that do the synth more justice.

The manual is very comprehensive and covers most aspects of the synth in great detail.

The synth is packed with features. There is a mind-boggling two OSCs both with subs, three LFOS, Three envelopes, S&H, two filters, arpeggiator, step sequencer, etc. etc. per voice!!!!
Since it has 16 voices one can appreciate the complexity of the sounds this machine is capable of.

The FX are barely passable and are of the Alesis wedge variety. I don't usually use the onboard effects.

The andromeda is extremely versatile sonically. The inclusion of the two filters (One Oberheim SEM 12 db and one Moog filter) make it easy to alter the character of the synth.

Care should be taken when editing patches. The VCAs tend to saturate very quickly making the sound quite rough. If you keep the Mix levels into the VCAs low then the synth takes on a much softer and smoother character. But the option to have the VCAs overdriven is a good thing in itself. One annoying thing is some zipper/aliasing noise from the digital Lfos. But it's not a deal breaker.

The A6 is a very capable Mimic of the classic synths and also quite unique sounding synth in its own right.

I have used an A6 with a few defective voices and care should be taken to check this if you are considering buying one.

Personally, my A6 is very stable and has never giben me any problems.

Never contacted them.

I think the A6 is a modern day classic and I can see it fetching a lot of money in 20 years time. This level of features on a analog synth is unprecedented.

As a synth it does take a lot of time to understand its nuances but once you have that mastered it is an awesome musical instrument.

It may be easy for some, but it was not for me. I come for Guitar background and recently got into Synths. I dived head-first into a bunch of gear this year, Virus TI, PEK, SunSyn, Xbase 999 adn the A6. Now that I've leanred how to use it, it's very powerful. It's the most powerful synth I own (not the best sounding) that's relative depending on the application, i.e. the Sunsyn has better RAW analogue sound.

10 out of 10. ARP, Sequencers, 2 filters, 5 sound sources, routing galore, tweakers dream. This thing is FULL of features. The synth will go in the record books as one of the most incredible analogue synths every made.

10 out of 10. The sounds is Amazing. The pads and strings are some of best I've heard. The base sounds are deep, the leads are sharp. You can make great sounds with this Synth.

The nice feature of this synth is that for what-ever reason, it fits perfectly in a mix. Hardly need to to do anything with the sound.

Pretty rock solid. Has the least problems than any other synth I own.

Never used it.

One of the best Synths ever built.

Ridiculously easy. Finest interface Ive come across in maybe 50 pieces of gear. Ive hardly had to look at the manual. If you have had any prior experience with subtractive synths and modulation the knobs and buttons take you right there to the appropriate menus. If you havent had much experience you may find the complexity of the synth daunting but thats not the synths fault.

I wont repeat the full spec but make some comments about w things. Ill say it again I love the interface a button or knob for just about every parameter, the sound. On the down side, the sequencer lacks individual knobs for steps like on the DSI Evolver Keyboard and i found it a bit fiddly to program, the effects are a bit of an afterthought but Ill forgive Alesis. Short of having a massive modular system you would be hard pressed to have this much tweaking and modulation power, within the limits of subtractive analog synthesis its a very versatile sound maker.

Sounds definately analogue plenty of character of its own. Perhaps lacking the rawness of a Prophet 5 - or is that just distortion and mud - its a relatively polished smooth sound. Sits alongside my JP-8, Prophet 5, DSI Evolver, A-100. Its different and up there with the best

Works fine so far but gives an impression of being a bit plasticy. If it fell on my JP-8 I think the A6 would suffer a crack. So loses a few marks in this category. Having said that, I think spare parts and service would be a lot more feasible with this than your 20-30 year old vintage synths.

Ive not had to deal with Alesis so cant offer an opinion. I think its great they concieved and built this thing and took it to a market. Whoever was responsible for this must have a real love for synth design because it could not have been an assured money spinner.

I would buy another though probably second hand. I got a mint s/h one for about 3/5 new price. Definately worth it. I sold my Waldorf Q, in my opinion the finest VA out there to buy this and dont regret it even though the A6 is more expensive. It has comparable extensive modulation like the Q but its more accessible with the knobs and buttons, and the real analogue sound is more pleasing for me.
I love the user interface and 16 voices, also the different envelope/velocity curves and the ribbon strip. Im also selling my Jupiter 8 which is perhaps silkier and fatter sounding because of reliability issues. Im afraid my old JP-8 will die on me leaving me an expensive lump of metal. The A6 has way more options, though I prefer the JP-8 solid metal and no nonsense sliders to the A6 slightly plastic feel. I wish it had wood or metal on the ends and a 76 note keyboard. Apart from that I love it!

(just a small reply)
the bugslist below ehas been made via the code 404 a6 group, it is not my invention. therefor i'm surprised to hear there seems to be 1 andromeda who's so different from all the others that he doesn't have those bugs !
by the way , no difference has ever been found between the new and old /blue or red a6's. lots of words about this myth have been spent on the above mentioned forumsite about this subject.
lets keep to facts
fr.gr. sunny

Firstly, the article written by Sunny is quite informative and useful for comparative analysis with your own A6--it also illustrates that the A6 is both powerful and complex, but many of the bugs that he has found are not present in mine. That said, I have Serial #00000006 off the assembly line (the red version (or "cranberry"); it was assembled and built before the problems that Alesis had and most every component was made in the USA; the new ones are made in Taiwan, I believe. Anyway, since it does have a pure analog signal path if you bypass the effects, I've found that there are differences between different units, like any other analog synth(at least every analog synth I've ever owned, which would be at least 12). In fact, I have 4 friends around the West Coast of the U.S. that have one, and they all sound slightly different to my ears with the same patch loaded...which is arguably the nature of analog synthesis. Anyway, ease of use for someone that doesn't understand what Sunny wrote below would qualify the A6 as "Difficult". However, if you understand how synthesis really works, then just grab those filter and envelope knobs to modify the existing patches or the ones for download online. Therefore, I'm giving it an 8 in this category, since you either learn how to program it (if you're a newbie to synths) or grab knobs and push buttons (which there are PLENTY of) and start tweaking parameters until you create a patch that works for you.

Much has already been said about this, so I'm not going to rehash what 100 people have already said. It is not a Korg OASYS, but it is a 16 voice, 16 analog output analog synth for $3000 or less! Based on the fact that I've paid that much (or more) for monosynths in the past that had literally 500 less features, I'd say the A6 is pretty killer in this category. But there are some bugs that drive me nuts, which cause some features to be problematic, so it only gets a 7 here.

I find it to be very expressive and have used it for creating songs that fall into Industrial, trance, and ethereal categories, so it works for me. It has a sonic signature that cuts through a mix, even with heavy distorted guitars and real bass in the studio or on stage with a live drummer. It has tons of ways to matrix your signal, and a ribbon controller and an assignable mod wheel...not to mention tons of knobs and buttons. I give it the highest score in this category but still can't give a synth a 10 since I only hear those in my head! Seriously, it sounds as great (but different) as any other classic synth that I've had (or have), but would say that it sounds like somewhat like a Prophet/Jupiter/Voyager(kinda) with a digitally controlled interface and tons of storage. I own or have owned Prophets, Super Jupiter, Jupiter 8, Juno, Waldorf Microwave, Various Moogs, my ATC-1 with all the filter "cards" and every VA synth that I have and still think the A6 is great enough to be a classic. By the way, if you are looking for PCM sounds (as in most synths on the market, which use PCM or VA engines for OSCilators),this is not the synth for you.

Since mine is fairly rare, I have only gigged with it once and would only gig with it at places where the crowd can NOT get close to it. If I played out more often, I'd buy a used one manufactured from the original batches and use that on stage. It has some bugs, but has only locked up on me once since I bought it (shortly after it was released) when used alone or in as a Master MIDI controller with other synths. It is fairly heavy, so get a good touring case for it; a $3000 synth (or whatever they sell them for now) is worthy of a $300 case. Still, I'd carry it in out of venues myself and not let roadies or volunteers slam it down like it's a rack of power amps.

I dealt with Alexis when I first bought mine and they arranged for me to get an updated firmware upgrade that fixed my problems. I haven't had to deal with them since, but they were very friendly. Since they had financial issues, I honestly haven't even looked to see who takes care of their customer support now, but have heard that they're pretty decent.

It won't get stolen since I have it in a "secure location" with armed guards and pitbulls, but if it was damaged, I would get it fixed or buy another. I've been playing guitar since I was 15, and keys since 17, and was too poor in the Eighties to buy the synths that many of my friends/colleagues had at the time, so I built up my collection piece by piece over the last two decades. The sample questions for this category ask many things, so I'm trying to answer some of them; my point is that it is definitely a star in my studio of 100's of soft synths and at least 24 other physical synths, so yes, I would buy another when I start touring again if necessary.

reasonable, steep learning curve, very careful editing required

not fully bugsfree, or not obvious parameters already implemented( be. no midi out from sequenser etc) what's left is a lot though.
big setback: modulation routes are noticably slower than hardware routes, thereby envelops almost not useable as extra modulationsources because of "click"

within it's limits , still lots of sounds possible. bigger than virtual analogs, not so big as old discete components or be jp8

ones hardware is oke ( check the oscillatortuning of all oscillators over different keyboardzones !) it's reliable. however also here , some very weak sides appear be side caps break of while touching them

service stations 9,
support from manufactorer/ bugs resolving software update: 1

lots of questions and uncertainties excist regarding the A6 andromeda.
in this respect it seems to be helpfull to not only read the manual and tips and tricks document carefully, but to also know what not to expect from this very nice synth.
alesis/ numark seems to be unwilling to solve excisting bugs / upgrade the software / give other people the opportunity to do so / even react to letters and other demands of longtime product-users.
seems we'l have to live with it so, hereby a comprehended list of most shortcomings. hope it helps people to get round easier with this machine
sunny

( follow buglist and wishlist a6)


Bug #1

Title: Square wave duty cycle bug
Description: A setting of 52 is currently the true 50% duty cycle,
rather than 50.


Bug #2

Title: Portamento tracking on unison voices
Description: When using portamento (normal mode) on a mono patch with
unison (2) turned on, it seems that only 1 voice is affected - the other
seems to jump right up/down to the destination pitch. Switch port mode
to 'chord', it works as I expected normal to. Is this a bug?
(checked, however not found on my A6)


Bug #3

Title: VCO Pitch slide
Description: When a note is triggered, the Osc audibly "slides" up to
the new pitch, even with fast engine settings.
Can be reproduced:checked, depends on engine settings and
tuningsettings,therefore to me, no real bug, always could get some extra
attention though -


Bug #4

Title: Sequencer hangs while using the sustain pedal.
Description: Using sustain pedal and sequencer concurrently causes stuck
notes until the sustain pedal is depressed again.



Bug #5

Title: Dropped NOTE OFF events in MIX mode when using external sequencer
Description: Notes stick on a midi sequencer with the A6 in mix mode
logic or cubase.


Bug #6

Title: No polyphonic aftertouch from MIDI input
Description: Described as working in the manual, but not implemented.


Bug #7

Title: "Klicky" envelopes
Description: It is almost impossible to create fast and deep bass sounds
without an audible "klick" sound.
Can be reproduced:when minimum attacktime of 6ms, no problem, therefore
to my opinion,"maybe" bug!, sunny -


Bug #8

Title: Corrupt patch in edit buffer requires a soft reset.
Description: Inadverently loading a bad patch into the edit buffed
causes the synth to crash. Power cycle causes an endless booting loop.
Power cycle after a 10 second wait will sometimes clear the problem. At
other times a soft reset is required.

Bug #9

Title: Audible artifacts in PWM
Description: The status of this as a bug is arguable. Using PWM of any
sort creates audible quantization noise or low freqency digital hash in
the output. Easily heard on the factory preset patch PULSE STRINGS or
most patches with PWM enabled. This problem renders all PWM capabilities
of the synth unuseable IMO. Sounds like a crappy VA.
Problem exists whether PWM is being modded from an LFO, a looping
envelope or an external pedal.
Problem can be somewhat worked around using external HPF. Or using
another synth altogether. Can be reproduced:checked,for this reason a
verysmooth lfo/pwm engine setting has been developped with hardly
noticable difference,fm of pw seems to work better, should get a renewed
attention, sunny


Bug #10

Title: Screen redraws getting dropped
Description: Under certain circumstances, the display does not refresh
when switching to another page. I will try to find a scenario when this
can be consistently reproduced. Low priority.
Can be reproduced:too little info provided therefore couldn't be
(checked, maybe its a result of high processor usage whereby the screen
rightfully doesn't get prioriy, sunny)


Bug #11

Title: Fast filter settings noise on key release
Description: the midrange "grating" or "metallic" noise that can be
heard on key release using bass patches with fast filter settings, e.g.
the Venus Bass patch. the same noise is also apparent in many
high-pitched string patches.
Comments: is this not the PWM problem? - mschultz. perhaps, but it
happens even with PWM disabled - chris.pickett
Can be reproduced:checked, wonder if i mean the same noise/ sound as
you, in my case it dissapeared when the release times where set to a
value of 10ms or bigger(which is a bit long i admit), sunny


Bug #12

Title:AUTOTUNE
Description:autotune doesn't work well enough due to hardware/chip
quality, differences often are too big, manualadjustment possibility of
single oscillators would be neccesary( and spare chip/soundboard
replacements)! maybe user definable savable tuningtables would also do
the trick.


Bug #13

Title:releasevelocity
Description:release velocity depending on attackvelocity, specifically,
if struck a note softly, no possibility of release velocity is left, the
two should be uncouppled, b.e. by always letting releasevelocity start
from a standard(127)value and then react depending on the speed of
releasing the key

Bug #14

Title:delay
Description:when fiddling around for some minutes with the envelops and
especially the delaytimes of them , the following happens: delay of
envelope 3 only works propely when also delay on envelop 1 and 2 is set
on times that are bigger then that of the delay of envelope 3 , although
logical in some ways, it's annoying, limiting and unneccesary in most


Bug #15

Title:up/down buttons when saving
Description:when saving a patch in the list, and wanting to select the
place where to save to, the up/down buttons act the other way round (
espec.down instead of up and vise versa)

Bug #16

Title:pw reset
Description: the the wavelevel of the pulse is reset to 50 when changing
the button from on to out and on again, this is inconvenient


Bug #17

Title:Cannot send program data via sysex to edit buffer
Description:When sending a sysex message with opcode 2 (i.e. F0 00 00 0E
1D 02 <editbuf#> <data> F7) the A6 should place the received program in
it's edit buffer. The A6Helper application, written for Alesis, requires
this and the program author's documentation written on behalf of Alesis
suggest this function should work. It does not.


Bug #18__

Title: diverse / 2. objects selected from previous lists
Description: 1 NORM2 envelope mode that's referred to in the manual but
has never functioned differently from NORM1..... number 2. Envelope
Re-triggering/ Implementation of envelope re-triggering in mod-t/g mode







(wishlist)



1) Polyphonic aftertouch response from MIDI Input

2) Random Patch generator (maybe with limitations on VOL. etc)

3) Knob "fine tune" option to have more gradual parameter changes

4) Sequencer "Latch" mode

5) Random Arpeggiator mode

6) When in MONO mode (high/low/last) "note priority" setting

7) Keyboard HOLD function

Cool Send MIDI notes from ARP or SEQ

9) Sync delays to Tempo

10) "Step Entry" on SEQ

11) Portamento time knob should respond to changes while a note is held
down (right now a note retains the original portamento time from when
the key was first pressed, ignoring knob input until the next keypress)

12) Polyphonic FM

13) modulation of the effectparameters, like on" the wedge"

14) split hold for the ribboncontroller

15) being able to adress the mod's of the envelopes and lfo-mod's as
controlroutedestination

16) possibility to retune the 12 keys of an octave to different scales

17) to mark the steps of the sequenzer as it's playing, to know where it is

1Cool Auto-sync to midi clock. (Having the internal clock automatically
sync to

MIDI without having to set it to sync or manual)

19) handling of 4 MB SRAM card

20) Random Patch Generator

21) LED Knobs as Sequencer Use the 8 multi led/knobs as a TR-style
sequencer (the hardware is there!) 16-64 steps

22)Zero Reference Point Option for Ribbon

wherever you first touch it is "zero" and you can modulate up or down
from there

23) Ribbon Controller as Trigger Ability for programs to use ribbon
controller (any value > 0) as trigger, instead of keyboard

24) LFO Speed Up LFO speed up, the silly mode for fast lfo mods and
halving the voice numbers for speed issues

25) Mod Page One page where you could see all modulations at work in one
patch

26) Knobs Range Knobs range can be shifted or when you select a button
you can use the ribbon for fine adjustment

27) Change Default Presets ( make custom default patch and save it)

2Cool Toggling Between( se;ected) Pages

29) Pot Values Also helpful for live would be a function where I could
set the value when the pots react. Now it's just when you go through the
original value or otherwise when you "breathe" at the pot

30) FineTune? Mode A fine tune mode while changing values with whatever
knob (like shift-turn a knob will give smaller steps)

31) Sostenuto Pedal Sostenuto pedal (pedal does not affect notes turned
on *after* sustain pedal is pressed, only ones being held when pedal is
pressed)

32) increase sequencer steps number

33)increase arp programmability

34) Correctly save/load Mix + associated patches via sysex

35) more curves selectionable for aftertouch and velocity responds

36) real time record for sequencer

37) filter FM to be set separately .. so no offset of FM on filter 2 but
a real OSC FM amount to filter

38)Operate at all even divisions of BPM, only within a reasonable range
of course (40bpm-200bpm) but everything from 1 to max would be nice

39) a "Vegas mode" - where all the lights flash randomly on the front Exclamation

Using latest OS 1.40.12

The presets sound impressive in the shop but are not that great for actual use in compositions but the downloadable extra sounds banks are better but still not top banana.

Manual is detailed but the adromeda hints and tips guide, available for download, is much more helpful for getting the sounds you want from it.

I found it really great fun for creating and messing around with patches ubt I never quite got the evil screaming dirty lead noises that I so wish for.

I'm not a synthesis expert and so find myself lost changing controls and not sure what I was doing. Beginners will be disappointed by the lack of really great sounds straight out of the box.Experts will find themselves in synth heaven with the screen constantly updating following your every movement.

16 note polyphony in a truly analogue synth is not to be sneered at but remember that as soon as yor start using unision that number drops dramatically. ie 1 patch with unision of 16 will use up the entire polyphony of the keyboard.

The in built effects are of a good quality and easy to use with stacks of parameters BUT and it is a BIG BUT!!! You can only have one effect per mix going at any one time. This is either a stereo effect or a combo effect ie reverb and delay, but even these are limited to preset combinations so I am unable to run a delay and a flanger at the same time. A big let down for me but if you have outboard effects this wont worry you.

PCMCIA memory card allows up to 8 banks of 128 patches (+3 onboard banks) but is around #70 in the UK.

Midi has been fine as far as I've used it. In/Out and Thru all present. The modulation matrix is pretty damn impressive and can be assigned to 16 midi conrollers as you wish. So one contol can affect multiple parameters at once.

The arpegiatior is pretty lame and I have never used the sequencer.

I can't help feeling like it's trying too hard to pull of something that it never quite manages to. Don't get me wrong, I have had some quality twisted noises coming out of it but don't expect it to be the one and only synth you'll ever need.

I think it can be tailored for all types of music but remember that it's analogue so if you want really crispy precise digital sounds this may well disappoint.

If you have the time and patience to really get inside the sounds and create log winding pads that evolve and change over thime then this is the king of kings, but don't expect it to sound at it's best straight out of the box.

Great attenuations can be set to aftertouch and velocity, the possibilities are there for some bending, twisting, distorting sounds.

Has not let me down yet but it does have a few glitches. Sometimes when changing between mixes it does not reset all of the altered midi contols so you may find that on one mix the filters do not work as you remember. I overcome this by switching it on and off between changing mixes, but this is not an ideal solution but this may be something to do with the setup that I am using.

I use it at gigs a lot with no back up and it has been fine.

The built quality is pretty solid but I would still cry if I dropped it.

When I took it out the box and fired it up it didn't work!!!! But I sent it back to Alesis and they fixed it and returned it promptly. They were helpful but on other occasions that I have spoken to them they did not really seem very well informed about it as if they were reading from a sheet or something. With persistance they can give you a number for someone who does know what they're talking about.

To be honest if I had #2200 again I would buy a Virus TI, a novation supernova 2nd hand and a Nord Lead 2 2nd hand, but I have this synth now and I love it dearly, remember the grass is always greener on the other side. In a direct comparison it rinses the f@*% out of the nord lead on almost all fronts.



I love the filters and the updating screen following your movements, I also love the modulation matrix. I hate the LACK OF BASS!!! And the LACK OF MULTIPLE EFFECTS!
It looks like a big blue beast and the lights look great in the dark.

It helps me to write music but I wish it could be more of a power horse all in one music production beast.

Very easy. Dedicated pots and switches. Great display that shows graphic representations of values of parameters. The presets are good. lots of arpeggios etc. All sensible, sober stuff, by and large. This synth is capable of sooo much more. If you are used to programming, this synth is a breeze. It's not one for beginners, though.

It has and does everything. Nuff said.

Sounds never heard before, aplenty. Analogue synthesis has been taken forward by this synth. It can emulate any other poly out there and then some! Loads of performance options. I love the chord tracking. This synth is suitable for all types of music.

This synth will stand up against any other synth, analogue or digital, for reliablity. It looks well made. You can gig with it with the confidence you would have if gigging a Triton.

I've dealt with Alesis before. They're very nice people. Miles better than Roland. I've had no problems with my Andromeda.

I swapped mine for a Jupiter 6 and #500. Roughly #1100. It came with a sound card and flight case. What a bargain! It makes the Jupiter look very sad and over priced and I loved that synth. This is the best analogue synth ever. It's an instant classic. It makes Jupiters, Prophets and Moogs look very pedestrian and ordinary. It takes the best of the past and links it to the technology, reliability and ideas of the present...and future. It looks great. I tried to buy one new. Sites claiming to have them at 'low low prices' didn't! They either didn't get back to me or tried to sell me something else. I think the supply has finally dried up! As a second hand bargain it is the most sensible in synthdom.

good, although steep learning curve.
starting of by reading the manual , the tips and tricks document ( on the code 404 site) and the manual again is neccesary. thereafter making your own default patch would be a good start.

no remarks, best analog besides from very old and elaborate/ expensive modular systems.

just analog, not as clean as a jp8, nor as bad as a ms20, but much broader pallet.
effects are usable although external effect processor will mostly be better.

test it well when bought. weak spots are plastic-sidecaps and tuning of all 16 oscillators. (stays well in tune after warm up but initial tuning of oscillators and keyboardscaling might be too much deviant.)

very good, delivery of parts could be a bit faster though.
no updates of os/system software will occur anymore

would certainly buy it again!

patches( + swapping) and other info can also be found on:


http://electro-music.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=90

Latest avaible, think it is 1.14.12, thought there seems to be a 13 around. Presets are pretty much as presets are most. Those user programs avaible at the alesis site are better.
There is a lot of knobs, that's great by me, i love them and i can not see anything other than a real analog giving more than this.
Manual is ok, but lacks some practical guide like designing sounds from scratch, but sites on the internet goes into this.

16 voices of analog, that's about it. Keyboard action is ok but i've seen better, but the real deal is al thoose knobs and they are laid out very clever, internal effects are ok. Midi also works as supposed with my OS version. ARP and SEQ onboard and working as expected.
But all besides this machine shines in the sound construction department and that's what I want.

This is an analog synth and nothing else compare to that. I've to spent at lot of time before just scratching the surface.
So far it have done exactly what I wanted from it, and my Yamaha CX6
has just gone under the bed. I like knobs and this is truely my heaven come through in that respect, there is a lot of them. Minor issue is that the display, there is a lot of info. A PC editor would have been nice.
Otherwise it seems alive and responding to everything I can throw at it.

Have not had it for long, but seems well built

No answers here, web site could be more informative

I've love the sound and all the knobs, and it's actually a clever layout. It will keep me happy for a long time to come, and that's all I could ever ask

Presets are mostly show-room gloss, but simple editing makes a big difference. The manual is clear and thurough. Editing patches is about as easy as it gets on a 16-voice almost modular synth.

You van adjust key touch from 0-100, which comes in handy if you want to control other synths from it. The effects are nice sounding, like the Wedge, but not something I'd use for recording. The distortion is useful, perhaps a bit crude. Expansion cards are available, and highly recommended. The on-board sequencer kicks butt, with the arp you have a full-fledged analog workstation!

The basic sound is very good, both the oscs and the filters make you very happy. The routing possibilities seem endless, and the only real limitation is the programmer. If you want an analog synth today, look no further! The release velocity is a great feature.

The current os (.14) still has a couple of bugs; the envelope delay doesn't work 100% and the envelopes can be clicky at some levels. I feel that it's dependable, but nonetheless I'd hesitate taking it to a gig - I care so much about her... :-)

If you want an analog synth, this is it! it's like having something that reminds you of all the yesteryear beasts, blows all modern VA:s away and has a sound quite of its own. I'd definately buy another one if I had to. Analog synthesis has not come further than this, and will probably not.

All of the immediate adjustments are right there. All synth's today have some form of deep editing and this unit is no different, but the display is large enough to read and once you have a grasp of the way this machine edits, it is a fast process to make adjustments.

Without cut and pasting the manual and placing it here, I would say that the biggest noticable feature of this synth is the 16 voices /oscillator count under the hood. It has a strong compliment of built in effects which are usable. You can still buy memory cards from Pretec. The 16 separate outs are unique with endless options. The filters are grade "A". It becomes very noticible as you start to construct bass lines and the strength continues to build as opposed to dropping notes along the way. The controls and knobs are solid and feel like they will last a long time.

As with all production models, they send them out the door with the top programmers versions of presets. There is a link at the Alesis site which have additional presets from world renowned programmers to download. In the presets, Alesis like most included everything from violin, choir, techno appegiated emulations which this unit can do but if you had an option, you would use a different high end sampler for. I own over 12 different virtual synths and few softsythns and none of them can match the overall low end drive of the Adromeda. The gain and overall 3-D presence of this unit over powers everything I own, and I do love my Nords. The Adromeda preset "Muscular Fifth" is your $3,000.00 Moog. This alone demonstrates the potential of the unit. Initially the idea was to make music as opposed to becoming a programmer and this synth truly inspires. I have the luxury of a 1,300 watt plus tri level sound system that I can actually use and this has been the testing ground for all of the toys.

It still works as good as the day I bought it, and that was 4 years ago. The keyboard would probably be the first thing to go however, if something was going to tank. In all fairness, keyboard action is the major downfall for most synth manufactures. I would not take this to gig with as it is better suited in a studio. Yes, Alesis has had problems, but so has Waldorf. When they finally break and I try to go somewhere,then I will be able to add to this column.

If they still have a website, there is still hope.

If it were lost or stolen, I would replace it. Actually, I am actively trying to buy as many as these things as I can get my hands on, as it is terribly underated. I have been banging on music instruments for over 30 years and find keyboards to be the best outlet for creativity. The Adromeda truly is a "Musical Inspirational Machine", specifically for bassline grooves. With the revival of analog synth modules popping up everywhere, dollar for dollar, you will find more here in one single unit, unless you are wealthy and can buy everything.

1.40.12

Considering what it offers a 9 is justifiable

Manual is Ok. I wish it had some examples for newcomers

There is no other analog synthesizer that has the features of the A6. Most of them are very well implemented and inspiring.

Lovely analog sound. With some clever programming it can do wonders!

The reliability is good but remember that this is an analog instrument and that the OS has some bugs. It never crashed though.

Good support.

I think it is worth every cent of it. If it was stolen I would buy another one in a heartbeat.

For both simple and complex sound design, the Andromeda is a breeze to program. All the usual suspects (oscillators, filters, envelopes, LFOs, etc) are laid out beautifully and all the esoteric parameters are no more than 1-2 pages away. I can't think of a better way to implement this vast amount of features.

The OS that ships with new models is 1.40.12. There is also a version 1.40.13 but this is beta. Both are not bug-free (although ver. 1.40.12 is very stable) and it's a shame that Alesis hasn't announced new versions :-(

The current list of presets don't do justice to the A6. A lot of them depend on the sequencer/arpeggiator (which is not a bad thing per se) and plenty of them make great use of effects. However, some of them are beautifully programmed and they can lead your imagination to other worlds! If you don't like the preset banks, don't worry because they can be overwritten (whole banks though, not individual presets)

The manual is well written with very few syntax errors. It explains a lot of what's happening in the A6. I wish it had more examples and diagrams though. (Tip: Do yourself a favor and subscribe to the A6 mailing list. Also download the Andromeda Tips and Tricks document. You'll be glad you did)

Beneath the panel there are 16 analog voices. The Roland Jupiter 8 had eight voices, the SCI Prophet 5 had five. Aren't you happy yet?

The effects section is servicable but not great. According to Alesis it uses the same technology as the Wedge. Chorus is fine, delay is fine, other effects are fine, but reverbs suck big time. The effects section messes a bit with the analog quality and it's a real shame when you program a lovely sound to loose all this detail in a wash of this lousy reverb. It's OK to give you a rough indication of the final sound but I wouldn't use it on recordings. (I plan to buy an Eventide very soon. He he!)

A6 can store patches on a PCMCIA card. Great.

MIDI capabilities are fine. It can send NRPN when you want to use it with external sequencers, it syncs to incoming MIDI clock with no glitches, blah blah.

The keyboard feels great! It responds very nice to velocity and aftertouch (which are both programmable). Just tweak the respective parameters. Moreover, it is very easy to setup splits and layers.

The on board sequencer is designed after the analog step sequencers of yesteryear. It has 16 parts, with provision for type, velocity and gate. These types appear as Sequencer levels A, B, and C respectively in the modulation matrix and they can be routed just about anywhere! Each of the 16 voices can have its own sequence pattern or arpeggio, so there you have it: instant Tangerine Dream! The Arpeggiator provides just a few basic modes... they could have implement this better...anyway. Tempos speed up to 600 bpm and they have fractional values so if you want to sync them with precision to external devices you may need to re-trigger them every now and then. Missing from the front panel are dedicated knobs to latch the Arpeggiator and Sequencer.

The A6 can also process external signals and you can patch cords to the CV inputs to control the oscillators or filters. There are three LFOs and a S&H, both highly programmable. LFOs max out at 25Hz (this could be a shortcoming if you want to do FM) but envelopes can be loopable, so they can be used as LFOs! Envelopes, by the way, are fantastic. Period.

The modulation matrix is huge! It's really like a modular synthesizer. There are 79 modulation sources and even more destinations. Some of the modulation paths are hardwired and others depend on software (this is what CRoutes is for). It's a fantastic design underneath. The vast majority of modulation may scare people who know just the basics of subtractive analog synthesis and there's also a learning curve involved. However, the results can be breath-taking! This is an instrument that will be classic in a few years.

Well... as I said before this is an instrument that can be extremely rewarding. It can sound very warm or very clean and it can emulate other synthesizers to a great extent. Oscillators and Filter 2 are modeled after the ones in the Moog Modular whereas Filter 1 is modeled after the Oberheim SEM. It won't give you instant Minimoog sounds however but it can get VERY close (if you know what to tweak that is). It can also do Roland and ARP sounds. You can have thundering basses, you can have frenzy sequences, you can have multidimensional pads, bizzare effects, slashing leads, you name it. It oozes quality.

Other than that the A6 has a sound that is all its own. (Honestly I am bit tired with the word "Emulation". I prefer the word "Creation").

I haven't used it live yet. It has never crashed on me (I hope it never does, though I heard other people being afraid to use it live primarily because they had earlier OS versions).

Would I use this on a gig without a backup? What can back up an A6? Another A6 possibly?!?

Never had to deal with Alesis directly. The dealer I got it from seems to be a very helpful person. Never had to fix anything. But, again, I think it's a shame that Alesis doesn't release new OS versions. However, I know I can count on them for support. Mike Peake is a very helpful guy. (It pisses me off when people have outrageous demands from companies such as Alesis. For the A6's asking price we DO want great support, but hey.... has anyone tried to get in contact with Sequential Circuits recently???)

If it was stolen, and the thief gets caught I would take him to a room, pump up the volume on a huge PA system and start playing soaring leads on the A6 till he bleeds from the ears...

I will still get the other synthesizers I wanted before buying the A6. I just couldn't wait anymore...

The A6 worths every cent. This is what a lot of people have been waiting for a long time. Spend some time with it before cashing on a VA and if you can afford it then buy it. Some VAs do sound very nice to my ears but this is ANALOG.

I wish it had a boolean logic module, a second mod wheel, and an envelope follower. I also wish it didn't have this lousy reverb. Its Analog distortion needs refinement as well. But I didn't buy the A6 for its effects. I would be more than happy even if it didn't have any. Now that it does, this is just a minor niggle. (I can't wait to feed it some Eventide..yum!)

I love my A6!

This isn't for kids. I THOUGHT I knew Analog subtractive synthesis until I bought my andromeda over two years ago. I STILL haven't exploited all of it's capabilities. Having said that, if there's a parameter you want to change, bingo - there it is, right in front of you on a dedicated knob. The LCD screen is big and generally informative if you get lost. Assigining modulators is a bit of a pain, I would have preferred a "patch matrix" system, where all your modulations are in one place, rather than spread around the keyboard. Hell, maybe there is one in there, but it's certainly not obvious to me.

What does this thing NOT do? Well, it won't make you coffe in the morning, and it won't give you a massage after a hard day at work. BUT, it is the absolute KING of analogue polysynths. If you are a one finger player who prefers tweaking a single knob once in a while etc, consider the Mini Moog Voyager, but if you are at all into mucking with your sound, and use your synth for more than a bassline, then this is it. There is no competition in my opinion, at least none I have seen yet. Pads, basses, leads, arpeggios, you name it. Actually, come to think of it, there is ONE thing analogue that the Andromeda lacks slightly - the drum presets are thin and weak - more on that later. A Crack generator in the oscilator section (think Waldorf Attack) would make this a VERY fine 16 part drum machine with the sequencer et al. I personally don't use the 16 independant outputs - does anybody? I don't like paying for features I don't use, but I still shouldn't complain too much.

10. You cannot fault the sound of the oscilators or the filters. Most of the effects are thorough and of very high quality, except the reverbs, which I find metallic even when they're not supposed to be. Could be just me. However, if you want reverb on a synth, get a dedicated reverb unit. This thing's sounds steal the show in every track I write. It's that simple. They're not just the cliche "fat bass, screaming lead" every advertising dink writes about their product - these sounds truly evolve over time with a little clever modulation, and even simple sawtooth basses can get really intricate. Keep your mixes simple with the Andromeda, cause you will want to show off the sound you designed...

OK, a mixed review here. I broke the spring on my pitch wheel. Did I abuse it? Absolutely. I gave it utter hell. I wrote a track where I automated the range of my pitch bend, and then just rode the wheel for six minutes. Violently. Ultimately, when I broke it, I opened it up and took a look at the spring - it was sheared off completely. So, I had an industrial spring company create me 5 new ones for around $200 Canadian dollars. (it was like $180 for one)... So, I replaced it with a "newer better" spring, and I continue to abuse the pitch wheel with impunity. HAVING SAID THAT, it is the ONLY problem I have had with the A6, and believe me, if anybody has ever given hell to a keyboard, it's me on this punk. I get thoroughly aggressive on this thing, and it takes all my abuse like a marine recruit - and then begs for more. And I have been dealing this abuse since the fall of 2001.

Alesis sent me a second crappy pitch wheel spring after I broke mine - it arrived quickly, though they voided my warranty for improving on their design, the bastards. A point- torsion springs should always store energy by COLLAPSING their circuimfrence, not expanding it. You engineers should know what I am talking about.

I would not replace it - but I would mourn it's loss. I simply can't afford to replace this synth, and as a gigging musician, it's pretty heavy to haul around. I DON'T like Virtual analog, but when the choice is between a two octave controller plus a teensy VA synth to cart around on public transit to a gig versus a heavy monster like the Andromeda (with a 40 pound aluminum flight case) the choice becomes a lot clearer. However, as a studio tool I LOVE it.

Beautiful insperation editing patches on the A6, tweak till your hearts desires. Nice easy layout, no hassels scrolling throught endless editing screens. Everything is pretty much in your face. Presets get better with every new OS, nothing great, but who cares anyways.

Effects are the best I've seen on a synth. Each seperate effect has it's own set of detailed parameters. Some effects are grouped
eg delay&reverb, some are in a grouped into 4 at a time, with full editing for each. Midi is straight forward, nothing complicated there. On board 16 step sequencer is a delight. Very straight forward editing note/velocity/gate/type. I find it essential in the creativity aspect. Both sequencer and arpeggiator can used at the same time on any patch. Sequencer can be "suspended", while the arp can be "latched" allowing hands-free rythems while using both. Another feature I love is setting the range of keys for each patch in the mix mode. Set the range by pressing key desired and it shows on the screen, helpful when you don't know your notes. I find Poly is not a problem when in single mode, the presets actually sound better/fuller when dealing with one patch at a time. Mix mode is a differnt story, able to incorparate 16 voices at a time will give it some strain... obviously. The same preset in single mode will sound alot better than, using the exact same preset in mix mode when your using many patches at a time. Not a big deal really. Just touched on a few features, many more to explore, but these ones have made music creativity a pleasure.

2 Preset/User banks, and the Mix mode. Presets categories include
Pads/Bass/leads/brass/wind-insturments/hats/snares/kicks etc...
What types of music does it work well for? I'm guessing it can be used in evey genre, some more than others. I pump house/tech/experimental/ambient tracks all day long with ease. I'm guessing the contemperary artist would probably choose a Triton? for less $$$, rather than spending more $$$ for something not as pratical. Velocity and aftertouch can be manipulated to your liking. Turning on the synth always requires an "auto-tune", she starts sounding better once she's warmed up.

The sound is self explanatory, if nessesary have a tweak or two until
fulfillment is acheived.

Heavy piece of equipment, seems solid...no complaints.

Never inquired.

Appreciate this synth more everyday, especially after using other synths you start to realize what a good piece of equipment your dealing with. Everyday is a new adventure with this thing, finally a board that I will not get bored of.

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 othe