Alesis Andromeda

Mine has OS version 1.40.12. Seems it still has lots of bugs, but Alesis (ehem, Numark) doesn't want to waste money in a new OS release... a shame!
The presets sound very good, not awesome, but they show some of the power.
But, if you want real power, go and start playing with the knobs and buttons... you will not believe.
The problem is that such synthesis power has a drawback: the programming is not easy, definitely not recommended for the novice.
Anyway, the knobs are grouped and placed in a very intuitive and logical way (at least from my point of view...).
If you have experience in substractive synthesis you could get a bit lost in the beginning, but play a few days with this monster and you'll see...
The manual seems just OK. Not bad organized, but I think it should explain better some points.

16 voices of true analog synthesis is a dream! Some of the new digital VA's have 16-18-20 voices... Well, Virus TI has more than 80, but, you can't compare the sound!!! Access should use more processor power to kill aliasing and improve the really poor audio quality instead of using it to add voices.
The keyboard action is OK for me, but I prefer the hammer action of my S90es.
The built in effects are pretty good. If you are extremely demanding you'll probably use external effects, but for the average user, they are excellent.
This monster has a memory card slot for expansion, but the cards are expensive and difficult to find.
The MIDI seems well implemented, but I haven't used it too much yet.
No sequencer, no CD-burner, no USB, no touchscreen... but who needs them in an analog synth? That's for the workstations!
Where this synth shines is in synthesis: two!!! analog filters (one Moog based and the other Oberheim!!!), ring modulation, 3 envelopes (they are not ADSR, but AD1D2SR1R2!!! with delay and trigger), 3 LFO's, the wonderful ribbon controller, audio inputs, independent voice audio outputs!!! and much much more.
And all this can be used in the modular way. The modulation is really REALLY awesome. You can be tweaking for years and you'll always found something new to try.
The most deep and versatile analog synth I've seen. It is comparable to the Waldorfs (but of course, they are digital and have wavetables and other unique digital features).

Here we are... the sounds...
English is not my native language, so, the nearest word I know in english to define the sound this machine can deliver is AWESOME.
It kicks all the VA's in the market (AFAIK). I have owned (in my old days, when I still was blinded by the VA's) a Virus C, a Virus TI (I sold both of them... they sound dreadfully aliased and "plastic"), Novation Supernova II, and I still have a Waldorf Q, Blofeld, Clavia NordLead 3, G2X and NordWave.
Well, none of them have that HUGE FAT sound, that warmth. The Clavias sound really analog, but they are far. Waldorfs... well, they play a different game, can't be compared, they are unique.
I also have a Prophet 8. It sounds different. I prefer the Andromeda most of the time, but I feel the Prophet a bit more warm...
I can't compare it against the classics (CS80, Oberheims, Rolands...), because I don't have any, but I'm sure it can stand up to them.
This synth can do complex sounds, powerful basses, extremely delicious, warm and silky pads, shearing leads... I don't know what it can't do well! So, you can use this monster for any kind of music, no doubt.
It is very expressive. Considering the huge modulation capabilities, it can be easily considered one of the most expresive synths available.
Seriously, if you want the best analog synth still in production (pre-ordered only), buy an Andromeda.
Of course, the personal taste is the most important point to consider when you buy a musical istrument, so, before buying, try one, and if you don't have one to try, at least, download lots of demos, don't buy before try. Some people prefer the "digital sound" over the analog, others don't like "fat sounds"... don't take my review as an universal true!!!

Well, I have had mine for a few weeks and is working fine.
I heard people saying that many units are sold with manufacturing faults, but it's not my case.
I use it in my home studio only, so I don't think it will suffer the gigs nightmare. If it had to, I would rather use a good case to keep it safe: considering its weight (22Kg) I'm not sure what could happen if I drop it, but certainly I won't try!.
Anyway, it seems well built and sturdy. The back and below covers are metallic, the lateral and top are plastic.
The knobs are BIG, and that may be a problem (it's easier to hit something big), and they feel... too soft!

Since my unit works fine, I haven't had to deal with them.
The OS has some bugs and seems Alesis will never release a new version. That's not fair!

If it were stolen, I would probably become a serial killer or something. I waited 8 months since payment to receive mine! That's a hard torture, but, of course, I would buy a new one, pay the 2700 Euros and wait 8 months again.
It is an expensive synth, but I think it worths every cent! There's nothing similar in the market today (not considering 2nd hand). Extremely versatile and powerful. Endless modulation sources, unbelievable sound...
All I miss in it is a bugless OS.
It is my second real analog synth and has changed completely my mind. I could sell all my VA's without hesitation (well, maybe I would like to keep the Waldorf Q and the NordWave).
If you really like the analog sound, go, try one and you'll probably buy it.

As easy as a synth this complex could be. Sure, there are menus, but it would have to be about 12 feet long if it were truly 1-knob-per-function.

I agree with most people who say the presets are not very good. They're either too big and cumbersome, or they try too hard to replicate 20th century trance sounds. I've heard the soundbanks for free download from Alesis' website are better. If you invested in this synth, though, you really should program your own sounds. So much more rewarding.

TONS of features! In terms of actual synthesis, the number of sound-mangling features is enormous and very satisfying. Just about anything can modulate just about anything else. Sub oscillators are great.

There are a couple of features that I miss, though: no random arpeggiation, and no "smoothed-random" LFO. (Access calls it "sample-and-glide.") You might be able to replicate that using an LFO to modulate another LFO, or using a tracking generator on the S&H. More destinations for the sequencer would be great, too.

There is a SERIOUS problem, though...at least on the one I bought new in November 2008: the mod wheel doesn't stay where I put it when the synth is on an angled stand. My synth is on the second tier of a stand, angled toward me so that I can get to the controls easily from a sitting position. When I push the mod wheel forward any less than about 75%, it falls back to starting position as soon as I let go. That doesn't work for me at all.

Built-in effects are fine--you might want to use better effects if you're a professional in a recording studio, home-studio and gigging musicians can get a lot of the built-in effects.

Expansion via ancient and expensive PCMCIA cards. Be careful, though! You have to get just the right card or it won't work, and details are not forthcoming on the Alesis site or in the manual. It's got to be SRAM, not flash, and 200ns access time or faster. (I dropped $100 on a 250ns card and it won't work.) There's no mention anywhere of whether the card should have or not have attribute memory, and some card sellers say that matters while others say it doesn't. Best of luck to you.

Internal power supply! Yay!

It sounds fantastic...even better when the excessive reverb is turned off. It has a punch and presence that is very hard to get with a VA, even the Ion and the Nord Wave, which I think are the best VAs out there. There's not much else to say about the sound quality...this is one of the best analogs ever made.

I have to give it a bad rating here. The unit I bought (again, brand new in November 2008) had several problems. The mod wheel problem described above is bad. The backlight on the display is so dim that I thought it was not working. There's no facility to change brightness that I can find, just contrast. When I turn off the lights at night I can see that there is a backlight, but it's pretty useless.

Worst, however, is that one note is badly out of tune relative to all others. I reset the whole synth, and I performed the auto-tune function, and the same note sounds clangorous and wrong. It's two As above middle C that sounds bad, every time you hit that note, so it's not one of the 16 voices that's bad. This was the straw that broke the camel's back, and I returned this synth.

Not much to speak of. No FAQs or troubleshooting guides or user fora on the Alesis site. I "registered" to see if that would give me access to some help, but I just got an automated email saying that they'd get back to me about my registration in a few days. The Alesis that designed the Andromeda went bankrupt and is now owned by another company, so I wouldn't expect much help nowadays.

Beautiful synth that sounds fantastic. (I'm so glad it doesn't try to tap into people's nostalgia with wood or faux-wood end cheeks!) I just couldn't deal with the malfunctions, so I returned it. It's a pity. I got a DSI Prophet 08 instead--less powerful, but also sounds great and comes with a better reputation for reliability and customer support. Pity.

Info about this synth is quite big, so I'll not repeat too much.
It is not totally analogue sounding synth as beasts from the past (like Oberheim, Jupiter 8, Moog and similar) or discrete high-end synths from todays (Sunsyn, Omega).
Big issues is low quality of manufacturing, it is cheap IC based analogue made in South Asia with target to get wide audience among hobbists and home studio afficionados.
Again, it was never targeted as high-end, otherwise it would cost at least doble or more.
What you pay you get.
It is very risky to buy it without testing.
It has many knobs and buttons what is good thing, but quality wise it screams cheapo.

It is well packed modern analogue.
It is very, very buggy, seems noone put efforts to clean it last 6 (!!!) years. Such machine can't exist without R&D.
Alesis dropped it completelly, what is shame, indeed.
From 10 synthes 3-4 are always with problems and several more have various smaller problems. It's hard to find fubctionally correct one, but even though it's not guarantee it will work forever (like some other high quality synths like Studio Electronics or Moog).

Sound is somewhere inbetween from virtual synths and analogue synths. Not 100% analogue feel, still better than VA.
There are useable sounds, but most of them are better on real synths.
For some productions it might work, but some VA are so good (Like Virus) that there is no sense to have problematic analogue synth like this one.
Sound is not its strongest point (like tweakability and control), but not bad to completelly forget it. Kind of compromise.
Effects are not very good to my ears, part of sound is lost in digital conversion what is huge pitty.

Very non reliable keyboard.

Non existing.
Example of the worst behaviour in industry, they don't reply to e-mails.

Well box of compromises.
It had potential to became great synth, but all that was spoiled by real bad management of the Andromeda project.
I wouldn't suggest anyone to spend time and there are great alternatives to its sonics with more options (Nord Lead, Virus TI).
Alos, other analogues on the market are simply better (although costlier)

You get what you pay for.

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 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.

I've been using the andromeda for a while now and it's getting to be more and more fun- the easiest to program synth ever.

You must remember to tune it before you'll need to use it! It takes a few minutes- quite a drag if you forgot to tune before it's time to play on stage...

an unsung fun feature is the audio inputs- it's quite fun to treat the andromeda as a giant analog filter bank that's midi controlled

It sounds better and better as I use it- especially in mixes. Mixes more easily with acoustic instruments and voices than digital synths. I can't believe the person below who compared it to a Casio. There's some kind of anti-andromeda mental flu going around. I compared it closely to the Q and while they each have their own character, it's clear that the andromeda is warmer and deeper.

I mean, even a straight, simple patch sounds loveley on this machine.

I have found that some of the membrane buttons are occasionally not working- the sine and triangle buttons for the second oscillator. They usually work reliably when the machine is warmed up. There's an easy work-around: going through the menu/window interface.

Since I heard Alesis might be in trouble, I decided not to risk sending my keyboard in. Hope they make it!

I'm just amazed at the mob-like quality to synth loves and hates. Somehow Andromeda got out of bed on the wrong foot. It's quite likely that this product will be fetishized in the future, especially if Alesis does go out of business and very few of them end up being made. This year's expensive digital synth is next year's free plugin download, but true analog will never be perfectly emulated.

Ok but a little confusing.

Good. Knobs feel cheap and won't last you a lifetime unless you plan to get hit by a bus next week.

Not terrible but my friend, a sounddesigner, likened it to a Casio... So not a one but a two, I guess. The effects are cheap and the whole thing sounds interestingly more digital than any Waldorf I've heard.

Well, hello, I mean it's not German, not Japanese but Alesis, the maker of the wonderful machines that you had to bring to the friendly service guy so often that you wondered if your studio can ever make money.... And the knobs are maybe not cheap, just extremely elastic and flexible (unless the writer of this) But these are times of miracles, even George can rise to the task and so Alesis got it right. Don't believe the angry people on the net, they are all bad and just grumpy old men. ;)

No opinion. I'm sure they pick up the phone if they are around in a year.

If it were lost or stolen, I would go to the police. I own various keyboards from Waldorf to Roland jp8000 to Triton to Virus.

I'm using version 1.2.10
The presets are okay. I'd like more variety in the usable leads. The presets are okay. The patch editor is okay, but a touch-screen could would have been a good compliment to all the knobs. The knobs are good, but you have to get used to them. They really did get cheap on the manual. It's photocopied.

16 polyphony is okay. One of the keys kind of stuck a bit on the first day (actually stuck down and didn't come back up). Some kind of sticky stuff is down there. Not sure why. The built in effects are kind of good, but very alesis standard. Nothing really innovative here, but the quality is good. The most useful thing IMHO is to turn the effects off. It would be better if it could accept some standard kind of ram expansion. Maybe it does, but whatever type of ram expansion, it seems it would have to put it in a PCMCIA card. As we know, the OS is kind of a work in progress. There is a lot to this OS, and I can see why it's buggy (it froze once on me). I get the sense that the group tried to "aim for the sky" and probably ran out of resources to finish it on time, so they released it when it was useable, if not totally as they wanted it. However, I'm comfortable that they will fix that soon. I haven't used the sequencer. Overall, the system is nice. I see a lot of room for expansion, and hopefully that will occur. The 16 outs are extremely good, and its 'mix mode' is quite nice. split the keyboard into several sounds, all clocked to the same beat. One thing that irks me tho is that if I switch patches, I have to reset the midi clock to external vs. local (FOR EVERY PATCH. CAN'T SEEM TO DO THIS GLOBALLY).

It sounds smooth and nice, which is why I bought it. Quite nice actually. I like how you can change most slopes easily (i.e. velocity response) to suit your style. Since I make a a lot of Dr. Who sci-fi kind of electronic music, it's just fine.

One key stuck down on the first day. That's bad I think. My store will fix it for me for free if I take it in tho.

Sent them one email, no response yet. I think they are getting a lot of emails at the beginning. Oh well.

Hey, it's not perfect, but it's really fun to play. It's analog. A lot of people compare it to total software boxes like the nova and virus. There is a huge difference between programming an off the shelf DSP vs. making your own analog sound chips, OS, etc... The OS effort is pretty impressive, and I'll judge it for what it does vs. what it doesn't do. Most people complain about midi controller data. ummm. It's a hell of a lot better than Midi-CV converters. For people who bought it expecting it to be all hyper-sequencer-integrated, perhaps the problem is related to the research you did before purchasing it. It's a neat keyboard, and it's a bit of cash, but ultimately, its sound is pretty sweet, and it works, and u can really get into it and have fun with it. It's a bit elite, and well, there u go!

I just want to extend sort of an olive branch to all the Andromeda owners and the folks at Alesis here. What was once a simple matter has now simply gotten out of hand, and I'd just like to clear some things up:

1. The Andromeda Sounds Great.
2. The MIDI implementation and OS are not complete.
3. I bought mine at a store that does not normally accept any returns.
4. All I ever wanted was Alesis to call the store and ask them to take the board back because it was not usable for me.
5. I do not play live, I only sequence in a midistudio, and the missing functions were essential to me.
6. Some of the venom I've spit here is a result of the fact that Mike Nicoletti never called me back even though I left several messages with him. I still have never talked to him. I had to pursue Alesis to get them to call the store for me.
7. None of the salespeople at the store where I bought my board told me anything about the functionality, they didn't know. There was one review on this board when I purchased it, focusing mainly on the sound, which again, is great. I did read the manual BEFORE I bought it. That was a mistake because it was misleading.
8. Alesis did eventually do what I asked them to, and I am thankful for that, but like I said, they never called me back. I had to keep calling and calling and calling to get them to call the store.

I think this board has great potential, but for midi setups, as a controller, it is not there yet, and was not usable for me. As the centerpiece of my studio, it was not working. You cannot get piano expressiveness out of an EX5R with all of your velocities below 80, and you can't use the knobs on this thing to record sweeps, etc. When you can, it might be better for midi setups. As far as live use is concerned, I'm sure it is very usable in its current state, although I still think the board sounded even better when I used my Novation keys to play it, just because of the velocity info(the action on the Andromeda is better). I don't see why everyone thinks these comments and feelings are so unreasonable...

Again I apologize to all I've offended, this has gone too far and hopefully we can all be happy with the gear we love.

This is a response to The Clueless Whiner. First off, you don't know the first thing about me or what I know about synths. Secondly, where in my reviews do I say that much about analog synthesis? I never said that Andromeda wasn't the phattest synth on the market, quite the contrary. I loved the sounds I could make with Andromeda, and I had gotten so deep into programming the synth in one week that I had to purchase a RAM card. I still have it if you need one! My reviews have little to do with sound quality or analog synthesis.

You say that the Andromeda MIDI implementation is complete, then your next sentence says that MIDI CC data from knobs is forthcoming. Well, which is it, complete, or parts still forthcoming? We'll see what's in the next software release and when it comes out, until then I'd rather have my money in the bank. When the OS is finally finished and debugged, if I want another Andromeda, I doubt I'll have to pay more than 2K for it. If I can't really use it now, and it'll cost less later, why hold on to it?
You mention internet resources as if I could have looked hard enough to find something to make the knobs send controllers or the keyboard send higher velocity numbers. I don't think that is the case.
I'd also like to say. When I sequence a filter sweep with my Novation keyboard I just turn the filter knob. Wow! With the Andromeda, I had to create an additional patch with the same sound as a preset, route a realtime controller (mod wheel or ribbon segment) to the knob I want to adjust, etc. Now what if I want to twiddle more than three knobs on a patch? Well, on the Novation, no problem, on the Andromeda, I need to use two patch slots for the same sound, then one patch for each set of dials I need mapped to realtime controllers. Sounds like a workable solution until you realize that even if I have six potential "dials" to use, only three are on each sound, so I can't really sweep an LFO, add ring mod, increase attack on a sound and then change the osc frequency... That's problem solving, not making music. My Novation keyboard never presents me with issues like this, every button and knob sends controller data. When the Alesis OS comes out with knob CC data, what about the buttons? Will you be able to record turning the arpeggiator on and off? I don't know yet. You can with the Novation. As a matter of fact, even things that don't have knobs or buttons on the novation will send MIDI CC's. For instance, the Novation has an exhausting number of arpeggio patterns. Changing them, or the clock sync (eigth notes, etc.) requires using a menu. When you enter the menu system the parameters are changed by two "global" knobs to the right of the display. Well, depending on what menu page you are on, these global knobs send the appropriate controllers for beat divisions, patterns, whether the ARP pattern is mono/poly/user... I haven't found any adjustment on the Novation that can't be recorded. When Andromeda has reached this point, it will be a finished product.

I do not own the Andromeda. Maybe some day I will once there is a more complete OS. The presets were typical of any synthesizer, some were impressive and some were bland. Somewhere beneath the knobs and, to me unintuitive interface, there is a very powerful synth. That said, as it is right now I can't see paying $3k for it.

The 16 note polyphony is reasonable for a fully analog synth. Effects are decent but probably are less important as it's the sound of analog that you'll want from the Andromeda. The sound is there once you get around to programming and why wouldn't you program an analog synth?
Too many people are used to hundreds of presets. If I based my thoughts on the Andromeda presets they would be fairly negative. But if you understand analog signal flow you can get good sounds out of the Andromeda.
Maybe more attention should be spent by Alesis on getting the Andromeda up to speed. Waldorf did a similar stunt with the "Q" keyboard and has yet to live it down even though the "Q" is a deep and interesting synthesizer a year after what could best be described a fiasco of a synth.
The Andromeda will reach it's stride but Alesis needs to be willing to take it's lumps and users need to know that they are getting an incomplete implementation of the Andromeda.
That said, it has much potential.

Very expressive. I'll be checking back on this synthesizer in half a year or so. It should be in it's stride providing Alesis continues developing the featuers promised.
The keyboard has a nice feel. I remember someone saying similar to the K5000. It's nice but the one I played was not quite as good as the K5000, still quite playable, a big plus for the Andromeda.
Easily useful for any kind of music beyond emulative sounds. If that's what your are looking for don't bother with the Andromeda or any current VAs.

no idea, I had problems with the Quadrasynth and QS6 although build qulity seems much better on the Andromeda.

email never seems to get answered, waiting on the phone is like a brief eternity, some of the service staff are very helpful, some are jerks

as is, the Andromeda is about a 7, where it will get to, probably a 9, it can sound very impressive and you can hear how it would sit well in a mix, other people have brought up their frustrations and some justification of purchase, somewhere between these two different views of the Andromeda lies the state of this synth, it is close but just too much money to spend to purchase without a complete OS, I like this synth and hoped to purchase it but would not do so after the reviews I've seen and the time I was fortunate to spend with it.

A note to the previous reviewer. Have you ever worked with the Karma? By work I mean, did you put any time into understanding what the synth does? It doesn't seem so.

Nothing personal but I can't stand when people dismiss instruments (much like some do with the Andromeda) especially when there are extrodinary features and ideas behind it.

I don't own a Andromeda. I explained why I don't and why I will consider it at a later date. My thoughts were based on extended use and only after I had a reasonable understanding of how the Andromeda works and what is left to be finished.

Your aside about the Karma was annoying because you do not base your comments on any factual information. Also, why drag other synths into a review when they are nothing like the one you are discussing? The Andromeda is a analog synth, the Karma a algorithmic rompler.

Here's to the future of the Andromeda. There is a lot of synthesizer already there but not at it's current OS and price point. Once finished the price is reasonable for this interesting synthesizer.

Oh one more thing. Why should the Andromeda sound like other synthesizers? Wouldn't it be better to have it's own siganture sound while maintaining the qualities of analog that many of us have grown to be fond of?

Used it in the store for two hours. Presests sounds were awesome, in my opinion putting my nord lead 2's presets to shame. How easy is editing the patches? I can't imagine it getting much easier; its got more buttons and knobs than NASA. Plus a screen that updates depending on which knob you turn and basically will teach you about programming because of its incredible intuitiveness. Mine is currently on order so I can not comment on the manual.

Lets face it, this keyboard has all the features. Check out Alesis websites for specs. As mentioned below, velocity and midi controller data are not supported by software yet but will be soon I trust. In fact, if Peake is correct they'll probably be working before I get mine delivered.

I know understand why people in their posts make such a big deal about the superiority of analog sound. The sound is alive. Love the feel of the mod wheels and the ribbon kicks ass. Obviously, the Andromeda won't replicate a piano for instance but I'll probably use a rack module or a sampler for those kinds of things.

Haven't gotten mine yet so i can't comment. But it definetly feels good.

Haven't dealt with them yet, but from reading Mr. Peake's posts I can tell his heart is in it. Incredibly kind and helpful!

I've been a musician for about 11 years now. Have relatively recently gotten into dance music, keyboards and computer recording (3 years). I will use the Andromeda as my controller keyboard and will sell my Nord Lead 2 as soon as the software supports sending controller data and velocity. I personally love the way the synth looks and when I looked up "Andromeda" in the dictionary the design came to life for me. BTW it must be seen in person because the photos don't do it justice. Sometimes the pictures look better than the real thing; not in this case. In my opinion this synth is the bomb! If you are thinking about checking it out then you must check it out. This synth was obviously a labor of love and it is awesome to see a company deliver exactly what a lot of musicians were dying for. I will probably post another review once I have had it for some time and know a little more about it.

If you want to pretend it's a simple synthesizer, you can. The knobs work intuitively. If you want to treat it as a more complex machine, the menu system is as good as any other that exists at this time.

I became interested in it as a keyboard rather than as a midi module, so my comments should be taken in that light. Unlike the grumpy fellow who has been posting, I have to say this is the first really expressive synthesizer since maybe the Arp Chroma. The envelopes are lovely and the portamento is sculptable.

My main problem with digital synths is that the high end sometimes sounds crummy and harsh because you run into the resolution limits of the internal digital representation. Even on the best digital synthesizers you have to design patches around this problem. On the other hand, analog keyboard instruments tend to be a little out of tune up in the high end, and tend to get a little wobbly and screechy as well. Andormeda might be the first keyboard that doesn't have either of these problems.

This synth is designed to spit out "classic" analog sounds easily, but I've been pushing it in other directions- the envelopes, random settings on the LFOs, good sounding notch filter, and audio frequency modulations are all fresh and don't sound like other synthesizers.

The factory sound set is not great. Wish the LFO's went faster. Would KILL to have an analog delay line built into the signal path, say before the filter feedback... The wish list is long, but that's because what's there is provocative.

The case is heavy and tough. The keyboard seems well made. My worry is the knobs and buttons. They seem a little wimpy.

Haven't had any problems or reasons to call.

I very much wanted to counter the angry poster below. At first I was nervous that I had spent so much on yet another keyboard, but I had a feeling I could play this thing more musically than other synths. It's still a bit early to say, but I think that hope will be fulfilled. I usually think of synthesizers these days as midi sound boxes, but at heart I'm an acoustic piano player, and what I really want is a keyboard instrument, and that's what this fundamentally is.

A lot of the synth world is trending away from keyboard skills and the keyboard worldview. Karma is supposed to play itself, for instance.

When the pendulum swings back, the Andromeda will probably be at the top of the heap for players who want listeners to be able to hear what their hands were doing.

Version 1.30.83

The presets are awesome. You get a panel full of knobs if you want to change them, which is far better than a menu and a pair of up/down buttons.

The manual is great. I have no problem reading it and learning about the machine. I think Mr. Anonymous prefers Roland manuals written in engrish.

It's about time someone made a real analog synthesizer with knobs.

I don't know what Mr Anonymous' problem is.

The Andromeda has real analog VCOs, VCFs, and VCAs and the most vast modulation system you've ever seen on an analog synth, it is THAT close to a programmable polyphonic analog synthesizer.

The two VCOs are modeled after the Moog 921 modular VCO and they sound awesome! You get variable pulse, falling ramp, rising ramp, triangle, sine, and suboscillator on each VCO and all the waveforms can be enabled simultaneously. The mixer has separate controls for each VCO and their respective suboscillator, and you get a great ring modulator with its own mix control.

Anybody who complains about the stepping of the tuning knobs is clueless about how a synthesizer works - the big one is for semitone (half-step), and you have TWO MORE knobs for cents and fine tuning. This works great. The VCOs are tunable from -60 to +60 semitones - that's over TEN octaves! I have been using this for months and the tuning stability is great. After ten minutes of turning it on, I can autotune just once and it's fine for hours. It has background tuning which can be disabled if you like the vintage style drifting.

One VCF is modeled after the Oberheim SEM VCF, 12dB with simultaneous low pass, high pass, and band pass outputs, and the other VCF is modeled after the famous Moog 904a 24dB low pass filter. A mixer allows you to blend any of the filter outputs, as well as direct ring modulator outputs and sine waves from either/both VCO for massive sub-basses. The Oberheim filter is nice and creamy and the Moog filter is super fat. I love the sound of these filters. The Oberheim filter sounds better than any of the crap products Oberheim built since the Xpander. It is very easy to get great Minimoog and Memorymoog sounds from the Moog filter. But the real fun starts when you blend the outputs or configure the filters in series.

There are three full-featured seven-stage EGs, in addition to the traditional ADSR you get a delay stage and an extra decay and release stage, each with its own sustain level control. Each transient can have any one of seven shapes, from linear to exponential to log for authentic simulation of your favorite synth or for new or old sounds. Two of the EGs are bi-level, meaning the sustain levels go from +100 to -100. The EGs can be looped at specified stages and can be triggered from any source in the modulation list - awesome!

The LFOs are sweet - three total and also a separate S&H. The waveshape can be varied to get anything you want: bipolar, unipolar (for trills), variable pulse, variable triangle/ramp waveshape, etc.

But the Andromeda's specialty is its modulation flexibility. Almost every knob and every function on the Andromeda can be modulated, very little was left out. This goes way beyond the Matrix Modulation on the Oberheim Matrix 6/12/1K and Xpander synths. When you start to dive into modulations, then you're REALLY starting to get to what synthesizers are all about! Whoever designed this thing has had experience with a modular synthesizer and it was obvious that it was a labor of love. There has never been such a flexible polyphonic synthesizer with programmability. It RULES! Everything is there, VCO cross modulation, pulse width modulation, VCO FM to VCF, reversible EG on the filters, EG to VCO pitch, etc etc.

The keyboard works great on mine and it is semi-weighted, it feels great and is a lot nicer than those light spring keyboard almost everybody elses uses. You get attack AND release velocity, and it's pressure sensitive.

The effects are the guts of an Alesis Wedge and they sound great.

There's a PC card slot on the back for additional sound storage, as if 384 patch memories isn't enough...?

Full MIDI capability is here, knob CC data due in the next release... YAY!!!!

Yup, there's a sequencer and an arpeggiator, both can be synced to MIDI. You don't have to use the sequencer for just notes, you can assign any of its three levels to anything you want. Try this with YOUR workstation se

I own many vintage synths and the Andromeda is the only synth to come along in the last fifteen years where I can finally leave the valuable stuff at home and still sound like the real thing. It is easy to get the classic vintage sounds out of this thing, and I am continually amazed at the new and unusual sounds I get when I explore with the modulation options. Lately I've been emulating samples of acoustic instruments from my ROMplers and the Andromeda is nailing them, thanks to the flexible filter configuration and the vast modulation options. VAs can't hold a candle to real analog - I tried them all and have never found a VA that can bark and growl like a real analog synthesizer. To be able to simulate traditional instruments with the clarity of samplers is the icing on the cake.

I can use this for rock, blues, jazz, classical, dance, ANYTHING. The ribbon is so cool, it's a crying shame that more manuafacturers don't use these. We've been waiting for Yamaha to bring back that cool ribbon on the CS-80 and they're not going to do it, folks. Alesis answered our prayers. Having the wheels are cool enough, but the ribbon is such a great controller.

The effects are useful and good, they are on a buss instead of being inline with the audio so that's a plus. There's also an analog distortion for adding serious grunge to your sounds.

I love my Andromeda. Maybe Mr. Anonymous would be happier with pair of spoons.

Rock solid. Everything works as advertised. I've been gigging with it and haven't had a problem yet.

From all observations it appears that Mr. Anonymous is also terrified to drive a car for fear of running over cute fuzzy little animals.

Alesis is super - Mike Peake is the greatest. He's on several boards and mailing lists and he is prompt with answers, and there are plenty of other users who are quick to answer questions.

Mr. Anonymous is surrounded by all these internet resources yet he never asked any of us. Get a grip, ya spineless whiner.

The golden age of analog has returned in a big way. Alesis and the Europeans are the only people that get it, the Japanese have a lot of catching up to do. I have been playing keyboards since the 70s and have hated the blah blah digital doorbells that have flooded the market in the last twenty years. Analog is where the BEEF is and the Andromeda has it!

Real analog is real analog, and no VA, Ai2, LA synthesis, FM synth, or sampler can touch it. The Andromeda is already destined to be a classic like the Minimoog and the Prophet-5. I have piles of vintage analog keyboards and the Andromeda can stand up to any of them, and I've been playing long enough to know better. The Andromeda has already replaced four of my keyboards on stage, and I'm working on the other sounds to replace more. It is that good. The built-in effects lets me leave racks of mixers and effects at home, I don't need them on stage anymore.

Anything else I'd like to share? Yes, the anonymous whiner's real email is in the contact info. He doesn't have the guts to show his face, so I'll do it for him. Have a nice day.

Mike Peake, from the Andromeda Team, wrote me a message below regarding my furor over the status of Andromeda's OS. Unfortunately, Mr. Peake obviously had never purchased an item that did not funtion as advertised, or experienced the feeling of dissapointment that is a result of such an event. There are many ways to look at this situation, but after a thorough examination there is only one conclusion that can be drawn. Please allow me to elablorate:

Scenario One: Alesis has released Andromeda but it is unfinished...They say they are working on the features that are listed in the FAQ on their website.

Scenario Two: Alesis waits until the OS for the Keyboard is full featured leaving only debugging as an issue, however the keyboard is still not available.

Well, considering when Andromeda was announced it is easy to look at either situation here and draw the obvious conclusion: Alesis does not have the manpower or brainpower to have developed this product in a timely fashion. To make things worse, they have placed themselves in a bad situation by releasing the product incomplete. The only purpose that can be served by this is to upsetting the public by selling an unfinished product, and upsetting Alesis tech folks who have to deal with calls from irate customers.

Did I mention that the folks at the music store where I bought the board told me that he most important member of the Andromeda team, the board's designer has left Alesis? I am not sure if this is true, but it would explain some of the issues.

Most Importantly, I'd like to point out some flaws in Mr. Peake's arguments. First off, I agree that Alesis arranged to have the store where I bought the board take it back. But it is also worth pointing out that there was nothing else that Alesis had to offer. No updates, no ETA for an update. It is irrational to for Mr. Peake to say that returning the board was the only thing that would make me happy. That is not true. The features I need would have made me happy. The fact is returning the board is all they could offer, and they didn't even offer, I had to demand it, over and over again.

Secondly, Mr. Peake, the effort to allow me to return the board does not make me happy, and it is not worth anything. All it does is keep me from pursuing this with a lawyer. Why would I be happy? I had to call Alesis about 50 times, get no calls back and be treated rudely, all so I could end up back at square one. Oh yeah I am real happy, you guys did great!!!! (please insert sarcastic tone)
Continuing, as far as the seven hundred parameters of the board that do work are concerned, I have to agree, it is a marvelous feat considering the incompetence that I have seen demonstrated over the couse of this debacle. On the other hand, I don't think Firestone is touting all of the things they did right in manufacturing SUV tires!

Last, I would like to quote Mr. Peake
"May I add that there may very well be a release of an OS with the MIDI knob feature in two weeks?"

Well, that means there may very well not be one either. Is that correct or not, Mr. Peake?

Not taking this too far, are you? Not mentioning that since we couldn't make you happy that we arranged, at our own expense, for you to be able to return your unit (missing two features; "specifications subject to change") to the dealer you bought it from, who regularly does NOT accept returns, because THAT is the only thing we could do to make you happy. Isn't our effort to make you happy worth anything?

"Customer Support: 1
I will never, ever, as long as I live, buy another Alesis product. They act as if this hardly working board is god's gift to keyboardists."
Hardly working? You specified two features that made all the difference to you, and that without which, you wanted to return your instrument. How do two features equate to a "1" and "hardly-working"?

"This board is in a pre-production state. The features suck." Rating: 1
But you've said that the only features that mattered to you were the Keyboard scaling and MIDI data from the pots. You said that's the only reason you bought the keyboard on another review board. What about the over 700 parameters per Program, not counting MIDI and Mix mode? You're basing your "1" and claims of "pre-production" status upon two features. May I add that there may very well be a release of an OS with the MIDI knob feature in two weeks? Thanks for your patience.

Mike Peake, Andromeda team

This is an update of my earlier anonymous review in which I have blasted Alesis for releasing this keyboard too early. "Mike" Nicoletti from Alesis has still never called me back, even though on April 26th I was assured I would recieve a call back that day. Finally, I called Alesis and they told me that the regional sales rep was going to call the store where I bought the board and ask them to give me a full refund. I explained to "Gary" (the fifth person at Alesis I had spoken to) that I didn't think it was right of Alesis to be so unresponsive about these issues. All he could say was "take the keyboard back". I find it disconcerting that this is the best effort Alesis is willing to make. I gave them several chances to simply tell me when an update would be ready that would provide the features that are advertised for the board. Instead of even just placating me with an answer like "two weeks", Alesis seems to think it is easier to just tell me to go away. Well, it seems as if that is probably the best evidence of where this board is heading. If Alesis can't say when it will be complete, they probably really don't know. If they really don't know when the board will be complete, it is probably a good idea to cut losses now and just get rid of it... Too bad the Alesis rep hasn't talked to the store yet. I just called them, I guess the guys at Alesis don't know what they are talking about there either.

This board is in a pre-production state. The features suck.

The sound is analog, as long as you use an external controller you get reasonable expressiveness. I find it amusing that Alesis' faq says they have no plans for a rack unit. If this thing was 19" wide that is what it would be... The keys are useless.

Well, it doesn't do what you think it'll do right off the bat. It is unreliable like buying a guitar on ebay and just getting the body without the neck!

I will never, ever, as long as I live, buy another Alesis product. They act as if this hardly working board is god's gift to keyboardists.

If it were lost or stolen I would thank god and get my insurance money. Actually, if I couldn't return it to the store I'd arrange to have it "stolen".

first version of software doesn't include many of the features specified by alesis. There is almost too much control, and the controls do not react like analog synths of old.

again the andromeda is a let down for me. the keyboard action is too heavily sprung, and the operating system is far too complex with there being too many hidden parameters; the front panel knobs do not indicate how the sound really is, whereas on say a jupiter eight the positio of the sliders is how the sound is really set up. poor show alesis.

the main problem with the andromeda is its sound. to my ears which have gotten used to jupiter 8, memorymoog, minimoog, korg ms20 etc this synth does not even sound analog, not warm at all- and the sound doesn't seem to sit forward in my dynaudio monitor speakers. portamento is lumpy unlike older analog monsters, there are no octave up and down switches which are an essential feature of the great anolog synths. as for the presets and fx, well, you guessed it- of dubious quality. the reverbs and delays are particularly harsh and metallic sounding, if they are taken off the sound and the raw waves are auditioned you will find how weak the oscillators actually sound.there is also stepping in the oscillators when the pitch is changed. bad news for smooth pitch changes over a wide range. the filters also seem to sound cold and fall apart when dealing with lower frequencies. this keyboard is a major let down, i would even say the nord lead has a richer sound.

a big thumbs down- this was a chance for something special but once more we are presented with brilliant marketing and no substance

I am using 1.30.83. The presets sound okay, but most of them use an arpeggiator or sequence, by themselves they are not too radical. Editing patches is okay except that if you edit a patch during a sequencing performance the changes don't get recorded. They say the knobs send controllers, but I haven't seen any evidence of that. I have not found a patch editor for it. The manual stinks, mainly because half of the manual is for things they keyboard doesn't do. It is infuriating.

The features at this point are hard to comment on. The polyphony is 16... the keyboard action is okay, but the velocities transmitted are low. Playing the Andromeda with an external controller makes the sounds come alive. The global pages velocity sensitivity setting is missing. Expansion capabilities consist of a card slot for a PCMCIA memory card. With it you can store extra mixes or programs. The MIDI capabilities are bad. The keys and mod/pitch/ribbon controllers seem to function with MIDI, but none of the knobs do.

By itself the keyboard sounds horrible. With an external controller it is okay. It would work well for rock, dance, hip-hop or other styles... As far as expressiveness it stinks with the internal keys...

Well, it doesn't work right out of the box. How can you rely on that?

I called and asked about the missing features and got no answer as to when they would be fixed, but they did say they were "working on it"

I'm taking it back and getting a Nord Lead 3

Software version 1.30.183... I am glad that is the first question here, because that is the most important thing about the andromeda currently. The software in the synth stinks, and is lacking most of the features advertised by alesis in their faq. For example, half of the global midi settings adjustments cannot be made, they don't exist in the OS! None of the knobs or buttons send midi controller messages! The list goes on and on. The one I love the most is that you cant even really hear how the synth sounds when keyboard velocities are normal... Why? Well, the keyboard sensitivity controls are missing too, even though the manual has instructions for them. I am seriously considering the possibility of trying to organize a class action lawsuit. The keyboard simply does not function as advertised, and I was not warned in any way by any info on Alesis' site or by my dealer that the keyboard was in a pre-production state of functionality. I have never seen such a slow development combined with such a piss poor product when the release finally arrives. Didn't they show this thing at 2000 NAMM????? You have to ask yourself what has alesis been doing with this thing for the last year...
For me, especially because of the controller velocity problem, and other missing controller type functionality, this keyboard is currently 2500.00 worth of useless junk.

Advertised features or actual features? The keyboard doesn't do half of what it is supposed to.

The sounds are pure analog and good. But the keyboard is as expressive as a pet rock at this point. Maybe when they fix the global settings menus so you can adjust velocities, etc. Some patches lack expressiveness because the keyboard velocity is so low. Plug in an external controller and see for yourself...the patches jump to life when you transmit a good velocity...

It seems stable, but who knows until I've had it for a year or so?

They were horrible. I have called them several times to ask what is going on, when a new OS release will be available. I have been met with rudeness, and when I have left messages with some customer support manager named "Mike" he never calls me back. No one has told me when to expect an update...

What can I say? This product has potential, but after what has happened with development and release, you have to wonder if we would all be better off if a different company made this synth. After comparing this synth with virtual analogs I am not convinced it is worth all of this trouble or money... I might add that I pre-ordered and waited for this product for a long time. I also have a Korg Karma, and the experience with that board has been an interesting comparison to my dealing with Alesis. The Karma was announced about four months before it was released, not a year and four months like the Andromeda. The Karma functions as advertised unlike the Andromeda. The Karma has a noise issue which Korg has been very helpful with. They have kept me informed of developments in a timely fashion, were always polite about the issue with the board, and finally they have gotten it fixed for me. I am sure at some point Alesis will get Andromeda to the point that it is what they advertised, but it is very far away at this point...

This instrument was among first 5 or so in Canada, equipped with so called preliminary, but well written and educational manual, and with very first version - as usual a bit bugged - of operating software. Factory patches are excellent and Andromeda sounds like not much before: fat, fat and fat. Warm and smooth. Clean - no background oscillators noise, no noise at all. Americanish sound rather than japaneese. Editing is greatly improved due to an unique approach: push any button or move any knob and you'll see related page on huge LCD display, with graphic representations of envelopes. Nice!

16 voices of polyphony is a riot! It's a real analog without all the hassle of real analogs (tuning), but with all the bells and whistles of last 25 years technology achievements - MIDI, on-board effects etc. Very basic arpeggiator and step-sequencer, but hey - that's the classic approach! On-board effects are great - all these delays, ping-pongs, reverbs and extra analog distortion on top. Communication with outside world provided by typical Alesis's PCMCIA Type 1 card.

Very convincing sound programing, with all the classic sounds and a lot more. Very responsive keyboard with aftertouch, typically good Alesis's rubberized wheels plus extremely good ribbon controler. All controllers freely assignable. Effects are georgeous (delays and reverbs in particular), plus analog distortion with nice guitarish warmth! However, using Andromeda for strictly dance production may be rather unwise, since out there is plenty of other and better for this task equipped analog emulations.

It's an massive keyboard, rather heavy. Andromeda seems to be very solid in construction.

N/A

Definitely good and solid product. A bit pricey, but... After several days of messing with Andromeda I've found some minor bugs and obvious glitches in OS, i.e. tempo knob in range .5 to 500 BPM (!), displaying tempo with four digits accuracy (i.e. 125.4782), is next to impossible to set manually. Even +/_ buttons does not do any good. External sequencer can control tempo, but without updated display on Andromeda's LCD, so... Also, LCD goes blank sometimes with no apparent reason, and than goes back with no reason as well. Big surprise: there's no digital output! Strange, that having 16 separate analog outputs for every voice Alesis forgot about two ADAT outputs, or at least S/PDIF for digital recording of entire mix! Ooops! I do owe Korg Z1 and used to owe Roland Jupiter 8 (what a wonderful analog was it!), but Andromeda is a class itself, hard to compare to anything. I love most of everything about Andromeda (automatic tuning, effects, sounds and editing capabilities, expressiveness, cool look). Definitive sound source for JMJ/Vangelis/Klaus alikes, but for dance addicts there is mucho other, cheaper and better armed toys on market. Andromeda is for serious synthesis freaks and not a toy! Buying it for look or factory sounds only means driving an Porshe
in no-autobahn country.

Its got a lot of knobs, but all pretty selft explanitory, the screen is very very nice, and teaches you a lot about envs, and fitlers and sounds. so cool. so easy. it is a complex synth though.

16 not poly, real analog tho. very fat! Good built in fx, 16 part multi timber (16 midi channels), can put more ram cards in it. Very good arpeggiator and step sequencer :)

After playing with this synth since i got it yesterday, all i can do is smile. Why? It really does sound like a moog, memorymoog, obx, and an arp 2600. Why is this so wonderful? Because these are the bass, pads, strange noise, string kings of all synths from the 70s. American. And guess what? Those old ones break down a lot, drift horridly, and cost a ton of money to maintain. THIS THING IS FAT! Way fatter than roland synths. And no, the jp8080, the ms2000, supernova and virus do not even come close to the fatness, warmth, and sonic quality of this beast. It has its own sound as well! can do things other synths cannot! brilliant pass, pads, electronic strings! amazing. Analog heaven. With the ribbon controler you can really make it scream!

Only owned it 1 day. but feels very sturdy.

Alesis is pretty good.

Do not listen to these nay sayers. Why, because at stores they use crappy monitors, and you can not hear the full range of the sound, the bass and the highs.

This is an Analog workstation. It is worth every penny, 16 voices, enough for bass, the killer drums, and pads all in the same mix at the same time on multi outs for great outboard fx, and pads do fine with on board fx. If you were to buy a minimoog, memorymoog, obx, and an arp2600, you'd spend way more than this, without fx, without midi, Without the nice semi weighted keyboard, without the cool layout, without the screen. It is as complex as a modular synth. It can sound insanly wacky, or smooth, creamy, warm, fat, bassy, agressive, dark, pretty, noisey and musical.

I recomend this synth over every synth on the market for this one very reason. It teaches you about synthesis. How? you can dial up a preset, and go how do they do that? and you can hit the view buttons on everything and it shows you how the sound looks, how the env's are set, the filter, etc.. I have owned this for one day, and sounds that for years have baffled me, like really good pads, i know how to make now, and feel so stupid at the same time for not knowing how to all these years.

Also, with the advanced EGs (envelope generators) ADDSRR, and the way you can modulate these, it goes way beyond the Matrix 12 and Expander with FAT VCO instead of boring stale osc that those two synths have, i think they are curtis chips dunno. So i must give props, this thing burries most older synths. and the filters can run at the same time. man, the filters are great, arp, moog, ober. You still need a roland sh101, tb303, or juno 106 to do acid filter sounds, because it cannot sound like that. You can get some bass tones that sound a tiny bit roland, but it must be paired with a good roland synth. But it was never made to sound roland. It sounds American, not japanees.

I hope this synth makes alesis a lot of money, and i hope all the people who worked on this wonderful synth make a lot of money too.

Not sure about the software version, but the manual says "preliminary" on the cover... mmmmmmm........ Preliminary. (Simpsons joke!) The presets sound great, and the realtime controller ribbon and mod wheel do wonderful things on some of them. Editing patches seems really easy, this thing has so many knobs and buttons that almost all control a single funtion. Some parameters are controlled with "soft" knobs that change function depending on what you are doing. The screen changes to reflect the knobs and buttons that are currently being pressed, including graphical display of envelopes, etc. I don't think it could be much easier. I'll chop off one point due to the overall complexity of the instrument...This thing is complicated simply because of the flexibility...

16 Voices, 16 Parts, Weighted Synth Action is very good. Built in effects are basically 2 global effects in mix mode. This is somewhat limiting, but you have so many outs you can always route to external effects. Also, it seems that a little delay/phasing/flang/chorus and verb are all this board need... see below... This board is fully MIDI capable, aftertouch, a full and robust MIDI implementation

This is where this keyboard, and any other for that matter, shows its true value. I currently own a Novation Nova II 36 Voice and a Waldorf Micro Q. In the past I had owned both a nord rack and a micro modular. I also have various other syths from Roland/Yamaha/Korg that aren't really for this type of sound. When I first heard or this board I was skeptical. First, I have heard many classic analog synths (Arp, Sequential, Moog) and was never really that impressed. They seemed very hard to maintain, and tuning them after years of use can be difficult. In comparison to my VA gear, I never ever really wanted an analog synth. The guys at my local store were nice enough to let me try the Andromeda in my studio. I only tried it after I heard about the auto-tuning and calibration feature. Initially at the store I was not impressed, but something told me to dig deeper so I took it home...
My first comment would be that you can immediately hear that this synth is Analog... It connot be compared to any of my VA gear in any way. The way the sounds fit into the mix, the utter fatness and warmth of this synth cannot be overlooked. I have access to some Arp and Moog synths still and I gave them another listen to see how they compared. The Andromeda easily overshadowed the vintage synths in its accuracy and sound quality. All of the warmth, none of the noise or fluctuations you might expect. I will never buy an old analog synth, but after listening to this Andromeda I am a convert... Analog is better, fatter, warmer and more musically expressive. This synth seems to breathe...

This synth seems really reliable. The tuning calibration function seems to work flawlessly, and the case seems very durable. There is a little plastic in the case construction... My unit seemed to be a little unbalanced when I set it on the desk... a little rubber foot took care of the problem... I am choosing no opinion because I have only had it a few days. Because it is analog, it may require service at some point...

No contact with them

If it were lost or stolen, I'd have to get another. There is no going back... period.

No opinion i was lost with it for only two hrs

Some complained on the knobs and keys. I have no complains about the knobs. The keyboard is average. It looks better in real than on pics.

I hade about 2 hrs with this monster using headphones only. I wasn't in mode to ask Ricke at Estrad to hook it up. I don't agree with Magnus Ottosson at Ottosonic, who said it wasn't so special and wouldn't beat his Expander. In the headphones i can tell that with this machine you can make Rock-The-Eart-Sounds that blows anybody away with tons of everything including nice non-anlogish type of sounds. Sure, you should be able to, with this price tag. The question i hade was how does it sound? Does it have a nice color or atitude? Some high end synths need to be programmed with tons of mods befor they good. With Andromeda you can dig deep into mod routings but a raw basic 2 osc and a filter does sound very good. It does have "it".(or Estrad use tube headphones) The factory presets are better than average. I did not try different effect settings but some presets are with reverb and was very good as well. I don't claim to know all synths and their effects but for the first time i think a synth should be equipped with effects.(Jeee, they are gonna think i'm getting payed) I give it 10. (with headphones)

No opinion

No opinion

I want it now.