Alesis ION

im using the original version of the software and, this aside, the ion performs wonderfully. it has a few issues with "holding" sounds when its not supposed to, but this is more human error than mechanical. the presets are what you would expect from alesis - anything from mind blowing to quirky to absolutely abysmal. all in all, really good, though. the manual? eh. its an alesis manual. you can use it for any number of useful things, like lining birdcages, or blowing your nose.

editing patches on this is a breeze, but doing so with any skill or confidence is another story entirely. tweek a few knobs here, scroll around randomly and start playing. you have yourself a deep, booming bass sound. could you recreate it? of course not.

in a weeks time, things get easier. editing is intuitive and fun, but can be daunting and confusing for a first timer (myself included)

the polyphony is low. only 8 voices to work with, which can get in the way sometimes, but can be worked around by editing patches tirelessly until one voice mimics multiple voices.

the built in effects are scant and dry. but thats not why you bought this bad boy.

no cards to install, but you can download new software and patches from the site, or various yahoo and msn groups.

the keys are pressure sensitive, but only just barely. the curve is insanely steep, but this works well for its character.

theres no onboard sequencer, but really, its not needed.

this is where the machine shines. the presets are alright, but what youre really interested in is the insane amound of tweeking you can do. the world is your oyster. make your own sounds.

the instruments have the potential to be realistic, if you have ten years of your life to waste on making a piano sound on a keyboard that was never intended to play piano.

trance, techno, dance, hardcore. anything needing electronic sounds or scathing leads. the 80's live on in this instrument.

the ION completely molds to fit your style. it grows as you do.

the velocity is, sadly, only so-so and aftertouch is nonexistant. but these are easy to overlook, giving the nature of the beast.

using version 1.00, i can't say this machine is entirely dependable as is. updated, however, and properly cared for, i think this keyboard will live longer than its owner.

im not sure i would gig without a back up. of course, im also paranoid.

never dealt with them.


the downloads are simple to get. plug it in, download, enjoy.

i would cry my eyes out if this thing were lost or stolen. so far, its been worth every penny. the crowd truely eats it up live, and it works well in recording.

i've been playing for about a year and a half now, and i own an Alesis qs8.1 and a roland Juno-D. the ION fills the niche i never thought i needed to fill.

i absolutely adore the quirky nature of the keyboard. the sounds seem so lively, so full of personality. this is limited, however, by the low polyphony.

i compared the ION to the andromeda and the Micron, and although both offer more in every department, i still went with the ION and so far, have yet to be let down.

I bought the Ion off ebay. It is exactly the synth I've always been looking for. I studied the manual online before I got the synth in the mail.

The manual is very good at explaining the definitions of technical analog synth terms. If a person who has never been exposed to analog synthesis reads this manual, they will receive all the information they need. But in my opinion, the manual does not explain well enough how to implement the ideas of analog synthesis to the ion. For example, when I turned the synth on for the first time, it jumped right into a preset sound. I could not find a place in the manual that describes how to start over from scratch with just the base analog sound. I have always played a minimoog, and it's obvious how to start over on that synth. However, since the Ion is setup pretty much just like the mini, the only difference being the digital layout, once I mastered the menus I was able to reset the sound.

Other than the manual, the synth is very easy to use and the layout is very logical, and after playing with the menu system for a while, anyone will be able to jump in and start making rad noises.

As for the presets - the Part/Program/Setup thing took a little getting used to. It still blows my mind, having been a minimoog user, that patches can be stored. But once you understand that part=patch, things begin making sense. The presets themselves are awesome and inventive, but (personal preference) I like making my own sounds. That's why I like the analog scene! I know with my own creation that I'm not using the same sound in my songs that a million other people have in theirs :O)

I never thought I would say this, but this has everything I ever wanted in a keyboard. I would never have purchased this if it not for the fact that it has EVERYTHING on it I could possibly ever dream of.

3 Oscillators - two oscillator sythns are great, there have been many good ones. But have three oscillators is like difference between have a fridge with a freezer & a vegitable crisper or NO vegitable crisper.

Waveshape - it was important to me to have a versatile amount of waveshapes. This Ion has all of the waveshapes as the Mini WITH the ability to variate the waveshapes into whatever shape you want. For example, you can fine tune the width of your square wave to be a Big Square or a Little Square! How cool is that? I didn't know it did that until I got it home and started playing with it.


8 note polyphony - I'm happy with 1 note polyphony. It is understandable that 8 notes might leave some unhappy in certain respects, and depending on the technical depth of your creations, you may find 8 voices unsatisfactory. I feel as though I make quite sophisticated sounds with my Ion, and (sorry for bringing it up so much) having been a minimoog user forever, having just a little polyphony is worth it. I have never run into a problem with the 8 voice limitation. Never.

Mono/Poly - you can switch easily between a mono and poly synth by use of a dedicated button right on the main keyboard.

Filters - The filter section is unbelievable. My minimoog is in the #5000 serial numbers, so it has the old/new oscillator board - the one with the phat sound. The Ion not only replicates this sound, it also replicates the filters of the Oberheim, the Jupter the Arp and some Alesis original filters. The envelope section is also quite detailed and powerful.

Effects - It must be noted that this keybaord does not have a Reverb effect. That having been stated, it does have Chorus, distortion and a really excellent flanger. Personally, I wouldn't use reverb anyway, since, like most of you, I have different external fx processors. But the flanger is a pretty good one and the distortion is pretty cool to have on a synth, too.

LFO - The low frequency oscillator is powerful and features s/h (sample and hold). I dig it.

Arpeggiator - You can select from a whole lot of different types of arpeggiation. The Ion also allows the arpeggio to extend beyond the chord you're playing into different octaves and all that other stuff. Pretty neat, pretty neat.

In terms of realism, you shan't find a piano patch on the Ion worth writing your grandma about. Of course, an analog synth isn't what a person buys to take to their first piano recital.

In terms of emulating the classic synth filters which it hopes to copy, the ion does a great job. There is nothing like it that I've heard. It does the minimoog perfectly. And as far as I can tell, it does the oberheim, rolands and Arp 2600 with precise accuracy as well.

You can make any sound you want on this keybaord. Snare drum? You've got it. Hi hat? Wussup. Bass drum? Better dig it. Bass guitar? Shutup. That sound in the Goonies when they meet One Eye Willie? Better believe it right now.

There is no aftertouch, which I don't mind too much. But it does have touch sensitive keys. And release sensitive keys!! Which is neat for playing those cool mono solos.

You can edit all of the sounds while you're playing. The ion is completely configurable. There is nothing on it which cannot be f'd with.

I'm going to give this a 10. I have the latest software version on my ion and the operating system seems solid. I've never had a problem with it. The unit itself is built of metal. Real metal, not plastic-looking metal. Real metal! The red side panels are a little cheap and cheesy, but I never look at the sides anyway. Although I'd never do it, it's pretty safe to say this keyboard can easily survive being beat up and dropped around.

I've never dealt with a company representative directly, but I have been to the alesis web site. I suggest you go there as well, if you haven't already done so. You can find it on google.

I'm giving them a straight up 10 for their web site. It is easy to navigate, without a ot of bars on the top and sides that I can get lost and have a hard time finding my way back again.

But most of all, the web site has downloads of the new OS versions and sound bands. AND downloads of the manuals and sound bank lists.
It is safe to say I would not have purchased the Ion had I not first read the manual, which I would not have been able to do if the company didn't offer it for free on the internet.

The Ion rules. It is cheap considering all of the features it has. Even if you buy it brand new and pay dealer mark-up, you're still getting a deal.

I believe the world may soon catch on to how flipping cool this keyboard is and prices will skyrocket.

The sound emulation is great. There are no digital side-effects. There are three oscilators, 2 filters, great effects, arpeggiation.

You can layer up to four sounds! Imagine the freaky symphonies you can make with four moogs topped on each other! Each with two filters!

I also have a couple 80's casios, a microkorg a Moog MG-1, a Jupter 8, a crappy goodwill organ and a Minimoog to which I have compared the Ion. I'm not going to be ebaying my other synths or anything, but I'm also not going to be taking them on the road with me anymore, either (except in situations where I feel I must up my Moog credibility).

This synth is the best buy I've made in a long time. There is nothing I wish it had. I am not disappointed. I've never said to myself "gee, it'd be cool if did this..."

In closing the Ion rules over the mule.

I give it a nine. You have a menu of presets and user programmable banks but it is a little hard to go from one settting to another if you're onstage. For the studio, this would be great (so maybe I should give it a 10). The manual is great and you'll need to refer to it once you think you've screwed everything up (there is a return to default settings button). This thing is programmable and I love that because I like to make my own sounds. You can tweak the presets too and save them in assignable locations. The presets are unbelieveable and I'll mention them more in a minute.

The Ion is polyphonic (8 voice, sort of like the old Korg DW-6000, but I still like it). The keys are fine (not weighted but not cheesy like those old Crumar keyboards in the 70's). There are some programmable effects and a really cool arpeggiator that can send midi out to arpeggiate your other keys as well. It is expandable and you can download operating system updates friom the Alesis website. The manual is great and that really helped me figure this little bugger out (I tend to experiment and then read the manual after I've messed everything up). The keys are pressure sensitive and it is a digital synth that operates like an analog synth (knobs and sliders included).

This is the ion's strength and weakness. The synth sounds are awesome. This thing has presets that replicate various fat synths from classic rock songs. You've got your Rush "Tom Sawyer", your Who "Baba O'Riley", and your ELP "Lucky Man". Loads of these things with cute titles to remind you of what classic rock synth sound you're playing. On the other hand, the pianos (there aren't many of them) are weak. The brass sounds like a synth doing brass but that is a plus for you 80's music afficianados. After playing and recording with this thing for one day, I became comfortable with it.

I want to get more comfortable with it before I take it on a gig but I foresee this being one of my main synths (I still love playing my old Korg DW-8000 and an Alesis QS-6). The synth leads are fantastic and I love the bottom end delivery on many of the patches. If we ever cover some of the Who songs I'll just have to bring it with me.

Alesis is pretty good about supporting their products as far as I can tell. I've had no problems. Their website has so much on it that you can pretty much help yourself.

I think I would buy another one should this one get ripped off. I've been playing for nearly thirty years and I like my old analog stuff the best. This one fits right in. I have my Korg DW-8000, my Alesis QS-6, and old Roland Juno 106, and an Ensoniq Mirage (it still works and has some cool samples on it for a non-stereo rig). The Ion is closest to the DW-8000 and the Juno 106 as far as programming and playing. I think as I grow more accustomed to this keyboard, I'm gonna love it even more.

easier than my prom date. i plugged this guy in and started making music and programs in seconds. i've never felt so instantly creative, nothing held me back from rockin!

8 poly - enough for me right now.
the effects are chill. i wasnt really looking for effects though. so honestly i dont think i should comment on this.
as far as expansion? i dont know about any cards or boards, but i know alesis' website offers plenty of downloads...
velocity keys are a plus... and from what i understand there are even more updates on midi control espcially for use with a softsynth.
nay, no on-board sequencer. which i think would be a huge plus! but at the same time... have you heard this thing? it sounds amazing, especially for the price. im glad they thought of sound before sequence.

holy shit.

i've only had it for one day. but i bought it used and it still works. if i had the choice of labor between a sweatshop kid or this synth... it'd be this synth. (but who would make a kid do work?)

never dealt with alesis... but the guy i bought it from was helpful )

if it were lost and stolen, i'd be bummed. i like it and yes, i would buy another one. couldnt imagine buying any other synth in this range. if i were going to spend more i'd buy the A6 oh snap, thats a nice one. i *do* wish it had a sequencer, but at the same time... i spent $450 and it sounds way to kick ass, i can get any sound i want from it, and what do you people really expect for something under a thousand... if you want everything you're going to pay for it. damn.

Very easy to use. Great synth!

8 voices ... I wish it had more but it works out fine for what it's designed to do.

Sounds are AWESOME!! I looked into Kord MS2000 and Nord Lead2X before I bought this.

The only issue I have is that it is very noisy, if you have it connected to studio monitors, turn the volume all the way up and you'll hear all kinds of noise.

NO NO NO ... I just bought this board thinking that Alesis has worked out all the bugs from earlier boards, well I don't think so. I got mine two days ago and now I found out that the M2 (modulation wheel) doesn't work. The light on it kept going on and off the first day, I thought it had something to do with the way the patch was programmed, but the wheel completely died this morning. I am getting ready to send it back to the place where I bought it from.

I need to get another one to see if I will keep it. If the new one has some issues then, bye bye alesis for me. I can't have an un-reliable machine in my studio

Pretty easy to use...I jumped right in without reading the manual. Pretty easy to edit and save your patches and multi's. Manual is easy to navigate though..No complaints here

8 voices is ok just wish you could expand. Key action not the greatest..My KS4 has better action for velocity, etc. Effects are good just wish there was delay and or reverb..I usually just add a little release to get the reverb effect so I just use my 01V for needed effects.

Best part of the ION is the sounds and how easy it is to get a nice tweaked patch!! I already created about 20 patches in one Day..Kickass Strings, Sweeps, bass, pads, soundscapes...Not good for percussion thought, but that's not the reason why i brought it :-) It's also 4 part multimbre which i like..Wish it was 8 part cause i could actually use them. Nice look..i like it when the wheels light up red as you turn them...Cool live / video effect! 512 presets is nice to add in there...In my opinion the best VA synth out there...Even better than my Virus B and that's saying alot there...

Had it for only 6 days now..let ya know on my update in a few months, but so far so good.

Never had to deal with Alesis yet..let ya knowon the update.

I purchased this brand new in the box for $565.00 and is the best sounding VA synth out today! Better than the Virus, KS4, Nord Lead's, but probably in the same category as the Waldorf Q and XT series synths. I just wish it was 16 part multimbre and had delay and reverb effect onboard. But can get a round that.

This synth is simple to program considering its many features. It helps to think of it as a modular analog synth, using the mod matrix as your "patchcords". I reccomend every Ion owner to join Yahoo Alesis Ion group- very active and all questions will be promptly answered. Many patches there in files section. ( I have 50 or so there). The only synth easier to program is a NordLead, and that is because it is much more limited than the Ion. There is a blind guy in the Yahoo Ion group who can program it just fine,except for maybe the mod matrix, which requires the use of the display. Patch editor not necessary; no patch librarian yet but there will be one soon. Some people have had problems updating OS; the key to a successful update is to slow down syxex transmission. If it doesn't take the first time, just try again. Midiox works great for OS updates. Latest update, 1.06, adds arp send midi and choice of nrpn or cc# for knobs.

I can't believe Alesis could cram this much stuff into a $700. synth! 20! filters- some of which have to be heard to be believed.(Phase Warp filter). Effects are useable but not necessary. 8 note poly is plenty unless you are doing layers. Unison mode not even necessary to get a fat sound. You can use the OP 4pole hipass filter in conjunction with the Mg 4pole lopass filter for HUGE BASS! Very good chance that Alesis will add the Microns' step sequencer and user arp patterns in a future OS update. My only complaint is re key action. It has a short action, meaning that the keys' pivot point is right where it enters the case. Feels weird at first, but I'm used to it now.

The best sounding VA ever made, regardless of price. Does it sound *exactly* analog? No. As close as you're gonna get, though. Ion is great at emulating old analog stuff; Minimoog,Arp,Jupiter,Oberheim,etc. Doesn't have a Prophet 5 filter (yet). It also has its own unique sound if you use "Ion only" filters- especially the Phase Warp filter, which is based on an analog phaser effect. Presets are OK and a good starting point. Some are sorta thin-sounding (intentionally?) but are easily fattened up. If you want realistic get a rompler.

I bought one of the first Ions and had many ghost editing problems, as well as several bad pots. Alesis exchanged it for another one, and the 2nd one was worse! Then they found out that a bad batch of pots got mixed in with the good ones, and there was no way to tell the difference. Also the knob response was overly sensitive. An OS update made the knobs less sensitive. This means you have to rotate them nearly two full turns to go from 0 to 100%. Some people don't like this,especially with filter cutoff. If tweaking filter cutoff is important to the patch, just assign it to a mod wheel (it has 2). I sent my 2nd defective Ion in for repair, and they replaced *every* knob on the synth. Been perfect ever since, and it gets used every day. The more recent Ions have had far fewer problems. I'm buying a Micron, partially as an Ion backup, but primarily to use as a bass synth. Program a Rhodes Bass, Park it on top of my CX-3, dial in a Vox sound on the organ, and do my best Ray Manzarek impersonation! (always liked the Doors).

Alesis customer support is the best in the business. They actually answer the phone at tech support, and are most helpful. When I sent my Ion in for repair, they had it for 3 days and sent it back, fixed.

I'd definitely buy another one if lost or stolen. Great "bang for the buck". I went in to buy a minimoog voyager, and ended up buying the Ion because I liked it better!

This is a re-review of this synth because I have some things to gripe about!!! As far as ease of use, I have not yet(after several tries)gotten the pitch envelope to do anything. If any one can tell me how to get the pitch envelope to JUST DO SOMETHING! please e-mail me. I have tried to sync this synth (Arp,Lfo's)to MIDI several times and after several bars the thing starts to lose sync. I dunno, maybe i'm doing something wrong I thought...But, NO! Overall though, ease of use is not the problem...READ ON!!

This synth does have some great features when it is working correctly! I still am not happy about the features described in the manual that are not in the final OS code...And, Oh yea, why does the new Micron have a reverb algorithm and the Ion does not? Also I sent in the coupon and copy of the receipt for the free gig bag they are giving away with new ION purchases and It was no suprise to me that I NEVER GOT IT! And it has been since the beginning of APRIL! So, I called them today to find out what was up with that and the woman on the other end said "It will go out this week" So I guess I'll have to wait and see about that.

The sound is great! This is one of the main reasons I bought the thing in the first place was for the sound.

Now...Here is where I have my biggest complaints! The first one that I bought had a large dead spot on 2 of the encoders and there was a shrieking squeak on the mod2 wheel when rotated after not even a week! So I sent that one back to Alesis to have those things fixed. When I got it back the mod2 wheel was so loose it would bouce back and forth if you let it go when rotating it!!! Plus a few of the edit buttons were not working as they should and felt very flakey! So, of course I was unhappy and I then took it back to the store where I bought it to exchange it for a brand new one without incident. I got that one home and soon noticed that SEVERAL of the knobs were loose and wobbly! UUUGGGHHH!!! Everything else seemed fine at the time so I decided that was not that big of a deal after cursing Alesis's quality control a bit! Not even 5 days passed before I soon noticed that a few keys were not working correctly and were dropping notes when played!!...DOUBLE UUUGGGHHH!!! This synth has been such a complete nightmare for me I don't know if I will ever trust another product from them! I would depend on a dope addict crackhead stranger to watch my house and feed my pets while I'm gone before I depend on an ION!!! Well...Not really! but you should get the point. I guess I'll have to roll the dice again and send it back to Alesis for warranty work! AGAIN!!!!

Overall, IF! you get a good one this synth is unbeatable for the price. Like another guy said in his review on the ION on this site, Think about if owning one is worth the headache you may get from the troubles you have a good chance of having from it. I want to give it an overall rating of ZERO because of the trouble I have had but I must admit it can be a very good synthesizer when you have not a problem with it....Write me and let me know if you are having trouble with the pitch envelope too.

OS V1.05.
The Presets that come on the ION give you an idea of the variety of sounds that you can program on this board. There are some that are a scream, for instance Red Bank #11-Sizzler. Play a low note on this patch and move up Mod Wheel 2, awesome. I primarily play classic rock and wanted a VA that sounds like some of my old analogs without having to carry them around and deal with drift and not enough program memory as is typical with the vintage gear. There's anice selection of lead sounds, lioke Stix Mini, Lucky Porta MWZ, Framkemstein (Edgar Winter Group) and numerous other lead sounds.' I also like the wide array of sound effects patches. Although I'll only use a few of the factory sound effects, I can program my own and replace sounds I won't use. The ION has 512 patch storage, so there's plenty of room. I've been making modifications of some existing patches I can use, and making a list of patches that are expendable for patches of my own. The ION is quite usable right out of the box, and will only get better as you put time into it with your own stuff.
Manual is straight forward. It gets to the point and tells you what you need to know.

The 8 voice polyphony is right for this size board and the selling price of the ION. What's nice is its the price of a lead synth and is polyphonic. Not stuck with just being capable of mono lead. Some people have complained about the KB being cheap. I think its quite playable and a lot better than some of its vintage breathren that were a lot more expensive years ago. No, its not a Yamaha weighted keyboard, but if you can't play this board, you need to get your chops in order. Don't compare the action or feel of the keyboard to a $3500.00 keyboard, not only its not fair, it's unrealistic at this price. The effects are minimal on the ION, and I knew that when I bought it. I don't care, I have plenty of dedicated effects and don't want to pay for yet another reverb. Alesis did the smart thing by only putting what is really needed on the ION....Great sound and plenty of real time controls. The ION doesn't have any expansioin capabilities, but again, you're talking about a $699.00 lead synth, not a MOTIF ES. Standard Midi Capabilites, and the KB is not pressure sensitive, no after touch. I'm going to use this as a lead synth and not violins, so aftertouch isn't important to me on this board. I can use mod wheels for vibrato if necessary, but I don't see that adding after touch and making the ION more money would fit into its target price range. The on-board arpegiator patterns are set, they're not step or user programmable. Big Whoop. I wonder how many times I've needed a arpegiator? Not often.

The sound, the real time controls, great selection of filters, the user interface that you can operate via the LCD screen are what makes the ION what it is. 3 OSC per voice with the standard wave forms. You can soft sync or hard sync the ocs which is a nice idea. Sometimes hard sync is too much for editing a patch to get the results you want. The pots are 360 degree pots with high resolution (12 bit) so you don't hear any steps, very smooth. You can change octave up/down on each osc, or on all 3 osc at once with front panel controls. The buttons on the front panel are small, are the right size for the size of the board, and work great. You have the option of monitoring every change you make to a patch on the LCD screen, or shut it off for live playing so you know where you are and can move to one patch or the other with the master program pot. Alesis did a great job of putting the most often used controls on the front panel, and other parameters are easy to get to using the LCD screen. You can find what you're looking for just by touching a pot for the parameter you want to change and it comes up on the screen. It makes ADSR changes a lot easier and faster because you can see the slope on the fly and make the appropriate changes. The envelopes are controlled with the same 5 pots so you can't change the amp and filter settings at the same time, but again, there's only so much room for the pots Alesis put on the ION without making it a bigger box. That's really not a problem for me, I usually only work with one parameter at a time anyway. The envelopes have six stages besides the usual ADSR. There are also length settings for decay and sustain. Very cool. The mod matrix is like using a modular synth. The operation reminds me of some of the vintage synths capabilities. Its an up to date replica of an analog synth, without a lot of the short comings. You can set "drift" if you really want and to what degree you You can detune the oscillators to fatten up the sound and make it sound as analog as the ION sounds. Also has a 40 band vocoder to keep you amused. As I mentioned previously, the KB doesn't have aftertouch, but again, it sells for around $699.00 so they had to cut corners somewhere. KB with after touch is getting to be the exception rather than the rule.

I've only had this less than a month but I'm really happy with it. None of the problems that the early OS had, it works flawlessly. I'm actually pleasantly surprised just how capable the ION is and I'm sure I'll have years of service from this board. I would use this for giggin without a back up. Although at the selling price of the ION, I could actually afford a spare!

I called Alesis two times. Once when I was trying to determine if I should buy a used ION off EBAY or pass on it. Tech support was very objective about the used ION I was considering. They told me what they knew about the problems they had with OS 1.00, which the used board still had on it. They didn't try to talk me into a new one, they just told me what they knew. The second time I called was right after I got a NEW ION, asked for some advice on getting an expression pedal to work with it properly. The tech I got on the phone didn't know the ION well enough and told me he would have someone call me back shortly. Within 20 minutes I get a call back and got the info I was looking for. Also-I sent in the form for the free gig bag and got my bag in 10 days. Alesis also sent me their 2004 catalog and a bunch of other promo stuff and a nice thank you letter. Nice touch. Nicely done Alesis. I will look to Alesis again when I'm in the market for other things they make.

Yes if someone stole the ION, I would get another one. It fits my music and my budget. Its the right size for my KB rig too. I've been playing KB over 40 years, have a lot of vintage gear and have just started buying new stuff for a live KB rig. The ION is a nice addition. What I like the most about the ION is the sound. The price/performance makes this 2004's best value. I compared it to a Korg MS200B, which I thought was a bit more harsh and less appropriate for the music I play. I also considered a DSI Poly Evolver, but the Poly alone is twice as much $$$ as the ION. So the ION was my choice for a great sound at a reasonable price. I'm glad to see Alesis is getting their act together, they went through a lot of changes of late and I'd like to see them stay in business. They are doing a great job with the less expensive synths, and have the flagship analog synth in the Andromeda. I will look to Alesis when I'm in the market for more gear, in addition to Yamaha.

Using the latest OS 1.05
Presents are mostly expected to be flat and boring...but some do shine. the 808 kick ain't bad at all! Editing patches was a frustrating thing at first - then i learned how to manipulate the mod matrix to change the personality altogether. Tell you the truth i have had my ion for about 4 months now and i think i made a reference to the manual like once! All in all i gave it a 10. It's one of the most simple VA synths i ever used.

8 polys - Keyboard action doesn't bother me at all. I make hip hop and electronica experiments so all i care about is the noise. I may gig with it in the future who knows? But if i want aftertouch i will turn on my Virus KC. Effects are a little of a disappointment - but that's okay - cause i never rely on them unless i become desperate. Maybe Alesis should have implemented a "Random" button for hitting walls. My Virus KC has this...it's helpful for creative blocks. Filters are pretty easy to use...but to get more sounds and personalities from this board you gotta twaek it from all angles...DO NOT rely on effects to spit shine your sounds. Expansion: i foresee Alesis giving us a lot of goodies in future OS versions...beyond that...i don't see any hardware expansion unless i do some mad scientist rigging under the breast plate. That'll void your warranty faster than a nano second! ION has Midi in, out & thru. Keys are pressure sensitive. I have to adjust mine though. Never used it (if it has one)I gave it a 6 simply because i know i need to learn more that's all.

Sounds on this thing blew me away the first time i touched it. I mean i bought a Korg MS2000B - kept it for a weekend, and took it back to exchange it for the ION. I am glad i did! But i do miss that Korg though. Realism? well i got a VERY realistic guitar pluck and electric piano sound out of it. A lot of times you stumble over the best sounds. But save em quick!i make basically Reggae, Dub, Hio Hop, Elecronic, 80's video game music, but not very conventional for Classic or Jazz...but if tweaked enough you could get away with it. You wont get soft satin sounds out of the box...more like twisted stuff blood curdled stuff. Effects are really shallow. wished it had more to offer. Reacts pretty good...sometimes unexpected - but thats just the values in my OSC's and filters. Sometimes unexpected is good. velo and after touch is allright - i give this section a 9. I love the sounds on this synth. Just raw and different.

Yeah it's very dependable...i don't juice it too much, this board is a real treat for me to play. So it is still a very new instrument in my studio. Man i get butterflies when i am away from it for too long. Sure, i'd do gigs w/o a backup. I would just handle it with super extra care. No heavy gigging. 10 for this one.

Alesis has the best customer service available. Quick, friendly and they actually take time to chat with you. I called Alesis out of the blue to ask for a free gig bag since i had to send it in for an OS repair and they sent me one that same day. 10 for customer service

If it were lost or stolen - i'd sell the thief's body parts for a nre one. I'd DEFINATELY replace it. It's a classic already. i hva been playing for about 20 years...on and off really. I remember in college we had a Jupiter...i still listen to those old demos and get a chill. I also have a Virus KC, an MPC 1000, a Zoom sampler, Cubase SX, Reason, Audition, Korg Legacy Collection, Yamaha RY30 drum machine, and a Roland MC-303 Groove box. Oh and a little plastic Casio i bought for $35 ...everyone needs a little cheese right? love the look - sound ...hate the weight...damn thing weighs a metric ton!!! But thats cause it's so PHAT! I hate that it's only 8 polyphonic..also that the LCD is flat. I wished it could swivel up like a Mini Moog. Compare to MS200's and Virus KC...like i said i like it better than the Korgs, and i just didn't see the big deals about Tritons and Motifs...Nords either. To me (off the subject) Virus KC kicks all these ass. Chose it for the price and capabilities...also because i needed another fix. Making music with it is great. I find that it takes over a bit...but thats just me getting carried away. It meshes beautifully with my samples and other synths , 10 for this