Alesis Micron

With very little experience with a synthesizer making my own sounds seemed a little bit overwhelming at first. After playing around with it for a while i feel pretty comfortable with just about everything. Anyone with some experience making your own sounds on a synthesizer will have no problem with this.
the manual leaves something to be desired. seems to be layed out incorrectly and the index sometimes doesnt match up.
a lot of the presets are cheesy, but they're a good starting point for tweaking them and making your own sounds

keyboard feels much better to play then any other that i've played before. the keys feel very solid.
the menu knob does feel a little bit weak, but i dont think they're any danger of it breaking off.
the effects sound really professional, but i havnt spent much time trying to play around with them myself.

like i said before, a lot of the presets are really cheesy.
the best sound i've discovered so far is turning off all the effects and filters for a really realistic analog sound.

there isnt a lot of audio demos available for this keyboard so i threw one together, you can download it here : http://www.angelfire.com/ill/hart/micron.html

if you're willing to spend the time, there's no limit to the sounds you can make.

havn't taken it out of the house yet

havnt dealt with them

i wasn't really a keyboard player before i got this except for playing around on some casios, but i love this keyboard.

I'm still using software version 1.1, but I will get round to
up-dating my Micron!
The presets give a very good indication of what the machine can do. It's a very in-depth synth so unless you're a full-on synth head, the presets are a good place to start. That's how I'm doing it anyway. Taking a preset and learning how it does what it does and editing it to my taste.
It's not so hard to edit the patches as Alesis have given you short-cuts to all the editable parameters, which works well and is a great idea as there are not so many knobs & buttons etc.
The manual isn't too big but is informative and does assume you have some grounding in using and programming synths.

Polyphony is 8 voice which might not seem too much but really it works fine. There are three oscillators per voice so you can still get fuller sounds if you wish. I'm not a keyboard player so to me the keys feel fine.
Effects are fairly basic but to my ears sound good enough at enhancing the sound.
No expansion capabilities but hey it's a stand alone synth. There's enough potential as it is. Plenty of memory space for saving your programs etc. You can sys-ex between your computer/sequencer painlessly.
The on-board sequencer though basic is a nice addition and does the job well. Easy to use and you can get some interesting sounds going with it.

It's a pure analog modelling synth, so nothing too realistic here. To my ears it does a real good job of emulating that analog sound. It can sound tight like a digital synth or nice and loose like synths of old! It really does seem to have a life of it's own if you program and play it right. It has a personality!
Only velocity is available on it's own keyboard. That's okay. There's lots of modulation posibilities, so that sound doesn't have to stay static!

So far so good with reliability. Haven't had it for too long. It's built well enough it seems. The only problem I can see is with the main knob. You use this pretty much for everything you do with this synth. It doesn't feel super tough, so fingers crossed that it lasts the course.
The three black assignable knobs seem tough enough, but they aren't very sensitive. It can be difficult (nay impossible!) to get the exact value for a parameter, (i.e. filter frequency. You might get close, but so far I haven't got it bang on the value I wanted).
Yes I would and will gig with it.

Haven't dealt with Alesis direct so no comment.

Yes I would buy it again. For the money nothing new seems to come quite as close. (Obviously you could look at secondhand synths).
I did compare it to similar products from Korg & Novation but for the money you seem to get a more professional synth and more features that help you in the music making process.
To my ears it just sounded more like a synth that I could use. It has character and nothing too gimicky. Just a pure, solid synth.

Software version 1.0.2. Scince I owned the ION the presets (programs) are pretty much the same but somehow better sounding, as if there is more power behind them. I havn't edited sounds too much yet as I just picked it up 2 days ago. It'll just take some time getting used to like any other synth. The manual is actually pretty good. I did find when I looked up "metronome", the manual says its on page 29 when its really on page 25. Other than that its helpfull.

8 voice polyphonic synth - good enough for me. Keyboard action - I'm not a "keyboard player" per se. The keys are fine for what I do although I wish it had aftertouch. As far as I know there are no expansion capabilities. Midi is well implemented. This synth has what the ION needed - A Sequencer! I love it. Still learning the ins and out of it though. I lets you make some pretty complex rythems/beats, etc.

I've never owned a authentic analog synth although I've played around with them so I don't think I could accurately comment on how realistic or "analog" it sounds. From what I hear and the kind of music I make, this will work for me. I produce hard/psy/tech trance but I guess this synth could be used for all kinds of music. Velocity sensitivity seems fine. No aftertouch though.

So far so good. No glitches or crashes and I don't gig right now but If I did I think I could go without a backup.

E mailed customer support about my ION. Response was within 24 hours. Seemed pretty helpfull.

If ut were lost or stolen i'd buy another one or two. I've been around synths & keyboards for 19 years (off and on). I traded my ION and a Novation K Station for the Micron. I also have a Novation Supernova II (24 voice), Yamaha AN200, Mackie DFX 6, Fostex PM 0.5's, Dell 4600 w/ 1 gig RAM. I love the flexibility and tone of the Micron. I hate nothing about it although I'm a little concerned about the control knob and I'm not fond of wall warts. I compared this to the ION and the K station. I will be picking up the V Station soon (software version of the K Station). The ION compared to Micron seemed like it was unfinished. The sounds were there and I like the panel layout but I wished Alesis would have added the delay/reverb effects. The rythem sequencer would have been a plus also. I'd also like to add that although the ION and the Micron have the same "engines", the Micron sounds cleaner or crisper. Kind of hard to describe. Maybe its because of the delay/reverb. Anyway, It's a great synth and I wont be parting with this one.

This thing is extremely easy to use(i just picked it up and figured it out), however it can be a little slow (programming basically can be all done through one knob) The presets are great, i use mine for ebm/industrial/rock, it does a great job...anything that you cannot figure out can be easily cleared up by the manual

i think it has 8 voice polyphony?...the keyboard action i good, however im kinda accustomed to my dx7s light action...the effects are great, nice delays and some good choices of flanger, phaser, and a 40 band vocoder (which is pretty good, not the greatest but it is sufficient)...

it cant be expanded, however i dont think there is any need for expansion in this type of synth...

it has pressure sensitive keys, accepts the aftertouch of my dx, has 6 realtime controls at the top...

and it has a really easy to use drum and synth sequencer in it

i have no idea how they packed so much into a synth like that...its amazing

this synth is fat, warm, analog sounding, equal to the sounds of synths way more expensive then itself, id say its good for techno, trance, ebm, if you program it right it can do industrial...the fx kick ass...you can edit the velocity curve too, however the keys dont have aftertouch

ok my one and only complaint about the synth is the main control know...thats it...the rest is built nice and strong, and i really dont see a problem with the control knob unless your like really knocking it around

never dealt with them

this thing kicks the microkorgs ass...im sorry but this synths fat sounds are much better then the microkorgs cold cellphone-ish noises...if it got lost i would definately gen another(when i get the money)...i love the sounds of it probably the most, without even trying, patches come out fat as hell...this thing kicks ass

Pretty easy to use one you learn how to map parameters onto the knobs.
2 points off for not having very many real-time knobs on the front panel.

Great features on this thing. The variety of features are probably it's strongest point.

You can tweak the presets to an acceptible level but it still doesn't sound as fat as some other synths do right out of the box...

It may work well for rock or pop music but as far as using the Micron for Hip Hop, the sounds aren't high enough quality.

Seems pretty solid. I didn't have any problems.

Didn't try dealing with customer support.

"If it were lost or stolen, would you buy it again or get something else?"

After testing it side by side with a Microkorg I ended up trading in the Micron even though the features on the Micron are much more in depth the basic sound isn't as high quality as the Microkorg.

As you should know, this is the Alesis Micron. I didn't do any upgrades, so its stock. The presets, for the most part, sound pretty good. Editing is pretty easy, although it takes some getting used too. If you've seen the micron, you're probably well aware that most of the editing is done within the menus and whatnot. The manual is great. Like i said, pretty easy to use once you get used to it. I do prefer MicroKorg's layout much better since its much easier and quicker to manipulate sounds.

The action is very good. The effects are good. As I said, pretty easy to work this thing once you've done a fair share of reading the manual and/or tinkering around on it. Pressure sensitive keys are nice. If memory serves me correctly, it has 8 poly. For $400, this has a ton of great features. Can't beat it for the price. This is one of the few reasons I chose it over the MicroKorg.

I give it a 10, not because it has the most features in the world, but just because it has a LOT of features and its so inexpensive, comparatively speaking.

Sounds are great. I'm sure its great for techno and the like, but I actually use it for bass and drums a lot. I also put synth lines into rock songs too. sounds aren't realistic, but its a synth, so they really shouldn't be. very quality sounds, to my ears.

If it were lost or stolen, i'd probably by another sooner or later. I actually traded in an amp and paid $150, and it was definitely worth what i "paid." I love the sounds, and all the features. its even really fun to just mess around with in my room. As I stated before, i compared it to the microkorg. both are really nice. i like the onboard layout of the microkorg MUCH more, but the micron has A LOT more features and i didnt care for the mini-keys on the microkorg. both sound amazing though.

it should be known that I am a guitarist and really am not that experienced with synths. but i can say that this thing sounds great, has great features and is relatively easy to get used to. I may not know all that much about synths, but I know what I like and I really like this.

its a great synth and its cheap. i give it a ten. if it were more expensive, i'd probably knock a few points off. for the price, and even some things a little more expensive, you simply can't beat it.

Version 1.02 This machine is incredibly powerful and musical. Very well thought out design. A lot has to be adjusted through one knob, but it works well.

The polyphony and effects are excellent for a $399. machine (even for a $699. machine). Nice keyboard feel, good MIDI send unit. Great ability to save favorites and recent sounds. But you can't relaod factory presets from within the machine.

Love the sounds. Except the vocoder. I've used 5 different vocoders and the Micron's. The Micron's is awful -- if intelligibility is important. The Micron demo on the Alesis site has vocoder in it, and that demo is as good as the Micron vocoder seems to get. To say it's 40 bands implies something that's just not there. The MicroKorg 8-band vocoder blows the Micron's away. If sound mangling is what you're after, then the vocoder is OK. I'll give an 8 for everything except the vocoder.

Seems great, but watch the main control knob.

Nice, live people at Alesis.

Great, instant classic. Would be PERFECT with even a decent vocoder.

Version 1.02 software as shipped.
Presets are pretty "synth" standard, it would have been nice to have a list of the
original tones, rhythms,patterns and programs. I find that the many days of scrolling
through and listening and trying to dissect how the sounds are made is a lengthy
process, yes an editor would be nice, but a simple list would do.
The manual is brief but succinct. The quick view is very brief but the illustrations
are very useful.

8 voices/4 channels effects are basicly filters, delays, compression, overdrive.
You have to program them in. Your sounds can be changed and applied to same
effects you had on the previous sound. That's pretty neat.
No expansion except for other midi devices synched or as a controller.
I think the keys are a little cheesy, my other keyboard is an ancient DX7, so
that's my standard. I use this box however with a midi-guitar so i don't need
the keys so much.
The phrase/patterns sequencing is awesome.You can sequence a riff, or appegiate it
and switch these for the same pattern of notes.

I used a Prophet 600 for many years, and my other synths are a DX7, and two Octave Cat srmII's . I gave the Prophet back to my brother so i needed something to replace it.
After about 3 months of mulling it over, I ordered the Micron. THis is posssibly the best
suitable replacement for the Prophet that I could have obtained. I get close to same
sounds-some are dead on!! Obviously a Prophet does have more knobs, but
I need to say that this synth is amazing!..
Reaction to my playing is fine though I'm not a technical keyboard player.Through a midi
guitar it reacts just as expected -perfectly.

Will know more about this over time, lugging it to practice and back home.
It's pretty light compared to a Prophet or a DX7. and it's small.

Not needed, hopefully never needed, I did send a suggestion about the placement of the
M1 and M2 and the pitch wheel which are in a different direction(horizontal rathe than vertical) The former could have been replaed with knobs like the volume
knob which i find very usuable than I'm used to. The pitch wheel should be moved though.
A modest suggestion. Just a user preference, not a problem function wise.

As I said I play Guitar. My other "box" is an Adrenalinn which is possibly the best thing
since sliced tofu. So More drums, more filters and more patterns in my sound is
always welcome as long as I feel I can control the whole thing while tryng to
play a song. So I've gone from a masssive guitar sound to a massive guitar synth
sound with automatic rhythmic control and LOTS of ways to get complex assemblies
of drums ,pads,more drums, strings, filters , etc and killer noises on the fly.
The risk of too many layers is great not a bad problem to have. The Micron is a lot of fun, -i've never been much of a drummer and the control i have on triggering drums and patterns is a welcome addition (something I didn't expect either). It will likely take
about 6 months to really get a hold of all the features (I haven't even mentioned the
separate vocoder section) .
Consider this a glowing review .

When I first got the Micron, it came with version 1.01 but I've since updated it to version 1.02 and not had any crashes or bugs. The supplied presets are amazing and have been voiced to really show off that this synth maybe little on the outside, but when it comes to sound, it's massive! Editing isn't as difficult as you may imagine, as Alesis have a very smart system of bringing up different sections of the synth by holding down the main control dial and hitting a key. You could always by an external MIDI controller if you wanted more physical controls. I haven't really needed the manual as yet, but it seems okay if a little skimpy.

Features? This thing is stacked with them! 8 voices is good enough as far as polyphony goes and the keyboard has a nice feel to it. The built in effects score over the more expensive Ion and sound great. There are no expansion capabilities but then they are not really needed on a synth of this kind. Including the sequencer was a great idea, as are the rhythms - they make a big difference - and make it a very attractive product for the price.

This synth can sound like just about any real analogue you care to mention (and I'm speaking from experience of some of the vintage synths I've owned since 1987). To me, it's greatest moments are when it sounds like a SCI Pro-One. It has a killer sound, the closest thing I've heard to a real analogue. Thanks to the great presets (and the editing power to make your own), it's not limited to just one style of music. It's not just a dance synth, as it can sound very retro, for doing electro 80's stuff as well. All in all, an excellent sounding synth, one of the best I've ever used!

I can see what some people mean by the "wonky" main control dail. I'm hoping mine holds up! The rest of the machine seems very solid, but time will tell...

This is an amazing synth and I don't know what I'd do without it. Alongside my Roland SH-32 and Korg MicroKORG, it has become one of my most loved synths, ever. It's ability to process external sounds through it's vocoder and effects has made an amazing difference to the sound of my SH-32 and when you mix drum sounds from the 32 with the Micron, they are speaker-blowingly big! Mixing sounds from the microKORG with the Micron (being controlled by the Microns Sequencer) si fantastic. I am so happy with this synth! I never dreamed that my most loved synth would have been made by Alesis, who's QS-range of keyborads held no interest for me at all!

It's really helped me in my songwriting too, providing idea after idea after idea...if you haven't heard it yet, get to your local music store and have a play with it...the MP3 demos on the Alesis website really don't show it off fully. The best synth I've ever bought, no question.

i gave it an 8 because ive only had it for like a day but its pretty easy to use. its my first real synth so i like it and it seems easier to edit and use than most other synths

the sequencer is ok the arrpegiator is good and its has midi(thru out in) the effects are ok delay and reverb good reverb.

its great in this depratment. i persoonally dont like velocity sensitive keys so this is actually a draw back for me but for velocity sensitivty its not that great

im pretty sure you could gig with it it seems very dependable. but i gave it a nine casue you never know

never dealt with alesis