Alesis Micron

At first the Micron's interface leads you to believe that editing patches directly on the unit would be a chore. In practice, I found that using the shortcut menus (Program + the "Osc" key, for example) is really intuitive, as is assigning any of the functions to the X, Y, & Z knobs (Program + the knob). I like to use both the filter and amp envelopes a lot, so the limited knob-age was a compromise, but I found that using the attack and release for the filter gave me pretty decent real-time control. Also, you can assign the M1 and M2 (sliders) to pretty much anything, but frustratingly this is defined under the 'Mod' section instead of the quick way to assign functions to the knobs.

I love the architecture of the Micron. Simple, 8-voice, 3-OSC, with a host of filters and modulation routings to keep even an advanced synth buff happy. It is so cool to have the Micron sitting in your lap creating lush, evolving, modular-sounding patches, as the GF watches "So You Think You Can Dance". I normally do not use the on-board FX, since I personally like the sound of this synth dry. I've just recently dug into the rhythm section, and the drums sound very analog. Probably my favorite aspect of this synth is that it works so well with my hardware sequencer setup. No glitches, no weird performance quirks, it just works.

I normally do not judge synths by thier presets, since I've been programming for many years and prefer to develop my own sounds before I give a synth a thumbs up or thumbs down. However, I was sort of misled by the Micron, because the presets sounded decent enough to be usable. HOWEVER--spending a night or 2 really digging into this thing, customizing modular routings, playing with dual filter configurations, etc...really (I mean REALLY) open sonic doors on the Micron. I particularly like the OB 2-pole lowpass filter, as it gives everything (basses in particular) that fuzzy, esoteric modular thickness that I would swear up and down in a blind taste test was 100% analog. I don't know how they managed to pack so much into such a small box, but the sound of this synth is UNBELIEVABLE for a digital representation of an analog synth.

So far so good. I bought it used, and it seems pretty sturdy to me. I love the metal chassis.

N/A

Sizzle, girth, you'd swear these were really VCOs & VCFs. The envelopes, another usually abysmal aspect of VAs are SOOOO punchy. The Mini-moog type basses, bell-like ring mod tones that evolve with velocity, everything that relies on snappy envelopes are cake to make on the Micron. When I realize that I only spent $150 for all of this I wet myself a little....

not too bad as many people think

i do not know if it is possible, but the japanese alesis staff has told me that i cannot have many "parts" and "beats" (about 10 patterns and rhythms all together) in a setup because micron's DSP cannot handle it.

Almost all editing is done with one lone knob, which gets kind of irritating. The controlling knobs aren't the most responsive, frustrating when you want to just change the value of a parameter by just a couple of points. Other than that, it's really rather easy to use after you've got it set up.

The five controls will give you most of what you need as far as control go. See my previous qualm about the knobs, though. The effects are pretty general, delay, flanger, distortion, etc. They'll get you what you need. For a keyboard aimed at a budget-audience, it would have been nice to see the ability to use effects more extensively. It's possible to compose whole tracks, as tedious as it may be, on this thing. It gets the job done.

The sounds on this will be able to fulfill most needs, but it has its own sound that is hard to escape, and you'll end up sounding 'micron' rather than your own sound. I feel the sound is rather thin and digital. While producing an analog feel to the sound, it doesn't sound analog at all. Again, it ends up being a 'get it done' synth. I wouldn't use it on a synth-reliant genre, but it should work just fine when it's not going to be taking any major roles in the music.

It feels very sturdy. I'd take it gigging with no worries at all. The main control knob, after a year of ownership, is beginning to scare me however.

Haven't used it yet.

I probably wouldn't replace it if anything ever happens to it, but for its price it'll be hard to match. Perfect for the beginning synthesist or someone who wants to start out with hardware and is on a budget. For its price and audience, it's definitely a great synth. But unless you want an entry synth, look elsewhere. For those looking for an entry synth; if you want completeness: micron, if you want sound: Microkorg.

im still readinf the manual.im not sure what version it is.the presets make a change from my XP30 and are way ahead of my Korg NS5R ... although the editing on the Korg i think is a doddle by comparison. only had this micron 3 days so i cant really make big statements .. but so far most editing albeit small .. has gone smoothly.

the keyboard action could be better. the keys are ok but the feel is very springy compared to my XP30 .. which is still only a synth .. no digital piano.
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about the midi .. after deciding on the micron in the shop .. as it was either the Blofeld - Korg R3 - microkorg .. i was at least happy that the micron can respond to some basic comands from a external sequencer. my main use for this synth is to add it to the exisisting chain .. but so far ive had hanging notes a few times when ive played and changed midi ch in the sequencer !!! which only happened when i was running Music-x on the Amiga 10 years ago! something id forgotten all about till now !
this is a bit dissapointing .. as its time consuming .. as is trying to organise the midi. in my sequencer it seems that the micron bank numbers are 4 in front. ie say u want to use a bass .. #12 .. in the sequencer u have to use #16 to call it up! i have no other problems with my korg ns5r electribe - roland xp30 - akai mcp500 .. so thats another niggle. i can work round it .. but ive got to write it down to remember.
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i cant tell how the editing will be at this early stage .. as im still trapped in midi problems .. so i may comment later. for now a lower score only because of these issues.

my impression is that it covers most types of electronic music quite well. which is what i was after. im happy to have these alternative sounds and a better reso filter than on my XP30. again i cant comment about other fx as ive not delved into them yet .. but i have heard a few pre-sets that put me in mind of an old Cheetah tone module i had a while back.
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the keys velocity seems to work ok. ive no complaints about any tones either at this time. as its all very new. i will say the reverb and chorus is very tame. in fact sometimes adjusting it sounds like its just not there. by comparison .. my old E-mu has the wildest reverbs u could ever imagine.
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im happy with the sound set. i feel it makes a good drum and bass module with some thundering bass.

too soon.

too soon

1st let me highlight ..
i wasnt after a synth with a GM soundset .. so this suits me.
and i wasnt after a full size keyboard either. ( i need the space )
part of the reason i bought this was to add it into my set up .. not replace anything.

im still searching for a stand alone device that i can get some sounds down without having to set up all my midi. its good that the micron has enough keys to give some input in a normal manner. this is the nearest thing that can do that so far .. and in this price range.

i cant run it down as ive just bought it .. but i feel it still lacks a few things i need. i agree on previous comments about the layout.
its minimal and very enginious .. but the mod/pitch wheel would also suit me more on the left. but take a look at the synth .. it would also make the synth longer.
some extra FX controls external rather than in the menus would be great too. overall its very good.

oh did i mention the arpegiator .. again ive only used the pre-sets .. but ive found it to be very varied. some interesting combis. again .. for me .. more interesting than the one on my XP30. in fact i dont think i ever used them.

im still searching for the right synth to fill my needs .. then who isnt .. but for now the Alesis micron has found its place in my setup.

this is a follow up review I did a year and a half ago. I must say since then I have purchased almost a dozen vintage analog synths (Roland, korg, yamaha and oberhiem) and the micron holds up. I use it about 95% of the time and it is my main synth. It has the latest software which I downloaded from the alesis site. The factory presets were very good. Since I first got it I have modeled patches off the factory presets for Roland Juno 60, oberheim matrix 1000 and many others. The Roland and Oberheim filter emulation is really right on the money. I think the Alesis micron is really the best VA out there and I would own it any day of the week over Nord, Korg, Roland VAs. I've used just about every function of the unit now and I find it one of the easiest to edit and program synths I have ever owned. Sequencer very easy to use. I have found given the vast number of filter emulations and editing controls I can duplicate any synth ever made with the micron. Manual is very well written and I take it with me everywhere to read. There is a free downloadable PC editor for it but I just used the knob.

It's 8 voice. The effects are all good I use them sparingly. Most of the time if I add anything it's chorus or flanger. The reverbs and delays are both good. I tend to take it easy on those and only use it setups function. The sequencer is very easy to use. Very good TR 808 and CR analog drum sounds.

This is not for sample based sounds. I enjoy new wave, 80s stuff and my own originals this really satisfies me in everyway. As I said above-it really holds its ground with my Roland Juno 60, mks 50, jx 8p, Yamaha CS 5 and others. I found it did spot on copies of a oberheim matrix 1000. I've also did some patches based on Korg k700 which I really like. I've gotten to the point with my micron that I can duplicate any vintage analog. It's very easy to assign the knobs and sliders to whatever function I like The action is very good on the keyboard and I love the small size

works great

they have a web site

This is a definite 10. I've had it for over a year and a half. I would buy again and would like to keep at least one around for life. I own nearly a dozen vintage analog synths-I still want a micron around I use it the majority of the time. The only thing I wish it had-maybe the newer ones have is a usb out. No big deal. I connect using my oxygen 8 controller. But, a usb out built in would be more convenient

I thought it was pretty easy to use. The sounds and knobs are right in front of your face. You have to mess around with it a little to find effects. But, it's overall pretty easy.

I thought the features were very good. Though there are only 3 knobs in front of you the other effects are easy to get to.

I think this is the best synth I've ever heard for it's price. I've heard more expensive synths that don't sound comparable to this one. The sounds are all clear and can be used in multiple styles of music. I write ambient, techno, trance, IDM, ghettotech, hip hop, r&b, electronica, d&b, jungle, and some others. The sounds on this thing fit all these genres and some others.

I've only had it about a week but so far it is 100% reliable. No problems.

Never had to deal with costomer support.

I think it's excellent. The are some cons I think you should know though. The keys are full size, yet very flimsy and quite fragile. It is also pretty heavy for when you have to take it with you on the road. The knobs are also extremely fragile. Don't screw around with them. Everything else is perfect.

The menu editing is cumbersome and really kills inspiration. I have gotten better at it over time, but it just holds back my creativity in having to edit the synth this way. The presets are generally bad, so editing is a must. The manual is good overall, but I don't like reading manuals.

The keyboard action is good, but not great - I would rate it as "slightly above average". I'm a player, and don't just play around with this in the studio, so keyboard action is very important to me. There are plenty of other nice features about the synth, though, and Alesis (and by the way, I generally really love Alesis gear) has done their best to pack a lot into this unit.

Hmmm....well, this is the important stuff in my opinion. It sounds good, but, to be honest, not great (to me, at least). I have owned literally 100+ keyboards and synths since the early 1980's - no kidding - and I know what I like. Something has to really move me, emotionally, when I play a keyboard / synth for me to want to keep it and use it, and this one doesn't do it for me. This is actually the second Micron I have owned. I felt this way about the first one, but got a great deal on another that I couldn't pass up, and gave the little synth another chance. Again, it really didn't do it for me. Overall, I think the Micron exhibits a certain quality on ALL patches (no matter how much they are edited) that you just can't get rid of. I suppose all synths do this to a certain degree, though. Anyway, I would best describe the Micron's sound quality as slightly digital, thin, but "brassy" sounding. Approaching an FM synth, but not quite there. This isn't necessarily a BAD thing, but it just doesn't appeal to me, personally. Just a matter of opinion, and I know lots of people love this thing, but it's not for me. Believe me, I WANTED to like it....the size is perfect for gigs, especially the small venues I play! I also own a Korg MicroKorg, which is the main competitor of the Micron, and really prefer the Korg's sounds. The Korg is simpler, in many ways, and more straightforward (as compared to the deep complexity of the Micron), and has a more grainy, aggressive sound, which I really like. To me, the Korg is more raw and "analog" (and I have owned many, many analog synths over the years so I have an excellent basis for comparison).

The main control knob, as everyone knows, is very fragile. In fact, the first Micron I purchased had a broken control knob right out of the box! Otherwise, it appears very solid. Because of the knob, I must give it a lower than perfect reliability rating.

Alesis customer support, when I have had to deal with them in the past, is generally very responsive.

As I said above, I really wanted to like this synth. The idea behind it, and the overall design of the synth, suits my needs for a live instrument. But, it all comes down to 1) the sound, and 2) the difficulty in editing the parameters. These are deal-killers for me. I may keep this one around to play with for awhile, but will most likely be passing it along. Once again, though, this is my opinion, and I truly do think that Alesis has packed a lot of great stuff into this synth. It is very usable. It's just not for me.

Really good presets. Editing patches is simple once you read a few quick directions. The manual is VERY helpful. Whenever I have a question, it's answered in it.

The features of the Micron are great. The setup function (a mini-sequencer more or less) is great for coming up with ideas and writing new ones. Everything is editable with a few button pushes and a knob turn. 37 keys is a great size for the Micron. Easily transposable by octave (just one press per octave). Three knobs is definitely sufficient for a beginner/intermediate synth user and they can easily be mapped to different functions.

This board is geared towards the electronica crowd judging by the presets, but is fully capable of adapting to any environment. The effects included are great (I use the fuzz pedal effect a LOT). As close as I have heard to analog on a digital board. Sounds even better through tube preamps.

I have heard of the main knob breaking from overuse, but I have had no problem as I am VERY careful with my instruments. I think the Micron is very reliable.

Haven't had to talk with Alesis. So no opinion.

If I had to buy again, I would go with a Micron again. I love the ideas that Alesis put in it. Rhythms, step sequencer, vocoder, yeah, it's all great. It makes a great complement to the rest of my equipment for very little cost for the features it has. I honestly can't think of anything they could add to it that would make me happier.

Straight away, it is incredibly easy to dive in and start using the vast array of voices, rythyms and patterns. These are very diverse, from deep moog-like sounds to baba o'riley, to your typical dance club beats.

As for the patch editing.. well, you can't just create from scratch (as far as I'm aware!). You need to copy another patch and then edit and tweak that. Obviously a basic knowledge to Pulse, Sawtooth and Sine wave sounds are needed here, and the booklet doesn't make clear what the LFO filters exactly do, so if you're a bit of a novice (hands up on that), you do just have to play about but this works just as well..

Polyphony varies from voice to voice. I have to say, it would be nice to hear some chords with some of the bass voices but even on their own, its an incredibly irresistable sound.

Effects.. well, there's a basic vocoder. Unlike the MicroKorg, this doesn't come with a standard mic, so you have to supply your own. It's not fantastic but if you're looking for a vocoder, a microKorg might be a better bet.

You can split the keyboard. I'm not sure how many parts but I'm sure it's at least 4, which is incredibly useful. If you're looking to make some solo stuff, having a beat, rythym and still having almost the whole keyboard still to use the voices..

No expansion capabilities, as far as I know.. although I'm told you can transfer voices over a MIDI-to-USB cable.

Velocity sensitivity is assignable on each voice, and is very good. Some voices have it and some don't, but you can change that. No aftertouch though.

Sounds.. well, there's a vast range. Bass, Lead, Brass, String, Pads, Comp, Keys, SFX, even drums.. The organ sounds are good, strings are alright, as are brass (I don't want to comment on these too much because I tend not to use these!). The Bass and Leads are very varied, and have very nice sounding settings. One thing I did find myself needing though was a piano sound. Nothing even close... and I couldn't find anyway to model it! The thing to remember is, as much fun as the existant sounds are, you can always create new ones.. (although it does take a while!)

I play it for a pop/rock function, but I can see it working well for anything in a kind of electronic vein, so trance, dance, hip hop.. the settings and sounds seem just to be made for that.

Once a setting is saved, you can forever rely on it to be there.

I've not (yet) played a gig with it so I don't know how it goes, but I am lead to believe that The Automatic's keys player's top keys is the Alesis Micron. It can't be that unreliable..

Right, yeah.. this was a bit of a let down for me. I bought mine from America, and they obviously have a different voltage and power system to us. Well when mine got here, the keyboard wouldn't work. It would turn on (so I thought) but the screen as unreadable and it wouldn't produce a sound. Apparently, according to my eBay seller, this could be due to the power pack. You can't run an american power pack through a converter.

Getting in touch with alesis was slightly difficult, but I did find an email address and contacted them. After a few days, they referred me to a company which could sell me an English Power pack. It cost me ??40 for a new power pack. Not nice.

It's a very enjoyable synth to use. My family loved it even though they can't play and its controllable, assignable knobs make editing the sound easy. Worth the price.

I've only played Keyboards about a year now, self taught without books or any helpful material. I bought this keyboard as a synth that had a nice "synthy" sound, and it certainly does what I expected and a whole lot more!

The micron's user interface is crippled by design. Fortunately the shortcuts make it at least usable. The idea of managing programs by name and category instead of fixed banks is very cool. The setup mode lets you keep ideas together and adds much to the usability.

These features really rock:
+ setup mode ??? very powerful
+ built-in sequencer (only good for realtime-recording and I love it big time)
+ mod-matrix (+++)
+ 20 filter types ??? some of them sound great!
+ rhythms / very cool drum sounds
+ compact size, desktop-friendly


Missing features:
- no usb connectivity
- effects per program: there is only one global effects module - which means your programs lose their effects in a setup ??? which means most probably you wouldn???t want to rely on effects???

The micron ist the poor man???s substitute for Arp Odyssey + Mini Moog + Oberheim OB8 + Roland Jupiter ??? so this is basically what it sounds like: old style, 70- and 80-ish. Of course the real thing sounds different???
In theory 8 voices polyphony should be just okay. The trouble is that in reality you have less than 8 voices. In a setup with different parts playing simultaneously the micron sounds lo-fi beyond recognition, especially if you have it play more than 4 voices at the same time. Rhythms tend to consume a lot of dsp resources.
You can record slider movements in patterns. Unfortunately those high-res sliders often produce very ugly crackling noises in recorded patterns ??? especially when recording slow movements.
The filters sound good to superb and so do the raw oscillators. This does not mean that you can create very complex sonic textures. Somehow the micron sound always remains ???micron???, soft, silky, wannabe-analogue, old, a little bit warm and also friendly. When creating a new sound you will probably spend most of the time in the mod matrix which lets you do a lot of really interesting things. The more I play it the more I like it.

Dear KNOB, please don???t let me down! The knob story is a real design flaw???..BUT: No problems so far!

If it was lost or stolen I would maybe go for a Waldorf microQ or Blofeld this time but I have absolutely no regrets about the micron. For my purpose it???s much better than the ???synths??? that I owned before (Korg EA-1 MKII and Yamaha CS1x)
I am a bass player and the micron is my backing machine. It does a great job. The built-in sequencer makes sure that ever single tone and chord comes perfect - especially when things become a little complicated. It plays all the stuff which I would not be able to play myself too well ??? no creativity-killing pc required. The sound is good, funky and interesting enough for me.

OS 1.10 My first impression was "wow", my second one was "get f...". But after a few month of using it i??am quite fast editing the patches and make them wired or smooth or anything between it. Of course.. when you got this little silver-dart first and you spent a whole night on it, it maybe a little frustrating, but then when you learned the interface-concept it is easy as hell. The presets can give you a good intro in "how-to-create-this-and-that". But consider - you could make it better. Some presets like those in the string-section are at a good quality. And yes - ALESIS - when you ever again creat a synth like this, take a deep look inside yourself and programm an editor for those many people out there in the world which using software for editing! In some cases it would be realy useful!!! The manual itself contains enough info for understanding how this little engine works.

8 Voices, 3 OSC/Voice (SAW (TRI), SQUARE and SINE can be waveshaped), NOISE-Generator, 2 Multimodefilter and 3 ADSR, an INSERT per voice, 2 LFO??s, a SH-Generator, a Tracking-Generator, 12 Modulation-Options/Patch and 2 FX-Modules (i like the superphaser most with its 64stages) which are usefull but an outboard-fx would be definitly better. I am missing a second pair of audio-out. The Micron has also two Mod-Sliders which sadly don??t show their values and three endless-knobs (three more would be a hype)! You have some velocity-types for keyboard-action but i don??t use the keyboard very much because i sequence the Micron from my PC. Therefore i can??t tell you very much about its onboard-sequencer ... so far i??ve seen it is very basic and i only use the SetUp-Mode for external sequencing ... also no comments. MIDI on the Micron is a extra theme. You can??t controll it??s paramteres via NRPN as it seems that they are some sort of strange programmed (negative NRPN-values - never seen before). But you can assign CC??s from an external knob-box as modulation-sources operating on Mod-Targets you defined.

Well the Micron doesn??t sound like synths starting with 2000 Euros and above. But with patience you can get some very smooth sounds out of it. In the higher octave-range, but this is my personal opinion, he sounds realy great whereas at lower levels and specially for deep basslines this isn??t the right synth at all - use real analogue gear instead or another VA which is capable doing this stuff. I mainly using this synth for leads and pads or FX and other things. As i mentioned before - outboard-FX and a second pair outputs would do there job well ... the only FX which i like most is the superphaser. Overall i would say the MIcron is capable of many type of sounds ... but it also depends on the quality of your monitors you are using in your studio

The Main-Knob seems to be problem at extensive use. I hope this nightmare never came true - A BROKEN MAIN-KNOB

Nothing to do with Alesis since i bought it

I don??t know if i would by it again - maybe. Over the time i was getting into an interesting releationship with the MICRON ... Yes i would buy it again :-) Well i use Waldorf/Korg-Gear, and some exotic synths like the SoundArt Chameleon DSP (Monowave II). I am doing electronic music since 2002 rising fast from software to the hardware-universe. The Tracking-Generator is a cool addon ... none of my synths have it.
Overall: EDITOR for LOW-KNOB-AMOUNT-SYNTHS - ALESIS - EDITOR and improvements for a next OS (if it happens - you should do it - there are many customers in the world - consider that). The synth itself - well done ALESIS

This is my review for the Alesis Micron. I`ve got it 2 weeks now and now it is time for a few words.

The features can be read on the other reviews so i comment the sound and the use of this unit. First i must say that the micron defently sounds a kind of LO-FI. It had its charme. For those people who write that this synth is nearly as possible on analogue emulation: wash your ears!
I own a minimoog voyager and a Roland Jupiter 4 beside a XBase 09. Compare some of the presetzz from the Voyager vs the Micron, the Micron sounds not nearly analogue. It sound more like a mix of the sid chip from the C64 and a old casio CZ 5000 synth. If you compare the two things (real analoge vs digital) it is like to compare a "Dresdner Butterstollen" vs "Pumpernickel".
The moog filter of the micron sounds completly different from the moog. It pumps up the volume at hight resonace levels and give u a not very musical siren tone. The real thing sound silky and fat while the micron sounds LO-FI and digital.

The other drawback are the crappy keys. Compared to good keys (again Voyager) you fingers hurt if you playing longer than 5 minutes. Fast playing is nearly impossible cause the action is spongy. I dondt like the keyboard at all.
A design drawback is also the bad placement of the mastervolume knob. Every time i want to add vibrato when i play my finger touches this volumeknob. That sucks.
This pitchwheel is also placed wrong. Normaly you play with the right hand and pitch with the left hand, so why the pitchwheel is placed in the middle of the board?

BUT:

The micron in perfect for other things. I use it for C64 like sounds and connectet to a sequencer this mashine rocks!!!!! You can use 16 midi channels to creat 16 instruments in the setup mode. I come from old style seq.music so i use the awesome "renoise" tracker programm to sequence the micron. I have built a lot of cool C64-basses, snares, kicks, leads and more. This synth have alot of great noise sounds. The cool thing is that you can create the typical arpeggio sound of the c64 using the trackinggenerator triggerd by a lfo routing to pitch and synced to tempo. Great! I composed complete chiptunestyle tunes with the micron. 8 voices are more than enough for that. The sid only has 3 voices.
I wish the FX1 unit have a reverb and i can use the FX2 for tempo delay. Effects on FX1 are most useless and cant compare to real effect processors. But, hey for chiptune all i need is a tempo synced delay.
The micron responds very tight for midi commands.

So i cant recommend the micron for analogue tone. Buy the real thing! The difference is huge!!! But i can recommend the micron for 80`lo-fi sounds.. Gamemusic, effects, weired noises, fat computersounding basses and cheesy leads.
I guess you can make the soundtrack of "tron" only with that mashine.
Funny thing....

built cheap - you get what you paid for.

This is ridiculously easy to use, Its fast too. I just got mine yesterday, and I was making a patch and then the note sustained forever, which is something I didn't mean to do, but it was unfixable till I shut off my micron, so other than that, i have had no problems, it was likely something on my programming (obviously)

Presets are for the most part cool

8 not polyphony is fine what this synth does, analog drift sounds wicked, but I can compare its analogue-ness to real analogue synths, cause i havent played one of those before. no expansion. midi in out thru, rythm sequencer and arpegiator

amazing!!! I love it, I have it set up on my kitchen table and have been playing it all day. Its really good for beginners who are just learning how to use synthesizers. its straight forward, and the menus are well laid out. You can make some good sounds from it. Mostly geared towards tecno, electro, trance, dance electronic music, it certainly has room for other genres.

Im assuming you could rely on it fine but have not used it in a gig yet

N/A

Really really good, if your deciding between this an a microkorg, I would pick this. Easier to program, better sounding, more sounds (im pretty sure, including user patchs) better vocoder, normal keys

YOU SHOULD BUY THIS. If your in the "thinking" or "research" stage, debating whether or not to get this, various soft synths or buying a vintage analog one off ebay, don't. Get this. I'm not sure what software version I have but I can download the latest software update at the alesis website anytime so doesn't matter much. The presets are awesome. You can tell who ever did these really loved old analog mini korg (k 700) arp odessey, Roland juno and jupiter and mini moogs. Within seconds of turning it on they are all there. I've played drums, keys, bass and guitar all my life and I BA in broadcasting. I know my way around equipment and sound processing. "Back in the day" hehe I owned analog units, earliest classic digital ones, then various sound cards with built in synths and finally soft synths. I am so pleased and tickled with the micron. It's like a new girlfriend I find myself spending every second with it. It's possible to edit on the unit itself but so much easier and fun if you download some of the software for this. There is microzune on ebay for $33 or there is this free one I think called the micronizer that I have. I will get microzune soon. I imagine otherwise can be a daunting task with that little knob but can be done. I liked the way the manual was written out. It's very readable and will tell you everything you know. If you lose it can download another from the alesis site. There is a unofficial micron site up too. Endless resources for this unit which is good

It has 8 voice polyphony. I read somewhere someone griping it didn't have 16. It is designed to replicate early classic analog synths and part of the reason the early analog synths sound that good and is the limited voices. If you slapped 16 on this it would not sound as vintage and would defeat the purpose. Action is great. The set up reminds me so much of a Korg k700. You have the sliders there and minimal knobs, 37 keys. The pictures for this unit are very deceiving. It does not photograph well and looks cheap in the pictures. When you get it you will be shocked. It's a nice looking, classy looking little synth. The colors always look garish in the pictures but in your hand very pleasing. Seems very sturdy. Looks like it can take a lot. Like everyone else though I do worry about that little knob and I really suggest to everyone use with care and download that editing software to save the wear and tear. I would chose this unit over the ion for a lot of reasons one of them being size and weight. It's about the size of 2 laptops placed next each other and 14 pounds. In that small space you have everything need to record or play out and I don't think there is a synth out there that can touch this. This little synth does a lot of things great and is dead on for any type of music you want to use. I love the fact you can use this as a sound module for computer sequencing or to plug into another controller. Actually it's only slightly bigger than some sound modules I've used. But, in a pinch or if your on a budget you don't need a computer or a lot of gear here. It has all the effects built in (sound great and I am vintage effects collector, I've had everything good efx with this one.) You have MIDI, stereo outs and a on board sequencer. Also, easy to download any updates. No one should have any complaints about this unit because it truly can do anything you can conceive. If you can't find your sound on this synth maybe you should give up because it has everything and it's easy to use. I love the fact I can sit on my bed with this and watch tv and workout songs. I guess I approach keys in a very musical way. Sometimes I will get an idea or a melody in my head at an odd time. It's always a race to get to the instrument to get it down before I forget it. What I love about the micron is that it facilitates creativity. You just turn it on and can get your idea down. If I was working on my pc or with some of my other synth equipment it's such a job to turn everything on, open programs and set up mics. I even have a project studio but it's still a job. With micron just turn on and play.

First off, let me tell you something about this unit. If you want a synth that will exactly replicate a tenor tuba or triangle get something else. Hell, you can get all that stuff from GM on your computer or with just about any budget synth out there. A Korg x5d is a good example of this. It's a great workhorse I used it for years and is a great all around synth. It doesn't have a special sound of it's own just does realistic replications of instruments which was kind of a 90s thing. Let me tell you what the micron does. It pretty much duplicates mini moogs, early Korg, roland, arp, prophet analog synths. Does really good vox contential/farisfa 60s transistor keys too if the "Doors" or new wave bands (blondie, elvis costello, b-52s) are your thing. It's nice to have on there to play around with but can get a little scooby doo after awhile. The micron will cover all synth sounds from classic rock and all those early 80s synth songs (cars, flock of seagulls, human league, cure.) Nails them. Let me clue you in on a little secret about the micron. As soon as I got mine the first thing I did was turn off the digital effects that came with it (they are great and I would use them for playing out because that way I don't have to take stuff with me and can just save/store as presets and pull up with no problems.) For recording or home practive I would use old analog effects. I have a pretty good collection of early 80s guitar pedals and part of what made the old Korg/Roland analog synths sound so great were the built in analog effects. I threw together a quick set up of analog delay, chorus and phase and ran the micron through it. Instant Korg k700. Couldn't stop playing Cars, Cure and all the early mtv classic songs from the early period. Another trick I used for both the analog presets and vox organ sounds was running the micron through my Tech 21 GT amp simulater. It's simulates all old classic amps (vox jmi, fender blackface, marshall, etc) perfectly and with analog circuitry. I notice the micron does the best on the "classic" or "off axis" setting on cabs. I've pretty much owned everything in my life: vox jmi amps, marshalls, vintage fenders. This little pedal does them all and with any piece of electrical musical equipment the sound is not just the unit by itself but the processing gear, the amp and the speaker. I ran everything through two practive amps. A little peavey solid state one with reverb and a epiphone valve junior tube amp and the micron sounded more analog right now to every blip and bleep, every filter sweep than any I've ever used. You couldn't tell the difference with a blindfold on. Unit is quiet. Recorded with it allready sounds awesome. Best synth sounds I ever heard. I researched for over a year before I bought this thing. The micron does sound better than virus or nord to me. I think that Alesis has a better sound engine and understanding what analog is I guess because of they made the Andromeda analog synth (I think that's what it's called.) This is my opinion. I also tried every soft synth I could and they are good and fun. But, for so many you are dependent on your CPU, need to buy a half way decent soundcard, have the right interface, etc. But before you buy a soft synth do some searches online because you can find a lot of free analog mono synths and vst host software out there that will do the same thing as arturia or some of the others for free. I'd rather have the micron though because it sounds warmer to me, more analog, has everything I need or will need, is so portable and easy to use I can take anywhere. I'd get the micron before you get a soft synth you can always use midi and use your micron on your computer if you want. With soft synth you get a CD and a picture of a synth. You can make the same software/skin with synth edit and do your own. I'd rather have a real hardwared synth. Long live hardware.

k. hehe. Like everyone else I worry about that little edit knob. It doesn't seem very rugged to me and I'd like to buy a couple to just keep in my supply section of my project studio just in case. Besides that the unit seems as rugged as my old Korg P3 module which is like a bathroom scale. I think this unit will go 10-20 years easy and survive a few drops. Not so sure about that little knob which is why I suggest to anyone who has this unit to get the software online and save some wear and tear on the unit. I think the micron comes with a year warranty. I am not worried about it

they seem good. I like there website

Yes, I would buy again even if I had my choice of virus or nord. I would also take this over a vintage analog unit because it exactly duplicates there sound, has great effects and sequencer built in. And, can cover several analog synths instead of just one. In fact, I do definitely plan to buy a second micron just in case. It's great I love it totally satisfied. I've been playing since I was five and from a musical family. You know, most analog synths were not designed to have 30 year life spans of gigs and use. I would not buy one because if the ICs go out on that you have yourself an expensive piece of junk. Micron will do everything any of the old units will do and more. I do have 2 suggestions for the Micron. I wish it had a USB out in addition to the MIDI also that it came with a CD software for the editing so I wouldn't have to download micronizer or buy microzune. Alesis should have there own edit program for the micron you can just download. No big deal though. I love this. I've owned all the classic gear and I can tell you that not only is some of the new stuff as good as the old stuff it's better. Along with Sansamp Tech 21 GT 2 pedal, epiphone valve junior (it's like a mini marshall and loves pedals) I would count Micron among my best gear purchases ever. I get all the synth sounds from classic rock and early 80s MTV classics. As well hip hop, rap, techno, dance sounds. This is just a great synth and the best VA out there. Yes, the best VA sound engine out there is just $399. I don't want to start any opinion arguements with virus, nord or soft synth owners. This is just my opinion. My suggestion to anyone considering a synth purchase is to try them all and let your own ears make your decision not a bunch of reviews. Also listen to as many analog synths as you can so you will know what they sound like it. It's really easy to just name a present "moog something or other." Doesn't mean that it sounds like it. Micron is so analog sounding I can't tell the difference between it and a real one which is why I say buy it

OS 1.1
I would say the presets are pretty much useless for electronica
It is very poorly set up for editing with the one knob. Thankfully there is a new editor out called microzune which makes editing patches very easy and nice. It also integrates the micron as a vst plugin. without the editor I would say 2 or 3 - midi knob controller + microzune 10 so a 7 to even it out.

I like the keyboard action a lot. Great size.
Again brutally hard to edit on its own.
The sequencer is a shining feature and the drum section is surprisingly great.
The Micron is all about the size!!! Very small indeed.
As far as raw synthengine features this thing is probably the most powerful little guy of all time.

I like the sound. Unique, it compliments my sizable collection nicely. Offers things that I can't get on any other synth. This actually sounds very close to analog to me. Especially the basses. Compared to my other VA's anyways.
It's no virus though that's for sure.

I know other people are complaining but I've banged mine around tons and it just seems solid. I really do trust it for some odd reason that I can't explain. I saw a display model in the store about a week after they came out with a busted slider so only a 7 here.

Asked for some NRPN info. They responded in a timely fashion but didn't go out of their way at all to personalize the experience or help me along at all. THey could have been more helpful

If you can afford it, skip this one and go for a virus.
Otherwise this is way way better than the MicroKORG but only with the editor. This thing is so annoying to edit on it's own that it is rediculous. I'm surprised I kept it so long but I had already made quite a few great patches and was holding out hope on an editor. I have to say, the editor is a big winner.
I'd definately recommend it but only to people with a MIDI computer setup who can run the editor. I'm giving this a 9 but without the editor it would probably be more like a 6 or 7. It really is retardedly set up!

I'm using the latest OS (version 1.10).
As everyone has mentioned and I won't re-iterate here, it's method of editing patches is ship-in-a-bottle. I can deal with that, I usually just take an existing patch and modify it. I would like to make more patches from scratch, but am not committed enough to all the scrolling and hey, you get what you pay for. This is one inexpensive synth.

8 voice polyphony
Keyboard action is a little mushy, velocity sensitive, no aftertouch (but the os supports it from and external midi controller), and has key-off velocity which adds another layer of expression (nice if your sequencer supports it). The pitch wheel is good, and has 2 sliders, one for cc 0, the other which emulates aftertouch. These are on the top of the board, but it is easy to get used to the positioning.

The voice structure is 3 oscillators, the option of using some preset fm algorithms on those (equivalent to 2-3 operator), ringmod, noise and external audio input. These are fed into two multimode filters, either side-by-side or some amount of serial signal flow from filter 1 to filter 2. These are then fed into the amp mixer and drive fx, and then onto the fx1 (pitch) and fx2 (delay/reverb) effects units.

There are lots of modulation possibilities, and there are 12 mod routings. Plenty for any sound I can think of. 3 envelopes, 2 lfos, s/h and a neat tracking generator round it all up to one versatile VA.

It's good and it's bad.

Basically as everyone else on here had said, it sounds great. Great filters, good oscillators, good drive fx, decent fx (except the delay, which is next to useless), great mod possibilities, etc.

And now we come to the reason why I am writing this review. There is one problem which makes this synth a bad choice for any sound that is bass-driven. For those of you who already have a micron and wish to test/dispute my reasoning, load up a bass patch and listen carefully. There is an aliasing/zipper noise on attack and release of bass notes. That isn't the only place where this occurs, just the most common one.

The sole cause of the problem is too few discrete levels of amplitude in the last stage of the signal process. This amplitude parameter is modulated by envelope 1, and, in bass notes in particular, audible stair-stepping zipper noise can be heard. Especially when using a drive effect e.g. compressor. If the amplitude level values were interpolated, this wouldn't occur.

It isn't just the last stage amp which is affected by this, it is all level params (osc1lvl, osc2lvl, ... filter 1 level, etc.). It is just the amp stage which is most noticable, and the most unavoidable- the modulation of program level by envelope 1 cannot be disabled. This seems normal, I mean, who would want to disable it unless there was a problem in the first place?

Don't get me wrong, this is a great synth in all other regards. It is just this point where I get really annoyed at my purchase, and reinforces the "try before you buy, stupid" advice.

It is fairly reliable, however it crashes at certain times when editing sequences (usually long ones, after changing the length down). Not perfect, but seems ok for performance. I would gig without a backup, but that's because I'm adventurous :)

Also the buttons on my unit are now sometimes triggered by other buttons- probably a contact problem where the faceplate is pushing other buttons down when I use the tap-tempo and so on.

Sliders and pitch wheel are great. The knobs on the top of the unit, as someone else mentioned, aren't at all useful for fine editing control, but ok for performance.

This is another issue I had.

There are two types of customer support- support from the retailer, and support from the manufacturer.

The retailer, audiosyncrazy, was great. My unit arrived with a key that didn't work unless it was depressed very hard. I emailed them about it and they were quick to respond saying they'd replace the unit, but I wasn't too happy about sending it back overseas so I thought I could get it fixed locally (hah!). After being quoted $300+ from the only qualified Alesis serviceman in the state just too look at it, I rang the local electronics repair shop, and the serviceman there said it was probably a dirty key contact, and we figured I could fix it myself. So I opened up the micron and had a poke around, voiding my warranty of course, but nonetheless curious. It turns out the key in question was not moulded properly- the hammer which hit the contact membrane was half a mil too short. I stuck some hard plastic of the right thickness to it and now it works without a hitch.

Second problem- I contacted Alesis about the sound problem I mentioned above, and after several emails back and forth, I received the reply below:

"I have forwarded the mp3 as well as the .syx file to the
engineers and heard back from them. It appears what we hear is a normal product of the joys of analog synthesis in the bass frequencies. I do not believe a software update would be able to alleviate this. I would check out the Ion/Micron forum as other users may have found ways to tweak the patches so it is not so apparent in the bass frequencies at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/alesis-ion/."

Although the customer service rep appeared to be acting in the best of intentions, it was nonetheless misleading. The cause of the problem is detailed above in the "Expressiveness/Sounds" section. And for those who aren't too sure how obvious the error is- real analog synths don't have discrete levels at any stage of the signal process, and they definitely don't use truncated, non-interpolated digital signal amplification for extra-added zing.

It is for this reason that I give Alesis a 2 for customer support. Nice one guys, next time don't try to pass off a stupid answer to a valid question.

Lost or stolen, I would consider buying a rackmount second-hand VA, probably a supernova or something similar. This is simply because I have too many keyboards :). I have a DX-7 which has great key action and I would be happy to just use that to control my other synths. However, considering that I've made quite a few patches for this synth, it's sig path is quite unique, and in most respects sounds excellent, I would buy it again if I saw it second hand. I'd then probably try to mod the case and rack mount it.

Really straightforward to use. Basically you turn the dial to select a function, press the button to edit that function. It reminds me very much of the Juno 1 although the Micron has keyboard shortcuts to all the menu function to save scrolling through all of them.

The only daunting thing is routing all the modulation matrixes but this is more of a thrill than a confusion as you never know that you might get sometimes.

Effects are a bit minimal but they are enough to add an edge. Some synths rely on effects to improve the sound. The Micron doesnt actually need them as the core synth is great already.

It has a very handy pattern generator for basslines, chords and ryhthms. It will also record control changes on that riff. you can have up to 26 if i remember rightly in setup mode. Imagine what you could do with that. Very complex sounds and patterns layerered or split not just twice but many many times. Can also have individula midi channels assigned to these parts.

This is not high on polyphony but its not meant to be. Its all about expressiveness and sound quality.

Great. Best sounding synth I have had since my Juno 1 and SH101. All other synths I have used including the very nice Korg Moss expansion or the Novation KS synths dont sound as analogue even though they are both good in their own right. This inst your digital sounding analogue synth sound you get from most virtual analogue synths.
This really does have a warmth you get from real roland analogue synths.

Dont expect to get realistic drum sounds . Its a proper synth not sample based synth

I wouldnt take this anywhere as i woudnt want to damage it

This could quite easliy be twice the price i paid for it. I looked at every kind of synth available. 5 years ago i would have got the JP8080.
I have heard the Korg MS2000 and that sounds a bit digital - similar sounding to KS and some Access virus Synths.
Its great for inspiration. You can make nice sounds like Boards Of Canada does.
Its fat and smooth

Personally i think the presets are spot on, if you want to change them though its actually very easy. even though it only has four knobs they've come up with a menu system that makes it very easy.

far more then i was expecting i really want to list them but thats what the manual does that and its 150 pages long with no chinese. it essentially has four sections, programs, setups, patterns and rhythms but within those has alot of lovely hidden suprises like the vocoder.

Sounds are incredible but are semmingly biased to modern dance music electroclash / new rave kind of thing. wonderfull if youre me. if youre looking for really tuff analog stuff though its not a roland jupiter or a nord lead, equally it wont do a stienway grand piano but for ??260 you dont get any better.

now this is where alesis are a bit crazy, make sure you get it from a reputable seller. with alesis 90% are good ones and are top notch i would gig with mine without a backup without any question the 10% unlucky. Im sure some peoples came out of the bow worked fine for 5 mins then died. buy it from a reputable seller and you wont have that whole long stream of problems. if yours has problems just send it back and get another.

no idea alesis just pass the buck to shop in the uk, so again make sure you dont get one from turnkey.

Its great, a synth of my dreams. a small little candy bar of sweet noise thats just about the most usefull gigging tool it also weighs about 4kg so is easily the most portable keyboard i have ever owned. very clever menu system and top digigtal sound quality. the only improvment could be usb and a software editor. but for the money you get so much with this.

I am using OS Version 1.10 (currently (12/2006) the most up to date OS for the Micron).

Some of the presets sound quite impressive regardless their Style. Most of the Presets have an 80ies or 90ies like Style. Quite a few Presets are more up to date.

Editing Patches in my opinion is the most problematic Part of the Micron: Because of the reduced interactive Elements (2 Sliders (m1,m2), 1 PitchWheel, 3 free assignable Pot-Knobs (X,Y,Z), 1 Menu-Knob) this Synthesizer is probably less suited for Beginners, who want to twist and turn Knobs to learn how to create Sounds or Patches. Even the more advanced User could feel a lack of inspiration because he has only a few Knobs to manipulate the Sound.
The 3 360-degrees Pot-Knobs X,Y,Z (which are free assignable with any Patch-Parameter) have a Hard- or Software limited turn-velocity based Threshold which has the following disadvantages:
1st: Because of the Knob-Threshold you cant fine adjust a Parameter, which is assigned to one of the 3 Pot-Knobs. If you turn a Knob and reach the Threshold, the Value "jumps". If you turn the Knob and dont reach the Threshold, nothing happens at all.
2nd: Because of the Knob-Threshold you cant change a Parameter continously and slowly
3rd: Because of the "features" mentioned before the already very minimal interactive Interface of the Micron is additionally limited.
Having these limitations in mind, in my opinion it is problematic to talk about "Realtime-Controllers".
Search Youtube for "Alesis Micron Realtime" and you will see what i mean.

The Micron-Wiki gives some hints how to use the 3 Pot-Knobs X,Y,Z to create Patches. In a squential and multiple-Stage process the following Parameters are assigned to each of the three Pot-Knobs:
1. oscillators
X=waveform, Y=waveshape, Z=pitch(with 2+ osc)
2. envelope
X=attack time, Y=decay time, Z=sustain time; use control knob for release
3. filter/env
X=freq, Y=resonance, Z=env amount; substitute flt env parameters
4. LFO
X=rate
5. drive
X=type, Y=level, Z=pgm level

There is a nice plattform-independent Patch-Editor available for ION/Micron at http://pwp.ibl.bm/~rgonzale/audio/midi/micronedit.html which requires Perl and tcl/tk as well as a working MIDI-Connection from your Computer to the Micron. This Editor can help in creating Patches.

The Manual is existing. One of the most powerful and crucial Features of the Micron (the Tracking-Generator) is explained on half (!) a page with a following example which does not help you to understand the Tracking-Generator at all. The Manual should be re-written.

8 polyphonic voices which can produce sounds. I find it quite interesting how different people talk about the Sound: Some say, that the Micron is the most virtual sounding VA Synth with the most "Silver-Dust" inside. Some people (f.e. at Harmony Central) say, that they love the vintage sound.

The 37-Keys Keyboard is OK.

The Micron has several built in effects. They are easy to use.

The Micron has a Modulation-Matrix which can be used to create up to 12 different Modulation Routes. Think of it as 12 additional Hands manipulating a Sound/Patch when you play a note. For each Modulation Route one out of 38 Sources can manipulate one out of 77 Destinations .(Hope i counted them all). The Modulation Sources are (for all Sources look into the Micron-Manual, available for Download at Alesis):
Amp Env, Filter Env, Pitch Env, several LFO-Types, m1/m2-Slider, ...
The Modulation-Destinations are (for all Sources look into the Micron-Manual, available for Download at Alesis): Osc123-Pitch, Osc123 Shape, Osc/Noise/Ext/...-Level, Env123-Parm,...
The competitors in this price-segment have no Mod-Matrix or a much less featured Mod-Matrix. For example the Novation X-Station or XioSynth has no Mod-Matrix, but instead a good interactive Slider/Knob-Set. So here is to choose, what you want.

As i mentioned before, there is a Tracking-Generator, which can use on e out of 38 Sources (same as the Mod-Matrix) and transforms the Level of the Source Signal through a quantized 32-Step Curve, which can be defined by the User. The Output of the Tracking-Generator is in turn a Source in the Modulation-Matrix. For example, the Tracking Generator can be used to generate a Curve which could be used as a Complex AmpEnv for Percussive Sounds (Handclaps) in the Mod-Matrix.

There is no way to add more expansion boards to th Micron. Maybe you are interested in what DSP/CPU-Power is already inside the Micron:
U13 Motorola MCF 5206E FT54
"Coldfire V2 Core" RISC-CPU:
50 MIPS @ 54 MHz, I2C-Bus-Interface
http://www.freescale.com/webapp/sps/site/prod_summary.jsp?code=MCF5206&nodeId=0162468rH3YTLC00M91277:
U20 Wavefront AL3101 DSP-1K
DSP:
Effects DSP, 50 MIPS
http://www.wavefrontsemi.com/index.php?id=11,13,0,0,1,0:
U21...U28 Wavefront AL3101 DSP-1K
DSP:
Voice 0...7 DSP, 50 MIPS each
see URL of U20:
--> 1*50 MIPS (Coldfire V2 CPU) + 9*50 MIPS (Wavefront DSPs] = 500 MIPS

MIDI: In/Out/Through

The Micron has an on-board Sequencer. It is quite flexible and hard to find in this price-segment, but cant compete with an dedicated sequencer in HW/SW.

Velocity and release velocity sensitive. No aftertouch.

The instruments are easy to use. You can create VA Drum Sounds with this Machine. Hand-Claps are poor. Bass-Drums are good as well as the Snares, Toms and Metal-Percussion.

I bought this Device to make virtual Sounds for electro/minimal based Tracks. I also wanted to emulate the powerful ARP Solus or ARP Axxe Sounds. Could be that it is more suited for 80ies or 90ies Pop- or Italo-Disco Music...

The On-Board effects seem to have only limited effect to the sounds to me.

I use the internal Sequencer for little sequences. So i cant really tell about "playing" the Micron and how it reacts.

Before OS 1.10 i had several glitches in the sound. I had one hang-up so far.

Support is there, but to me it seemed to be a first Level support to keep the customer away. The essentially Problems could not be solved:
I had a long and frustrating discussion with the Alesis-Support regarding the so-called "Realtime-Controllers". So i think i will never use the Support again as well the Alesis-Support has put a Spam-Filter on my email-Adress ;-)

If it were lost or stolen, i would probably buy another Machine with more Knobs ("real Realtime") from another Company.
For Beginners like me i see these possibilities:
1) You've tested the micron for a given time. If you are happy with the interactive Possibilities and the Machine keeps you inspired you should buy the Micron. In this price-segment there are only a few competitors reagrding DSP-Power or Sound Possibilities.
2) You spend some more money to buy a bigger Machine (f.e. Nord Modular G2) with more (interactive) Possibilities.
3) You spend the same money to buy an Novation X-Station or XioSynth which has all the important Knobs and Sliders to be constantly in touch with the Sound-Creation. But it has a much less powerfull DSP Engine and no Mod-Matrix...

The Realtime-Controller Issue is not new nor a tale created by me. You can read about it at the ION/Micron Group on Yahho.com: (http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/alesis-ion/). At least one offical Bug-Request was sent from the ION/Micron Group to Alesis regarding the Realtime-Controller Issue. Nothing happend at all.

The Micron seems to me as a mixture of a sophisticted Groove-Box with a 37 Keys Keyboard.

The presets are memories of old synths I had in years gone by. Patch editing is like editing an old Keyboard, although I mainly want only to edit the assignments of the knobs or sliders to adjust the sounds in realtime. The manual ain't bad, but the glossary in the back is all goofed up.

I didnt want a lot of polophony in this Board because I wanted a vintage synth and if it is too slick it wont do the job ( I have owed vintage synths, when they weren't VINTAGE). I'm gonna use it when I play live with an 80's band I gig with on the side; and when i have a big stage setup and need another board. I don't care about sequencers, but it seems easy enough to use. The only thing midi I might do is use a controller to play the sounds out of it with sometimes, although it's octaves shift easily enough to use it's own keys. Action is good for a synth.

This is where I really love the Micron! It's made like an old Keyboard (where the geeks didn't have so many velocity points and couldn't over-do an envelope and make it hard to play). And..those sounds are so Retro it's just takes me back to playing 80's (in the 80's). Jump Brass is great, old Bells Pianos, quick attack Strings, and Square and Sawtooth Leads! It took me back in time, and I've been playing since 1974!!

It hasn't stop responding on me like I read it can, but I only use it as a supplement to my other 2 Stage Keyboards. It looks cool up there, and the Smallness of it, and the Red Color it shows up in the lights. The pot to the Alpha Knob is a continuous turn(it clicks) and mine has a little play. The sliders are better but it's just not meant to be Manhandled. Metal Case is sturdy and the keys can handle slams. Pitch Wheel is tight and performs great. Jacks are tight too, just that alpha wheel should be made better.

Alesis sound products have been good to me, but this is my first Keyboard from them I've had so I don't know about support,but for the money who cares?

I would buy another one, because I don't want to be without it because of the Vintage aspect of it. I have been playing Keys since 1974 so if I say it's Vintage, it probably is! I didn't want the Korg version because I don't like mini keys. I read about the Micron on the Internet and went and played it at Sam Ash and left, went home and thought it over, and went back and got it. It has been fun playing with it's sounds, and I'm gonna use it in the studio some too. Cheap price tag!!!! Worth the money it costs.

Software version 1.1 but didn't have any major problems with the previous version.

The presets as usual try to please everybody so most of them end up being useless to most people. There are some good presets though and many are good starting points to make new ones.

Editing is a nightmare because everything relies on that stupid knob. On some parameters you will have to turn it fully at least 50 times to go from one extreme to another. And there are no ways around this...

The manual sucks.

Polyphony is what it is, 8 notes and that's it.
The effects are mostly Ok, but the reverb is unpleasent to my ears. The vocoder is very limited, but can produce some nice sounds. The pattern sequencer is nice too.

I find it very expressive, but then again, that depends on the programming of each preet. With the modulation matrix you can make any parameter respond to anything. The possibilities are enormous.

The sounds are virtual analogue and it's extremely good at that. It won't do anything else, nor does it pretend to. It is the best VA I ever heard by far. You also have basic FM capabilites.

Didn't have any major problems. I think it crashed 2 times in 3 months and sometimes it stops responding for a few seconds but only happened when editing sounds, never while playing.

Wouldn't know

Sure I would buy it again. I might go for the ion though. In fact, I might get it also. They would make a good combination and 16 voice polyphony sounds a lot better. I have been playing for 17 years, but keyborads for much less. I own a micro-q and a AN1X and for VA I prefer the micron hands down.

Not really a breeze cycling through the menus and everything. Thank goodness for the semi-shortcut key feature. If you hate menu editing, you'll definately have headaches with it. One control button does it all, warning: dont get this mother button spoiled, but surprisingly for a limited control, there are tons to edit. You just gotta dig and dig and dig..if u're fine with it, or go with the Ion, played once b4, its more control-friendly definitely. Not much of a difference but lackes versatility to this. But for the money, the Micron is a bargain. Cool pads and lead sounds, ive to say, not to forget the mediocre written manual..rather confusing sometimes, but something u cant live without.

An 8 voice poly for a little small machine..im not asking for more. Its as good as it seems. reverb/delay is a bonus nevertheless, very Lexicon like. Also the built in drum machine is pretty alright, not the very best of either.Its kinda troublesome tweaking to the desired tempo..as the setting is at one end or another when frequently tapping the tempo button. Twisting is required here. Makes me feel bad for the main control knob speaking of this. Keys are pretty comfy, rubbery and all. With the weight and size, its excellent as a midi controller...but should there be more buttons...nvm, im not complaining really. On board sequencer isnt the easiest to tackle, but given some time should be okay.

Like most reviewers have said, this is an analog synthesizer; you wont expect any realistic sounds from this machine. But the organ sounds seemed real enough though, give or take a few. Its particularly easy, it will seem to blend into the music you play, very versatile, flexible and sounds really fat.The 8 voice polyphony is enough here, kicks your head goody good. Mostly it would be a compliment to play with genres mostly techno (pretty much), IDM, but mostly technoish/dance music, ive to stress. Its ambient friendly too.Do take your time to edit the presents for more possibilities in tackling other kinds of music here.Could be a headache, i know. No point to get this thing for its presets, but its pretty enough however, to rely on em alone .Onboards' effects are just ok, not the very best

This synth will definitely be vital for gigging, recording, and other means of carrying around. Heck, i don't think i'll need a backup for this.

So far so good. Touchwood.

A good synth but not perfect. I might buy this again if its gone.

This thing is pretty simple to use once you learn to work the knob and use the keys as function buttons. The manual is a good help.

I wouldn't recommend the on board sequencer because it does not bring that much freedom compared to using a software sequencer connected via midi. I personally use logic. Polyphony is good. Built in effects are decent.

The reason I bought this was for the well rounded selection of sound. YES some sounds are very cheesy and digital sounding, yet some are very unique and have a nice warm analog sound. The DRUM selection is Outstanding! At first I thought the micro Korg would be a better buy, looking back that thing is a piece of crap.

This is the reason I'm writing this review. Here's the problem. Not very reliable. 2 months into owning it 1 key died. Sent it back, received it pretty quickly good as new. Now 7 months down the line 5 keys died. They did say that they will give me priority attention so lets see how it fans out.

Good Company. Dependable Service.

Its a very sleek portable unit great for use as a MIDI controller. Good sounds. However not guaranteed to work 24/7.

Some of the presets are really good, some really suck hard. Its a synth so your gonna program your own stuff anyway. As far as editing goes once you get the hang of the push the button / press a key / Turn a nob making changes to a preset is a pretty easy task, building a setup the one time I tried was a royal pain in the rear, but most of the time I will keep this thing in program mode and only use one part from this synth in my sequences. Manual isn't great but it ain't the worst one I have seen.

8 voice polyphony / 4 midi parts / Step sequencer and drum machine functions... If this is the only synth you own and your trying to do multi-track sequencing you aren't gonna be happy, but If you are adding the micron to a collection of synths, or soft synths for that matter, then this is not a bad little machine. As a sound source or as a second or third synth in a live set up, It is gonna be fine. The Keys fell good to. I went to my local guitar mart to try a because I wanted a small keyboard to set on my desk with my computer so I did not have to stretch out to the right to play when I am sequencing. I bought the Micron because besides sounding awesome, the keys felt better to me than the m-audio controllers they had.

The sound rocks. I already have a Microwave XT, a Motif 6 and a Roland JD-800. The Micron is a nice fit, the textures and basses are not as complex as the XT, but a lot more analog sounding. In the store they had a micro Korg and the Micron as there virtual analog selection. The micron was much better sounding than the korg IMHO. It sounds closer to the Idea in my head of what an analog sounds like. The drum machine mode is also a great function. I have wasted hours with this thing pulling up a rhythm set and letting the pattern go while I'll play other sounds on top of it. Couldn't think of a better way to waste time...:) Oh and by the way just as the microwave showed me how weak the wavetable synth is reason really is, the micron has showed me how the analog model in reason sucks too. Long live hardware!!

Well i don't gig so it well spend the rest of its life in my home studio. It seems as though it will hold up pretty well....the pitch wheel isn't really smooth, but it fells hefty. The whole thing has enough weight where It doesn't move while I play it and the top and bottom fell like they are made of metal, so it should live for a long time. So far no software or control issues at all.

There web site is just OK, but haven't needed to contact support support yet. Holding my opinion on these till I need to talk to them.

If I wore robbed, I would hope they would take this and leave me Waldorf XT Rack Alone!!! Actually I would most likely replace it.
Its fits my need for a small controller, and is a pretty good synth.
I guess I am moving in reverse of the rest of the world, but I am saving my change and buying hardware to recover from the attempt to move to an all software setup. For $400 bucks this was a great way to add more possibilities to my rig. I don't think $400 is that bad when I think that my new project to re-cable my entire setup is going to cost more than that.

I have not messed around with editing patches or sounds much, (besides the 2 sliders and 3 x,y,z knobs) because I do most editing of the sounds on my computer. The screen is helpful and easily explained in the manual with easy shortcut buttons as well. The manual covers everything you need to know and more.

8 Polyphony which is enough for its size. The keys are full size, (not weighted) and are velocity sensitive (touch and release). I have not fully explored the effects, but the vibrato and frequency/noise/gain effects are great. Each x,y,z knob can be assigned to a diff. effect as well. It has extra storage spaces to save sounds that you like which is nice so you dont have to replace presets. It has MIDI in, out, and thru, which is my favorite thing to use. Can make some interesting sounds thru MIDI. It has an arpeggiator that is a bit difficult to get use to. It is very flexible. This keyboard is good for using the presets, but the main fun and great sounds come in after editing the presets. Easy to use after a quick read thru the manual.

All of the sounds are AMAZING presets, with the cut of one or two brass sounds. Editing the sound sonly results in better sounding synths. Great leads, great pads, great basses, and effects as well. The drum section is ok. This keyboard works great for techno, trance, electronica, but also some electronic rock (linkin park-ish).

This is a strdy synthesizer. Some people dont like the "cheap" red plastic sides, but I think it gives it a retro look. I would use it without a backup at a gig and have!
Knobs are stable, as well as the sliders.

never had to deal with customer support :)

I would buy this in a heartbeat if it got stolen. It is woth what I paid, at an amazingly low price, GREAT BUY! It sounds warm but chunky too, looks clean, feels sturdy, not cheap.

I actually owned an Alesis ION, which some people say to be the older brother to the micron, but they are different. Although the same sound engine, the micron is nice and portable, and its overall sound is warmer.
I messed around with a microkorg, but it does not have as many presets to mess around with as the micron. If you are looking to just use presets, go with the microkorg, but if you like to play aorund with sounds, and create your own sounds with unlimited possibilities, go with the micron!
I love its full size keys, and its over all sound capabilities.
I dont think they could have made this keyboard any better for its price!
It def. helps me make music. Editing its sounds will keep me busy all day!
I have made a whole song JUST on the micron, amazing.
Its a perfect synth for entry level, but as well as XP players and music enthusiasts!
Keep in mind its an analog synthesizer! NOT A KEYBOARD!

If you are needing a synth to pl wont find a single proay around on and play single rythms, you wont come across a single problem. This thing can be an analog powerhouse, but it takes some krafty fingers and getting used to the "setup"...setup..if this thing and a song/perfomance mode, it would be perfect. the manual is clear and detailed. also the entire one button thing gets to me.

8 part polyphony is good enough in my book. i am just now trying to work with the midi, but im sure its well rounded. It's got 3 oscillators, 6 types of FM, 4 types of sync, 2 lfo, and that crazy mod matrix, which i havent touched. it is very deep in the sound department.

If you are an analog worshipper like me, youll feel right at home. there are moments it emulates ARPs and Early Korgs perfectly. the effects arent all that great, and i barely use them. its got good key velocity. alot of the preset sounds are amazing, which isnt something that is true with alot of VA synths these days.

i have heard stories of its being really unreliable, it hasnt said boo to me since i have purchased it (4 months ago). We are gigging with it regularly.

N/A

the type of music i do is electronic pop/new wave and i use it now for about 70% of my work. otherwise i have my tr-909, korg ea-1, arp axxe, alesis sr-16, and roland sh-2. this fit into my setup like a glove. if you are considering this next to the micro-korg, understand the micro-korg looks much cooler, but the keys on them suck and it has almost no features when compared to this thing. like i said, its a power house synth if you have the patience to sit down with it. for around 300-400 new(!) its really the best synth for the price.

Main knob stopped responding...everyone's worst fear happened to me.
I was just scrolling through some presets and it just stopped. I had it for 2 months.

Sent it in for the main knob to be repaired- got sent back really quick, maybe in 2 weeks. I was out of town for 2 months when it got sent back.
Opened up the box tonight, no ac adapter.
Borrowed a friend's ac adapter from his Micron...KNOB STILL BROKE.
I paid for this thing to be sent back to be fixed and they sent it back without my ac adapter and with it in the same condition. These guys basically conned me into sending them my keyboard so they could take my ac adapter.
We'll see what happens next. I'm pretty pissed.

The keyboard sounds great but the build quality on the main knob is horrendous. I guarantee that alot more Microns are going to start breaking...

For what it is, especially compared to the microkorg, its very clever and logical. Saying that however, you still need to invest a bit of time getting to grips with the single knob system. If you put the time in, youll get the rewards. If your not prepared to spend some time with it, just go for somthing with more knobs, like the ion. there are some good presets, but I (was just) starting to get a bit deeper in and getting some fantastic noises out of it (before it broke)
the manual is good.

Keyboard action is fine for the money, but you wont be playing any bethoven on it. The effects are pretty good but not amazing. The sequencer is a neat addition, its very usable. I use(d) my micron as an outboard synth instead of reason or reaktor at times, cos it encourages you to go into the submenues of the sounds and make your own stuff up, plus i prefer to use synth software as little as possible. I have to say i was growing quite fond of it and using it a lot. (untill it broke)

Sounds great. It was doing everything i wanted very well.

it worked fine for a couple of gigs. The other day i was using it at home and it froze up, and no matter what i do it wont go past saying alesis micron on the screen. Its bunched, kaput, broken, faulty. It hasnt led a difficult life so far in my 3 months of ownership. its allways wrapped in bubblewrap and bagged up before being transported, and its never been dropped or mistreated, so im pretty surprised that its given up the ghost. the single knob isnt too much of a problem if your carefull. i bought mine in germany so ive gotta go thru the whole thing of sending it back etc now.

we'll soon find out.

im gunna get it fixed, and in the mean time probly get a back up. theyr cheap so its worth doing, allthough for the price of 2 i could have a 2nd hand korg 2000ms, which dosnt sound much better - if any better at all, but is much more instantly usable. Saying that, i like the portability and size of the micron and i have grown fond of the menu system. its my 1st proper outboard synth but i did try a few different ones out before i bought, and all things considered you could do a lot worse than this little synth. I play in an electronic rockabilly powerpop outfit and its been very usefull. Hope this review helps... basicly, buy one, but dont rely on it for live unless you have a back up.

Plug it in, and your ready to go.

It offers a lot in terms of sequencing, and programming - but it takes a skilled hand to master it. However, the "favorites" are great, and if you spend enought time with it, you can create a synth completely unique to your personal taste.

I think it sounds fantastic, the bass is deep and cuts through anything. Sounds great for dance or rock bands. Most presets are OK, but there are some definite gems to choose from. The effects are decent, but I'm not crazy about the filters, aside from being confusing to choose from, I've yet to get them to cut the way that I want.

It seems fine so far (fingers crossed) I've gigged with it for about four months now, without a single glitch.

Haven't had to ask yet!

It's a great value, and a very powerful synth. It offers a wide range of sounds, so if you want to cover as many areas as possible (brass, strings, bass, pads, etc) this is the synth for you. It also offers drum sounds and programming and sequencing for them. This could be your entire band all in one.

This is an UNBELIEVABLE keyboard. Very easy to use. All of the basics are pretty much controlable using the m1 and m2 and the XYZ nobs. Filter Sweeps, noise, etc. I have been looking for a keyboard that makes pan filtering this easy for a long time. After using this sequencer for 2 days I will probably rarely use the one on my Korg X-3.

Bottom line, this thing is absolutely SICK!! I traded my Roland Juno 106 for this and I am never looking back!

Don't underestimate how great it is to have something this portable. I can picture myself easily traveling with the unit- carryon lug. only of course. It is great to be able to sit on the comfort of my couch and be able to churn out some useful stuff.

I am quickly finding that poliphony limitation is an issue. At this price and quality though, buy two if this is an issue. Again- SEQUENCER is AWSOME!

Sounds are awsome. Preset programs and patterns will satisfy a wide variety of music interests. Only downside is drums. Drums seem to be only designed for people doing Hip Hop or House, Trance, Techno. I play in a rock band (Duran Duran, Depeche Mode kind of sound), and I could have used some kits more useful for this & preset patterns to jam to also. Velocity is good...no aftertouch

Seems reliable so far. Quality of key play is so-so. Too much side to side movement of keys when played. Only a minor annoyance though.

Manual seems well written, never used Cust. Serv.

Best $340 I have spent in a long time. Maybe I will buy another down the road? I think it is insane that these are now selling for $400 new. Ion is nice also, but I bought this for the better sequencer and portability. In the studio I can sit right beside our guitar player with this think in my lap and play. Very cool!!!

some presets sound OK
takes a bit to figure out

keyboard is far better than the Korg
very cool looping/sequencing action for a low priced instrument
very powerful for its compact size - that's why we have 2. a lot easier than carrying around a rhodes and B3

presets are pretty crappy... but the isnt. is versitle and flexable

the main nob is TOTAL CRAP... my band has 2, and both nobs have broken off... we eaven put them in flight cases to protect, but the design is too shoddy... the thing is... that nob controls just about everything in the instrument
we played a show recently with another band, and the nob was missing on that one as well

?

very powerful for the size and cost... but they cheaped out on a couple of key features

With the new OS (1.10) the long scroll times have vanished, and I haven't managed to crash it yet.
The presets are nice, but who cares about presets?
Patch editing takes longer than it would if everything was on the front, but there are a couple of PC micron patch editors out there, and I don't think that the extra cash for an ion which does less is worth it just to get more knobs on the front.
Editing itself is a breeze if you're willing to spend a few days getting used to the shortcuts.
The sequencer is really well thought out, it gives very instant results.

The manual is aimed at people who don't know much about synths/menu systems/synthesis in general, which means that it's easier to learn by just playing with the unit unless you're new to the game.

8 part polyphony seems to be about enough, even running the sequencer (drum part, bass, lead, keys, pads), it's not hard to keep within the limit. It has full MIDI implementation, the only thing missing is aftertouch, which would have been nice. Considering the price of the unit it's not surprising tho.

The effects on this are pretty good, nothing amazing, but they do the job nicely when you're playing live and don't have dedicated FX units.

As said, the sequencer is fantastic, as long as you remember that this is a synth, and not a workstation. It's possible to throw together drum kits, ensembles, what have you, very quickly and easily. It's a little basic, but as I say, this is a synth.

This is an analog synth, which means that it's not going to do 'real' instrument sounds. It doesn't sample.
What it does have is 3 oscillators, 6 types of FM, 4 types of sync, a whole lot of filters modelled after classical ones, a nice big mod matrix (which for me makes the unit), 2 LFOs.....

In short, if you know how to program a synth, this is going to do everything you want it to and more. I don't think it's any exaggeration to say that I'm pretty sure you could fake something like Autechre's Tri Repetae or LP5 with only this machine. It is great for any sort of synth sound you want.

It also lets you put any external input through its filters/mod matrix, which is an immensely powerful and useful property. There is a vocoder onboard, which I am just starting to use the full potential of.

Alesis cheaped out on the main knob. It's wobbly. I'm not worried about breaking it, but I do take care when using this guy. Everything else is solid.

What does this mean? Well, the micron is going to fall apart (everything else is solid), but if you can't take care of your gear, you will quite possibly come to grief.

I would gig with it without a backup, as I say, the OS seems pretty robust, and when you're playing it, you don't use the main knob that much.

As yet, I don't know, but I have my doubts about getting a lot of help with the cheapest product a large company sells...

This is a fantastic synth, and I get something new out of it each time I use it.
I would absolutely get another one if mine was lost/stolen. I've owned an MC307 and the microKorg and they don't compare. I sold my uKorg shortly after getting the micron, as it was getting dusty from lack of use.
I use the Micron in tandem with an ESX and an Evolver (or I will when the Evolver gets here...), and it is amazingly flexible in that setup. If I need a synth, it's a synth, if I need a midi controller, it's a midi controller, if I need a sequencer or drum machine, it's does that. The ability to modify external signals is fantastic, hook it up with midi to a basic sampler, and you have an expensive sampler.

There is a great deal to love about this machine. It's maybe not that surprising that Alesis managed to make such a powerful VA for so little, after all, chips have gotten a lot cheaper since the days of the Nord Lead.
There are 2 things people won't like about it. Firstly, the main knob. Perhaps it's possible to mod it up, get something sturdier put in.
Secondly, if you don't like menus, you're going to not like this guy. However, as I have said, for me, it's not worth the extra money to get the Ion.

I bought my Micron last week, early December and have really only spent a few hours with it.In that time, I have delved into individual programs and put together a few setups of my own, which sound amaziing.
I am a guitarist, and bought a synth to add substance to my home recordings/songwriting. As my only keyboard, I took a chance that it would offer enough variety in terms of sounds, in spit of it not having a decent piano ( I have since modified the sitar setting to produce something usable, if not perfect.The 3 octave keyboard is just about ok, even for me,a non-pianist.
I don't understand all of the criticisms above, perhaps they are being a bit picky?I actually find the editing process fairly painless - all the parameters can be adjusted, listened to and tweaked, though the scrolling through with the control knob can take time with so many presets ( not complaining!)
I would be interested to know more about the downloads and how to get them into the Micron.
Overall I am fairly pleased, and hope that with a little more time I can get to understand its architecture more thoroughly, particularly with regard to the use of the oscilators and filters.

I would like to know how to store the sounds I have created. Can they be lost at all if something crashes?
I give the Micron an 8 as the features are easy to use.

The virtual piano is not realistic - mine is better!!
For my taste there are too many industrial/dance style in-your-face sounds,though I am working on this!
The sounds are truly phat however.
I find the keys ok, it reacts well to velocity and release.

Way too soon to say.
On one of my own setups, the upper keys seemed to aquire some grunge which I had not put on there. Switching the unit of and on cured it - is this a fault?

I was considering a second hand Korg M1; however, I have limited space in my study so the compactness of the Micron appealed.
Plusses are the sound quality and ease of use ( if laborious at times in practice and construction.
Minuses the lack of a decent piano preset, the bias towards Dance music.
Overall though I am pleased so far, especially considering the price.

I just got the Micron & was very skeptical due to it's size. I was shocked to find out that under the hood of the Micron is one Powerhouse of a machine. I believe I have version 1.01 & am about to upgrade to 1.02. If you just like the presets and you only tweek a little you'll have no problems but if your a tweeker or a professional who likes to create and manipulate new sounds then the ease of use may be just a bit hectic but now that Im on my 3rd day using it it's much easier.

Sound Engine
_Eight voices of industry-leading analog-modeled sound (8 voice polyphony)
_Three oscillators per voice, with continuously variable wave shapes, sync and FM
_Two multimode filters per voice, with 20 classic and unique filter types
_Three envelopes, two LFOs, and sample and hold per voice
_Twelve-route modulation matrix, with 114 sources and 78 destinations
_One insert drive effect per voice
_Two master effects processors, with reverb and delay
_Full-featured 40-band vocoder

Sequencing
_Programmable pattern sequencer and arpeggiator
_Programmable drum rhythm sequencer
_Realtime or step recording, with controller motion
_Live realtime phrase capture -- one-button record and loop

Setups
_32-part multitimbral -- up to 32 programs per setup
_Up to 26 simultaneous patterns or drum rhythms per setup
_Quick splitting and layering

Presets
_Over 500 preset programs, with space for 400 more
_Over 200 preset pattern sequences and 250 preset drum rhythms, with space for hundreds more
_Fully compatible with Ion programs.

The sounds are really good. Some are cheezy but great for tweeking and some are super amazing Powerhouse Sounds. My style is Ambient and General Electronica and it's totally amazing for my style. I have a Korg MS2000 and it's much better than the MS2000 shockingly.

It seems very solid and very dependable.

Never had to deal with em so I can't really say?

Not so easy. So many parameters under the control of essentially a single knob means you'll be spending lots of time navigating instead of programming. Presets do a great job of showing off the synthesis engine, but limiting yourself to presets would be like buying a farrari for trips down the street to the grocery store.

8-voice polyphony is OK, not fantastic. Keyboard action feels flimsy--it's easy to make the keys wobble too much from side to side, and they're too plasticy and insubstantial. Effects are pretty good, actually, as are the sequencer and arpeggiator. Evil wall wart, but I guess that's no surprise in a keyboard this small. The tiny size is a great feature, but the non-traditional pitch/mod setup is a high price to pay for it. Unlike the keyboard, the knobs and sliders feel nice.

My wish list for the micron: a better-feeling keyboard (like that on the Novation X-station), more knobs and traditional wheel placement (I'd put up with a small size increase for this), battery power and a USB port so I could use this as a MIDI controller. Basically, I'd like this sound engine grafted into an X-Station. The X-Station sounds pretty good, but can't hold a candle to this sound engine. I need a MIDI controller, and I've only got room for one tiny keyboard on my desk. Alternatively, a rack-mounted version would be good, too.

F*ck yeah. Wow. This thing sounds incredible. Everything that annoys me a little and that I love dearly about analog synths is here in all its fat, smooth, bulbous, tweezy glory. This little box is a total monster. Let me choose between a real analog polysynth and this, and I'd choose this. It would work for any type of music that called for a synthesizer.

Ask me in 10 years. Alesis has a decent reputation, I think.

I've never dealt with them.

I played it in the store for almost three hours, but I didn't buy it. I need a tiny keyboard that can double as a MIDI controller, and I only have room for one. I also don't have a free space for a larger synth, so the Ion is out. I would LOVE to own this synth engine, though, so if Alesis makes a Micron-Photon hybrid, or if they release it as a rack-mount synth, I'll pay full retail.

Probably the least attractive feature of this synth is it's ease of use. That said it's a relative thing. You have this very impressive synth available to you and can only use a knob with some combination keystrokes. My version was purchased in November 2005 and as such, whatever problems there might have been have been resolved. That includes programming.

A patch editor should be made for this synth. It probably won't to promote the purchase of the slightly more expensive ION which does the same things as the Micron.

Even with the improvements to the OS the worst aspect of the Micron is it's programability. It's not horrible, and if you bought the Micron without considering challenges to editing then you didn't try it first or you decided you'd live with a ton-of-presets type synth.

The manual is not as clear as it could be but is still useful to learn with.

Because you know what you are getting going into it I give this catagory a "8".

The Micron is 8 note polyphonic with 4 channels of polyphony. One nice feature is creating large scale, groove patches, melodies, arpeggiations, drum beats and the ability to make a patch using all these elements.

The action is quite good for this 37 note keyboard. The size of the synth it minimal yet feels like a good controller, which I wouldn't recommend it for. It is well suited for making dynamic sounds with. With a pitch wheel and two sliders set up for modulation purposes (assignable by the user) along with the x/y/z controllers there's enough to work with as a performance synth.

The synthesis system is quite complete. 3 oscillators, FM, many oscillator waveforms along with two resonant filters, again with many types of waveforms, a modest but capable modulation matrx and substantial LFO capabilities.

The Micron has step sequencing along with arpeggiation. The sequencing can be played or step entered and as said, they can be combined in performances and/or midi.

Though not aftertouch enabled it's easy to assign such data to one of the controllers. The key situation is how well you grasp the classic synth system with some very nice additions not found on sub $1000 synths.

As nearly everyone mentions, it's a synth, not a sample playback device. Hopefully you can read, and if you can't figure it out by the time you play this unit....sorry, I'm not all that sympathetic.

If you put the time in you can make peace with the synth engine. You have to learn and get used to using menus. In you don't like this, seriously consider spending $200 more and getting the ION which is much more knob and button enabled along with an additional octave of keys on the keyboard.

For $399 there is no hardware even close to the Micron. Even the Korg MS2000 engine isn't as powerful, and with its ability to sequence, the Micron can do a lot of things you'd expect from the MS2000. And as for the microKorg; it's a toy that isn't a fully programmable synth as the Micron is.

With PWM, FM, arp and/or step sequencing capabilities I can't imagine how anyone couldn't get great sound out of the Micron. I base this on studio and live use of vastly more expensive synths that do not sound better, perhaps different, but not "better".

All things are relative and while you may hate the sounds of the Micron, I'd hope you'd figure that it's a programmable synth and that any single person will find the presets to be so horrible as to be terrible or junk. They aren't, and if they are, you have a powerful synth engine that could easily change sound quality with a few changes. To those who don't like the presets, I'm willing to bet you don't program much, or if you do, it's in a very specific type of music which years from now you will come to realize is the problem, not the synth in front of you.

The effects are good, nothing spectacular, but I'm very happy to have it that way. Turn off the effects on the Micron and you have good quality sound. Do this with a Novation synth - and I like Novations - but fact is the synths really benefit from the effects engine.

If I sound like I'm a bit of a fanatic, I'm not. I like things for what they are and often like synths that are very specific and far from the general analog sounds found in Micron. In fact, I like synths that combine 6 Operator FM and samples with analog-style filters. I like soft synths, especially for their value and inspired design.

So when I say buy this $399 synth that doesn't have lots of obvious features there's a reason for it.

I don't think the Novation K/A/V-Station stacks up. I think the Nova did, but that was a $1200 minimum synth. Even in the world of virtual synths the Micron stacks up well. It sounds as good as lots of synths close to it's price range. It has a good system of limited controls and reasonably easy to learn synthesis.

If you can't get a good sound check out what you consider a "good" synth. I suspect it's going to be a groove box. Ironically, the drums, which are great for electronic and some kinds of modern pop/rock, are complex and capable of doing useful things all the way down to making more patch space for percussive sounds. They are of good quality although possibly not to some people's cup of tea.

I'm amazed at the lack of creativity users can have. Just because it says "drums" doesn't mean they have to be the presets! If I'd wanted the larger ION and it's easier to use GUI I'd have bought it. I wanted the Micron because it was small and got the job done using good quality parts.

I've had reliability problems with Alesis problems before. I liked the sound and concept of the Micron to take a chance. I note prior problems as they seemed endemic of the company before they were bought by Numark.

I have no history with this edition of Alesis although they still seem to be a bit of a problem for some. It's too soon to tell but I want to be honest in case a history of reliability issues on another product matter.

See above.

One thing I can say is that support initially stunk but when the right people were found they'd get things taken care of.

I don't know if the same personnel are around, but that could be positive as well. Some of the support staff were horrible in the late '90s. Things may well have changed for the better, but I can't honestly comment.

Fantastic value, good, solid synth engine and reasonable programming execution on the Micron...much better with the $200 more ION.

It is the best product of it's type at it's price point, and I suspect gigging artists will like being able to slip one or two of them around various musicians.

With it's ability to build complex patterns it can be triggered by people who aren't keyboardists. Although no longer gigging, it's what I'd do. This is an easy to use synth with the ability to do complex, high quality sound.

Don't get caught up on the Micron being your one stop synth solution. It might do the trick for you. In a pinch it would be acceptable as mine and as mentioned earlier, I'm picky.

Don't take my or any other person's thoughts as a replacement for trying the synth. You may be into a style of music that isn't represented in the presets and might seem less useful to you. I don't see things that way. I see synths as things to learn and make my own but that may not be what you want.

There are many presets, but they've been made to write over.

If $399 is your budget this is a great buy. If you can stretch it to $599 and want a more responsive engine I'd suggest the ION. If you wanted a small synth, I'd still suggest the Micron as it's synth engine isn't that hard to learn using it's menu based system.

You'll have to spend a lot more to get anything remotely better. And do keep in mind, this is a $399 fully functional, well built synth. That makes it worth investigation for serious users along with new users.

I'm not sure what software version mine has, although I purchased it in August of 2005, if that helps.

The presets sound okay, I'm sure that with some time and effort, any use could make sounds that are better than the presets.

Editing patches is the reason I'm trading this in and paying the extra for an ion. It sounds great, but I just can't deal with the one knob.

The manual is very helpful.

Polyphony - 8. Absolutely fine for anything I'll be doing.

It has built in effects, but no reverb and the delay is a joke. The distortion isn't bad, and the compressor isn't either, I had trouble with the phaser. The effects are easy to route through, but i had trouble setting them the way I liked, again this was all due to the one knob, had I not had to use that one knob to scroll through all the screen, back and forth, I probably could have acheieved some nice sounding effects.

The keyboard can recieve software updates, but as far as hardware upgrades, I don't really know.

Midi implementation is good, but I don't use midi, so I'm not the best person to be talking about it.

The sequencer is alright, it's okay for very simple things, but there are probably hundreds of sequencers that are better than the micron's.

The sounds on this are absolutely incredible. You won't get terrific sounding piano models, since this wasn't made for that, but for synths, with a little time and effort, anyone can have this thing sounding great.

The Micron is probably best for dance / electronica, and maybe for ambient. It could be used for rock, but definitely not for blues.

Again, the effects can sound great, it was just too much effort with the one knob.

The keyboard definitely reacts to the player, it will do anything you want it to.

The velocity sensitivity is good, and there's no aftertouch.

In the 2 months I've had it, it's frozen twice. Turning it off and turning it back on fixed the problem, but had I been working on a sound, it would have been lost.

I would gig without a backup, but I'd make sure that almost everything was set up pre-gig.

I have no experience with alesis.

If it were lost or stolen, I'd get an ion, well, actually I'm trading this in and getting an ion when i get my next paycheck.

I've been playing for a few years.

I own:

- Nord Lead 2
- Novation X station 49.
- Korg Electribe ESX-1
- Korg Kaoss pad kp-2

and a variety of guitar effects that i run all of my synths through.

I love the sounds on this synth, it definitely has a place with the nord and the novation. I hate how anti-intuitive this synth is, if you plan on just using the presets, then buy the micron. If you want to edit the sounds and fully appreciate this synth, get the ion.

I compared it to the microKORG and i chose this for sound quality alone.

The sound helps me to create music, but the oone knob, again, gets in the way.

OS 1.1 which was released just recently, has improved the ease of use considerably now that the phrase record mode is hands free, and the main data entry knob responds much better than it did before. Some people say it's difficult to use, but I found that once you're used to its system of shortcuts using keys on the keyboard it becomes quite easy to navigate through the vast array of parameters. Also you can easily assign the 3 black knobs to basically any parameters you want while editing, and then just tweak those parameters through the knobs instead of finding the particular menu again. It also has a great 'drag and drop' method for locating and assigning patches, phrases, and beats. Also has categories for your patches, including a 'Faves' category.

8 voices polyphony is usually enough to get a really nice pad or sweep out of this thing, and easily enough when you just want a rhythm, bass, and lead playing together, and the voices themselves are spectacular if you program them to be so. Effects are of good quality, but a bit limited in selection and there is only 1 effects bus, coupled with only one stereo output it can limit multitimbral work. Keyboard responds to velocity and release velocity which is interesting. Onboard sequencer is designed for looped phrases and drum sequences, which has vastly improved in the new OS update. The phrases can be converted into arpeggiators which is cool, and they can be played out through midi. The drum sequencer is quite powerful, especially since the OS update!

Instruments are not realistic, more your synth kind of stuff. With its 3 continuously waveshaped oscillators, sync modes, FM modes, ring mod, noise, dual resonant filters per voice (each selectable from twenty different and quite crisp modes of operation), modifiable send amount from filter 1 to filter 2, drive section per voice, loopable envelopes with exponential and linear segments, tempo syncable LFO's, smooth portamento or rough glissando, and various other treats topped by the mod-matrix to connect it all together, it is capable of being very expressive indeed. With programming and tweaking around for what you want, I would venture that it is superb for electronica of any variety.

I have never gigged before, but I imagine that I could not rely 100% on it for such a purpose. I'm more of a home sequencer kind of guy, at least for now, and it actually starts to freeze up after a while of playing certain patches I've made (maybe I'm pushing that mod-matrix just a little too hard :-). Watch out for the main controller knob whatever you do, it's a bit rickety. The assignable knobs have poor response, but apparently there is a new revision which improves this, and with a solid data-entry knob too.

Support was very, very bad but then in the end, was acceptable. Many micron enthusiasts were waiting for around a year for some serious bugs to be fixed in the OS, with no meaningful response from alesis. But in the end, there was an OS update, and it seems to have fixed almost everything that was badly broken with it. There are still a couple of things which some people are probably disappointed weren't fixed, and that will most likely never be fixed. It is a much better machine after the OS update anyway, it just took them an absolute ice-age to get around to it.

If stolen, I would definitely buy it again, partly because I already have many sounds backed up as sysex dumps and I do not want to have to recreate them on another synth, and partly because I don't think I actually could recreate some of these sounds on another synth, and partly because it just kicks butt. It's a fantastic musical notepad, and I annoy my friends every week with it when they come around, playing it on my lap. Then I can use the sounds I create sequenced through midi, and use it as my midi controller at the same time! My greatest wish-list items for it are: double the polyphony, quadruple the effects processing, and aftertouch. I would pay handsomely for a device like that. At the price though, it's an absolute steal!

I got a micron v1.2 keyboard on the 27 of july.
I make my presets by song name.
editing is pretty easy tho it takes a while, software would be helpful but not really needed, the manual is very clear and thorough.

Not the best action in the world but it's good!
yer great built in effects. no expansion capabilities as i am aware.
Though you can save your patches/songs etc to pc by midi cable!

great on-board sequencer!

instruments not at all realistic... it's not ment to be!
good for experimental music!
velocity is configeable

it gets abit warm, but i use it all the time!

it's a hard unit to get in brisbane, australia!
never needed support

Over all it's a great keyboard that works very hard!

First of all the about 70% of the presets suck. Mostly dumb ass sounds. I cant stand them. Very easy to use and simple enought to edit if you worked with synths before.

Its 8 polyphony just like the days of old. The effects can get you by, but they could have been better. Now here is where the good stuff begins. The phrase catcher as I call it is just so damm good, edit a bass or a keyboard pad and create your own sounds. Great feature bar none. Sequencer. arpeggiator, and layering is where this little box begins to shine.

If you bought this and use the presets only then I pity you. Dig in edit, edit, edit, and edit some more untill you hear the real sounds and possabilities that the Micron is capeable of giving. Beneith those circut boards is a vast dark world that needs to be released.I bought it because I needed a good sounding bass synth. I use cubase SE and the bass patches that I have edited gave me the great sounds that I was looking for.

It seems well built.

I heard they had there problems.

Built small but with alot of heart. Has tons of features but only if you use them. The trick here is to edit and I do mean edit. If you cant see yourself doing that then this synth is not for you. The guys who gave this synth low scores are the guys who what instint gradafication and thats not what the Micron is about. Take the time and you will find.

the micron is confusing at first. especially if you have no experience with synthesis.
the presets can seem corny but all you gotta do is mess with it. just like any synthesizer.
all the tweeking and stuff is done thruough the lcd screen. which may scare some people, but after messing with it, it becomes clearer.

its got drum sounds and accompaniment (sp?)
they kinda suck but sound ok when you mess with them.
you can make your own patterns and add them to what you're playing.
for a small keyboard it offers a lot

i like it for what im using it for
80's/dance.
depends on the style you're going for i guess.
probably wouldnt be any good for hip hop.

very durable. very well made. compared to a microkorg, its like 10x better.

dont know.

overall its a great keyboard. i only gave it a nine because of the limitedness of it through out genres of music.
its great for dance, all the vintage synths is models sound great.
arp, korg classics, and etc.
the drums kinda suck, but you can get a decent sound out of them if you mess with em.
definitely better than a microkorg.
way better.

OS 1.02
The preset's are very cheesy, and typicle of all the current VA synths, exceptions being some of the SFX sounds.
This machine is time comsuming and laborious to edit, no software editor currently available.
The manual is well written and pretty clear on the whole, but let down by blank pages and a misleading index that doesnt match up with the pages, this really is inexscusable.

The Micron is 8 note poly. The keyboaord is OK, very spongy, not the worst I have played but it's getting there.
It has two built in effects processors, one for mod effects and another for reverb/delay, both are adequate, but not great.
No expansion capabilities.
The sequencer and arpeggiators are quite good, and useful, the real-time phrase capture is very good and easy to use, just press the phrase button and start recording. I don't know if I will ever use this, but its fun to play around with.

This is not an imitative synth, if you are into making your own sounds then the Micron won't dissapoint you. I can't comment on what type of music this would be suitable for, any application where you may want some original sounds I guess.
The onboard effects are OK, but I find myself disabling them most of the time in favour of my own outboard. It really doesn't need a lot of effects, its one of the few VA's that can stand up without them.
It reacts very well to keyboard velocity and is very expressive, the GO! EP preset shows it off well in this respect.

My first Micron was faulty and had to be exchanged, a sub-standard keyboard, software problems, and the case was scratched when it arrived. What worries me most is that program knob, it has to do a lot of work, and how relaible is it going to be ?
This one seems OK now, though time will tell.

Havn't had to deal with them.

I would definatly get another if it was stolen. I think it was well worth the asking price, it's a lot of synth for the money.
Iv'e been laying for a long time and I own a few other synthesisers by the likes of Yamaha Novation and E-MU. The Micron has enough individuallity to make it a worthwhile additon to my studio.
You may think I have been a bit negative about the Micron, but it does a lot of things very well, and the things it doesn't I won't be using anyway. It's very good for producing abstract original sounds with a lot of movement, things that I can't get on my other synth's. The formant filters are wonderful, so are the continuously variable oscilator waveshapes, and the looping envelopes (gorgeous!!) The filter types do actually sound like what they are supposed to (Moog Arp Roland etc) unlike some other VA's whose filters can be quite samey.
I won't be using the sequencer or patterns and rhythms, the synth engine is the reason why I bought the Micron, plus, it's size, this is what makes this a really powerfull machine for me, I can now go to a gig with my handbag instead of my car ! or on holiday, or anywhere !

version 1.02. very gradual learning curve. owned it just 2 days and i've mastered using and editing setups, patterns and rhythms (leaving programs for last considering all the parameters available).

like most synth manuals this one leaves something to be desired. the index items are off by 7 pages. but, thankfully this machine is rather easy to use. that's incredible considering there are so few knobs/slides/buttons on the top panel. very deceiving!

i wish it had more polyphony and i don't entirely like the way the effects are setup, that needs a little more flexibility. but, at this price and with all the other features i won't complain.

the sounds are awesome!!! this wasn't designed to capture acoustic instrument sounds, just analog synth.

of course i would gig w/o backup, i'm not wealthy.

i would buy another If it were lost or stolen.

i like the way it saves everything alphabetically rather than banks for this and banks for that, but i wish it had a shift button to speed up scrolling (turning the knob abruptly sort of does the same thing).

i'm amazed at this little box. the sounds are great and it's so easy to use. most of the gear/software i've owned gets in the way of writing, this will not. and it didn't cost me an arm and a leg.

Generally very easy to use. Uses all the lingo that one would expect so I pretty much was able to edit and create my own sounds without the manual. Had to read the manual to learn to use the sequencer, but still pretty easy.

It has polyphony, and one thing that the alesis site did not make clear is that you can layer sounds. In other words, you can make one synth sound and combine it with (i'm not sure how many I have done up to 4) other synth sounds so they all play with one key. You can mix and pan them too so the possibilities for analogue synth sounds are limitless. IF YOU ARE NEW TO SYNTH TERMINOLOGY ETC. DON'T GET THIS SYNTH IF YOU WANT TO MAKE REALISTIC SOUNDS. I saw some comments in forums that made me think some people got thrown off by the term "modeling" synth. Well what this is modeling is an analogue synth not real sounds, (experienced people will be saying duhhh right now) But for me the sounds are great i don;t need a synth to make realistic sounds cause i can play a dozen instruments.

the presets are kinda typical but span inductrial, pop, classic analogue synth sounds so there are probably some to make anyone happy. The amp modeling is particularly good on this unit. The effects are good quality. Remind me of the Waves Gold bundle sound.

seems solid. don;t know,

don't know

I'd buy it again.
Been play one instrument or the other for 15 years. I have no idea how much gear I own. I guess about 10 cubic feet.
It makes huge sounds for a tiny little baby sized synth.

Preset sound are no joke.
Editing patches are not hard but gives you step by step clear info.
Manual very helpful.

The built in effects are very very easy to use.

The heavy drums sound and the sfx etc. are once again GREAT.
It works well for dance, hip hop, nrg, techno, trance, ambeint, house, gothic, trip hop.
Onboard effects are excellent no question.
Reacts 100% to my palying.
Velocity and aftertouch are way out there (on time)

It'a a depedable equipment yes indeed.
I will use straight on with no backup.

Never dealt with the company. This is my first equipment from alesis.

NOOO way stolen I dont think so, it's worth every penny. I've been playing keyboards for 15 years but nothing like the Micron it's has a funky approach towards sounds which is way out there. I had a Casio WK3500 which was diffcult to lay music down dont get me wrong it's casio top brand but the functions were to much to handle. The alesis has a classic 80's sound but one hell of a kick to all its patterns and setup's Plus the programs are of the chanin. I can tell you this the micron can really make some music by itself with some mix down it hold its own on a cd.

I've got version 1.02. Its very easy to use, but there is a short learning curve. You'll have trouble auditioning it in a noisy music store like Guitar Center, especially if others before you have modified the presets. Once you get it home, you'll learn it very quickly.

Speaking of the presets, they're ok--certainly good enough to show off the sequencing and other real time features of the instrument. You'll definitely want to tweak them. Still auditioning the presets and patterns is straightforward and fun.

Editing is fairly straight forward and Alesis has done an excellent job of navigating the various parameters. Using the (music) keyboard to enter in patch names is a brilliant idea. I also like the calibration in units like hertz for the filters instead of plain numbers. One thing they could have done better was to provide shortcuts for editing values. Changing a parameter from, say, -100% to 100% takes a lot of spins of the data knob.

The manual is poorly written--I teach programming and my students can write better documentation (that's a double insult: both students and programmers tend to write poorly). The information it does contain is useful, but it is incomplete.

Polyphony maxes out at 8 voices though you can assign multiple voices to a note for a thicker sound. Each voice has three oscillators, a ring modulator, and noise. Each oscillator's waveform can either be sine, triangle/saw, or pulse. The selected waveform can be further waveshaped; for example, you can continuously deform a triangle wave into a sawtooth. The oscillators can also be sync'd or fm modulated by each other in various configurations.

The ring modulator is a wired to the output of oscillators one and two. The noise generator can generate pink or white noise. It would have been nice to put the noise through the ring modulator, but the feature list is already incredible for a $400.00 synth so this is not a big deal.

Rounding out the signal sources is external audio coming from two 1/4" jacks on the back panel. This source can be fed through the filters and/or the effects section.

These sources are then routed through two filters which can be configured in any mixture of bypass, parallel, or series. The two filters each can be separately set to one of nine modes including an 8 pole low pass and a 6 pole band pass filter. Realtime control is available for the filters' cutoff, resonance and modulation by various sources. The freq of filter 2 can be sync'd via an offset (calibrated in fractions of an octave!). The output of the filters is continously mixable with each other and the bypassed signal.

The output section has a rudimentary amp modeller with a choice of compression/limiting/tube amp/distortion. This feeds into two independent effect units each of which can provide a single effect. The first provides "pitch" type effects including chorus, flange, phaser, and a 40 band vocodor. The second provides "time" type effects including delay and reverb. The reverb sounds like the typical Alesis reverb (which is pretty good).

The modulation system is extensive. There are 2 LFOs, 3 envelope generators (1 for the amp, 1 for filters, 1 for general purpose modulation), a sample and hold unit, and a 12 route modulation matrix. Nearly every parameter can be modulated. One notable exception is the center frequency of the vocodor filter bands. Modulation sources include many all of the real time controls, external midi controls, and many of the internal signal sources including a global and per voice random source.

Many of the previous reviews expressed disappointment at the number of real time controls saying "you could always hook up an external midi controller...". Well the modulation matrix is where you'd program external control. Since you are likely to program 2 or 3 of the routes (at least) for your patch, your external midi control is will to be limited to 9 or 10 parameters.

Next up is the pattern sequencer. It is not a full sequencer as you only get up to 4 bars. But it is very useful and easy to program. Besides 4 bars is plenty for what you're likely to use it for. You can sequence drum rhythms, melodic patterns, and arpeggios. You can even add phrases played in real time. The bars are 4/4, but you can do some odd meter stuff by playing with its quantization (into steps divisible by 3,5, or 7) and its ability to program 1/4 or 1/2 bar. Furthermore you can program a different pattern in each part (up to 8 parts).

Finally, there's the keyboard. It feels better than the cheap M-Audio type synth controllers, but it is not as good as, say the Roland Juno-D, or a QS keyboard. There are two modulation sliders, a pitch wheel, and three continously variable knobs. External control inputs include midi, an expression pedal, and a sustain pedal (pedals not included).

This synth does an excellent job of modeling a classic analog subtractive synth. Its FM is good enough for making weird noises and percussive instruments, but it's not as flexible as the FM found in Yamaha's DX synths. The Micron is not as phatt as a Mini-Moog, but it sounds at least as good as the classic Korg and Roland synths. It should work well with classic and progressive rock, jazz fusion, classic (Stockhausen, W. Carlos, Tangerine Dream) and contemporary (hip-hop, techno, ambient) electronica. If you play jazz or rock, it would just supplement your rig as it can't do the piano/organ sounds as well as a typical sample playback device or classic keys emulator. Want a (relatively) cheap rig for rock keyboards? Buy a Nord Electro for piano/organ and a Micron. With an amp and stand the list price is under $2000.00 and you've covered all the bases.

The effects are good except for the vocoder. It claims to be 40 band, but it sounds kind of grungy. This knocks its rating down a point.

Don't know yet as I've only had it for a week. Many of the previous reviews expressed concerned with the data knob. If it broke, the synth would be useless, but it seems reliable to me. Recall that earthquake proof buildings are also wobbly: they bend rather than break. Hopefully Alesis considered that in their design.

Regarding backups: who can afford backups? Even if I bring multiple keyboards to a gig, they aren't backups: each fulfills a certain function. I would have no problem bringing just the Micron to a gig.

Alesis seems friendly enough--but my experience is limited to meeting a rep from the original company. I've never had trouble with Alesis equipment so I've never needed their support.

I'd probably buy another Micron if it went missing. It is definitely worth the money. In fact, I'd refuse to trade it in for its big brother, the Ion, even as a straight swap. Reason: the Ion doesn't have the cool pattern sequencer and can only do four parts instead of 8 (though it has 8 voice polyphony).

Its scary to consider how long I've been playing, around 40 years. I currently own a Kawai studio upright piano, an unamed accordian and cymbalon, a Alesis QS7, a Roland VK7, a Roland amp, a Motion Sound rotating speaker, and too much audio and music software to mention, though probably less than some readers(hey, at least mine's legal!).

Before I start I just want you guys to know that originally I'm a guitarist occasionaly playing synths, not a keyboard player. So my approach to every synth unit I use is defined through sound for the biggest part.
Editing patches is not that easy on the MICRON, you'd find yourself scrolling through parameter menus. If can't get used to that, save some more money and buy the ION. Same sound engine but much more knobs and wheels to tweak. As far as using presets is concerned the MICRON is really easy to use, there is a main data entry knob giving you access to virtually everything in the heart of this machine.
The MICRON comes along with a fat user's manual (the whole story, not very useful for unexperienced people) and a quick start guide which gives an idea about the very basic functions and lets you explore the synth yourself.....which I prefer to do!
The presets are good in general though I tend to think there are too many fx on most of them. Good for all those techno people, but not always useful in a band context. But that's a question of taste, I guess.

8-voice polyphony (which is definitely enough for this small buddy) on a three octave keyboard with full size keys. Keyboard action is surprisingly good, I've tested a lot of really expensive Korgs or Yamahas which don't get near to that action. But again this might be a question of individual preference.
Built in fx are good, nothing spectactular but if you like to freak out get external fx and be happy....
Expansions? No, don't think so and also not needed.....buy another MICRON if you need expansion, hahahaha. Basic MIDI features, but hey, it's a small VA-synth not a masterkeyboard. If you need something for your computer, you might be better off with sthg like the PHOTON or similar.
It has small but useful sequencer (even the ION doesn't), so you may create like basic drum tracks etc.
What might be annoying for the 'real' keyboard player is the horizontal position of the bending wheel left of center above the keyboard, which is very unusual. Of course this is a reminessence to the small dims of the MICRON but with a little practice everybody can get used to this, especially all those Roland-Fanatics who are used to the horizontal bending usage.

WWWWOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!! This thing really rocks, but don't anything like realistic sounds on this machine. It is an analog modelling synth, and despite the digital technology behind it, it sounds truly analog. Way back in the late 80's my best friend owned a Roland Alpha-Juno2 and the MICRON is reproducing the warmth and specific character of these types of sound. It is amazing, Oberheims, PPG's, Jupiters....it's all there, including loads of lead sounds which may sound familiar to many people. And of course all that contemporary stuff, you'd find in techno, trance and house (if you go for it). Don't be fooled by the small size of the MICRON, it doesn't sound small at all....it's huge!!!
It fits my strange playing style very well, responsive to velocity, no aftertouch (which I don't need). I think, whichever musical direction you're into, you'll find something in this small buddy to induce creativity.

Dunno, have it only for a short period of time now. It seems very sturdy, chassis is metal (aluminum, I guess), only the cheek parts on each side are made of plastic colored red, looks great and reliabale. I don't think I need a backup.
I'm not too sure about the multifunctional knob on the top right side of the unit, which is turned and pressed all the time because you need it for many things......maybe only time will tell.

No idea, hope I never need it.

I love this thing. If someone tries to steal it......that guy will be in deep trouble. I'm making music for more than 20 years now, mainly prog and rock. As I said, I'm doing keyboards only in a supporting role. I also own a Kawai KC-10 Spectra, 6-Voice PCM Synth from the early 90's which can do those realistic sounds which are needed sometimes. They build a good team because they are soooo different. Sounds weird? Not for me. I have a wide range of sound options in two very small boxes....perfect for me, end of story.

Version 1.02
I've had this keyboard for less than a month, so I've probably spent about twenty hours using it thus far. I purchased it new. Out of the box the preset programs sound (in my most humble opinion) very "ambient" and lend themselves to the "electro" sound. The Drum pads and sfx imparticular... very trippy and quirky. I honestly think that most of the prewritten program sounds are verrrrrrrrrry cheesy, and in a lot of ways, musically useless. ei. monophonic, poor attack, no definite pitch to speak of. Just slowly-unfolding noise.
Yes, I am aware that this is an analog modeling synth, not an ASR-10 or a Triton. So I understand that the sound capabilities are going to be open-ended, virtually infinite, and may not necessarily lend themselves to musicality. I do feel though, that with enough tweaking that this synth can be taken to whole new level. I've actually found some really bad-ass parameter edits for a couple of the voices. The power is there... but I think that the guys who wrote the factory presets were wearing horn-rimmed glasses and pocket protectors when they did it.

As far as the user interface is concerned... Gotta love that little green screen. Takes me back to my first Nintendo Gameboy... but hey, at least it's backlit. Oh, and then there's that overworked control knob that let's you tediously navigate through hundreds of menu options and setup parameters. I think that one of the selling points of the Larger Ion Synth is the hands-on controls and larger screen. But this makes sense for twice the price. One other person on this forum said this about the Micron: "It's great to play, but it's hell to edit." (Paraphrasing)
I'm still learning how to get in there and tweak everything, but my efforts thus far have proved to be rewarding. My ultimate goal is to rewrite the entire tone-bank and have my own personalized, compact monster synth. Gee, I might as well name the thing.

As far as the manual goes: It reads more like a big tutorial than a reference guide. What I mean is the sections tend to bleed from one into the next. The flow is very logical, but there are cases where you will want to flip directly to a specific function, and the writer bears the assumption that you just did whatever was explained in the previous section. It's all very sequential. If you have time, I would reccomend starting at the begining and going through the manual from front to back. I'm kind of a trial and error guy so I learn better when I do as much as I can on my own and then ask the teacher when I get stuck on something. The manual for my MPC 2000 is written more to my taste; very choppy, clearly-defined reference sections.

Oh, and there's no vocoder section in the manual, but a tutorial can be downloaded at the Alesis website. http://www.alesis.com/products/micron/index.html

It has eight voice polyphony which is fine. It probably won't even be an issue unless you're doing a lot of layered sequencing. For playing riffs it is very ideal... there's only so much you can do with ten fingers on three octaves. The keys are big and springy, so it's a great keyboard to leen on while you smoke and talk to your roommate/girlfriend/golden retriever.

I'm pretty sure you can upload new versions of the software when they
come out, but I haven't gotten to that point yet. I'm still learning latest one.

I have let to explore it's Midi control features, but I would asume that it works as well as any other keyboard.

The onbord sequeuncer is very useful and relatively powerful. Conceptually it's a verry simple pattern sequencer, but again the user interface and tiny screen make precise programming tedious and confusing.

Hey, for what it's capable of and how compact it is, it's worth the trouble.

Nothing in the user presets sounds like a "real" insturment per se' (except perhaps the drums, but those are still very techy) , but it's a synth. And it's a good synth.

Again, it lends itself to an amdient/electro sound. Probably good for New Age, techno, Jungle, New wave, psychedelic, or Indie electro-rock (The Faint, Trans Am etc.)
Probably NOT as compatible with hip-hop (popular hip-hop), RnB, Jazz, Clasical or anything with a real organic feel. Get a Triton or a Motif Module if you want strings and keys.

The Micron is very expressive. The velocity sensitivity has several different modes.

i don't like a lot the presets. But with work, this board has a lot of potential. Just be patient.

No complaints yet.
We'll see how it holds up.

I'm using it at a gig with no back-up next month.

Never met the people at Alesis. Hope I never have to.

This keyboard likes to sound weird. If you want a compact, weird sounding noise box with a lot of possibilities then this might be a good investment for you. If you want a slick, user-friendly keyboard that you can plug in and start churching out conventional, musically accessable beats that all the kids will want to dance to, then your money would probably be better spent elsewhere.

This is a REAL synth. nothing else. The presets are a little nerdy, but it holds a dark side that I hope to unlock.

Presets are the standard fare offered by most manufacturers, most are no different than what I've heard on other VA synths, though there are some which are quite interesting. Patch editing is a complete pain in the ass with the endless array of menus, but with time and patience you can get some rewarding results. The manual is o.k., I tend to use it as a reference for anything I may have a question about, though it was helpful in first trying to figure out how to edit the patches. One complaint I do have is that after going through the manual several times I could not find any mention of how to turn off the memory protection, just had to start messing around with the various editable parameters and figure it out on my own.

8 voice polyphony, full-sized keys, which is definitely a plus over the Microkorg (which I also own). Haven't really messed around much with the effects, from what I heard didn't sound all too impressive, and at any rate I have tons of outboard effects I can use with it. Not too concerned with the MIDI functions, won't be using it as a controller or as a sound module.

Again, a virtual analog synth, so it is not designed to reproduce authentic-sounding instruments, but great for any electronic based music. With enough tweaking I'm able to get some truly unique and bizzare sounds out of the Micron, stuff that's very glitchy and expressive with the right parameters assigned to the slider controls... sounds which put a big smile on my face. This makes up for the fact that editing itself can be a long, drawn-out process, and the Micron is quickly earning its keep among my other gear.

The construction is fairly solid, all metal housing except for the plastic caps on the ends of the unit. The sliders, mod wheel, and the three control knobs all feel quite sturdy, as do the keys. My main concern is the editing dial/switch combo, which is very wobbly and feels like it might break or fail with extensive use. I've had it a month and so far no problems to report.

Have not had to deal with Alesis and hope I never have the need.

If lost or stolen I'd have to seriously consider having it replaced, but I'd probably be hard-pressed to recreate some of the sounds I've made without a detailed set of notes for all the parameter settings. Great for the variety of sound-shaping potential, just a pain getting to that point scrolling through all the edit menus. A couple more real-time control knobs would have been nice, though it is a plus to be able to assign any editable parameter to any of the three contol knobs which are available. Initially purchased to replace the Microkorg, but realized it is a completely different sounding synth, so both remain in the arsenal.

I am shocked... how did they do it?! It does sound analog!
I had a number of analog keyboards in the past and still do - Juno 106, Alpha Juno 2, Jomox 09 and the Micron simply does not sound digital or artificial next to them.
Software synths are cool (MinimoogV, CS80, etc) but not fully there yet... they tend to sound somewhat flat in comparison.
The Micron has this awesome presense, body to the sound that the VST Instruments lack.
Nord? I am keeping my Nord simply because it is Nord. It does not sound analog - it sounds Nord:)