Alesis NanoSynth

The Nanosynth is a 1/2 space rack mountable unit that has one of the lowest prices around. This unit's sounds reflect its price. The synth's basic operation is very easy. Just dial up the patch you are looking for. The sounds are often harsh, and thin. I also own a Nanocompressor, and a Nanoverb. Running the dry signal thru external effects seems to make the synth sound better. Buyers of this synth should have a computer to use with it because over half of the features of the synth are only accessable via computer. The manual describes the synth, but does not go into details, and does not cover computer applications.

There is 64 voice polyphony. Each patch has a built in effect. There is a dial on the face of the unit for setting the level of effect. There are no hardware expansion capabilities, but you can edit user patches via computer. The unit has full midi capabilities but I noticed significant differences between the Nanosynth and a QS6. For example, the modulation effect is different on the same patch of the Nanosynth/QS6.

The sounds are average in realism, and will work well for pop music. I didn't like the onboard effects on some patches (Piano). They sounded too wet with too much reverb, and chorusing. Had no problems with midi implementation

This unit is very small, and makes a great backup of other equipment.
No problems with it to date.

Average Support.

I now own a Nanosynth, a Korg N1R, and a Roland JV-1010. I control these modules with a Fatar SL-880.
Rankings:
Ease of Use: Sounds: Features Prices Paid (new)
1. Nanosynth (NS) 1. JV 1. N1R 1. NS $249.00
2. JV-1010 (JV) 2. NS 2. JV 2. N1r $399.00
3. N1R 3. N1R 3. NS 3. JV $419.00
I bought this unit as a backup to my other equipment and actually will use some patches from it over ones from my other equipment.
I would probably buy this again because it costs so little and is so little.

Incredibly easy to use, rather self-explanitory.

200+patches if controlling manually. if controlling digitally from another unit (keyboard, puter) has 500+ patches. flexibility is limited only by the controlling unit.

guitars sound great, keyboard sounds are relatively good, bowed strings and brass sound decent in ensemble patches but crummy alone.

I LOVE THIS THING!!!!!!

The Nanosynth manual has a few tantalizing tidbits of useful information, but could be much more complete. The Unisyn manual is only on the CD, so you have to print yourself a copy (250 pages) if you really need to use it.
I can't get a handle on using Unisyn with the Nanosynth. (That's the patch librarian/editor software the unit ships with.) I'm not asking for much; I just want to be able to get the damn reverb under control because the defaults are way way too wet on the drums. Some might say it takes a PhD to figure this out; well I have one and I can't. And the synth seems to have a mind of its own sometimes. I get the 'dryer' sounds I want and then poof! they're gone again. How the "drum mode" works under Unisyn is anything but clear. How much of the GM bank is 'hard wired' and how much (i.e. the effects) can be edited? etc. Maybe if I could take two weeks off and just spend them reading the manual? I'm fairly patient and I've found this to be Byzantine.

The effects knob controls only one effects program at a time. I'm not too sure what that means. It does not tame the reverb-heavy default snare sounds in the GM bank; I gather this is because the reverb is part of the sample?
The direct-from-serial jack is a great feature, allowing you to bypass your MIDI interface. However, I have found that this is limited to playback and recording --it does not work for patch editing using Unisyn(c).
Its tiny size is one of the very nicest things about the Nanosynth. That's a big big plus for me.

I got it primarily for the drum sounds, and they're okay but you could probably do better. Some of the cymbals sound better on my pre-Columbian Yamaha RX7 box. The Latin percussions all have too much reverb. Yeah, I know: that's user-programmable. Well, it depends on the user I guess.
Pianos sound pretty good to me, ditto organs. The Farfisa patch sounds terrific (once I finally located it) and there's a dynamite harpsichord in one of the banks, much richer than the GM one. I rarely use anything but the basic drums, bass, pianos, and organs for my music. And for recording, I'll play a real bass.

Well as I said, my Nanosynth can be very quirky. I usually don't understand why a file I've played many times before comes out different one day, why I have to re-set the program numbers for instance, or why that huge 80's-style reverbed snare is back once again, after I'd thought I'd killed it for good.

I got a very short answer to my question "In order to use drum sets other than the GM one, do I need to feed my drums to a track other than ten?". The answer was, basically, "yes".
The first one I got had a non-functioning serial jack. They replaced it no problem.

I'm a guitar player/songwriter who'd rather have a band, but this'll have to do for now. After buying the Nanosynth, I got a no-frills Fatar controller ($130) so that I could write midi files. It works fine. My sequencing software (Mac) is MasterTracks Pro and I'm very satisfied with it.
I really wish they'd made the pre-programmed stuff, drums especially, DRY and let the user add reverb or other effects, instead of programming the reverb in and leaving us, manual in hand, trying to figure out how to sqelch it. I have at least a dozen questions I'd like to ask the experts, but I'm not even sure whether some of them are basically Nanosynth questions or Unisyn questions.

This is an addendum to my previous rave review, the key thing here is price performance ratio, yes there are plenty of modules that can steam roll it into its grave.....but nothing and I mean nothing in this price rang can touch it is a great product for the price!

yes i would buy it again and again and again( hey they are just to cheap to pass up, I have paid more just for a CD rom for my EMU sampler) If you have a soundcard studio and what great sound but want to keep it simple..NANOSYNTH!

Fairly easy to use right out of the box, if you want to access the other sounds than you need acomputer, so far it has been relatively simple and depending on your computer sequencer and your ability it is very simple and very cool, waayyy better than stumbling through 32,000 sub menus, owners manuel is great. Short and sweet. I could see some one new to computer sequencing struggling a bit at first, but overall its pretty user friendly. The best prod. for me is one that I dno't need to read the owners manual tomake music, Alesis has done this over and over again..I appreaciate that.

Polyphony is 64 voice on single programs, but more intense programs can us 2,3,4 voices at a time.Built in effects are excellent, and although its not expandable it can down load other patch banks, it has stereo inputs and outs!! on rca plugs which is ok because it goes into a stereo mini on my card as it was really designed to do, so the rca's are a welcome rather than 1/4 plugs, and the stereo inputs, well lets just say i love it when prod come with stereo inputs, saves me bucks on a mixer.

The sounds are fantastic, especially for a module in this price range, the guy who wrote the ssoo flat scenario before this review needs new speakers or something, mine sounds great, and I also have e top of the line EMU sampler and CD roms to compare it to. I love this little guy, it almost fits in my pocket to boot.

Never had a dud from alesis yet sssoooo

Pathetic...good luck getting to actually talk to somone there, but, the products are so easy to use you really won't need support unless something breaks, and out of five Alesis prod. I have owned, none have ever needed repair.

Presets are sooo flat! My goodness, the sounds had no presence, I felt like Alesis had sampled a cheap wavetable soundcard! The piano was the first preset and once I heard how it sounded I knew it was all downhill from there. My Yamaha PSR-85 can kick the NanoSynth's butt! How dissapointing!

64 note polyphony, which I guess is good, but what's the point if the sounds aren't lush? It seems that Alesis has failed to tell everybody (including their web page designer) about the inputs & outputs. Everywhere I read it says that there are only two 1/4" L/R stereo jacks. But when I got it, it had RCA in's and out's.

Like I said before, don't expect too much. Problem was I read all the hyped reviews without actually taking it for a test drive first. Adding EQ won't help any, just makes it kind of muddy. Sounds are very weak and should be scrapped.

N/A

Only talked with them once on the phone, couldn't reach them again.

Really dissapointing since I highly regard Alesis and fail to see why they would put out such a weak product.

8 (with a Mac or PC) The main panel interface is straightforward but lacking of important features. The manual is cool, however the don't provide tutorial of the synth engine. (hint: download QS-6 manual at the Alesis WWW site. Editing is well handled by the included Unisyn software.

Very versatile! The module come with a Cd-ROM (PC & Mac) with Cubasis, Unisyn and also 3 extra bank of 128 patches. The module look like a cheap GM board but beware! It has a very interresting modulation grid. Portamento, monophonic mode, velocity are very well implemented. A very capable synth for that price!

pianos are good. Hammonds are killer due to the nice Leslie effect. All synths are convincing; the waveforms are truly above average. It's a great synth for modern music (read techno-pop, trip-hop, hardcore,... ) but would please also prog-rocker. Drums set are great. Overall I think the patches are a little better than those on the QS-6 (more useful loops, less overprocessed sound).

Seem to be fine. It's so small!

E-mail to Alesis were promply responded.

So little $$$ for such value! Altough it does not have an arpegiator and a resonant filter, it's a good buy if you need realistic keys sounds but doesn't to spend too much for a XP-50 (for exemple). The overall feel of the Alesis synth is less "middle of the road" than those from Korg or Roland, more modern... With the money saved I will buy a AN1x or CS1x... For that price, and with all the software included, what can you say?