Yamaha AN1x

Don't judge this synth on its presets - they're average at best (although some of the demo's betray it's analog quality). Editing patches is a doddle with the free pc-editor (check the Yamaha site), which does EVERYTHING - you never need touch the synth, except for your licks 8)

I only glanced at the manual (which came in about 700 languages...), but it looks like a total mess... Anyone familiar with analog synths shouldn't have too much problems, as the panel is clearly laid out, and the software really makes it all very straightforward.

Polyphony is 10. Keyboard action is always very personal, but I prefer this action over the Kurzweil K2000 and Korg Wavestation, both of which are (were) far more expensive machines.

It has three build in effects simultaneously: an insert effect including overdrive, amp sim, phaser, aural exciter, chorus (really fat) etc. etc, a delay section and a reverb section. There also an EQ which is great for getting sounds just right. Again, with the editor, they're simple to use.

Expansion, don't think so. It's MIDI-capabilities are as complete as any synth I've ever owned; everything is transmitted and received over MIDI. The keyboard is pressure sensitive, and it works brilliantly.

Each patch of the AN-1x consists of two different sounds (scenes), with variations on split- and layer-modes, a step-sequencer and an arpeggiator. The sequencer and arpeggiator-settings are part of the patch, which is great. You can 'morph' between the scenes, which is brilliant.

The building blocks (all "virtual analog" of course):

* 2 VCO's with saw, a saw with added harmonics, square and pulse (with PWM), sync, fm, a noise source, a ring modulator (shame you can't feed the noise into it as well...)

* a multimode filter with 12, 18 and 24 dB lo-pass, 12dB hi-pass, band pass and notch (if my memory serves me correctly) options

* 2 ADSR's, and a free EQ which in essence is a controller-sequencer

* 2 LFO's

* an extensive modulation-matrix

Again, a patch consists of 2 sounds, so if 5 notes poly is sufficient for you, you get 4 VCO, 2 VCF's etc.

One thing of note is that the filter can be fed with the output of the VCA, so you can use feedback!! Fukked up sounds come very easily to it!

The one thing it does extremely well is analog sounds: for me, the strings and pads are its top-sounds. There's a sound (from the net) called Illusions or something which is like a live Steve Roach track, if you know that: a soft solo-sound accompanied by slow moving string-chords (triggered by the arpeggiator, without it being very apparant).

The strings and pads really are some of the smoothest I've heard, which can probably be contributed to the chorus, but also the 12dB lo-pad (it does have 24 dB as well). The only synth I've owned with substantially better strings is the Elka Synthex (I sold this for about $600 about seven years ago - where's my Prozac...)

Many of the bass-sounds I've downloaded are of the Moog-variety, without ever really getting THAT fat (I've owned a Moog the Rogue, which had a balsy distortion on the filter). But they're still up there with many (low to mid-class) true analogs. Also, the Korg and ARP-basses are no problem.

Brass is good. I've got two amazing distorted guitar patches. Effects are wide-ranging. Electric piano's are very nice (thanks to the fm and ring-mod). Old Tangerine Dream is a no-brainer for this thing. Many sounds are geared to the trancy side of the dance-market. But considering the ring modulator, filter and feedback, getting it to produce hard-edged techno/tekno-sounds is VERY easy.

Comparing it with my Nord Modular, the AN-1x sounds warmer, like a real analog. The modular has more presence though, and I do think the filters on the Modular are fatter (I think the problem with the Modular is in the VCO-waveforms and the envelopes: it has a tendency to sound metallic on fading notes, whatever you do). I think all this probably goes for the Nord Lead's as well.

It has 8 real-time knobs (assignable), an AMAZING ribbon-controller (X and pressure), great velocity and aftertouch sense, and two standard wheels. This board is made to be played! The display is large enough if you use the pc-editor.

I've heard that the box is the same as that of the CS-1x, which means it's not to be treated roughly, 'cos it could even break! So if you're going to work live with it, buy a very sturdy case for it.

This is actually my first piece of Yamaha gear, so can't comment on them.

Get it quick, or buy it for $300 before anyone finds out its PHAT!

The software avaliable for patch editing (AN1x Edit) makes this instrument extremely easy to use, however, the UI and the OS on the actual synth is pretty obtuse--especially for step sequence editing, and free-eg tweaking. The US presets are not that impressive, however once again, with the AN1x Edit software, you have a lot more control over the sounds, and are easily able to load sound sets from the web into the synth (non SYSx format as well)

I mainly give this a 7 because it's only one channel...definitely one of the main weakness (although you can split the keyboard into two different patches, but it's not the same..). I think the 10 note polyphony's enough. I love the ribbon controller. 3 multi-effects and an EQ for each voice is also great. No resonance filter though.

What can I say...simply amazing sound...very rich, warm vintage sounds, to really nice modern dance sounds...and with an arpeggio (with about 30 presets, and a step sequencer with up to 16 steps)

I've never lost data, granted I don't move it around that much--and I have never had it even slightly flake out (I've never even sent a "midi panic" to this synth!! ;-) "

If it were lost or stolen, I would definitely be heart broken, because I think they're hard to find now. I would definitly recommend this physical modeler to someone getting started with subtractive synthesis, and who want a great analog modeler--but only if you also have a MIDI set up, and can get a hold of the AN1x Edit software (by Gary Gregson, I believe)-- as far as I'm concerned, this synth could go head to head with some of the more expensive ones (Waldorf, JP8000/8080, Nord, etc)...ah, but only having one channel is a real disadvantage--however, if you can find one, and are interested in getting into the analog scene, DO NOT pass this up...

Because it doesn't have a knob for every single parameter, the an1x is initially more difficult to use than other virtual analog synths. This is quickly overcome, and you'll quickly be navigating through the single depth menus very quickly and effortlessly.

bi-timbral, 10 note polyphony, good variety of built-in synth effects, full midi spec - this is one of the most feature-packed synths around. If you're thinking about playing live you'll love the built-in step sequencer that will give you incredible analog-style sequencing abilities. Techno and house musicians take note: this is the best virtual analog synth for you.

The an1x's strength is grittiness; overdriving the patches with feedback gives fantastic organ and keyboard sounds. It may not sound as clean as a Virus or a Nord, but it sounds warmer and fuzzier (like an analog synth would). Beatiful noises can be found everywhere.

I would use this synth at a gig without a backup, but I'd let it warm up first. There are some well-known problems having to do with cold temperatures, so if your studio is cold you may want to think about a different synth.

no opinion - never had to use it.

considering the sounds, the great keyboard, the excellent midi spec, the features and also the price, this is the best synth value on the market today, hands down.

The keyboard is a tough little bitch to learn at first, especially since mine only came with a french manual. After obtaining an english one, I read it and promptly spit on it.... Ugh! How can anyone write such garbage. Maybe two or three pages are worth something. I spent a bit of time on news groups, and got a lot of help. Now, I'll give it a 7 in this category, because after being thrown up against a wall, the learning curve improves sharply. Within days, you can make some phat sounds pretty easily.

10 note polyphony is decent considering its only a truly 1 part multitimbral synth. AND THAT SUX. Right off the bat you need something esle to do other fills, pads, leads, basses, etc. ALL of the effects sound really good. Bunch of different lowpasses, bandpass, highpass (there's also a dedicated highpass). There's actually way to may effects top list, but they are all there.. And the arpeggiator is really good to use... very useful. Also, a 16 step sequence editor (to use in place of the arp)

analogy all the way... SOUNDS HUGE

Filter sweeps are a bit steppy tho. Evidence of digital. It works best for techno and trance, but I'm sure you can work it into anything. Onboard effects as stated previously are awesome. It reacts to both velocity AND aftertouch.. which is nice on a piece this cheap.

I can depend it much more that I know how to use it and all of its features. I would not gig with this without another synth capable of at least 6 more parts and a drum machine. That should suffice.

n/s

go buy it.. Its so cheap and you get a sound rivaling a several thousand dollar waldorf synth. It makes a great controller too. Enjoy!

The eight knobs on the left hand side of the display are clearly labeled and color-coded to match them to an array of group selectors. In a short period of time, I was able to navigate this really quickly. Plus, they can be mapped to any MIDI controller which adds a whole new layer of flexibility (and can be done very easily, too).
I'm still giving it a "6", for three reasons:
1) The display is a joke. Some of the currently active options are displayed in a very small print, and you almost always have to think for a few seconds before you translate what you see on screen. The effect configuration is not diplayed at all, and you have to dig dip in the menus -- through the same terrible screen!
2) The selector buttons in the controll matrix area should have been replaced with knobs -- scrolling through heaps of data with these squeeshy rubberized buttons is a pain. Also, try to change the delay from 10 ms to 500 ms... In 0.1 ms increments.
3) Manual is the worst I've ever seen. Shame on Yamaha for not hiring a professional tech writer. I can't overemphasize how bad the manual is.

I like the keyboard action very much. Aftertouch works nicely.
Effects I find in the range from palatable to very good. And what I really like are the filters. They are probably not the best but IMHO you can get quote a mileage out of them, and the onset of resonance is powerful and controllable at the same time.

You only buy this unit if you want very unrealistic sounds. Because of aftertouch, effests, filters and a configurable array of controls (including an X-Z touch sensitive ribbon) I think it's excellent as far as epressiveness goes. It's one of the keyboards that make you want to play.

The body is plastic so I have to handle it with extreme care. There have been reports of cracks appearing in the same spot on CS1x (same shell) because of the design flaw. I never gigged so I can't tell anything about it. But it seems reliable in other respects.

N/A

I think it's an overall good controller, and for the price I paid you are not likely to get a better one, so I would buy it again even if it were just for controller purposes. Since it also happens to be a powerful synth with a lot of expressiveness, all the better -- it's the centerpiece of my rig.
It complements my other 3 synths, being the most analogue. The only piece of equipment I own with filters that can really sing.
I wish it had more multitimbrality.

Well what can I say, it's an analog (Virtual analog) monster!! ...This has got to be one of the best (and now one of the cheapest) virtual analogs on the market. I remember the first day I used it, it was side by side with a JP8000, and but of course I ran for the JP at first...who could resist all those knobs, then the department manager showed me the AN1X, and I was taken by storm. He basically played a few sounds he programmed in himself, then some presets. Buyer be warned..the PRESETS ARE HORRIBLE!!!!!....if i hadn't heard some self-made samples I would've ran for the hills before buyin' it...The manual for this synth is horrible, information is jumbled up all over the place, but if you go through it a coupla' times you should be able to get the hang of things. Now comes the part of why I didn't give ease of use a 10. Programmin' the AN1X can get tiresome at times. Unlike the plethora of knobs that accompany the JP8000 (or other VA's), the AN1X yields only 8, so much of the programming is done via menu's and lcd, but don't be discouraged, once you get the hang of it you'll be programmin' new sounds in the matter of minutes. There is a patch editor for W95 on the Yamaha UK website, and it does make a difference, it basically lays out everything in front of you.

The AN1X only has 10 notes polyphony, and is bi-timbral, but this shouldn't be too limiting if you have other gear. It has 8 knobs which are assignable to almost anything thats editable, and a ribbon controller (X and Z axis'), and the typical mod and pitch wheels. It does have built in effects, a delay effect, reverb, and a variation effect (variation effect can either be one of two chorus', a flange, phaser, distortion,overdrive,rotary speaker, autopan, pitchshift,aural exciter,amp simulator), and not only do they sound good they are also very easy to use. The AN1X also has a built in step sequencer (WOOHOO!!). Up to 16 notes and 128 different patterns, you can even store a sequener for each voice. It's extremely easy to use, and has many features, so it is very versatile. It also has a 30 pattern arpeggiator, some of which are awesome , and a few that are so so. They aren't programmable tho', but you can edit note length and other features of the arpeggio. Hmm, what else can i say...each voice has 2 scenes, which can be different from each other, and can morph between each other as well =) ... A coupla' my only gripes with this unit is the small lcd and the fact there's not a disk drive to hold your own sounds (you can always save via MIDI tho')...

If your lookin' for realistic instruments, choirs, voices, etc, run away, run away as fast you can. If your lookin' for awesome synth sounds, basses, leads, strings, and pads, run, but this time to the nearest music store and buy the AN1X!!!! The AN1X is one of the fattest VA's out there, and one of the warmest, unlike the JP8000 which i personally found a bit gritty. This synth can do good for any type of music (electronic or not), it can easily do techno, dance, industrial, and if you need strings for a rock band, this thing rocks for almost any type of music. The effects add greatly to the sounds, aren't bad at all. The unit has a few different layer options, dual which lets you play the 2 scenes of a voice at once, single which plays one scene with up to 10 notes polyphony, split which splits up the scenes with 5 notes per scene, and unison (MY FAVORITE!!!) which plays a scene with up to 2 notes if poly is set or all 10 if set on mono!!!...this can take any sound, and FATTEN it beyond belief...

i've never mishandled it, i wouldn't dare to...i wouldn't recommend dropping it or something, it's basically made of plastic, so be carefull!!!

neve dealt with them, hope i never have to =)

If it were lost, I'd find a second hand in a heartbeat and buy it again (as long i as i got it for at most the same price, they've been discontinued..=\ ). Don't let the 10 note polyphony / bi=timbral features scare you away. This was my 3rd synth, and since i've gotten it my other 2 haven't been touched !!!...i use it alone. Sequence 2 tracks, and record them via multitrack or any other method, repeat and u've got layer after layer of analog heaven...before buyin' it i heavily compared it to a JP8000, and found the JP to be somewhat gritty in sound, not as warm as the an1x, and also not as fat. But I still liked the JP, the tie breaker was the price i payed for the an1x, $499 compared to the $1100 for a JP8000 =) ...I do wish it had a disk drive to store sounds on disk, a somewhat bigger LCD, and finally more polyphony / multitimbrality (doesn't everyone =) )...

The AN1x is very easy to use with it's 8 realtime control knobs. The only thing I thinks is a minor is that if you send a sequencr reset msg, it takes long for te AN1x to reset

Well, it has 8 voice polyphony and it has a nice keyboard. The unison mode is a very good option because it makes the sound very BIG! The overall sound is extremely good: after a few month's of use I could recreate almost every analog classic synth with it. The onboard fx (reverb, delay and an insert effect) are nice, especially the tempo delay. It is also bitimbral and every knob sends midi cntrol messages:)

As I said before, the sound is realy great especially for house etc, but also for nice analog strings or electric piano's!

It's very reliable, because it's digital. I never discovered any bug or error. The only thing was that the LCD get scratched very soon....

Never dealt with!

It was my best buy ever (I haven't that much gear, but really: The AN1x is realy value for money!)!

Looks can be deceicing: at the first glance the AN1x looks like either a beefed-up CS1x or a poor man's alternative to the JP-8000 (or a Nord Lead). The poor presets confirm your initial impression. When I first demo-ed the AN1x, I thought it had no chance against other (v)analogue synths. Later, I noticed that many big time keyboard players were proudly using the AN1x, so I thought that the An1x couldn't be that bad. I read the .pdf manual, went to a store and started to program. I soon realized that the AN1x had lots of potential to make brilliant sounds & bought one. It is unjustice to provide such terrible presets. Don't let the presets fool you.
The AN1x is fairly easy to use although it doesn't have 50+ knobs & sliders like other (v)analogue synths. What's more, there's a free editor, which makes programming almost effortless. The manual is "CRAP". It is the worst manual I've ever read. The AN1x manual makes my Roland manuals look like a piece of art. Enough said.

The AN1x has 10 voice polyphony, 4 effects, a step sequencer, an arpeggiator & a 4 track free EG. It is two part multi-timbral. Basically, the AN1x has all the features that are necessary to make killer analogue sounds plus much more. Among the AN1x's manu features, four things are worth mentioning here. First, Osc 1 actually consists of two oscillators. So, if you want to create classic osc sync sounds, you don't have to use both Osc 1 & 2. You can have master & slave oscillator within Osc 1 & Osc 2 is still available. Second, there's "Edge" parameter that lets you shape the basic waveforms (sawtooth & pulse). For example, if you eliminate all the edges of a square wave, you get a sine wave. Basically, you can make infinite number of variations of sawtooth & pulse wave. If that's not enough, you can even apply PWM to a sawtooth wave. What's more, you can mix waveforms from two oscillators. So, you have lots of starting waveforms. Third, the free EGs let you store all the real time parameter changes within a patch. I find the free EG to be extremely powerful tool to create ever-chaning pads. Fourth, the AN1x features 12 programmable real time controllers on board. I've created some "Control-only" patches so that I can tweak my rack synths to my heart's content in real time from the AN1x.
The only thing I don't like (actually hate) about the AN1x is its terrible LCD. Yamaha's MU series modules have a wonderful LCD, so why not the AN1x? My $20 Casio calculator has a better LCD!

I personally think that if you need definitive "ANALOGUE" sounds, forget about all the virtual analogue synths. You can buy a real analogue synth + a killer effect processor for less than what you would pay for a (v)analogue synth. If I needed real anlogue sounds, I would have bought either an OB-8 or a Prophet-5. Nontheless, the sounds of yesteryears coming from the AN1x are truly impressive. Again, I'm not talking about the lame presets. There are some remarkable patches available in the Net. So, if you are not patient enough to program, you can try those free patches & experience the AN1x at its best. Especially, the strings & pads will make you weep. The AN1x isn't good at making "in your face" sounds like the Nord Lead or "turbo-charged analogue sounds" like the JP-8000. Instead, it has some elegant characteristics in its sounds: very suitable for pads. But this is only my personal opinion. In sum, the AN1x can make an impressive variety of top notch sounds: thundering basses, Vangelis-like CS pads, massive OB pads, powerful leads that cuts through the mix, and even FM EPs. Also, I came across some very ciy digital sounding pads that rivals digital pads coming from my K5000R. And some of them are reminiscent of the Prophet VS-like pads. I haven't figured out how to make these sounds yet.

I haven't heard of horror stories about an AN1x gone bad. I've been abusing my DX-11 for more than 10 years, and it's still working flawlessly.

I didn't like the idea of rack mountable (v)analogue synths, so I had to choose between the AN1x, the Nord Lead & the JP-8000. I also wanted to control my rack synths (JV-1080, K5000R, Morpheus), and the AN1x was the better synth for my needs & wants. I'm glad that I bothered to download the .pdf manual & studied the crappy manual. Otherwise, I wouldn't have bought the AN1x. I bet that if Yamaha had provided better presets & made the AN1x look more professional, they would have sold tons of the AN1x more. I absolutely love its sounds and I know I'll never sell it. If it had a better LCD, I wouldn't ask for more.

The presets for the US model were so bad that Yamaha UK created their own. Yamaha have a few patch files available on their UK web site that really start to show off this fine synth.
Editing is pretty easy. There's only 8 knobs with a set of 8 assignment buttons to put them in different modes. It's nearly as easy as a JP8000 once you get used to it. It's got your pretty standard 2 oscillator, vca, vcf architecture so it doesn't take much learning. Overall it's a pretty easy synth to use and program.
The manual is crap. The information is spread all over the place. I was very disappointed with Yamaha for this. It reads like one of the design engineers wrote it instead of a professional manual writer.
The free AN1xEdit program from Yamaha is excellent. It's the best synth editor I've used. It's great for setting some of the hard to get at system and effects settings. It is also great for visually editing the phrase sequencer.

10 voice 2 poly. The built in effects are very good. Three different effects at the same time; delay, reverb and one other. I like the effects.
The keyboard is passable for a midi controller. It sends after-touch and is velocity sensitive. The appegiator is nice, but it also has a small phrase sequencer that can also record up to 4 parameter changes. In practice it works well.

It's a copy of an analog synth and it sounds just like that. I love the sounds, it doesn't have the grit of a 303 but instead has a wonderful smoothness. I spend a lot of time playing with the knobs, inventing new sounds and getting inspired by the fresh ideas they spawn. It's by far the best music investment I've made in a long time.

It's made of plastic so I wouldn't want to drop it. There's rumours that Yamaha are going to discontinue it. The price has dropped to about $850 which makes it a bargain. Grab one while you can.
Yamaha have been getting bad press over their EX5 and A3000 software but my AN1x is rock solid. I have locked it up once but I don't know what caused it and can't repeat the problem.

The UK site is pretty good. Quite a few nice patches including a heap of JP8000 emulations. I am impressed that they paid somebody to develop the nice PC editing program.

I spent quite a long time in my local guitar center checking out the AN1x and JP8000. I thought both were similiar in architecture and sounds but the AN1x had better effects and internal editing capability while the JP8000 had a real analog synth user interface and an extra $200 cost.
Check one out if you get a chance. If you are in the market for an analog synth and you have no real preference and want something flexible then you can't go wrong with the An1x.

The presets are mainly intended to show off the unit. Many of them use the arpeggiotor or the step sequencer. Especially impressive is the 'We all die' preset, which sounds like 'we all die' spoken through a vocoder. But it doesn't use samples, so go figure that out. Editing your own patches is pretty easy, you can tweak a preset or start from scratch. (There's only one bank - your edits will replace the presets, of which there are 128.) You have eight knobs to edit your sound, seven parts of it: VCO1, VCO2, VCA, VCF, MIX/VCF, SYNC/FM, PEG/LFO. More dedicated sliders would have been easier, but it works well. Editting effects, EQ, arpeggiator, step sequencer, free EG and all the other stuff is a bit more awkward, but luckily there are no menus: each function is accessible with a turn of a knob and a button click. Overall, it's pretty easy to use. The manual is OK, although it works better as a PDF file, because of the hyperlinks.

Polyphony is either 10 (unitimbral) or 5+5 (in dual or split mode). Not what you're used to with a sample player, but it's good enough for a lead synth. Effects are plentiful, with a variation effect, EQ, delay and reverb - but it's on the somewhat harder to use right hand side of the unit. You can't expand it whatsoever, though. The unit it *very* expressive. You have velocity, aftertouch, mod and pitch wheel, a pressure sensitive ribbon controller, and eight assignable knobs. It's an excellent controller, with a very thorough MIDI implementation. Every single parameter is controllable *and* transmittable over MIDI. Another nice feature is the 'scene morphing', where you can morph between two different sounds with the mod wheel. The on-board sequencer is like the old analogue ones: it holds only 16 notes, but it works very easy: just turn the knobs for the right note. The arpeggiator unfortunately can't be programmed, but it's very nice. The arpeggiator/sequencer has its own MIDI channel. The free EG makes up for the single LFO: you have four tracks, in which can you can record knob movements. The unit is feature-packed and I would have given it a 10, if it weren't for the polyphony/multitimbrality.

This thing is good for only one thing: analogue simulation. It *can* do FM, but with only two 'operators' (oscillators), you're out of luck. But the sound is *really* good. It can sound silky smooth, with soft evolving strings, or very very hard with screaming leads and pulsing basses. Much of the great sound comes from the effects, so no perfect 10 here. But the host of controllers give you so much expression to your sound: velocity and pressure affect the VCA and VCF, everything controllable of course. It's a beautiful instrument to play by itself.

It just never fails. You turn it off, go to sleep, and when you wake up you turn it on and continue where you left off. You're edits are still there. I don't know how the buttons and knobs handle extensive pushes (yes, you can push the buttons), though I've never heard complaints from anybody.

I've never dealt with Yamaha. I think they might be taking the Internet a bit more serious, though, especially in the Netherlands.

If you wouldn't consider the price, it would be a very interesting synth. But since it's so much cheaper than the compitition, you can hardly go wrong with this one. There are some quirks, but overall it's an easy-to-use piece, with great sound, at a more than affordable price. What more do you want?