The Yamaha AN1x Synthesizer mailing list

Argghhh! I was just coming here to ask whether I should sell my AN1x 
and buy an Ion. I have an EX5R, so I still will have the AN sound. 
I'm very tempted.... and I haven't even heard the Ion yet.....  

Where did you get to try one out???? :)

Sayer

--- In AN1x-list@yahoogroups.com, "Jon" <jondl_2000@y...> wrote:
> Yesterday afternoon I had an opportunity to play the new Alesis 
ION. Here are some 
> 1st impressions:
> 
> It sounds pretty darn impressive! Much more 'phat' then an AN1x or 
a Nord Lead (or 
> Virus, near as I can tell.) Very convincing analog emulation - you 
won't be 
> disappointed. And the price point is incredible - under $700! The 
user interface is 
> straight forward and the encoders have an excellent tactile feel. 
The keyboard is only 
> so-so, no aftertouch but two assignable mod wheels in addition to 
the pitch wheel 
> (they illuminate when moved!) The presets are okay - pretty much 
knock-offs of 
> classic analog and digital analog hybrid sounds. The mod matrix 
takes a bit getting 
> use to. Example: on an AN1x there are haf dwired depth parameters 
for Pmod, Amod, 
> & Fmod that are affected by LFO1. On the ION you have to route 
either LFO1 or LFO2 
> to one or more of those parameters THEN make a setting for depth. A 
little more 
> flexible but also more labor intensive since the mod matrix 
settings are the most 
> menu driven feature on the synth. Kind of odd given how user 
friendly the OSC and 
> Filter sections are. The EG Controls are 'shared' by the Pitch, 
Amp, and Filter sections, 
> i.e., dedicated select switches are used to determine which section 
is currently 
> affected. I didn't really get my head wrapped around the FX 
section - it was fairly 
> modest in comparison to other synths. Maybe if I'd had another 
thirty minuets or so 
> to play with it I might have figured out more use for the FX. The 
ION really does 
> sound as good as the hype.
> 
> regards,
> 
> Jon