The Yamaha AN1x Synthesizer mailing list

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

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

--- In AN1x-list@yahoogroups.com, "Sayer" <Sayer@S...> wrote:
> 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.....  
> 

ha ha ha :-) I think you'd be very happy with that deal.

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

_Where_ do you think? WMC, of course - I've already emailed UGO on the very same 
topic ;-)


BTW - September 10 @18:00 Craig Anderton is giving a seminar at WMC on V/A 
synths, etc. I plan to attend - any other DC Metro e)musicians planning to go?

Jon

--- In AN1x-list@yahoogroups.com, "Jon" <jondl_2000@y...> wrote:

> ha ha ha :-) I think you'd be very happy with that deal.

Really? Arghh!!! But that means I can't be on this list anymore... :(
 
> _Where_ do you think? WMC, of course - I've already emailed UGO on
> the very same topic ;-)

LOL! I bet you did! 

> BTW - September 10 @18:00 Craig Anderton is giving a seminar at WMC 
on V/A 
> synths, etc. I plan to attend - any other DC Metro e)musicians 
planning to go?

Yes! Already in my calendar. Are you going? If so, maybe we can make 
it another official 'get together'. That would be cool!

I'm very anxious to try out the Ion... 

Sayer

I love aspects of the Ion. No stepping. Brilliant bold leads. 
Extremely nice interface and strong mod matrix.

There is one area where I couldn't see myself using it. The 
pads/analog brass department. It's not it wouldn't do those sounds, 
they were pretty brittle sounding. I found that turning down 
resonance and cutoff on a number of factory pads helped them a great 
deal. So maybe some of it was the programming.

If I traded up, I'd keep the an1x for string pads, deep brassy pads, 
etc. Or better yet, get an andromeda for them. Still, there may be a 
way to get those deep warm sounds on the Ion. This was just a first 
impression.

Jerry

--- In AN1x-list@yahoogroups.com, "Jerry Aiyathurai" 
<tuskerfort@h...> wrote:
> I love aspects of the Ion. No stepping. Brilliant bold leads. 
> Extremely nice interface and strong mod matrix.
> 
> There is one area where I couldn't see myself using it. The 
> pads/analog brass department. It's not it wouldn't do those sounds, 
> they were pretty brittle sounding. I found that turning down 
> resonance and cutoff on a number of factory pads helped them a 
great 
> deal. So maybe some of it was the programming.
> 

Hhmmm, I don't agree - I didn't find the strings or brass to 
be 'brittle' at all - quite the opposite actually.  What were you 
monitoring them through?


> If I traded up, I'd keep the an1x for string pads, deep brassy 
pads, 
> etc. Or better yet, get an andromeda for them.

BIG price difference between an Andromeda an ION ;-)


Still, there may be a 

> way to get those deep warm sounds on the Ion. This was just a first 
> impression.
> 
> Jerry

> > There is one area where I couldn't see myself using it. The 
> > pads/analog brass department. It's not it wouldn't do those 
sounds, 
> > they were pretty brittle sounding. I found that turning down 
> > resonance and cutoff on a number of factory pads helped them a 
> great 
> > deal. So maybe some of it was the programming.
> > 
> 
> Hhmmm, I don't agree - I didn't find the strings or brass to 
> be 'brittle' at all - quite the opposite actually.  What were you 
> monitoring them through?

I was using some Event speakers. There was a V-synth playing through 
the same set. I dunno to what degree that affected me (V-synth is 
very high fidelity, though not warm). 

Jerry

--- In AN1x-list@yahoogroups.com, "Jerry Aiyathurai" 
<tuskerfort@h...> wrote:
> > 
> > Hhmmm, I don't agree - I didn't find the strings or brass to 
> > be 'brittle' at all - quite the opposite actually.  What were you 
> > monitoring them through?
> 
> I was using some Event speakers. There was a V-synth playing 
through 
> the same set. I dunno to what degree that affected me (V-synth is 
> very high fidelity, though not warm). 
> 
> Jerry

Yeah, it's kind of hard to be objective when there's a racket going 
on around you - my 1st impression may very well be mistaken. I'll 
have a chance to enjoy the ION again sometime soon.

I haven't spent much time with the V-Synth but my 1st impression was 
that it sounded line the 'best of the eighties', i.e., a little 
Fairlight, a little Wavestation, and a little D50 combined - ha ha 
ha ;-)

Jon

Sayer wrote:

> 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.....  

As much as I love my EX5S, there's no way on earth I would get rid of my 
AN1x because the EX series happen to share some of the same sound 
generating algorithms with it.

- Peter

--- 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.

The problem is...once you heard a real analog synth, like the Alesis 
Andromeda...VA won´t do it for you anymore, at least not only. I hope 
the ION has, like Clavia synths, enough character to stand for itself 
and against analog synths, but i discovered that the way to go for me 
is more analogue. But don´t worry...i am not going to sell the 
AN1x...it´s still my baby!

> And the price point is incredible - under $700! 
Whoa! What a price difference! Here in Germany they ask 1100Euro for 
it!

Tom

tompaulsen2002 wrote:

> The problem is...once you heard a real analog synth, like the Alesis 
> Andromeda...VA won\ufffdt do it for you anymore, at least not only. I hope 
> the ION has, like Clavia synths, enough character to stand for itself 
> and against analog synths, but i discovered that the way to go for me 
> is more analogue. But don\ufffdt worry...i am not going to sell the 
> AN1x...it\ufffds still my baby!

The question is, what is a real analogue? The Andromeda uses digital 
circuitry to control its oscillators and filters.

Or if you look at the Yamaha CS-80, it may sound a lot fatter than the 
AN1x (I find 'CS-80 Brass' or whatever that preset is called a bit of a 
joke), but the latter has the not to be underestimated advantage that 
you don't have to keep your room at a certain temperature, and that it 
isn't hand-wired together.

For me, so far the advantages of VA synths have weighed up against the 
perhaps more authentic sound of real analogues. For me, every synth 
stands on its own, and the AN1x sounds pretty sweet to me.

It's also a lot easier to carry than a CS-80. :)

>>And the price point is incredible - under $700! 
> 
> Whoa! What a price difference! Here in Germany they ask 1100Euro for 
> it!

1020 euro at http://www.musiciansgear.com/ . Even considering import 
fees and VAT, that's still a ridiculous difference. This wouldn't have 
anything to do with that trade war over steel, right?

- Peter