ALESIS ANDROMEDA A6 - Synth Review, Sounds & Demo | Polyphonic Analog Synthesizer
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- Опубліковано 8 чер 2024
- Alesis Andromeda A6 synth review, sounds and demo. The Alesis Andromeda is a powerful 16-voice and 16-part multi-timbral polyphonic analog synthesizer released in 2000. In this Alesis Andromeda A6 synth review, I go over Alesis Andromeda features , showcase sounds & patches, and conclude with my final thoughts.
TIMECODES
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00:00 - Intro
01:06 - Overview
18:38 - Sounds & Patches
34:34 - Pros
38:26 - Cons
41:16 - Final Thoughts
44:15 - Outro
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The Alesis Andromeda A6 is an analog polysynth using VCOs released in the year 2000. It has 61 keys, 16-voices, and 16-part multi-timbral capabilities which make it very powerful even 20+ years later. It also uses custom ASIC chips for a unique sound.
The Alesis Andromeda features 2 oscillators, each with multiple waveshapes (sine, triangle, sawtooth (positive & negative), pulse) which can all be stacked simultaneously. Each oscillator has a sub-oscillator as well. The Alesis Andromeda A6 oscillators can be cross-modulated via linear and exponential FM, and have hard and soft sync.
The Alesis Andromeda pre-filter mix section enables you to blend oscillator levels, noise (white, pink, red), external audio, or ring modulation for metallic tones or formant sounds. It also features filter feedback which can further distort and break up the signal for interesting textures.
The Alesis Andromeda has dual filters which can be configured in series or parallel mode for diverse sound filtering. Filter 1 is a 12db Oberheim SEM-inspired multimode filter with lowpass, bandpass, highpass and notch settings. Filter 2 is a 24db Moog ladder-inspired filter with lowpass mode. Both filters have resonance, keytracking and envelope 2 amount control. Filter FM is available and there is also an inverted bandpass filter mode for even more sonic variety.
With 3 LFOs and a S&H generator, the Alesis Andromeda also gives you lots of modulation capabilities. The LFOs have multiple waveshapes (sine, tri, saw, square, random, noise) and have multiple settings for shaping them even further. There are also three 6-stage envelopes (pitch, envelope and amp) which allow you to shape your sound in great detail, including envelope curves.
The Alesis Andromeda A6 also has a post-filter mix section which enables you to mix the audio level of the filters themselves (lowpass/highpass/bandpass/notch levels), as well as mix in unfiltered audio from osc1 and osc2 sine and ring mod to boost the signal further. Onboard effects include analog distortion and digital effects (reverb, delay, chorus, flanger, and more). There's also portamento, unison-X, chord memory, arpeggiator, 16-step sequencer and more.
The Alesis Andromeda also has an extensive modulation matrix including 71 sources and 92 destinations. Almost every function on the front panel can be modulated which makes the Andromeda A6 akin to a polyphonic modular synth. There is also a ribbon controller onboard for additional expression capabilities.
Furthermore, the Alesis Andromeda also features individual audio outputs for the 16 voices. This makes the Alesis Andromeda A6 a great synth for multi-timbral and multi-track mixing/recording, thanks to the control it gives you over the audio signal paths.
The Alesis Andromeda is a complex and powerful synthesizer and has a very hands-on interface, but it does require editing & menu diving to access its deeper functionality. It takes time to get accustomed to the workflow and understand its capabilities, as not everything is up front at times.
With custom ASIC chips, 16 VCO voices, dual filters and 16-part multi-timbral capabilities, it still remains an exceptional synth even 20 years later. They are also becoming increasingly rare and expensive on the 2nd hand market.
I hope you enjoy this synth review of the Alesis Andromeda A6 as I showcase some of its features, sounds & patches, and give you my final thoughts towards the end. Thanks for watching.
#alesis #andromeda #alesisandromeda #andromedaa6 #synthesizer #synth #review
Really well done!
I was a member of the design team - I’m the one who named it, and had the honor to introduce Andy at the NAMM 2000 show.
Some of my programs are in the factory bank.
Send a memo to your contacts at Alesis and tell them there’s a few thousand people that still want to buy one!
Wow, thank you David for dropping by and sharing your insights! It's truly an honor. You certainly nailed it with the name - Andromeda can take us into galaxies far, far away. :)
Also, thank you for developing this monster synth which continues to push the envelope 20+ years later. I'm sure many folks (including myself) would love to learn more about it's history at Alesis, especially at it relates to its design and release at the time. Perhaps a documentary could be created someday? :) Thanks again for stopping by!
@@entropybentwhistle Oh, we know. We even had a tabletop version designed...
@@davebryce2450 thanks for bringing this synth to market. It’s my all-time fave.
Do you know if the original ASIC designs, source code, and so on exist? Did they survive Alesis’s acquisition by InMusic?
@@spindleninenot a clue - sorry!
If Uli wanted a synth to clone, this should have been in his first three choices. I resisted pulling the trigger on getting a used one because of the number of users reporting fading oscillators. Alesis could do themselves a favor and pull a Korg and do a reissue but with updated components focused on longevity.
Well, who knows what the future holds. These days anything seems possible.
These days it would probably have to sell at 5-6k to break even. Mind you it is a beautiful looking analog monster with a dizzying array of controls to keep one busy making sounds.
100% agree! As well as it’s sound & function, I genuinely love its aesthetics, one of the best looking synths of all time! Really, really hope we see a clone of this ( with modern, replaceable components!) one day!
If U-he clones then you just have digitality. Nice but boring.
The B6 is a thing now :)
As a keen Andy user I've seen the most if not all - it's the best A6 Andromeda demonstration so far. The philosophical part at least. Hands down!
Andromeda project literally bankrupted the successful-at-the-time Alesis company for a reason - it's was incredibly vast and stunning amount of R&D that went into this project. By the designers A6 Andromeda was made to dethrone Oberheim Matrix-12 on all levels, and that was the de-facto leader of motherclass analog polys of the time, holding strong. Hence it was a tall order in every level for the Alesis engineers. To their credit they took the challenge and manifested it near-perfectly. In "near-perfect" I mean In retrospect the pity of Andromeda was not just engineering, but too much forward-thinking in marketing - they had to optimise production to sell a fully fledged 32 oscillator (+16subs), 16-voice 16-part-multitimbral analog mothership-class synth so cheap in hope they sell a lot to make it even - ironically that's what killed the Alesis company IMHO. It should had been +50% of the price if not +100% to keep sales profitable and value up in terms of the invested R&D that was so overboard at the time of quick-returns trend, apparently the Andromeda team did it the hard-way. If it was 4000 USD instead of 2000 USD it sold on then, it ironically would be an larger all-mighty icon synth that it is today, that "unobtanium" effect (that works like a Mighty Magnet in synth world at least). People are just stupid about on original pricing of things to classify them as "regulars" or "icons" - see Moog One 3-timbral, that sells at 8+K today ;)
In the end of the video I just thought when you said "if you're ready to take the challange" - might as well add "to go from Milkyway to Andromeda, by all means it's the synth for you." ;) This sums up Andromeda perfectly compared to most motherclass (12+ full analog voice, 20+ matrix in/out mod destinations) analog polys. It was a massive engineering feat and sonic ingenuity step forward that is still unrivalled today, incredible 20+ years later! There's nothing, I mean absolutely nothing like the Alesis Andromeda...
Many thanks for sharing your comments and insights, certainly much food for thought. The A6 likely came out at a time when the market wasn't ready for full-on analog revival and despite it's incredible specs, unfortunately only many years since launch is it getting the attention it deserves. It is extremely powerful, versatile and definitely unmatched in multi-timbrality in the analog domain even 20+ years later. Truly a testament to Alesis' forward-thinking vision and desire to go "all in" with this synth, which ultimately caused the company to pay the ultimate price. Nonetheless the Andromeda continues to push forward, and for those willing to "take on the challenge", provides vast untapped potential in the analog domain.
I have owned this synth for about 12 years and am just now starting to understand it! Thank you for a great video.
Thanks for watching. Enjoy your A6!
Great to see someone demonstrate the beauties of a synth so eloquently and creatively! Thanks so much!
Thanks, appreciate the kind words!
Splendido strumento. Ha anticipato il grande ritorno del suono analogico ma con caratteristiche a tutt'oggi insuperate, come giustamente hai dimostrato. Ottimo lavoro, di valenza didattica e storica. Complimenti! 😎🎹🎶🚀
Grazie!
Finally a review that shows what this beast can do.
Many thanks and subed
Many thanks for watching and the support!
Nice review! Picking up an Andromeda in two days! Can't wait :)
Thanks and congrats. Enjoy it. :)
Such a great demo video, thanks so much. Would love to get one of these legends
Thank you for watching and the kind words. They are out there...
Absolutely awesome! GIMMIE GIMMIE GIMMIE ! Thanks so much for your amazing Demo. This would be so perfect for some of the stuff im doing. Wow! Have a great weekend. Mark Bensette Aux Bois 🇨🇦.
Thanks for watching! Andromeda is a beast.
One of the best if not best review of Andromeda I heard so far. Amazing piece of gear. I reacquired it 3 years ago but condition isn't as nice as my original A6. I owned a few top but this has its special place like the others. You just have to hear it in person to appreciate it. Thank you for your wonderful review👍🙏👍
Thank you for the kind words and glad you were able to re-acquire an A6. They definitely have their own sound and remain very capable synths today. I tried to showcase that in this review and appreciate you taking the time to watch! Cheers
Thanks for the video! Very interesting to learn more about this amazing instrument.
Thanks for watching and the comment, I appreciate it!
Brilliant demonstration of an incredible synth. Behringer we're calling you...
Great vid and great synth! Wow ! I didn’t know it! Thank you !
hands down, best demo of the andromeda I’ve ever seen. fantastic work! do you plan on doing any sound design tutorials?
Thanks so much! Hadn't thought about a specific sound design tutorial using the Andy, but perhaps in the future. What types of things were you thinking of?
@@synth4ever nothing in particular. I've been making my way through the manual but would like to see an experienced Andromeda sound designer at work. It really helps to see somebody who is proficient with a device doing their work, since so much can be learned from workflow.
Were the patches you played of your own design, or the presets?
@@spindlenine Yea, this is a very deep synth and the manual is a definite requirement. If you haven't already, also checkout A6 tips & tricks: www.wohmart.com/a6/tandt/A6TipsAndTricks.html
The patches in this video are a combination of A6 presets (~75%) and some custom patches (~25%). TBH I haven't programmed a ton of patches on the Andy to date, and made some for this video. I had to refer to the manual at times to figure out where certain parameters can be found, as sometimes its not clear.
If you haven't, definitely check out G-stormelectro's tutorials on the Andy. They should get you going in the right direction.
ua-cam.com/play/PL4oqXLRCnXyNRzJcpbDnncracDMbhWiKo.html
Also this video from ProckGnosis on the filters: ua-cam.com/video/FW41qNQ1hoo/v-deo.html
At some point maybe I'll do a tutorial on crafting some standard patches and more experimental ones, based on what I know (there's a lot going on with the Andy and it's hard to remember everything).
@@synth4ever thanks for all the links - some of these I’d already seen and others I had not.
It’s worth mentioning that the manual is really well-written IMO, and speaks to the overall quality of the Andromeda and all the care the engineering team clearly put in to making this synth the best instrument it could possibly be.
The Matrix 12 is the only rival that comes close featurewise, but with 12 voices instead of 16. The A6 is indeed THE programmer's synth :) Your points on the necesary time and commitment a new user must be prepared to invest are spot on. The presets do little to demonstrate the synth's capabilities Great demo!
P.S. - The secret solution for cleaning the glitchy encoders is Dexoxit Faderlube F100 (in the dropper).
Thanks for watching and the comment! Matrix 12 is certainly up there in terms of features. Indeed, when I first purchased the Andromeda many years ago I was still learning synthesis myself, so found it quite daunting. These days I understand the synth much better, but still occasionally refer to manual to check how to do certain things or find certain parameters. :) It is indeed a programmer's synth at heart, and one must be comfortable with that before acquiring.
We're still so happy with our Andromeda.....the depth of the sound and possibility's remains a source of inspiration! Thanx for the in depth video, I've learned a lot of it!
Thanks for watching, glad you are still enjoy your A6!
Thank you! I still have to get to know my Andromeda in depth. So useful! Cheers
Thanks Chris! There's a lot to discover with the Andromeda, it takes time.
@@synth4ever I realized it the very moment I turned it on :) cheers
Sounds fantastic, thanks for sharing.
Thank you for watching!
At a first glance, this thing really feels like the ancestor of the Arturia Polybrute in quite a few ways. Some similar tones, same number of voices, a similar touchstrip along the keyboard, multitimbrality, a combination of analog synthesis with a deep mod matrix, dual filters, the list goes on.
Reissue!!!!! I love mine hopefully you’ll teach me something 🙏🏻
I've always wanted one of these!
Keep your eyes peeled...
This synth does it all. If you've got one don't need anything else.
Best. All my favorite tracks writings on A6.
Fantastic video... subscribed! :)
Thank you for your support!
Fantastic Monster Synth, nice demo :-)
Thank you my friend!
And thanks again ... This is an amazing channel ... After I've bought a CS 50 - now I have an A6 in my Studio ... serviced by Thomas Siedler (Germany) with Black Layout and Blue Led`s
Thank you! Congrats on your A6 and CS-50, both amazing synths.
Seems very underrated. And all this predated the Moog One by 18 years. Lots of similarities between the two as well.
Yes indeed -- lots of capabilities nearly 20 years before the One. Still a powerhouse today.
The King!!! Still unequalled even in our modern golden age of synthesis. Great demo man \m/ \m/
Thank you! It's still a monster even 20+ years later.
@@synth4ever Have you tried running the Andy's 16 outs to a mixer and spreading the panning out in the stereo field? Then you can press the 'Voice Output' button on the output mixer and any patch becomes this massive wall of stereo analog awesome.
@@chrisdigiuseppe7717 I have not tried that, don't have a 16 channel mixer... but I'm sure it would sound amazing! If you have a demo of this, feel free to share.
Highly recommend picking up an old 16 channel line mixer if you can! Something like the Fostex 2016 can be had on the cheap and gives you 16 inputs with individual pan control on each channel.
The stereo main out still works with all 16 individual outs as well - so you get the full mix in the center and all 16 individual channels panning around the stereo field - it's nuts!
I do have an album coming out at some point with the A6 in this mode all over it, I'll remember to post back when it's released ;)
There is a Summit now.. forget this thing.
My hands down favorite polysynth.
Great choice!
I almost bought one of these earlier this year. The owner had second thoughts, and I can understand why even more now. Thanks!
Thanks for watching! Hopefully you'll have the chance to buy another.
I almost sold mine this year. So happy to did. not. What a great review. Thanks for that great work
@@vintagesynths Thank you Rudiger, I appreciate it. Glad you kept yours all this time. Hope you are doing well considering everything these days...
@@synth4ever thanks, the same to you. I really like your reviews very much. Thanks for your great work!
@@vintagesynths Everytime I had the inkling to part with mine, I break it out and turn it on, and fell like I fall in love for the first time again. Sadly mine is having the hardware issues but its still fine when locking out one voice.
Great video. At some point, the Andromeda will be rediscovered and people will get mad trying to get one. 👍🏻
Thank you. I think people have been rediscovering it the past few years, especially these days. There's nothing quite like it!
Wow A6 Is a very great synth
It´s like an analog VAST synth. Cool.
Excellent presentation! I used to sell these; beautiful instruments.
Thank you Roger! That's so cool you were selling them new, what were people's reactions like? :)
@@synth4ever They loved it. The virtual analog stuff at the time (Supernova, Nord Lead, Korg Z1, JP-8000) all were big sellers. But, something about this analog; immense sounding, and a gorgeous design to look at. Definitely the most unique looking synth on the market.
I found a very clean looking Andromeda for a decent price, once I got it home though the realisation that this synth has been sitting neglected for many years and as such had so much dust and hair under every pot and was a good hour cleaning the outside of it, I have found two ‘faults’ the soft pots are very jumpy and the mod wheel actually glitches it out so bad it freezes and I need to switch it off and on. Next will be opening up the synth to clean the interior and use Deoxit F5 on the pots to clean them hopefully then it’ll be as shmick feeling as it looks. Apart from that it sounds phenomenal.
Best UA-cam A6 video by far.
Thanks. Hope you can get your A6 back in perfect shape, it's worth it.
I so regret selling mine a few years ago.... 😢 Fantastic video btw. One of the best on the A6 I've ever seen. Bravo sir.
Thank you so much, glad you enjoyed the video! Understandable you regret selling it... its pretty unique!
A great video! Having only seen pictures of the A6, I had never heard it by itself. This was SO far ahead of its time. I see a lot of its capabilities in the Arturia Polybrute. The 'Brute far outshines the A6 in some aspects, but then, the A6 is far more capable in others. It's a good thing I don't have the room, or I'd go do something dumb and pay several $k for one.
A6 was far ahead of its time and still very powerful today. Polybrute is also a great choice and can do many things. A6 still wins in multi-timbral mode!
Meehh, Novation Summit knocks this out the park easy. A6 might had been a hotshot in the early 2000s, but time has no mercy upon anyone or anything.
Hybrid vs true analog, bitimbral vs 16-part multitimbral... there are still differences
Always liked the Alesis synths. Owned a Alesis 6.1 with the beat box synth-Q card. I don't know why I traded it? The Andromeda A6, pretty nice flag ship synth at the time, just couldn't afford one. Had a few other Alesis synths, like there nano-synth, and I pre ordered there Micron, I forget how much I payed, to much I think, from Daddys Junky Music in Manchester N.H. I actually sampled some of the sounds from the Micron, to floppy disk on my Korg DSS-1 sampler, nice saw tooth wave forms. Well anyway, nice presentation my friend, enjoyed the journey back in time!
Thanks for watching and sharing! Alesis made a number of cool synths, including of course the Ion and Micron. Glad you were able to enjoy some of them!
The Initial Designs of the Alesis Andromeda A6 was by Axel Hartmann who also designed the Moog One, Arturia Mini Freak, U.D.O. Super 6 & Waldorf Iridium.
Yes, Axel's designs are legendary!
2:16 this lead was used in "Board Up The House" by Genghis Tron
If you check out Moon satellite lone wolf you can see that his Andromeda died on him.
Incredible machine, but it comes with the huge risk the dreaded fate of an eternal death.
Awesome video!!
Cheers!
Same thing happened to my friends Andromeda. Main board dead! Sold it for peanuts as a spare parts unit. It was really hard on him because all of his patches that he created were lost when the main board gave out. He forgot to export them to do a backup, it just never crossed his mind. Yikes! It was a real tragedy for him : (
When I seen Ryan Leslie back in the day with one of these I wanted one bad.
Nice, it's an impressive synth! Keep your eyes on the lookout for one.
I love mine, despite the jumpy pots. No failed voice cards so far 😅
Great to hear the voices are still going! The jumpy pots are so common... I occasionally experience them on mine too.
I have the digital version of this that fits on a small desk. It's called the Micron. I'd love the legit analog version, but I don't have the cash or space even if I had the cash. It's nice to hear someone playing around with it with cool patches. It's the penultimate analog synth as far as I'm concerned. I hope people keep these alive.
Thanks for the comment. Micron is pretty cool too! I also hope the Andromeda continues to live, for as long as the ASICs hold out.
😝there’s no digital version of an analog synth.
I had an Alesis ION which also has a great UI. But it did not sound like an Andromeda at all, and it was never meant to be.
The Micron has the same engine as the ION. Has nothing to do with the A6.
I had one of these for a couple of years. It's an amazing synth. It has it's own sound. To me it sounded a bit cold, but with some effort you could get some warm sounds out of it as well. Like you state, the range of everything is very broad. And that. to me, was actually a bit of an inconvenience. It has these tiny soft buttons, and if you're truying to dial in, say, an LFO range for some vibrato, only a tiny percentage is useful, and it's really difficult to be precise.
Also the envelopes kindof drove me nuts. Just about everything can be adjusted, inclusing the shape of every stage of the envelope. And while this can be handy for some occasions, if you just want to quickly dial in an envelope, you can sortof forget that.. lol. At the same time the processor is a bit slow, so when you yurn a knob, you often get a slightly laggy effect.
But al lof this you can learn to work with. I made a few presets which worked as starting points. The thing that eventually made me decide to sell the thing was that some of the pots had started to be noisy. It's no fun when you're playing the andy, and suddenly the coarse pitch of one of the oscs decides to change. I could resolve this by twisting the knob a few times, but then suddenly after a few hours or days, it would start again. The pots just aren't of a very good quality, it seems.
Another thing that annoyed me was that the note stealing algo didn't work very well. If you're playing some stuff with long decaying notes, it would sometimes suddenly cut off ALL of the notes at once.
So I sold it while it was still in a reasonably good state. I bought mine from out national Dutch TV station (NOS) which had used it for the jingle of the News program, among other things. Kind of a cool thing to know :). It does have an unrivalled sonic breath and depth, and if something ever comes out to rival it, I will seriously look into it.. if it doesn't share it flaws.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and experience, Payt! Certainly some things to consider when evaluating this synth. It definitely has a very broad range for parameters, which allows you to get VERY granular and in-depth with programming sounds... but with complexity comes more possibilities, so bit of a double edged sword. The pots can become jumpy if not used regularly, this seems to be a common complaint with the Andy.
My experience as well.. shame it didn't get updated..
The Moog "One" blows it out of the water, especially with the latest firmware update that fixed the tuning issues. Of course $9k is no chump change. I am fortunate enough to own both, the Moog and the A6.
@@IanAlderige They are also nearly 2 decades apart. :)
There is a Summit now.. forget this and Moog gear..
This is the most powerful synth i ve ever seen
It is certainly featured packed, and sounds massive.
Due to a 20-year hiatus from 1995 to 2015 I missed many awesome synths, but missing the Andromeda annoys me most.
Would you say the PolyBrute is comparable to it, feature-wise?
Polybrute is somewhat comparable due to dual filters and extensive mod matrix, but only has 6 voices. The analog morphing is pretty cool though. The Moog One 16 voice is probably most often considered a modern competitor, but it's only 3 part multit-imbral vs Andromeda 16-part mult-timbral.
@@synth4ever I can‘t figure out what 16-part multi-timbrality is good for. I usually need 1 or 2 parts, and if more are required, I just use other synths.
The PB‘s 6-voice limit is in fact disturbing sometimes, but 8 voices would be enough.
I have an alert set for this synth on Offer Up. I don't have any room for it, but I would still get it.
Hopefully one shows up! Also check Craigslist, eBay or Reverb.
I was at the 2000 NAMM demo, ordered it right away. Had it for a decade, sold it because it was starting to get wonky (and Alesis had just discontinued it, so someone offered me ridiculous money for it). Would love to have it again, with updated Firmware.
Great to hear the history. They are still out there.
What sounds can this make that a polybrute, prophet 6, moot one, etc? It’s impressive specs, but how does it translate into an actual sound the others can’t do to make the time investment and maintenance risks worth it?
Any chance you can make a video on the A6's modulation?
Hmmm haven't thought about it, it's pretty deep but perhaps in the future. Meantime, check out G-StormElectro's series on the A6, he covers it well.
Great review and demo. I will hopefully buy one of these on day. $4,000 on ebay! I honestly have no room in my crowded home studio so I could put the DX7 or CZ5000 in the closet. I love Alesis! QS7.1 & FUSION 6HD. Why would Alesis stop producing this great vintage synth? Must have something to do with profit or something petty.
I remember wanting one when they came out. I think the MSRP was around $2699.95. I couldn't afford it then but I can afford it now. What's up ALESIS?
If you put it back on the market, don't cut corners with cheaper quality parts. Thank you!
It came out at a time in early 2000s when the analog revival wasn't in full swing and the market wasn't ready for it. Alesis also went bankrupt in 2001 (and was restructured) and the team that made it has long since disbanded, and Keith Barr has passed away. I doubt this will ever get remade.
I love that it was $3000 new at the time. Now today all I see are scalpers selling it for 5000-6000$ and look atrocious or barely working. Why is inflation hitting this? It’s so sad they never made more. I am nearly taking the plunge to buy one but it’s like total $7500 with shipping and taxes and just seems absurd with all the complaints people have with boards failing or oscillators failing.
I had the Andromeda. It was one of my greatest synths, but then one of the voices was not tuning. After that the pots became jumpy and I couldn't even save a patch because every time I clicked the save button it would skip around to different menus. the whole machine was getting glitchy and then boom, the main board died.
That was it. It is a great machine but only if you are a rich man. If you are just a normal guy and your Andromeda dies on you that is 6 grand in the toilet, think about that long and hard before you decide to buy it. Considering the age of these machines now is about the time that they start developing problems. It can start with one voice not tuning properly or the jumpy screen issues, be careful. I eventually saved up enough cash and got a Prophet 6, also a killer synth. Wish I would of sold the Andromeda when it was still working well, would have saved me from the terrible financial loss.
They are getting up in age but if you are willing to take the chance, they are amazing synths.
Fantastic talk about a superior synth. We need Alesis back with this machine.
Thanks for watching. Imagine an updated Andromeda today, it would be incredible!
I’ve been eyeing one for months now. But I do not trust shipping and courier. I found a private company that packs superbly and delivers themselves. Is this worth the risk?
And let’s say it does arrive fully intact… is it expected to have a board die since it is a 20 or more year old synth?
Just would melt my heart if I invent anymore time and then all the funds into it for it to die in a year. Just curious on the quality of the electronic components from anyone’s point of view. Easily one of the best synths I’ve seen/heard.
SEARCHING TO ENTER IN THE SERVICE MODE?BUT NO RESPONSES OF THE CAPS§§ARE THE CAPS IN BAD SHAPE NO CONTACT ??I M CURIOUS WHY I CAN T OPERAT THE SERVICE MODE WITH THE ANDRO A6§§
why aren't such magic boards made anymore
Number One Synth
Very powerful!
Love my A6! Nothing quite like it!
Agreed :)
Still rocking mine, hand built by the devs, just before Alesis went under.....
Mine had the knobs under the screen replaced with the larger ones by the devs.
Makes it easier to turn - recommended mod
I have mine under polyester dust covers all the time, so my pots and buttons still work fine after all this time
also keep the various levels in the synth very low like under 30 as they saturate very easily, makes it sound hard and harsher
Amazing, sounds like a unique one. Great to hear you still have yours and its in functional shape. I remember watching your old demos years ago! Did you keep the JP8?
@@synth4ever I just sold it a few weeks ago..... It powered up, LFO light blinks but won't boot. Decided it wasn't worth my money and stress to repair and keep it around any more. So got a good price for it, although I could have sold it for far more, but still way more than I paid for it anyway
@@synth4ever now with the JP8 cash, I'll be adding a hydrasynth explorer for soft synth control on my desktop. Tempted by the deluxe version for the ribbon controller and poly aftertouch combo. Like merging my A6 and SQ80
Nice demo/review - I'd never buy one of these due to the reliability issues. :/ Seems amazing though!
Thanks, it is a pretty beastly synth. Other than the occasional jumpy pot, haven't had any issues with mine (knock on wood).
Gary Numan should have had one of these. Also, I wish I could hear the opening of "Christian Woman" by Type O Negative on this unit.
I have a black sticker A6 and I swapped the LCD to be black/white
Very nice!
How to get any of the parts if something goes wrong and needs to be replaced?
Very good question. Not really sure, maybe eBay or Reverb? Hopefully some synth technicians might have some.
@@synth4ever thanks for reply; actually I am seeing one A6 that costs around 2750 USD from a synth store (serviced with 1 month warranty) and thinking about pull the trigger; would you pull the trigger considering the maintenance risk?
@@life-is-inspiring3953 That's a pretty good price if everything is legit, not a scam and the synth has been serviced. It depends on your risk tolerance really, and if you enjoy the style of programming approach with the A6. If the synth hasn't had any issues in its life, hopefully it will continue to be solid.
mmmm.... Andy.... my favorite synth ;) :D
Thanks Jexus! Great to hear from you. :)
Funny coincidence:
I remember reading an a6 review several years ago by a reviewer called Jexus who totally bashed the synth.
@@brageboogie are you serious or ironic
Quite serious. But this was several years ago, and I believe the review was already some years old by then. I faintly remember the site looking very much pre-web 2.0..
Alesis should grant its rights to Behringer to make a clone/modern version of this synth
Bought Moog One 16 to replace Andromeda. 3 weeks later sold Moog. And Moog One is truly beast and king of all polysynths in production now
Yes, Andromeda is still a beast!
Interesting to hear that, I've considered doing the same myself. What didn't you like about the Moog One?
This is one synthesizer I regret selling, I bought mine brand new and besides needing the money it was way above my skill set at the time to really fully realize all of it potential so it was the first to go. Now after 22 years of playing with synthesizers I would love to get some time on this thing again.
Thanks for sharing. It's a very deep and complex synth and one needs to be prepared for that. In fact, I also found it daunting at first (many years ago) but over time have begun to understand it more... however I'm still uncovering things years later. You are not alone! :)
At one point this synth was the only game in town for getting a new or newer analog poly. At this point, I don’t know why anyone would want one considering all the needed repair work I’ve read about. Beautiful synth though. No doubt.
If anyone wants to trade user banks please let me know as this synth is so deep but there are so few decent sounds available for it.
played one new at Mars Music in Charlotte in the late 90s. they were about $3,000 at the time. not an outrageous price given the latest Korg workstation was around $2400. I wasn't that impressed with the sound, but most keyboards aren't impressive in a 5 minute music store visit. this was back when music store workers thought people had lost their minds because prophet 5s, old Oberheims and minimoogs were changing hands for $1,000.
It wasn't really appreciated back then, but it has been recognized over the years since.
When Multi Timbrality wasn't an issue with synth manufacturers. These days we hardly get anything with this amount of voices.
Great review. I always wanted one if these.
Thanks. Agreed, 16-part multi-timbrality in an analog synth is pretty much unheard of, whether before or after the Andromeda (someone correct me if wrong). It's one of the standout features on this synth that makes it unique.
Uli, please!
I'm not into analog at all, but this could very well the only synth you ever need, it's capabilities are astronomical.
Yes, it is very fully featured, especially considering it is 20+ years old.
I have owned it since 2002. Mine was made in the USA so I hope it will live longer because of that. I made more sounds with it than with any other synth except maybe the Ensoniq SQ-80. The workflow has never bothered me except the envelope section. I don't agree that it has a character of its own but this truely eclectic synthesizer can mimic many other synths, like Moogs, Oberheims and Jupiters and then some. Another con is that gain staging is cumbersome but from what I heard in the video, that was taken care of. Good job! Lfo rates go until 25 Hz, which is too slow. Its multitimbrality comes in handy for instance when designing your own analogue drumset.
Thanks for the comment! Yes, the A6 can mimick many synths, but even in it's default state has it's own unique sound that makes it an Andromeda IMO. Gain staging is important, it's a shame the LFOs aren't faster, and the multitimbrality is definitely a highlight. Hope your A6 continues to live a long life!
jayzuz why dont i own one of these?!
You should! :)
You can score a film, make an entire album and do psybient.. this is the only synth one needs 😅
Shame it’s so old now and at the cusp of death… but all stars in the great cosmos eventually die 🥺🫠⭐️
GAAAAAAH!!! I'm a GUITARIST fer cryin' out loud! Stop dangling all these cool KEYBOARDS in front o' me! At least wait 'til I get that bargain busted QS8.1 I bought over the winter repaired! :D :D
Ditch the guitars, come to the synth dark side... :)
Ths sinth is the best for YOU the new person.
# weeks OFF line = a smile and self respect. --
I'd rather have my Novation Summit these days.
the bigges con-it can die any second
You too.
@@juno6 best comment & response
And the sky might fall.
Wow that's a lot of synth for the money. I heard it has some bugs and software glitches though.
Re io lo ho ed è fantay
The erik norlander synth
Nice!
Is it just me having the constant impression that the A6 is singing through the nose but never through the mouth 👄??
Depends on gains, filter routing and configuration, feedback settings.
@@brageboogie yes. But where do I find examples on youtube that A6 can do differently
And now they are fetching for $6000 these days!
They are getting up in price, but there's a lot of power under the hood!
That’s where I face. Sadly doesn’t seem worth the risk seeing it’s age and fragility. But… I am insane after all so totally going to take the chance 😂
Somewhere on the outskirts of Area 51 is an alien walking around his airship, wondering who jacked his control panel.
Hehe... so true. He must've come from the Andromeda galaxy. :)
It's a shame it's a ticking time bomb due to the unobtainium that's in it. It's a beautiful synth, but if it goes wrong you better hope it's not one of the custom ASICS chips or something else they used that you can no longer get without cannibalizing another Andromeda.
It is unfortunate but it's a risk many are willing to take. Nothing lasts forever unfortunately.
@@synth4ever I agree to some extent, but I'm also of the opinion that things should be repairable too.
I wish they'd have had a bit more foresight into using customized chips.
I had one for a year and a half. Immediately upon it being sold, it immediately broke so my studio partner and I escaped that particular bomb.
too many adverts to watch
Nice video, but the sound is mediocre, the DACs in this synth are cheap, it doesn't sound better than a good VST synth like the Avenger... which costs less than $200, they have made it bigger than it really sounds.
at the development the asics chips at developments COST 500 000 $!!THAT SIMPLE APPROACH GIVE ME AN OTHER WAY TO INTERPRET THAN SIMPLE VIEW OF THE DACS SECTION☺
The most awfull look ever made for a synth !!!
I really like it
A dinosaur friend of mine who has always been into classic rock said " there’s no place for keyboards or synths in rock and metal". He soon shut up when I mentioned Jon Lord, Keith Emmerson, Tony Banks and Rick Wakeman 😂😂.
I've been looking to this synth for many years. Every time I come to the same conclusion. To expensive for how it sounds. What do I mean by that? For the price of the A6, you can buy i.e. 4x Matrix1000 which you put in cascade. And that ladies and gentlemen, sound wise wipes floor with the A6. Sorry but that is nothing but reality. Count in the problems with dying A6's, it is no longer an option to invest in!! And finally, put a DSI Prophet12 aside which you can buy for half the price of an A6, and you need to ask why people spend more than 4K on an A6...
Interesting idea... no doubt 4x M1000s would sound huge. P12 is nice but it's hybrid so not in the same camp as pure analogs. Andromeda was unique for it's time and despite the potential longevity issues, IMO still a very capable synth.
I love the sound of this synth. I would also like to see how the multi timbral setup works.
It definitely has its own character! Here's a video of someone using it in multi-timbral mode.
ua-cam.com/video/G2zyA9jXaCk/v-deo.html