Alesis Andromeda A6 Patch Review - Preloaded User Bank

Published on Jul 16, 2016 ProckGnosis

"As described in the opening, I've had the A6 for a while but only recently got it up and mostly running again. Lots of phantom knob changing problems. ("SHOW MORE" for more commentary below)

Despite what I say in the opening, there are actually 21 patches demoed...User Patch 000 through 020.

The five things that make this synth so awesome sounding, ignoring even the MASSIVE modulation possibilities:
1. 24db and 12db filters that can run serial or parallel - really lets you sculpt the harmonic content of the sound down to a gnat's ass.
2. Unison Mode - with 16 voices, you can do a unison 2 voice patch (giving you 4 oscillators per note), and have some very lush chords, still having 8 notes of polyphony to work with.
3. Ring mod - very similar to the Yamaha CS-80, the best brassy patches on this thing incorporate the ring mod, to varying subtle and not-so-subtle degrees.
4. The pre and post filter mixing sections - lets you entirely control the oscillators amounts before and after being filtered. Never thought this was that useful until I started breaking down some of the patches I really liked, and found it really lets you move so beyond just a standard LP-filtered sounding synth.
5. 16-note polyphony!! Nothing else analog can touch it (don't know of a single analog keyboard with as much or more polyphony). Sure you can daisy chain 3 Dave Smith Prophet 8s for 24 voices of polyphony, but that's about your cheapest option.

Pluses?
It really does sound phenomenal. I would say its real strength is pads. It does bass and leads fairly well too, but I have other synths that do bass and leads as well as or better than the A6. I would say I DON'T have another analog synth that does pads as well.

Minuses?
It is intimidatingly deep. Things that would be quite simple to program on other synths, often take more steps, and time just to find out WHERE it is in the menu-driven operating system. Yeah, there are fortunately lots of knobs, but behind every knob action, there is usually a menu needing attention. Trying to understand even how a patch is programmed is like tracing a wire diagram...it's do-able, but tiring after a while. And that's when it's working perfectly with no self-changing, phantom knob problems. MASSIVELY frustrating when values just start changing by themselves.

Skip to 15:55 to hear/see the Andromeda rocking out with me on the drums. Was trying to come up with a new video opening...not sure if I'll finish it or not."