I was Alesis Product Specialist for the UK in the late 90s until Alesis went under and was purchased by Numark. I was lucky enough to be on the periphery of the A6 project, run by the legend that is Mr Dave Bryce (who's baby this really was), Mike Peake and Arnd Kaiser who, amongst many other things, helped create a load of the presets. I remember spending a weekend at Arnd's house near Frankfurt where we were playing with the prototype and coming up with sounds inspired by the artists who might end up using this instrument. As part of my job, I had the very first A6 in the UK so that I could really gen up on it before it got released and it had pride of place in our studio. When Alesis finally went, I couldn't be without it so I bought it. I still have it now and it is still working fine. Tim - your video is brilliant and totally highlights why this is such an incredible instrument and so ahead of its time. I'm sure if Alesis had been able to continue, we would have seen even more evolvement of this amazing synthesiser. Another underestimated feature to mention is that you have separate Outputs on the back so that each multitimbral part can have its own output. Looking forward to more content on this beast !
I've seen you post this before in other threads - such a great story and thanks for this. Regarding what Tim alluded to in this video, are you ALSO of the feeling that some of the custom asics and components are so unique that the machine is unfixable? (something Tim said he read from non-owners) Can it be future proofed or repaired if you needed, not unlike a Prophet or OB synth?
@@Station2Station-du2ghyou would have to have access to another Andromeda to salvage parts from. Ive had mine for 13 years and still going strong! But even if an voice or two crapped out it wouldnt be a big deal, cuz there would still be 14-15 still working. Super powerful synth. Not perfect, but workable, nothing like it
@@Station2Station-du2gh Alesis were one of the pioneers of the ASIC. That's how they were able to pack so much functionality into their products but release them at an affordable cost (digital reverbs for under £500 back in the late 80s, for example) and how they were able to create so many innovative products such as the ADAT that revolutionised the recording industry. That said, the very fact that these were Application Specific, rather than off the shelf components, does make it more difficult to come by. I know the company that took over the production of ASICs from Alesis are still making them, so it is possible to source them but you would need a clever engineer who could identify where any faults lie and to source and replace the specific ASIC required. This would not be like replacing a worn capacitor. Plus, there are loads of ASICs in an Andromeda ! So, I'm not saying this is necessarily impossible to fix, just very difficult. If you're not an engineer, then the easier repair option would be to try and source a spare board and swap the whole thing over, though this would be far more expensive to do. If you want to discuss this subject further, then maybe take a look at Dave Bryce's brilliant Music Player Network and then you can pick the brains of the guys behind these products (and probably learn a load of great stuff too): forums.musicplayer.com/
I own Oscar Peterson's Andromeda, including the owner's manual with his handwritten notes throughout it. It has been in my collection since shortly after he passed away and his estate was selling off his gear. It is my prized possession, and I plan on using it until it dies or I do.
I had no idea he had one. I was aware that he was interested in synths since sometime in the '70s, but not that he was still buying new gear that late on.
Veteran A6 user here! Amazing how many things you managed to include in 37 minutes, but you must have touched 30 % of all the things you can do with it. For instance... The Ribbon is actually 3 ribbons... one is the whole ribbon, and then you can use it as two independent halves (that´s why there´s two hold buttons, each for each half), all at the same time!. You didn´t even touched FM which is incredibly deep... for each vco: linear, exponential and pwm fm. You can do all sorts of filter fm... you can even do filter FM from the feedback loop on the pre filter mixer! Hard and soft sync, ring mod, 2 subs, etc etc You can use the sequencers as modulation sources without triggering the notes... just modulating. Croutes are modulation sources for the normal modulation routings... It´s truly infinit. There´s even one page in which you can see what each modulation source is assigned to in the mod matix... so you have a general view of what´s going on in the patch. Mind Blowing. But all that would be useless if the synth would sound bad. I compared it side by side with Minimoogs, SEMs, Emu Modular, System 100m, etc. It can sound like all of those if programmed correctly.
Владею данным инструментом с 2004 года, после замены всех патенциометров работает безупречно, но для того чтобы раскрыть всю мощность данной машины, нужно глубоко погрузиться в синтез звука и програмирования, но далеко не каждый сумеет укротить даноого зверя. Сложный инструмент с безграничными возможностями и уникальным звуком. Спасбо за обзор. Думал продавать, но после просмотра видео, передумал) это бесценный подарок!
Fun fact. The model name was a play on words "A6" = "ASICs". ASIC: Application-Specific Integrated Circuit. Which are custom made chips designed specifically for the Andromeda. And I believe this is how they where able to trap so many analog voices in such a small space and keep price competitive 20 years back. Great synth and video. I’m glad I got mine years back. Still I’d bet that Tim's search is not really over yet. lol
One of the greatest, in my opinion. Had one in 2000’s and sold it back then. Bought another one just a week ago, cleaned all the pots and man, what can I say, it’s pure bliss. I own or have owned many analog vintage synths and modern ones, from Jupiter 8, Prophet 5/10 to Access Virus and the 3rd Wave, etc. What I can say now is that The Andromeda is the closest to my heart and to my taste, the “best” sounding - if there is such thing :)
The A6 is a materpiece. The absolute key to making this sound monstrous is to keep the prefilter levels low. You have a lot of headroom on the master outputs so no need to worry about overall level but very little on the inputs into the filter section. That has lent it a reputation of sounding thin but keeping the oscillators below 1/3rd opens up the sound. It's a beautiful machine.
Spot on. It took me three years after buying this synth to figure this out. I always found it to sound harsh and congested. How wrong I was, now it is one of my goto synths for a super wide range of sounds. The gainstaging in this synth is a big thing to reckon with.
I worked in a HiTech shop in Sydney... And we got a few of the first in Oz... We received 2 on the first shipment... and we scored a special edition Red A6..... Damn... I hate myself for not buying it... but luckily, got a CS80 instead.... Looooong story... To Bad Alesis were purchased for their IP by Numark.... Because it was then, Like Ensoniq, EMU, The company would never be this again... definatley Alesis finest hour..... Ill always say Midiverb , ADAT , HR16/B and the A6 .... All High points . RIP Alesis that was.
Tim, excellent review of the A6 and congratulations on collecting one. I remember photos of Nick Rhoads with his A6 and thinking, I'll never be able to have one of those. I don't know what got into me, but I did a search in December of 2022 and purchased one a week before Christmas. When I walk by the A6 I say, "I can't believe I have an Andromeda". I don't understand why this Synth doesn't get the recognition it deserves?
As a younger guy, this is my first time encountering this synth. In the design I find myself seeing so much of what I’ve often imagined a perfect polysynth would be. I don’t know why more manufacturers today don’t do what Alesis did over 20 years ago…
it is becoming increasingly difficult to find raw materials, both in human terms (creators) and in terms of material components, to mass produce instruments like this.
Thank you, Tim, for this sweet love letter to the A6. I love mine dearly, too. Bought it brand new at the time, and have loved and appreciated it ever since. It is said that the Alesis engineers set out to build the best analog synth ever made at the time, listening f. ex. to all available filter designs to pick out the best (Oberheim and Moog) - and certainly they were way, way ahead of their time, making the Andromeda's history a bit of a strange episode in the big book of synth evolution. The build quality is really very good, and I have never had any hardware related issues, even though it travelled from stage to stage with me quite a lot. Speaking of live use: The OS, unfortunately, is not completely reliable, and the A6 froze on me quite a few times (which makes for a nice extra excitement on stage ...). There was one brave man intending to write a new OS for the A6 a few years ago, but it seems he never came through. It would be fantastic, as the OS seems to me to be the only weak spot of this otherwise very accomplished synth. Well, yeah, of course, the digital effects do not live up to modern day standards, especially the delay. But that is not a deal breaker at all. What a glorious synth indeed. Makes me smile every time I use it.
I've had mine for a few years and I've yet to dig deep into it, came with a card in the back, do you know what is that for? Memory, additional presets? Sorry for the dumb question.
@@IanAlderige The maximum memory is 2mb. If you format it you chose the amount of single patches vs multi patches you want. The battery need to be replaced every few years. Easily got in a jewellers.
An incredible synth. One of The Best. Despite its wonky OS, once you figure it out, it’s not that hard to use, and the possibilities are truly endless. Most importantly, it sounds so good, and it sits so nicely in the Mix among the classics with its own voice. I believe the Andromeda for the typical used price of 4-5K offers more value than the new prophet 10 and the OBX8 - and it sounds just as good and its own way, absolutely. And with a lot more sonic possibilities.
Andromeda somehow became my dream synth since I've seen it first in the gear section of DJ MAG back in 2000-2001. I didn't even understand anything it does or synthesis in general yet, but somehow it grew on me on first sight. Now since I understand what it actually is, it's even more of a dream synth.
Fellow A6 owner here. Thank you for the great video on it. Appreciate your comments on - just like every other out of warranty synth - enjoying it for as long as you can. That’s how I felt when I bought mine. I’m surprised no one has made a soft synth emulation of it yet (looking at you Cherry Audio, Gforce, Arturia, etc.)😊
It is really unfortunate that Andromeda A6 synthesizer went out of production...it provided so many features at an affordable price...Great true tribute here to Andromeda A6 Synthesizer. Thanks lot Mr. Tim for this you tube video...liked...
You named it. The world is full of people, bitching about products that they have never owned or even touched. I have to deal with the same kind of insubstantial "hate" in my business. You really make the Andromeda shine! A true master of pads.
you have truly made it sound fantastic. With it's going "used" price I would find it very hard not to buy a UDO Super Gemini over this synth. The Super Gemini also adds a sine wave into mix like the CS-80. The Super Gemini seems to be a little cheaper, 20 voices and brand new. Although I have never played a Super Gemini, every video I have watched/listened to, it seems to be the best sounding new synth to come out in a very long time. I put it well over any new products from Moog, Roland or Oberheim. Love to see you review a Super Gemini. This video is the 1st video I have seen that put's the Andromeda A6 in a positive light. Sure makes a difference when someone who knows what they are doing when reviewing a synth. Love your videos.
CONGRATULATIONS!!! I remember seeing one of these at my local music shop, being completely ignorant of what it was at the time, and now of course they're rather rare.
Pro tip: to get a great vintage style feel out of it, turn the unit on, run the system thru its auto-tune function, disable “background tuning” in settings, and let the synth just sit for 20mins and warm up. A nice subtle drift will now be present.
This is truly an epic synth, I can't believe you can't fall in love once you've spent 48 hrs with one. The Process button opens up a great control parameter to change the character further !
I've had one of these since they came out, and actually had 2 at one stage when Alesis (courtesy of Mike peake - one of the devs) sent me a replacement, with custom knob caps, for my store bought one. So when Alesis went bankrupt, I ended up with two of them.... I kept mine under dust covers since then and it's still in pristine condition with no jumpy knobs. I recommend replacing the under screen knobs with larger ones like on my custom unit, same size as the other medium sized ones on the synth. Makes it easier to control
I saw the Dave Bryce demonstration of this keyboard at NAMM 2000, and I bought one (from the first production run) the moment it became available. Unfortunately I was also the one who discovered that it didn't respond to polyphonic aftertouch over MIDI as it was supposed to and reported it to Alesis, it was to be updated but it never happened. Still, I loved it for a decade, and only sold it when Alesis discontinued it because someone literally offered me three times what I paid for it, and I was worried that the knobs were getting wonky. But once you learned that you needed to keep the OSC levels below a total of 30 (a flaw in the design), it just sounded amazing. Briefly I also concurrently owned a Yamaha CS-80, and discovered the trick where you mix in Filter Band Pass in the Post Filter Mixer to emulate the "fuzziness" of the CS-80; I had a patch I called "VanJealous Strings." What I wouldn't give to have a modern version with the hardware and firmware updated and the flaws corrected.
OMG...I owned two of these. I ended up with a Mint in box one in 2007, after a long search despite me being stupid enough to sell my original A6. This may be the only synth I ever owned two of at two separate times. What a great machine. We used to do Rush covers, and this one handled EVERYTHING!!! Praying that Alesis can resurrect this beast.
Hella Yeah! Welcome to the A6 club. Really good review of this beast. looking forward to hearing what presets you design for the A6. I have had this synth for over 10 yrs and used it regularly and had no issues. Have to clean the pots when values start jumping but otherwise a solid dependable musical partner. So don't listen to all the naysayers about dependability.
Funny you just posted this I was giving my Andromeda an overhaul with a new display and chassis swap. Great synth! I would love to see if someone could get InMusic/Alesis to release the chips so someone could remake them.
Tim, I have had my eye on this synth for years. Nick Rhodes has said it’s his favorite synth ( yes even over the Jupiter-8 ). Anyways, I was negotiating with a well-known NY dealer with their $6000 model. He wouldn’t budge. I saw your video… I decided to check out Reverb and found a gem the same day I watched this video. I made an offer, I woke up the next day and it was accepted!! I paid, I waited and it arrived a week later! The seller threw in some extra cards and loads of extra sounds! Wow!! Anyways, I am glad I purchased my A6 and it works and sounds amazing and it’s very inspirational, I write something every time I sit down. Cheers! 🥂
Tim, Can you do a tutorial video of the Mix Mode and how to assign different MIDI channels and take advantage of its multi-timbral function?? I’ve read the manual but can’t figure it out! I use Logic, I know how to record multiparts with something like Omnisphere but I want to utilize all 16 parts on the A6. Thanks in advance!
Well, Sir, based on your glowing review here, I started the process of finding an alesis andromeda for myself. It arrived today. 5 hours in headphones having my mind blown. I’ve owned so many synths I’ve lost count. Starting in 1985. I really thought I knew what a synth was capable of. I was wrong. This synthesizer is beyond belief! The filters have a richness that I can only describe as having a “life-force”. I am so disappointed in myself for having waited SO LONG to finally buy one. I thought my Korg prologue was cool…..oh no! My Moog sub37, my prophet rev2, Nope. This synth is a whole new category of sound creation and I can honestly say you could spend a lifetime exploring its potentials! It is a synth that will never sound dated or “yesterday’s news”. So much to explore’ Best 5grand I’ve ever spent! And IT IS BUILT LIKE A TANK!!!! I’m going to open it up and pull the front panel board out and spray out the potentiometers. Then install the aftermarket “negative” lcd screen. I’m so excited and I have you to thank Mister Shoebridge! You are a treasure! THIS SYNTH IS A MASTERPIECE!
Tim, thank you again for making such an excellent and informative video. Truly fantastic. I have owned an Andromeda A6 for many years and am in love with it. The world on average doesn't understand how incredible this instrument is and I applaud you for your insightful approach to its capabilities and sound. I have an original Minimoog and Prophet 10 and the A6 can sound similar and yet completely different. In my humble opinion this is the most powerful analog synthesizer ever released to the market. Hearing synthesizers on RUclips never fully conveys their sonic performance so you really have to play one first hand to see what it offers. With this in mind I can tell you that the A6 can hold it's place among any of the highly sought out synthesizers which always come to mention.
In my opinion, it's the best analogue synth ever made. I've never understood why it never received the attention it deserves. I only played one for about half an hour 15 years ago. It was instant - to me it was the only analog synth I would ever need or want. It's a synth that invokes deep emotion and compels you to want to create and compose. I instantly recognised it as an instrument that would take me to the zone. Where time stands still, just you and the music.
That's exactly how I felt about my Jupiter 8 in 1982. As soon as you turned it on the adrenaline flowed, anything was possible! Very exciting and this synth looks the same. 😎
My old Andromeda!!! Congrats, Tim!! I sold mind under duress (the big divorce) but you’re right….what a DREAM!! Gorgeous sounds! Me ? I’m saving up to settle for a SUMMIT. That’ll be my 1960s XMAS MORN. Happy for you, Brother!! I think about my old one ALL the time…after ten years. As I recall, it’s got a cool Tuning Routine that it does. The Andromeda is: what nearly every Waldorf ever made dreamed of being You deserve this, Tim. After all you’ve given us and all the poor-man synths you’ve animated. Merry Christmas Morning! Mark I should login again as MarksClamBake, which is probably where we did our back and forth on Nymphes Logue XD & Typhon. PS Can’t wait to hear the tracks & tutoring you produce with Andromeda!!
I've owned my Andy now for 10 years, and it's hands down my favorite synthesizer, and I've owned many high-end boutique synthesizers. It just does everything i want it to do. Awesome low-end on the Andy as well...subsoniq
Thank you, Tim. I remember this being released and wanting one, but finances didn't permit, then the news of Alesis going broke. If only a certain small red fruit synth modelling company could be persuaded to model this, I would purchase in a heartbeat. Dribble, looking forward to hearing some music from it.
The problem with making a VST version is, nobody seems to have the schematics for the custom ASIC voice chips. I've asked several ex Alesis employees from the time.. and they never seem to have a copy. So the right engineering team *could* shave down a chip and analyze it under a microscope to reverse engineer it still.. but not a simple task for sure!
I know exact how you feel, I finally found an affordable Andromeda in Australia which is now proudly sitting centre of my studio, giddy to say the least.
Congrats Tim, so great to see an Andromeda in your hands. It's an incredible synth and as you note, even 20+ years later remains unrivaled in many areas (especially multitimbrality). Thank you for your lovely review of the A6!
Excellent video (as always!) Mr. Shoebridge. I am lucky enough to have two of these beautiful sonic creatures. Through personal experience and a ton of research, though, I have found that these wonderful instruments have a mortal enemy and that mortal enemy is internally generated heat. When these synths were being designed and built inevitably the "bean counters" got way too involved and the result was nearly every major semiconductor component in this instrument was underpowered and overwhelmed with the work it was asked to perform. This is especially true of the ASIC chips as well as the severely underpowered microprocessor. If this synth ever goes down on you finding parts for this beauty will be like searching for and expecting to find unicorn poo. Do everything you can to keep your new sonic "girlfriend" as cool as possible and hopefully she will live a little longer for you!
*if* the search is truly over(is it ever?) then congratulations are in order… but we all understand that the search is never-ending. At least bask in the fleeting moment of glory that is your andromeda epiphany… and we’ll see you on another video in a couple of weeks time when you can do episode 2 and make us all just a little more envious that you were able to find one in great condition (working). Congrats and… enjoy!!!
I wanted one of these years ago, but it was out of my budget. Settled on the Alesis Ion, which is also a great synth in its own right. Built like a tank, too.
Thank you Tim. You're one of the best in the EU on Synth videos. We all know what marvelous machine the A6 Andromeda is. I never wanted to buy it because we also know how it - without any warning - can instantly die. Game over. And there is almost no resurrection possible...
Quality of this video is top notch! Thank you! I also always dismissed A6 based on internet reviews and never had a chance to try one. Alesis was a good company back then. At least, they tried to innovate (A6, Fusion was what later was done by Korg as OASYS and then Kronos, or by Yamaha in their Montage). BTW: Kebu has and uses A6. For me that means that A6 cannot sound bad, rather the opposite. Would be interesting to hear his A6 story.
Love this synth! I got one brand new almost exactly 20 years ago. It was my second analog synthesizer and my knowledge of synthesis was not developed enough to fully realize it's capabilities. Nevertheless I held on to it for 7 years and learned so much from this wonderful instrument.
@@kierenmoore3236 I sold a few synths that year because I needed the money at that time, so definitely not because I got tired of it. By the time I was able to start buying new instruments again it was well out of production, and so many new choices had come along. However every time a video like this pops up featuring one I sure miss it.
Great video, that's the best presentation of the Andromeda I've ever seen. Some of the probelms are very real though as far as I can tell it was one batch that was bad. It can be a bit tempremental though, it's known for jittery pots and weird gainstaging - keeping the levels low seems to sound a lot better. Other problems appear to be software related - switching the background tuning off seems to help make the chips last longer. But problems are par for the course with any hardware synth. OTOH it is immensly flexible, it can do an absolutely enormous range of sounds, and can sound absolutely fantastic.
I had an Alesis Nano Verb. It had the most spacious, dreamy , psychedelic reverb and delay setting ive ever heard. I need two units to come close to it now.
I feel in love with the andromeda back in the early 00 when I played one at a guitar centre and have always harboured a desire for it. Alas, it was too big for my studio then and it is too big for my place now. I will own one though one day.
Congrats! I've heard the rumors. I hope yours lives a long life. If there are some steps you can take to improve your odds, I hope you look into that, do what you can, and enjoy.
One of the few Hardware Synths I always had some interest in getting someday. Lovely to get such a deep video of it by you. I wasn‘t aware of the online discussion about it except for the „they don‘t make these chips anymore“ thing. But that never deterred me from falling in love with what it can do and how it is laid out!
Wow, what an incredible instrument - thanks for such a lovely review, I'm loving listening to what you've created with this - much under rated and well ahead of its time!
... and, finding a tech that knows how to put it all back together is a much of a hunt as finding the synth in the first place. ... still, I'm happy to be at the beginning of my experience with the A6.
1. “My Search Is Over” … I was already laughing, before I knew what it was … it never ends, boy … 😉 2. Will be super-interested in your longer-term review/opinion (assuming one of those proprietary chips doesn’t just die … j/jks, I hope!!) I was surprised it was an A6 … doesn’t seem like your cuppa tea, but I like surprises (especially ones that don’t cost me any money … hence, I love checking out all the modern releases from Roland, haha). Enjoy the ride, and look forward to your future content!! Be well, Sir!
I used to have one for a few years. Hands down one of the best sounding Synths out there (just don't ever use its awful inbuilt FX). Incredibly versatile, beyond anything else I know. Nice keyboard feeling too. At first, I was as impressed and thrilled as Tim. But then, its quirks drove me crazy. Those parameter jumps were the worst part of them. Sold it before I was going to treat it with an axe and throw it out of the window. Sadly Alesis went out of business before having the chance of building a reliable and improved second version. That would have been synth heaven.
The A6 was the first analogue synth I ever heard up close. I had been producing music for somewhat a while, but was still novice enough to adamantly believe that hardware was unnecessary. I now own many classic synthesisers. Unfortunately not an A6 but amongst others a Memory Moog, a OB8, SH101, SE Code 8 etc etc. I like to think that first little experience started it all. It was in an instant my mind was changed. I couldn’t quite believe what I was hearing. I hope to own one some day.
Well, Mr. Shoebridge, based on your video of the Andromeda, I just purchased one. I got it really cheap because the pots are jumping and I know how to fix them. Free shipping! I’ve always had an urge to own one, but they were pretty cost prohibitive, considering their age. But your video pushed me over the edge.
I had to sell mine to help raise a deposit for a house. My family needed somewhere to live, but I do still sometimes catch myself looking at them and wondering if I needed my Andromeda more.... One of the all time greats.
I know what it's like to be infatuated with a new synth. That's how I felt about my first polysynth, the Juno 60, when it was first released. After that it was the OB8. I remember checking out the Andromeda in the music store when first released. I didn't spend enough time with it to appreciate its depth. I just wasn't all that thrilled with the preset sounds. I felt that same way about the Waldorf Q when I first explored it in a music store--lack luster presets. I later purchased a used Q and spent some time programming it. It is now my favorite synth. There are a lot of similarities with the Andromeda--16-part multitimbral, arpeggiator, sequencer, 3 LFOs, 2 filters, stereo output, multiple ENVs (4), extensive matrix mod. However, the Q is digital, not analog, and no ribbon controller. I'm sure I would have loved the Andromeda. Amazing analogue beast! It certainly has a unique looking user interface. Thanks for the review. You'll have to give us a performance next time.
Wow! I really had no idea. It's a beautiful sounding instrument too. This makes me really pining for a software emulation of it. After having watched quite a number of your videos, one thing has really occurred to me about them and you; you are one hell of a good storyteller. How you narrate them, how you shoot them, your scriptwriting, all of it. Each video is a little documentary well told.
Awwwesome !!!!! Hadn't the money to buy one in his time.... the King of his time above all: the most powerful analog synth i've ever seen. I'm glad you own one of these jewel !!! Have fun dear Tim !
Had one. Sold it. Found it had a narrower sweet spot frequency-wise. Key is to keep OSC levels closer to 50% or less to get some nicer sounds out of it.
Lol this is an amazing synth, so glad you got one. This would be an endgame for me but alas cannot find them anywhere. I will watch and listen like a hawk.
This may be your best video, ever. The awe and passion really come through. And the demo song sounds like something I’d have done myself, absolutely love it. This got me thinking; what contemporaries does the A6 have? Powerful, weird and rare. The Hartmann Neuron comes immediately to mind. Everything else pales. But maybe a PolyEvolver and Fizmo? Interested in your thoughts.
Hi Tim, hope you are keeping well mate, great video and thanks for showing us your new baby, very jealous. There was one on EBay recently just down the road from me in Reading and it was calling me but the piggy bank is empty 😩. Hope you really enjoy it and maybe post another video or two on one of my to die for synths. Cheers Glyn.
Awesome machine! totally understand why you’d be chuffed to get hold of one....me I’m stuck praying there will be a remake or clone ( that I can actually afford😉) one day. I even love the aesthetics, in my view one of best looking synths ever made! An Absolute classic -! Enjoy 👍
A real power machine with so much features. Btw ... the design was done by Axel Hartmann who is nowadays doing a lot of work for Waldorf. The actual prices for the A6 are varying in Europe, from about € 2.000 (with some issues) to over € 7.000 (fully serviced). A dream synth ... maybe ... a great presentation ... for sure 👍.
I was Alesis Product Specialist for the UK in the late 90s until Alesis went under and was purchased by Numark. I was lucky enough to be on the periphery of the A6 project, run by the legend that is Mr Dave Bryce (who's baby this really was), Mike Peake and Arnd Kaiser who, amongst many other things, helped create a load of the presets. I remember spending a weekend at Arnd's house near Frankfurt where we were playing with the prototype and coming up with sounds inspired by the artists who might end up using this instrument. As part of my job, I had the very first A6 in the UK so that I could really gen up on it before it got released and it had pride of place in our studio. When Alesis finally went, I couldn't be without it so I bought it. I still have it now and it is still working fine. Tim - your video is brilliant and totally highlights why this is such an incredible instrument and so ahead of its time. I'm sure if Alesis had been able to continue, we would have seen even more evolvement of this amazing synthesiser. Another underestimated feature to mention is that you have separate Outputs on the back so that each multitimbral part can have its own output. Looking forward to more content on this beast !
I've seen you post this before in other threads - such a great story and thanks for this. Regarding what Tim alluded to in this video, are you ALSO of the feeling that some of the custom asics and components are so unique that the machine is unfixable? (something Tim said he read from non-owners) Can it be future proofed or repaired if you needed, not unlike a Prophet or OB synth?
Thanks, brother Basement!!! Hope all is well with you…. dB
@@Station2Station-du2ghyou would have to have access to another Andromeda to salvage parts from. Ive had mine for 13 years and still going strong! But even if an voice or two crapped out it wouldnt be a big deal, cuz there would still be 14-15 still working. Super powerful synth. Not perfect, but workable, nothing like it
@@Station2Station-du2gh Alesis were one of the pioneers of the ASIC. That's how they were able to pack so much functionality into their products but release them at an affordable cost (digital reverbs for under £500 back in the late 80s, for example) and how they were able to create so many innovative products such as the ADAT that revolutionised the recording industry. That said, the very fact that these were Application Specific, rather than off the shelf components, does make it more difficult to come by. I know the company that took over the production of ASICs from Alesis are still making them, so it is possible to source them but you would need a clever engineer who could identify where any faults lie and to source and replace the specific ASIC required. This would not be like replacing a worn capacitor. Plus, there are loads of ASICs in an Andromeda ! So, I'm not saying this is necessarily impossible to fix, just very difficult. If you're not an engineer, then the easier repair option would be to try and source a spare board and swap the whole thing over, though this would be far more expensive to do. If you want to discuss this subject further, then maybe take a look at Dave Bryce's brilliant Music Player Network and then you can pick the brains of the guys behind these products (and probably learn a load of great stuff too): forums.musicplayer.com/
@@musicplayernetwork2950 Hello Mr B - hope you all is well with you too sir !
I own Oscar Peterson's Andromeda, including the owner's manual with his handwritten notes throughout it. It has been in my collection since shortly after he passed away and his estate was selling off his gear. It is my prized possession, and I plan on using it until it dies or I do.
That's a genuine WOW! 😯
I had no idea he had one. I was aware that he was interested in synths since sometime in the '70s, but not that he was still buying new gear that late on.
Veteran A6 user here! Amazing how many things you managed to include in 37 minutes, but you must have touched 30 % of all the things you can do with it. For instance... The Ribbon is actually 3 ribbons... one is the whole ribbon, and then you can use it as two independent halves (that´s why there´s two hold buttons, each for each half), all at the same time!. You didn´t even touched FM which is incredibly deep... for each vco: linear, exponential and pwm fm. You can do all sorts of filter fm... you can even do filter FM from the feedback loop on the pre filter mixer! Hard and soft sync, ring mod, 2 subs, etc etc You can use the sequencers as modulation sources without triggering the notes... just modulating. Croutes are modulation sources for the normal modulation routings... It´s truly infinit. There´s even one page in which you can see what each modulation source is assigned to in the mod matix... so you have a general view of what´s going on in the patch. Mind Blowing. But all that would be useless if the synth would sound bad. I compared it side by side with Minimoogs, SEMs, Emu Modular, System 100m, etc. It can sound like all of those if programmed correctly.
Владею данным инструментом с 2004 года, после замены всех патенциометров работает безупречно, но для того чтобы раскрыть всю мощность данной машины, нужно глубоко погрузиться в синтез звука и програмирования, но далеко не каждый сумеет укротить даноого зверя. Сложный инструмент с безграничными возможностями и уникальным звуком. Спасбо за обзор. Думал продавать, но после просмотра видео, передумал) это бесценный подарок!
As long as it works it's one of the best sounding analogue synths ever made.
Can watch this endlessly. Perfect synth
The best synth review video on RUclips
Fun fact. The model name was a play on words "A6" = "ASICs". ASIC: Application-Specific Integrated Circuit. Which are custom made chips designed specifically for the Andromeda. And I believe this is how they where able to trap so many analog voices in such a small space and keep price competitive 20 years back.
Great synth and video. I’m glad I got mine years back. Still I’d bet that Tim's search is not really over yet. lol
I could never figure out why it wasn’t the A16 … thanks for clearing that up!!
One of the greatest, in my opinion. Had one in 2000’s and sold it back then. Bought another one just a week ago, cleaned all the pots and man, what can I say, it’s pure bliss.
I own or have owned many analog vintage synths and modern ones, from Jupiter 8, Prophet 5/10 to Access Virus and the 3rd Wave, etc.
What I can say now is that The Andromeda is the closest to my heart and to my taste, the “best” sounding - if there is such thing :)
The A6 is a materpiece. The absolute key to making this sound monstrous is to keep the prefilter levels low. You have a lot of headroom on the master outputs so no need to worry about overall level but very little on the inputs into the filter section. That has lent it a reputation of sounding thin but keeping the oscillators below 1/3rd opens up the sound. It's a beautiful machine.
Spot on. It took me three years after buying this synth to figure this out. I always found it to sound harsh and congested. How wrong I was, now it is one of my goto synths for a super wide range of sounds. The gainstaging in this synth is a big thing to reckon with.
The best analogue poly synth ever made. Even Moog One doesn't come close for totality of features.
I worked in a HiTech shop in Sydney... And we got a few of the first in Oz... We received 2 on the first shipment... and we scored a special edition Red A6..... Damn... I hate myself for not buying it... but luckily, got a CS80 instead.... Looooong story...
To Bad Alesis were purchased for their IP by Numark.... Because it was then, Like Ensoniq, EMU, The company would never be this again... definatley Alesis finest hour..... Ill always say Midiverb , ADAT , HR16/B and the A6 .... All High points . RIP Alesis that was.
Tim, excellent review of the A6 and congratulations on collecting one. I remember photos of Nick Rhoads with his A6 and thinking, I'll never be able to have one of those. I don't know what got into me, but I did a search in December of 2022 and purchased one a week before Christmas. When I walk by the A6 I say, "I can't believe I have an Andromeda". I don't understand why this Synth doesn't get the recognition it deserves?
As a younger guy, this is my first time encountering this synth. In the design I find myself seeing so much of what I’ve often imagined a perfect polysynth would be. I don’t know why more manufacturers today don’t do what Alesis did over 20 years ago…
it is becoming increasingly difficult to find raw materials, both in human terms (creators) and in terms of material components, to mass produce instruments like this.
Congrats on buying A6, Tim!
Thank you, Tim, for this sweet love letter to the A6. I love mine dearly, too. Bought it brand new at the time, and have loved and appreciated it ever since. It is said that the Alesis engineers set out to build the best analog synth ever made at the time, listening f. ex. to all available filter designs to pick out the best (Oberheim and Moog) - and certainly they were way, way ahead of their time, making the Andromeda's history a bit of a strange episode in the big book of synth evolution. The build quality is really very good, and I have never had any hardware related issues, even though it travelled from stage to stage with me quite a lot. Speaking of live use: The OS, unfortunately, is not completely reliable, and the A6 froze on me quite a few times (which makes for a nice extra excitement on stage ...). There was one brave man intending to write a new OS for the A6 a few years ago, but it seems he never came through. It would be fantastic, as the OS seems to me to be the only weak spot of this otherwise very accomplished synth. Well, yeah, of course, the digital effects do not live up to modern day standards, especially the delay. But that is not a deal breaker at all. What a glorious synth indeed. Makes me smile every time I use it.
I've had mine for a few years and I've yet to dig deep into it, came with a card in the back, do you know what is that for? Memory, additional presets? Sorry for the dumb question.
Hey @@IanAlderige , yes, it is a slot for a PCMCIA Type I RAM card. They exist in different sizes and can store additional user presets and banks.
@@IanAlderige
The maximum memory is 2mb.
If you format it you chose the amount of single patches vs multi patches you want.
The battery need to be replaced every few years.
Easily got in a jewellers.
As a 14 year old in 2000 this was my dream synth from the day it was released. Such a beast. Congrats on acquiring one!
"As a 14 year old in 2000"...OK.
@@X22GJP what?
dude’s trying to use math to debunk you - I mean, c’mon, if that’s true then that would make you 37 years old, ffs. BUSTED!!!
@@X22GJP did you see a comma?
My fav synth of all times… a monster of a synth ❤
An incredible synth. One of The Best. Despite its wonky OS, once you figure it out, it’s not that hard to use, and the possibilities are truly endless. Most importantly, it sounds so good, and it sits so nicely in the Mix among the classics with its own voice. I believe the Andromeda for the typical used price of 4-5K offers more value than the new prophet 10 and the OBX8 - and it sounds just as good and its own way, absolutely. And with a lot more sonic possibilities.
Andromeda somehow became my dream synth since I've seen it first in the gear section of DJ MAG back in 2000-2001. I didn't even understand anything it does or synthesis in general yet, but somehow it grew on me on first sight. Now since I understand what it actually is, it's even more of a dream synth.
Fellow A6 owner here. Thank you for the great video on it. Appreciate your comments on - just like every other out of warranty synth - enjoying it for as long as you can. That’s how I felt when I bought mine.
I’m surprised no one has made a soft synth emulation of it yet (looking at you Cherry Audio, Gforce, Arturia, etc.)😊
Well, UVI created an A6 sampler playback plugin. It’s the only thing that is kind of on track.
@@aristotlekumpis7095There's also a similar thing from IK Multimedia.
Thanks @aristotlekumpis7095. I will check that out.
IK Multimedia has an emulation called the Galaxy as part of its Syntronik 2 instruments collection. No idea how close to the real thing it is.
Love my Andromeda.. It's a truly beautiful synth which never ceases to blow my mind! Thanks for this comprehensive review Tim!
It is really unfortunate that Andromeda A6 synthesizer went out of production...it provided so many features at an affordable price...Great true tribute here to Andromeda A6 Synthesizer. Thanks lot Mr. Tim for this you tube video...liked...
You named it. The world is full of people, bitching about products that they have never owned or even touched. I have to deal with the same kind of insubstantial "hate" in my business. You really make the Andromeda shine! A true master of pads.
The Andromeda is still futuristic the way only something from the year 2000 can be.
you have truly made it sound fantastic. With it's going "used" price I would find it very hard not to buy a UDO Super Gemini over this synth. The Super Gemini also adds a sine wave into mix like the CS-80. The Super Gemini seems to be a little cheaper, 20 voices and brand new. Although I have never played a Super Gemini, every video I have watched/listened to, it seems to be the best sounding new synth to come out in a very long time. I put it well over any new products from Moog, Roland or Oberheim. Love to see you review a Super Gemini. This video is the 1st video I have seen that put's the Andromeda A6 in a positive light. Sure makes a difference when someone who knows what they are doing when reviewing a synth. Love your videos.
CONGRATULATIONS!!! I remember seeing one of these at my local music shop, being completely ignorant of what it was at the time, and now of course they're rather rare.
I saw the knob layout a few seconds in and knew exactly what it was. Congrats, a beautiful synth in masterful hands.
Pro tip: to get a great vintage style feel out of it, turn the unit on, run the system thru its auto-tune function, disable “background tuning” in settings, and let the synth just sit for 20mins and warm up. A nice subtle drift will now be present.
This is truly an epic synth, I can't believe you can't fall in love once you've spent 48 hrs with one. The Process button opens up a great control parameter to change the character further !
I've had one of these since they came out, and actually had 2 at one stage when Alesis (courtesy of Mike peake - one of the devs) sent me a replacement, with custom knob caps, for my store bought one.
So when Alesis went bankrupt, I ended up with two of them....
I kept mine under dust covers since then and it's still in pristine condition with no jumpy knobs.
I recommend replacing the under screen knobs with larger ones like on my custom unit, same size as the other medium sized ones on the synth. Makes it easier to control
I saw the Dave Bryce demonstration of this keyboard at NAMM 2000, and I bought one (from the first production run) the moment it became available. Unfortunately I was also the one who discovered that it didn't respond to polyphonic aftertouch over MIDI as it was supposed to and reported it to Alesis, it was to be updated but it never happened. Still, I loved it for a decade, and only sold it when Alesis discontinued it because someone literally offered me three times what I paid for it, and I was worried that the knobs were getting wonky. But once you learned that you needed to keep the OSC levels below a total of 30 (a flaw in the design), it just sounded amazing. Briefly I also concurrently owned a Yamaha CS-80, and discovered the trick where you mix in Filter Band Pass in the Post Filter Mixer to emulate the "fuzziness" of the CS-80; I had a patch I called "VanJealous Strings." What I wouldn't give to have a modern version with the hardware and firmware updated and the flaws corrected.
OMG...I owned two of these. I ended up with a Mint in box one in 2007, after a long search despite me being stupid enough to sell my original A6. This may be the only synth I ever owned two of at two separate times. What a great machine. We used to do Rush covers, and this one handled EVERYTHING!!! Praying that Alesis can resurrect this beast.
Moog can help them resurrect it, now … 😏
Hella Yeah! Welcome to the A6 club. Really good review of this beast. looking forward to hearing what presets you design for the A6. I have had this synth for over 10 yrs and used it regularly and had no issues. Have to clean the pots when values start jumping but otherwise a solid dependable musical partner. So don't listen to all the naysayers about dependability.
Funny you just posted this I was giving my Andromeda an overhaul with a new display and chassis swap. Great synth! I would love to see if someone could get InMusic/Alesis to release the chips so someone could remake them.
The close up shots were had me dying of anticipation. I'm thinking "just let freaking look at this thing!" Haha
Tim,
I have had my eye on this synth for years. Nick Rhodes has said it’s his favorite synth ( yes even over the Jupiter-8 ). Anyways, I was negotiating with a well-known NY dealer with their $6000 model. He wouldn’t budge. I saw your video… I decided to check out Reverb and found a gem the same day I watched this video. I made an offer, I woke up the next day and it was accepted!! I paid, I waited and it arrived a week later! The seller threw in some extra cards and loads of extra sounds! Wow!! Anyways, I am glad I purchased my A6 and it works and sounds amazing and it’s very inspirational, I write something every time I sit down. Cheers! 🥂
Tim,
Can you do a tutorial video of the Mix Mode and how to assign different MIDI channels and take advantage of its multi-timbral function?? I’ve read the manual but can’t figure it out! I use Logic, I know how to record multiparts with something like Omnisphere but I want to utilize all 16 parts on the A6. Thanks in advance!
Well, Sir, based on your glowing review here, I started the process of finding an alesis andromeda for myself.
It arrived today. 5 hours in headphones having my mind blown. I’ve owned so many synths I’ve lost count. Starting in 1985. I really thought I knew what a synth was capable of. I was wrong.
This synthesizer is beyond belief!
The filters have a richness that I can only describe as having a “life-force”.
I am so disappointed in myself for having waited SO LONG to finally buy one. I thought my Korg prologue was cool…..oh no! My Moog sub37, my prophet rev2, Nope. This synth is a whole new category of sound creation and I can honestly say you could spend a lifetime exploring its potentials! It is a synth that will never sound dated or “yesterday’s news”.
So much to explore’
Best 5grand I’ve ever spent!
And IT IS BUILT LIKE A TANK!!!!
I’m going to open it up and pull the front panel board out and spray out the potentiometers. Then install the aftermarket “negative” lcd screen.
I’m so excited and I have you to thank Mister Shoebridge!
You are a treasure!
THIS SYNTH IS A MASTERPIECE!
Tim, thank you again for making such an excellent and informative video. Truly fantastic.
I have owned an Andromeda A6 for many years and am in love with it. The world on average doesn't understand how incredible this instrument is and I applaud you for your insightful approach to its capabilities and sound. I have an original Minimoog and Prophet 10 and the A6 can sound similar and yet completely different. In my humble opinion this is the most powerful analog synthesizer ever released to the market.
Hearing synthesizers on RUclips never fully conveys their sonic performance so you really have to play one first hand to see what it offers. With this in mind I can tell you that the A6 can hold it's place among any of the highly sought out synthesizers which always come to mention.
In my opinion, it's the best analogue synth ever made. I've never understood why it never received the attention it deserves. I only played one for about half an hour 15 years ago. It was instant - to me it was the only analog synth I would ever need or want. It's a synth that invokes deep emotion and compels you to want to create and compose. I instantly recognised it as an instrument that would take me to the zone. Where time stands still, just you and the music.
That's exactly how I felt about my Jupiter 8 in 1982. As soon as you turned it on the adrenaline flowed, anything was possible! Very exciting and this synth looks the same. 😎
My old Andromeda!!!
Congrats, Tim!!
I sold mind under duress (the big divorce) but you’re right….what a DREAM!!
Gorgeous sounds!
Me ? I’m saving up to settle for a SUMMIT. That’ll be my 1960s XMAS MORN.
Happy for you, Brother!!
I think about my old one ALL the time…after ten years.
As I recall, it’s got a cool Tuning Routine that it does.
The Andromeda is: what nearly every Waldorf ever made dreamed of being
You deserve this, Tim. After all you’ve given us and all the poor-man synths you’ve animated.
Merry Christmas Morning!
Mark
I should login again as MarksClamBake, which is probably where we did our back and forth on Nymphes Logue XD & Typhon.
PS Can’t wait to hear the tracks & tutoring you produce with Andromeda!!
I've owned my Andy now for 10 years, and it's hands down my favorite synthesizer, and I've owned many high-end boutique synthesizers. It just does everything i want it to do. Awesome low-end on the Andy as well...subsoniq
Thank you, Tim. I remember this being released and wanting one, but finances didn't permit, then the news of Alesis going broke. If only a certain small red fruit synth modelling company could be persuaded to model this, I would purchase in a heartbeat. Dribble, looking forward to hearing some music from it.
The problem with making a VST version is, nobody seems to have the schematics for the custom ASIC voice chips. I've asked several ex Alesis employees from the time.. and they never seem to have a copy. So the right engineering team *could* shave down a chip and analyze it under a microscope to reverse engineer it still.. but not a simple task for sure!
@@Wagoo hi, yes I know but one can dream can't they.
I know exact how you feel, I finally found an affordable Andromeda in Australia which is now proudly sitting centre of my studio, giddy to say the least.
Such a bonkers beautiful piece of kit
Congrats Tim, so great to see an Andromeda in your hands. It's an incredible synth and as you note, even 20+ years later remains unrivaled in many areas (especially multitimbrality). Thank you for your lovely review of the A6!
Excellent video (as always!) Mr. Shoebridge. I am lucky enough to have two of these beautiful sonic creatures. Through personal experience and a ton of research, though, I have found that these wonderful instruments have a mortal enemy and that mortal enemy is internally generated heat. When these synths were being designed and built inevitably the "bean counters" got way too involved and the result was nearly every major semiconductor component in this instrument was underpowered and overwhelmed with the work it was asked to perform. This is especially true of the ASIC chips as well as the severely underpowered microprocessor. If this synth ever goes down on you finding parts for this beauty will be like searching for and expecting to find unicorn poo. Do everything you can to keep your new sonic "girlfriend" as cool as possible and hopefully she will live a little longer for you!
*if* the search is truly over(is it ever?) then congratulations are in order… but we all understand that the search is never-ending. At least bask in the fleeting moment of glory that is your andromeda epiphany… and we’ll see you on another video in a couple of weeks time when you can do episode 2 and make us all just a little more envious that you were able to find one in great condition (working). Congrats and… enjoy!!!
I wanted one of these years ago, but it was out of my budget. Settled on the Alesis Ion, which is also a great synth in its own right. Built like a tank, too.
I've tried to sell my Micron and Quadrasynth, but no takers. Let's hope this vid arouses interest in Alesis gear!
@@bilonggrisimmeri Bought my Micron for $90 at a pawn shop about 5 years ago. Now THAT'S a fair price!
Stunner of a synth and a cracking video. Well done.
Thank you Tim. You're one of the best in the EU on Synth videos.
We all know what marvelous machine the A6 Andromeda is. I never wanted to buy it because we also know how it - without any warning - can instantly die. Game over. And there is almost no resurrection possible...
Welcome to the club, Tim. Glad to have you on board.
Quality of this video is top notch! Thank you!
I also always dismissed A6 based on internet reviews and never had a chance to try one. Alesis was a good company back then. At least, they tried to innovate (A6, Fusion was what later was done by Korg as OASYS and then Kronos, or by Yamaha in their Montage).
BTW: Kebu has and uses A6. For me that means that A6 cannot sound bad, rather the opposite. Would be interesting to hear his A6 story.
Love this synth! I got one brand new almost exactly 20 years ago. It was my second analog synthesizer and my knowledge of synthesis was not developed enough to fully realize it's capabilities. Nevertheless I held on to it for 7 years and learned so much from this wonderful instrument.
Why did you flip it, in the end?
@@kierenmoore3236 I sold a few synths that year because I needed the money at that time, so definitely not because I got tired of it. By the time I was able to start buying new instruments again it was well out of production, and so many new choices had come along. However every time a video like this pops up featuring one I sure miss it.
Great video, that's the best presentation of the Andromeda I've ever seen. Some of the probelms are very real though as far as I can tell it was one batch that was bad. It can be a bit tempremental though, it's known for jittery pots and weird gainstaging - keeping the levels low seems to sound a lot better. Other problems appear to be software related - switching the background tuning off seems to help make the chips last longer. But problems are par for the course with any hardware synth.
OTOH it is immensly flexible, it can do an absolutely enormous range of sounds, and can sound absolutely fantastic.
I had an Alesis Nano Verb. It had the most spacious, dreamy , psychedelic reverb and delay setting ive ever heard. I need two units to come close to it now.
Still got mine - supplies reverb etc for one of my mixers.
I feel in love with the andromeda back in the early 00 when I played one at a guitar centre and have always harboured a desire for it. Alas, it was too big for my studio then and it is too big for my place now. I will own one though one day.
What a wonderful sounding machine - and what a love letter. Love it.
A Piece of Art Demo... of the mighty Alesis Andromeda. Congrats!!!
more please.
Congrats! I've heard the rumors. I hope yours lives a long life. If there are some steps you can take to improve your odds, I hope you look into that, do what you can, and enjoy.
One of the few Hardware Synths I always had some interest in getting someday. Lovely to get such a deep video of it by you. I wasn‘t aware of the online discussion about it except for the „they don‘t make these chips anymore“ thing. But that never deterred me from falling in love with what it can do and how it is laid out!
I purchased mine over twenty years ago and I still have it as well as an Alesis Ion.
Congratulations, Tim!!! Can't wait to hear what you've got in store!
beautiful review. have my own Andromeda for abt 10 or more years. will go back to that spaceship thx to this video. inspired.
Wow, what an incredible instrument - thanks for such a lovely review, I'm loving listening to what you've created with this - much under rated and well ahead of its time!
Still kicking ass here too! The most underrated synth! Is impressive!
The ultimate search for the ultimate poly ends in ultimate search for "spare parts" that's ultimately unobtainable.
... and, finding a tech that knows how to put it all back together is a much of a hunt as finding the synth in the first place. ... still, I'm happy to be at the beginning of my experience with the A6.
I lusted for one of these for many years but had to settle for a blue Special Edition Micron instead. Thanks for showing how awesome the A6 is.
Microns are beautiful in their own right imo
I'm glad this ended up in your hands, it's definitely an impressive instrument and I'm sure it has found a loving home.
Such a wonderful design and a gorgeous VCO sound hopefully a reliable reissue will be made by someone at sometime.
1. “My Search Is Over” … I was already laughing, before I knew what it was … it never ends, boy … 😉
2. Will be super-interested in your longer-term review/opinion (assuming one of those proprietary chips doesn’t just die … j/jks, I hope!!)
I was surprised it was an A6 … doesn’t seem like your cuppa tea, but I like surprises (especially ones that don’t cost me any money … hence, I love checking out all the modern releases from Roland, haha).
Enjoy the ride, and look forward to your future content!! Be well, Sir!
I remember seeing this on the cover of future music in the early naughties and really wanted one.
Great synth.
Congrats on the A6 sounds great the the modulation options are bliss :)
Great video Tim. That synth definitely has its own sound which is a good thing.
I used to have one for a few years. Hands down one of the best sounding Synths out there (just don't ever use its awful inbuilt FX). Incredibly versatile, beyond anything else I know. Nice keyboard feeling too. At first, I was as impressed and thrilled as Tim. But then, its quirks drove me crazy. Those parameter jumps were the worst part of them. Sold it before I was going to treat it with an axe and throw it out of the window. Sadly Alesis went out of business before having the chance of building a reliable and improved second version. That would have been synth heaven.
The A6 was the first analogue synth I ever heard up close. I had been producing music for somewhat a while, but was still novice enough to adamantly believe that hardware was unnecessary. I now own many classic synthesisers. Unfortunately not an A6 but amongst others a Memory Moog, a OB8, SH101, SE Code 8 etc etc. I like to think that first little experience started it all. It was in an instant my mind was changed. I couldn’t quite believe what I was hearing. I hope to own one some day.
wow your camera work on this one is really next level! I feel like I'm watching a Netflix special or Hollywood movie
Well, Mr. Shoebridge, based on your video of the Andromeda, I just purchased one. I got it really cheap because the pots are jumping and I know how to fix them. Free shipping! I’ve always had an urge to own one, but they were pretty cost prohibitive, considering their age. But your video pushed me over the edge.
I had to sell mine to help raise a deposit for a house. My family needed somewhere to live, but I do still sometimes catch myself looking at them and wondering if I needed my Andromeda more.... One of the all time greats.
Thanks, wonderful presentation and that sound!
Thank you so much. Really appreciated 🙏
Congratulations! Lusted after this one for a long time!
I know what it's like to be infatuated with a new synth. That's how I felt about my first polysynth, the Juno 60, when it was first released. After that it was the OB8. I remember checking out the Andromeda in the music store when first released. I didn't spend enough time with it to appreciate its depth. I just wasn't all that thrilled with the preset sounds. I felt that same way about the Waldorf Q when I first explored it in a music store--lack luster presets. I later purchased a used Q and spent some time programming it. It is now my favorite synth. There are a lot of similarities with the Andromeda--16-part multitimbral, arpeggiator, sequencer, 3 LFOs, 2 filters, stereo output, multiple ENVs (4), extensive matrix mod. However, the Q is digital, not analog, and no ribbon controller. I'm sure I would have loved the Andromeda. Amazing analogue beast! It certainly has a unique looking user interface. Thanks for the review. You'll have to give us a performance next time.
Wow! I really had no idea. It's a beautiful sounding instrument too. This makes me really pining for a software emulation of it.
After having watched quite a number of your videos, one thing has really occurred to me about them and you; you are one hell of a good storyteller. How you narrate them, how you shoot them, your scriptwriting, all of it. Each video is a little documentary well told.
Awwwesome !!!!! Hadn't the money to buy one in his time.... the King of his time above all: the most powerful analog synth i've ever seen. I'm glad you own one of these jewel !!! Have fun dear Tim !
Always wanted to land one of these, such an amazing synth!!
i had to sell mine and it still makes me cry. it is a wonderful synthesizer that is enjoyable to program. enjoy tim
Fantastic video. Thank you.
Had one. Sold it. Found it had a narrower sweet spot frequency-wise. Key is to keep OSC levels closer to 50% or less to get some nicer sounds out of it.
You are in the minority, most people I would say 95% of synth lovers adore the Andromeda
Lol this is an amazing synth, so glad you got one.
This would be an endgame for me but alas cannot find them anywhere.
I will watch and listen like a hawk.
you're a materialist, the search will never end
🤣
So awesome. I don't know why we don't see more from this beast.
Maybe most of them have dead chips/are busy “F#CK[ING]” their owners … ?! lol
Thank you Tim. My search is over, as well. Brand new 2nd Andromeda now in the closet.
This may be your best video, ever. The awe and passion really come through. And the demo song sounds like something I’d have done myself, absolutely love it.
This got me thinking; what contemporaries does the A6 have? Powerful, weird and rare. The Hartmann Neuron comes immediately to mind. Everything else pales. But maybe a PolyEvolver and Fizmo? Interested in your thoughts.
Gosh, that really sounds awesome.
love the strings .....
Had it for 15 years in the studio - unique, monster synth.
Hi Tim, hope you are keeping well mate, great video and thanks for showing us your new baby, very jealous. There was one on EBay recently just down the road from me in Reading and it was calling me but the piggy bank is empty 😩. Hope you really enjoy it and maybe post another video or two on one of my to die for synths. Cheers Glyn.
Awesome machine! totally understand why you’d be chuffed to get hold of one....me I’m stuck praying there will be a remake or clone ( that I can actually afford😉) one day. I even love the aesthetics, in my view one of best looking synths ever made! An Absolute classic -! Enjoy 👍
A real power machine with so much features. Btw ... the design was done by Axel Hartmann who is nowadays doing a lot of work for Waldorf.
The actual prices for the A6 are varying in Europe, from about € 2.000 (with some issues) to over € 7.000 (fully serviced).
A dream synth ... maybe ... a great presentation ... for sure 👍.
Enjoy the journey Tim. Fab synth and share.
Bought this when it was heavily discounted & new & yes it's a keeper ! Makes a very cool drum machine ! 😁
In europe it never was heavily discountered, always 4000-5000 euro’s new price