Alesis Andromeda----Worth the Effort???

[Kendall Station]

I got some cash and there's an Andromeda in my town for sale for 1700. 

I've been checking these guys out for awhile, but I'm also of the school where its better to have a limited synth you know back and forth than a monster you can't tame.

Thoughts? Experiences?

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[APK]

I loved it when I played it in a store, georgeous sound ... alas was too expensive back then.

Jesse/Numina has one ... maybe he will see this post as have something to say.

[Paul Vnuk (Ma Ja Le)]

Honestly for around the same price...give or take $300 I would get a Prohpet 8 instead.

Jut my opinion...

Paul

[mgriffin]

I haven't played with one myself, but I know that was Dave Fulton's primary instrument around the time of our Imprint album, and it sounded very good.  Of course, it was a $3000 instrument back then.

And I think Jesse/Numina is very fond of his.

[LNerell]

I've been checking these guys out for awhile, but I'm also of the school where its better to have a limited synth you know back and forth than a monster you can't tame.

Not sure what you mean here, you want something simple over complex is that what you mean?

As for the Andromeda it didn't really do much for me but then again I already have similar synths in my studio and haven't lusted after a big poly analog synth for a long time now. It does have plenty of fans though. I say go check it out and see if you like it.

[hdibrell]

$1700 sounds like a pretty good price. I agree with Loren, though, go check it out. I had one on order when Alesis went bankrupt. I really wanted it bad. I was in the music store at least once a week playing with the demo and waiting for mine to arrive. Unfortunately, I got nervous about the long delay and the bankruptcy situation and got my money back. I've always regretted that. I'm thinking about trying to acquire one again. Although, the prophet 08 may be the way to go. I haven't played one and I'm not sure a polysynth is what I need. I have plenty of gear, I just can't seem to finish anything, but that's another story. Bottom line is, no one can tell you what to do. Try it and go with the Force .     Harry 

[Horizon 1982]

Wow 1700...

I know a guy in my town selling his for 3000 euros...

[Horizon 1982]

I'm thinking of buying it, also because it's a special version with a custom panel made by Axel Hartmann, it will certainly increase more it's value than the regular one:

He was also selling the Waldorf Q but I got another deal involving a dark blue full rack for half the price:

[Horizon 1982]

The panel is the same (function wise) but it has a dark blue design instead the techno rave silver shit design of the regular one

Check the photo it's the one he's selling.

[Horizon 1982]

Yes, there are about 4 or 5 with that panel in the world, it was a prototype panel, that Alesis declined, this one doesn't have that moog layout, it's horizontal.

[Horizon 1982]

Now you got me thinking how much money would it take to mod the andromeda to the moog layout, I can quote a synth technician here. I think he can do it if I provide the wood parts.

[Horizon 1982]

Yeah 500 euros should do it for a proper job.

I found this WIP picture from the guy that modded his andromeda:

[Horizon 1982]

And another one:

[Scott M2]

Note - The angular mod looks great for the studio but will make a hard-to-transport instrument even-harder-to-transport if you plan to gig with it. A fellow used to bring a regular one to play at the PiNG sometimes and it was always a tricky logistical matter for him because it's large and heavy. Probably better than a CS-80 though!

[Julio Di Benedetto]

I got my Andromeda in 2006 and sold it last year......I created many amazing patches on the synth over the years, yet most of them were hard come by.  My relationship with the Andromeda was very much a love hate thing which was based on the user interface not the sound.  The Andromeda, for me, was not enjoyable to program.    As to the type of sound....it has the Moog and Oberheim style filters but those are names and do little to suggest the sonic capabilities of this synth and actually sounds nothing like either of those.  It has a unique voice of its own....ok 16 voices and though I was often at odds with the Andromeda it was definitely "Worth the Effort"

[Horizon 1982]

I got my Andromeda in 2006 and sold it last year......I created many amazing patches on the synth over the years, yet most of them were hard come by.  My relationship with the Andromeda was very much a love hate thing which was based on the user interface not the sound.  The Andromeda, for me, was not enjoyable to program.    As to the type of sound....it has the Moog and Oberheim style filters but those are names and do little to suggest the sonic capabilities of this synth and actually sounds nothing like either of those.  It has a unique voice of its own....ok 16 voices and though I was often at odds with the Andromeda it was definitely "Worth the Effort"

The owner says the same thing.
If the andromeda had 1 function per knob the size would be of a train.

He seems to prefer his Waldorf Q for programming. At least he was honest mentioning this...