[Yontsey]

Im thinking about buying a Alesis Micron synth keyboard and intergrating it into my band.

Does anyone have any experience with this keyboard? How easy is it to use? I heard it's pretty easy to pick up on.

I am by no means a piano player, but I know a few chords and what not, but I figure a synth is more about beats and rhythms as long as I know the key.

So yeah.....any advice on this synth?

[Mac+]

Alesis were famous for their effects boxes and, of course, the ADAT. I personally trust them as a brand. However, I have not played any of their synths.

Synths used to be about creating sounds - not playing automatic beats and rhythms. However, if this is what they are (d)evolving to, who am I to stand in the way of progress?

In terms of playing it, 37 keys isn't that much and if your aim is more beats and rhythms, you might find it more to your liking to get a table-top device and just trigger samples and effects.

For comparison's sake...
Here is a page of other MIDI keyboards: http://www.audiomidi.com/master.cfm?CID=265
Here is a page of table-top devices: http://www.audiomidi.com/master.cfm?CID=266

I'm just offering these so you can make an informed decision. For your price range, be sure to check out the KORG Electribe series. These are table-top devices, but, as I mentioned earlier, they might be better suited to your purposes, ie: beats and rhythms as opposed to pads and melodies.

[Yontsey]

Maybe saying beats and rhythms was the wrong way to put it.

What I'm gonna do is try and incorporate it into my band like the way Underoath does or um.........hmm....trying to think of another band.

Basically I just want some sweet synth fillers and make some other nifty things that they do. I have a friend in a band that has one and I've messed around on it a lil bit but I'm gonna mess around on it a lil more tomorrow.

[sunrain]

I think Alesis makes great stuff. I I find though that I use their sounds individually in a track, since there is a disconcerting homogeneity to their sample sets.

Honestly though, at that price point, I'd look for quality build more than anything (unless it has that "one sound" you need). I've had an Alesis QS8 since 1995 and only now is it starting to fall apart after endlessly trucking it around. I'd expect the same of this little guy.

[Yontsey]

That's good to know that the quality lasts for a long time. It probably will mainly stay in my bedroom and practice area until I can create the right sounds I want for the songs and then it will be taken to all my shows, and hopefully on tour here soon in the next couple months.

[Yontsey]

Well, I went ahead and bought the Alesis Micron and some other goodies today after playing around with it today at guitar center for about an hour.

I just got home and I;m pretty drunk....so, ill set it up tomorrow.

Im also learning how to play the mandolin and banjo too, ha.

[Mac+]

Wow - that was quick!

Happy music making Yontsey. I'm sure that "little guy" will be able to stand the rough and tumble of the rock star lifestyle.

Be sure to post some drunken banjo/mandolin/synth trio stuff for us.

sunrain - that comment about the homogeneity of the sounds is true ... and was also true for the Ensoniq line of synths and, more specifically, their samplers too.

[Yontsey]

Lemme just go on record saying that the Alesis Micron is one bad motha...shut yo mouth.......I'm just talkin about the Micron baby!

[Mac+]

cock of the walk baby