My new Andromeda is on it's way

pinealapoptosis

Hello everyone.I am a new member here at electro-music and this will be my first analog synth.

I dont have much experience in subtractive synthesis.Just some vsts.Im pretty new to music production and analog synthesis.I have been spinnig records for a few years and have wanted an analog synth for awhile.

So after reading through hundreds or reviews for everything from the Andromeda,voyager,prophet '08,poly-evolver to some VAs like the virus TI.I finally settled on the andromeda.

I know I should'nt have bought such an expensive and advanced since as the andromeda for my first analog synth,but If I am gonna get a piece of equipment,I want to get something I am never gonna have to replace.Add to,yes.But not replace.

You could say I applied the icing to cake(studio) before I finished baking it.

Well anyway I am excited about my andromeda coming.I purchased it last night from Woodwind and Brasswind.com (www.wwbw.com)

It was USD$2,999.Nova musik has them for USD$2,699 but wwbw.com offers financing with 12 month no payment and no interest.So I went with them.

I also got an extended 2 year warranty through wwbw.com.It covers accidental damage as well as the regular warranty stuff.It was an extra $179.

Anyway I am happy to join the community.I have been lurking for a few weeks now.I will have tons of questions,I am sure.So maybe the forums acctivity will pickup because of me,hehe.

Pictures of my new Andromeda coming soon.Should be here next week.

Cheers,apoptosis Very Happy

blue hell · Posted: Sun Nov 09, 2008 10:07 am Post subject:

Gothboy · Posted: Sun Nov 09, 2008 10:48 am Post subject:

....and congrats on your new A6! cheers

I think you made a good choice. It's really analog. Wink

pinealapoptosis · Posted: Sun Nov 09, 2008 2:09 pm Post subject:

Thanks for the warm welcome guys.I cant wait to start making some noise on the thing.I bought an m-audio 2x2 midi interface yesterday.Im already buying and lloking at other equipment for the andromeda and it hasnt even gotten here yet.

heh..

I will post some of my own patches when i get it and start creating my own.After I run through the factory presets of course.

sunny pedaal · Posted: Mon Nov 10, 2008 1:06 am Post subject:

welcome !
it's a great synth, do yourself a favor : read the manual at least twice and the tips and tricks manual ( see first topic in this forumsite). it took me almost a year to get my way properly round , but it was worth it.

ThreeFingersOfLove · Posted: Mon Nov 10, 2008 4:47 am Post subject:

Welcome to the forum and congratulations on your purchase!

Things are kinda slow here (as if all A6 owners have explored all its sonic vistas... Rolling Eyes

) but let's hope that things will get better. You got yourself an amazing synthesizer - read the manual and the T&T pdf and be patient. It WILL reward you... Wink

analogstndrpusy · Posted: Mon Nov 10, 2008 10:32 am Post subject:

Congrats! I was in the same boat as you are , 10months back. And I can honestly say that you won't be dissapointed, as long as you stay patient.
There is a learning curve for getting around to programing basic patches but its worth your efforts. I still get frustrated at times and I still have alot to learn(croutes) but its fun.

Found attached is a new track i made with the a6 doing all of the synth parts. Hit me up if you want the patches.

Funk Bug THRIHD.mp3

Description:

a6 tune

Download (listen)

Filename:

Funk Bug THRIHD.mp3

Filesize:

4.35 MB

Downloaded:

704 Time(s)

purpurkatten · Joined: May 27, 2005 Posts: 131 Location: right here

Nice tune! Thanks for showcasing some of the great sounds of the A6! Smile

pinealapoptosis · Posted: Tue Nov 11, 2008 9:24 am Post subject:

Thanks for the tune.I like it.I would like the patch if you want to post it.Ergh I cant wait to make some of my own.The andromeda is suppose to be here tomorrow.

Apparently they just released a new batch around 10/07/08.I read that on the studio-central forums.

I guess thats why tons of places have it as "in-stock"

pinealapoptosis · Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2008 11:29 am Post subject:

Well it should be delivered today.I cannot wait.

Can someone post a link or send me the beta OS version 1.40.13? (edit) nevermind,I found a copy on the wohmoart site.

Also a copy of the service manual would be nice as well.Someone was suppose to email me a copy but they havnt gotten back to me yet.Thanks in advance.

pinealapoptosis · Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2008 1:23 pm Post subject: andromeda has arrived

Well the UPS man just dropped it off.Im letting it warm up as we speak.Pictures soon to come.

Woo,I am so excited.

sunny pedaal · Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2008 1:47 am Post subject:

rh2y · Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2008 12:36 pm Post subject:

pinealapoptosis · Posted: Fri Nov 21, 2008 10:50 pm Post subject:

I have not taken pictures yet.I have been to busy actually playing with it to take any pictures.

I have a question though.I initialized the user banks.I didnt quite understand what it did.So after that I did a hard reset.I think this fixed it.

My question is.In mix mode is the preset bank mix# 127 called multitibral mix and does it use astronomy sweep?I just want to make sure my banks are back to normal.

Also,to save a new patch or change one,I would have to overwrite one of the existing user banks?Unless I have a memeory card of course.

I am confused on the difference between a default user bank and a regualr user bank.What I mean is.What exactly does booting up with start soft button 8 do?I am confused in how the manual puts it.

Also what is the difference between initializing the user bank.And booting up with soft button 3 pressed?

Thanks in advance..

kpatz · Joined: Oct 29, 2008 Posts: 22 Location: NH

pinealapoptosis · Posted: Sat Nov 22, 2008 2:11 pm Post subject:

Thanks alot.That helps.

But along with the new program option you mentioned there is an option to initialize the user bank.I think it does almost the same thing as hard reset.

You hit store,then init,then choose the user program/mix bank.I am pretty sure it is similar to a soft reset.Well maybe not.

I just know when I did this using the store button,the user mix #'s like 80~ - 127 changed to something really boring.They sounded like the same mix but with different sequencer settings.

Hmm.

So to get it back the way it was when I bought it.(brand new) I would do a hard reset?And to get it back to my own user programs and mixes I would power up with soft button 8?

kpatz · Joined: Oct 29, 2008 Posts: 22 Location: NH

pinealapoptosis · Posted: Mon Nov 24, 2008 11:42 am Post subject:

Thanks alot! I undertsnad now.

Except for soft button 8.So soft button 8 on power up makes the current user bank the default bank?

The way I understand this is.Whatever bank is loaded when soft 8 is preshed on power up,is going to be the bank that soft button 3 loads?So I press soft 8 and that makes the current user bank the default?

Well I learned the hard way what the store init. does.I was having mix bank problems.All of my mixes would be out of sequence.I could hit a key and hold it down playing a mix.Sometimes the mix would play right and sometimes it would be sped up or out of sequence.So after loading factory banks to no evail.I initialized the banks.Now everything says uninitialized.So I am sending it back to the dealer.My replacment andromeda is on its way.

I will never initialize again.Hehe.I am getting a Ram card and will save all my patches and banks there.I dont want to overwrite the factory user bank.

But I still dont know why all my mixes were messed up.

Anyway,thanks for the help.I am learnign slowly and the hard way,it seems.

kpatz · Joined: Oct 29, 2008 Posts: 22 Location: NH

You didn't have to send your Andy back. You could have downloaded the user bank from Alesis' website and downloaded it via SysEx, then reinstalled it into the default bank by holding soft button 8 on power-up.

pinealapoptosis · Posted: Mon Nov 24, 2008 4:42 pm Post subject:

I tried this a few times.But the mixes still would not work right.

Also,after initializing I tried to send the banks back via sysex.But the banks still say"uninitialized".How do I fix this?

I havnt sent it back yet.Fedex is suppose to pick it up this week.

pinealapoptosis · Posted: Mon Nov 24, 2008 7:54 pm Post subject:

Ok,so.I remembered that you cannot change preset banks unless you copy.So I sent both preset mix and program banks via sysex to the user banks.Then I coppied them to the preset banks.Voila,no more uninitialized message.

My only problem is the preset mixes are still messed up.They are out of sequence somtimes.Sped sup sometimes and they sound fine sometimes.I can hit a key and the mix plays fine.I can hit it again immediately and it sounds rubbish.

I thought it might be corrupted so I am re-downloading it as we speak.

Any ideas?

pinealapoptosis · Posted: Tue Nov 25, 2008 3:16 pm Post subject:

Well I called alesis today to see if I could get this mix bank problem sorted before fedex comes to pick it up.

Seems I had already tried everything.The tech said it is probably a mallfuntion on the main board or in the RAM and ROM.He said if I hadnt already set up an exchange he would have instructed me to send it in for repair.

This was a learning experience for sure.I am glad I solved the uninitialized problem.I wish I could have solved the mix problem though.

I just hope the feel (knobs/keys) of my new andromeda is not to different from my old one.

I grew attached.

Either way,even if this next one has a problem,I am sticking with the andromeda.It is just so mean and nasty.I love the sound.

cheers Surprised

pinealapoptosis · Posted: Tue Nov 25, 2008 7:44 pm Post subject:

So I figured out the problem.

When I have midiox running the mixes dont play right.

I dont know why.But atleast it isnt the synth.The new andromeda is on its way though.So I think I am still going to send mine back.

I just noticed that somtimes the mixes will act like the key is held or the sustain pedal is pushed.

This is nuts.I am sure its just a simple problem.Whatever.New one is coming.

I just realized most of the replies in this thread are my own.hahaha

kpatz · Joined: Oct 29, 2008 Posts: 22 Location: NH

You probably have a midi loop going on when midiox is running. Check the "echo" settings in midiox.

I've seen stuck notes in mix mode as well. It seems to be most commonly caused by turning off/on mix channels while playing. Apparently turning off a mix channel while a note is playing prevents that channel from receiving the note-off message, causing the note to stay on. Switching to program mode and back to mix mode will turn off the stuck notes.