ALESIS ANDROMEDA - Can it replace a Jupiter 4

[save a prayer]

Hello,

Quick bit of friendly advice please, Ive been offered an andromeda for my jupiter 4 and cash, I already own a 12bit jupiter 8. Do you think the a6 could recreate the tones of a jupiter 4, my jp4 is mint and I dont want to let it go and then regret it, my programming has been learned on my 2 jupiters.

Thanks

[CoolColJ]

Nope

A6 does the Moogy, Oberheim, Yamaha thing
Not much the Roland thing

certainly not the older Roland things, maybe some of the later stuff

I'm guessing the JP4 is like a poly SH09, if then, definitely not.
I have an SH2, and the A6 can only do small fractions of it's tonal palette

[payt]

It might be able to replicate some of the tones, but not all of them. The JP4 has it's own sound, and while the A6 is a real chameleon, it does have it's own character as well. You'll probably be able to come pretty close though, but it will take some knowledge and effort to do so.

My advise is to buy the A6 for it's own merits, not to replace or replicate a JP4. The A6 is a whole different beast in that programming a sound isn't as quick as on the JP4.. some things are really easy, like filtering or changing the envelopes, but if say you want to change the LFO shape or intensity on the fly.. well, that takes a little more effort (you have to go into a menu and change it there, unless you assign it to some controller).

Having said that.. the A6 is an amazing and unique synth.. take the filter setup alone.. there's nothing like it on any other synth, and you may find yourself playing around with jst that for hours, just to see what you can come up with. Like the other day where i made a pretty straightforward double-saw pad sound which had a slight envelope on filter 1 for the basic pad sound, and an S&H LFO going to filter 2, with plenty of resonance for some shimmery effect, and there you have an instant new-agey pad which is unique to the A6.... and all this in 16 voice analog glory.

So umm.. well, i sold my Jupiter 6 so i could buy the A6, and never regretted it.. the A6 can do most of the things the JP6 could do, and actually i think it sounds just as good if not better. The JP4 might be a different story though.

[save a prayer]

Originally Posted by payt

It might be able to replicate some of the tones, but not all of them. The JP4 has it's own sound, and while the A6 is a real chameleon, it does have it's own character as well. You'll probably be able to come pretty close though, but it will take some knowledge and effort to do so.

My advise is to buy the A6 for it's own merits, not to replace or replicate a JP4. The A6 is a whole different beast in that programming a sound isn't as quick as on the JP4.. some things are really easy, like filtering or changing the envelopes, but if say you want to change the LFO shape or intensity on the fly.. well, that takes a little more effort (you have to go into a menu and change it there, unless you assign it to some controller).

Having said that.. the A6 is an amazing and unique synth.. take the filter setup alone.. there's nothing like it on any other synth, and you may find yourself playing around with jst that for hours, just to see what you can come up with. Like the other day where i made a pretty straightforward double-saw pad sound which had a slight envelope on filter 1 for the basic pad sound, and an S&H LFO going to filter 2, with plenty of resonance for some shimmery effect, and there you have an instant new-agey pad which is unique to the A6.... and all this in 16 voice analog glory.

So umm.. well, i sold my Jupiter 6 so i could buy the A6, and never regretted it.. the A6 can do most of the things the JP6 could do, and actually i think it sounds just as good if not better. The JP4 might be a different story though.

Thanks for your very helpful reply, I wasnt so much wanting to sell my jupiter 4, its just a friend is after one and has put forward a deal for me to buy his a6 with cash and my jp4. After using the jupiter the andromeda looks awfully complicated and I ve heard that if voices go they cannot be repaired or replaced??

[payt]

Well yes the voices thing is a slight risk.. however, if his A6 has held up so far, it looks like it wasn't an A6 from the bad batch that had these problems, so you don't have to worry about that. You CAN still buy a new voiceboard though, if worse comes to worse, though it's not cheap..

Alesis A6 Andromeda Spare Parts

My andy has held up perfectly well, and everything still works 100%, and i think most users have no issues with it.

Anyway, if you get the chance, maybe you should play around with it a bit. Make sure you read the tips and tricks first though, since there are some things to keep in mind to get the most out of your A6 (the osc levels, for example, which start clipping slightly when they are over 30%ish).

The secret to the Andy is that you really have to sit down and start working with it, and the more you find out, the better it gets.. and after a while you'll find that you want to start saving sounds every few turns of a knob, since it sounds so good.. lol.. well that has been my experience anyway.

Good luck deciding what to do :P

[Arcadia]

I've owned both. If you love the sound of the JP-4 and would miss it, then don't trade for an A6. It's a completely different synth. And if you like the simplicity of the JP-4 that's another reason not to let it go. The Andy takes time to get accustomed to and it's not as instantly gratifying as a Jupiter or Juno.

[save a prayer]

cheers, i feel more comfortable now about diving into the andromeda pool. Thanks

[save a prayer]

Originally Posted by Arcadia

I've owned both. If you love the sound of the JP-4 and would miss it, then don't trade for an A6. It's a completely different synth. And if you like the simplicity of the JP-4 that's another reason not to let it go. The Andy takes time to get accustomed to and it's not as instantly gratifying as a Jupiter or Juno.

Thanks, I would be interested which you thought would amke an ideal pair - jupiter 8 and a6, jupiter 8 and 4 or jupiter 4 and a6

[Arcadia]

I'd stick with your JP-8 and JP-4 if I were you. Can't do much better than that!

[save a prayer]

think I will

[itisnick]

I would think that you would be more easily emulating the JP4 with the JP8 than the Andromeda. And if you answer is the JP8 is a generation later and not that closely related then there is your answer is the A6 is more so.

So it's an A6 and cash for the JP4 or the JP4 and cash for the A6? How much cash. I mean it is a speculation on how much a JP4 will rise in price compared to the Andromeda. There is no question the A6 does a lot more, not just a little more, I mean multitimbral voices and 32 VCOs vs 4. But also some people really don't like how they sound and program so that might be why that person wants to trade.

[Don Solaris]

Save the money instead then buy Andromeda. Soundwise, it's a PERFECT match to go with the Jupiters.

[save a prayer]

thats my feeling too, I am going to save a little and look for a good andromeda, trouble is what stand do you use for such heavy synths?

[Diametro]

Play them on carpet like Don does ...

[cdog]

The andromeda is rare and becoming VERY rare on the used market, I think just as an investment its worth considering.

Honestly I love my a6 and wouldnt trade it for any keyboard.

[Zombie H]

Originally Posted by payt

Well yes the voices thing is a slight risk.. however, if his A6 has held up so far, it looks like it wasn't an A6 from the bad batch that had these problems, so you don't have to worry about that. You CAN still buy a new voiceboard though, if worse comes to worse, though it's not cheap..

Alesis A6 Andromeda Spare Parts

My andy has held up perfectly well, and everything still works 100%, and i think most users have no issues with it.

Anyway, if you get the chance, maybe you should play around with it a bit. Make sure you read the tips and tricks first though, since there are some things to keep in mind to get the most out of your A6 (the osc levels, for example, which start clipping slightly when they are over 30%ish).

The secret to the Andy is that you really have to sit down and start working with it, and the more you find out, the better it gets.. and after a while you'll find that you want to start saving sounds every few turns of a knob, since it sounds so good.. lol.. well that has been my experience anyway.

Good luck deciding what to do :P

http://www.instrumentalparts.com/9-79-0210.html

So does that part replace the entire 16 voices on an A6?

Thinking longer term would it be smart to stock up on some of those parts now if I plan to keep my A6 for the next 20 years?

I also have had no problems whatsoever with my A6 (from 2009) but I wonder how this synth will hold up over the decades....

I can't picture another analog synth like this ever being made with such great hand on controllers so will need to keep mine in tip top shape

[the donal]

Originally Posted by cdog

The andromeda is rare and becoming VERY rare on the used market, I think just as an investment its worth considering.

Honestly I love my a6 and wouldnt trade it for any keyboard.

I think that maybe we should all petition Alesis to return the A6 to production.

I simply can't afford even a second hand one at the moment, but know for a fact that I'd love to own it.

I feel that it is Alesis' duty to keep this in production!

[CoolColJ]

Originally Posted by save a prayer

thats my feeling too, I am going to save a little and look for a good andromeda, trouble is what stand do you use for such heavy synths?

A normal quality keyboard stand, it's not that heavy!

The JP8 and Jp4 are way heavier.....

Jaspers and K&M Spider Pro are good

[Zombie H]

hey I have 2 out of those 3 keyboards.....just missing the Jupiter 8

: /

[save a prayer]

superb set up

[cane creek]

I know a guy who sold his J4 to buy a A6 and now deeply regrets it, he's now after selling his A6 so he can get a J4 lol

[save a prayer]

that is interesting, maybe you could get him to contact me, Im not selling my jupiter but I am looking for a good condition andromeda. cheers

[cl516]

for about 3 years i owned them, had them side by side.
no it cannot replace a jupiter 4. but then a jupiter 4 can't replace A6 either.

[save a prayer]

do they compliment one another?

[BTByrd]

Originally Posted by save a prayer

do they compliment one another?

Originally Posted by Don Solaris

Save the money instead then buy Andromeda. Soundwise, it's a PERFECT match to go with the Jupiters.