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Average rating:
4.7 out of 5
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I don't have one, but I've played around with one before. today most recently. it's a great sounding board. I'm not into techno or dance so I don't care for the arpeggiated patches, but a lot of them are good. the mini is really nice. but like all other VAs, putting a lot of resonance on it and sweeping the cutoff isn't smooth. it doesn't sound like the 24db. ladder type filter. yes, the dredded "stepping" effect. but for $500? shit, get one if you like knobbed synths. I would, if I were rich and had a house the size of a football stadium. but you have to draw the line somewhere. but anyone wanting an analogish synth with great control at a ridiculous price will be pleased. the dealer wanted $699 and it was a scuffed display. no thanks. I may get a JP8000 one of these days just to have a knobbed board to mess around with. you hardly ever see the AN1x for sale. it seems like a board that doesn't get much attention, but I think it's great and I'm picky.
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I got the AN1x from Sam Ash for their $499 blowout. Awesome value for that money. Since its been discontinued I strongly recommend getting one before they're gone. I now use it as a control keyboard, with the capability of sending it's phrase sequence and arpeggiator patterns to my other gear (mainly A3000 and JP8080). I thought I would be able to use all the knobs on the Jp8080 to control other gear, but since the knobs output on the same channel as the parts are set to, it's a pain. Its easier to set the output midi channel on the an1x than on most other control keyboards. The sounds are very impressive. Sounds I got from online such as "Insides" (Orbital influenced) and "Massive Hook" are amazing. For you newbies out there, don't waste precious money on limited junk like the MCx0x or even the Korg Electribes. Get good functional gear from the start, like this synth, and a sampler for expanded multitimbrality and drums, and your in business.
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It's been a long time since I owned an analog synth. (OK, I still don't REALLY own one...) I'm VERY glad that I bought the AN1x; for the money, you can't beat the sound -- it's extremely fat and rich. I'm rediscovering the joys of free musical expression again as a keyboard soloist, something that I haven't been able to do on the baker's half-dozen wavetable synths that I've owned over the last ten years.
I should start off by saying that I don't use the AN1x for dance, house, or techno music. I play in a old-school style band with guitar-keys-bass-drums. The synth certainly seems to have a bunch of features to make those other venues shine, but it's also great for basic rock and roll, too.
The control possibilities on this axxe are remarkable. You can do everything that a classic stage-type analog synth could ever do, and a few neat tricks that would have taken a room full of gear to pull off in the Golden Years of analog synths. The oscillator sync and cross-mod control is dead on, and having five or ten oscillators available in Unison modes certainly takes the worry of whether the patch will cut through in a band mix away.
The eight knobs, ribbon, and wheels combine to give you more adjustments than you'll probably need in most live situations, and then there's velocity sensitivity and aftertouch as well -- two items that the vintage synths rarely offer. There are a couple of synth or EFX parameters that I wish were available in the control matrix (ex: delay time and chorus feedback aren't assignable to a knob), but all in all, it's pretty customizeable to your preferences.
The arpegiator is fun to use, and about half the sequences are useful. The other half? You'll have to decide for yourself. Luckily, each patch can have its own stored sequence, so you can add the riff you need as a sequence.
The manual is long, but very detailed. It's must reading for anyone who is serious about customizing the sounds to his or her personal taste. The index is detailed and accurate, and you'll probably find yourself needing it for the first few weeks of ownership.
What don't I like? It's a BEAR to program through the on-board interface. I've been playing synths since the early 70's, and I can probably program a Minimoog or Prophet-5 in my sleep. By comparison, this synth is a very complex beast, and the eight-knobs-and-too-many-buttons user interface isn't always up to the job of simplifying the programming for us mortals. The free software editor is a must, and it greatly improves the experience of getting the exact sound you want. By the way, don't bother with the wimpy US support site; go directly to Yamaha/UK for a better selection of software and patches.
My final test: If it was damaged or stolen tomorrow, would I go out and by another one? In a heartbeat ...
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never even considered it, because i thought it was too cheap looking. waiting for the really big boys to come out. supernova keyboard, virus keyboard, triton,the Q, the z1 replacement. in the mean time i played it for 10 minutes at sam ashe and baught it for $499. got the pc editor, and it's great. the 4-track eg editor can edit for 8-bars or 16 seconds -- cool. i use it for bass & weird sounds arrpeggiating my prophecy card combined with my trinity loaded with zon sounds and pro rec's filmscape & pads collections for some deep atmosphereic trance space exploration.
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This synth is a great synth, i'm very upset i had to get rid of this, the sounds are warm, and you can create some insane voices, if anyone is buying a new synth i'd suggest to pick this up ther's a blowout at sam ash for it it's like $500, buy it if you can, if ihad the money i'd spend it without thinking great synth worth the money definately
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