Bad Gear - Alesis Micron - The Brick

[@MrXamanX]

Without this show I woudn't know it's friday 😅

[@AudioPilz]

Have a nice weekend;)

[@glenesis]

Same! Happy Friday everyone!

[@beepboop4846]

It's Friday?

[@therealOXOC]

We're sinkcronized.

[@Lucas-qx5yu]

We love Friday!

[@Rubingah]

This synth was absolutely essential when I was getting started in cover bands. Nothing close to its price point was similarly polyphonic and multi-timbral, and you 100% need that when the songs you're reproducing live have multiple keyboard parts and you're a single human being. At $300, the Micron was punching WAY above its weight.

[@AudioPilz]

I'd love a groovebox with that engine!!!

[@prema9878]

@@AudioPilz the MPC5000 has that engine

[@scottt492]

The MPC 5000 synth engine isn't from the Ion/Micron. It's basically half of a Fusion which is far more powerful.

[@richardjames9976]

Deep down in my heart I knew one day the Micron would be covered on this series. I've always wanted one since I saw one at guitar center but now it is my mission. Thanks for reminding me.

[@AudioPilz]

Yeah, these are super powerful!

[@gamma_noize]

Get an Ion, if you want to keep your sanity while creating patches from scratch. ^^

[@jukesjointOG]

@AudioPilz - Have you done an episode on the Roland Juno G?

[@monotrious]

@ Richard James : Get One , It's Well Worth It !

[@user82938]

@@gamma_noize I disagree. The Micron is better because it's smaller, and I actually don't mind the programming method. You just have to embrace the shortcuts and it's actually quite fast.

[@wighttoan]

I love my Micron. The magic happens when you start stacking patches and using the multi-timbrality (is that a word?) I like the minimal control knobs to keep things simple. This synth is really a Swiss Army Knife. The drums are really Booooomy!

[@AudioPilz]

The multi mode is super powerful!

[@nnervecenter]

I overwrote the kicks with the same patches but set to very short decays - now the drum patterns sound good

[@mrz80]

I picked one up busted for real cheap and am just now getting it working again. The capabilities of the thing are almost alarming! :D I'm looking to trigger it from the midi out of my guitar synth for pads and funky leads.

[@jarls5890]

The Micron actually got a better and more expansive effects section than the Ion. Thus Ion patches are fully compatible to the Micron - but Micron patches are not fully compatible with the Ion1 Also - at 1:15 you say it has a plastic enclosure. I don't know if they sold you cheaper versions down in Austrialand - but my pristine, Norwegian bought Micron definitely got an aerospace grade aluminum enclosure (same alu the use for drink cans in the aerospace cantina). Also - many say this thing is ugly. I think it is one of the most unique and iconic looking pieces of keyboard created!

[@lo-firobotboy7112]

It always reminds me of the Moog Source (The Source?)

[@ncherguy1]

Always reminded me of the Korg Prophecy for some reason. Ever see the blue model?

[@raistaparta]

Oh yeah, the effects. Better on the Micron. For some weird reason the Ion only has a sort of slap back delay. The delay on the Micron is sweet!

[@horriblyodd]

Pretty sure just the main ‘plate’ around the keybed is metal. Bottom is silver plastic. Fooled me though honestly. Love the Micron.

[@jarls5890]

@@horriblyodd I'm certain - the silver parts of the exterior is an aluminium sheet (with a coat of paint). Just touching it - you can feel it is far cooler than the red plastic "end caps". Notice also how the metal sheet has been "bent" into shape just over and under the keybed.

[@-Deena.]

That's the best review of the micron I've seen and now I want one....so thanks for that. I am literally sleeping in my studio. A bed in the middle of a million synths. I have bin bags full of cables for pillows and you keep doing this me. Co-dependency is an ugly thing. Stop now 🧡

[@Timecop1983]

Not sure if it's still on KZbin, but there was a video of Dorian Concept using a Micron like a boss. It can sound amazing (that's why i got a Ion), but the menu diving is endless and the rubber of the rotary knobs decays often, leaving your knob very sticky...

[@ChrisHopkinsBass]

Can’t be dealing with a sticky knob…..

[@lundsweden]

What have you been doing to your knob!?

[@cosmicdrone5270]

Throw some rubbing alcohol on that knob to clean it. It should do the trick.

[@recycology5468]

I dislike menu diving too. I've adopted psychic menu diving.

[@Death_By_Media]

Happens with all rubber coated knobs eventually depending on ,,, Chemical make up of the knobs How oily or soiled your fingers are How you clean them and what with Environmental conditions etc, Bass Station II knobs are slowly becoming notorious for this too They are just going to need replaced . Some more some less . Silver lining if they disintegrate faster they probably have less cancerous linked chemicals in them 🌈⭐️

[@menhirmike]

Future Idea: Casio VL-1: It's not even a synth, it's an actual calculator that happens to make noise. No MIDI or external trigger support. And one band that found success with it had the monkey paw curl because everyone knows them as a one-hit-wonder instead of realizing what a landmark minimalist release their first album was. It's also cheap in the used market because it's a child's toy. Plus, I really want to see what kind of Jam you can get out of it :) The VL-1 might be a prime example of gear that's actually Bad, but also hugely successful/important because good musicians got legitimate songs out of it. Thinking about it, the VL-1 might've been the Volca of its day :P

[@birdie17uk]

Used by the Human League on Dare! (still sounds shit 'tho...)

[@AudioPilz]

Classic! I tried to find enough hate but they are just too adorable. Thanks for the suggestion though

[@seanluke3052]

He could compare it to the Yamaha VL-1 perhaps.

[@XanarchistBlogspot]

I have a Trio of ideas about this... I'll be here all week!

[@menhirmike]

@@XanarchistBlogspot I see what you did Da

[@raysubject]

this is actually one of best VA synths ever made.. i hope one day will be lucky to get one

[@AudioPilz]

Classic zero years VA sound. Approved!

[@mrz80]

I just scored a broken but should be fixable one off Reverb for $cheap. I couldn't pass it up at that price, and the damage doesn't seem to be that severe. Oh, and much love to Alesis for putting PDFs of their service manuals out there! I'm building my collection by buying repairable gear for which I can actually get repair information. It's thrifty and fun! :D

[@StephenMcLeod]

I had one of these. My first proper synth. The encoder broke, and I put it in for repair. The repair place told me a bunch of excuses why they coudn't fix it, such as being unable to get the parts... etc. So I sourced the parts. They then made other excuse about other things. Six months went by and in that time I learned to solder and picked it up from them to do the work myself. They were so angry and put out at me effectively calling their bluff on how long the repair had taken that they refused to accept any payment for the work they had already done, told me that they weren't running a charity, and that was the end of my relationship with them.

[@AudioPilz]

Some relationships better end

[@user82938]

The encoder is so easy to replace, actually. You just buy a whole board and replace the whole thing in one go. I don't think you even need to solder it. I mean, you could solder just the encoder, but it's easier to replace the whole module and doesn't cost much more. I did it myself.

[@StephenMcLeod]

@@user82938 Aye, though in my case they had to replace the wee buttons etc. Fuck knows if that was necessary. Either way, in the end I just replaced the daughter board. They clearly just didn't prioritise the work at the time.

[@kevinlangley9644]

Sadly alot of "repair" places act that way. And not just with music gear. What's the name Red Foreman would use to describe them? Oh, yeah....."Dumbasses". Lol. Like you I too got the runaround from places like you were describing and decided to take on repairs myself. Now in the age of Google and KZbin anybody should be able to do most of their own repairs. Not all but most.

[@beedubs100]

Had one years ago - pawned to survive. Finally found another to my liking 10 years later and it is still one of my favorite instruments to play around with.

[@AudioPilz]

Nice!!!

[@dnbsoldier7259]

I never realized that the micron had such a powerful synth engine. Pretty cool stuff for such an unassuming package.

[@AudioPilz]

Agreed! Never judge a book by its cover

[@maccagrabme]

Looks like a toy but far from it, I got this and the Akai version years ago and they are very underrated. Drums are good too.

[@dnbsoldier7259]

@@maccagrabme 3 LFOs and FM…you can do a lot. Sequencer and drums onboard…damn.

[@jdssurf]

shit, i really like this one, i need to focus on things i absolutely need though on my desk at the moment, need to upgrade to Ableton Suite right now so better save the cash. Great vid though, personally I do like it's sound. Any idea what stuff Michael Cretu of Enigma used? Love his stuff, especially from the 90s like Sadness and such

[@thesesmallboxes]

Never heard of this beast, but it seems I only ever really knew Alesis for their drum machines… it’s amazing what a synth engine lurks beneath its Lego exterior! It kinda makes my “brain dance”!

[@AudioPilz]

Yeah, I'd love a groovebox version of this!

[@6581punk]

Did you not hear about their analogue polysynth the Andromeda? The Ion was a VA follow up to that, as it was clearly too expensive to make the Andromeda. The Micron basically takes the Ion and puts it in a smaller box.

[@synthartist69]

I bought it's bigger brother Alesis Ion back in 2003. It is one of the few synths that I have hung onto all these years. The ION was fabulous at the time, as there were no modern analog synthesizers on the market for the most part, so this virtual analog worked well for me. Love it

[@AudioPilz]

The ION seems to be the much more professional choice!

[@EppuJoloZ]

Jexus' patches for the Ion made me fall in love in this synth engine. Great episode!

[@AudioPilz]

Yeah, Jexus is the GOAT!!!

[@cosmicdrone5270]

Florian, you've done it this time! The prices for Microns just went up twofold at the time of your video release. I'm a "lucky man" because I have one! You've turned the bad gear market upside down! Thank you!!!

[@AudioPilz]

They were already pretty hard to find before;) Thanks for watching!

[@kevinr.3542]

By the time you're watching it on Bad Gear, its too late...

[@seanrichards8774]

@@AudioPilz not hard to find for me, but hard to find in good shape. The encoder knob notoriously breaks off, but can be replaced with more durable aluminum ones. Also, the displays tend to die

[@aki_gong6271]

Prices have been pretty high for some time already, so nothing to do with this video I'm afraid.

[@shaft9000]

?? Searching recent completed listings shows 200-400 bucks, same as ever

[@SynthAddict]

I got a Micron when it was new to go with my MicroKorg and still have it - a great little synth with a big brain inside - you made some nice jams with it one thing you didn't show was the very capable jam mode where the keyboard is split into different sections and you can make simple songs with it in one pass - very unique feature I got an Ion a few years ago and it is a lot of fun but sturdy/heavy for its size also it suffers the screen angle thing of the Akai Force where you have to stand over it to get the right viewing angle or prop in at an angle in some sort of stand or wedge also being multi-timbral is a pretty rare thing now except for dedicated chunky workstations, so that also made this guy special especially due to all those features and the small size - the only thing comparable now is the venerable and even more portable/lighterJD-Xi I wish more synths had multi-timbral options - the Hydrasynth had to make a large deluxe model before it could even be bi-timbral :-( portable mutli-timbral and/or multitrack synths are a boon to creativity, portability, and jams that don't need you to take the damn computer everywhere you go - more stuff like this should come out now in this fairly jam centric period of music

[@AudioPilz]

Thanks! Used the multitimbrality with midi only. I'm not a great keyboard player;)

[@recycology5468]

These have been bought and sold from my inventory so many times I forget. I even had the Blue limited bought for $150. Sometimes I'd get one with scratchy volume and or sliders and found that gunk remover solved those issues easily. I really like these for what they are VA synths. Many of the patches sound analogish. I've had an Ion and sold that for rent. So now I have a mint Miniac with mic. Maybe not as collectable as a Blue limited but with some extras like a third wheel and knobs it's good compromise between an Ion and Micron. Alesis use to be the poor person brand, I've been loyal until Numark gobbled them up. Great Vid!

[@AudioPilz]

Thank you!!! A blue one for 150? These times are gone unfortunately...

[@user82938]

My volume knob is scratchy when I power on, but I just have to twist it back and forth quickly a bit and it goes away.

[@BrianMarshall1]

The volume pot is notoriously bad. I've fixed several where the carbon pad the pot wipers ride on cracks. It's an easy fix, but finding those pots is a pain in the ass . Surprisingly I've not seen one with a bad encoder though.

[@recycology5468]

@@AudioPilz I bought it at the Hollywood Guitar Center. I drove recklessly to buy it. The sale guy was so non-chalaunt (?) over the sale I thought it's going to have some issues but it was mint.

[@recycology5468]

@@user82938 I just spray a wee micro bit of gonk remover around the stem and let it drip through. I dislike taking apart synths unless it's a life or death situation for the synth. Unless the stem is bent it'll work.

[@paulwhiting1731]

Love mine and still working after 20 years and many hundreds of gigs. Most used patch Philly Turbo Organ, nothing else can produce that sound, magic.

[@audioartisan]

The Lego Synth! Whatever you do Don't step on it as your making your way into the morning light :D

[@AudioPilz]

Yeah, build quality isn't good enough for that;)

[@KRAFTWERK2K6]

You need some protective sandals with Korg... uh.. kork soles ^_^

[@TheWoodlandWhale]

Jexus' video on the Ion has made me want one of these for so long. It can do so much.

[@AudioPilz]

Jexus is the GOAT!

[@jacksonreazin6042]

All of the inserted memes are spot on for the emotions one feels when using a Micron.

[@AudioPilz]

Thank you!!!

[@Death_By_Media]

The Ion VA is up there with the An1X as one of the best sounding DSP synths of that era . Ended up with the Akai Miniak years later as the keys felt better to me and the two mod wheels where nice . Kinda of regret letting it go sometimes , but reluctant to pick up another as the outputs are prone to go bad ( on it and the micron ) and as it’s an attractive synth for newbies the encoders get beat to hell often . Still may one day . It had pretty decent “drift “ and a healthy selection of filter dsp clones( 15/17? ) that where at least 80% of the way there in isolation. So it’s a great cheap Polly for that Mid 00s VA sound and decent enough analog emulation in a mix .

[@AudioPilz]

Agreed! Reminded me of oldschool Yamaha VAs as well. In a good way!

[@Skootavision]

Had an Akai MiniAk when I needed something fairly portable. On its own it sounded great, but next to better synths it just couldn't quite cut it. Also, the MiniAk was a mystery I couldn't be bothered to unravel. I would totally have one as my first/only synth though and I can see why so many non-synth bands at the time had one as their only synth.

[@AudioPilz]

Just like the Microkorg these are great for guitar bands

[@Gainn]

The MiniAK is a bastard thing to program, but you can get some delicious noise out of it.

[@djlocodoc]

The moment you realize AudioPilz is doing episodes about all of your studio gear is priceless....Or maybe I'm a fanboy! Either way...It is Bad Gear Friday!!!Great episode sir!

[@AudioPilz]

Bad Gear around the world! Thanks!

[@dallas-cole]

Man, I said this before and I'll say it again in the future. No content creator comes close to this kind of review/memories. You excel at finding the right memes in sync with product features, such a great ability.

[@AudioPilz]

Thank you so much!!!

[@DietSodium]

Dude you did surprise me with this! I've always wanted a Micron since I first saw it. I know I know, the interface is terrible, but since there is the dedicated software... I mean it sounds really great, and lots of people who actually had/have Micron say that it's one of the greatest VA synths of all time. Sounds really good. But as usual - great job on the episode 😘

[@AudioPilz]

Thanks! It made want an ION;)

[@cl9826]

I had the ION. Interface was great and fun to use but everytime I recorded with it, it never blended well in the mix, sounded too "plastic" if you know what I mean.

[@CaptainAlbatross]

Oh man this makes me miss my Ion, what an awesome synth that was. I absolutely loved how it displayed the waveforms on the screen, thought it was revolutionary back then. Modulation routings were insane… Enough trips down memory lane, loving the jams as usual, great stuff!

[@AudioPilz]

Thank you!!!

[@bizmofunyuns9693]

2 interesting facts about the micron 1) when the red edition came out it only had 4 note polyphony, they didn't add 8 note polyphony till the blue edition. You had to update the red version over the web to get it. 2) you could run audio sources through it and use it as an effects unit and stack as many effects you wanted into the arranger. You could use more than 8 effects at a time. I own the blue version its quite amazing , its a great synth and i wish they would re release the micron, ion and andromeda

[@bizmofunyuns9693]

Also forgot to note that factory resetting a red micron can cause loss of polyphony from 8 back to 4 and you will have to download the update again. Blue special edition owners wont be effected by this

[@curtisvalle5141]

@@bizmofunyuns9693 This 4 to 8 download is on Alesis website? Sounds too easy.

[@TheAlienDog]

I’ve been waiting for this one and man, you did not disappoint! Still have it, even performed surgery on it to keep it alive (push encoder replaced OOPS!!), it still makes sounds none of my other synths can, crazy!

[@AudioPilz]

Yeah, the controls don't seem to be made for eternity

[@knitband3165]

Love this content! Since you've had gear like the DX7 on the channel, ever thought about doing the tr707? People rag on it compared to its analog siblings a little. (also its humbling/inspiring seeing you make jams with gear I own)

[@AudioPilz]

Thanks! I would have to find a 707 before;)

[@b.c.slumber3694]

@@AudioPilz i would lend you mine, but i feel likenthe postage to/from australia might be abit overkill. Haha

[@churricardo1457]

@@AudioPilz they’re really cheap compared to 808s and 909s, you can find them at 500 or less last time i checked

[@ddn1539]

There was a time in 2003 when I had a whole room worth of gear. Then only VSTs in 2005. Then only three hardware synths, the most pain-in-the-butt interfaced ones: a pair of Nord micromodulars and an Alesis Micron. Both, with a software editor and a very old version of Cubase had me making two full length albums. It was the best hardware configuration I ever had. And their colors matched perfectly. Deep thanks for reminding me of that pre-children era when I had time to make music.

[@AudioPilz]

Actually love the Nord Modulars!!! Nice setup!

[@markbucher50]

My first hardware synth, a great one to learn on. May have been a little glitchy and shoddy but damn that Jupiter filter and 3 osc FM can sound very digital-warm, and you can also get extremely circuit bent glitch noises by doing stuff with hard sync. I even made a completely convincing reverb piano based on a YT guys patch that he emailed the basic settings to me… Also this is the only synth that I actually had to turn off because the sounds it was making scared the hell out of me-it literally sounded like people screaming in hell lol If you’re into menu diving on crappy presets in order to turn them into mind melting idm type stuff it’s awesome. Def would consider a groovebox or plug-in version - already got a miniak and been looking at the MPC5000 which has a ported over ion engine

[@AudioPilz]

A Micron groovebox would be so great!

[@framzoid]

Being an Ion owner since 2004, I can attest to it's complex internal structures and have created some monster patches. The Micron isn't a baby brother but more a 3rd cousin twice removed in it's inability to be user friendly. BTW, Ions are going for twice what I paid for mine back then, if you can find one. Great episode Florian !

[@AudioPilz]

Thanks! Yeah, ION prices are becoming quite crazy

[@Individual_two]

I laughed out loud at the brief Barney clip (Smooooth...)! Today, about half of Microns are still working and the other half are either parts donors, or have been recycled. When InMusic bought out Alesis they dropped support for their entire line of synths, including this one. Saying all this, it does sound good.

[@AudioPilz]

Cha cha!!! Thanks!

[@sequentialcircles]

I bought this synth a decade ago when I was the keyboardist for a prog metal band. Everyone told me to get a microkorg but for some reason I was hell bent on getting the micron. Flash forward to now and I'm still learning something new about this thing every time I use it. It's been part of my sounds since I've gotten it. It just takes a lot of patience to get it to do what you want it to.

[@AudioPilz]

That thing is much deeper than the MK

[@skoog7091]

Great episode as allways! Suggestion. I once had a Crumar Bit99. It was big and bulky and you had to punch the keys real hard to edit anything. And yeah, it was an analog synth without knobs. Pretty much used it as a midi keyboard only

[@danieklerr]

Nice! The Micron sounds amazing, and is a very "happy accident" kind of synth. Aside from the Blofeld, this may be the least bad gear covered so far on Bad Gear. :)

[@ryancrooks9234]

This series is great! Thanks for your hard work 🤟

[@AudioPilz]

Thanks for watching!!!

[@arcadeuk]

Damn I love this show. It's the only way I know the weekend has arrived when I see it in my playlist. I love the jam packed memes and the whole philosophy of, you can make interesting music on ANY piece of hardware. May I please request that you keep an eye on how long you flash an image up for, it doesn't happen very often, but sometimes they only flash up for a couple of frames and I have to skip back to see what I missed. Keep up the awesome content 👍

[@ToyKeeper]

In case it helps, the period and comma keys (in youtube's web UI) go forward and backward by one frame, respectively. Much easier to catch one-frame images this way. The main downside is that the UI overlay appears while paused, and can obscure parts of the image.

[@AudioPilz]

Thank you so much!!! Great feedback!

[@modeswitching]

I don’t even know most of the bad gear anymore, but I’m still here for the synth memes.

[@AudioPilz]

Thanks! Stick around!

[@Vingul]

@@AudioPilz that's a good Arnold quote.

[@monotrious]

There's A World Of Menu Diving Through A Tiny Window With This Complicated Machine But Well Worth The Effort In The End I Think Because It' Really Is A Decent Little Synth . I Will Keep Mine Forever . Thanks For Another Amazing Bad Gear Episode .

[@AudioPilz]

Thanks for watching!!!

[@agentvx8320]

Another great episode of Really-Not-Bad-At-All Gear! ;)

[@AudioPilz]

Thanks! Doesn't work so well with the YT algo;)

[@davidpetersonharvey]

LOL! True dat!

[@tehmaddragon1940]

I really DIG that early-to-mid 00s design language. Bright orange on silver with lime green LCD? Funky rounded rectangles? Opaque buttons and knobs? YES PLEASE!

[@AudioPilz]

There's a blue version as well;)

[@AaronWelchMusic]

It sounds like you're rewriting the soundtrack for binding of Isaac with this one! Lots of interesting, dark sounds.

[@AudioPilz]

Thank you!!!

[@justinhunt1714]

Best video game ever!!!! 1000hrs in and still hasn't got old

[@ARCADEGLITCH_]

Yes, finally the Micron is getting the Bad Gear treatment. This was my first synth, and it still has a place in my heart. Such a powerful little synth, I basically just got it far too early in my synth journey, so I sold it. But it still pleases me when I see it pop up in some music video or performance, for example Bloodhound Gang's Altogether Ooky

[@tomskley8864]

Has anyone noticed that it is a left handed synthesizer? Everything important like the screen is on the right side of the device. Thats kind of cool! Impressive sound for a little thing like this.

[@iishirasu]

Pitchbend's still on the left(ish) though.

[@AudioPilz]

True that! Mind. Blown.

[@ChurchOfTheHolyMho]

There was a pad that you chose that was awesome. I didn't know this (or his bigger brother) existed. I'm definitely going to look a little more into this one. Nice. I have no idea how you create so much content in such a short period of time, but I'm certainly glad you do.

[@ToreHansen]

Alesis have a special place in music for me, had DM4 and DM5 Drum Module in the 90s, many cool sounds for little money.

[@AudioPilz]

Damn, these sound legit!

[@ToreHansen]

@@AudioPilz Strange part is in 2021 you can get several VST with many kits for 0,- doing the same thing! Have a great weekend and keep the bad gears rolling!

[@Vingul]

​@@ToreHansen Can you recommend any such VSTs? I'm pretty new to this sort of thing.

[@ToreHansen]

@@Vingul Getting a new pc in place so had over 800 free VSTs ill check

[@Vingul]

@@ToreHansen Cheers, would appreciate it. I’ve started using the Tyrell N6 virtual synth but others, and not least ones for percussion, would be cool.

[@meddle333]

So I've been watching every episode of Bad Gear on a loop for two days, and Idk how I missed this episode, but I LOVE THIS THING. 😅 I'd usually prefer to have as many features all laid out in front of me instead of hidden in endless menus, I love how small it seems to be. Hope I can find one eventually. 😓👍

[@arcadely]

The interface seems like a nightmare but, honestly, that's a great sounding little synth. I think with one of the software editors you could be on to a bit of a winner there. EDIT: Also, dammit: I wish I'd seen this an hour ago. Somebody else clearly had the same idea as I did after seeing this video and immediately went onto eBay to see if they could snag themselves an Alesis Ion at a bargain price, and they *absolutely succeeded*. Google was still listing one on eBay for £220 and free delivery, but when I got there it was already gone (for £220!). Like I say, missed it by an hour: somebody grabbed themselves a great bit of kit there. Next one up, in "OK" condition is £400, which doesn't really sell it for me.

[@tristancaver4836]

Can't tell you how many times I've missed gear by a minute on Reverb. I'll tell myself, "I'll make a sandwich and think about it." Go back to pick it up and before I can get it in the cart it's gone. Total bummer.

[@djmouglie]

Get the miniak if you can.. better layout and same synth. And yes there is a free Ctrl panel editor for this synth that works fine :)

[@AudioPilz]

I know that feeling!!!

[@griffithmorgan4966]

I stumbled across a video on it last year. The demo was a guy playing lots of big space chords and it was impressive sounding all by itself. To its credit, it sounds different from every other synth I own and I realized I had to have it. I was able to find one for 150 bucks. At that price it's a great little 'brick' to add to my arsenal. I found mine from a seller who knew nothing about synths and could not test it. When I got mine it came with a 9v DC power supply. It would light up, but it did not work! I unscrewed the case, took it apart, and examined the insides to see if something had come loose or if I could see something burned up in there before digging deeper. That was when I realized it says 9v AC next to the power plug! The worlds easiest synth repair - get the proper voltage power supply. Warning to others, if you find one with no power supply - make sure to get an AC 9v one. A DC one will still pass through the internal rectifier and light it up so it seems like it should be working, but it won't make a sound. I agree with you about it being a hassle to program, but so are most synths. You aren't going to learn what is good about any synth until you spend years with it. I think the best thing about the Micron is that the pre-sets are pretty good already. I use it like a module and dial up presets without bothering to dig into it. I got it for the pads, but now I have discovered the bank of glitch sounds and those are pretty cool too.

[@ChrisLeeW00]

I feel like synthwave with Lego movie footage could be a genre of KZbin videos. L E G O W A V E

[@deralfenderson]

Just the mood my Friday afternoon needed. Thank you for the joy, as always!

[@AudioPilz]

Thank you!!!

[@offthewallsk818]

My first real synth. The problem with these units are the encoders. I feel like this is just Alesis’ r3

[@AudioPilz]

True that!

[@raistaparta]

I’ve been waiting for this one. Big fan of the Micron/Ion/Miniak. By the way, the synth engine on the Miniak is exactly the same as the Micron. The only functional difference between them is the Miniak replaces the 2 sliders with 2 mod wheels (which results in a neat set of 3 wheels on the left side). I’ve had all 3 versions of this engine: Micron, Ion and Miniak. For years it was my go-to synth. Yes, programming it was tedious but once you dominate the architecture and the shortcuts it becomes almost second nature. The categories and synth sections printed above the keys are almost unreadable if lighting conditions aren’t near perfect but I developed the habit of just tapping the keys until I got where I wanted. Sadly, the build quality is its Achilles heel. I had to replace keys and a volume knob over the years on different units and after a few years the endless encoders and the pitch bender started acting up and sending midi messages randomly. To a point where one of the units became almost unusable. I’m sure it’s fixable but at that point I had explored the synth to such an extent that I felt the need to part ways with it and get something new. But boy, I could emulate almost any classic synth sound on that thing. The sequencer was very handy, used it all the time. And the modulation matrix is brilliant. Almost like a sort of modular system in concept. If you can get one of these, in perfect working order, for a reasonable price, I highly recommend it. The Microkorg had a slight edge over it on the Vocoder side and a more user friendly interface but at the cost of a much more basic engine and a ridiculous 4 voices of polyphony. In almost every other way, this was 10x better. Oh, and on the subject of Micron vs its big brother Ion, the Ion is much more hands on but lacks the sequencer, has 3 fixed banks of factory presets that you can’t overwrite (only 1 bank for user presets) and is only 4 part multitimbral. And of course the Micron is much more portable (the Ion is actually kind of heavy). If they could’ve found a way of building a firmware update for the Ion giving it all the extra features of the Micron, it would be a monster. In the end, I think Alesis never had the budget to push the Micron forward on the market and make it the strong competitor and synth icon that it could’ve been.

[@kldk]

You can write to all four banks. No problem.

[@raistaparta]

@@kldk my memory may have betrayed me there.

[@BrunodeSouzaLino]

The reason the Micron has so much functionality is simply because the Ion and Micron have the exact same synth engine. The only difference between them is the amount of controls and keys. If you want more functionality, you should update your Micron to the latest firmware, so it has 8 voices and 8 parts, just like the Micron SE.

[@jarls5890]

The Micron actually have more effects than the Ion.

[@AudioPilz]

Yup, latest firmware is a must!

[@underduckbro]

Every Friday I forget you post bad gear and every Friday I am pleasantly reminded

[@AudioPilz]

Have a nice Friday;) Thanks!

[@TheAstroKid]

The demo sounds really good 😎

[@AudioPilz]

Thank you!!!

[@iamveryconfusedabout]

just found out about this synth a few days ago through it being the brave little abacus' synth, it was a weird coincidence to see an episode about it so soon

[@AudioPilz]

Yeah, this one is just ideal for Bad Gear!

[@gooneybird808]

Dorian concept does a badass solo on this micron in a KZbin video he made years ago...I bought one immediately after seeing that haha

[@AudioPilz]

Dorian Concept can't do no wrong;)

[@moefukkah4031]

The Ion is one of my all time favorite synths. It is incredibly powerful and versatile. Got mine for about $350 4 or 5 years ago. Totally worth it!

[@AudioPilz]

Cool price!!!

[@illustriouschin]

I'm surprised that the Micron is on here because it has a deep synth engine with good sound. It's hard to program but it's compact with good build quality. The reason why they are usually trashed on eBay is because they were so cheap that people would get them and treat them like garbage. Give it to their children, let them hammer on it and throw it around, drop it on the floor, throw it in the closet or whatever.

[@AudioPilz]

Agreed, it is certainly surrounded by some controversy though

[@SH-ry2xi]

The reason it sucks is how shitty the interface is. That is not to be overlooked.

[@illustriouschin]

@@SH-ry2xi The presets are good and some parameters can be easily changed for a more dynamic performance.

[@SH-ry2xi]

@@illustriouschin no they cannot be “easily” changed. He pointed this out several times in the video. Too much menu diving.

[@illustriouschin]

@@SH-ry2xi Yeah there's three knobs for adjustment.

[@ThatFanDoley]

The ion was my first synth, and the micron was a great compact version with some extra sequencing and patch per key capability… I got a lot of miles out of it and I am happy to see such thorough review, thanks!

[@XanarchistBlogspot]

Uncanny valley braindance is my new favorite genre.

[@AudioPilz]

Same here, thanks!

[@FairyCRat]

I've been wanting one of these for a long time, it seems like many bands in the late 2000s neon pop-punk/electronicore scene were using those for their quirky trancey leads, along with microkorgs.

[@KRAFTWERK2K6]

Ah yes the Micron. I have no idea what they were thinking of making a synth where you have just ONE rotating & Click knob for the entire sound design function and menu diving..... And even when Akai re-released this thing as the Miniak, it wasn't changed :(

[@StephenMcLeod]

Aye, and when that knob goes, yer fucked.

[@AudioPilz]

I think it was mainly designed as a secondary weapon for ION owners

[@svenkarma]

@@StephenMcLeod this. And then Alesis send you a replacement that doesn't work either.

[@KRAFTWERK2K6]

@@AudioPilz Yeah i can see that. Basically programming sounds on the Big board, transferring them to the Micron and taking the smaller Micron to live tours and keeping the bigger one safe in the studio. And for that purpose it really makes sense.

[@doublebass]

I was working at a music store when this came out and I remember really liking it, haven't thought about it in nearly 15 years. Seems like it would be great for small setups. I think we need another jam for 50k subscribers soon.

[@AudioPilz]

Yup, the jam's already finished - in my head ;)

[@shaft9000]

I love my micron. Alesis did a great job of implementing FM and dual filters in a VA :) And on a broader note, I dream of the Ion having a baby with the MS-2000. It could challenge the AN1x for the best budget VA ever title, and win my heart with ease. Just imagine the Ion's FM and dual filters with the MS-2k's DWGS, fx section and 16-step knobby seq.... mmmmmm-hmmm! :)

[@AudioPilz]

Unfortunately it's not budget anymore

[@cooptrol]

@@AudioPilz To think I payed 200 bucks in 2013...

[@cooptrol]

Virus already had

[@shaft9000]

^ a row of 16 knobs and any sound that doesn't always scream 'i am a Virus'?....forgive my ignorance/doubt as I stopped at Virus B/indigo

[@shaft9000]

@@AudioPilz that depends on the budget. iirc MS-2000 was a $800-900 synth new in '98-99. If someone is not willing to spend up to a grand on their chosen instrument than perhaps they would land more in the a) skint or b) casual / 'dabbler' set ??

[@OscillatorCollective]

I remember when the ION came out…was initially very impressed because not many new synthesizer were coming out at the time. I also remember this thing too, kinda blew my mind it was so minimalist, looked like a real pain in butt to program. I was torn between Alesis and the Micro Korg…didn’t end up getting either and got a Bass Station instead, which started my adventure into getting vintage gear.

[@AudioPilz]

Bass Station is always a solid choice!

[@Heathcliff_hensel]

this synth is actually built very robustly. Good for gigging.

[@AudioPilz]

Exactly my thoughts!

[@KRAFTWERK2K6]

Same goes for the Miniak. It was all plastic yes but it was that really sturdy feeling kind of ABS plastic.

[@LordKlektar]

I’ve had a love/hate relationship with the Micron ever since I bought mine brand new at Guitar Center. But I’ve been making music with it for years,so I guess I love it a bit more than I hate it! You nailed the conundrum of the synth perfectly in this video: so many great features, but such a limiting interface.

[@КонстантинВласов-з2т]

Ого! Анимацию с советским застольем никак не ожидал увидеть на этом канале! :)

[@AudioPilz]

Да, отличный короткометражный фильм

[@КонстантинВласов-з2т]

@@AudioPilz Title, please :)

[@MrSheleh]

Я сам обалдел )

[@faterix7737]

pro tip.when you put a monster truck hot wheel on those faders and pull it back, you get 5 secs of fader automation which is enough for a solo, which means you can play a two hand solo, which makes you a synthgod.

[@AudioPilz]

Mind. Blown.

[@Wagoo]

As an Ion owner the physical interface on both Micron & Miniak makes me feel sick.. okay Hannah Montana might not have one.. but there's room on the panel for a Hannah Montana sticker!

[@AudioPilz]

I see, we're both big Miley fans;)

[@Wagoo]

@@AudioPilz her guitar by Washburn is especially impressive, a hardtail you can divebomb octaves on just by bending the neck :P

[@HACKTHEPLANETfcm]

YESS been waiting for this episode for 17 years!!

[@AudioPilz]

Same here;)

[@Toolsquatch]

Can confirm that the Miniak is a repackaged twin, got one after reading about it having a more robust build quality and it has 3 mod wheels like the Ion instead of 1: paired with Patchbase on the iPad this engine becomes POWERFUL, like to the point where it tempered my gear acquisition syndrome and successfully made me lose the itch because of just how capable and versatile it really is.

[@stevewahl5041]

I also confirm that the Miniak is a repackaged twin. The pitch bend wheel is the same between them, the two mod wheels control the exact same parameters that the sliders do on the micron, but maybe with more comfort. The number of keys, knobs, and buttons are exactly the same and have the same functions. The names of some buttons changed, "setups" became "multis" and the text in the menus changed to match, while the menu structure remains exactly the same (just compare users manuals!), some of the preloaded sounds and setup/multis are different between the two but the majority are the same. The effects, multis, and sequencer are the same between the Micron and Miniak, but different from the Ion. And the Micron and Miniak have a non-traditional patch management style; memory is dynamically split between Patches, Patterns, and Multis instead of having fixed slots for each, you select sounds from an alphabetical list, and you have to ask the synth what bank/program# a particular sound got assigned when you downloaded it. The Ion has a more traditional layout of 4 banks of 128 sounds.

[@AudioPilz]

Same thing

[@TheToughBaby]

I had a Micron for a few years and loved it. It's an incredible-sounding synthesizer for the price, and they still be had for under 300 bucks which is honestly a steal for how much you'll get out of one. The only genuinely BAD thing about the Micron is the rotary encoders and the sliders, which are pretty junky and wear out really quickly. I bought mine new and within the first year the main encoder on the far right was totally out of control, and the sliders were both pretty bad. The WHEEL, on the other hand, is incredible, feels amazing, I loved the horizontal orientation which was SO much more intuitive than the vertical orientation that still predominates. I honestly don't know why other synth manufacturers have never attempted horizontal wheels. Anyway, of all the many keyboards I've bought and later sold, the Micron's the only one I ever actually miss!

[@AudioPilz]

Thought of getting a replacement knob, just in case...

[@emonet7672]

Please stop saying all my gear is bad, my feelings are hurt

[@AudioPilz]

Nothing personal ;)

[@gameon2000]

Bad can be good. Michael Jackson can't be wrong, he wrote a whole album, named "BAD" back in 1987. Arguably the baddest of all.

[@pamelaswarts]

I tune in to see all my bad gear on this channel and have bought some bad gear I have seen on this channel!

[@Bleeeaaoop]

Worse is when he makes bangers with the "bad" gear...

[@georgegeez8708]

Damn, now you have me looking for the Micron and the Ion. I found them and I might just have to buy them. Great video as always. 👍👍👍👍👍

[@underscar111]

yoo

[@AudioPilz]

Yeah!

[@djmcbell]

I wanted an Ion back in the day. I ended up settling on this since it was readily available at the time. Not easy to program unless you spend time menu diving. The software editors is what made it bearable. Glad to see it on Bad Gear. Thanks

[@BlasphemousButler]

Awesome! I just bought the blue one last week. Love this thing.

[@edwardfletcher7790]

It sounds 1000x better than it looks ! As you said though, that menu UI !😲 So glad I got a JD-Xi 👍

[@tronlake]

This was the beginning of my GAS. I have a bookmark - leftover from 2012 - that simply searches "micron" on guitar center. I used to check it every day after I saw Youth Lagoon using it. Good memories...

[@AudioPilz]

Nice starting point!

[@Alavux]

Ah finally! My loving synth! Patience with this keyboard is very rewarding! I suggest anyone to buy this one! Possibilities are endless and get editor, also menu diving is fast and easy beside small lcd, having this for a 6 7 years i didnt bored! Bass station 2 and this one is killer combo

[@AudioPilz]

Yeah, just listened to Bender!!!

[@rodrigolaporte274]

My first Synth! I LOVED the sound, the form factor, playability, and light wheel! haha. Hated the programming, default assignments of X/Y/Z, needed to change them for EACH SINGLE PATCH! and the output defect that at some point turns the synth into mono and couldn't find a way to get it fixed before selling it. Great episode!

[@AudioPilz]

Thanks! The default knob assignments are the literal WORST!!!

[@user82938]

@@AudioPilz True, I will agree with this criticism. Absolutely insane choices for the default assignments.

[@rygelxv]

This was the best like & subscribe pitch in the whole life of youtube. Respect!

[@AudioPilz]

Thank you!!!

[@thedrummachinist7579]

Congratulations! That little allusion to the Beat Thang just made my day.

[@Dakcha]

I’ve had one of these in my closet for years and you inspired me to play around with it again.

[@JoshuaKennedy321]

This is the episode I've been waiting for! My Micron is still sitting there (menacingly) next to my work table. It is too good to get rid of but too bewildering to ever use properly. Did you notice yours get worryingly hot behind the LCD screen while it was running? Or is mine the only one that does that?

[@AudioPilz]

Yeah, just noticed the heat on my unit today. Hot synth!

[@aurixkorban6639]

Your songs are always awesome, but really was grooving to those tracks you made for this episode.

[@turtleCalledCalmie]

5:11 thank you for this nightmare fuel - i knew i dont need sleep this week :D But in all seriousness - another great episode

[@AudioPilz]

Thanks! Have a nice weekend and YOU CAME IN LIKE A WRECKING BALL!!!

[@christianwagner8088]

Im Prinzip gute ich auf der Suche nach alten Synth unbewusst deine ganzen Video. Absolute Legende biste!!!!

[@AudioPilz]

Vielen herzlichen Dank!!!

[@benjaminbrand3714]

Thing is, the more I heard from this synth throughout this video, the more I thought “Dang, this sounds pretty great!” I imagine it would sound amazing (especially the bass patches) through a Moog filter!

[@curtisvalle5141]

The filter section is best part.

[@vincenzosaba7026]

Very Deep synth, there are professional fratture like vca to control lfo and envelope in the matrix, or you can select the input of the s/h unit

[@4CloudySky]

The Finale was magnificent, very moody track, with an interesting harmony. Very expressive!

[@asbjrnandersen4222]

The only Micron video I have seen where the author has read the manual! It was my first synth and I love it dearly. I have been wanting to do a series about making patches directly on it, but haven’t found the time yet. I also made an album consisting almost entirely of drones made with the Micron!

[@user82938]

I used to take the Micron manual to work with me and study it on breaks. Lots to learn about this synth.

[@AudioPilz]

That manual is actually really helpful. I really appreciate that!

[@asbjrnandersen4222]

@@AudioPilz Exactly! Best manual I have read for a synth.

[@rookmaster7502]

I can easily imagine myself falling in love with the Micron. A lot of features for such a small unit. And the sounds it generates seem to be really nice too.

[@AudioPilz]

Great little synth!

[@heavysystemsinc.]

Since this video I've been trying to make more sessions dedicated to sound design with it and have finally been getting around to it. One of the things I think gets a bad rep from folks is THE KNOB for editing sounds, but really, you can map the 5 controls very quickly, so if you kind of hone in your main settings, you can do all the tweaking pretty fast with the 5 controls. For instance, I was playing around with distorted lead sounds and mapped the sliders to overdrive amount and unison detune, then the 3 knobs are the filter cutoff, resonance and type. Then I _still_ have THE KNOB for a 6th parameter I can just leave it on, or what is more ideal, using it to do deeper, more sound-designey parameters. Plus, it has short cuts and for things with a lot of menus, if you hold the programs button down and mash the same key multiple times, it jumps through, say, OSC1/OSC2/OSC3 settings. Obviously it's not nearly as cool as the Ion's billion knobs, but considering that you have a 303, oberheim, jupiter, etc. all on one box AND can mix and combine their unique filters at the same time, you have one sick hybrid synthesizer that can either sounds like the real box you wish you could afford or like some circuit bent mix between them. For pure analog "STYLE" synths, having the world's most famous filters in one place to mix and match along with 65535 'settings' for nearly every parameter so that there's no 'stair stepping' ever that can be heard, and no aliasing to be found anywhere, it's an over engineered dream that I think any serious sound designer should pick up and play with. Also, you can buy supplamental boxes that bring back all of the Ion's controls and are made just for the Micron/MiniAK. Or you can hook it up to the VST and move your mouse around like one of those kids using their laptops to make soundcloud jams if you want. :P IDK, I just think the machine gets overly abused by folks overlook it's sound and audio quality because it's missing 40 knobs, but I don't think they're ever honest in admitting that's the problem they have with it because it never comes with 'Man, it sounds great, but that interface....' it's literally just 'screw that, doesn't have knobs, hard pass'. So...I think their opinions aren't all that great. It's still easier to access everything than a DX7 and has just as much sonic capabilities, albeit bent in a different direction than that other iconic-but-hard-to-dig-into machine. That said, if you spend a couple nights with the Micron, you'll definitely feel far less restricted than you might otherwise think it would actually be.

[@rookmaster7502]

@@heavysystemsinc. Very cool! Yeah, whenerver a synthesizer requires more than a half hour to master its programming, many people give up and simply hate it.

[@niallmacdonald2710]

Bought mine new, still have it. Never had reliability issues personally. It even survived a basement flood after being underwater for an hour, once it was carefully dried out over the course of a couple of weeks before attempting to turn it on again.