Since I’m not that into technical details, I will try to review the ”feeling” of this synth. The Ion is like this friend you’ve had for years, who you sometimes lose touch with. Instead of hanging out with the Ion, you try flashy new synth acquaintances that promise much, but kind of lets you down in the long run. It may be the Yamaha FS1R, the FM monster that can dazzle you with lush FM soundscapes, but who you will never understand completely (it’s a bitch to program). Or you start hanging out with soft synths, that in many cases are good, but you feel like a mainstream sellout by using them.

So, you go back to the Ion, and you instantly remember why you became such good friends in the first place. It always delivers, and it’s so fun to hang out with! The layout of the knobs and the hands-on programmability lets you create exactly the sound you want, and as a bonus, it looks so damn good! It has a wonderful modulation matrix and combined with its three oscillators it gives you a lot of routing possibilities. Not to mention its gut-wrenching filters, made after classics like Moog, Oberheim etc. They are so fat that they have their own atmosphere!

For me, the Ion is the backbone of my home studio. If I can’t get what I want from my other synths, I know that the Ion will do the trick. When I think about it I probably could use it a lot more, but a part of being into synths is to have A LOT of synths, I guess.

The Alesis Ion is a synth that is meant to be PLAYED, which Alesis also mentions in the manual. So I always record filter changes and other modulations in real time, rather than automating them with midi. It’s simply more fun that way.

Of course, there are downsides. Two downsides. The preset arpeggios are rather boring, and the Alesis Ion doesn’t let you make your own arpeggios. Also, there is no good reverb. Why??? So, if these downsides puts you off, consider the Alesis Micron, which lets you make your own arpeggios, and has reverb – and has the same sound engine as the Ion. Buuuut – the Micron hasn’t got all those beautiful knobs!

I could go on forever and list all the beautiful features you get in this VERY cheap machine. But I know that the average attention span of an internet reader probably ended long ago, so I cut to the chase:

The Alesis Ion is a cheap alternative that rivals, and honestly beats the crap out of most, more expensive Virtual Analog synths. It is perfect for beginners, since its so damn tweakable, and it has so many features that it will keep you busy and interested for years. And it sounds FAT.

For all of you who want some technical details – here you are:

• Sound Engine    modeled analog
• Audio Inputs    (2) balanced ¼" line level
• Audio Outputs    (4) balanced ¼" line level; (1) ¼" stereo headphone
• MIDI Connectors    (1) In, (1) Out, (1) Thru
• Keyboard    49-note unweighted, Velocity and Release-Velocity sensitive
• Polyphony    8 notes
• Multitimbral Parts    4
• Program Memory    384 ROM locations, 128 RAM
• Setup Memory    512 RAM locations
• Oscillators    (3): soft and hard sync, linear and exponential FM, ring modulation; (3) waveforms, all with waveshape modulation
• Additional Sound Sources    noise (2 types), external audio input
• Filters    (2) resonant multimode, configurable in series, parallel, or blend
• Envelope Generators    (3) ADSR with slope time; loopable
• LFOs    (2) with tempo sync, (4) waveforms in 0- and 90-degree phase-output versions, all available simultaneously; separate sample-and-hold with output smoothing and selectable input
• Effects    voice effects: distortion (4 types) or dynamics (2 types); output effects: flanging (2 types), phasing (2 types), chorus, slapback echo, vocoder
• Arpeggiator    (31) preset rhythms plus random, pattern-length control, (6) order modes, tempo multiplier
• Controllers    (31) knobs, (3) left-hand wheels
• Pedal Inputs    (1) sustain and (1) expression, both assignable in modulation matrix
• Dimensions    31.0" (W) × 3.0" (H, incl. knobs) × 12.5" (D)
• Weight    20 lb.