Ion

Back in 2002, this synth arrived as Alesis' bold entry into virtual analog territory, packing a powerhouse engine into a keyboard that felt like a playground for sound designers before modeling became the norm.

Its digital heart delivers three oscillators per voice with wave shaping, soft and hard sync options, and selectable sync between osc 2 and 3, feeding into versatile multimode filters and dedicated envelope controls for amp, filter, and pitch—all right there on the panel without menu diving. Three LFOs that track into audio rates for ring-mod-like tricks, a deep mod matrix with cross-modulation possibilities, and an arpeggiator keep things lively, while four-part multitimbrality on eight voices lets you layer up despite the modest polyphony. Hands-on bliss comes from a knob-packed front panel, dual mod wheels for aftertouch simulation, a big LCD with real-time envelope graphics, and a 61-note velocity-sensitive keybed; connectivity shines with stereo audio ins/outs, full MIDI DIN, pedal jacks, and per-part drive effects plus a master multi-FX including that built-in 40-band vocoder for vocal weirdness.

Over two decades on, players still geek out over its warm, mix-ready tones that sit perfectly without fighting other gear, the fast workflow for harsh rhythms and evolving pads, and endless modulation depth—though some wish for reverb onboard and note its learning curve rewards patience more than instant gratification.