Alesis Ion

The Alesis Ion is an 8 voice multi-timbral analog modeling synthesizer. Each of the Ion’s 8 voices has 3 oscillators, 2 multi-mode filters, 3 envelope generators, 2 LFOs, and programmable effects. Effects include super phaser, string phaser, theta flanger, thru zero flanger, chorus, and a 40-band Vocoder, as well as 4 different drive effect types. The 4 octave keyboard is velocity sensitive. There is a pitch bend wheel, and two modulation wheels, which can all be used to control the modulation matrix. Internally the Ion has 512 preset programs and 32 multi-timbral setups all of which are user-rewritable. 360 degree pots allow parameter changes from where the parameter is currently set to instead of jumping to the knobs value when it is first moved. Modulation matrix, effects, and parameter information is displayed in pages that can be scrolled through on the large LCD. The Ion was first released in 2003 by Alesis Studio Electronics of U.S.A.