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Ion User Manual

1. Part Parameter Descriptions In this section of the manual we will go through the Part parameters one at a time defining each parameter and describing how each affects the Setup The parameters are listed by the Edit Part page name the page number and the Soft button used to access them Also listed is the default value fot each parameter Program Bank Page 1 Soft Button 1 Range red green blue user Default user This parameter simply shows you the status of the bank buttons to the right of the data knob You could just look of course but the existence of this parameter drives home the point that a given Program is actually a component of a Part which in turn is part of a Setup This parameter ensures that the next time you recall the Setup the proper Program from the proper Bank will be recalled into this Part as well Program Page 1 Soft Button 2 Range 000 127 Default 000 As with the Program Bank parameter the Program parameter ensures that the next time you recall the Setup the Program number will be remembered and recalled into this Part Remember that the Program is actually a component of a Part which in turn is part of a Setup This page also shows you six Programs at a time which is handy when you re searching for a particular Program 33 34 MIDI Channel Page 1 Soft Button 3 Range 1 16 Default 1 This parameter defines the MIDI Channel for the selected Part This is the channel
2. gt 05 dB A wei ghte d Ext In to input Impedances are measured at 1kHz Main or Aux Out 0 005 External In to Main or Aux Out 20 20kHz x 0 20dB External In to Main or Aux Out 12 Watts max 100 240VAC 50 60Hz 49 keys velocity release velocity sensitive 30 360 degree Parameter Knobs 2 Assignable Modulation Wheels Assignable Pitch Wheel Assignable Exp pedal jack Sustain pedal jack MIDI In MIDI Out MIDI Thru Main L R Aux L R Headphone 1 4 TRS 33 0 x 3 75 x 13 0 838 20 x 95 25 x 330 20mm 20 Ibs 9 kg 103 This page intentionally left blank 104 Warranty Contact Alesis Alesis Limited Warranty ALESIS CORPORATION ALESIS warrants this product to be free of defects in material and workmanship for a period of one 1 year for parts and for a period of one 1 year for labor from the date of original retail purchase This warranty is enforceable only by the original retail purchaser and cannot be transferred or assigned The purchaser should complete and return the enclosed warranty card within 14 days of purchase During the warranty period ALESIS shall at its sole and absolute option either repair or replace free of charge any product that proves to be defective on inspection by ALESIS or its authorized service representative In all cases disputes concerning this warranty shall be resolved as prescribed by law To obtain warranty service the purchaser must first call or write ALESI
3. 1 Range 0 100 Default 50 This parameter controls the level of the Ring Mod source in the Pre Filter Mix Ring Mod is generated by multiplying the waveforms of Oscillators 1 and Z This parameter can also be adjusted with the ring mod knob in the Pre Filter Mix section on the top panel 57 58 Pre Filter Mix edit External Input Level Page 2 Soft Button 2 Range 0 100 Default 50 This parameter controls the level of the External Input source in the Pre Filter Mix This allows you to feed an external audio signal into the Ion and process it using the Ion s powerful filters and effects and even play your external signal as if it were an instrument The parameter can also be adjusted by pressing the ext in button on the top panel and turning the knob that is located immediately to the left of it Pre Filter Mix edit Noise Level Page 2 Soft Button 3 Range 0 100 Default 50 This parameter controls the level of the Noise source in the Pre Filter Mix The character of the noise is determined by the Noise Type parameter described later This parameter can also be adjusted by pressing the noise button on the top panel and turning the knob that is located immediately to the left of it Tip to return quickly to page 1 while Pre Filter Mix edit Osc 1 Balance eo T DU iu aa de Page 3 Soft Button 1 Range 0 100 100 0 Default 50 50 While the level parameters control the
4. 1000 hz or x 16 x 1 16 Default 0 100 hz This is where the initial rate for the Sample amp Hold is set It determines the length of time between samples If the s amp h button is selected you can edit the rate of the Sample amp Hold by turning the rate knob Doing so will also take you immediately to this page For an explanation as to why there are two sets of values listed for this parameter s Range what they mean and how to select between them see the section LFO edit Rate on page 44 See also the sidebars on that page for more information S amp H edit Sync Page 1 Soft Button 2 Range tempo off Default off This parameter determines whether the Sample amp Hold is synchronized or slaved to the master tempo setting For a complete description of how that affects the function of the Sample amp Hold refer to the section LFO edit Rate on page 44 and the sidebars on that page as well S amp H edit Input Page 1 Soft Button 3 Range see table Default global random The Input to the Sample amp Hold determines the source of the S amp H values If the source is continuously active like an LFO there will be an endless supply of new values for the Sample amp Hold to feed to its destination in the mod matrix If the source is something more static like one of the wheels or pedals the destination will receive new values from the Sample amp Hold only after the value of the input is c
5. Range 0 127 Default 127 To limit the number of keys the selected Part occupies use this parameter and the previous one Low Key You may use the data knob to set or adjust the upper limit of the Part s range but a faster way is to hold Soft button 3 and press the desired key The High Key value will update to reflect the MIDI number of the key you pressed Out Level Page 3 Soft Button 1 Range 0 100 Default 100 The Out Level parameter sets the level of the Part within the Setup It is distinct from the Program Output Level parameter controlled by the knob on the right side This parameter allows you a further level of mix control so you can balance the levels of the Parts without editing the level stored with the Program Remember it s possible that Program might be used in another Setup so it s better to make this adjustment inside the Part Out Balance Page 3 Soft Button 2 Range center 1 100 main 1 100 aux Default center The Out Balance parameter determines whether the selected Part will be sent to the main output the aux output or a definable mix of both This gives you the capability of isolating a Part in one set of stereo outputs or even sending each Part in the Setup to a separate mono output when used in conjunction with the Pan parameter described on the next page EFX Level Page 3 Soft Button 3 Range 0 100 Default 100 The EFX Level parameter sets the Effects level of the P
6. darker as higher notes are played Filter edit Envelope Amount Page 2 Soft Button 2 Range 100 to 100 Default 0 This parameter determines how much the filter frequency will be affected by the filter envelope A negative setting allows for inverted envelopes The Post Filter Mix section Post Filter Mix edit Filter 1 Level Page 1 Soft Button 1 Range 0 100 Default 0 This parameter controls how much of Filter 1 will be sent to the output stage relative to Filter 2 and the Pre Filter Level Post Filter Mix edit Filter 2 Level Page 1 Soft Button 2 Range 0 100 Default 0 This parameter controls how much of Filter 2 will be sent to the output stage relative to Filter 1 and the Pre Filter Level Post Filter Mix edit Pre Filter Level Page 1 Soft Button 3 Range 0 100 Default 0 This parameter controls how much of the Pre Filter send will be sent to the output stage relative to Filters 1 and 2 The source of the Pre Filter send is selected on Post Filter Mix page 3 Soft button 2 63 64 Post Filter Mix edit Filter 1 Pan Page 2 Soft Button 1 Range 1 100 left center 1 100 right Default center This parameter determines the balance of Filter 1 between the left and right outputs Post Filter Mix edit Filter 2 Pan Page 2 Soft Button 2 Range 1 100 left center 1 100 right Default center This parameter determines the balance of Filter 2 between the l
7. device MIDI OUT is for sending MIDI information to another device Depending on your settings the data from this port can originate from the Ion itself or simply be echoed from the MIDI IN port MIDI THRU echoes whatever is received on the MIDI IN port Here are four typical MIDI setups for your Ion and the appropriate connections for each of them Controller With this setup you can use your Ion to play another MIDI instrument synthesizer sound module drum machine etc Connect a MIDI cable from the Ion s MIDI OUT jack to the MIDI IN of the device you want to control FEE e KAT ses an SSE le3e30ecee esis Ozee SOUND MODULE Sri 89 90 Slave With this setup you can use another keyboard to play the sounds on your Ion Connect a MIDI cable from the controller s MIDI OUT jack to the Ion s MIDI IN jack OUT l IN am Slave with pass through This setup allows MIDI signals to pass through the Ion so they may reach multiple units This allows one MIDI device to control several Attach a cable from the MIDI OUT of the first device to the MIDI IN jack of the Ion and then attach another cable from the Ion s MIDI THRU jack to the MIDI IN of the third device IN SOUND MODULE Sequencing This setup allows you to use your Ion with a MIDI sequencer or a computer with a MIDI int
8. dry 50 50 100 wet Default 50 50 This mixes between the wet effected signal and the dry pre effects signal The value ranges from 100 dry indicating no Effect at all to 50 50 an equal mix of wet and dry signals to 100 wet Parameters A F Pages 1 3 Soft Button n a Range vatious Default various These parameters will vary depending on the Effect Type selected Refer to the descriptions in the next section Effect Types Bypass No effect 81 82 Super Phaser The classic phaser effect is created by ganging multiple all pass filter stages to create notches or sharp dips in the frequency spectrum The frequencies of these all pass filters are usually modulated by an LFO to create a dramatic sweeping sound The Super Phaser follows this classic formula but allows you to select from 4 to 64 all pass stages for a wide vatiety of timbres A Feedback This is the amount of the phaser output added back into the input to produce a deeper effect Range 100 to 0 to 100 Notch Freq This is the frequency of the first lowest notch un modulated by the LFO Range 0 100 LFO Rate This is the rate of the Low Frequency Oscillator Range 0 010 Hz 4 800Hz or 1 16 to 16 if Tempo Sync is enabled LFO Depth This adjusts the magnitude of the LFO modulation When set to 0 the LFO has no effect on the notch frequencies Range 0 100 LFO Shape Th
9. from category is the one you want to send out If it isn t use the data knob or select buttons to select the proper Program Then use Soft button 2 to select the destination to which your MIDI device will send the Program when it is retransmitted Once you have selected the source from and the destination to press the store button a second time The sys ex data for that Program will be sent out the Ion s MIDI jack Sending an entire Bank The process for sending an entire Bank over MIDI is much the same as sending out a single Program From page 2 of Store mode use the select buttons or data knob to change the from value until it reaches Program 127 in the current Bank Then turn the data knob one more value clockwise to the all option Use the bank buttons to select the The processes for transmitting Programs and Setups over MIDI are slightly different We will cover the process for Programs in this section The process for transmitting Setups is documented on page 31 Programs and Banks may be moved from one Bank to another when sent over MIDI In order for a User Program or Bank to be received by the Blue bank for example the from and to Bank locations must be set properly Then when the Program or Bank is sent back to the Ion the Global Program Write Protect parameter must be set to off Tip use the bank buttons as a shortcut to get from a low Program number to a hi
10. modulation level follows the note s pitch MIDI Aftertouch Polyphonic per note Aftertouch MIDI only MIDI CC 1 119 Value of incoming MIDI Continuous Controller messages 79 80 This page intentionally left blank Effects Master Effects In addition to the Drive Effects which are unique to each Part the Ion has a Master Effects Processor that is shared across all of the Parts All Effects parameters are stored with individual Programs Because there is only one shared effects processor the Program assigned to Part A will NOTE Although only the Program determine which Effect Type and settings ate used for all Programs assigned to Part A s effects are active audible the effects parameters for all four Effect parameters A D show up in the Mod Matrix as Destinations Parts can be edited Because there is only one active effects program but up to 8 voices playing at once one must be vety careful when assigning mod Sources Sources that are unique to each voice such as the Amp Envelope can lead to unpredictable results Global sources such as the exp pedal and the m wheels are recommended Effect Type Page 1 Soft Button 1 Range see the next section Effect Types Default bypass Several different effects are available each with a different selection of adjustable parameters A list of the Types follows in the next section Effect Types Effect Mix Page 1 Soft Button 2 Range 100
11. 1 31 Default 1 When arpeggiators were first introduced decades ago the only thing they would do is drone in other words if you held down some keys the arpeggiator would play through those notes one after the otherin a steady stream of evenly spaced notes There was no rhythmic variation in an arpeggiator Not so in the Ion You have a total of 32 rhythmically distinct arpeggiation patterns from which to choose To try them out press the on button and hold down one key Of course you can hold down more than one key but the rhythms will be more obvious if you focus on one note at first After that you can step through the options on this page using the data knob Arp edit Length Page 1 Soft Button 2 Range 2 16 Default 2 Each arpeggiator pattern is 2 bars long Each of the bars is divided into 8 steps for a total of 16 steps The Length parameter allows you to determine how many of those 16 steps you will use For example if the first half of pattern 14 works very well in your song and the second half doesn t set the pattern length to 8 The rest of the pattern will still be there if you change your mind later the Length parameter merely covers it up Arp edit Octave Range Page 1 Soft Button 3 Range 0 4 Default 0 Arpeggiators are often heard sending a cascade of notes from a high note to a low note or from low notes to high notes It is possible to have this happen without moving your hands
12. 3 Range on off Default on When this parameter 1s set to on the currently selected Part will respond to the exp pedal and will send and receive exp pedal controller messages via MIDI When set to off the selected Part will neither send nor respond to exp pedal messages Pitch Wheel Enable Page 5 Soft Button 1 Range on off Default on When this parameter is set to on the currently selected Part will respond to the p wheel and will send and receive pitch bend messages via MIDI When set to off the selected Part will neither send nor respond to pitch bend messages Mod 1 Wheel Enable Page 5 Soft Button 2 Range on off Default on When this parameter is set to on the currently selected Part will respond to the m1 wheel and will send and receive controller 1 messages via MIDI When set to off the selected Part will neither send nor respond to controller 1 messages The MIDI continuous controller numbers for m2 and the exp pedal are selected in the Global parameter section To select a different value go to Global Edit page 4 Soft buttons 1 and 2 respectively Mod 2 Wheel Enable Page 5 Soft Button 3 Range on off Default on When this parameter is set to on the currently selected Part will respond to the m2 wheel and will send and receive its assigned controller number information via MIDI When set to off the selected Part will neither send nor respond to MIDI messages at its assigned co
13. Follow all instructions Do not use this apparatus near water Clean only with a damp cloth Do not spray any liquid cleaner onto the faceplate as this may damage the front panel controls or cause a dangerous condition Install in accordance with the manufacturer s instructions Do not install near any heat sources such as radiators heat registers stoves or other apparatus including amplifiers that produce heat 9 Do not defeat the safety purpose of the polarized or grounding type plug A polatized plug has two blades with one wider than the other A grounding type plug has two blades and a third grounding prong The wide blade or the third prong are provided for your safety When the provided plug does not fit into your outlet consult an electrician for replacement of the obsolete outlet 10 Protect the power cord from being walked on or pinched particularly at plugs convenience receptacles and the point where they exit from the apparatus 11 Use only attachments or accessories specified by the manufacturer 12 Use only with a cart stand bracket or table designed for use with professional audio or music equipment In any installation make sure that injury or damage will not result from cables pulling on the apparatus and its mounting If a cart is used use caution when moving the cart apparatus combination to avoid injury from tip over 13 Unplug this apparatus during lightning storms ot when unused for long periods
14. Page 1 Soft Button 2 Range 0 100 Default 0 This parameter detunes the Unison voices from one another For example with a Unison voices setting of 2 voices and a Unison detune setting of 15 voice 1 will be detuned 15 cents and voice 2 will be detuned 15 cents In the same scenario with Unison voices set to 4 voices or full the Unison voices will be spread out between those limits The higher the Unison detune setting the more spread out the voices will be Voice edit P Wheel mode Page 1 Soft Button 3 Range held all Default all The setting of this parameter dictates the response of the p wheel which is normally assigned to pitch bend When set to all moving this wheel will bend the pitch of all voices that are sounding even if they are being sustained by the sust pedal or are in their release stage When this parameter is set to held only voices for which the keys are still depressed will allow their pitch to be bent by the p wheel This is a great feature that can allow a keyboard player to bend notes in a chord independently like a guitar player can For example if you play a three note chord step on the sust pedal and release the top and bottom keys you can bend the pitch of the note in the middle while the two released notes are being sustained at their original pitches Voice the porta button This button toggles Portamento mode on and off It also immediately takes you to Voice Edit page
15. Shape 53 Ose edit tav te eite etin tette ter like 54 Ose edit Pitch Semitoti s ee rettet t eterne ces 54 Osc edit Pitch Eine Dune eo riore rne tent nts 54 Osc edit Pitch Wheel Range ss 55 Ose 1 edit FM Eevel idisse etes torte 55 Ose 1 edit FM Types ier br rH RR E net 55 Ose l edit EM Config uie teme Me its 56 Ose 1 edit Syne Oe en eR RR eR At 56 Osc 1 edit Sync Types 56 Osc 1 the Jose sync button ss 57 The Pre Filter section una 57 Pre Filter Mix edit Osc 1 Level ss 57 Pre Filter Mix edit Osc 2 Level ss 57 Pre Filter Mix edit Osc 3 Level ss 57 Pre Filter Mix edit Ring Mod Level ss 57 Pre Filter Mix edit External Input Level 58 Pre Filter Mix edit Noise Level ss 58 Pre Filter Mix edit Osc 1 Balance 58 Pre Filter Mix edit Osc 2 Balance 58 Pre Filter Mix edit Osc 3 Balance 59 Pre Filter Mix edit Ring Mod Balance 59 Table of Contents Pre Filter Mix edit External Input Balance 59 Pre Filter Mix edit Noise Balance 59 Pre Filter Mix edit Noise Type 60 Pre Filter Mix edit 1 gt Level erret 60 The Filters nasse 60 Filter edit Type nt nn ne PR REPE Heb Ree IP HERE UEE 60 Filter edit Frequency siens sense mtra 62 Filter 2 the offset button nes 62 Filter edit Resonance sisi 62 Filter edit Key Track 63 Filter edit Envelope Amount ss 63 The Post Filter Mix section 63 Pos
16. When you press the store setup button the second time a little marker is placed in the Setup data that tells the Ion to put the Setup in the to location when it is sent back via MIDI This is fine if you re expecting it but if you aren t it can be difficult to find the Setup that was sent over You may not remember what the original location of the Setup was when you sent it out There s a solution to this dilemma and that information is covered in the section called Special Cases on the previous page Be sure the Setup number in the from category is the one you want to send out If it isn t use the data knob to select the proper Setup Then use Soft button 2 to select the destination to which your MIDI device will send the Setup when it is retransmitted Once you have selected the source from and the destination to press the store setup button a second time The sys ex data for that Setup will be sent out the Ion s MIDI jack Sending all Setups The process for sending all of the Setups over MIDI is much the same as sending out a single Setup From page 2 of Store mode use the data knob to change the from value until it reaches Setup 31 Then turn the data knob one more value clockwise to the all option Press store a second time and the Bank will be sent out the Ion s MIDI jack Be sure to read the previous section Special Cases for an explanation of the edit option
17. are editing NOTE There are several types of Mod Sources Some such as the Pitch and Mod Wheels are shared across all Voices in a Part In some cases these Sources will be shared across multiple Parts An example would be the case where two Parts are stacked on the keyboard and both use the local Pitch Wheel to modify their pitch Other Sources such as Envelopes and LFOs are unique to each Voice T3 74 Mod Source Page 1 Soft Button 2 Range see table Default none Source Description None No effect LFO2CosSquae LFO 1 Sine output phase shifted 90 degrees Voice Random Random modulation source unique to each voice Global Random Random modulation Source common to all voices rer Ze of Portamento output as a percentage of the glide travel from starting note to ending note Portamento Effect Portamento Level scaled by keyboard position so that the modulation level follows the note s pitch gt MIDI Aftertouch Polyphonic per note Aftertouch MIDI only Mod Destination Page 1 Soft Button 3 Range see table Default none Note that while the majority of the Mod Destinations are Program parameters that show up in the Edit screens there are a few special destinations that are unique to the Mod Matrix Destination Description None Voice Pitch Osc 1 Pitch Full Osc 2 Pitch Full Osc 3 Pitch Full Osc 1 Pitch Narrow Osc 2 Pitch Narrow Osc 3 Pitch Narrow O
18. bank in a safer place for example while still having it available on the keyboard when it s time to perform The Program Write Protect Global parameter makes this all possible 23 24 This page intentionally left blank Parts and Setups What is a Setup A Setup is an arrangement of up to four Parts which are Programs that have been split or layered across the keyboard The combined settings of all four zones of the keyboard are what make up a Setup Programs vs Parts Parts reside at a slightly higher level of the Ion s hierarchy than do Programs A Part consists of the Program plus settings for key range MIDI channel and controllers panning transposition etc You can select a new Program within the Part without affecting these other settings Selecting Parts To switch from one Part to another use the four panel active buttons If you want to know which Programs are being used in a Setup for example press the home button and then switch between the Parts using these buttons You don t have to be at the Home page in order to do this though you can switch between Parts no matter what page you are editing In addition to seeing the values of that page change as you switch between the Parts you will probably see the front panel LEDs change to reflect their status in the different Programs Selecting Programs To select a new Program within the Part use the bank and select buttons or simply press th
19. base delay time that is modulated by the LFO to create the Flange effect It determines the frequencies of the notches and peaks Range 0 100 LFO Rate This is the rate of the Low Frequency Oscillator Range 0 010 Hz 4 800Hz or 1 16 to 16 if Tempo Sync is enabled LFO Depth This adjusts the magnitude of the LFO modulation When set to 0 the LFO has no effect on the notch frequencies Range 0 100 LFO Shape This selects between the two LFO shapes Range Tri Sin Tempo Sync This selects whether the LFO rate is synchronized to the System Tempo When enabled the LFO Rate parameter is displayed as a multiple of the Tempo Range On Off 85 86 Chorus A chorus effect uses an LFO to modulate the pitch of the input signal which is then added back to the dry signal In small doses this will create the illusion of multiple voices playing at once Turn up the Feedback and Depth for more pronounced shimmering and watery sounds A Feedback This is the amount of the chorus output added back into the input to produce a deeper effect Range 0 100 B Manual Delay This is the base delay time that is modulated by the LFO to create the Flange effect It determines the frequencies of the notches and peaks Range 0 100 C LFO Rate This is the rate of the Low Frequency Oscillator Range 0 010 Hz 4 800Hz or 1 16 to 16 if Tempo Sync is enabled D LFO Depth This a
20. during a given step the notes Default 1 will be happening twice as quickly as the tempo LED is flashing With the default value of 1 the arpeggiator s pattern tempo matches the system tempo Since each step of an arpeggiator pattern represents an eighth note you ll hear two steps of the pattern with each flash of the tempo LED Other values for this parameter cause the arpeggiator pattern to speed up or slow down accordingly For example setting this parameter to 4 will cause the arpeggiator to play 8 steps of its pattern with each flash of the tempo LED At the other extreme of 4 only half a step of the pattern will be played with each flash of the tempo LED Arp edit Program Tempo Page 3 Soft Button 1 Range 50 0 250 0 Default 128 Remember to reset a parameter to its Each Program has a tempo value as a stored parameter If the Global as 1 QN du ale tempo source parameter is set to a value of program and this program is in Part A then this parameter determines the tempo for the system Howevet if the Global tempo source parameter is set to a value of global then this parameter is not used Arp the on button This button activates the Arpeggiator If it is lit the Arpeggiator is active Its status is stored with the Program Arp the latch button Pressing this button activates the Arpeggiator and also puts it into Latch mode If it is lit notes played on the keyboard will continue to arpeggiate afte
21. found on the Send Setup to MIDI page 31 32 Sending All Programs and Setups via Sys Ex There is a method for backing up all 512 Programs all 32 Setups and your Global settings at one time You can access this option from either Store Program mode or Store Setup mode In either case it is on page 2 Soft button 3 To initiate the bulk dump navigate to this screen and press the same store button a second time All data will be sent out the Ion s MIDI jack Storing and Recalling Setups There are 32 Setup locations available in the Ion all of which may be overwritten with your own Setups The procedure for storing a Setup is essentially identical to that for storing a Program For information on this process see the section Storing a Program or Setup on page 26 Recalling a Setup When the Ion is first turned on it will automatically recall the last Setup you were on when you turned the unit off If you want to call up a different Setup press the recall setup button You will see a screen that looks like this 31 Bass Pad Split us r 12 part a lungleBass USEF DEF part b Infinitron User FT part c Ephemerald user 85h D part d m lof 1 gt As you can see from the illustration above the Recall Setup screen shows you all four Parts within the current Setup and the names and locations of the Programs they use The boxes on the left indicate whether or not each o
22. has completed and will remain at zero When the amp envelope has sustained to zero that means the entire note has completed and will no longer use one of the synth s voices This parameter can also be adjusted by pressing the appropriate envelope button and turning the sust time knob Env edit Release Time Page 3 Soft Button 1 Range 2 0 ms 30 sec hold Default 2 0 ms This parameter determines the length of the release stage of the envelope This is the amount of time from when you release a note to when the envelope level reaches zero The starting level of the release stage is whatever the envelope level was when the note was released Unless your note has fully sustained to zero and disappeared or the Freerun parameter is active as you ll see below releasing a note will immediately move all envelopes to the release stage Once the amp envelope has gone through its release time that means the note has completed and will no longer use one of the synth s voices This parameter also can be adjusted by pressing the appropriate envelope button and turning the release knob A setting of hold means that after the key is released the envelope will stay at its current level indefinitely The note will continue to sound until the voice is stolen or the Release Time value is reduced allowing the sound to fade out Env edit Release Slope Page 3 Soft Button 2 Range linear exp exp Default linear This parameter
23. modulates Oscillator 1 and Oscillator 3 does not participate in FM In the configurations with multiple modulation routes all modulation uses the same FM Level and FM Type Osc 1 edit Sync Osc Page 4 Soft Button 1 Range osc 2 osc 2 3 Default osc 2 Whereas FM lets you use Oscillators 2 and 3 to affect Oscillator 1 Ion s Osc Sync feature allows you to turn around and use Oscillator 1 to affect Oscillators 2 and 3 The Sync Osc parameter determines which oscillators are synced to Oscillator 1 when the Osc Sync feature is enabled If set to osc 2 only Oscillator 2 will be affected by Osc Sync If set to osc 2 3 then both Oscillators 2 and 3 will be slaves to Oscillator 1 Osc 1 edit Sync Type Page 4 Soft Button 2 Range hard soft Default hard This parameter determines the style of syncing that the Osc Sync feature uses Hard sync resets the slave oscillator to the beginning of its waveform whenever the master oscillator Oscillator 1 hits the beginning of its waveform This has the effect of forcing the master s fundamental frequency onto the slave This behavior is called hard sync because the slave waveform is snapped to zero at the frequency of the master oscillator which can create a harsh rough sound even out of sine waves Soft sync on the other hand reverses the direction of the slave oscillator whenever the master hits the beginning of its waveform The resulting wave has no sharp edg
24. not synchronized to the setting of the tempo parameter As a result the LFO may be set to any rate within the first range of values Remember to reset a parameter to its default value perform a quick double press of its Soft button The effect of the Portamento trigger parameter may be easier to see when a Program is in Mono mode Note Although each LFO is entirely independent their parameters are identical Therefore in discussing each parameter we will make no distinction between LFO 1 and LFO 2 Everything said about the parameters for either LFO applies equally to the other When LFO sync is set to off LFO rate values are measured in Hz or Hertz This is a term meaning cycles per second and it is often referred to as the frequency of the LFO A setting of 1000 Hz is well within the range of human hearing so that rather than simply hearing the effect the LFO has on the pitch of an oscillator the LFO itself can be heard as well The second Range x 1 16 x 16 is provided if the Sync parameter is set to on This means the LFO is synchronized to the setting of the tempo parameter As the tempo changes so will the rate of the LFO But the difference here is that there is a rhythmic relationship between the tempo and the rate of the LFO When the value is set to x 1 times one the LFO will complete its cycle once per quarter note relative to the tempo setting When the value is set to x 2 the LFO will cycle o
25. of time 14 Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel Servicing is required when the apparatus has been damaged in any way such as when the power supply cord or plug is damaged liquid has been spilled or objects have fallen into the apparatus the apparatus has been exposed to rain or moisture does not operate normally or has been dropped 15 This unit produces heat when operated normally Operate in a well ventilated area with at least six inches of clearance from peripheral equipment 16 This product in combination with an amplifier and headphones or speakers may be capable of producing sound levels that could cause permanent hearing loss Do not operate for a long period of time at a high volume level or at a level that is uncomfortable If you experience any hearing loss or ringing in the ears you should consult an audiologist 17 Do not expose the apparatus to dripping or splashing Do not place objects filled with liquids flower vases soft drink cans coffee cups on the apparatus 18 WARNING To reduce the risk of fire or electric shock do not expose this apparatus to rain or moisture ANAN oo N 10 Instructions de Securite Importantes French Symboles utilises dans ce produit Ce symbole alerte l utilisateur qu il existe des instructions de fonctionnement et de maintenance dans la documentation jointe avec ce produit Ce symbole avertit l utilisateur de la pr sence d une tension non isol e l int
26. or All Setups via Sys EX sss 31 Sending All Programs and Setups via Sys Ex sss 32 Storing and Recalling Setups sss 32 Compare Mode eee eee eee eere eee eee tenere nn 33 Part Parameter Descriptions 33 Program Bak taie testet dete pain ni 33 POS AMEL ace Pd eter eu 33 MIDI Channel od er ann 34 MIDI Local a 34 LOW Kee c 34 Isid M 34 auum tee 35 Out Balances E iniit indie tenete ies 35 EFX Teye zeige ne ein Deren 35 h ipp 35 Sust Pedal Enable ite tentent anni 36 Exp Pedal Ea2able iare e Bann 36 Pitch Wheel Enable c u 36 Mod 1 Wheel Enable eec teet tient tea nn 36 Mod 2 Wheel Enable sense 37 THAS POSE 37 OCTAV SR dede dede ees seta deerat 37 Chapter 5 Program Parameters 39 How the Ion Makes Sound 39 The Oscillators JT 39 The Pre Filter Mix nee 39 glace 39 Fhe Post Filter Mix iit ote tenete ee 40 OUt LEE ee ee Se eee 40 Signal Flow Diagramme sisi 40 Modulation aeieaninsaeneann 41 The P EAD etti ru nn in si an 41 TTheBnyelopes i etate nan e e Te ee ase dosis 41 Program Parameter Descriptions 42 Voice the unison button ars e itin iino 42 Voice edit Unison voices eerte 42 Voice e
27. program in Part A e The MIDI connector icon and the number to its right indicate the MIDI Channel of the currently selected Part A double press of the home button also shuts off all eight of the Ion s voices and sends an All Notes Off command over MIDI The Global mode parameter tempo source is found on Global mode page 3 Soft button 2 15 16 The Edit pages Any time a knob is moved or a button is pressed the Ion enters Edit mode and displays a screen with parameters related to that knob or button The appearances of the pages can vary quite a bit but there are some things they have in common e There can be up to three parameters displayed on any page If the desired parameter does not have a front panel knob select it using a Soft button and turn the data knob to edit the value e Sometimes there are several pages of parameters related to a given function You will know this is the case by looking on the bottom line of the page as in the example below edit pre filter mix osc osc osc rin ext noi 1 2 S3 mod in S osc lev osc3 lev 5 60 X 80 The numbers at the bottom of the page tell you how many pages there are and which page you are on In the above example there are five pages available and you ate on page 1 When more than one page is available you can navigate to the additional pages using the page D and page buttons Note that the arrow in the left corner is grayed out That means
28. rieur de l appareil pouvant engendrer des chocs lectriques Ce symbole pr vient l utilisateur de la pr sence de tensions sur les raccordements de sorties repr sentant un risque d lectrocution Veuillez suivre ces pr cautions lors de l utilisation de l appareil Lisez ces instructions Gardez ces instructions Tenez compte de tous les avertissements Suivez toutes les instructions N utilisez pas cet allareil proximit de l eau Ne nettoyez qu avec un chiffon humide Il est potentiellement dangereux d utiliser des pulv risateurs ou nettoyants liquides sur cet appareil Installez selon les recommandations du constructeur Ne pas installer proximil de sources de chaleur comme radiateurs cuisini re ou autre appareils don t les amplificateurs produisant de la chaleur 9 Ne pas enlever la prise de terre du cordon secteur Une prise murale avec terre deux broches et une troisi rme reli e la terre Cette derni re est pr sente pour votre s curit Si le cordon secteur ne rentre pas dans la prise de courant demandez un lectricien qualifi de remplacer la prise 10 Evitez de marcher sur le cordon secteur ou de le pincer en particulier au niveau de la prise et aux endroits ou il sor de l appateil 11 N utilisez que des accessoires sp cifi s par le constructeur 12 N utilisez qu avec un stand ou table con us pour l utilisation d audio professionnel ou instruments de musique Dans toute installation
29. set to freerun then there is no sustain stage the envelope transitions from attack to decay to release Furthermore it doesn t matter how long you hold down the key the envelope always follows this fixed length pattern If you are using the Tip to return quickly to page 1 while editing perform a quick double press of the edit button in that section Loop feature of the envelope this parameter will have further effects on the envelope behavior and these will be discussed below Env edit Loop Page 4 Soft Button 3 Range decay zero hold off Default off Under normal circumstances you ll want your envelope to go straight through its stages from attack to decay to sustain and or release But sometimes you ll want the envelope to loop back on itself and go through some stages more than once That s what this parameter is for When set to decay the envelope will go through its attack and decay stages like usual but will then loop back to the beginning of the attack stage It will continue looping through the attack and decay stages as long as the note is held If the envelope is in Freerun mode it will even continue looping after you release the note You will usually only want to use this configuration with your filter or pitch mod envelopes if you set up the amp envelope to loop forever you ll only be able to stop it by playing a lot of other notes at once to steal the voice Loop decay Release mode Lo
30. strength of the signal source in the Pre Filter Mix the balance parameters let you determine how much of that signal gets sent to Filter 1 and how much goes to Filter 2 A balance of 100 0 means that all of this source is fed to Filter 1 0 100 sends the source completely to Filter 2 and 50 50 sends an equal amount into both filters The Osc 1 Balance parameter controls the balance of the Oscillator 1 source Pre Filter Mix edit Osc 2 Balance Page 3 Soft Button 2 Range 0 100 100 09 o Default 50 50 This parameter controls the filter balance of Oscillator 2 in the Pre Filter Mix Pre Filter Mix edit Osc 3 Balance Page 3 Soft Button 3 Range 0 100 100 0 Default 50 50 This parameter controls the filter balance of Oscillator 3 in the Pre Filter Mix Pre Filter Mix edit Ring Mod Balance Page 4 Soft Button 1 Range 0 100 100 0 Default 50 50 This parameter controls the filter balance of the Ring Mod source in the Pre Filter Mix Pre Filter Mix edit External Input Balance Page 4 Soft Button 2 Range 100 f1 100 f2 Default center This parameter controls the filter balance of the External Input source in the Pre Filter Mix However since the External Input is a stereo source this balance works a little differently When the balance is exactly in the middle the left channel of the external input is sent to Filter 1 and the right channel is s
31. that there are no more pages available in that direction The Global pages When the global button is pressed the Ion will enter Global mode There are multiple Global pages and each contains parameters related to the way the Ion is configured Select the desired parameter using a Soft button and turn the data knob to edit the value These settings do not change from one Program or Setup to the next For a complete description of the Global mode parameters see Chapter 3 The Mod Matrix pages When the mod matrix button is pressed the Ion will enter Edit mode for the active Program and display parameters related to the Mod Matrix This is also where the Tracking Generator is found These are two of the most powerful features of the Ion allowing flexibility and control over neatly evety aspect of the sound For a complete desctiption of the Mod Matrix and the Tracking Generator see Chapter 6 Remember if there are two or more pages of parameters related to a given function use the page P and page buttons to access the other pages LED functions The Ion s front panel has lots of LED lights They serve many purposes e Two LEDs serve as speed indicators the rate LED and the tempo LED The rate LED may blink at a different speed depending on which of three functions has been selected in the LFO section Ifo 1 Ifo 2 or s amp h e The mod LEDs indicate that an edit has been made in the Mod Matrix that af
32. the front panel of the Ion The parameters are listed by the Edit page name the page number and the Soft button used to access them Also listed is the default value for each parameter Voice the unison button This button toggles Unison mode on and off It also immediately takes you to Voice Edit page 1 with the Unison Voices parameter selected so you can determine how many voices you want assigned to one key when you enable Unison mode For a description of the three Unison mode types and related parameters see Unison voices and Unison detune in the next two paragraphs 41 Tip to return quickly to page 1 while Voice edit Unison voices editing perform a quick double press of the edit button in that section Page 1 Soft Button 1 Range 2 voices 4 voices full Default full The setting of this parameter controls the response of the unison button It determines how many voices will be allocated per key when Unison mode is on When set to 2 voices cach key will trigger 2 voices allowing a maximum of 4 keys to be played before running out of voices When set to 4 voices each key will trigger 4 voices allowing a maximum of 2 keys to be played before running out of voices When set to full all 8 of the Ion s voices will be evenly divided among the keys that are held down Remember to reset a parameter to its 3 default value perform a quick double press Voice edit Unison detune of its Soft button
33. veillez de ne rien endommager cause de c bles qui tirent sur des appareils et leur support 13 D branchez l appareil lors d un orage ou lorsqu il n est pas utilis pendant longtemps 14 Faites r parer par un personnel qualifi Une r paration est n cessaire lorsque l appareil a t endommag de quelque sorte que ce soit par exemple losrque le cordon secteur ou la prise sont endommag s si du liquide a coul ou des objets se sont introduits dans l appareil si celui ci a t expos la pluie ou l humidit ne fonctionne pas normalement ou est tomb 15 Puisque son fonctionement normale g n re de la chaleur placez cet appareil au moins 15cm des quipments p ripheriques et assurez que l emplacement permet la circulation de l air 16 Ce produit utilis avec un amplificateur et un casque ou des enceintes est capable de produite des niveaux sonores pouvant engendrer une perte permanente de l ou e Ne l utilisez pas pendant longtemps un niveau sonore lev ou un niveau non confortable Si vous remarquez une perte de l ouie ou un bourdonnement dans les oreilles consultez un sp cialiste 17 N exposez pas l appareil l goutture ou l claboussement Ne placez pas les objets remplis de liquides vases fleur boites de boisson non alcoolique tasses de caf sur l appareil 18 AVERTISSEMENT Pour r duire le risque du feu ou de d charge lectrique n exposez pas cet appateil la pluie ou l hum
34. wheel usually adds vibrato but it also may be used as a source in the modulation matrix to control neatly any parameter e m2 wheel This wheel usually sweeps the filter but it also may be used as a source in the modulation matrix to control nearly any parameter Even more control over the sound is available through the addition of an optional expression pedal such as the Roland EV 5 And don t forget that you can grab any knob and tweak it during performance Global Parameters What does Global mean A Global parameter is one that affects the entire Ion at once every Program every Setup everything to do with MIDI or the arpeggiatot etc Since they are universal Global parameters are not stored with Programs or Setups A prime example of a Global setting is the LCD Contrast parameter on Global mode page 1 Soft button 1 Whatever value you choose for this parameter will affect the appearance of every single edit screen in the Ion and affect them all equally The Global parameters To enter Global mode press the global button LCD Contrast Page 1 Soft Button 1 Range 1 to 180 Default 100 Depending on your viewing angle or lighting conditions you may want to adjust this parameter It controls the contrast between the text in the LCD and the LCD s backlight Keyboard Curve Page 1 Soft Button 2 Range 9 choices linear low med high logarithmic low med high exponential low med high D
35. 2 3 4 5 e 7 8 o MANM a Ib c d Je f jg n fi i Jk t jmjn jo jp a Ir s It u v w x Jy z Sending a Program or Bank via Sys Ex The second page of Store mode contains features related to storing a Program or bank of Programs on an external device via MIDI such as a computer with a librarian program a MIDI data filer or even another Ion Sending a single Program The first thing to do is press the store button above the data knob if you re not already in Store mode Next use the page P button to navigate to page 2 You ll see a page that looks like this send program to midi From to press store to send program sysex dump from to usr 003 Egger The from location over Soft button 1 should be the same as the number of the Program you were editing The to location must be selected carefully When you ptess the store button the second time a little marker is placed in the Program data that tells the Ion to put the Program in the to location when it is sent back via MIDI This is fine if you re expecting it but if you aren t it can be difficult to find the Program that was sent over You may not remember what the original location of the Program was when you sent it out There s a solution to this dilemma but we ll write about that in the section called Special Cases on the next page We have other things we need to cover first Be sure the Program number in the
36. 2 with the Portamento Rate parameter selected The four Portamento types and related parameters are described in the next paragraph and on the next page Voice edit Portamento type Page 2 Soft Button 1 Tip to return quickly to page 1 while Range fixed scaled gliss fixed gliss scaled editing perform a quick double press of the Default fixed edit button in that section Pressing the porta button turns on the Portamento feature which is also sometimes called glide This adds a very distinctive character to a sound causing played notes to slide from one pitch to the next instead of changing only in hard intervals You have a choice of four different Portamento types Fixed No matter how far apart the two keys are it takes the same amount of time to travel between them The Portamento time parameter determines this amount of time scaled Determines the amount of time it takes to glide a distance of one octave gliss fixed The response between two keys is the same as for fixed but the pitch travels in chromatic increments between the notes C C D etc gliss scaled The response between two keys is the same as for scaled but the pitch travels in chromatic increments between the notes C C D etc 43 44 Voice edit Portamento time Page 2 Soft Button 2 Range 10 msec to 10 seconds Default 160 22 msec This parameter determines the length of time it takes for the Portamento fe
37. 8 bcUo 78 Level Nestle 78 FP Ol ROMS us peream e aceti ape eot tete LE MS ne 78 Tracking Input een nn 79 Table of Contents Chapter 7 Effects sise 81 Master Effects nenne 81 lied 81 lied cc 81 Parameters ASP net oO ente nettement reds 81 Effect Vy PS 81 Byp ssuu tus NN RS nn RL EEA SPASSE ESSES IES 81 Sieseurlcd M 82 String Phases ete ome eee oe ebore eet Pre 83 Theta Flanger 2 202 ne ne nn nine etes 84 Thru Z ro Flanget ss 85 CHOLUS mer nn nn no 86 40 Band Vocode t ss ss 87 Chapter 8 MIDI 82320 2 89 What is MIDI nenne 89 MIDI Gonnsctionst un n rete re ert tege 89 Using Your Ion With a MIDI Sequence see 91 Changing the MIDI Channel ss 91 Local vs MIDI Control 92 Saving Programs and Setups via MIDI 93 Loading Programs and Setups via MIDI 94 Updating Software Via MIDI 95 Sending and Receiving Bank Select Messages s sssssssssesssresrresrrees 95 PXIBNUC EGG M ET 95 MIDI Controller Numbers u 96 MIDI Implementation Chart ss 97 Appendix A Frequently Asked Questions 99 How do I split layer the key boatdes ns ennemies 99 Whatis a MIDI Sequence ttti tein 99 Where can I get more Banks 99 Are Ion Programs compatible with Andromeda DrOOFAmsp us cn eT cu ULM eM NN 99 How do I change what the m2 wheel does 99 Appendix B Troubleshooting 101 Recoverin
38. Bend messages S amp H edit Reset Page 2 Soft Button 1 Range mono poly key mono key poly Default mono The S amp H Reset parameter dictates how the Sample amp Hold responds when the first key is pressed and then determines how it will react to overlapping keypresses For a full description of the Reset parameter see the LFO edit Rate section on page 45 S amp H edit Smoothing Page 2 Soft Button 2 Range 1 100 Default 100 This parameter governs the abruptness of the shift from the value of one sample to the value of the next A low smoothing value causes the sample values to change instantly from one value to the next when the new sample is taken A high smoothing value causes the Sample amp Hold to slide from one value to the next Tempo The tempo knob is command central for anything that may be linked to tempo the arpeggiator an LFO the Sample amp Hold generator or one of the time based effects such as the rate of a chorus The most obvious of these is the arpeggiator so if you would like to see what the tempo knob does activate the arpeggiator hold down some notes and turn the knob Rotating the knob clockwise speeds up the arpeggiator and rotating it counter clockwise will slow the arpeggiator down A tempo value 1s stored with each program Turning the tempo knob calls up arpeggiator Edit page 3 with the program tempo parameter selected The tempo range is from 50 250
39. Edit mode Page 6 Soft button 3 Note The select buttons cannot be used for choosing a destination location when storing a Setup Naming a Program or Setup You may want to give the Program a new name to distinguish it from the original Program There are several ways to create a new name or alter an existing one using a combination of Soft buttons 1 and 2 the data knob and the keyboard First press either Soft button 2 or 3 The Store page will change to look like this rtore part a program Dre program to NA SEvchorhythm ee give program to device program name name lof 2 Using the Soft buttons and the data knob The vertical column shows you the alphanumeric choices that are immediately available by turning the data knob Soft buttons 2 and 3 move this column to the left or the right respectively Choose the letter in the name you would like to change and move the column to that spot Using the keyboard With so many characters available for creating a name it could be quite cumbersome without a shortcut to the characters you re most likely to use The Ion keyboard can be used to call up letters numbers and even a couple of punctuation marks Once you know your way around this is a real time saver Here s how they are laid out e The lowest C on the keyboard enters a space e Starting with the D above that the white keys are used to enter the letters of the alphab
40. S at the address and telephone number printed below to obtain a Return Authorization Number and instructions concerning where to return the unit for service All inquiries must be accompanied by a description of the problem All authorized returns must be sent to ALESIS or an authorized ALESIS repair facility postage prepaid insured and properly packaged Proof of purchase must be presented in the form of a bill of sale canceled check or some other positive proof that the product is within the watranty period ALESIS reserves the right to update any unit returned for repair ALESIS reserves the right to change or improve design of the product at any time without prior notice This warranty does not cover claims for damage due to abuse neglect alteration or attempted repair by unauthorized personnel and is limited to failures arising during normal use that are due to defects in material or workmanship in the product THE ABOVE WARRANTIES ARE IN LIEU OF ANY OTHER WARRANTIES OR REPRESENTATIONS WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED OR OTHERWISE WITH RESPECT TO THE PRODUCT AND SPECIFICALLY EXCLUDE ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR MERCHANTABILITY OR OTHER IMPLIED WARRANTIES Some states do not allow limitations on how long an implied warranty lasts so the above limitation may not apply to you IN NO EVENT WILL ALESIS BE LIABLE FOR INCIDENTAL CONSEQUENTIAL INDIRECT OR OTHER DAMAGES RESULTING FROM THE BREACH OF ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED
41. Sometimes they can be very different There are a few knobs that should be singled out for attention at this point e volume knob This is the red knob just above the Pitch wheel It controls the level of the main and headphone outputs Note that this control has no effect on the aux outputs e tempo knob This is the knob in the upper left corner of the Ion It Remember In order for the S H an LFO or effect to respond to the tempo knob its sync controls the speed of any number of functions most notably the parameter must be set to tempo arpeggiator e data knob This is the clear knob to the right of the display Use it for fine tuning your edits or to edit a parameter that has no front panel knob It is also used for selecting Programs and Setups The functions of the rest of the knobs will be described in Chapter 5 Performance controls The Ion gives you a number of expressive controls at your fingertips in addition to all of the knobs and buttons e Velocity The Ion s keyboard will respond to differences in how hard you play the keys You can tailor make the keyboard s response to your playing style by selecting one of the nine keyboard curves found on Global mode page 1 Soft button 2 e p or Pitch Bend wheel This wheel is normally assigned to bend the pitch of one or more oscillators but it may be used as a source in the modulation matrix to control nearly any parameter e mi wheel This
42. WARRANTY INCLUDING AMONG OTHER THINGS DAMAGE TO PROPERTY DAMAGE BASED ON INCONVENIENCE OR ON LOSS OF USE OF THE PRODUCT AND TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW DAMAGES FOR PERSONAL INJURY Some states do not allow the exclusion or limitation of incidental or consequential damages so the above limitation or exclusion may not apply to you THIS CONTRACT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY THE INTERNAL LAWS OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA WITHOUT REFERENCE TO CONFLICTS OF LAWS This warranty gives you specific legal rights and you may also have other rights required by law which vary from state to state This warranty only applies to products sold to purchasers in the United States of America or Canada The terms of this warranty and any obligations of Alesis under this warranty shall apply only within the country of sale Without limiting the foregoing repairs under this warranty shall be made only by a duly authorized Alesis service representative in the country of sale For warranty information in all other countries please refer to yout local distributor Alesis Contact Information Alesis Distribution LLC Los Angeles USA E mail support alesis com Website http www alesis com Alesis Ion Reference Manual Revision 1 0 by Randy Lee Ben Ling and Bret Victor Copyright 2003 Alesis Distribution LLC All rights reserved Reproduction in whole or in part is prohibited Ion is a trademark of Alesis Distribution LLC Specifications subject to
43. We plan to have additional program banks there as well so keep checking back with us We hope your investment will bring you many years of creative enjoyment and help you achieve your goals Sincerely The people of Alesis Unpacking and Inspection The shipping carton for your Ion should contain the following items An Ion AC power cable This instruction manual A warranty card Please log on to the Alesis website at www alesis com to register your new Ion synthesizer This will help us give you the best support we possibly can How to Use This Manual We re sure you d like to jump in and start using your Ion synthesizer Rd Dad adt cre ehe Re UO quickly To help you do this refer to Chapter 1 for hook up instructions ee and then read Chapter 2 Overview This will get you playing in no time If you have any questions refer to the Frequently Asked Questions in Appendix A on page 99 Basic configuration issues will be found in Chapter 3 Global When something important appears in the Parameters manual an exclamation mark like the one shown at left will appear with some The housekeeping functions of the Ion such as the process of SSL storing a Program are covered in Chapter 4 Parts and Setups There is also important MIDI information regarding Setups in this chapter If you want to create your own sounds from the ground up or learn what a particular knob or button does refer to Chapters 5 through 7 E
44. ach parameter is covered in detail For mote specific information on how to use the Ion with MIDI refer to Chapter 8 MIDI Near the end of the manual are troubleshooting tips and specifications The names for all buttons knobs and wheels on the Ion are formatted throughout the manual so as to be easily identified Here are some examples Voice The names for the bracketed red letter sections of the front panel are shown capitalized and in bold type Soft buttons The round buttons under the display are capitalized unison The front panel buttons are bracketed and lower case m1 Names for the wheels and pedals are in parentheses ext input The audio input output jacks are in lower case letters attack The knobs are represented in lower case letters also mod or loop Dedicated LEDs are also offset in bold type Important Safety Instructions Important Safety Instructions English Safety symbols used in this product This symbol alerts the user that there are important operating and maintenance instructions in the literature accompanying this unit AN This symbol warns the user of uninsulated voltage within the unit that can cause dangerous electric shocks This symbol warns the user that output connectors contain voltages that can cause dangerous electrical shock Please follow these precautions when using this product Read these instructions Keep these instructions Heed all warnings
45. an voice This 3 band 3 bandpass filters version emulates the ah and oo vowel sounds vocal formant 2 Unique to the Ion A 3 band formant filter which emulates the oh and ee vowel sounds vocal formant 3 Unique to the Ion A 5 band formant filter based on an idealized model of the vocal tract band limit Unique to the Ion A 2 pole highpass filter and a 2 pole lowpass filter in series limiting the signal to everything in between them The resonance control adjusts the bandwidth Filter edit Frequency Page 1 Soft Button 2 Range 20 Hz 20 KHz or 4 0 to 4 0 octaves Default 20 KHz or 4 0 octaves This parameter sets the cutoff frequency for the filter Depending on the filter type the cutoff frequency is either the point above or below which the audio frequencies begin to diminish In some filter types there are actually multiple frequencies emphasized and or reduced sweeping the frequency in this case shifts them all at once Filter 2 the offset button This button toggles Filter 2 s frequency knob between Absolute and Offset modes In Absolute mode Filter 2 s frequency knob functions identically to Filter 1 s and adjusts the filter frequency In Offset mode Filter 2 s frequency is a multiple of Filter 1 s such that adjusting or modulating Filter 1 s frequency also adjusts Filter 2 s In Offset mode adjusting Filter 2 s frequency adjusts the constant amount by which it is offset from F
46. art within the Setup This is not to be confused with the Program Effects Level parameter controlled by the knob on the right side Remember the Program in Part A selects the shared Effect for all four Parts You may want to adjust the amount of Parts B through D being sent to that Effect that is what this parameter allows you to do Pan Page 4 Soft Button 1 Range center 1 100 L 1 100 R Default center The Pan parameter determines the position of the selected Part in the stereo field When used in conjunction with the Out Balance parameter described on the previous page it is possible to send each Part in the Setup to a separate mono output The EFX Level parameter serves as a Send Level control to the shared Effect It does not override the level ofthe Drive effect as each Program retains its own Drive effect in a Setup You can edit this level using the Drive knob Once you have the Drive effect level set the way you like it be sure to store the Program so your changes are remembered Otherwise these settings will be lost when you recall a new Setup 35 36 Sust Pedal Enable Page 4 Soft Button 2 Range on off Default on When this parameter is set to on the currently selected Part will respond to the sust pedal and will send and receive sustain pedal commands via MIDI When set to off the selected Part will neither send nor respond to sustain pedal commands Exp Pedal Enable Page 4 Soft Button
47. ature to slide from note to note The exact response is determined by the Portamento type parameter See the previous parameter description for more information Voice edit Portamento trigger Page 2 Soft Button 3 Range normal legato Default normal Portamento can be configured to respond in one of two ways to the way you play legato Portamento will occur only if you play a second key before lifting up the first key normal Portamento will occur even if there is no overlap between the lifting of one key and the playing of another Voice the mono poly button This button toggles between the mono and poly voice modes Mono mode allows only one voice to be played Poly mode allows polyphonic operation Since it s a dedicated button with only two potential values it doesn t call up a parameter in the display LFO edit Rate Page 1 Soft Button 1 Range 0 010 1000 hz or x 16 x 1 16 Default 0 100 hz This is where the initial rate for the selected LFO is set Of course the easiest way to edit this particular parameter is to grab the rate knob and turn it That will take you immediately to this page Note that there are two possible sets of values listed for this parameter s range The set of values you will have available is determined by the sync parameter on LFO edit page 1 Soft button 2 The first Range 0 010 1000 Hz is available if the Sync parameter 1s set to off This means the LFO is
48. aves There is an even faster way to transpose the Ion hold the transpose button and press a key above or below the middle C on the keyboard and the Ion will be transposed by that amount To transpose back to concert pitch hold NOTE The settings of the Transpose and Octave parameters will also change the transpose again and press the middle C Another way to reset the MIDI note output of the Ion by the same transposition amount to zeto is to press the transpose button twice amount quickly Octave Page 2 Soft Button 3 Range 3 to 3 Default 0 With this parameter you can transpose the Ion up or down in octave increments over a range of 7 octaves for a total range of 10 octaves including the range covered by the keyboard This parameter also has a pait of dedicated front panel buttons that will edit the value and take you to this page MIDI Sync Page 3 Soft Button 1 Range ext sync gen midi clock off Default off The Ion gives you the option to synchronize the arpeggiator et al to an incoming MIDI clock If a value of ext sync is selected any function of the Ion that has its sync parameter set to tempo will slave to the external MIDI clock If a value of gen midi clock or off is selected the Ion will ignore incoming MIDI clock messages A setting of gen midi clock tells the Ion to send out MIDI clock messages so external MIDI devices such as drum machines can slave to the Ion s arpeggiator Tempo So
49. bpm beats per minute For more information about the arpeggiator see the next page Tempo the tap button The square backlit button under the tempo knob blinks according to the Tempo setting But it serves as more than a visual metronome if you tap the button at the desired tempo it will adjust the Tempo setting to match what you are doing Tip to return quickly to page 1 while editing perform a quick double press of the edit button in that section With Sample amp Hold smoothing set to very high values it is possible that very little or no change may be heard at the destination If you re not hearing the desired amount of S amp H try increasing the smoothing value In a Setup the program in Part A determines the tempo for all four parts However this will not be the case if the Global tempo source parameter is set to Global In this case the Tempo will be the same for all Programs and Setups For more information see Chapter 3 Global Parameters 49 50 The Arpeggiator An arpeggio is what you get when the notes in a chord are played one at a time instead of all at once The Ion arpeggiator allows you to create automated arpeggios based on a combination of the notes you hold down and the settings of the arpeggiator Of course the easiest way to hear what the arpeggiator does is to press the on button and hold down one or more keys Arp edit Pattern Page 1 Soft Button 1 Range random
50. but more often you ll leave it somewhere in the middle This allows you to model the dynamics of a note being struck and then ringing out For the filter and pitch mod envelopes this parameter can even be negative Since the subsequent envelope stages always head back towards zero a negative sustain level will give you an envelope that zigs high zags low and ends up somewhere in the middle This parameter can also be adjusted by pressing the appropriate envelope button and turning the sust level knob Env edit Sustain Time Page 2 Soft Button 3 Range 0 5 ms 30 sec hold Default hold This parameter determines the length of the sustain stage of the envelope If you ate familiar with analog synths this paramter may surprise you since a traditional synth will remain in the sustain stage as long as you have the note held down The Ion provides this behaviot of coutse simply set this parameter to hold and your note will be sustained until your finger gets tired But many physical instruments do not wotk like this A piano for example exhibits a distinct attack and decay as the hammer strikes the string but the string does not then ring forever the volume slowly diminishes until the string is silent The Ion allows you to model this behavior by specifying a sustain time This is the amount of time it takes for the envelope level to drop from the sustain level to zero Once the envelope has sustained to zeto the envelope
51. change without notice 7 51 0124 A 4 25 2003 For more effective service and product update notices please register your Ion online at http www alesis com support warranty htm 105
52. disconnect the AC cord For simple dusting and removal of minor dirt wipe the instrument down with a slightly damp cloth NEVER spray any cleaner directly onto the Ion this can destroy the lubricants used in he switches and controls For heavy dirt use a non abrasive household cleaner such as Formula Hi ECHO GRO CORTOS 409 or Fantastik Spray the cleanser onto a cloth then use the cloth to clean the unit Specifications Sound Engine Sound Generation Polyphonic Voices Program Memory Effects Audio Input Input Connectors Maximum Input Level Input Impedance Audio Output Output Connectors Maximum Output Level Output Impedance Audio Performance Signal To Noise Ratio THD N Frequency Response Power Consumption Physical Keyboard Real Time Controllers Pedal Jacks MIDI Connections Audio Outputs Dimensions WxHxD Weight Alesis proprietary DSP Analog Modeling 8 each with 3 oscillators 2 multi mode filters 3 envelope generators 2 LFOs programmable effects send and modulation matrix 512 Preset Programs 32 Multi timbral Setups all user rewritable 4 Drive Effects 1 each per Part plus Master Effects Shared 2 Balanced 1 4 TRS jacks 5 2dBu 1 41VRMS 0dBFS 10kQ 4 Impedance Balanced 1 4 TRS jacks 4 TRS Headphone Jack 18dBu 6 17 VRMS OdBFS 1kQ All measurements done over a 20Hz 20kHz range with a IkHz sine wave at IdBFS
53. dit Unison detune ss 42 Voice edit P Wheel mode tes 43 Voice the porta button ss 43 Voice edit Portamento type ss 43 Voice edit Port mento tme dtt terere 44 Voice edit Portamento trigger ss 44 Voice the 16087 poly button cassa da en edt a 44 LFO edit Rate iunio edi eee eerte 44 LFO edit Synez inne ee vat rrt oap rete ear en as 45 EFO edit Reset 82 000 45 LEO edit MT to LEGO ite ee ae 46 LFO the 1 button etre teer tas reet et aan 46 LEO the 2 buttons une 46 LFO the KRA Dutton ya a 46 Sample amp Hold S amp H ss 47 S amp H edit Rte uia ct pee e e ri Dents 47 S amp H edit SYAC iiie osa tr eerte aont aa 47 S amp H edit Input oett nme 47 S amp H edit Reset pb e Re klei 49 S amp H edit Smoothing sss 49 TEMPO nein ea ouo ea rU e VE NN e Te a EYE DN PRAE VE ee TERR EU 49 Tempo the tap button seele has 49 The Arpeggiator eere ee eee eee eee eee eee eee eere eee 50 P n iuc ER 50 p edit Length iiiter een 50 jun Octave Range 2 RE RER 50 p edit Octave Sp n ss 51 ie Note Order teet eret Ure rint 51 Arp edit Tempo Multiplier ss 52 Arp edit Program Tempo een rene pretende 52 he the on BUttOfis sito aene trt en 52 Arp th latch button 52 The Oscillators san 53 Ose edit Waveform zs iioi ett tee tete ettet aa 53 Ose edit
54. djusts the magnitude of the LFO modulation When set to 0 the LFO has no effect on the notch frequencies Range 0 100 E LFO Shape This selects between the two LFO shapes Range Tti Sin F Tempo Sync This selects whether the LFO rate is synchronized to the System Tempo When enabled the LFO Rate parameter is displayed as a multiple of the Tempo Range On Off 40 Band Vocoder A vocoder uses two sets of band pass filters filter banks to impart the characteristics of one sound source onto another The analysis filter bank determines the level of the input at several different frequencies These levels are used to modulate the output levels of the corresponding frequencies of the synthesis filter bank The most common use of this is to send a synthesizer signal into the synthesis input and a voice recorded or live via a microphone into the analysis input to get a talking synthesizer effect A Analysis Sensitivity This adjusts the gain of the input to the analysis filter bank Range 100 100 Sibilance Boost This adjusts the level of a high pass shelving filter at the input to the analysis filter bank This will increase or decrease the sibilant frequencies consonant sounds to improve intelligibility or change the tonality of the vocoder Range 100 100 Decay This adjusts how quickly the synthesis filters will react to the input signal A faster response lower setting will usually be mor
55. down even further always select the same edit buffer be it edit a or edit d as the destination If you re consistent with this you ll save yourself a lot of headaches later on Store Setup Mode The Send Setup to MIDI page discussed immediately below has an extra option called edit that is equivalent to the edit a d options on the Send Program to MIDI page If you want to keep your options open when transmitting a single Setup to MIDI select the edit option as the to location That way it will always be returned to the Setup edit buffer where you can place it in a location known at that time to be available Sending One Setup or All Setups via Sys Ex The second page of Store mode contains features related to storing one Setup or all 32 Setups on an external device via MIDI such as a computer with a librarian program a MIDI data filer or even another Ion Sending a single Setup The first thing to do is press the store setup button to the right of the part enable buttons if you re not already in Store Setup mode Next use the page D button to navigate to page 2 You ll see a page that looks like this fram setup 31 to setup edit press store setup to send setup sysex dump from ta 31 edit 4 2 of gt The from location over Soft button 1 should be the same as the number of the Setup you were editing The to location must be selected carefully
56. drift independently Try it it s a subtle but very pleasing and effective feature Last Part Enable Page 6 Soft Button 1 Range on off Default on This parameter helps you configure how the Ion handles live edits of a Setup When set to oh it is not possible to disable the last active Part This helps you avoid accidentally turning off all of the Parts and getting no sound When set to off any Part can be enabled or disabled from the top panel even if itis the only Part enabled That way you can turn off one Part before enabling another as opposed to having to enable the second Part before you can turn off the first Part P M Wheel LEDs Page 6 Soft Button 2 Range level track always on Default always on The translucent p and m wheels have lights that illuminate them from below This parameter gives you the option of having those lights shine at a static level always on or become brighter and darker as the wheels are moved forwatd and backward level track Pgm Write Protect Page 6 Soft Button 3 Range on off Default on When set to on only the User Bank may be used to store Programs When set to off Programs may be stored to any of the four Banks Red Green Blue ot User For more information see the description of Store mode on page 26 Remember Programs may be stored one at a time or an entire Bank may be moved from one Bank to another or sent over MIDI This enables you to store your User
57. e home button and turn the data knob Note that calling up a new Program doesn t change the split point for example or the transposition amount How the Effects are Shared Each of the four Parts in a Setup has its own Drive effect compressor fuzz etc However they share a common stereo Effect phaser flanger vocoder etc So even though the settings for both the Drive effect and the stereo Effect are stored with each Program it is the Program in Part A that determines which stereo Effect the four Parts will share This is why you may hear the overall sound change more drastically when changing the Program in Part A than you do when you change the Program in one of the other Parts A double press of the home button also shuts off all eight of the Ion s voices and sends an All Notes Off command over MIDI 25 26 Storing a Program or Setup Storing a Program Once you have made an edit to a Program that you would like to keep press the store button to enter Store mode You will see a screen that looks like this store part a program store program to user 007 Timeless Pad Timeless Pad press store to save program to device program usr 007 Storing a Setup If you have made changes to a Setup and are ready to save it press the store setup button to enter Store Setup mode The screen you see will be nearly identical to that pictured above Choosing the destination for the new Program or Setu
58. e intelligible but slower decay times higher setting can be more musical Range 0 100 Band Shift This shifts the frequencies of the Synthesis filter bank relative to the analysis filters The result is a pseudo pitch shift effect Range 100 100 Synthesis Signal This selects which signal is sent to the synthesis filter bank Range Effects Send Aux Bus Ext In Left Ext In Stereo Analysis Signal This selects which signal is sent to the analysis filter bank Range Effects Send Aux Bus Ext In Right Ext In Stereo Analysis Mix This adjusts how much of the analysis signal is mixed into the output Range 0 100 87 88 This page intentionally left blank What is MIDI MIDI is the communication standard for electronic musical instruments You can use MIDI to Record what you play on your Ion synthesizer into a sequencer or computer Play back sequences from a sequencer or computer on your Ion Store and recall Programs and Setups on a computer Use a computer to edit your Ion s sounds Use your Ion to control another synthesizer or sound module Use another keyboard to play your Ion s sounds Some examples of MIDI devices besides your Ion synthesizer include keyboard controllers sound modules drum machines sequencers and computers with MIDI interfaces MIDI Connections The Ion has three MIDI connectors MIDI IN is for receiving MIDI information from another MIDI
59. e filters which in turn are fed into the amplifiers As the signal moves through that basic path you are able to adjust the mix of the signal at several points apply various modulations and envelopes and add effects In this way the Ion can generate a virtually limitless variety of sounds Let s take a quick look at the Ion s signal path from start to finish The Oscillators The oscillators are where sound is born You may have heard that what you perceive as sound is simply vibrating air molecules hitting your eardrums That vibration has to start somewhere and in the Ion it comes from the oscillators By varying the frequency of the vibration the oscillators can produce different pitches which are heard as musical notes By adjusting the waveform type and shape the oscillators can produce various harmonics which are heard as different timbres Each of the Ion s voices contains three oscillators The Pre Filter Mix The outputs of the oscillators as well as a few other signal sources are fed into a virtual mixing board called the Pre Filter Mix The job of this mixer is to funnel all of these sources into the inputs of the next sound processing stage the filters For each source you can specify its vel which is how loud it should be and its balance which determines how much of it goes to Filter 1 and how much to Filter 2 The Filters The sound produced by the oscillators is very raw and usually not suitable t
60. e holding down another note the envelope starts from the same position that the held note s envelope For a program in mono voice mode this means that playing legato playing a new note before releasing the previous note makes the voice transpose to each note s pitch over a continuous envelope while playing staccato releasing each note before playing the next one makes each note attack individually This behavior allows you a great deal of expressive control as you play For a program in poly voice mode all notes will share the same envelope and this envelope will be reset only if you play a note with no other notes held down This feature is especially useful with the filter envelope Not only will it ensure that filter sweeps happen in unison across all of the notes you play but you can prevent the filter from sweeping at all as long as you have a note held down so you can keep this effect under your hat until you re ready to bring it out Env edit Freerun Page 4 Soft Button 2 Range release freerun Default release This parameter determine the sustaining behavior of the envelope If set to release then the envelope transitions from the attack stage to the decay stage to the sustain stage as long as you are holding the key down As soon as you take your finger off the key the envelope will move into Release mode Freerun mode Note On Note Off Note On the release stage If this parameter is
61. e not already there press the home button and you ll see something like this user O07 Here s what each area of the Home screen means e The darkened bar at the top of the screen shows you the name of the section being displayed In this case it reads home Immediately below that are the bank and program number Roughly in the middle you see the program name of the active Part The fourth line from the bottom shows the Setup number Below that the outlined rectangle shows the current Setup name The e box icons to the right of the Program and Setup numbers indicate that the Program and Setup have been edited respectively e The filled rectangle on the second line from the bottom shows which of the four Parts has been selected with the panel active buttons Note the icon on the inside left of this box indicates that the current Part has been muted e The quarter note icon the equal to sign and the numbers to its right tell you what the tempo setting is for the Setup e The G to the right of the tempo value indicates the setting of the Global mode parameter tempo source If the G is there that means the tempo source parameter is set to global This causes the tempo to remain the same when you recall a new Setup or change Programs If the G is not there the tempo source parameter is set to program In this case the tempo value can change from one Setup to the next or when you call up another
62. e top panel bank buttons to select the Bank you wish to send You may select a destination Bank that is different from the one that you are sending Press the store button to send the Program Bank send program to midi From to press store to send program sysex dump from to usr 009 MAANI send program to midi from user al to user all press store o send program sysex dump from to PERD sr al NOTE By default the Red Blue and Green banks of the Ion are write protected You will not be able to store to these Banks or receive Programs to them via MIDI You can disable the write protect feature by pressing global and navigating to page 6 93 94 To send a single Setup via MIDI 1 Press the store setup button then the Right page button 2 Press the Left Soft Button and use the Encoder to select the fron Setup you want to send t a setup 01 3 Use the top panel bank B buttons to select the Bank you 4 You may select a destination send setup sysex dump Setup that is different from the ry z one that you are sending by a Fa pressing the middle Soft Button 4 mura 5 5 Press the store button to send the Setup To send all Setups via MIDI 1 Press the store setup button then the Right page button from setup all 2 Ptess the Left Soft Button and turn the Encoder to setup al through the Setup numbers until it says all press store setu
63. efault 0 This parameter determines how much of this program is sent off to the Ion s dedicated effects processor When set to zero the effects processor is given nothing at all When set to 100 the full output of each voice is available for the effects processor to play with For complete details on how to put the Ion s effects to work see Chapter 7 This parameter can also be adjusted by turning the effects knob Output edit Program Level Page 2 Soft Button 1 Range 0 100 Default 0 This simple but very important parameter controls how loud your program is When set to zero the program is silent whereas a setting of 100 will play it full blast If you hear your sound clipping this is a good parameter to reach for You can also use this parameter to equalize the loudness of the various programs you create so they all sound about the same level as you flip through them regardless of their individual oscillator filter and mixer settings This parameter can be adjusted by turning the level knob The Envelopes Env edit Attack Time Page 1 hard wired 5 Soft Button 1 envelopes are hard wired to various a destinations the process of editing each Range 0 5 ms 30 sec envelope is the same Also don t forget that Default 0 5 ms the three envelopes behave identically when used in the mod matrix See Chapter 6 The Ion s three envelopes have identical parameters Although a couple of the Thi
64. efault exponential medium These settings allow you to configure the Ion to match your playing style Experiment with the different choices to see which curve suits you best LCD Mode Page 1 Soft Button 3 Range edit only Icd jump Default Icd jump This parameter determines how the Ion will respond when you turn a knob A setting of edit only means the Ion will not update the display when you turn a knob You may prefer this when performing live for example because you won t have to press the home button in order to know which program is active A setting of Icd jump means the Ion will respond immediately when you turn a knob and put that parameter s page on the display with that parameter highlighted You may find that this setting works better for studio environments Remember to reset any parameter to its default value perform a quick double press of its Soft button 19 20 Master Tune Page 2 Soft Button 1 Range 391 99 to 493 88 Hz Default 440 00 Hz This parameter allows you to tune the Ion flat or sharp within a significant range to facilitate working with instruments that are not at concert pitch Transpose Page 2 Soft Button 2 Range 12 to 12 in chromatic steps Default 0 A double press of the transpose button This parameter allows you to transpose the Ion s keyboard up or down in s resets the transposition amount to zero half step increments over a total range of two oct
65. eft and right outputs Post Filter Mix edit Pre Filter Pan Page 2 Soft Button 3 Range 1 100 left center 1 100 right Default center This parameter determines the balance of the Pre Filter send between the left and right outputs The source of the Pre Filter send is selected on Post Filter Mix page 3 Soft button 2 Post Filter Mix edit Filter 1 Polarity Page 3 Soft Button 1 Range positive negative Default positive This parameter makes it possible to negate the polarity of Filter 1 s output This will change its phase relationship with the Filter 2 and Pre Filter signals creating peaks and notches at various frequencies Post Filter Mix edit Pre Filter Signal Page 3 Soft Button 2 Range osc 1 osc 2 osc 3 flt 1 input mix flt 2 input mix ring mod noise Default osc 1 This parameter determines the source of the Pre Filter signal You can select between the unfiltered outputs of the oscillators the blend of the Pre Filter sources before it heads into one of the filters the unfiltered output of the ring modulator or the unfiltered output of the noise generator The Output section Output edit Drive Type Page 1 Soft Button 1 Range 6 drive types bypass Default bypass Even after your sound has gone through the Post Filter Mix there s still one more place to give it a boost and add some extra character and flavor The drive effect is an insert effect and takes over aft
66. ends on which waveform you ve chosen For the sine oscillator a shape of zero gives you a pure tone As you increase the shape the sine wave deforms to add higher harmonics Mathematically the waveform is being raised to a continuously variable power with 100 giving you what an engineer would call sine to the fifth But unless you te a mathematician you probably care more about the sound than the equations so grab the shape knob and take a listen For the tri saw oscillator a shape of zero results in a triangle wave As you adjust the shape the wave leans left or right ultimately becoming a down saw or an up saw at 100 or 100 respectively With the pulse wave the shape parameter controls the pulse width A shape of zero gives you a square wave and decreasing or increasing the shape will make your wave skinnier or fatter respectively The Ion s three oscillators have the same basic characteristics and mostly the same parameters However there are a few extra parameters that deal with interactions between the oscillators and these are found in Oscillator 1 s parameter section We ll go over the parameters common to all of the oscillators before taking a look at these cross oscillator features 53 54 Osc edit Octave Page 1 Soft Button 3 Range 3 3 Default 0 This parameter lets you transpose the pitch of the oscillator up or down a number of octave You can use this to get high pitches from low keys o
67. eneral Purpose 2 18 General Purpose 3 19 General Purpose 4 32 63 Least Significant Bits LSB Controllers 0 31 64 Sustain Pedal 65 Portamento On Off 66 Sostenuto Pedal 67 Soft Pedal 69 Hold 2 80 General Purpose 5 81 General Purpose 6 82 General Purpose 7 83 General Purpose 8 91 Reverb Depth 92 Tremolo Depth 93 Chorus Depth 94 Celeste Depth 95 Phase Depth 96 Data Increment 97 Data Decrement 98 Non Registered Parameter MSB 99 Non Registered Parameter LSB 100 Registered Parameter MSB 101 Registered Parameter LSB 121 Reset All Controllers 122 Local Control On Off 123 All Notes Off 124 Omni Off 125 Omni On 126 Mono On 127 Poly On MIDI Implementation Chart Channel Changed 1 16 each 1 16 each Memorized Mode Messages X X Altered KOK OK OK OK K OK OOK Number True Voice POCO ae FE 127 Note Off D S After Keys X O Touch Ch s O EE Pitch Bender O Control 0 120 0 Change Prog O 0 127 O 0 127 Change True XX OK OK OK OK OK e O stem Song Pos Common Song Sel System Clock Realtime Commands Aux Local On Off Messages All Notes Off Active Sense Reset GM On ISent via wheels or exp pedal not keyboard 2Recognized as ALL NOTES OFF Mode 1 OMNI ON POLY Mode 3 OMNI OFF POLY O Yes Mode 1 OMNI ON MONO Mode 4 OMNI OFF MONO X No 97 98 This page intentionally left blank Frequently Asked Questions How do I split layer the keyboard It is n
68. ent to Filter 2 As the parameter is increased the left external input is shifted towards Filter 2 until at the maximum setting of 100 2 both external audio sources ate sent only to Filter 2 Conversely decrementing the parameter shifts the right signal toward Filter 1 and at the 100 f1 setting both external audio sources are sent only to Filter 1 Pre Filter Mix edit Noise Balance Page 4 Soft Button 3 Range 0 100 100 0 Default 50 50 This parameter controls the filter balance of the Noise source in the Pre Filter Mix 59 60 Pre Filter Mix edit Noise Type Page 5 Soft Button 1 Range white pink Default pink This parameter selects the type of noise that Ion s noise source produces White noise is characterized by having the same amount of energy across all frequencies and it sounds like a hiss or radio static Pink noise is characterized by having the same amount of energy in each octave and it sounds like a roar or ocean wave White noise has a sharp sound which makes it especially good for percusive effects whereas the frequency characteristics of pink noise are more soothing and pleasant to the human car Pre Filter Mix edit f1 gt f2 Level Page 5 Soft Button 2 Range 0 100 Default 0 Filter 2 has one additional input that 1s not available to Filter 1 Namely the input mix of Filter 2 can include the output of Filter 1 itself The fl gt f2 Level parameter con
69. er the amp envelope but before the program level has been applied The Ion s drive effects are designed to model the sorts of boxes you would normally put at the end of your signal chain and you get to choose one of seven types bypass Allows the signal to pass through without being processed compressor Modeled on a solid state compressor It has a medium attack time to add a little snap to the signal rms limiter Modeled on a classic optical limiter with a slow attack setting It increases the overall loudness of the signal and emphasizes the transients attack tube overdrive Modeled on the soft distortion of a tube valve mic preamp distortion Modeled on the harder distortion of a solid state mic preamp tube amp Modeled on a heavily distorted tube valve guitar amplifier fuzz pedal Modeled on a heavily distorted guitar fuzz pedal Output edit Drive Level Page 1 Soft Button 2 Range 0 100 Default 0 This parameter lets you select how strongly you want to drive the particular drive effect that you are using When Drive Level is set to zero all drive types function as a bypass that is they do not affect the sound as all As this parameter is increased the drive effect is driven harder and affects your sound more heavily This parameter can also be adjusted by grabbing the drive knob 65 66 Output edit Effects Send Level Page 1 Soft Button 3 Range 0 100 D
70. erface Attach one MIDI cable from the MIDI OUT of the sequencer or computer to the MIDI IN jack of the Ion Attach another cable from the Ion s MIDI OUT jack to the MIDI IN of the sequencer ot computet M nn Gie i Using Your Ion With a MIDI Sequencer A sequencer is a device that records and plays back note messages A sequencer can take the form of a stand alone hardware device or a computer with a MIDI interface and sequencing software Using a MIDI sequencer you can record what you play on your Ion and then play it back later Changing the MIDI Channel In order for MIDI to work the MIDI Channel must be set properly For example if you want one device to control another via MIDI they must be set to the same MIDI channel There are 16 MIDI channels In the Home Screen you can see user O66 which MIDI channel the active h Part is set to in the lower Right onosphere hand cornet setup 01 J 128 0 59 01 To change a Part s MIDI channel press the part edit button The midi channel third Soft Button corresponds to the midi channel parameter pen bank program ehe user O66 1 91 92 Local vs MIDI Control When using the Ion with a sequencer it is best to disable local control of the keyboard This disconnects the keyboard of the Ion from the internal sound engine A sequencer will usually echo the MIDI data at its input back to its output If loca
71. ers are going in the opposite direction falling Rey mono The LFO is shared between the voices of a Part When the first key is pressed the LFO s cycle resets to the beginning When a second key is pressed the LFO will reset its cycle to the beginning and start over Rey poly Each voice has its own LFO that resets when the voice is triggered Remember that if you want to edit the rate for one ofthe LFOs using the rate knob you must first be sure the appropriate button has been pressed in the LFO section The same is true for any LFO parameter you wish to edit Note It is possible to set the LFO sync values independently per LFO so that one LFO is slaved to the tempo setting and the other LFO is free running Remember that it is possible to have the LFOs set independently so that one LFO s Reset parameter may be set to poly for example while the other s is set to key mono 45 46 LFO edit M1 to LFOx Page 2 Soft Button 1 Range 0 100 Default 0 There are several ways to use an LFO but the two main ways are as an In order to use an LFO as a modulation source you must use the mod matrix to expressive modulation source tied to one of the wheels or as a constant designate a parameter as its destination For modulation source for some aspect of the sound This parameter more information see Chapter 6 determines whether the LFO will be used as one or the other or as a blend of both If yo
72. es as it does with hard sync but exhibits a mixture of harmonics that can have interesting sonic properties Osc 1 the osc sync button This button toggles Osc Sync on and off You will know that Osc Sync is enabled if the button is lit up Pressing the button also immediately takes you to Osc 1 Edit page 4 with the Sync Type parameter selected The Pre Filter section Pre Filter Mix edit Osc 1 Level Page 1 Soft Button 1 Range 0 100 Default 50 This parameter is the first of the levels in the Pre Filter Mix which provides you a virtual mixing board for adjusting the strengths of the Ion s various signal sources before they are sent to the filters The Osc 1 Level parameter controls how much of Oscillator 1 will appear at the inputs of the filters This parameter can also be adjusted with the 1 knob in the Pre Filter Mix section on the top panel Pre Filter Mix edit Osc 2 Level Page 1 Soft Button 2 Range 0 100 Default 50 This parameter controls the level of Oscillator 2 in the Pre Filter Mix It can also be adjusted with the 2 knob in the Pre Filter Mix section on the top panel Pre Filter Mix edit Osc 3 Level Page 1 Soft Button 3 Range 0 100 Default 50 This parameter controls the level of Oscillator 3 in the Pre Filter Mix It can also be adjusted with the 3 knob in the Pre Filter Mix section on the top panel Pre Filter Mix edit Ring Mod Level Page 2 Soft Button
73. et For example the lowest D key enters the letter A The top A key on the keyboard enters Z And if you hit one of these keys repeatedly the letter will switch from uppercase to lowercase e The top B and C keys enter an exclamation point and a question mark respectively e The black keys in the second and third octaves from the left are used to enter the numbers 0 9 Be careful The black keys in the lowest octave do something quite different which is detailed on the next page The exact same process is used for naming Programs and Setups As we document the features and methods we will use the term Program to stand for both Programs and Setups 27 28 Inserting and deleting characters using the keyboard The two lowest black keys perform a special function e The Db key will insert a space taking all letters to the right of and including the vertical column and pushing them to the right Once a letter exceeds the right most side it is erased e The Eb key will delete a space taking all letters to the right of and including the vertical column and pulling them to the left Once a letter enters the vertical column it is erased The complete cast of characters The following chart includes all of the characters that are available when creating a name Character chart A B c D E F e H J IK t Im In fo P Q R Is T u v W X Y z lee je se Per UE TE siu pps 11 1 f afo fn
74. f the four Parts is active in the current Setup If a box is checked its Part is active Use the data knob to recall one of the 32 Setups As soon as you turn the knob the new Setup will become the current Setup As evidence of the change you will see the part enable buttons turn on or off depending on whether the Parts they represent are active in the current Setup Caution As soon as you turn the data knob you will lose the current Setup Be sure you have saved any edits you would like to keep before selecting a new Setup Compare Mode When you select a new Program or recall a Setup it is placed in a temporary workspace known as an edit buffer There is an edit buffer for each Program within the current Setup and for the Setup itself This allows you to edit the Program or Setup without affecting the original stored version of the item If at any time you want to compare the edits PR While in Compare mode you will be unable you have made to the original Program or Setup press the compare 2 pad pee tothe er io button Setup except to enable or disable the Parts If an edit is attempted the compare LED will flash to remind you that you are in When you press the compare button its LED will light and all four Compare mode Programs and the Setup will switch to their original stored versions To return to the edited versions press the compare button again Its LED will turn off and your edits will be restored
75. fects one or more of the parameters in the section where the mod LED is lit If it isn t obvious at first which parameter is being modded press the mod matrix button and look at the lists of sources and destinations For more information on the Mod Matrix see Chapter 6 e The loop LED is similar to the mod LEDs in that it indicates that the loop parameter has been activated inside the selected envelope More information about looping the envelopes can be found on pages 71 72 Button functions edit buttons A green LED indicates that an edit button has been pressed This means that a particular set of parameters is being shown in the display for inspection and editing Selection buttons Some buttons allow you to select between different sets of parameters that share a common knob or set of knobs For example the Ifo 1 lfo 2 and s amp h buttons determine which of those three functions will be controlled by the rate knob and also call up parameters from that function in the display Similarly the pitch mod filter and amp buttons determine which of those three envelopes will be controlled by the five knobs in the env section Parameter buttons Other buttons edit or toggle the parameter under their control for example the mono poly button or the octave buttons in the osc section Other examples include the porta button which enables portamento and the waveform select buttons which determine
76. form a quick double press of the Range linear exponential edit button in that section id Default 0 This parameter selects the style of modulation used by the Osc FM feature With linear FM the waveform of the master oscillator is added to the phase of the target oscillator The FM Level parameter controls the modulation index with a level of 100 providing an index of 32 Linear FM is the style used by typical FM music synthesizers Modulating a sine wave with another higher frequency sine wave produces a fundamental frequency with a variety of overtones and this can be used to reproduce the sounds of many physical musical instruments With exponential FM the waveform of the master oscillator modulates the pitch of the target oscillator The FM Level parameter controls the range of pitch with a level of 100 driving the pitch up and down a full six octaves You can also set the FM Level by grabbing the fm knob to the right of Oscillator 1 s octave up down buttons 55 56 Osc 1 edit FM Config Page 3 Soft Button 3 Range 3 gt 2 gt 1 3 gt 1 lt 2 2 gt 1 Default 2 gt 1 This parameter lets you choose what the source and target oscillators are for FM In the 3 gt 2 gt 1 configuration Oscillator 3 modulates Oscillator 2 and Oscillator 2 in turn modulates Oscillator 1 With the 3 gt 1 lt 2 configuration Oscillators 2 and 3 combine to both modulate Oscillator 1 In the 2 gt 1 configuration Oscillator 2
77. g froma Crash ertet teens 102 Checking the Software Version ss 102 Cleaning Your Ion tetto tentorio toten koh hessen 102 SpecificationS a 103 Sound VENOMS eios eee ner 103 Pseud 103 Audio Output nisse 103 Zx dio Perfofmab6e ses notet tetendit 103 Mom a nannten nn 103 Warranty Contact Alesis e eee 105 Alesis Limited Warranty ete tete E REI nus 105 Alesis Contact Information eene 105 Introduction Welcome Congratulations on your purchase of the Ion Alesis s 8 voice Analog Modeling synthesizer It s a powerful instrument and we re sure you will find it exciting to use Since the dawn of digital synthesizer technology and the subsequent decline in the number of manufacturers producing analog synthesizers companies have been offering an increasing number of products with features and sounds that emulate the functional and sonic behavior of analog synthesizers Here at Alesis being the company responsible for producing the A6 Andromeda arguably the most powerful analog synthesizer ever released we think we re in the best position to produce an analog modeling synthesizer that most closely resembles the real thing Be sure to register your Ion at the Alesis website www alesis com And since the Ion s operating system is upgradeable via MIDI you will want to check the site once in a while for updates We may well add new features in later versions of the Ion s software
78. g pattern For example if you are looking to add some vibrato to your instrument you ll need the pitch to continuously waver up and down An LFO is perfect for this application Simply hooking up an LFO to the oscillator pitch parameter will get you the effect you need Each of the Ion s voices contains two LFOs The Envelopes If you hit a note on a piano you ll hear a burst of sound energy as the hammer strikes the string followed by lower level of loudness as you hold down the note and let the string ring out which fades quickly as soon as you release the note and the damper is applied Synthesizer designers model this behavior using ADSR envelopes ADSR stands for attack decay sustain release and represents the different stages that the sound goes through over the life of the note Since the most important application of the envelope is to control the loudness of the sound the Ion provides one envelope that is specifically designed for this purpose This is the amp envelope However envelopes are useful in all sorts of mod routes which is why you can hook up any of the Ion s envelopes to any modulatable program parameter Each of the Ion s voices contains three envelopes 41 42 Program Parameter Descriptions In this section of the manual we will go through the Ion section by section defining each parameter and describing how each relates to the others As with the signal flow we will be moving from left to right across
79. gh one whatever mode you re in For example if you have User Program 0 selected on the Home page and you want to reach User Program 127 quickly turn the data knob one click counter clockwise which will take you to Blue Program 127 Then press the user bank button and you re there 29 30 bank you wish to transmit from and the bank you wish it to come back as to Press store a second time and the Bank will be sent out the Ion s MIDI jack Special cases Store Program mode There are a few options between the User all and the Red 000 choices of the Send Program to MIDI page that should be pointed out They are called edit a edit b edit c and edit d These stand for the four Program edit buffers in the current Setup send program to midi fron to press store to send program sysex dump from to CRH edit a Of course these are useful as a from location but they are even more useful as a to location Herein lies the solution to the problem of knowing where a Program will arrive when it is sent back to the Ion via MIDI and wondering if it will accidentally overwrite something you wanted to keep The solution always select one of the edit buffers as the to location When the Program comes back you won t have to go fishing for it in the middle of a Bank of 127 Programs it ll be in one of four non destructive locations If you want to narrow it
80. gh a 32 stage phaser and then fed to the input of a flanger The sound is very interesting and musical A Feedback This is the amount of the flanger output added back into the input to produce a deepet effect Range 0 100 Manual Delay This is the base delay time that is modulated by the LFO to create the Flange effect It determines the frequencies of the notches and peaks Range 0 100 LFO Rate This is the rate of the Low Frequency Oscillator Range 0 010 Hz 4 800Hz or 1 16 to 16 if Tempo Sync is enabled LFO Depth This adjusts the magnitude of the LFO modulation When set to 0 the LFO has no effect on the notch frequencies Range 0 100 LFO Shape This selects between the two LFO shapes Range Tti Sin Tempo Sync This selects whether the LFO rate is synchronized to the System Tempo When enabled the LFO Rate parameter is displayed as a multiple of the Tempo Range On Off Thru Zero Flanger A Flange effect using two delay lines per stereo side to emulate the classic flange effect produced using two analog tape machines Because there are two delay lines in constant motion the delay time can fall through zero to become negative This has a unique sound that can t be replicated with a standard single delay flanger A Feedback This is the amount of the flanger output added back into the input to produce a deeper effect Range 0 100 Manual Delay This is the
81. hanged and another sample is taken On the next page is a chart that documents the Sources that are available as Inputs to the S amp H generator What does Sample amp Hold mean Sample amp Hold is a term that originated in the early days of analog modular synthesizers It describes the process by which a reading or Sample is taken at regular intervals of a particular input source such as an LFO That Sample becomes a value that is fed to a destination such as filter frequency The destination parameter is held at this value until the Hold period has expired at which time another Sample of the input source is taken and fed to the destination and so on In order to use S amp H as a modulation source you must use the mod matrix to designate a parameter as its destination For more information see Chapter 6 47 48 Source Description None No effect M2 Wheel Position value of M2 wheel or incoming MIDI CC as assigned LFO2Cos Squae LFO 1 Sine output phase shifted 90 degrees Global Random Random modulation Source common to all voices psp E of Portamento output as a percentage of the glide travel from starting note to ending note Portamento Effect Portamento Level scaled by keyboard position so that the modulation level follows the note s pitch gt Sustain Pedal Position Up Down of Sustain pedal or incoming MIDI CC 64 messages P Wheel Position value of P wheel or incoming MIDI Pitch
82. idit DR SNL ER gt Lesen Sie bitte die folgende Sicherheitshinweise German Sicherheit Symbole verwendet in diesem Produkt AN Dieses Symbol alarmiert den Benutzer da es wichtige Funktionieren und Wartung Anweisungen in der Literatur gibt die diese Ma einheit begleitet AN Dieses Symbol warnt den Benutzer der nicht isolierten Spannung innerhalb der Ma einheit die gef hrliche elektrische Schl ge verursachen kann h Dieses Symbol warnt den Benutzer dem Ausgabestecker Spannungen enthalten die gef hrlichen elektrischen Schlag verursachen k nnen Folgen Sie bitte diesen Vorkehrungen wenn dieses Produkt verwendet wird su 8 amp D con Lesen Sie die Hinweise Halten Sie sich an die Anleitung Beachten Sie alle Warnungen Beachten Sie alle Hinweise Bringen Sie das Ger t nie mit Wasser in Ber hrung Verwenden Sie zur Reinigung nur ein weiches Tuch Verwenden Sie keine fl ssigen Reinigungsmittel Dies kann gef hrliche Folgen haben Halten Sie sich beim Aufbau des Ger tes an die Angaben des Herstellers Stellen Sie das Ger t nich in der N he von Heizk rpern Heizungsklappen oder anderen W rmequellen einschlie lich Verst rkern auf 9 Verfehlen Sie nicht den Zweck des grounging Terminals auf dem Netzstecker Dieses Terminal wird f r 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 1 18 Ihre Sicherheit zur Verf gung gestellt Verlegen Sie das Netzkabel des Ger
83. ilter 1 See the sidebar notes for more information Filter edit Resonance Page 1 Soft Button 3 Range 0 100 Default 0 An increase in this parameter adds emphasis to the current filter frequency At its higher settings the sound can begin to whistle or self oscillate Filter 2 and Offset mode If the offset button has been pressed the frequency value for Filter 2 will be displayed in terms of its relationship to Filter 1 s frequency A setting of 1 0 octaves means Filter 2 s frequency is one octave higher than Filter 1 s so when Filter 1 s frequency is 220 Hz then Filter 2 s frequency will be 440 Hz Note When it is offset from Filter 1 Filter 2 follows the Envelope Amt and Key Track settings of Filter 1 If you also use these controls for Filter 2 this will compound the impact ofthese parameters and affect the Offset relationship of the filters Filter edit Key Track Page 2 Soft Button 1 Range 100 to 200 7 A Default emember to reset a parameter to its faule 100 default value perform a quick double press of its Soft button This parameter adjusts the way the filter follows or tracks the keyboard A setting of 0 means the filter frequency will remain constant across the keyboard If the key track parameter is set to 100 the filter tracks the keyboard perfectly and with enough resonance can be played as if it were an oscillator Negative settings mean the filter will grow
84. ion Reference Manual ALESIS This page intentionally left blank Table Of Contents Introduction pases can sesceccsnsevescdasesicxanssGioasbasedeconeoaweds 7 Welcome is devono nene HeHRPRHOHPRURBRREHRHOHPHIERIHIHHS 7 Unpacking and Inspection ee eeeeeee eene nenne 8 How to Use This Manual 8 Important Safety Instructions 9 Important Safety Instructions English 9 Safety symbols used in this product 9 Please follow these precautions when using this product 9 Instructions de S curit Importantes French oso eoe to tesa neigen ine dede sao ooa dora aga 10 Symboles utilis s dans ce produit ss 10 Veuillez suivre ces pr cautions lors de l utilisation de DPA Panel is Let rerit ee re ete inset 10 Lesen Sie bitte die folgende Sicherheitshinweise German 11 Sicherheit Symbole verwendet in diesem Produkt 11 Folgen Sie bitte diesen Vorkehrungen wenn dieses Produkt verwendet witd ss 11 CE Declaration Of Conformity eee 12 FCC Compliance Statement ss 12 Chapter 1 Connections 13 Connecting AC Power ss 13 Making Audio Connections 13 Connecting the Foot Pedals sse 13 Connection Diag tame unsern 14 Chapter 2 OVErview ccsccccccssscscccssessccceseeees 15 A Tour of the Front Panel 15 The cis playin iicet tetto eee onem esee ine 15 LED functons eerte ert trece ie rere era
85. is selects between the two LFO shapes Range Tri Sin Stages This selects how many all pass filter stages and thus notches are used Range 4 8 16 32 48 64 Tempo Sync This selects whether the LFO rate is synchronized to the System Tempo When enabled the LFO Rate parameter is displayed as a multiple of the Tempo Range On Off String Phaser This effect is based on the phaser built into a classic analog string synthesizer It has 14 stages and uses combination of positive and negative feedback to produce a rich and complex sound A Feedback This is the amount of the phaser output added back into the input to produce a deeper effect Range 0 100 Notch Freq This is the frequency of the first lowest notch un modulated by the LFO Range 0 100 LFO Rate This is the rate of the Low Frequency Oscillator Range 0 010 Hz 4 800Hz or 1 16 to 16 if Tempo Sync is enabled LFO Depth This adjusts the magnitude of the LFO modulation When set to 0 the LFO has no effect on the notch frequencies Range 0 100 LFO Shape This selects between the two LFO shapes Range Tti Sin Tempo Sync This selects whether the LFO rate is synchronized to the System Tempo When enabled the LFO Rate parameter is displayed as a multiple of the Tempo Range On Off 83 84 Theta Flanger The Theta Flanger is a combination of phaser and flanger effects The input is filtered throu
86. l control is enabled you can get double triggered notes one note played on the keyboard and the same note sent back to the MIDI input edit part a To disable local control on the Ion midi Iocal press part edit then navigate to idi ail page 2 The first Soft Button Ovidi only selects the midi local parameter local only Set this to midi only Q miditlecal MERAC lo key hi key midi n 127 Saving Programs and Setups via MIDI The Ion lets you transmit Programs individually or a Bank at a time to an external device such as a computer sequencer storage device or another Ion synthesizer via MIDI To send a Program via MIDI 1 2 Press the store button then the Right page button Press the Left Soft Button and use the Encoder to select which Program you want to send By default the destination will be the same as the Program you are sending You can change this though and it may be useful if you are sending a Program to another Ion Press the middle Soft Button and use the Encoder to select what the destination will be When you have selected the from and to locations press the store button to send the Program To send an entire Bank of Programs via MIDI 1 2 Press the store button then the Right page button Press the Left Soft Button and turn the Encoder through the Program numbers until it says all between 127 and 0 Use th
87. lets you specify the slope for both the sustain and the release stages of the envelope The slopes are similar to those for the attack and decay stages a linear slope is a straight line a texp slope starts out fast and trails off and a exp slope starts out slow and builds up speed as it goes Env edit Keyboard Velocity Track Page 3 Soft Button 3 Range 0 100 Default 100 This parameter determines how much the note velocity or how hard you hit the key affects the envelope When set to zero the envelope always comes out full strength regardless of how lightly you hit the key When set to 100 the amplitude of the envelope directly matches the velocity and very light keystrokes will result in very weak envelopes Parameter values in the middle scale accordingly In all cases a hatd keystroke produces a strong envelope this parameter just lets you choose the envelope strength for weak keystrokes Keep in mind that the Release Slope setting affects the slope for both the sustain and release stages Remember to reset a parameter to its default value perform a quick double press of its Soft button 69 70 Env edit Reset Page 4 Soft Button 1 Range reset legato Default reset This parameter determines where your envelope starts when you play a note When set to reset the envelope always starts from the beginning of the attack stage no matter what But when set to legato if you play a note whil
88. ment off and on the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected Consult the dealer or an experienced radio TV technician for help Connections Connecting AC Power Before making any power connections make sure the Ion s power switch is turned off 1 Plug the female end of the power cable into the Ion s power socket 2 Plug the male plug end into a properly grounded power outlet Making Audio Connections There ate a couple ways to hook up your Ion synthesizer s audio outputs Stereo Connect two cables from the Ion s left and right outputs to two inputs of an amp or mixer Headphones Plug a set of headphones into the headphone jack on the rear panel Connecting the Foot Pedals The Ion has two pedal jacks marked sust pedal and exp pedal Plug a sustain pedal not included into the jack marked sust pedal sust pedal is designed to work with any standard momentary footswitch It doesn t matter whether the footswitch is normally open or closed as long as you plug it in before powering up your Ion the instrument will calibrate itself exp pedal is designed to work with a Roland EV 5 pedal or equivalent WARNING Make sure the outle
89. n den Ohren feststellen sollten Sie einen Ohrenarzt aufsuchen Setzen Sie den Apparat nicht Bratenfett oder dem Spritzen aus Plazieren Sie die Nachrichten die mit Fl ssigkeiten gef llt werden Blumevases Getr nkdosen Kaffeetassen nicht auf den Apparat WARNING um die Gefahr des Feuers oder des elektrischen Schlages zu verringern setzen Sie diesen Apparat nicht Regen oder Feuchtigkeit aus 11 12 CE Declaration Of Conformity See our website at http www alesis com FCC Compliance Statement This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC rules Operation is subject to the following two conditions 1 This device may not cause harmful interference and 2 this device must accept any interference received including interference that may cause undesired operation NOTE This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation This equipment generates uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions may cause harmful interference to radio communications However there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception which can be determined by turning the equip
90. nal Flow Diagram Pre Filter Mix Post Filter Mix noise pre filter signal external inputs output level aux output pan j main aux balance wet dry mix main output Modulation At this point you may think that producing a sound with the Ion is simply a matter of configuring the parameters for the oscillators filters and mixers and then hitting a key And although it s true that you can design some nice instruments this way generating the really awesome sounds invariably involves tweaking some of those parameters while a note is playing The problem with that if you re anything like us is that you only have two hands and you are probably using at least one of them to hit the notes in the first place Fortunately the Ion is willing to lend you a helping hand twelve of them in fact The Ion allows you to set up twelve modulation routes Each of these is a virtual connection between some physical or internally generated soutce and some program parameter Basically a mod route tells the synth to automatically grab a knob and tweak it while a note is playing Although there are quite a few sources that you can use for your mods the most common ones involve the LFOs and the envelopes The LFOs LFO stands for low frequency oscillator Unlike the normal oscillators however the LFOs are not designed for producing sound Instead their purpose is to tweak a program parameter according to a loopin
91. nce pet eighth note A value of x 16 results in an LFO cycle of 1 64th note and a value of x 1 16 results in an LFO cycle equivalent to sixteen quarter notes which are represented by four whole notes in the LCD graphics LFO edit Sync Page 1 Soft Button 2 Range tempo off Default off As described in the section on LFO rate this parameter determines whether the LFO is synchronized or slaved to the master tempo setting For a complete description of how that affects the function of the LFO refer to the previous parameter description LFO edit Reset Page 1 Soft Button 3 Range mono poly key mono key poly Default mono The LFO Reset parameter dictates how the LFO will respond when the first key is pressed and then determines how it will react to overlapping keypresses There are four types of possible responses mono The LFO is shared between the voices of a Part It may be at any point in its cycle when the first key is pressed New voices will ride that LFO joining other voices at the exact same point in the LFO s cycle The LFOs in each Part are independent of each other so they can be running at different speeds poly Each voice s LFO is completely independent of the others When a key is pressed that voice s LFO may be at the top of its cycle at the bottom or anywhere else in the cycle when it begins to affect the voice Some LFOs may be going in one direction rising while oth
92. ntroller number Transpose Page 6 Soft Button 1 Range 12 to 12 in chromatic steps Default 0 This parameter allows you to transpose the selected Part up or down in half step increments over a total range of two octaves independently of the other Parts In this way you can transpose one Part chromatically without affecting the other Parts in the Setup Octave Page 6 Soft Button 2 Range Range 3 to 3 Default 0 With this parameter you can transpose the selected Part up or down in octave increments over a range of 7 octaves for a total range of 10 octaves including the range covered by the keyboard This allows you for example to drop a bass by a couple of octaves and raise a brass sound by an octave without affecting the other Parts in the Setup The MIDI continuous controller numbers for m2 and the exp pedal are selected in the Global parameter section To select a different value go to Global Edit page 4 Soft buttons 1 and 2 respectively NOTE The settings of the Part Transpose and Part Octave parameters will not change the MIDI note output of the selected Part 37 38 This page intentionally left blank Program Parameters How the Ion Makes Sound The Ion generates sound by emulating or modeling the behavior of an analog synthesizer Generally it is helpful to think in terms of the signal moving from the left side of the top panel to the right side The oscillators are fed into th
93. o be used directly in an instrument In order to bring out the sonic textures you have in mind you will typically want to dampen certain harmonics and boost others This is where the filters come in Filters alter the frequency content of the signal and can have a drastic effect on the sound A filter typically allows you to adjust its cutoff frequency which represents the range of harmonics that the filter operates on as well as its resonance which determines how much boost is given to harmonics around the cutoff frequency Each of the Ion s voices contains two filters and each filter can be one of eighteen different types each with its own character and sonic flavor 39 40 The Post Filter Mix The outputs of the filters need their own virtual mixing board as well and that s what the Post Filter Mix is for For each filter output as well as a pre filter signal of your choice you can specify a eve which is how loud it should be and a pan which determines how much goes to your left speaker and how much to the right Output The sound is getting near the end of its journey but still has one more processing stage to go through In the output stage the Ion allows you to apply a drive effect to give the sound a final push and add some compression distortion or other amplification effect You also get to choose the overall level for the sound as well as how much of it gets sent to the Ion s dedicated effects processor Sig
94. on the Alesis website free of charge See the chapter 8 MIDI for more information on how to load the additional Programs into your Ion Are lon Programs compatible with Andromeda programs No sorry The A6 Andromeda is a true analog synthesizer while the Ion is an analog modeling synthesizer They have completely different circuitry How do I change what the m2 wheel does You can assign the M2 or M1 wheel to control a huge selection of parameters via the Mod Matrix See Chapter 6 The Mod Matrix for information 99 This page intentionally left blank 100 Troubleshooting If you experience problems while operating your Ion please use the following table to check for possible causes and solutions before contacting Alesis customer service for assistance Symptoms The display does not light up when the ON OFF switch is turned on No sound Notes sustain continuously Notes played from Ion have a doubled or flanged sound All Programs and Setups have the same Tempo setting Cause No power Bad Connections Master Volume is turned down Part Output Level is turned down Part is Disabled Local keyboard is disabled External MIDI device sent Volume CC 7 or Expression CC 11 commands with a value approaching 0 Sustain pedal was plugged in after power was turned on Stuck notes due to incomplete MIDI data MIDI echo Thru enabled on external MIDI device ot comp
95. on which all data for this Part will be transmitted and received MIDI Local Page 2 Soft Button 1 Range midi only local only midi local Default midi local This parameter determines the keyboard and MIDI transmit and receive status for the selected Part midi only equivalent to local off The selected Parts Program will not be heard when the keys are played However the Ion will Du d nein i d i f send and receive MIDI data to and from an external device e local only the selected Part s Program may be played from the keyboard but the Ion will not transmit or respond to external MIDI data e miditlocal the selected Parts Program may be played from the keyboard and the Ion will transmit MIDI data to an external device for this Part Low Key Remember to reset a parameter to its Page 2 default value perform a quick double press Soft Button 2 of its Soft button Range 0 127 Default 0 To limit the number of keys the selected Part occupies use this parameter and the next one High Key You may use the data knob to set or adjust the lower limit of the Part s range but a faster way is to hold Soft button 2 and press the desired key The Low Key value will update to reflect the MIDI number of the key you pressed Tip If the Low Key is set higher than the High Key the Ion will create a hole in the Hi g h Key middle of the Part where no voices will play Page 2 Soft Button 3
96. op decay Freerun mode Note On Note Off Note On When Loop is set to zero the envelope will loop through the attack j Be careful Setting Loop to zero will decay and sustain stages as long as the note is held down When the always cause your envelope to loop note is released the envelope will loop through the attack decay and forever 2 egardless of the Freerun parameter release stages If you set your sustain and release times to different values this will allow your envelope to have different cycle times depending on whether the note is held down or not Setting sustain time to Hold will even cause yout envelope to start looping only after the note has been released When Freerun is active the envelope will skip the sustaining and go straight to the attack decay release loop 71 72 Loop zero Release mode Loop zero Freerun mode Note On Note Off Note On When Loop is set to held the behavior will be identical to zero as long as the note is held down but when the note is released the envelope will move to the release stage and finish up This is the only mode in which an envelope in Freerun mode reponds to a note being released Loop hold Release mode Loop hold Freerun mode Note On Note Off Note On Note Off Env edit Sustain Pedal Page 5 Soft Button 1 Range on off Default on This parameter determines whether the en
97. ot uncommon to want to split a keyboard so that different ranges are playing different sounds An example would be a bass sound for the Left hand and a lead sound for the Right hand Similarly it is often desirable to layer or stack multiple sounds onto the same key s An example of this would be layering multiple brass or string sounds to emulate a brass or string section Each of the Ion s 4 Parts can be assigned to any range on the keyboard They can overlap to create layers or you can assign them to exclusive zones to create splits To Set a Part s Range 1 Press the part edit button and navigate to page 2 2 Press the middle Soft Button and use the Encoder to select the lowest note you want the Part to play You can also HOLD the middle soft button and press the key on the keyboard 3 Press the Right Soft Button and use the Encoder to select the highest note you want the Part to play You can also HOLD the Right soft button and press the key on the keyboatd 4 Repeat for other Parts and then store edit part a What is a MIDI Sequence A MIDI sequence is a data file containing note data that can be played on a MIDI synthesizer like the Ion A General MIDI sequence is a sequence that will play on any General MIDI compatible synthesizer like the Ion with the correct sounds regardless of the brand of synthesizer Where can I get more Banks Additional Program Banks will be available
98. p Once you are in Store mode if you don t want to keep the Program you started with you can simply press the same store button a second time to store the edited Program back to its original location However if you want to save the original Program you will need to choose a different location Soft button 1 calls up the screen in which you choose a new location for the edited Program Use the select buttons and or the data knob to choose the destination number Once you are sure that you will not be overwriting a Program you would prefer to keep press the same store button a second time The Ion will store your edited Program to the location you have selected The procedures for storing Programs and Setups are nearly identical Wherever they differ we will point that out However as we document the features and methods the term Program will stand for both Programs and Setups unless otherwise specified There are two pages in Program Store mode Page I deals with storing the Program internally Page 2 deals with storing it externally or sending it over MIDI in system exclusive sys ex format We will address sys ex functionality on pages 29 32 and in chapter 8 MIDI Program Store mode only You can use the bank buttons to select a destination location as well but you will not be able to store the program to any bank besides the user bank unless you turn off the Program Write Protect parameter in Global
99. p to 3 Use the top panel bank send setup sysex dump buttons to select the Bank you wish to send from 4 Press the store button to all all send the Setups 4 2 of 2 Loading Programs and Setups via MIDI The Ion doesn t need to be in a special mode to receive MIDI sysex information Simply connect a MIDI cable from the MIDI out jack of your MIDI player to the MIDI IN port of your Ion and start the sysex dump on your MIDI storage device or computer If everything is working properly the Ion display will read RECEIVING MIDI DATA and the Bank Program or Setup will be loaded NOTE Some computers are not fast enough to transmit MIDI sysex data properly If you are experiencing problems try adjusting the settings in your MIDI software Some programs allow you to slow down the transmit rate so the computer hardware can keep up with the software Updating Software Via MIDI The Ion s operating system software is upgradeable via MIDI From time to time Alesis will release updates which will add or enhance features Software updates will be posted to the Alesis website In order to upgrade the Ion s software you will need a computer with a MIDI interface and MIDI sequencing software To Upgrade the Software in your Ion 1 Connect the MIDI OUT of the computer to the MIDI IN of the Ion 2 Open the syx software file in your sequencer program 3 Turn the Ion s power on while holding both the panel ac
100. pendently The Part s arpeggiator clock is reset when a note is played in that Part and no other notes in the Part are being held down This ensures that the first note of an arpeggiation in a Part will sound immediately when the key is hit e key mono there is effectively a single arpeggiator clock for all four Parts The clock is reset when a note is played and no other notes in any Part are being held down This ensures that the arpeggiators of all four Parts will be synchronized e mono there is a single arpeggiator clock for all four Parts This clock is only reset when the tap tempo button is pressed This allows the user to lock to an external beat using the tap tempo feature and have all arpeggiation thereafter synched to that beat Analog Drift Page 5 Soft Button 3 Range on off Default on An analog synthesizer is a comparatively unstable device Its components tend to be imprecise never producing a truly constant value Synthesizer enthusiasts call this tendency drift and it is often cited as a major part of the difference between the warm sound of analog synths and the cold sound of digital synths The Ion can model the drifting behavior of analog synths as well An Analog Drift setting of on will cause the frequencies for each of the oscillators and filters per voice to drift according to a special algorithm we developed To make the Ion sound even more realistic they each
101. pes though since you can always see your envelope pictured on the display as you edit it Just scroll through the slopes until you see the one that looks right Env edit Decay Time Page 1 Soft Button 3 Range 0 5 ms 30 sec Default 0 5 ms This parameter determines the length of the decay stage of the envelope This is the amount of time it takes for the envelope s level to drop from 100 at the height of the attack down to the sustain level This parameter can also be adjusted by pressing the appropriate envelope button and turning the decay knob Env edit Decay Slope Page 2 Soft Button 1 Range linear exp exp Default linear This parameter lets you specify the slope for the decay stage of the envelope The slopes are similar to those for the attack a linear slope is a straight line a texp slope starts out fast and trails off like a capacitor and a exp slope starts out slow and builds up speed as it goes 67 68 Env edit Sustain Level Page 2 Soft Button 2 Range 0 100 or 100 100 Default 100 Unlike the attack stage which always brings the envelope level up to 100 the decay stage can be told to leave the envelope level wherever you like The Sustain Level parameter lets you specifiy what the level should be as the envelope completes its decay and moves into the sustain stage You may set this to 100 to make the decay stage flat or 0 to make the sustain stage flat
102. r the keys are released When a new note or chord is played the old notes will be released and the Arpeggiator will latch the new note s The status of the latch button is stored with the Program The sust pedal may be used in conjunction with the latch button to add notes to the latched arpeggio The Oscillators Osc edit Waveform Page 1 Soft Button 1 Range sine tri saw pulse Default tri saw This is an oscillator s most important parameter It determines the type of waveform that the oscillator produces which is directly responsible for the fundamental character of the sound you hear Each waveform type really represents a family of sounds you will use the Osc Shape parameter described below to tell the Ion exactly what wave you want Sine waves have a smooth pure sound to them Tri saw can represent a triangle wave a sawtooth wave or anything in between A triangle wave has a fuller sound than a sine wave whereas a sawtooth wave has a harsh sonic character Pulse is harmonically the richest of the three and can range from a very full sounding square wave to a sharp nasally impulse wave You can also adjust this parameter by pressing the button to the right of the Osc edit button Osc edit Shape Page 1 Soft Button 2 Range 100 100 Default 0 Once you ve selected your Osc Waveform this parameter lets you bend the wave into just the sound you re listening for How exactly it behaves dep
103. r you can stagger the octaves of your three oscillators to create a very rich sound from a single note The octave can also be adjusted using the octave up and octave down buttons which appear as up and down arrows at the right of each oscillator section Each time you press one of these buttons the oscillator will be transposed up or down an octave and the button will light up progressively more brightly You can use the brightness of the light as a quick visual indication of whether your oscillator is octave shifted and by how much Osc edit Pitch Semitone Page 2 Soft Button 1 Range 7 7 Default 0 This parameter lets you transpose the pitch of the oscillator a number of chromatic half steps For example if you set this parameter to 1 and play a C you will hear a CH Osc edit Pitch Fine Tune Page 2 Remember to reset a parameter to its Soft Button 2 default value perform a quick double press Range 99 5 99 5 of its Soft button Default 0 This parameter lets you transpose the pitch of the oscillator by half cents A cent is 1 of a semitone so you might expect such tiny adjustments to be unnoticeable However if you have multiple oscillators playing together small changes to relative tuning can have large effects In particular oscillators that are slightly detuned from one another can produce a much fuller sound than oscillators playing exactly in unison For oscillators 2 and 3 tuning can also be adj
104. s Track Gen a smooth continuous curve interpolated from the tracking points and Step Track which steps discreetly from point to point mod matrix trk sel et of pts 7 100 59 12 Tracking Point Page 3 Soft Button 1 Range 12 to 12 12 points or 16 to 16 16 points Default 0 This selects which Tracking Point representing the input signal level is being re mapped Level Page 3 Soft Button 2 Range 100 to 100 Default 0 This is the output to which the input signal is re mapped of Points Page 3 Soft Button 3 Range 12 or 16 Default 16 The input to the Tracking Generator is quantized to either 12 or 16 points above and below 0 Tracking Input Page 4 Soft Button 1 Range see table Default m2 wheel Source Description None No effect PWhed Position value of P wheel or incoming MIDI Pitch Bend messages Sustain Pedal Position Up Down of Sustain pedal or incoming MIDI CC 64 messages Expression Pedal Position value of Exp pedal or incoming MIDI CC as assigned Pitch Mod Env Level Pitch Mod Env Level FO 1 Sine output phase shifted 90 degrees LFO2Triange LFO 1 Sine output FO 1 Sine output phase shifted 90 degrees Voice Random Random modulation source unique to each voice Global Random Random modulation Source common to all voices RE of Portamento output as a percentage of the glide travel from starting note to ending note
105. s iae oen 17 B ttOn ut EOS Cu ecce ns 17 All Notes Off the home button ss 18 Kaob functions nee re 18 Pertormance controls 6 sodas iii 18 Chapter 3 Global Parameters 19 What does Global mean sess 19 The Global parameters ss 19 IESDES NGC c 19 Keyboard Cu rye i tert eit hdd dti dif 19 PCD Made C niiess 19 Master Tunes sine int bin np cdbsadsanaueas vasbuesiss 20 TRANS POSE unseres kiss 20 Octave Iudei ER E A AE A PU e MIRO HENRI 20 MIDI Syn amp 2 0 02 p ERR GO NE 20 Teripo SoUutGe inner hte oti 21 MIDI Bank Select a eene ss RR WU RR 21 Mod Wheel 2 EC 21 Exp Pedal 6 5 e tto reto e enit ste 21 Exp Pedal Cutye eerte a Del etes 22 Arp Send MID a erede see dept ede 22 Arp Ret gger un ennuis 22 Analog Drift 23 Last Part Enable neuen sure 23 P M Wheel BIS 2 one a re Du en 23 Pom Write PrOteCtissss inst tn trien arie sis 23 Chapter 4 Parts and Setups 25 What is Setup2 2222 EE PERPE ERE EI 25 Prosrains vs Parts eae iecit aet teen aerea eee 25 How the Effects are Shared ss 25 btofino a Prosramoot Setup eee eicere iieiea 26 Namie a Prora Of Setup sii assieme ener es 27 Character Chart acere ter trie eee Binnen 28 Sending a Program or Bank via Sys Ex sse 29 Special CASES 30 Sending One Setup
106. s parameter determines the length of the attack stage of the envelope This is the amount of time it takes for the envelope s level to rise from its starting value to zero to its full strength value of 100 If you want your sound to have a percusive snap when the note is hit you can set the amp envelope s Attack Time to a very small value Low to mid range values will bring in your sound without the snap and large values will let your sound fade in gradually This parameter can also be adjusted by pressing the appropriate envelope button amp filter or pitch mod for the amp filter or pitch mod envelopes respectively and turning the attack knob Env edit Attack Slope Page 1 Soft Button 2 Range linear exp exp Default linear In the attack stage the envelope s level always rises from zero to 100 This parameter lets you specify how it gets there A linear slope goes straight from point A to point B and is your general plain vanilla envelope slope A exp slope is bowed upward it rises quickly at first and then trails off This mimics the charging characteristics of electronic capacitors which were used to generate envelopes in vintage analog synths This slope is good for making your attacks extra snappy A exp slope is bowed downard it starts off slowly and bursts up at the end If you are designing a sound to build toward a crescendo this might be slope you need You don t need to learn the names of these slo
107. sc 1 Shape Osc 2 Shape Osc 3 Shape Osc FM Level Osc 1 Level Osc 2 Level Osc 3 Level Ring Mod Level Noise Level Ext In Level Osc 1 Balance Osc 2 Balance Osc 3 Balance Ring Mod Balance Noise Balance Ext In Balance F1 gt F2 Level Portamento Rate Unison Detune Filter 1 Freq Filter 1 Res Filter 1 Env Mod Filter 1 Keytrack Filter 2 Freq Filter 2 Res Filter 2 Env Mod Filter 2 Keytrack LFO 1 Rate LFO 1 Amplitude LFO 2 Rate LFO 2 Amplitude S amp H Rate S amp H Smoothing S amp H Amplitude No effect Modulates pitch of all three oscillators Modulates oscillator pitch through entire 10 octave range Modulates oscillator pitch constrained to 1 octave See equivalent Program Parameters Scales the amplitude of LFO 1 s output thus affecting the amount that the LFO can modulate anything else See equivalent Program Parameter Scales the amplitude of LFO 2 s output thus affecting the amount that the LFO can modulate anything else See equivalent Program Parameter Scales the amplitude of the S amp H output thus affecting the amount that the S amp H can modulate anything else 75 76 Amp Env Amplitude Am Am Am Am Am Filter Env Amplitude Filter Env Rate P M Env Amplitude P M Env Rate See equivalent Program Parameters Program output level See equivalent Part parameters Scales the amplitude of the envelope s output thus affecting the amount that the envelope modulates an
108. t Filter Mix edit Filter 1 Level eee 63 Post Filter Mix edit Filter 2 Level ss 63 Post Filter Mix edit Pre Filter Level 63 Post Filter Mix edit Filter 1 Pan 64 Post Filter Mix edit Filter 2 Pan 64 Post Filter Mix edit Pre Filter Pan ss 64 Post Filter Mix edit Filter 1 Polarity e 64 Post Filter Mix edit Pre Filter Signal 64 The Output section 65 Output edit Drive Type titii ntn itin ttem 65 Output edit Drive Level asser ns 65 Output edit Effects Send Level ss 66 Output edit Program Level ss 66 The Envelopes ses 66 Env edit Attack Time deceret nir ote tta 66 Env edit Attack Sophia 67 Env edit Decay Time en 67 Env edit Decay Ope niiina 67 Env edit Sustain Level ma 68 Env edit S stain Lime nn 68 Env edit Release Time eee een 69 Env edit Release Slope tette 69 Env edit Keyboard Velocity Track ss 69 Env edit RESET ne ace ei eterne erento 70 Env edit Peer aeree eere re rete trn 70 Env edit Loop ee ea 71 Env Jedit Sustain Pedal eerte tue 72 Chapter 6 The Mod Matrix 73 What is the Mod Matrix ie 73 Mod Matrix Parameter Descriptions 73 Mod Selects sante e teet e a en 73 Mod Sourcen eisein ti ira aisiara seine OE ORE SEa S E ei EEEn 74 Mod Destination innen 75 ModLeyel 5 et bete iii TI Mod gii TI Tracking Generator ss 7
109. t is properly grounded Plugging the Ion into an ungrounded outlet can be hazardous WARNING When connecting audio cables or turning power on and off make sure that the amplifiers in your system are turned off or the volume controls are turned down If you don t do this you can create loud bursts of sound that might damage your speakers NOTE If your sustain pedal response is backward i e notes sustain when your foot is off the pedal turn off your Ion and make sure the footswitch plug is fully inserted into the sust pedal jack Then turn the Ion back on while keeping your foot off the footswitch 13 14 Connection Diagram R main output L Y exp pedal sust pedal ELA 010 SS 100 230V AC OJO AC Receptacle 1 4 Audio Cables Stereo Headphones Switch Pedal Stereo Amp Expression Pedal AL E Overview A Tour of the Front Panel The display The Liquid Crystal Display LCD is at the center of the Ion in more ways than one Depending on the button or knob you ve activated it may show the program name which Programs are used in a Setup the values of the parameters being edited or even a graphic representation of a waveform or an envelope There are four main screens that we d like to describe in detail The Home page This is the screen that shows you the most different kinds of information all at once If you r
110. tes niemals so da man dar ber stolpern kann oder da es gequetscht wird Benutzen Sie nur das vom Hersteller empfohlene Zubeh r Verwenden Sie ausschlie lich Wagen St nder oder Tische die speziell f r professionelle Audio und Musikinstrumente geeignet sind Achten Sie immer darauf da die jeweiligen Ger te sicher installiert sind um Sch den und Verletzungen zu vermeiden Wenn Sie einen Rollwagen benutzen achten Sie darauf das dieser nicht umkippt um Verletzungen auszuschlie en Ziehen Sie w hrend eines Gewitters oder wenn Sie das Ger t ber einen l ngeren Zeitraum nicht benutzen den Netzstecher aus der Steckdose Die Wartung sollte nur durch qualifiziertes Fachpersonal erfolgen Die Wartung wird notwendig wenn das Ger t besch digt wurde oder aber das Stromkabel oder der Stecker Gegenst nde oder Fl ssigkeit in das Ger t gelangt sind das Ger t dem Regen oder Feuchtigkeit ausgesetzt war und deshalb nicht mehr normal arbeitet oder heruntergefallen ist Dieses Ger t produziert auch im normalen Betrieb W rme Achten Sie deshalb auf ausreichende L ftung mit mindestens 15 cm Abstand von anderen Ger ten Dieses Produkt kann in Verbindung mit einem Verst rker und Kopfh rern oder Lautsprechern Lautst rkepegel erzeugen die anhaltende Geh rsch den verursachen Betreiben Sie es nicht ber l ngere Zeit mit hoher Lautst rke oder einem Pegel der Ihnen unangenehm is Wenn Sie ein Nachlassen des Geh rs oder ein Klingeln i
111. thanks to the Octave Range parameter Note the way the arpeggiator will respond from Part to Part within the Setup is determined by the Arp Retrigger setting in Global mode Global Edit page 5 Soft button 2 Before listening to the arpeggiator patterns you may want to make sure the Length parameter is set to the maximum value of 16 This is found on Arp Edit page 1 Soft button 2 See the description of the next parameter on this page Note Since there are eight steps in each bar of an arpeggiator pattern that means that each step in the pattern is equal to an eighth note Note When experimenting with the Octave Range parameter you may hear the extra sets of notes come in an octave lower higher or both depending on the setting of the Octave Span parameter as detailed in the next parameter description For the sake of this example we ll assume the Octave Span parameter has a value of up For example set the Octave Range value to 0 turn on the arpeggiator and hold down three notes You should hear those three notes being cycled by the arpeggiatot Next change the Octave Range value to 1 Now you should hear the original three notes followed by the same notes an octave higher If you change the Octave Range to 2 you will hear the otiginal notes the same notes one octave higher and then the same notes another octave higher Then the cycle will repeat Arp edit Octave Span Page 2 Soft Button 1 Range up do
112. the waveform utilized by each oscillator Special cases tap tempo button This button allows you to match the speed of the NOTE In order for an arpeggiator LFO or effect to respond to the tap tempo button arpeggiator an LFO or other effects to the tempo of a song simply by db SIRE PERUON TA Theale e tapping the button in time to the music The LED under the button flashes to give you an idea of what the tempo setting is currently A double press of the transpose button transpose and octave buttons These three buttons control the vetet rd Tann OS FOR DRACO zero global transposition and octave shift of the Ion s keyboard The settings will affect all programs and setups as well as the MIDI note output 17 18 All Notes Off the home button In addition to taking you to the top level of a Program the home button serves a dual function a quick double press of this button will shut off all eight of the Ion s voices and send an All Notes Off command over MIDI Knob functions With the exception of the volume knob all of the knobs on the Ion are known as 360 pots as in 360 degrees of a circle This means they don t have a minimum or maximum physical position When you grab one it will edit the value of the parameter it controls from there This prevents those annoying jumps between the value represented by the position of the pot and the value stored in software for the parameter
113. thesizer expander module ob 2 pole bandpass Modeled on the bandpass output of the ob multi mode filter ob 2 pole highpass Modeled on the highpass output of the ob multi mode filter rp 4 pole lowpass Modeled on the filter in a very popular semi modular synth This filter will clip distort when fed a loud input level tb 3 pole lowpass Modeled on the filter from a little silver bass synthesizer whose sound has become ubiquitous in many styles of electronic music jp 4 pole lowpass Modeled on the lowpass filter from a popular 8 voice synth noted for its very colorful case and colorful versatile sound Compare its sound to the mg or rp filters 8 pole lowpass Unique to the Ion 8 poles give this filter an extremely steep cutoff 8ve dual bandpass Unique to the Ion Two 2 pole bandpass filters spaced 1 octave apart 6 pole bandpass Unique to the Ion This filter sounds like an exaggerated version of the ob bandpass phase warp Unique to the Ion This is based on an analog phaser effect Eight allpass filters in series create four harmonically related notches in the frequency response comb filter 1 Unique to the Ion The comb filter creates multiple resonant peaks and notches that are not harmonically related comb filter 2 Similar to comb filter 1 but the signal is additionally filtered to reduce the metallic sound 61 62 vocal formant 1 Unique to the Ion Formant filters are modeled on the hum
114. tive a and panel active d buttons 4 The display will read do you want to upgrade software via midi Press the Left Soft Button marked yes Play the syx file The Ion will display the status of the update After it has finished it will reboot itself an Sending and Receiving Bank Select Messages The MIDI Specification defines two Bank Select messages CCO0 is Bank Select MSB and CC32 is Bank Select LSB In practice most manufacturers have chosen to use only one of these messages The Ion can be set to send and respond to either CC00 or CC32 This parameter is found in Global Edit on Page 3 All Notes Off The MIDI command All Notes Off is used to silence a synthesizer with a note or notes that are stuck on This is usually caused when a Note On message is received without a Note Off The Ion responds to the All Notes Off message and can also send it Press the home button twice in quick succession double click to send All Notes Off 95 96 MIDI Controller Numbers Each type of controller has its own MIDI controller number Not all controller numbers have been standardized for specific functions but the following indicates the current list of assigned controllers Function 0 Bank Select 1 Modulation Wheel 2 Breath Controller 3 Early DX7 Aftertouch 4 Foot Controller 5 Portamento Time 6 Data Slider 7 Main Volume 8 Balance 10 Pan 11 Expression 16 General Purpose 1 17 G
115. tor keeps track of which notes you played first and plays them back in that order When the last note has been played the arpeggio starts again r n r in This stands for rock amp roll inclusive It mixes the forward and reverse settings playing up and down the notes you are holding and repeating the top note and the bottom note Note You will hear no change in the Octave Span parameter unless the Octave Range parameter is set to a value of at least 1 as detailed in the previous parameter description Tip to return quickly to page 1 while editing perform a quick double press of the edit button in that section 51 52 r n r X This stands for rock amp roll exclusive It also mixes the forward and settings but with one difference it plays up and down the notes you are holding without repeating the top note and the bottom note oct jump The Arpeggiator plays the notes you are holding but Note when you select the oct jump value you will hear no change in the arpeggio plays the first note in two or more octave registers unless the Octave Range parameter is set to before playing the second note which it also plays in a value of at least 1 as detailed in the description of that parameter on pages 50 two or more octave registers etc 51 Arp edit Tempo Multiplier Page 2 Rule of thumb if the Tempo Multiplier is set Soft Button 3 to a value of 1 and the pattern is playing Range 14 4 eighth notes
116. trols how much of the output of Filter 1 is fed into input of Filter 2 This allows you to cascade the two filters one after the other If you shift the oscillator balances toward Filter 1 and then turn up this parameter you are effectively routing the Ion s filters in series The Filters Fi Ite E ed it Type With the exception of Filter 2 s offset button Page 1 the parameters available to the Ion s two Soft Button 1 filters are exactly the same Therefore we will go over the parameters in the Filter Range 17 filter types bypass section without making a distinction between Default bypass Filter 1 and Filter 2 This section ranks with the oscillators as being the biggest contributor to the sound of the Ion Even identical oscillator settings will sound radically different as you change the filter types We have gone to great length to emulate the classic filter sounds of the most famous analog synthesizers There are 18 choices here with 17 filter types and a filter bypass choice available bypass No filter This setting is useful for previewing the un filtered signal mg 4 pole lowpass Modeled on the filter found in the most famous monophonic analog synth ever made The filter with a steep cutoff and deep resonance earned much credit for its fat sound This filter will self oscillate at high resonance settings ob 2 pole lowpass Modeled on the lowpass output of the multi mode filter built into a classic syn
117. u want the LFO only available from m1 set this parameter to 100 If you want the LFO to provide some amount of constant modulation regardless of the position of m1 set this parameter to something less than 100 When this parameter is set to zero the LFO will always be full strength LFO the 1 button This button selects LFO 1 s parameters for editing It also immediately takes you to LFO Edit page 1 with the LFO Rate parameter selected For a description of the various LFO related parameters see the LFO edit sections on this and the previous page LFO the 2 button This button selects LFO 2 s parameters for editing It also immediately takes you to LFO Edit page 1 with the LFO Rate parameter selected For a description of the various LFO related parameters see the LFO edit sections on this and the previous page LFO the s amp h button This button selects the Sample amp Hold s parameters for editing It also immediately takes you to S amp H Edit page 1 with the S amp H Rate parameter selected The Sample amp Hold generator and its parameters are described in the following section Sample amp Hold S amp H Most of the Sample amp Hold s parameters are identical to those of the LFOs discussed on pages 45 46 so we will only list them and refer you to those pages There are some important distinctions though and we will point those out S amp H edit Rate Page 1 Soft Button 1 Range 0 010
118. urce Page 3 Soft Button 2 Range program global Default program You may have noticed a reverse colored G at the bottom of the Home page This icon appears when the tempo source parameter is set to global When it is the tempo value will remain the same when you recall a new Setup or change the program in Part A When the tempo source parameter is set to program the G on the Home page goes away In this case the tempo value can change from one Setup to the next or when you call up another program in Part A MIDI Bank Select Page 3 Soft Button 3 Range cc 0 cc 32 Default cc 0 This parameter allows you to designate which MIDI controller number the Ion will recognize and transmit as a Bank Select message Mod Wheel 2 CC NOTE The exp pedal and m2 are limited to the use of certain MIDI controller CC Page 4 numbers The CC numbers that are not Soft Button 1 available are reserved for front panel knobs Range channel pressure cc 2 4 7 31 64 95 102 119 and buttons This allows your live edits to be erformed into a sequencer Default channel pressure p This parameter allows you to determine which MIDI controller or controller number the Ion will transmit when you use m2 It will also consider incoming MIDI messages that match this setting to have been generated by that wheel Remember to reset a Global parameter to its default value perform a quick double Exp Pedal CC press of its Soft b
119. usted with the pitch knob to the right of the shape knob If you use the knob to push Osc Pitch Fine Tune past 99 5 then Osc Pitch Semitone will be incremented and the fine tune will wrap around to zero Osc edit Pitch Wheel Range Page 2 Soft Button 2 Range 0 12 Default 2 This parameter determines how many semitones the p wheel can bend the pitch of the oscillator If you set it to zero the p wheel will have no direct effect on the pitch although the p wheel can still be used in the Mod Matrix see Chapter 6 The default of 2 allows you to bend up and down a full step which is what you normally expect from a synthesizer s pitch wheel At the maximum of 12 the wheel will send your oscillator up or down a full octave Osc 1 edit FM Level Page 3 Soft Button 1 Range 0 100 Default 0 This is the first of the cross oscillator parameters that can be found on the extra pages in Oscillator 1 s parameter section The Ion s Osc FM ot frequency modulation feature allows you to use one oscillator to control the frequency of another The FM Level parameter determines the amount by which the target oscillator s frequency is affected by the master oscillator s waveform What exactly the level means depends on the FM Type as you ll see below but at zero there is never any frequency modulation at all Osc 1 edit FM Type Page 3 Tip to return quickly to page I while Soft Button 2 editing per
120. uter Global tempo source set to Global Solution Check that the power cable is plugged in properly Check your audio cables if necessaty swap cables Raise the Master Volume knob or Exp pedal Raise Part Output Level Part Edit page 3 Press part enable buttons Set to Local MIDI or Local Only Part Edit page 2 Change Setups to revert to default values Re transmit higher values from MIDI device Turn the unit s power off wait a moment and then turn it on again Press the home button twice quickly double click Disable MIDI echo Thru on external MIDI device Put Ion into MIDI Only mode Part Edit page 2 Change Global tempo source to Program Global edit page 3 Soft button 2 101 102 Recovering from a Crash If your Ion behaves erratically or freezes on you turn it off wait for a moment and then turn it on again Make sure you turn off any amplification first If your instrument still isn t working after that then disconnect the MIDI IN cable and repeat the power on off trick This ought to work if your problem is being caused by strange MIDI data coming from an external MIDI device Checking the Software Version To find out what version of the operating system software is currently installed in your Ion hold down panel active a and panel active d at the same time and turn the Ion off then on Cleaning Your lon Before doing cleaning of any kind always
121. utton Page 4 Soft Button 2 Range channel pressure cc 2 4 7 cc 7 vol cc 8 31 64 95 102 119 Default cc 7 vol This parameter allows you to determine which MIDI controller or controller number the Ion will transmit when you use the expression pedal It will also consider incoming MIDI messages that match this setting to have been generated by the pedal The default setting of cc 7 vol allows you to control the overall volume of the Ion and send MIDI volume commands at the same time 21 22 Exp Pedal Curve Page 4 Soft Button 3 Range linear exponential Default linear This parameter governs the response of the expression pedal Try the different options with your pedal to see which seems to work best Arp Send MIDI Page 5 Soft Button 1 Range on off Default off You have the choice to enable the arpeggiator to send the notes it generates to an external device A setting of on will allow your sequencer to capture your performance exactly as it happened It will also enable the Ion to arpeggiate other synthesizers If this parameter is set to off the arpeggiator will still control the Ion internally but the Ion will only send out the notes that you hold down Arp Retrigger Page 5 Soft Button 2 Range key poly key mono mono Default key poly This parameter determines the way the arpeggiator will respond from Part to Part within the Setup e key poly each Parts arpeggiator functions inde
122. velope is affected by the sustain pedal When on if you press the sustain pedal and release a key the Ion will pretend that you still have the note held down and will not move the envelope to the release stage until you let up on the pedal When off the sustain pedal will not affect the behavior of the envelope Note that regardless of this setting features that depend on legato playing are unaffected by the sustain pedal In order to trigger a legato effect you must actually have two keys held down with your fingers The Mod Matrix What is the Mod Matrix The Modulation Matrix is where all of the previously discussed voice elements envelopes oscillators and filters and so on interact with each other to make a powerful expressive synthesizer voice It is essentially a set of 12 virtual patch cables that can be used to connect a large a selection of Source modifiers to Destination parameters This is the central hub where the LFOs and envelopes allow you to create more complex patches The Mod Matrix parameter settings are unique to each Program mod matrix none TH none none 1 none mod sel level offset 1 Oo 0 Mod Matrix Parameter Descriptions The parameters are listed by the parameter name page number and the Soft button used to access them Also listed is the default value fot each parameter Mod Select Pages 1 2 Soft Button 1 Range 1 12 Default 1 This selects which of the 12 Mod routes you
123. wn centered Default centered The Octave Span parameter determines whether the extra octaves of arpeggiation that are caused by the Octave Range parameter will sound below the notes that are held above them or both For example set the Octave Range value to 1 the Octave Span parameter value to up turn on the arpeggiator and hold down three notes You should hear those three notes followed by the same notes an octave higher If you change the Octave Span to down you will hear the original notes and then the same notes one octave lower If you change the Octave Span to centered you will hear the notes you are holding played one octave lower than the original notes and then you will hear the notes you ate holding followed by the same notes an octave higher Then the cycle will repeat Arp edit Note Order Page 2 Soft Button 2 Range forward reverse trigger r n r in r n r x oct jump Default forward As if the Arpeggiator weren t enough fun already you can change the direction and other aspects of the arpeggiation to make the results less predictable Here s a description of each setting forward The Arpeggiator plays the notes you are holding from the bottom to the top Once the top note is reached the arpeggio begins from the bottom again reverse The Arpeggiator plays the notes you are holding from the top to the bottom Once the bottom note is reached the arpeggio begins from the top again trigger The Arpeggia
124. ything else Modulates all of the envelope time stages Attack Decay Sustain and Release simultaneously See equivalent Program Parameters Scales the amplitude of the envelope s output thus affecting the amount that the envelope modulates anything else Modulates all of the envelope time stages Attack Decay Sustain and Release simultaneously See equivalent Program Parameters Scales the amplitude of the envelope s output thus affecting the amount that the envelope modulates anything else Modulates all of the envelope time stages Attack Decay Sustain and Release simultaneously See equivalent Program Parameters See Effects Parameters Mod Level Page 2 Soft Button 2 Range 100 100 Default 0 This parameter determines how much the Source will affect the destination Mod Offset Page 2 Soft Button 3 Range 100 100 Default 0 This is a fixed offset added to the Destination value It can be used to fine tune the range of the modulation 77 78 Tracking Generator The Tracking Generator is a special feature of the Mod Matrix Itis used to achieve more complex or precise modulations by taking an input signal Mod Source and re mapping it The input signal s amplitude is represented as 31 or 24 points from 100 to zero to 100 These points are assigned new levels from 100 to 100 The output of the Tracking Generator shows up in the Mod Matrix as two source

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