This is one of the most expressive synths I've ever played, and velocity & aftertouch react to your playing and animate the sounds. The instruments are very realistic - great pianos, horns, synth pads, choirs, and what not. And with the Fusion Converter, you can import the huge Akai library. I use it for rock, jazz, blues, and standards. And it seems as though the more I play the Fusion, the more I find that my other keyboards are being stored in the shed. When I gig, I usually use only one other synth, my E-mu PK6. The Kurzweil, Korg, and Kawai stay home.

With sample playback, user sampling, virtual analog, FM synthesis, and physical modeling, it's like having 5 synths in one keyboard. The built in effects are easy to use and sparkling, but the leslie/rotary effect needs some tweaking. Expansion capabilities include the on-board 40 gig hard drive, a compact flash card slot, and optional install of additional RAM. The sequencer is fine for my use, but obviously won't meet everyones needs (that's what Cubase and Logic are for). The built in 8 track audio recorder is an unexpected gem.

Patches are easy to edit, and quickly stored in your "Favorite" banks for snappy access. The free "Fusion Converter" software converts various sample format libraries into Fusion format, including WAV, AIFF, Akai s1000/S3000/S5000, and soundfonts. The manual is very readable, and Alesis has been making supplements and tutorials available online for free download. The lcd screen is very clear and bright - easy to read in a dark room.

The unit is very sturdy, and has survived numerous trips in the trunk of my Ford to and from gigs. Knobs and buttons feel very solid. The Alesis SR16 drum machine I purchased in 1991 has worked flawlessly for over 15 years. I owned an Alesis Quadrasynth for 12 years without any problems, as well as a QSR rackmount. Alesis makes reliable equipment and backs it up with upgrades and repairs if needed. I would use it at a gig without a backup, but prefer to use two keyboards, as I work a duo with my wife on guitar, play left hand bass, and like having one keyboard set up for lead sounds, and the other with bass/rhythm sounds.

There is no other keyboard that is close to the Fusion at its price. And when I compare it to some of the first keyboards I purchased during the 1960's, the technological progress is unbelievable.

Only had one problem, which was partly my fault. The USB worked great until I moved my computer to a different room, and plugged the computer into one wall socket, and the Fusion into another socket across the room. When I plugged in the USB from the Fusion to the Computer, there was a huge spark, and the computer couldn't see the Fusion anymore. The problem was that one wall socket had a reversed ground. Alesis repaired it under warranty, and it was gone about 14 days for repair in Los Angeles. The Fusion is a dream to upgrade. Alesis puts the software on their website, you download it to your computer, save it to a compact flash card, put the card in the Fusion, and upgrade the OS or load in new samples. Hollow Sun has been commissioned by Alesis to convert their huge library of vintage samples to the Fusion format, and you can download them for free. Two excellent user groups have formed that support Fusion players - Fusion Club http://fusioneer.proboards102.com/index.cgi and Fusion Zone www.promusicproducts.com/forum/phpBB2/index.php

It is a sleek, ultra modern looking machine. The flashing blue lights look good too. If you want to be different, and not have the same rig as the next guy, you've got to have the Fusion.

active musician

contemporary adult music

This is a good sounding synth. The vintage sounds, sound real. I placed this at a 9 because there are good sounds, and there some that I don't care for because of my desires only. The sound parameters are easily tweaked on the fly - one example is the Master EQ. I have children who have been around several of my synths, and have discovered sounds on everyone of them that I never touched, and they are in love with this synth. This particular section is about the sound, but I can't help but to write here and now, if you want a synth that feels great to the touch and sounds good, with all the features you need and many you want, for this price of around $1499 new, when I purchased mine, you need to get this board. I have had the board since January 2007. I have the 8HD fully weighted key model.

I like the audio recording capability. The sequencer was great after I figured it out without reading the manaual. Although it's one of the best boards out there, there are still some situations you may want to use your computer for finalizing any musical product.

I wish the auditioning of each take could be done in one step such as asking do you want to keep the take immediately after you finish each, while allowing you listen to it.

I say the quality is only a 9 because this synth is software upgradable; therefore, as long as Alesis continues to develop operating systems for this board, it will only get even better.

I have not had any support issues.

When people see my Fusion for the first time I get a lot of surprised looks and questions.

Active Musician

Gospel, Jazz, and others

An excellent 128 MB soundset that you can quickly and easily expand with soundfonts by hooking it up to your PC.

Features?? Are you kidding? This thing has more features than anything else I've ever seen. It's an incredible full-featured workstation.

Very easy to use! I wish it had a full alphanumeric keypad for entering text but it cuts off at K, so thats really my only gripe. Very easy to use indeed!

This isn't cheap flimsy plastic like you get with 61 key Roland synths. Alesis KNOWS how to build a good, solid synth. The lights on the 2 wheels are awesome, and the LCD is crystal clear.

For $1000 you get about $3500 worth of features. No other synth within $1000 can compare.

Never had to use it.

It's a monster of a synth.

Composer

Rock, Classical

This synth has great sounds, great effects, great arpeggiation patterns, etc.

Features are confusing and the learning curve is steep.

Recording, looping, and sequencing are all difficult to figure out. Over time though, I expect a dedicated user would begin to use this synth and its many features with ease.

The first Fusion 6HD that I recieved had major short circuit problems from the first day. The second one (that replaced the first) began having power-up problems after about a week. I would turn it on and it would begin to power-up and then would shut down. It generally started after a few tries. But then, after about 2.5 weeks, the short circuit problems (as with the first one I recieved) began but were worse. The sound would cut out, the LCD screen would flicker or go blank, and the pitch and mod wheels and other lit buttons would flicker. At this point, the synth no longer worked properly, or at all. And, since 2 out of the 2 synths shipped to me did this, I am very skeptical that this was just coincidence. In other words, I expect a large number of Fusion users to experience this same problem(s).

Why waste $1000 on a product that doesn't work, or has the possibility of not working in the near future. For this price I should still be playing it into the next decade.

I called support to discuss my short-circuit problem and they were unable to provide any troubleshooting advice. They wouldn't even tell me what the internal problem could be. They were supposed to email me after consulting with the engineers but never did. After waiting for this email for several days I decided to return it for a different synth.

It looks good but that matters little.

Hobbyist

Trip hop, downtempo, house, leftfield

first and foremost I would like to say to the consumer thinking about buying that reviews are misleading.. you must first know what the product is first. just like the triton , you must edit the sounds and tweak them to make them sound the way u would like. and while the fantom and the motif have more tone to the music, if those sounds aren't tweaked, they won't sound of any value. the fusion is much like the z1 in that YOU control how you'd like the keyboard to sound. u add the effects etc. YOU do that! this product is open architecture, not a simple workstation. it is closer to a synth.

producer

rap hiphop r&b

Brilliant. Think of this as a universe full of sound potential. And think of all other synths other than the Oasys as a galaxy in Fusions sonic universe.

It gets no better than this really. What synth other than the Oasys compares in features?

No Quality Problems.

If a synth buff don't capitalize on this once in lifetime synth price opportunity most likely they'll remain in prehistoric times or shell out $2000-3000 extra for the same features.

So far total support

Unique Futuristic look with lots of lights and big screen and very cool blue lighted pitch & mod wheels.

Recording Engineer

R&B,Rap, Hip Hop, Dance

This synth was a back order for more than 6 month and I finally received my 6HD Fusion last Sept 2005. After many months of playing and discovering of this product, the sounds are not realistics. I tried to edit the original sounds, but it does not take much effecting and not easy to use. Piano sounds are better than Alesis QS6.2, but anything else is worse in my opinion.

Performance controller are not very useful, the four knob volume are too high, easy to damage on the gig. System hang, playing itself, getting errors, notes remain ON when switching mix sounds, after touch does work very well....too many problems. After I spoke to Alesis, I upgraded to 1.2 software version. System now works better, but I am not satisfied with the system. Alesis has come from a long way. They know exactly what is going on with their product, why they do not have better communication with customer for the recal or upgrade. More un-satisfying is their Fusion support is terrible.

Some of its features are easy to use, but most of them are NOT. The Fusion Reference Manual are horrible _ NO index, poor procedures, many features, programs, and mixes are not showing in the book. This products seem not ready for to be out on the market.

Poor quality, the key notes sound louder than other synths. Many notes are hitting top cover controller. I did complain to Alesis, but they ignored it and keep pushing me around.

Poor product

The reason I bought this Alesis Fusion because I was very happy with Alesis QS6.2 supporter. But now their Fusion supporters are 180 degree around. I am sick and tire to call them.

Appearance are ok. But this product does not work as its promisses, the greatness will become unfavorable.

Hobbyist for more than 30 years

All

The sound is cheap, tinny, and unprofessional

Why on earth would you pay more than a few hundred bucks for this thing.

It doesn't appeal to me. It's kind of weird looking.

Producer, recording engineer, and musician

R&B, Jazz, Hip-hop, and funk

Every sound is tweakable to practially anyway you want to hear it.

It took awhile to learn where I'm at, and I'm still learning. The synthesis part especially.

It took a bit a tweaking. I find it nowadays tracks are becoming easier to put together and the fusion has been there day in day out doing its job.

I had a burnt diode, I had to send for repairs of course my warranty was covered. The data wheel doen't spin on a straight horizontal plane, it kind of wabbles like a ufo. It can sound like one too.

For it's price and what it's been doing, I'd say it's worthy of mention.

Great. I've called them up numerous times, before I had my OS upgraded and they've been nothing but great.

Appearance wise, it's one of the better looking synths out there.