What is the NanoSynth? It is a highly capable MIDI module...those of you who are familiar with Alesis' QS6 have already heard the sounds. That's right, the NanoSynth contains the same synth engine! You'll find 640 programs (128 user), 64 notes of polyphony, a multitimbral mode (including General MIDI), excellent effects, a stereo and output, and a serial port for a direct connection to a computer. Alesis even includes a CD-ROM that contains quite a bit of software to run on your Mac or PC! All of this comes in at a list price of $449.
As I mentioned earlier, this is a small module! The front panel has just enough room for five controller knobs: volume, effect level, MIDI channel, sound category, and program number. The volume control is obvious...it simply controls the master volume of the module. The effect knob allows you to have real-time control over the effect level of the current program that is being played. For expample, this is handy as you can instantly see how more, or less, reverb, or whatever effect is set to the particular program, will effect the sound of the patch. The other three knobs help you change sounds from the front panel. Alesis recommends using your sequencer to select programs (and you need to use a sequencer in order to get to all of the programs that live inside the unit), but 256 sounds are available without firing up the computer. Moving the MIDI knob changes the MIDI channel and part that you can currently select. The next knob is called the Category knob, and this is essentially a bank select knob. There are 16 different categories, or banks, to choose from (piano to synths, etc). And the last knob, called Program, enables you to select sounds within the desired bank. The NanoSynth's panel also has two LED lights. One light indicates that the power is on and the other monitors MIDI signals.
The rear panel of the NanoSynth is just as straight forward as the front. There is room to connect the supplied 9 volt power adapter, a serial port and switch which is used to connect the unit directly to your computer (more on this later), MIDI out/thru and input ports, and RCA stereo outputs. One thing lacking is a headphone jack, but I suppose that Alesis had no place for it!
So how does it sound? Great. Being a General MIDI/all-purpose module, you'll find a large variety of sounds. Everything from acoustic instruments such as pianos, strings, guitars, etc. to synth pads, drums, and organs. I was quite pleased with how the instruments worked together when putting together a song. These are high-quality sounds! Now, don't expect the piano to be quite at the same level as the larger, more-expensive Alesis QS8, but I felt that the sounds exhibited a quality that would yield superb results when composing. The NanoSynth is always in multitimbral mode and is set to receive on all 16 MIDI channels, so getting up and running for sequencing is immediate. A software package or keyboard workstation works well with the NanoSynth for storing and sending all of the MIDI commands you need for selecting the proper sounds, pan, volume, and efffect levels. Need to mute a particular channel? User bank program 127 is set to be silent so the NanoSynth won't make sound when you don't want it to.
I tested the NanoPiano using a PC computer and a simple MIDI controller. The computer allows you to take advantage of the software Alesis includes with the NanoSynth. And there are quite a few applications and files to explore! The CD includes Steinberg's Cubasis sequencer, MOTU's Unisyn editor/librarian, several GM MIDI files, some additional sound banks, the Alesis serial driver, and more! I connected the NanoSynth to my computer using an optional serial cable. This is a convenient way of getting your computer to talk to the module, as a MIDI interface is not needed; simply load the driver in your system, and away you go! Cubasis is a decent sequencer, though admittedly, you may prefer to use a more full-featured package. I happen to be a Cakewalk user, so naturally I found Cakewalk much easier to work with. Unisyn is an editor/librarian that allows you to edit the patches of the NanoSynth. Because the NanoSynth does not have any way for you to edit the programs from the front panel, this software package is your way of customizing the programs to your liking. And it's nice to use...rather than having a small LCD display and a few knobs to edit sounds with, like most synths, you have your mouse and an entire monitor to use! I found the software and driver easy to install, and most applications were quite valuable as opposed to some of the useless "freebie" software that is sometimes included with other products.
I did also connect the NanoSynth to a MIDI interface on the PC to check performance in that configuration. I ran into a curious problem...when connecting the NanoSynth's MIDI output and input to the interface (which you need to do in order to edit sounds in Unisyn), I got some strange audio coming from the module when playing MIDI files from Cakewalk. A quick call to Alesis revealed that because the MIDI output on the NanoSynth also acts as a MIDI thru, a MIDI loop was created, and was causing the annoyance. There are two simple fixes for this: one must either disconnect the cable connected to the Nano's MIDI output, or go into the sequencer's device setup menu and disable the MIDI input driver that was routed to the NanoSynth. Happily, everything worked perfectly after that.
Overall, I found the NanoSynth to be nearly irresistable! It's downright cheap for all of the features and sounds that it offers. Alesis intended this to work well in a variety of markets...if you're just beginning, it's a great value especially when you consider the included software and built-in computer interface. If you have an advanced setup, you'll appreciate having the extra 64 notes of polyphony and 640 sounds to have at your disposal. The NanoSynth is a solid synth with outstanding features, and certainly deserves a listen!
Ben Kraft, Kraft Music
ben@kraftmusic.com
Kraft Music is a retailer specializing in keyboards, MIDI hardware/software, and recording gear. Their dedication to service and product knowledge matched with competitive pricing has made the company one of the leaders in on-line mail-order sales. Visit their site at http://www.kraftmusic.com.