Members midi Posted January 2, 2007 Members Share Posted January 2, 2007 I think I'm gonna return my 8HD back to Sam Ash, the load times are really slow and I keep getting stuck notes and have to power off. This is after the 1.24 update. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members XorAxAx Posted January 2, 2007 Members Share Posted January 2, 2007 Wow, I never had any stuck notes with my Fusion. That said, I never used the internal sequencer or controlled the Fusion via MIDI. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members midi Posted January 2, 2007 Members Share Posted January 2, 2007 Yah i think mine is because it was $100 less 'open box' http://www.samash.com/catalog/showitem.asp?ItemPos=1&TempID=2&STRID=81957&Method=2&CategoryID=0&BrandID=1288&PriceRangeID=0&PageNum=0&DepartmentID=0&pagesize=10&SortMethod=4&SearchPhrase=+fusion&Contains=%2Afusion%2A&Search_Type=SEARCH&GroupCode= Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SaltyDogg Posted January 2, 2007 Members Share Posted January 2, 2007 I am probably going to return mine in the next day or two. SA told me it's pretty easy process and made it seem no hassle for me. I'm pissed I didn't get a 6HD while I had the chance. At the same time, given the reliability problems, I ain't gonna lose sleep. It's funny but I'm embarassed to return it "Oh back are you? Didn't like it, just like we said you wouldn't!" Then again I might keep it, but I need to weigh and measure. When the guy loaded it in my car I sensed something was wrong. It was somehow bigger than I anticipated. Gone was the dream of throwing it in the back and romantically travelling cross country. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bones Posted January 2, 2007 Members Share Posted January 2, 2007 Anybody else having trouble with the V1.24 update? My 6hd claims the file is not valid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Diametro Posted January 3, 2007 Author Members Share Posted January 3, 2007 Salty, I think you should return it. It's your right, and reading your posts, it doesn't seem like you really needed it anyway nor has it "grabbed" you. Try again. BONES,My update worked fine. Did you format the card on the Fusion? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cosmic.synth Posted January 3, 2007 Members Share Posted January 3, 2007 To everyone having problems with their Fusion keyboard action...I think I know the problem. I got my Fusion today and have been using it as a controller for my other synths (Nova, K5000R, etc.) and my first impression was this is the worst keyboard action I have ever played. Key velocities were uneven and everything I played sounded like I had weights on my hands. Problem fixed! Now my Alesis Fusion keyboard action feels smooth and comparable to my Kawai K5000S synth, which many consider to have the best keyboard action of any synth. If you're using your Fusion as a master controller, do yourself a favor and change the Velocity Curve from LINEAR to LOG (logarithmic). Then change the VELOCITY SCALING to 43. You'll have a master controller that will feel like a Kawai K5000S (minus the longer and textured black keys) and send uniform note data. Originally posted by SaltyDogg yeah.... even if the keys weren't making noise... I wouldn't say they are worth 500 more (and with that blow out price, that =100% more!)Not to slam the keys. They're not a hideous buy... I am not trying to be spiteful. I like the weighted feel A LOT. If functional, they are perfectly fine. But the more I think about it... how do you justify that much more of a price for keys that seem to be somewhat cheaply done? They just don't seem solidly built. Their weighted-nature is not the issue to me, it's more the perceived build quality. I was reading comments on the web and apparently people are posting about similar problems. I'd probably get a master controller with solid built keys (and I realize that TOO is hard to find unfortunately). I also didn't realize just how heavy the Fusion is... and the 8HD is far from portable. My own ignorance. What really rocked me was just now... it never occurred to me (and I am sure A LOT of people) that those monitors can fetch over 200 on ebay. If I had known I could get the Fusion 6HD for 300 bucks, effectively, I would have done so without thinking. That's not a huge dent even if the thing explodes. Ebay was running short of bids right before Xmas, obviously due to empty wallets, so it didn't occur to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members keyman_sam v2.0 Posted January 3, 2007 Members Share Posted January 3, 2007 Even if you change the velocity curves, the keyboard's action remains the same. i.e. the rebound, etc. is fixed. You can only change its response to your touch. IMO, my fusion doesnt have as good an action as my fantom S (which I consider the best out there, period) or my Kawai K5000 (second best, imo), but its certainly very playable and thankfully, not as bad as the Korg triton LEs or Karmas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cosmic.synth Posted January 3, 2007 Members Share Posted January 3, 2007 I notice when I change the Linear Curve to LOGARITHMIC, it smooths out the notes I play and gives the sound source a more even quality. Again this is if you control external sound sources. I would keep the Linear Curve on LINEAR if you're playing the sounds of the Fusion. Of course the key action is what it is, but you certainly respond and taylor your playing in accordance to how the sound source reacts to the velocity. I can definitely say the Novation Nova sounds way better when I drive its sounds from the Fusion after the linear curve change. Definitely more expressive and subtle sound characteristics. The Nova almost takes on a more organic and analog character. Originally posted by keyman_sam v2.0 Even if you change the velocity curves, the keyboard's action remains the same. i.e. the rebound, etc. is fixed. You can only change its response to your touch. IMO, my fusion doesnt have as good an action as my fantom S (which I consider the best out there, period) or my Kawai K5000 (second best, imo), but its certainly very playable and thankfully, not as bad as the Korg triton LEs or Karmas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members keyman_sam v2.0 Posted January 3, 2007 Members Share Posted January 3, 2007 I also noticed that when i midi'd the kawai to my novation remote controller, it was AWFUL. I mean, the remote made everything VERY loud. I'd have to be banging the kawai to get it that loud. No wonder people prefer the kawai's velocity curve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cosmic.synth Posted January 3, 2007 Members Share Posted January 3, 2007 Originally posted by keyman_sam v2.0 I also noticed that when i midi'd the kawai to my novation remote controller, it was AWFUL. I mean, the remote made everything VERY loud. I'd have to be banging the kawai to get it that loud. No wonder people prefer the kawai's velocity curve. I think given the Fusion's ability to change the Velocity Curve from linear to exponential or logarithmic or exp+log makes it a great controller! I do feel it can mimic the curves of a lot of other keyboards like the K5000S. The K5000S has the advantage of having longer keys and the black keys are not slippery (they have a nice texture to them), and the rebound on the keys are amazing. It's like the difference between bouncing a basketball on a rubber surface as oppose to a rough sidewalk. Somehow the K5000s feels weighted or even luxurious to play. Have fun with your Fusion! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Diametro Posted January 4, 2007 Author Members Share Posted January 4, 2007 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members keyman_sam v2.0 Posted January 4, 2007 Members Share Posted January 4, 2007 Three questions : 1). I have 64 MB RAM in my fusion. Yesterday, i loaded a 108 MB akai patch into it, and it played perfectly fine. How did it load? 2). Is it easy to change the spring for the pitch bender? the pitch bender defaults to a slightly off-pitch position. Its not as strong as the kawai's or the fantom's. The same thing happened with my triton LE. 3). Is there a way to hook up my kawai, korg and roland keyboards to the fusion (in stereo) and be able to monitor them, while still having access to everything in the fusion? In other words, I want to use my fusion as a mixer. Is this possible? I looked through the manual, but i dont think it explains this (for question #3). Can anyone tell me how I do this? Or atleast give me a page so i can look at it and do it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SaltyDogg Posted January 4, 2007 Members Share Posted January 4, 2007 :( Well I took the ol' boy back and put him up on the counter. I decided the key action wasn't worth it FOR ME. I mean, the smaller sized 6HD is probably better for my purposes and I am sure we all have reason to be at least slightly paranoid of the build quality. I did enjoy the Fusion though... if I see a good deal used I will grab it up. Guess what: GC says that the price is now BACK to 999 for the 6HD. Is this true???? Or do they mean if you order new ones post-blow out sale? I don't trust those guys. Some good news: the girl that helped me take it back was a cutie. I often find the ones working in there are angsty goth types. she was more of a sweety goth type. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MartinHines Posted January 4, 2007 Members Share Posted January 4, 2007 Originally posted by SaltyDogg Guess what: GC says that the price is now BACK to 999 for the 6HD. Is this true???? Or do they mean if you order new ones post-blow out sale? I don't trust those guys. Given the Guitar Center.com and Musician's Friend.com websites (both owned by Guitar Center, Inc.) has always has the Fusion 6HD listed at $999, I would assume the $499 deal was exactly what someone posted, which was a special blowout deal to get rid of demo units on the floor. I would also assume this means GC will no longer stock the keyboard in their stores, but will special order one if you want (at the "normal" $999 price). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Diametro Posted January 4, 2007 Author Members Share Posted January 4, 2007 Originally posted by keyman_sam v2.0 3). Is there a way to hook up my kawai, korg and roland keyboards to the fusion (in stereo) and be able to monitor them, while still having access to everything in the fusion? In other words, I want to use my fusion as a mixer. Is this possible? I looked through the manual, but i dont think it explains this (for question #3). Can anyone tell me how I do this? Or atleast give me a page so i can look at it and do it? That's exactly how I'm using my Fusion (I found it to be almost noiseless esp. compared to my Yamaha MG 12/4) ... The way you do it is by operating in SONG mode ... 1) create a new song, but first delete the synth track (this is a preference) and create eight audio tracks. 2) plug in your synths to the eight mono inputs -- audio track 1 will correspond to input 1, etc. 3) While in the TRACK section, change the LINK from "none" to "A" ... you'll do that for all the tracks you want to be on the same channel (that's really the crux of it right there.) 4) SAVE the SONG template. 5) If you want to add synth tracks, I like to keep them at the end of the roster because the MIXER always defaults to the last four tracks (for knob control) and I find it preferable to have the Fusion's synth tracks at the ready instead of the audio tracks (which I usually control volume using the actual synth knob) ... Obviiously, there are some interface limitations (and it will take you a little time to breeze through it) ... but I've def. gotten used to it and don't really miss not having a real mixer ... the Fusion is quieter and right in front of me ... AND YOU CAN PLAY IT! ... the Bus effects are the bonus ... certain ones like ANALOG CHORUS really help bring the sound around ... Can't help with the other two questions. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ShakaCthulu Posted January 5, 2007 Members Share Posted January 5, 2007 Originally posted by Diametro That's exactly how I'm using my Fusion (I found it to be almost noiseless esp. compared to my Yamaha MG 12/4) ... Yeah, I've got the MG10/2, it's pretty crap, but hey, it could've been a Behringer. hah Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members XorAxAx Posted January 5, 2007 Members Share Posted January 5, 2007 Originally posted by MartinHines I would also assume this means GC will no longer stock the keyboard in their stores, but will special order one if you want (at the "normal" $999 price). Makes sense. At the GC in my city, pretty much anything good is special order. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members XorAxAx Posted January 5, 2007 Members Share Posted January 5, 2007 Originally posted by Diametro That's exactly how I'm using my Fusion (I found it to be almost noiseless esp. compared to my Yamaha MG 12/4) ... The way you do it is by operating in SONG mode ... If I had figured out I could do that, my gear picture would likely look completely different than it does today. Seems like everything went downhill when I thought "hey, let's sell the Fusion!"... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cosmic.synth Posted January 5, 2007 Members Share Posted January 5, 2007 Originally posted by MartinHines Given the Guitar Center.com and Musician's Friend.com websites (both owned by Guitar Center, Inc.) has always has the Fusion 6HD listed at $999, I would assume the $499 deal was exactly what someone posted, which was a special blowout deal to get rid of demo units on the floor.I would also assume this means GC will no longer stock the keyboard in their stores, but will special order one if you want (at the "normal" $999 price). They were out of demo models at the Richmond, VA store...so they special ordered me a new one straight from Alesis -- for $499. I can verify they are back to $999 after the new year because I picked up my special order on Jan 2...and the person processing my Fusion was totally confused about the price differential. Guitar Center got me straight though. GC here in Richmond are one of the best...never have they denied me a price match. Am I the only one who got a new one for $499? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members keyman_sam v2.0 Posted January 5, 2007 Members Share Posted January 5, 2007 Originally posted by cosmic.synth They were out of demo models at the Richmond, VA store...so they special ordered me a new one straight from Alesis -- for $499. I can verify they are back to $999 after the new year because I picked up my special order on Jan 2...and the person processing my Fusion was totally confused about the price differential. Guitar Center got me straight though. GC here in Richmond are one of the best...never have they denied me a price match. Am I the only one who got a new one for $499? You lucky bastid. Congrats on your new purchase. Prepare to spend sleepless nights with your new gurlfriend now. My gurl has woken up now...*hears fusion's hard disk boot up* Gotta go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members keyman_sam v2.0 Posted January 5, 2007 Members Share Posted January 5, 2007 Originally posted by Diametro That's exactly how I'm using my Fusion (I found it to be almost noiseless esp. compared to my Yamaha MG 12/4) ... The way you do it is by operating in SONG mode ... 1) create a new song, but first delete the synth track (this is a preference) and create eight audio tracks. 2) plug in your synths to the eight mono inputs -- audio track 1 will correspond to input 1, etc. 3) While in the TRACK section, change the LINK from "none" to "A" ... you'll do that for all the tracks you want to be on the same channel (that's really the crux of it right there.) 4) SAVE the SONG template. 5) If you want to add synth tracks, I like to keep them at the end of the roster because the MIXER always defaults to the last four tracks (for knob control) and I find it preferable to have the Fusion's synth tracks at the ready instead of the audio tracks (which I usually control volume using the actual synth knob) ... Obviiously, there are some interface limitations (and it will take you a little time to breeze through it) ... but I've def. gotten used to it and don't really miss not having a real mixer ... the Fusion is quieter and right in front of me ... AND YOU CAN PLAY IT! ... the Bus effects are the bonus ... certain ones like ANALOG CHORUS really help bring the sound around ... Can't help with the other two questions. Good luck. Awesome! Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members keyman_sam v2.0 Posted January 5, 2007 Members Share Posted January 5, 2007 Yup! That worked. Am i right in assuming that you only get BUS effects for the inserts and no actual insert effects? Like, you cant route the ins through the insert effects, right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Diametro Posted January 5, 2007 Author Members Share Posted January 5, 2007 No audio through the inserts. C'est la vie! But you can route the twin inputs through insert effects (I believe) ... and go through the synth's engine and get them that way. Haven't done that yet, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members midi Posted January 5, 2007 Members Share Posted January 5, 2007 I live in Arizona but was able to mail-order one from the store in Boston for $550 shipped! Now i gotta return the 8HD to Sam Ash! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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