Alesis Fusion Tutorial

ALESIS FUSION ANALOG SYNTHESIS TUTORIAL
Voice architecture....
The typical signal flow of a typical analog synth was pretty much defined with the MiniMoog and
is something like the following:
Simplified block diagram of a typical analog synthesiser
Two (or more) oscillators generate the basic sound and these are fed into a filter which allows
you to manipulate the tone, often quite dramatically. This is then fed to an amplifier and out to
the audio output(s) on the rear panel. The oscillators’ pitch is typically controlled by the
keyboard but can also be ‘wobbled’ by a low frequency oscillator (for vibrato, for example).
The filter is typically controlled by an envelope generator as is the amplifier and the envelopes
are used to ‘shape’ the sound (i.e. determine whether it is percussive and/or ‘plucky’ or slow
like strings... or just on/off like an organ). Combined, the different permutations of control
settings on even a simple synth allow an astonishing range of sounds to be created.
We’ll look at these different ‘modules’ in turn.
Introduction Page 3

Alesis Fusion Specifications

General

Type	Workstation
Polyphony	64 voices
Synthesis Types	Sample Playback, Virtual Analog, FM, Physical Modeling
Display	240 x 128 pixel LCD
MIDI	In, Out, Thru
RAM	64MB (expandable to 192MB)
Weight (61-key)	28 lbs
Keyboard	61 or 88 keys
Keyboard Type	Semi-weighted (61-key), Hammer action (88-key)
Effects	Reverb, Chorus, Delay, Flanger, Phaser, Distortion, EQ
Storage	40GB internal hard drive
Sampling	Yes
Inputs	2 x 1/4" inputs, 1 x XLR
Outputs	4 x 1/4" outputs, 1 x Headphone