Alesis is an American company that designs and markets electronic musical instruments, audio processors, mixers, amplifiers, audio interfaces, recording equipment, drum machines, professional audio, and electronic percussion products. Based in Cumberland, Rhode Island, Alesis is an inMusic Brands company.
History
Early years
thumb|right|Keith Barr, founder of Alesis
Alesis Studio Electronics was founded in Hollywood in 1984 by MXR co-founder Keith Elliott Barr. Leveraging his ability to design custom integrated circuits, Barr's company was able to introduce technologically advanced products at prices within the reach of most project studios. Barr liked the idea of the name Algorithmic Electronic Systems and came up with the name Alesis to try to convey that. After enlisting the expertise of Fast Forward Designs, co-founded by veteran Oberheim Electronics designers Marcus Ryle and Michel Doidic (who went on to found Line 6), Alesis introduced the MMT8 hardware sequencer and the very successful HR-16 drum machine in 1987. The HR-16 was employed on the English industrial metal band Godflesh's first few releases; Loudwire called it "the most devastating drum machine ever employed".
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File:Alesis Microverb II 8105.jpg|Microverb II (1988)
Image:Alesis HR-16 circuit bent 07.jpg|HR-16 (modified)
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The Alesis ADAT
At the 1991 Winter NAMM Show, Alesis introduced the ADAT digital tape recorder. Alesis created the File Streaming Technology (FST) proprietary disk file system for their ADAT HD24 recorder. Each ADAT could record 8 tracks of 16-bit audio on an S-VHS videocassette tape, and up to 16 ADATs could be connected together to record 128 tracks of audio simultaneously. With the same digital resolution as an Audio CD and a price that was a fraction of the other digital recording solutions for home recording at the time, the ADAT was a tremendous success, and its impact on the recording industry has been recognized by induction to the TECnology Hall of Fame.
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Image:ADAT-XT.jpg|Alesis ADAT XT
Image:Alesis ADAT XT LRC Remote Control.jpg|Little Remote Control (LRC) ADAT XT Controller
Image:Alesis-HD24.jpg|Alesis ADAT HD24
Image:Alesis BRC Master ADAT Controller.jpg|Big Remote Control (BRC) ADAT Master Controller
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Boom and bankruptcy
For the next ten years, Alesis created a wide variety of products such as the QuadraSynth synthesizer, D4 and DM5 drum modules, and Monitor One studio monitors. In 1997, Alesis Semiconductor was formed, again taking advantage of Barr's custom integrated circuits to produce and market chips for the audio industry. A series of chips was introduced that ranged from digital signal processors for audio effects to analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog converters.
By 2001, however, the company's business suffered as market trends changed, and on April 27 of that year, Alesis filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. In the subsequent restructuring, Jack O'Donnell acquired the company.
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Image:Alesis QuadraSynth Plus.jpg|Alesis Quadrasynth
Image:Electronic drums alesis.jpg|DM5 with Surge Cymbal
Image:Alesis M1 & M1 Mk2.jpg|M1 Active
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After 2001
Under O'Donnell's direction, Alesis expanded into new product categories such as mixers, portable PA speakers, and other recording equipment while continuing to produce Alesis legacy products like the SR-16 drum machine.
Alesis founder Keith Barr died of an apparent heart attack on August 24, 2010, at age 60.
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Image:Alesis Multimix 8.jpg|Multimix8
Image:Alesis SR-16, Devi Ever OK.jpg|SR-16
Image:Alesis PerformancePad.jpg|PerformancePad
Image:Alesis AirFX.jpg|AirFX
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Target market
Alesis is known for budget equipment but has produced high-end and innovative gear such as the Alesis Fusion music production workstation, the Alesis Andromeda A6 analog synthesizer, the Ion virtual analog modeling synthesizer or the Ion-based Micron.
Alesis developed equipment for recording studios during the 1990s.
Alesis models
- Quadrasynth & Quadrasynth Plus synthesizer keyboards
- Andromeda A6 polyphonic analog synthesizer
- Fusion 6HD, 8HD synthesizer workstation keyboard
- ION analog modeling synthesizer
- Recital, 61 & Pro stage pianos
- Virtue stage piano
- Concert stage piano
- Prestige & Prestige Artist stage pianos.
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File:Alesis keyboard.JPG|Alesis QS8
File:Alesis Andromeda A6 back.jpg|Alesis Andromeda
File:Alesis Fusion HD8.jpg|Alesis Fusion
File:Alesis Ion.jpg|Alesis Ion
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See also
- List of studio monitor manufacturers
References
Further reading
External links
- Alesis Company Website
- Jack O'Donnell – owner of Alesis and Numark, Pro-Music-News, 2001
- Alesis SR18 Sound On Sound review (archive.org)