Will keyboard players finally get some love from their bandmates if they can record them in multitrack splendor? Alesis has built a high-end hard disk recorder right into the Alesis Fusion keyboard synth. They’re certainly not the first to do that, but what they’ve done is remove the sticker shock: this instrument was already a bargain when it came out last year, and recent price cuts have brought the entry level model under $1000. For the first time, less than one grand gets you recording, a good keybed, space age controls, and multiple sound generation methods from sampled to virtual analog. Add in an Origami-based tablet and upload your sets to My Space. Or, uh, not.
Alesis Fusion, Synth Workstation Bargain [Create Digital Music]
