Andromeda A6 and Eventide H-8000FW

[ThreeFingersOfLove]

Hi all,

only recently I got myself an Eventide H-8000FW and the first synthesizer that got its treatment was the Andromeda.

Well, it has been said many times, that the on-boad FX on the Andromeda are mediocre at best. Someone can certainly use them in order to try a few ideas but I wouldn't use them for recording.

Running the Andromeda through the H-8000FW has been a helluva experience and something I won't easily forget. Never in my life have I heard such a lush, multidimensional sound. It oozed quality from each and every pore.

First thing I tried was a pad (a dual filter configuration) I made on the A6. It got a matrix of modulated delays with adjustable feedback and some additional filtering action. Most of the parameters in the various algorithms can be externally modulated - for instance you can easily modulate the feedback level from the modulation wheel on the A6. This way, when you play sustained chords - or slow passages everything gets a luxurious bath whereas in fastish passages you can decrease the feedback level and everything gets a clear quality and things don't get muddy.

Another thing I tried was a bass sequence. This one got some multitap delays which appeared to dance in the background. Changing the time-interval of the taps is super-smooth if the pico-delay module is used, although this limits the actual delay time. This is not the kind of processing you would expect from a digital machine since we all know that changing the delay-time while audio is passing by, produces nasty little artifacts.

Reverbs are smooth silk. When I say smooth silk I mean smooth silk. You can notice this, especially in reverbs with looooooong tails where everything dies so peacefully. No nasty artifacts (unless you want them of course), no discrepancies in volume, no weird modulation, no nothing.

Having said that, I would highly recommend that anyone who has an Andromeda should buy a decent FX unit (ok, not necessarily an Eventide), maybe something like a mid-priced Lexicon or TC Electronic. It will elevate the sound to a different level.

I am not affilliated with Eventide in any way. I just wanted to share my experience here since I was absolutely stunned.

Regards,
Yannis.

[soundwave106]

Yeah, when recording I've always found it best to disable the A6 FX and use my Lexicon MPX-1 (not the best Lexicon, not the worst). The A6 FX is fine for live work though.

[Jyoti]

[psionic11]

Eventide effects have always been on my "want" list... I can only imagine "lush"; you are experiencing it...

[analoghaze]

I use a Kurzweil Mangler that sounds pretty darn amazing!

I also have a slew of analg effects that make the A6 shine.