To preserve my Sigma and leave it at home in peace, I set out to find an analog modeling synth that would take up little space and be easy to transport. I chose the Alesis Micron, also available as a “Miniak” from Akai.

At first, I was perplexed, as I found the tones too rich in the high end, even too “cold”. But after sustained use, I now consider that it has a very personal grain, the kind that “breaks through” very easily in a mix.

Its only flaw is that it was designed by computer scientists who don’t understand the needs of musicians: the way sounds are classified and programmed is completely stupid, and makes it almost impossible to control via MIDI! So, I change the sounds on stage like in the good old days: by hand…