Tone Difference Between Atc1 (1st) And Atcx ? Options

[superlead]

hi,

is there a difference between the first ATC1 and the new ATCX studio electronics ?

is one sounding better ?

is it exactly the same components ?

is one more reliable ?

[lepetitmartien]

1/yes

Check the tables on the product page, it's clear enough.

2/no, both are too fat for their own good.

3/as far as I know, it's a cosmetic/organization change. Not in the internals that matters. The new layout of the front panel even if cosmetic, is clearer IMHO

4/the part which dies is the front panel (after heavy use), it's readily available from Studio Electronics in a sticker form (with the internal soft switches) and someone not totally impaired can change it (better to be two for it btw, it helps), or any technician with both hands. I've done it (for a client).

Never heard of another problem on these beasts.

[superlead]

i'd be curious to know if they sound as big and fat as a minimoog, with fast and snappy envelopes.
i was told they have software envelopes, not hardware ones, like all new SE synths from SE1.

[lepetitmartien]

It's not the speed which counts but the slope. Mini were the fastest around till the Technosaurus came in the game, but take a software envelope of the same speed it won't make the thing. Alesis had to correct this in the Andromeda to have some sloppy but much more mooglike attacks.

SE and ATC families are in the heavy weight league, somewhere near the top. I tend to like the ATC better, less imprisoned into bass than SE1.

As far as I know SE is all analogue, but for LFO and Enveloppes it's not that important. the analogue critical parts are oscillators and filters it's 95% of the sound.