Alesis A6 Recording Equipment User Manual


 
Chapter 2: Playing the A6
ANDROMEDA A6 REFERENCE MANUAL 29
CHAPTER 2:
PLAYING THE A6
Possibly the best way to get acquainted with the A6 is to dig in and start playing.
Feel free to skip around this Chapter if you need to get specific information quickly.
This Chapter deals specifically with functions you’re most likely to use when playing
the instrument:
getting around the front panel
understanding and using the display
selecting Programs and Mixes
setting up splits and layers
using the Master controls
exploring the various keyboard modes
using the performance wheels and ribbon controller
using pedals and footswitches
the Clock section: using the sequencer and arpeggiator
Quite possibly the most fundamental skill you’ll need to acquire in using the A6
successfully is understanding the display. The essentials of operating the display are
covered in this Chapter, and as you use the display on a regular basis, its operation
will become much clearer. Once you get a hold of the concepts and procedures laid
out in this section, you’ll be ready to undertake the remaining tutorials in this book.
The one glaring omission of this Chapter – which is intentional, by the way – is a
tutorial on MIDI. If you need an explanation of this technology now, go to Chapter
12. The first half of Chapter 12 is devoted to the MIDI Specification, which serves as a
good starting point for those new to this system. Real-world applications with
numerous examples in connecting the A6 to other MIDI devices were covered in the
previous Chapter.