Isla Electronics / Software synthesizer
ASYX
The Andromeda A6,
recreated as a plugin.
The architecture and sounds of the original instrument, recreated in software. Use it in your DAW, or as a standalone instrument on macOS and Windows.
- 16-part multitimbral
- 29 effects
- AU / VST3 / LV2 / Standalone
Perpetual licence · Use on up to 3 computers · All future versions included
Windows 10+ (64-bit)macOS Big Sur+ (Intel / Apple Silicon)Linux (Debian/Ubuntu, x86-64)Systems & formatsMac demoWindows demoLinux demoUser manual
Watch / Listen
Hear ASYX.
The engine
Inside ASYX
A detailed signal path, with the controls to explore it. Start simply, then go as deep as the sound requires.
01 / Oscillators
ASYX models the behaviour of the A6’s custom oscillator ASICs, whose analogue design drew on the Moog 921B. Two oscillators per voice provide simultaneous waveforms, pulse-width control, sub-oscillators, hard and soft sync, and frequency modulation. Noise and ring modulation feed the pre-filter mixer.
02 / Dual filters
ASYX models the A6’s filter ASICs: an Oberheim SEM-derived 12 dB/octave multimode filter and a Moog 904A-derived 24 dB/octave low-pass filter. Low-pass, high-pass, band-pass and notch responses, with series or parallel routing and separate pre- and post-filter mixing.
03 / LFO
Three LFOs with six waveforms and individual rate, amplitude, offset, start phase, duty cycle and polarity controls. Delay, trigger and clock-sync settings are available for each LFO.
04 / Multi-stage Envelopes
Three seven-stage envelopes: delay, attack, two decays, sustain and two releases. Nine selectable curves for each attack, decay and release stage, with adjustable intermediate levels. Additional controls cover looping, trigger and retrigger sources, velocity response, key tracking and smoothing.
05 / Deep Modulation
Modulation routing with independent source, destination, amount, offset and enable controls. Sources include envelopes, LFOs, sample & hold, the tracking generator, MIDI and performance controllers; destinations include envelope stage times as well as oscillator, filter and effects parameters.
06 / Sequencer / Arpeggiator
A 16-step sequencer with per-step note, velocity, gate and rest controls, alongside an arpeggiator with its own grid and setup controls. Sequence and arpeggiator settings are stored with each program.
07 / Effects
29 digital effect algorithms, including chorus, delay, reverb and combined configurations. Algorithm parameters and effects settings are stored with each program.
08 / Analogue character
Independent variation depths for oscillator tuning, tracking and pulse width, filter cutoff and resonance, envelope timing, voice levels, shared drift and oscillator drift. The master Analogue control scales the combined variation.
09 / Mix mode
Up to 16 parts per plugin instance for multi-timbral operation, keyboard splits and layered stacks. Each part has its own program, MIDI channel, key range, level and output route.
The patch library
Comprehensive Patch Management
More than 1,200 included programs, with original factory sounds and artist banks. Search by name, author or bank, filter by category, and keep favourites close at hand.
Original patches / A6 Link
Your sounds.
Across both instruments.
With MIDI connected in both directions, the A6’s knobs and buttons can control ASYX. Enable live parameter sending to work the other way: changes made in ASYX are sent to the hardware. This works with compatible program parameters, so you can edit from either interface.
Import original A6 SysEx programs and banks into the library, or send the current program—including unsaved edits—back to a chosen hardware slot. You can also transfer a bank. Patch and bank transfers are separate from live editing and ask for confirmation before overwriting hardware programs.
Keep large banks in ASYX, and prepare a bank in the A6’s 128-program format when you need a hardware transfer. ASYX-only features such as polyphonic aftertouch remain software features.
Compatibility
Systems & formats
Windows
Windows 10 or later
64-bit
VST3 / Standalone
macOS
macOS Big Sur or later
Intel / Apple Silicon
AU / VST3 / Standalone
Linux
Debian/Ubuntu
x86-64 · .deb installer
VST3 / LV2
Ubuntu 22.04 / glibc 2.35+
WebKitGTK 4.1 or 4.0 · X11/Xwayland
No Linux standalone application.
Pricing
Get ASYX.
- Perpetual licence
- Use on up to 3 computers
- All future versions included
- AU / VST3 / LV2 / Standalone
The original instrument
Epic Inspiration
The Alesis Andromeda A6 combined sixteen analogue voices, dual filters and extensive modulation in one instrument. Today, working examples are becoming harder to find, and rising second-hand prices put ownership beyond the reach of many musicians.
Maintaining them is also becoming increasingly difficult. The Andromeda relies on custom oscillator and filter chips—ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits)—and many units are now out of service because replacement parts cannot be sourced.
ASYX was developed to make this instrument accessible in software. Working directly with an original A6, we’ve measured, compared and refined its behaviour, while retaining compatibility with original patches. For existing owners, it offers another way to use their sounds. For everyone else, it provides access without the cost and maintenance of ageing hardware.
An analogue ambition
The original Alesis Andromeda A6, introduced in 2000, grew out of a shared enthusiasm for the great analogue synthesizers of the 1970s and 1980s. Among its driving forces were synthesizer product manager and keyboard player Erik Norlander, engineer Rob Rampley, and Alesis founder Keith Barr. Norlander recalled persuading Barr to apply his considerable chip-design experience to an ambitious analogue polysynth. Barr subsequently designed the custom oscillator and filter chips that made the Andromeda possible. David Bryce, the synthesizer division’s marketing manager, championed the project despite internal doubts about its commercial prospects.
Making it playable
Turning that hardware into a playable instrument required substantial software engineering. Contract engineer Jeff Platt, whose background included motion-control systems for film visual effects, developed the software sound engine: its envelopes, LFOs, sequencer, arpeggiator, modulation matrix and tuning routines. Platt credited his fellow contractor Phil with the Program and Mix modes and much of the graphical interface; together they also developed the main-board circuitry. Rampley helped with processor selection and interfacing. One particularly revealing detail is that Platt’s “Control Routes”—allowing modulation itself to be modulated—emerged during development and were then incorporated into the specification.
A distinctive identity
The Andromeda’s distinctive physical appearance came from industrial designer Axel Hartmann and his company, Design Box, working closely with Norlander and Rampley. Hartmann recalled exploring several alternatives, arranging controls in drawing software and building full-size cardboard mockups to judge their layout. The resulting panel gave the instrument its recognisable groups of controls and sweeping graphics. Bryce also shaped its public identity: he proposed the name “Andromeda” and described the discussions and dealer survey that eventually secured it alongside the existing A6 designation.
The people behind the sound
Its musical character reflected a wider circle of contributors. Mike Peake worked on development, sound programming, testing and the assembly of early instruments, while Taiho Yamada contributed factory sounds and much of the original Mix programming. Other factory sound designers included Arnd Kaiser, Brian Kehew, Michael Caloroso, Pim Schilperoort and Justin Maxwell. Peake also credited Julie Yarbrough, Dave Seaton and others with helping keep the project alive through a demanding development period, and stressed the contribution of the assembly team. The original reference manual adds Dave Bertovic and Brian R. Shim to that history, crediting them with its initial and revised editions.
Before you buy
Questions, answered.
Which plugin formats and systems are supported?
AU, VST3 and Standalone on macOS Big Sur or later (Intel and Apple Silicon), and VST3 and Standalone on Windows 10 or later (64-bit). Linux provides x86-64 VST3 and LV2 plug-ins in a .deb installer for Debian/Ubuntu systems (Ubuntu 22.04 / glibc 2.35+, WebKitGTK 4.1 or 4.0, and an X11/Xwayland-capable host). No Linux standalone application. Native Wayland embedding is not yet qualified.
How does the licence work?
ASYX is a perpetual licence. Buy it once, use it on up to three computers at the same time, and every future version is included at no extra cost. Licences and activations are managed from your Isla Electronics account.
Can I use my existing Andromeda patches?
Yes. Import original A6 SysEx programs and banks straight into the library. With an A6 connected over MIDI you can also edit from either instrument and send programs or whole banks back to the hardware.
Do I need a DAW?
No. ASYX runs as a standalone instrument as well as a plugin, so you can play it with a MIDI keyboard without opening a DAW.
What is included out of the box?
More than 1,200 programs: the original factory sounds plus artist banks from Rob Papen, Joerg Huettner, G-Storm, Dave Bessell, xu.sounddesign, Brad Holland and Andrew Longhurst.
Is it multitimbral?
Yes. Mix mode gives you up to 16 parts per plugin instance, each with its own program, MIDI channel, key range, level and output route, for splits, layers and multi-channel sequencing.
ASYX is independently developed by Isla Electronics and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Alesis, Moog Music, inMusic Brands, Oberheim, Sequential or Focusrite. All third-party trademarks and product names belong to their respective owners. References to the Alesis Andromeda A6, Moog 921B and 904A, and Oberheim SEM identify the original instruments and circuit designs, describe their historical lineage, or explain compatibility.