Synthesizers with keyboards attached can be a tough sell these days. In this age of supercharged CPUs and high-powered plug-ins, one might think that the market for stand-alone hardwarelike keyboards is dwindling, and as a matter of fact, that's not too far off the mark. A lot of "old boy" manufacturers-Akai, Roland and Novation, to name a few-have released virtual versions of their hardware in an effort to reclaim the throne from virtual upstarts like Native Instruments and Arturia. What's going on here? Have the days of lusting over that shiny new keyboard in the music store passed, only to be replaced by a longing for the next software update?

Synthesizers with keyboards attached can be a tough sell these days. In this age of supercharged CPUs and high-powered plug-ins, one might think that the market for stand-alone hardwarelike keyboards is dwindling, and as a matter of fact, that's not too far off the mark. A lot of "old boy" manufacturers-Akai, Roland and Novation, to name a few-have released virtual versions of their hardware in an effort to reclaim the throne from virtual upstarts like Native Instruments and Arturia. What's going on here? Have the days of lusting over that shiny new keyboard in the music store passed, only to be replaced by a longing for the next software update?

There's no doubt that the virtual counterparts to hardware synthesizers are key elements in the modern producer's studio. They sound good, play nice with sequencers and do away with the annoying need for that thing called MIDI that musicians have developed a twisted love/hate relationship with throughout the years. Yes, virtual synths are here to stay, but don't count out the real deal just yet. A lot is still to be said for the feeling that comes from getting your hands on a hot new piece of gear - a feeling you won't get with a box of software.

It's nice to have a fresh piece of gear brightening up the studio, but is it really worth it to pony up your hard-earned cash for a stand-alone keyboard? Alesis seems to think so, and the company is wagering that the Ion has the specs to back it up-all for a price that will leave more than lint in your wallet.

You know that the most important thing about music gear is the way it sounds, but I'll admit that I have a soft spot for good-looking stuff. One look at Roland's SH-32, Korg's brushed-steel Trinity or the diminutive microKorg, and it's clear that designers are getting as tired of boring black boxes as everyone else. The Ion is no exception.

Before the Ion showed up at my studio, my expectations were not exactly sky-high. I had worked with Alesis keyboards in the distant past-think back to the QuadraSynth and the QS6-and although both were adequate and easy on the bank account, nothing was particularly impressive about either one. The Ion's $999 price tag didn't give me much hope for solid construction or quality components, either.

However, once I picked up the Ion's box, I had a sneaking suspicion that my prejudice might be ill-founded. The box wasn't all that big, but it seemed heavy for its size, and once I cracked it open, my skepticism evaporated. The Ion is hands down one of the sturdiest and most attractive keyboards on the market. The chassis is solid steel with racy red highlights on each end that contrast with the matte-silver metal casing. A forest of knobs and dials-red, black and translucent-stud the surface along with flat metal buttons and a rainbow sprinkling of LEDs. The Ion is beautiful, a study in future-retro design with clean lines and minimalist appeal-perfect window dressing for an Ian Schrager hotel and a beautiful complement to any studio.

The Ion's rear panel is well-stocked with the sort of I/O that you'd expect from a keyboard in this price range. Two sets of balanced ¼-inch outputs are provided, one main output and one set of auxiliary jacks-adequate for a synth that is only four-part multitimbral. The Ion's software offers the option to "mix" between outputs; a patch can be sent to the main outs, to the auxiliary outs or to any balance of the two, a convenient feature if you're looking to use the Ion in a live situation or with external effects processors.

A pair of ¼-inch input jacks feeds into the Ion right before the filter section, allowing you to bring your own external sound sources into the Ion for processing through the filters and effects section. A headphone jack with ample output is provided, and MIDI In/Out/Thru offers connectivity for sequencers and other keyboards. Power is supplied through a removable three-prong cord.

The only thing that is missing on the back panel is a digital output. It seems like a no-brainer for Alesis, the company that popularized the ADAT Lightpipe digital interface, to include some sort of output for forward-thinking users who like to keep A/D conversion to a minimum. Alas, it is not so with the Ion.