Hi,
here’s a demo of the Fusebox X, a nice analog synth with a lot of vintage vibes. I’ve to admit that I’ve become some sort of a fanboy of this company as their synths clearly have a distinctive and very organic sound.
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I wish I considered Analogue Solutions when I bought my first synth. I think the Impulse Command is something that one can learn a lot from, have fun on, and continue to use once a person learns more. I really didn’t like Nick Batt’s pissy review of it, he seemed hung up on the “sharp” corners it has, almost like he had some grudge against the AS dude.
Anyways, nice demo.
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I’ve become pretty obsessed with their sequencers! I just got the leipzig and impulse command because the sequencers are so unique and jammable. They’re frustrating at times and the machine seems to be playing me more often then not.
I tried the fusion X at perfect circuit and was a little disappointed with the knobs and how they felt.
The fusebox is bar far the most powerful of the three but the learning curve is too high for me. Any thoughts about the learning curve and sequencer on the fusion?
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The learning curve is ok if you don’t dive too deep in the beginning. But that’s the fun part: you can always dive deeper if you like. The synth sounds already awesome even in simple settings.
Regarding the sequencer: Once you understand that there are three (four) different sequencer units that really shine when combined, it is pretty straight forward. But I had to read the manual to get there, first.
I really loved the original Fusebox. Such a raw and creative sound that was still quite melodic and playable thanks to the interval generator. And the patternator was just genius. The subharmonicon would later remind me of it.
But overall my experience with it was not great. Don’t want to harsh anyone’s vibe, so:
my experience hidden here
Sadly, I have to say, the MIDI implementation of the old one was just trash. Trying to sequence even a few notes via, say, a Pyramid would constantly hang it up. It’d get into a state where it seemed like it missed a note-off and this would override everything. EGs would never trig. The arp was constantly getting weird ghost notes mixed in even when disabled.
Ok, so minor annoyance. Just unplug it and turn it back on, right?
Nope, somehow this open state of the MIDI persisted between power cycles. And there’s no reset button on the machine. Support from Analog Solutions is essentially non-existent.
The only fix was to manually go through and twiddle every note and CC that might have been sent when it screwed up. “Ah!” you might say, “That’s what Panic is for!” Nope. Panic wouldn’t work. I have no idea how that’s even possible.
Anyway, after this happened with a bunch of simple patterns, I decided is must be a bum unit and exchanged it at my music store. Got the new one home, tried it out, and it immediately locked up the same way.
So, I don’t know. Man I loved that synth. Loved the look. Love the layout. Loved the sound. Loved how it would immediately take me places my other synths wouldn’t. And maybe if you use a CV-oriented workflow everything just clicks? Or maybe the MIDI implementation has gotten much better in the years between?
But mine was so unusable I had to get rid of it, and it broke my heart.
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Thank you for this! That’s really good to know and also discouraging. Maybe the fusebox x is better in that sense?
He’s had a lot of experience since the first Fusebox, so it’s quite possible. Though I do wish there were a bullet point on the “Additions / Differences” list that was, like, “Better MIDI” or something.
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I lust after it, since seeing the demos, and colossus he build, it sounds very hifi. The old one didnt have the sequencer included?
Anyone know if the OG Fusebox is worth it over the Fusebox X? I can get an OG one for around 1300, but I don’t know how much better the Fusebox X is.
Incredible deal on reverb for an almost new one for $999. If I didn’t have one I’d jump on this. Super unique and insane price.
Hanging MIDI also occurs on my original Fusebox from time to time, but when I press the ARP button once or twice, I can get out of this hanging situation and the synth seamlessly plays normal again.
I wish that had worked for either of the two I had because I’d still be rocking a Fusebox. Sadly, it wasn’t any help on mine 
Yes, it is an expensive synthesizer and should not happen at all!
Is this only an issue on the OG Fusebox? I’ve been considering the X.