Alesis Ion Analog Modeling Synth - Nice & Clean

📦 This synth sold on 5-19-2025.

Sold: Have an Alesis Ion here in fantastic condition for its age. Though not without imperfections, this is one of the cleanest Ions I've ever seen. Functionally, this unit is smooth and good to go. Please see more details below:

I replaced 17 tact switches that were iffy or were double tapping. All other tacts work well enough to leave as is. You may infrequently run into an issue when you need to press one twice, but all the double tappers and dead/dying ones have been replaced. Including 3 additional tacts should you need to replace one in the future.
Keys have been whitened. They were moderately yellow when I purchased the synth. They baked in the Texas sun for 2 hours in my special brew of peroxide. Keys look fairly white now, but there is still some minor yellowing. They aren't getting any whiter than this.
No yellowing of mod wheels or the encoder knob. Volume knob also in very nice shape.
This unit really is very clean inside and out. The previous owner said it spent the vast majority of its life in the closet. I believe it. I accidentally deleted the photos, but even the key bed was spotless. No hairs, goo, crumbs, dust, or anything else you typically find in a key bed for a synth of any age.
The screen is nice and bright w/ good contrast. Def better looking than many of the others I've seen.
I updated the OS to the latest version (1.06).
Everything except the pedal input has been tested (I don't have a pedal to test with).
During the replacement of 17 four-pin tacts, my needle nose pliers slipped and murdered a trace on the top of the left panel PCB. I successfully repaired this with a jump. You can see this in photo 24. Note, the jump has since been shored up by coating the bare metal on the right side with green PCB resin (cured in UV light). The curve in the jump was also secured with a nice blob of PCB resin. Thus, this is a solid repair that's going to last.
Very minor mark on the page forward button under the screen
Minor imperfections on/around the OSC 3 shape button
There are a few very minor marks/scuffs on the bottom of the unit.


As a synth restorer with a deep love for these instruments, I’ve poured my heart into this Alesis Ion—it’s a gem I almost kept for my own studio. Its unique sound and intuitive controls make it a joy to play, with knobs that instantly bring parameters to the backlit screen for effortless tweaking. Unlike typical virtual analog synths with 7-bit (128-step) resolution, the Ion’s 12-bit precision offers 4096 steps, delivering smooth, analog-like control through its 360-degree endless pots (volume excepted). This eliminates stepping, letting you find those perfect tones with subtle adjustments. A heads-up: the Ion uses NRPNs, not MIDI CCs, so DAW automation takes extra setup, and while it has reverb and slapback delay, there’s no standard delay effect. I’ve fully tested and restored this Ion to shine—check the condition report below for details.

This is for sure one of the nicer Ions available for sale on the web. Will consider all reasonable offers :)

Sale includes the synth, a new, high-quality IEC cable, and 3 extra tact switches (should you need to replace any down the road).