Alesis QS8 manual

A L ES I S Q S 7 and QS8 Reference M a nu a l[...]

Introduction Thank you for purchasing the Alesis QS7/QS8 64 Voice Expandable Synthesizer. To take full advantage of the QS’s functions, and to enjoy long and trouble-free use, please read this user’s manual carefully. How To Use This Manual This manual is divided into the following sections describing the various modes of the QS. To get the mos[...]

2 QS7/QS8 Reference Manual[...]

Table of Contents C ONTENTS 1: S ETTING U P .................................................................................................... 7 Unpacking and Inspection..............................................................................................7 AC Power...........................................................................[...]

Table of Contents The User Interface: Display, Functions, Pages, and Parameters ..................................30 About the Display..............................................................................................30 Page Buttons.....................................................................................................32 Edi[...]

Table of Contents Pitch LFO ..........................................................................................................76 Filter LFO ..........................................................................................................78 Amp LFO......................................................................................[...]

Table of Contents Storing an Individual Program or Mix.............................................................................122 Loading an Individual Program or Mix ...........................................................................123 Card Storage RAMifications.........................................................................[...]

Setting Up: Chapter 1 C HAPTER 1 S ETTING U P U NPACKING AND I NSPECTION Your QS7/QS8 synthesizer was packed carefully at the factory. The shipping carton was designed to protect the unit during shipping. Please retain this container in the highly unlikely event that you need to return the QS for servicing. The shipping carton should contain the fo[...]

Chapter 1: Setting Up L INE C ONDITIONERS AND P ROTECTORS Although the QS is designed to tolerate typical voltage variations, in today’s world the voltage coming from the AC line may contain spikes or transients that can possibly stress your gear and, over time, cause a failure. There are three main ways to protect against this, listed in ascendi[...]

Setting Up: Chapter 1 The connections between the QS and your studio are your music’s lifeline, so use only high quality cables. These should be low-capacitance shielded cables with a stranded (not solid) internal conductor and a low-resistance shield. Although quality cables cost more, they do make a difference. Route cables to the QS correctly [...]

Your First Session: Chapter 2 C HAPTER 2 Y OUR F IRST S ESSION P OWERING U P After making your connections, turn on the system’s power using this procedure: ¿ Before turning on the QS’s power, check the following items: • Have all connections been made correctly? • Are the volume controls of the amplifier or mixer turned down? • Is the v[...]

Chapter 2: Your First Session The QS provides 640 internal Programs, divided into 5 Banks of 128 Programs each. More Programs can be added by inserting a Sound Card into the Sound Card slot on the rear panel of the QS. Each Bank is broken down into 12 Sound Groups of 10 Programs each, plus a 13th Sound Group with 8 Programs. These group together si[...]

Your First Session: Chapter 2 The QS is always in one of two modes: Program Mode or Mix Mode . When you are auditioning Programs, you will be in Program Play Mode. When editing a Program, you will use Program Edit Mode. When you are auditioning Mixes, you will be in Mix Play Mode. When editing a Mix, you will use Mix Edit Mode. J If you ever get lo[...]

Chapter 2: Your First Session S ELECTING THE MIDI C HANNEL IN P ROGRAM M ODE While in Program Play Mode (press [PROGRAM]), the QS can transmit and receive information on any single MIDI channel of the 16 available channels. The currently selected channel appears in the bottom-right corner of the display. PROG PRESET1 ºº GrandPiano Ch01 ≠ Curren[...]

Your First Session: Chapter 2 R EALTIME P ERFORMANCE F UNCTIONS The QS provides various ways to control the sound as you are playing. Try out some of these functions while playing the keyboard. The sound of the effects can also change by using these controllers. The effect of these realtime controllers varies from Program to Program; in some they m[...]

Chapter 2: Your First Session sliders (unless the “Controller Mode” function is turned on in page 17 of Global mode; see page 115 for more information). When in Program Edit Mode or Mix Edit Mode, the CONTROLLER [D] slider is used to edit the parameter that appears in the display, and the other three CONTROLLER sliders are disabled. The lower l[...]

Your First Session: Chapter 2 C HOOSING P ROGRAMS IN A M IX In this section, we will choose Programs for the 16 channels in a Mix, for playing back tracks from a MIDI sequencer. There are many other aspects of a Mix we may wish to edit, however. Refer to Chapter 5 for more information about Mix editing. You do not have to access Mix Edit Mode to se[...]

Chapter 2: Your First Session S TORING AN E DITED M IX Once you have made changes to a Mix, you will need to store the Mix into the User Bank; that is, if you want to keep the changes you have made. The User Bank is designed to hold up to 100 (00 – 99) of your custom-made Mixes. Whenever you store an edited Mix, the User Bank is automatically sel[...]

Your First Session: Chapter 2 Your QS is an expandable system using the two PCMCIA EXPANSION CARD slots on the back panel. There are three different kinds of Sound Cards available through your Alesis dealer or directly from Alesis: • SRAM cards: The Alesis Virtual Composer card provides an additional four banks of Program/Mix memory. All banks ca[...]

Chapter 2: Your First Session J If an internal Program uses one or more Sounds that reside on a sound card, the sound card must be inserted into the same PCMCIA EXPANSION CARD slot, [A] or [B], as when the Program was stored. In other words, if a Program uses a Sound found on the card currently inserted in slot [A], then the same card must be inser[...]

Connections: Chapter 3 C HAPTER 3 C ONNECTIONS B ASIC MIDI H OOKUP MIDI is an internationally-accepted protocol that allows musical-related data to be conveyed from one device to another. See the MIDI Supplement in Appendix B if you are not familiar with how MIDI works. The QS has three MIDI connectors which provide the following functions: • MID[...]

Chapter 3: Connections U SING AN E XTERNAL S EQUENCER The QS can generate MIDI signals that are recorded by a sequencer. On playback, the sequencer sends this data back into the QS, which then serves as a multitimbral sound module (in Mix Mode). The sequencer can generate data over several channels; in Mix Mode, the QS can be programmed so that ind[...]

Connections: Chapter 3 The QS can communicate directly with a computer via its [SERIAL PORT] connector. This eliminates the need for an additional computer-MIDI interface, as well as the MIDI cables to connect to it. The [SERIAL PORT] can be set to one of two modes, depending on the computer you are using. The mode is selected using the switch dire[...]

Chapter 3: Connections Connect one end of a DIN-8 cable to the QS’s [SERIAL PORT] connector and the other end to either the MODEM serial port or the PRINTER serial port, depending on which one you are using for sequencing. MIDI sequencing software for the Macintosh typically defaults to using the MODEM port, but in actuality can be set to use eit[...]

Connections: Chapter 3 before powering up the QS; on power up, it will automatically sense the footswitch polarity and calibrate itself accordingly. J If your footswitch seems to respond backwards (notes sustain unless the footswitch is pressed), turn off the QS, make sure the footswitch plug is fully inserted into the footswitch jack, then turn th[...]

Chapter 3: Connections Connect a BNC-to-BNC cable (such as the Alesis BN cable) between the BRC’s 48 kHz CLOCK OUT and the QS’s [48 KHZ IN]. Set the Clock function to either Ext 48kHz if the BRC is set to 48kHz, or Ext 44.1k if the BRC is set to 44.1kHz. For more information about the Clock function, see page 119 in Chapter 8. Tip: With this ty[...]

Overview: Chapter 4 C HAPTER 4 O VERVIEW B ASIC A RCHITECTURE The QS contains 16 megabytes of Sound ROM which provide digitized acoustic and electronic samples . These samples are organized into 17 sample groups of different types. The groups are: Piano String Noise Sound FX Chromatic Brass Voice Rhythm Organ Woodwind Ethnic Guitar Synth Drums Bass[...]

Chapter 4: Overview M ODES The QS is always in one of two main modes: Program Play Mode or Mix Play Mode. Pressing [PROGRAM] selects Program Play Mode, while pressing [MIX] selects Mix Play Mode. While in Program Play Mode, you can press [EDIT SELECT] to access Program Edit Mode and Effects Edit Mode. While in Mix Play Mode, pressing [EDIT SELECT] [...]

Overview: Chapter 4 Mix Edit Mode lets you change the parameters of an existing Mix. Up to 16 Programs can be active in each Mix, and Mix Edit mode sets up how each will be played. Mix Edit Mode allows you to: • set the output level, effects level, and pan of each Program in the Mix; • select which Program’s Effects Patch will be used by the [...]

Chapter 4: Overview T HE U SER I NTERFACE : D ISPLAY , F UNCTIONS , P AGES , AND P ARAMETERS The key to the QS user interface is the combination of the Display, the [ PAGE] and [PAGE ] buttons, the [s VALUE] and [VALUE t] buttons and the CONTROLLER [D] slider. The Display constantly informs you of the QS’s status. A BOUT THE D ISPLAY The display [...]

Overview: Chapter 4 When [EDIT SELECT] is pressed, the display enters Edit Mode (which Edit Mode you are in depends on whether you were already in Program Mode or Mix Mode). When in an Edit Mode, the display will look something like this: EDIT MODE PAGE _____________________________ _______ MODE BANK NUMBER ________ ______________ __________ ED:PRG[...]

Chapter 4: Overview P AGE B UTTONS The [ PAGE] and [PAGE ] buttons serve two purposes. In Program Play Mode and Mix Play Mode, they are used to select a MIDI channel from 1 to 16. In Program Play Mode, they are used to select the basic MIDI channel the QS will receive and transmit MIDI messages on. In Mix Play Mode, they are used to select one of t[...]

Overview: Chapter 4 The upper-right section of the display will indicate the currently selected page number. Each page provides a different parameter. The parameter’s name will appear in the bottom section of the display. Press the [PAGE ] button to select the next higher-numbered page, and [ PAGE] to select the next lower- numbered page. Press b[...]

Chapter 4: Overview 30 SELECT SOUND 4 SELECT SOUND 4 SELECT CHANNEL 14 SELECT SEND 4 40 VOICE VOICE SELECT CHANNEL 15 CONFIGURATIO N 50 LEVEL LEVEL SELECT CHANNEL 16 EQ 60 PITCH PITCH LEVEL MOD 70 FILTER FILTER PITCH LEZLIE 80 AMP/RANGE AMP/RANGE EFFECT PITCH 90 PITCH ENVELOPE - - - - - KEYBOARD/MID I DELAY 100 FILTER ENVELOPE - - - - - CONTROLLERS[...]

Overview: Chapter 4 C OMPARING E DITED AND S TORED V ERSIONS When you edit a Program or Mix, you are actually editing a copy which is in a temporary edit buffer. Therefore, to retain the results of your edit, you must save it to a particular memory location (see the next section on Storing). If you change memory locations before saving, the buffer [...]

Chapter 4: Overview The [STORE] button selects Store mode. Store mode has 7 pages which you can scroll through by using the [ PAGE] and [PAGE ] buttons. Each page in Store mode provides a different type of storage, copy or data transfer function. When storing edited Mixes or Programs into the User Bank or a RAM Card Bank, you will use the first pag[...]

Overview: Chapter 4 C OPYING S OUNDS B ETWEEN P ROGRAMS Follow the steps below to copy one of the four Sound layers from one Program to another Program in the User Bank. When copying Sounds between Programs, the "new" Sound will replace the same numbered Sound in the destination Program, i.e., Sound 3 will replace Sound 3. ¿ Press [PROGR[...]

Chapter 4: Overview T O A UDITION P ROGRAMS B EFORE S TORING To look for available memory locations to permanently store your Program into, you can move between Program Mode and Mix Mode without losing your changes. This is because Program Mode uses a Program edit buffer, and Mix Mode uses its own Mix edit buffer along with 16 additional Program ed[...]

Overview: Chapter 4 To audition Programs before overwriting them with STORE …when editing a Program in Mix Play Mode: ¿ While in Mix Program Edit mode, press [PROGRAM]. This selects Program Play Mode, retaining your edits to the Program in Mix Edit. ¡ Use the [ BANK] and [BANK ] buttons to select the User Bank. If a RAM card is inserted, use th[...]

Editing Mixes: Chapter 5 QS7/QS8 Reference Manual 39 C HAPTER 5 E DITING M IXES W HAT IS A M IX ? Mix Mode is one of the most powerful features of the QS. Although in Program Mode you can play only one Program at a time, in Mix Mode you can play up to 16 Programs at once, either from the keyboard (as layers or splits) or from an external sequencer [...]

Chapter 5: Editing Mixes 40 QS7/QS8 Reference Manual Once in Mix Edit Mode, use the [ 0 ] - [ 9 ] and [ 00 ] - [ 50 ] buttons to select a MIDI channel to edit (1 – 16). Use the [ 60 ] – [ 120 ] buttons to select a Function Group (Level, Pitch, Effect, etc.) If a Function Group has more than one parameter, use the [ ▲ PAGE ] and [ PAGE ▲ ] b[...]

Editing Mixes: Chapter 5 QS7/QS8 Reference Manual 41 Program into the User Bank. If you select another Mix before storing, your changes will be lost. L EVEL S ETTING FOR E ACH P ROGRAM The Level function (press [ 60 ]) of Mix Edit is used to control several parameters that deal with the audio output of the selected channel. Parameters in the Level [...]

Chapter 5: Editing Mixes 42 QS7/QS8 Reference Manual[...]

Editing Mixes: Chapter 5 QS7/QS8 Reference Manual 43 P ITCH The Pitch function (press [ 70 ]) lets you transpose a channel’s Program in either semitone or octave increments. Tune Octave (-2 to +2 octaves) Page 1 This transposes the Program’s pitch in octave (12 semitones) steps from -2 (transposed down 2 octaves) to +2 (transposed up two octave[...]

Chapter 5: Editing Mixes 44 QS7/QS8 Reference Manual C ONTROLLERS The Controllers function (press [ 100 ]) lets you turn on and off the various MIDI controllers that can effect the selected MIDI channel. The following four parameters determine whether or not specific types of MIDI information will be received or transmitted, and are set separately [...]

Editing Mixes: Chapter 5 QS7/QS8 Reference Manual 45 S ETTING THE R ANGE AND MIDI S WITCHES The Range function (press [ 110 ]) allows you to restrict each MIDI channel to a specific range of the keyboard. This is ideal for creating splits (e.g., bass in the lower octave and a half, piano in the middle three octaves, and strings in the upper octave)[...]

Chapter 5: Editing Mixes 46 QS7/QS8 Reference Manual P OLYPHONY IN M IX P LAY M ODE The QS has 64-note polyphony. In Mix Play Mode, if you have all 16 MIDI channels assigned to the same keyboard range, and each channel’s Program has only one active Program Sound, you’ll have 4-note polyphony as you play the keyboard (but a really thick layer...[...]

Editing Mixes: Chapter 5 QS7/QS8 Reference Manual 47 CH SOLO. In this mode, the only sounds coming from the QS, and the only MIDI Out messages, will come from the MIDI channel in the display which is selected by using the [ ▲ PAGE ] and [ PAGE ▲ ] buttons. This allows you to isolate individual channels in a Mix. So, if you play in a range of th[...]

Editing Programs: Chapter 6 C HAPTER 6 E DITING P ROGRAMS O VERVIEW Synthesizer programming is the art and science of shaping sounds in a particular way by altering the parameters of various modules. Like music itself, learning synth programming is an ongoing process. Although this manual presents information about synthesizer programming, no manua[...]

Chapter 6: Editing Programs H OW THE QS G ENERATES S OUND The QS uses custom integrated circuits, developed by the Alesis engineering team specifically for the QS. These resemble the types of chips used in computers and other digital devices. In fact, you can think of the QS as a special-purpose computer designed to generate and process audio. Alth[...]

Editing Programs: Chapter 6 • When you want to layer more than four voices. In Mix Play Mode, it is possible (though not advisable) to stack all 64 voices onto a single key. • When each sound is likely to be used by itself by other setups. For example, if you are programming three different keyboard splits, each of which uses the same left-hand[...]

Chapter 6: Editing Programs V OICE This digitally-based oscillator provides the actual raw sounds from the 16 megabyte library of on-board samples. The oscillator’s pitch can be tuned to a fixed frequency or modulated. Modulation is the process of varying a parameter dynamically over time; the oscillator pitch can be modulated by envelope, keyboa[...]

Editing Programs: Chapter 6 Each voice/filter combination is followed by an amplifier whose level can be controlled by a variety of modulation sources. This allows for creating sounds with percussive or slow attacks, particular types of decays, tremolo, etc. Filter and amp settings can interact. If the filter cutoff is extremely low, then no signal[...]

Chapter 6: Editing Programs LFO (L OW F REQUENCY O SCILLATOR ) The pitch, filter, and amp modules each have a dedicated LFO module for modulation. The term LFO stands for low frequency oscillator, and comes from how modulation was created in the early synth days (an oscillator set to a low frequency could modulate some aspect of the sound; routing [...]

Editing Programs: Chapter 6 D RUM M ODE Any one or all of the four sounds in a Program can be put into Drum Mode. The Drum Mode parameter is found in the Misc. Function (see last section of this chapter). Note that Drum Mode isn’t the only way to hear drums or percussion from a Program. In Standard mode, if you select a kit (such as “Rock Kit 1[...]

Chapter 6: Editing Programs P ROGRAM E DIT F UNCTIONS To edit a Program you must select Program Edit mode. This is done by pressing the [EDIT SELECT] once from Program Play Mode (each time you press [EDIT SELECT] in Program Mode, the display cycles between Program Edit and Effects Edit Modes). When editing a Program in Program Mode, the letters “[...]

Editing Programs: Chapter 6 Sound Group (17 options) Page 3 Choose from among 16 different sample groups (see chart below). Sound Page 4 Selects one of the available samples by name from the selected group, or OFF (no sample selected). Each group has a variety of samples from which you can choose, although some groups (such as waves) have more samp[...]

Chapter 6: Editing Programs Wave Pure Sine, 10% Pulse, 20% Pulse, 50% Pulse, Velo Pulse, Mini Saw, Saw Fltr 1, Saw Fltr 2, Saw Fltr 3, Saw Fltr 4, Saw Fltr 5, Saw Fltr 6, Saw Fltr 7, RezSaw UK, RezSaw USA, Acid Saw, Velo Saw 1, Velo Saw 2, Velo Saw 3, Velo Saw 4, Velo Saw 5, Velo Saw 6, AcidRezSqr, VelAcidWav, MiniSquare, Sqr Fltr 1, Sqr Fltr 2, Ve[...]

Editing Programs: Chapter 6 L EVEL The Level function (press [40]) allows you to control the volume, pan position, output assignment and effects send level for each sound layer. With up to four sounds per program, this allows for a wide variety of stereo effects and level balances between the sounds. Volume (00 to 99) Page 1 This sets the overall v[...]

Chapter 6: Editing Programs P ITCH The Pitch function (press [60]) lets you control the pitch aspects of each sound layer. Semitone (-24 to +24 semitones) Page 1 Sets the oscillator pitch in semitone steps, from -24 (transposed down two octaves) to +24 (transposed up two octaves). Detune (-99 to +99 cents) Page 2 Sets the oscillator pitch in cents,[...]

Editing Programs: Chapter 6 Portamento (Exponential, Linear, 1 Speed) Page 8 This provides the sweep’s “curve.” • With an exponential curve, the pitch change seems to happen more rapidly at first, then slows down as it approaches the ending pitch. • A linear curve produces a constant pitch change throughout the glide. • Normally, the gr[...]

Chapter 6: Editing Programs F ILTER The Filter function (press [70]) lets you control the tone of each sound layer. Filter Frequency (00 to 99) Page 1 This sets the filter's initial cutoff frequency. Lower values give a duller sound since this removes more harmonics; higher values let through more harmonics, which gives a brighter sound. TIP: [...]

Editing Programs: Chapter 6 Modulation Wheel Depth (-99 to +99) Page 4 Determines how moving the modulation wheel affects the filter cutoff frequency. Example: With positive settings, moving the modulation wheel up raises the filter cutoff frequency and moving it down lowers the filter cutoff frequency. With negative settings, moving the modulation[...]

Chapter 6: Editing Programs A MP /R ANGE The Amp/Range function (press [80]) lets you control the velocity and keyboard range of each sound layer. Velocity Curve (13 choices) Page 1 This selects how the sound will respond to the dynamics of your playing the keyboard. A LINEAR curve is the norm, whereby the increase in level is equal to the increase[...]

Editing Programs: Chapter 6 Amp LFO Depth (-99 to +99) Page 3 At +00, the Amp LFO has no effect. Higher positive values increase the amount of LFO modulation. Negative values give the same apparent effect, but with reversed LFO phase (i.e., if the amplitude would normally be increasing with depth set to a positive number, the amplitude would instea[...]

Chapter 6: Editing Programs Sound Overlap (00 to 99) Page 6 This determines how many voices can overlap on the same pitch. Example: If you hold the sustain pedal down and play the same note over and over, Sound Overlap determines how many voices are available for that note, and thus how many voices will overlap (play simultaneously). In the old day[...]

Editing Programs: Chapter 6 PITCH ENVELOPE The Pitch Envelope function (press [90]) can lead to dramatic effects, since it can cause the pitch of a single key to change drastically over time. It’s typically used in special-effect synthesizer programs, but it may also be used more subtly in an acoustic program to simulate the characteristic of som[...]

Chapter 6: Editing Programs Delay (00 to 99, Hold) Page 5 This is the amount of time that the envelope will wait before doing anything; very useful if you want to affect one element of a sound sometime after the sound starts. When the Delay is set to 0, the envelope attacks right away, without any delay. Play some notes while turning up the delay a[...]

Editing Programs: Chapter 6 Sustain Pedal (On or Off) Page 9 This determines whether or not the Sustain Pedal will have an effect on the envelope. When turned on, holding down the Sustain Pedal while playing short notes is virtually the equivalent to holding down those notes on the keyboard with some subtle but important differences. If the Delay a[...]

Chapter 6: Editing Programs F ILTER E NVELOPE The Filter Envelope function (press [100]) is crucial whenever you want the tonal quality of a note to change over time, differently from its overall level. Example: When you want the initial attack of a note to be bright, but want the sustaining part to be filtered. J The following Filter Envelope vari[...]

Editing Programs: Chapter 6 Delay (00 to 99) Page 5 This is the amount of time that the envelope will wait before doing anything; very useful if you want to affect one element of a sound sometime after the sound starts. When the Delay is set to 0, the envelope attacks right away, without any delay. Play some notes while turning up the delay and see[...]

Chapter 6: Editing Programs important differences. If the Delay and Attack are set to 0 and either the Decay is 0 or the Sustain is 99, the envelope will immediately jump to the release stage (if not already there) when the note is released and the sustain pedal is held down. If a long attack is set, and the envelope does not reach the end of the a[...]

Editing Programs: Chapter 6 level until you release the note on the keyboard, or decay to 0 at the Sustain Decay rate (which is on page 2 of the envelope). You can create a long "plateau" at the start of a note by setting the Sustain to 98 and the Decay to 99. This will cause the envelope to take the maximum amount of time to get from pea[...]

Chapter 6: Editing Programs Time Tracking (On or Off) Page 8 This determines whether or not keyboard position will affect the cycle speed of the envelope. When turned on, playing toward the higher end of the keyboard will result in a faster envelope cycle; playing toward the lower end of the keyboard will result in a slower envelope cycle. However,[...]

Editing Programs: Chapter 6 M OD 1 – M OD 6 About General Purpose Modulation Although there are several dedicated modulators in the QS (e.g., the pitch can always be modulated by the pitch LFO and Pitch Envelope), sophisticated synthesizer programming demands the ability to use as many modulation sources as possible to modulate as many modulation[...]

Chapter 6: Editing Programs all keys being pressed. This affects any keys that are held down. The harder you press on the keys, the greater the degree of modulation. • Polyphonic Pressure This is similar to aftertouch, but each key can respond to individual pressure messages. Although the QS keyboard does not generate poly pressure, the sound gen[...]

Editing Programs: Chapter 6 • Controllers (A, B, C, D) Four incoming MIDI controllers can be recognized by the QS and used as modulation sources. These controllers are assigned as A–D in Global Mode (see Chapter 8). In Program Play and Mix Play Modes, the CONTROLLER [A], [B], [C] and [D] sliders can be used to control Controllers A– D directl[...]

Chapter 6: Editing Programs P ITCH LFO The Pitch LFO function (press [7]) is most often used to apply vibrato to a sound. J The following Pitch LFO variables will make a difference in the sound only if the PITCH LFO DEPTH (on Page 6 of the PITCH function) is set to a value other than 0, or, if the Pitch LFO is a source in the MOD function. Wave (8 [...]

Editing Programs: Chapter 6 Trigger (Mono, Poly, Key Mono, or Key Poly) Page 4 The Trigger parameter determines how the LFO should be triggered, or started. There are four possible settings: Mono, Poly, Key Mono and Key Poly. When playing multiple voices in a single sound, each voice has its own LFO. However, the LFO Trigger parameter determines wh[...]

Chapter 6: Editing Programs Aftertouch Depth (-99 to 99) Page 7 This is the modulation amount of Aftertouch over the Pitch LFO’s Level. A positive value raises the level as more Aftertouch is applied. A negative value will lower the amount of Pitch LFO level as more Aftertouch is applied. F ILTER LFO The Filter LFO function (press [7]) is most of[...]

Editing Programs: Chapter 6 Mod Wheel Depth (-99 to 99) Page 6 This parameter sets how much the Mod Wheel will increase or decrease the Filter LFO’s Level. A positive value raises the level when the Mod Wheel is moved up, and lowers the level when moved down. Negative settings of this parameter will decrease the output level of the Filter LFO as [...]

Chapter 6: Editing Programs Level (00 to 99) Page 5 This is the base output level of the Amp LFO. If you want to have a constant value of tremolo, even without using the Mod Wheel or Aftertouch, set Level above 00. The Mod Wheel and Aftertouch will add or subtract from this base level. Example: If Level is set to 10 and the Mod Wheel parameter is s[...]

Editing Programs: Chapter 6 to “Pitch” and the Tracking Generator’s input is an LFO using an “Up Sawtooth” as its waveform. TIP: The Tracking Generator can be used to turn a variable control, such as the Mod Wheel or velocity, into a switch by setting all of the points to 0 except for point 10. Only near the maximum input will anything ot[...]

Chapter 6: Editing Programs P ROGRAMMING D RUM S OUNDS To program a sound in Drum Mode, you must first set the Sound Type to “Drum” for that particular sound in the Voice Function, page 2 (see previous section). The [0] – [9] buttons are used to select a Drum (1–10), regardless of which Function or Page is selected (except Effect, Name and [...]

Editing Programs: Chapter 6 Wave High Sine, Mid Sine, Low Sine, HiWhitNoiz, MidWhtNoiz, LowWhtNoiz, HiSpectral, LoSpectral, HiCrickets, LoCrickets, Inharm 1, Inharm 2, High Saw, Low Saw, High Pulse, Low Pulse, Hi AcidRez, LowAcidRez, Metal Wave, HiMetlMute, LoMetlMute, Hi DistGtr, LowDistGtr, Hi PwrHarm, LowPwrHarm, Hi FunkGtr, LowFunkGtr, Hi MuteG[...]

Chapter 6: Editing Programs result in a duller sound (less high frequencies). When this parameter is set to 0, velocity will have no affect on the filter. A MP /R ANGE Velocity Curve (13 choices) Page 1 Page 1 of the Amp/Range function (press [80]) lets you select one of 13 velocity curves. This determines how the drum will respond to the dynamics [...]

Editing Programs: Chapter 6 Mute Group (Off, 1, 2, or 3) Page 2 This is an important feature when using multiple sounds of the same instrument. Mute Groups allow multiple drums to share a single voice. For example, if you have assigned a Closed Hat and an Open Hat to two different notes, playing either note should cut-off the other (if it had recen[...]

Chapter 6: Editing Programs √ Press [s VALUE] four times to select “EFFECT”, which is the Effects Patch in the currently selected Program to copy from. ƒ Press [PAGE ] to advance the cursor to the lower line of the display. ≈ Use the [s VALUE] and [VALUE t] buttons to select which Program (0–127) to copy to. When selecting another Progra[...]

Editing Effects: Chapter 7 C HAPTER 7 E DITING E FFECTS A BOUT S IGNAL P ROCESSING The built-in effects processor of the QS is similar to that of the Alesis QuadraVerb 2, capable of generating multiple, fully digital effects simultaneously. The QS effects processor has four inputs, called effect sends. You might think of these as the typical post-f[...]

Chapter 7: Editing Effects S ELECTING AN E FFECTS P ATCH IN M IX M ODE Each Program has its own Effects Patch that is recalled when you select a Program in Program Mode. However, since a Mix can have up to 16 Programs (one on each Channel), you need to select which Channel’s Program you wish to use the Effects Patch from. To select an Effects Pat[...]

Editing Effects: Chapter 7 The Effects Patches themselves are not edited in Program Edit Mode or Mix Edit Mode, but (could you guess it?) Effects Edit Mode. You can enter Effects Edit Mode from Program Mode by pressing the [EDIT SELECT] button twice, or until the display looks something like this: ED:PRG EFFECTS π å CONFIG: 1 REVERB In Program Mo[...]

Chapter 7: Editing Effects S TORING E FFECT P ATCHES I N P ROGRAM M ODE Effects are an extension of a Program. So, when you store a Program, you store its Effects Patch along with it. Once a Program’s Effect Patch has been altered, the display will show a “*” next to the Program’s name (if in Program Mode; when editing the Effect Patch in M[...]

Editing Effects: Chapter 7 C ONFIGURATIONS A Configuration is essentially the starting point of any Effects Patch. You must select the Configuration you are going to use before making any other edits, since all routings and parameters change to their default settings each time you change the configuration. Each Configuration is a unique arrangement[...]

Chapter 7: Editing Effects C ONFIGURATION #1: 1 R EVERB Pitch 1 Delay 1 Reverb 1 Mono chorus Mono delay Plate 1 Stereo chorus Stereo delay Plate 2 Mono flange Ping-pong delay Room Stereo flange Hall Pitch detune Large Resonator Gate Reverse Pitch 2 Delay 2 Reverb 2 Mono chorus Mono delay Balance and level to Reverb 1 Stereo chorus Stereo delay Mono[...]

Editing Effects: Chapter 7 Think of the diagram as a “road map” showing all possible paths from the starting points (FX SEND 1 through 4) to the ultimate destinations (LEFT and RIGHT outputs at the top of the page). The dotted lines indicate the divisions between different functional blocks, and the solid lines indicate signal paths between the[...]

Chapter 7: Editing Effects C ONFIGURATION #2: 2 R EVERBS Delay 1 Pitch 1 Reverb 1 Mono delay Mono chorus Plate 1 Stereo chorus Plate 2 Room Hall Large Gate Reverse Reverb 2 Level to Reverb 1 Pitch 3 Reverb 3 Mono chorus Plate 1 Plate 2 Room Hall Large Gate Reverse Reverb 4 Reverb 4 Level to Reverb 3 This Configuration differs from Configuration #1 [...]

Editing Effects: Chapter 7 C ONFIGURATION #3: L EZLIE AND R EVERB Pitch 1 Delay 1 Reverb 1 Lezlie Mono delay Plate 1 Plate 2 Hall Room Hall Large Gate Reverse Pitch 2 Delay 2 Reverb 2 Mono chorus Mono delay Balance and level to Reverb 1 Stereo chorus Stereo delay Mono flange Ping-pong delay Stereo flange Pitch detune Resonator Pitch 3 Delay 3 Rever[...]

Chapter 7: Editing Effects C ONFIGURATION #4: R EVERB AND EQ Pitch 1 Delay 1 Reverb 1 Mono chorus Mono delay Plate 1 Stereo chorus Stereo delay Plate 2 Mono flange Ping-Pong delay Room Stereo flange Hall Pitch detune Large Resonator Gate Reverse Pitch 2 Delay 2 Reverb 2 Mono chorus Mono delay Balance and level Stereo chorus Stereo delay to Reverb 1[...]

Editing Effects: Chapter 7 C ONFIGURATION #5: O VERDRIVE AND L EZLIE Pitch 1 Delay 1 Reverb 1 Mono chorus Mono delay Plate 1 Mono flange Stereo delay Plate 2 Resonator Ping-Pong delay Room Hall Large Gate Reverse This is an “all-for-one” Configuration. You get six effects all at once, and they are all found in the Send 1 section. Send 1 feeds t[...]

Chapter 7: Editing Effects EQ The shelving EQ is only available in Configuration #s 4 and 5. It provides bass and treble boost, and effects the entire Main Output (not just the Effects Sends). Four EQ parameters are included: Low Frequency (range: 30Hz to 180Hz), Low Frequency Gain (0dB to +12dB), High Frequency (3kHz to 10kHz), High Frequency Boos[...]

Editing Effects: Chapter 7 Mod Source Page 1 (Mod 1) & Page 4 (Mod 2) The Mod Source parameter selects the MIDI controller which will remotely cause a change (modulate) in one or two of the parameters in the effects processor. Nearly every MIDI controller can become a Mod Source (using controllers A-D, set in Global mode, page 3), with the most[...]

Chapter 7: Editing Effects L EZLIE The Lezlie function is only available in Configuration #s 3 and 5. The Lezlie parameters found in Configuration 3 include: Motor (on/off), Speed (fast/slow), and Horn Level (-6 to +6 db). In addition to these, the Lezlie found in Configuration #6 also provides 3 additional parameters: Input 1, Input 2 and Input 1 [...]

Editing Effects: Chapter 7 P ITCH The Pitch function is used to edit Pitch parameters. Pitch Type Page 1 The Pitch Type function allows access to 6 pitch altering modes. The Pitch types available are: Mono Chorus, Stereo Chorus, Mono Flange, Stereo Flange, Pitch Detune and Resonator. Although some of these effects can sound similar to one another d[...]

Chapter 7: Editing Effects Stereo Chorus. In the case of a Stereo Chorus, the signal is split into three parts with a dry signal and a separate Detuning section for both left and right channels. When the left channel is detuned sharp, the right is detuned flat, and vice versa. Once again, this causes the effect to become more pronounced and dramati[...]

Editing Effects: Chapter 7 Stereo Flange. In the case of the Stereo Flange, the signal is split into three parts with a dry signal and a separate Delay section for both left and right channels with one channel flanging up while the other channel flanges down. Once again, this causes the effect to become more pronounced and dramatic. Pitch Detune. A[...]

Chapter 7: Editing Effects If the Pitch type is Mono Chorus, Stereo Chorus, Mono Flange or Stereo Flange, page 2 through 5 of the Pitch function contain the following four parameters: Waveform Shape (Sine or Square) Page 2 This determines the LFO’s waveform shape. This parameter only appears when the Mono or Stereo Chorus or Flange are selected. [...]

Editing Effects: Chapter 7 D ELAY The Delay function is used to edit Delay parameters. The QS’s effects processor has three different Delay types available. Note: Some Configurations only feature a mono Delay, and therefore the Delay Type parameter will be unavailable. Instead the parameters normally found on page 2 of the Delay function are show[...]

Chapter 7: Editing Effects R EVERB Reverb can be thought of as a great number of distinct echoes, called reflections, that occur so fast that our ear hears them blurred together as one. In nature, different sized spaces give distinctly different sounding reverbs, depending on the size and shape of the space, and the texture of surfaces that the ref[...]

Editing Effects: Chapter 7 Chorus Input Level (00 to 99) Page 1 (Config 2 Only) If Configuration #2 is selected (refer to block diagram of Configuration #2, earlier in this chapter), the first page of the Reverb function will look like this: ED:MIX FX SND1 π å RVB CHRin LEV:08 The Configuration has two Reverbs, one on send 1 (which send 2 can sha[...]

Chapter 7: Editing Effects R EVERB P ARAMETERS Use the [PAGE ] button to advance the display through the remaining pages of the Reverb function. However, you must have the correct effect send selected (1–4) in order to get at the Reverb parameters (in Config. #1, the Reverb parameters are found only on effect send 1; in Config. #2, they are found[...]

Editing Effects: Chapter 7 Pre-Delay Mix (<99 to <0> to 99>) Page 8 This allows you to mix the amount of Pre-Delay into the Reverb signal path. This gives you the ability to hear a bit of the Reverb before the loudest part of the Reverb (the Pre-Delayed Reverb) sounds. This makes for bigger and smoother sounding Reverb settings. Input F[...]

Chapter 7: Editing Effects O VERDRIVE The Overdrive effect provides four parameters spread across four editing pages. It is only used in Configuration #5. Overdrive Type (Hard or Soft) Page 1 This selects one of two Overdrive Types: Soft and Hard. The Soft Overdrive has less gain and provides slightly less distortion than the Hard Overdrive. Also, [...]

Editing Effects: Chapter 7 M IX Not to be confused with an actual Mix or Mix mode, the Effect’s Mix function is where you can mix the various signal levels of all the effects to the Main Left and Right outputs of the QS. Only effect modules that have access to the Main outputs will appear on the Mix page. There is a separate Mix page for each of [...]

Global Settings: Chapter 8 QS7/QS8 Reference Manual 112 112 C HAPTER 8 G LOBAL S ETTINGS Global Edit Mode is where you will find several parameters which affect the entire instrument, such as overall master tuning, controller settings, and keyboard mode. E DITING G LOBAL P ARAMETERS To select Global Edit Mode, follow these steps: ➀ Press the [ ED[...]

Global Settings: Chapter 8 QS7/QS8 Reference Manual 113 113 K EYBOARD S CALING Page 4 Page 4 of Global Edit mode lets you adjust how sensitive the keyboardÕs velocity will be (00 to 99). When set to 0, the keyboard will have the greatest dynamic range, but loud notes will be more difficult to play. When set for 99, the opposite is true: loud notes[...]

Global Settings: Chapter 8 QS7/QS8 Reference Manual 114 114 G ENERAL MIDI M ODE Page 7 Page 7 of Global Edit Mode lets you enable and disable General MIDI Mode. If this parameter is turned on, you will immediately be taken out of Global Edit Mode and into Mix Mode, and Mix 00 of Preset Bank 4 will automatically be selected. For more information abo[...]

Global Settings: Chapter 8 QS7/QS8 Reference Manual 115 115 Likewise, if either Pedal is assigned to Controller 1, then they will automatically function like the Modulation Wheel for any Sound in Program Play Mode, and in Mix Play Mode, Sounds that are controlled by the Keyboard and have Pedals turned on. This is in addition to the fact that the pe[...]

Global Settings: Chapter 8 QS7/QS8 Reference Manual 116 116 Note: Bank change messages will be ignored if General MIDI Mode is enabled, so that only Programs within the General MIDI Bank (GenMIDI) can be recalled via MIDI Program changes. If the MIDI Program Select parameter is ÒOnÓ and a new Bank is selected using the [ ▲ BANK ] and [ BANK ▲[...]

Global Settings: Chapter 8 QS7/QS8 Reference Manual 117 117 MIDI O UT Page 16 The MIDI Out Mode determines whether the MIDI [ OUTPUT ] connector will transmit MIDI information originating from the QS (when set to Ò OUT Ó), or will ÒechoÓ MIDI information that is received at the MIDI [ INPUT ] connector (when set to Ò THRU Ó). If the I/O param[...]

Global Settings: Chapter 8 QS7/QS8 Reference Manual 118 118 C LOCK P AGE 19 The Clock function, found on Page 18 of Global Edit Mode, determines the sample clock rate the QS will use. Normally the QS uses its own internal clock to determine the actual number of samples per second. Remember, the sounds in the QS are based on digital recordings. Thes[...]

Global Settings: Chapter 8 QS7/QS8 Reference Manual 119 119[...]

MIDI Transfer and Storage Operations: Chapter 9 C HAPTER 9 MIDI T RANSFER A ND S TORAGE O PERATIONS U SING PCMCIA E XPANSION C ARDS The QS provides two PCMCIA EXPANSION CARD slots, [A] or [B], which are found on the rear panel. These accomodate Alesis QCard RAM cards. The QCard is a type of PCMCIA SRAM or FlashRAM card; it has 256K of memory and wi[...]

Chapter 9: MIDI Transfer and Storage Operations L OADING A B ANK FROM AN E XTERNAL C ARD The QS can read data directly from a card by using the [ BANK] and [BANK ] buttons. To overwrite the User bank with a Card bank, use this procedure: ¿ Insert the card into the card slot on the back panel. ¡ Press [STORE]. ¬ Press [ PAGE] once to select Page [...]

MIDI Transfer and Storage Operations: Chapter 9 L OADING AN I NDIVIDUAL P ROGRAM OR M IX You can load a single Mix or Program from a Sound Card into the User Bank, instead of having to load the entire Bank from the Sound Card. To do this, select the Mix or Program in the Sound Card Bank that you wish to copy, then use the Store Function (as describ[...]

Chapter 9: MIDI Transfer and Storage Operations S AVING P ROGRAMS VIA MIDI S YS E X As an alternative to storing data to a card, the QS lets you transmit internal data via MIDI System Exclusive messages. This data can be sent to a storage device, or recorded into a MIDI sequencer, or sent to another QS or S4. You have a choice of sending any single[...]

MIDI Transfer and Storage Operations: Chapter 9 To send a single Program via MIDI to a different Program number: ¿ Follow steps ¿ through ¬ in the instructions above. ¡ Press [PAGE ] to advance the cursor to the lower section of the display. ¬ Use the CONTROLLER [D] slider to select a Program number to send the Program to. √ Press [STORE] to[...]

Troubleshooting: Appendix A A PPENDIX A T ROUBLE -S HOOTING T ROUBLE -S HOOTING I NDEX If you are experience problems while operating the QS, please use the following table to locate possible causes and solutions before contacting Alesis customer service for assistance. Symptom Cause Solution The display does not light when the ON/OFF switch is tur[...]

Appendix A: Troubleshooting M AINTENANCE /S ERVICE C LEANING Disconnect the AC cord, then use a damp cloth to clean the keyboard’s metal and plastic surfaces. For heavy dirt, use a non-abrasive household cleaner such as Formula 409 or Fantastik. DO NOT SPRAY THE CLEANER DIRECTLY ONTO THE FRONT OF THE UNIT AS IT MAY DESTROY THE LUBRICANTS USED IN [...]

Troubleshooting: Appendix A Service address for customers in the USA: Alesis Product Support 3630 Holdrege Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90016 Customers outside the USA: Contact your local Alesis dealer for warranty assistance. The Alesis Limited Warranty applies only to products sold to users in the USA and Canada. Customers outside of the USA and Canada[...]

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MIDI Supplement: Appendix B A PPENDIX B MIDI S UPPLEMENT MIDI B ASICS Most current electronic instruments and signal processors, including the QS, contain an internal computer. Computers and music have been working together for decades, which is not surprising considering music’s mathematical basis (consider frequencies, harmonics, vibrato rates,[...]

Appendix B: MIDI Supplement MIDI M ESSAGE B ASICS The are two main types of MIDI messages. Channel messages, which are channel- specific, consist of Voice and Mode messages. System messages, which do not have a channel number and are received by all units in a system, include Common, Real Time, and Exclusive messages. C HANNEL M ESSAGES : M ODE M E[...]

MIDI Supplement: Appendix B Each type of controller is stamped with its own controller identification number. Not all controller numbers have been standardized for specific functions, but the following indicates the current list of assigned controllers. Numbers in parenthesis indicate the controller range. # Function 1 Modulation Wheel (0-127) 2 Br[...]

Appendix B: MIDI Supplement S YSTEM C OMMON M ESSAGES Intended for all units in a system, some of these MIDI messages are: Song Position Pointer. This indicates how many “MIDI beats” (normally a 16th note) have elapsed since a piece started (up to 16,384 total beats). It is primarily used to allow different sequencers and drum machines to auto-[...]

MIDI Supplement: Appendix B There are three MIDI registered parameters which the QS will recognize in Mix Play Mode when General MIDI Mode is enabled. These are: • MIDI Registered Parameter 0 (Pitch Bend Sensitivity): This will directly effect the Pitch Wheel Range parameter of all four Sounds of the Program on the received MIDI Channel of the Mi[...]

MIDI Implementation Chart MIDI IMPLEMENTATION CHART Function Transmitted Recognized Remarks Basic Channel Default Changed 1 — 16 1 — 16 each 1 — 16 1 — 16 each Memorized Mode Default Messages Altered Mode 3 X * * * * * * * * Mode 3 X Note Number True Voice 0 — 127 * * * * * * * * 0 — 127 0 — 127 Velocity Note On Note Off O O O O After[...]

Parameters Index: Appendix C APPENDIX C: P ARAMETERS I NDEX P ROGRAM E DIT P ARAMETERS Parameter Function Display Page Page in Manual Aftertouch Depth: Amp Amp/Range 2 58 Aftertouch Depth: ALFO Amp LFO 7 76 Aftertouch Depth: Filter Filter 5 57 Aftertouch Depth: FLFO Filter LFO 7 75 Aftertouch Depth: Pitch Pitch 5 54 Aftertouch Depth: PLFO Pitch LFO[...]

Appendix C: Parameters Index Parameter Function Page Page in Manual Modulation: Gate Mode Mod 1 – 3 4 71 Modulation Level Mod 1 – 6 3 71 Modulation: Quantize Mode Mod 4 – 6 4 71 Modulation Source Mod 1 – 6 1 69 Name (Program) Name 1 – 10 68 Output Level 3 53 Pan Level 2 53 Pitch ENV Depth Pitch 7 54 Pitch ENV Level Pitch ENV 10 63 Pitch E[...]

Parameters Index: Appendix C Parameter Function Page Page in Manual Velocity Curve/Crossfade Amp/Range 1 58 Sound Group Voice 3 51 Sound Name Voice 4 51 Sound Volume Level 1 53 M IX E DIT P ARAMETERS Parameter Function Display Page Page in Manual Aftertouch Controllers 2 39 Controllers A–D Controllers 4 39 Effect Channel Effect 2 38 Effect MIDI E[...]

Index INDEX Aftertouch 15 Amp 62 Filter 60 Pitch 58 Compare 29, 34 Computer 23, 117 Controllers 115 Copy Sound 85 Effects 85 Demo 11 Direct Select 33 Digital Output 25 Display 30 Drum Mode 53 Edit buffer 34, 40 Effects Edit 29, 89 Clip 88 Configuration 91, 92-97 EQ 98 Mix 111 Mod 98 Modulation 98 Reverb 106 Footswitch 24 48kHz Input 26 Global Edit [...]

Index 142 QS7/QS8 Reference Manual[...]