ALESIS
QS7 and QS8
Reference Manual
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 most out of your QS, read the entire manual once, then use the table
of contents and index to reference specific functions while using the instrument.
Chapter 1: Setting Up. Deals with the necessary preparation before playing,
including connections to external devices.
Chapter 2: Your First Session with the QS. This section provides a brief tour of the
QS, shows you how to audition the various sounds of the QS, and points out the
various performance features.
Chapter 3: Connections. Details rear panel connections (like MIDI, footpedals and
the serial interface), proper hook-up procedures, plus application examples.
Chapter 4: Overview. Covers the structure of sound sources within the QS, how to
read and navigate through the LCD display pages, how to edit parameters, and how
to store edited Programs and Mixes.
Chapter 5: Editing Mixes. Explains how to create and edit Mixes.
Chapter 6: Editing Programs. How to create and edit Programs.
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Chapter 7: Editing Effects. How to create and edit Effects Patches.
Chapter 8: Global Settings. Describes all global functions, such as Master Tuning,
Keyboard Mode, Keyboard Scaling, and Program Change Mode.
Chapter 9: MIDI Transfer and Storage Operations. Discusses MIDI functions and
how to store sounds either to a MIDI device or to a RAM card.
Appendices. MIDI basics, trouble-shooting, maintenance and service information,
MIDI Implementation Chart and an Index.
Conventions
The buttons, knobs, and rear panel connectors and switches are referred to in this
manual just as their names appear on the QS, using all capital letters and in brackets
(Example: [PROGRAM] button, [ PAGE] and [PAGE ] buttons, CONTROLLER
[D] slider, etc.).
When something important appears in the manual, an icon (like the one on the left)
will appear in the left margin. This symbol indicates that this information is vital when
operating the QS.
Mac™ and Macintosh™ are registered trademarks of Apple Corporation.
QS7/QS8 Reference Manual 1
2 QS7/QS8 Reference Manual
Table of Contents
CONTENTS
1: SETTING UP.................................................................................................... 7
Unpacking and Inspection..............................................................................................7
AC Power.......................................................................................................................7
Line Conditioners and Protectors......................................................................8
About Audio Cables .......................................................................................................9
Basic Audio Hookup.......................................................................................................9
2: YOUR FIRST SESSION..................................................................................... 11
Powering Up...................................................................................................................11
Playing the Demo Sequences...........................................................................11
What’s a Program? ........................................................................................................11
What’s a Mix? ................................................................................................................12
What's a Bank? ..............................................................................................................12
About Sound Groups.........................................................................................12
Playing the QS Keyboard...............................................................................................13
Program Mode and Mix Mode...........................................................................13
Selecting the MIDI Channel in Program Mode..................................................14
Auditioning Internal Programs...........................................................................14
Selecting Program Banks..................................................................................14
Realtime Performance Functions......................................................................15
The Controller A–D Sliders ...............................................................................15
Auditioning Mix Play Mode................................................................................16
Selecting Mix Banks..........................................................................................16
Choosing Programs in a Mix.............................................................................17
Storing an Edited Mix........................................................................................18
Enabling General MIDI Mode.........................................................................................18
Using the PCMCIA Expansion Card Slots .....................................................................19
A Word About the QS CD-ROM.....................................................................................20
Sound Bridge™.................................................................................................20
3: CONNECTIONS ................................................................................................21
Basic MIDI Hookup ........................................................................................................21
Using an External Sequencer ........................................................................................22
About the Keyboard Mode ................................................................................22
Using a Computer ..........................................................................................................23
IBM® PCs and compatibles...............................................................................23
Macintosh™.......................................................................................................24
Master Controller for Live Use .......................................................................................24
Pedal and Footswitch Hookup .......................................................................................24
Digital Audio/Optical Hookup .........................................................................................25
Recording Digital Audio.....................................................................................25
48 KHz In .......................................................................................................................26
4: OVERVIEW ......................................................................................................27
Basic Architecture ..........................................................................................................27
QS Polyphony................................................................................................................27
Modes ............................................................................................................................28
Program Play Mode...........................................................................................28
Mix Play Mode ..................................................................................................28
Program Edit Mode ...........................................................................................28
Mix Edit Mode....................................................................................................29
Effects Edit Mode..............................................................................................29
Global Edit Mode ..............................................................................................29
Store Mode .......................................................................................................29
Compare Mode .................................................................................................29
QS7/QS8 Reference Manual 3
Table of Contents
The User Interface: Display, Functions, Pages, and Parameters ..................................30
About the Display..............................................................................................30
Page Buttons.....................................................................................................32
Editing Values...................................................................................................32
Resetting a Parameter Value............................................................................32
Parameter Editing Overview..............................................................................32
Selecting Functions and Parameters ................................................................33
Comparing Edited and Stored Versions.........................................................................34
Preset Memory and User Memory.................................................................................34
Storing............................................................................................................................35
Store a Program or Mix.....................................................................................35
Copying Sounds Between Programs ................................................................36
Copying Effects Between Programs .................................................................36
To Audition Programs Before Storing................................................................37
5: EDITING MIXES ............................................................................................... 39
What is a Mix? ...............................................................................................................39
Program Assign for each MIDI Channel.........................................................................39
Mix Edit Mode ................................................................................................................39
Understanding the Edit Buffers......................................................................................40
Level Setting for Each Program.....................................................................................41
Pitch ...............................................................................................................................42
Effect..............................................................................................................................42
Keyboard/MIDI ...............................................................................................................42
Controllers......................................................................................................................43
Transmitting MIDI Volume and Panning............................................................43
Setting the Range and MIDI Switches ...........................................................................44
Naming a Mix.................................................................................................................44
Polyphony in Mix Play Mode..........................................................................................45
Using the QS as a Master Keyboard..............................................................................45
Setting the MIDI Out Channels for a Mix in Global Mode ..............................................45
Using Keyboard Mode with the Serial Jack.......................................................46
6: EDITING PROGRAMS ....................................................................................... 47
Overview ........................................................................................................................47
The “Normalized” Synth Voice .......................................................................................47
How the QS Generates Sound.......................................................................................48
Program Sound Layers ..................................................................................................48
QS Signal Flow ..............................................................................................................49
The Four Sounds of a Program.........................................................................49
Voice.................................................................................................................50
Lowpass Filter...................................................................................................50
Amp...................................................................................................................51
About Modulation ...........................................................................................................51
LFO (Low Frequency Oscillator) .......................................................................52
Envelopes .........................................................................................................52
About Signal Processing................................................................................................52
Drum Mode ....................................................................................................................53
Program Edit Functions..................................................................................................54
Voice.................................................................................................................54
Level..................................................................................................................57
Pitch ..................................................................................................................58
Filter ..................................................................................................................60
Amp/Range .......................................................................................................62
Pitch Envelope ..................................................................................................65
Filter Envelope ..................................................................................................68
Amp Envelope...................................................................................................70
Name ................................................................................................................72
Mod 1 - Mod 6...................................................................................................73
4 QS7/QS8 Reference Manual
Table of Contents
Pitch LFO ..........................................................................................................76
Filter LFO ..........................................................................................................78
Amp LFO...........................................................................................................79
Tracking Generator ...........................................................................................80
Programming Drum Sounds...........................................................................................82
Voice.................................................................................................................82
Level..................................................................................................................83
Pitch ..................................................................................................................83
Filter ..................................................................................................................83
Amp/Range .......................................................................................................84
Amp Envelope...................................................................................................84
Copying Sounds.............................................................................................................85
Copying Effects..............................................................................................................85
Initializing Programs.......................................................................................................86
7: EDITING EFFECTS........................................................................................... 87
About Signal Processing................................................................................................87
Selecting an Effects Patch in Mix Mode.........................................................................88
Setting Effects Send Levels ...........................................................................................88
Clip.................................................................................................................................88
Editing Effects................................................................................................................89
Navigating .........................................................................................................89
Storing Effect Patches In Program Mode.......................................................................90
Storing Effect Patches in Mix Mode ...............................................................................90
Copying Effect Patches..................................................................................................90
Configurations................................................................................................................91
EQ..................................................................................................................................98
Mod ................................................................................................................................98
Delay..............................................................................................................................105
Reverb............................................................................................................................106
Input Levels.......................................................................................................106
Overdrive........................................................................................................................110
Mix .................................................................................................................................111
8: GLOBAL SETTINGS..........................................................................................113
Editing Global Parameters .............................................................................................113
Master Pitch ...................................................................................................................113
Master Tune...................................................................................................................113
Keyboard Curve .............................................................................................................113
Keyboard Scaling...........................................................................................................114
Keyboard Transpose......................................................................................................114
Keyboard Mode..............................................................................................................114
General MIDI..................................................................................................................115
Enabling General MIDI Mode via MIDI..............................................................115
Controllers A – D Assignment........................................................................................115
Pedals 1 and 2 Assignment ...........................................................................................115
Using a Pedal to Control Volume or Modulation ...............................................115
MIDI Program Select......................................................................................................116
Receiving/Transmitting Bank Change Messages..............................................116
Input/Output ...................................................................................................................117
MIDI Out.........................................................................................................................118
Reset Controllers ...........................................................................................................118
Controller Mode..............................................................................................................118
Clock..............................................................................................................................119
9: MIDI TRANSFER AND STORAGE OPERATIONS................................................. 121
Using PCMCIA Expansion Cards...................................................................................121
Saving the User Bank to a PCMCIA Card......................................................................121
Loading a Bank from an External Card..........................................................................122
QS7/QS8 Reference Manual 5
Table of Contents
Storing an Individual Program or Mix.............................................................................122
Loading an Individual Program or Mix ...........................................................................123
Card Storage RAMifications..............................................................................123
Saving Programs via MIDI Sys Ex.................................................................................124
APPENDIX A: TROUBLE-SHOOTING...................................................................... 127
Trouble-Shooting Index..................................................................................................127
Re-initializing..................................................................................................................127
Checking Software Version............................................................................................127
Maintenance/Service......................................................................................................128
Cleaning............................................................................................................128
Maintenance......................................................................................................128
Refer All Servicing to Alesis ..............................................................................128
Obtaining Repair Service ..................................................................................128
APPENDIX B: MIDI SUPPLEMENT ........................................................................ 131
MIDI Basics....................................................................................................................131
MIDI Hardware...............................................................................................................131
MIDI Message Basics ....................................................................................................132
Channel Messages: Mode Messages...............................................................132
Channel Messages: Voice Messages...............................................................132
System Common Messages.............................................................................134
General MIDI..................................................................................................................134
APPENDIX C: MIDI IMPLEMENTATION CHART................................................ 136
APPENDIX D: PARAMETERS INDEX ...................................................................... 137
Program Edit Parameters ..............................................................................................137
Mix Edit Parameters.......................................................................................................139
INDEX ............................................................................................................... 140
6 QS7/QS8 Reference Manual
CHAPTER 1
SETTING UP
UNPACKING AND INSPECTION
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 following items:
• QS with the same serial number as shown on shipping carton
• Sustain pedal
• AC Power Cable
• Computer CD-ROM containing software
• This instruction manual, plus lists of Mixes and Programs, and Quick Start guide
• Alesis warranty card
It is important to register your purchase; if you have not already filled out your
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warranty card and mailed it back to Alesis, please take the time to do so now.
Setting Up: Chapter 1
AC POWER HOOKUP
The QS works with the voltage of the country it is shipped to (either 110 or 220V, 50
or 60 Hz), and comes with a line cord or power supply suitable for the destination to
which the keyboard is shipped. With the QS off, plug the female (jack) end of the
power cable into the QS’s power socket and the male (plug) end into a source of AC
power. It’s good practice to not turn the QS on until all other cables are hooked up.
The IEC-spec AC cord included with the QS (do not substitute any other AC cord) is
designed to connect to an outlet that includes three pins, with the third, round pin
connected to ground. The ground connection is an important safety feature designed
to keep the chassis of electronic devices such as the QS at ground potential.
Unfortunately, the presence of a third pin does not always indicate that it is properly
grounded. Use an AC line tester to determine this. If the outlet is not grounded,
consult with a licensed electrician.
Do not operate any electrical equipment with ungrounded outlets. Plugging the QS
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into an ungrounded outlet, or “lifting” the unit off ground with a three-to-two wire
adapter, can create a hazardous condition.
Alesis cannot be responsible for problems caused by using the QS or any associated
equipment with improper AC wiring.
QS7/QS8 Reference Manual 7
Chapter 1: Setting Up
LINE CONDITIONERS AND PROTECTORS
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 ascending order of cost and complexity:
• Line spike/surge protectors. Relatively inexpensive, these are designed to protect
against strong surges and spikes, acting somewhat like fuses in that they need to
be replaced if they’ve been hit by an extremely strong spike.
• Line filters. These generally combine spike/surge protection with filters that
remove some line noise (dimmer hash, transients from other appliances, etc.).
• Uninterruptible power supply (UPS). This is the most sophisticated option. A UPS
provides power even if the AC power line fails completely. Intended for computer
applications, a UPS allows you to complete an orderly shutdown of a computer
system in the event of a power outage, and the isolation it provides from the
power line minimizes all forms of interference—spikes, noise, etc.
ABOUT AUDIO CABLES
8 QS7/QS8 Reference Manual
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 by
observing the following precautions:
• Do not bundle audio cables with AC power cords.
• Avoid running audio cables near sources of electromagnetic interference such as
transformers (such as the QS’s Power Supply), monitors, computers, etc.
• Do not place cables where they can be stepped on. Stepping on a cable may not
cause immediate damage, but it can compress the insulation between the center
conductor and shield (degrading performance) or reduce the cable’s reliability.
• Avoid twisting the cable or having it make sharp, right angle turns.
• Never unplug a cable by pulling on the wire itself. Always unplug by firmly
grasping the body of the plug and pulling directly outward.
BASIC AUDIO HOOKUP
Setting Up: Chapter 1
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When connecting audio cables and/or turning power on and off, make sure that all
devices in your system are turned off and the volume controls are turned down.
Because the QS includes extensive signal processing as well as a full complement of
sounds, you can make great sounds with nothing more than an amplifier or a set of
headphones.
The QS has two Main outputs, two Aux outputs, plus a stereo headphones output.
These can provide an amplification system or mixer with several hookup options:
• Mono. Connect a mono cord from the [RIGHT] MAIN OUTPUT jack to a mono
amplification system or individual mixer input.
• Stereo. Connect two mono cords from the [LEFT] and [RIGHT] MAIN OUTPUT
jacks to a stereo amplification system or two mixer inputs.
• Dual Stereo/Four Individual Outs. Connect two mono cords from the [LEFT]
and [RIGHT] MAIN OUTPUT jacks and two mono cords from the [LEFT] and
[RIGHT] AUX OUTPUT jacks to a dual stereo amplification system, or four mixer
inputs.
• Stereo Headphones. Plug a set of high-quality stereo headphones into the
headphones [ ] jack on the rear panel.
QS7/QS8 Reference Manual 9
YOUR FIRST SESSION
POWERING UP
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 volume of the QS turned down?
¡ Turn on the [ON/OFF] switch on the QS rear panel.
Upon power-up, the QS will display the last selected Program or Mix. If this
Program/Mix has been edited, the display will indicate this by showing an “*” to
the left of the name of the Program or Mix.
¬ Press [PROGRAM] to select Program Play Mode.
The display should look something like this:
Your First Session: Chapter 2
CHAPTER 2
VOLUME
PROG PRESET1 ºº
TrueStereo Ch01
√ Raise the QS’s master [VOLUME] slider to maximum.
The best signal-to-noise ratio is achieved when [VOLUME] is set to maximum.
ƒ Turn on the power of the amplifier/mixer, and adjust the volume.
PLAYING THE DEMO SEQUENCES
The QS has built-in demo sequences which demonstrate the wide variety of sounds
this amazing instrument is capable of generating. In order to get the full effect of the
demo, we recommend that you connect both the [LEFT] and [RIGHT] outputs to your
sound system, or listen on headphones.
To play the demo sequence:
¿ Hold the [MIX] button, and press [GLOBAL].
The display will read:
PLAYING DEMO....
<MIX>=STOP
¡ Press [MIX] to stop the demo.
There will be no MIDI out messages during the demo, and the keyboard will be
disabled.
WHAT’S A PROGRAM?
A Program is a stored configuration of parameters which emulates the sound of an
instrument or sound effect, such as a piano or synthesizer or drum set. A QS
Program is made up of hundreds of parameters which, when set to specific values,
create a specific type of sound. This setup of parameters can be stored so that you
can get back to it instantly at the touch of a button. When you select a Program, all of
its parameter settings are recalled to recreate the original sound.
QS7/QS8 Reference Manual 11
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
similar sounding Programs, such as pianos [00], guitars [30], bass [40] and drums
[120].
A Program may have from 1 to 4 different sounds which can be combined in a variety
of ways to create the overall sound of the instrument the Program is intended to
emulate. These four sounds can be layered on top of one another, or split up into
different sections of the keyboard. You can even have different sounds played
depending on how hard you play the keyboard (this is known as velocity).
WHAT’S A MIX?
A Mix is a combination of 1 to 16 Programs. These Programs can be combined in
many ways. The most common is multi-timbral when connected to a MIDI sequencer,
which means that for each MIDI channel the QS receives (up to 16), a different
Program may be selected, thus creating anything from a small pop/rock ensemble to
a complete orchestra. Another way of using a Mix is by layering two or more
Programs together, so that they play simultaneously from the keyboard. You can also
create a split, where one Program is in the lower half of the keyboard, while another
is at the top half; you can even have these Programs overlap in the middle.
WHAT'S A BANK?
A Bank is a collection of 128 Programs and 100 Mixes. There are five internal banks
available at any time, with more if a card is in the Sound Card slot. The current bank
is shown on the top line of the display, and will cycle in the following order:
USER PRESET1 PRESET3 PRESET2 GenMIDI
and optionally CARD 1 CARD 2 CARD 3, etc.
Each bank contains its own unique Programs and Mixes. Program 10 in Preset 1 is
different from Program 10 in Preset 3, although they are usually related sounds. A
Mix may contain Programs from any bank.
The [ BANK] and [BANK ] buttons change the current bank from the top panel,
and MIDI Bank Select commands may also be used to select any of the 640
Programs on board, or additional card programs.
Preset and General MIDI banks are permanently “burned in” at the factory. User
banks, and Card banks from an SRAM card, may be changed by the user. If you edit
a Preset Program or Mix, it can be saved to a User or SRAM card bank only.
ABOUT SOUND GROUPS
Preset Banks 1-3 and the User bank are organized into 13 Groups of 10 Sounds
each, and are spread out among the top-right row of buttons on the front panel
(programs 00-09 are pianos, 50-59 are basses, and so on). The GenMIDI bank,
however, does not follow this arrangement; it follows the program list of the General
MIDI standard. Programs on some sound cards may not follow that arrangement
either, depending on the card type.
PLAYING THE QS KEYBOARD
The QS is shipped from the factory with 5 Banks of 128 Preset Programs (sounds)
each. Additionally, there are 100 Mixes in each of the 5 Banks.
PROGRAM MODE AND MIX MODE
12 QS7/QS8 Reference Manual
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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.
If you ever get lost while programming the QS, press either the [PROGRAM] button
or the [MIX] button to get back to their respective Play Mode.
• Press the [PROGRAM] button to select Program Play Mode.
In Program Play Mode, the QS plays a single Program. The display looks like
this:
Play Mode Bank Program Number
Ø Ø Ø
PROG PRESET1 ºº
TrueStereo Ch01
≠ ≠
Program Name MIDI Channel
The current mode (PROG) is displayed in the top-left corner, followed by the current
Bank (PRESET1) and the current Program number (ºº). The Program’s name
(GrandPiano) appears on the lower line of the display and the current MIDI channel
appears to its right.
• Press the [MIX] button to select Mix Play Mode.
In Mix Play Mode, the QS can combine up to 16 Programs for stacking sounds
together, splitting the keyboard into different regions, or working with a MIDI
sequencer. The display will look something like this:
Play Mode Bank Mix Number
Ø Ø Ø
MIX PRESET1 ºº
ShimmerGrd ‹
≠ ≠
Mix Name Active MIDI Channels
The current mode (MIX) is displayed in the top-left corner, followed by the current
Bank (PRESET1) and the current Mix number (00). The Mix’s name (Piano&Pad)
appears on the lower line of the display and the Active MIDI Channels (1 and 2) are
shown at the bottom right. In a Mix that uses all 16 MIDI channels (such as the Mixes
found in the General MIDI Bank), the display would look something like this:
MIX GenMIDI ºº
GM Multi ´´´´
≠
Active MIDI Channels
QS7/QS8 Reference Manual 13
Chapter 2: Your First Session
SELECTING THE MIDI CHANNEL IN PROGRAM MODE
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.
¿ Use the [ PAGE] and [PAGE ] buttons to select a MIDI channel from 1 – 16.
The display will change to indicate the currently selected MIDI channel.
AUDITIONING INTERNAL PROGRAMS
¿ Press the [PROGRAM] button to select Program Play Mode.
You can now play the QS keyboard; the Program will be whatever was selected
when last in Program mode (Program number 00 –127).
¡ Select a Program using either of these methods:
• Use the [00] – [120] buttons to select a Sound Group, then use the [0] – [9]
buttons to select a Program within the Sound Group.
The selected Sound Group determines the tens digit of the selected
Program’s number. Example: Selecting the [60] Sound Group lets you select
Programs 60 through 69. The [100] Sound Group lets you select Programs
100 through 109.
PROG PRESET1 ºº
GrandPiano Ch01
≠
Current MIDI Channel
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• Use the [s VALUE] and [VALUE t] buttons to step forwards and backwards
through all the Programs one at a time.
When in Program Play Mode and the [120] Group is selected, the [8] and [9] buttons
will not function, since Programs only go from 00 to 127.
SELECTING PROGRAM BANKS
The QS provides five internal Banks containing 128 Programs in each (and 100
Mixes each, but we’ll get to Mixes in a moment). The currently selected Bank will be
shown in the upper line of the display, just above the currently selected Program’s
name.
Current Bank
Ø
PROG PRESET1 ºº
GrandPiano Ch01
• Use the [ BANK] and [BANK ] buttons to select a Bank (User, Preset 1 – 3,
GenMIDI).
User and Preset Banks are described in detail in Chapter 4.
14 QS7/QS8 Reference Manual
Your First Session: Chapter 2
REALTIME PERFORMANCE FUNCTIONS
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 may not be active, and in others they may have a
dramatic effect.
• Velocity. The volume and tonal quality of the sound will change according to how
hard you play the keyboard.
• Aftertouch. The action of pressing a key down after playing it is called
“aftertouch” (it is also sometimes referred to as “Pressure” since it corresponds to
the amount of pressure being applied to the keyboard). Pitch, tone and volume
(among other things) can be changed using aftertouch.
• Pitch Bend Wheel. While playing a note, you can move the PITCH BEND
WHEEL up to raise the pitch, or down to lower the pitch. The amount of pitch
bend available can be different for each Program.
• Modulation Wheel. By raising the MODULATION WHEEL, you can add
expressive modulation effects (such as vibrato or tremolo) while you play. The
type of modulation effect can be different for each Program.
• Controller A–D Sliders. This is described below.
Further expressive control is available with a pedal switch (included) or expression
pedal (optional, see page 25). By connecting a pedal switch to the [SUSTAIN] jack on
the rear panel, you can have the sound sustain even after you release the keys. By
connecting an expression pedal to the [PEDAL 1] jack, you can use the pedal to
change the volume or tone (or some other quality such as reverb depth or vibrato
speed) of the sound, if the Program is edited to use the pedal(s).
THE CONTROLLER A–D SLIDERS
To the right of the [VOLUME] slider are the four Controller sliders: CONTROLLER
[A], [B], [C] and [D]. These provide control over various parameters depending on if
you are in a Play mode, or in one of the Edit modes.
In Program Play Mode and Mix Play Mode, the CONTROLLER [A] slider acts as
Controller A, the CONTROLLER [B] slider acts as Controller B, and so on. These
Controllers are defined in Global Edit Mode (Pages 8 through 11) to transmit specific
MIDI controller messages. Many of the QS’s internal Programs use Controllers A–D
to provide control over their tonal aspects. When auditioning Programs, move the
CONTROLLER [A]–[D] sliders up and down to find out what effect each has; they will
be different from Program to Program.
PROG PRESET1 ºº
GrandPianoÍÎCh01
≠
Controllers A–D Indicators
A section of the lower line of the display is used to indicate the current settings of the
Controller A–D sliders (in Program Play or Mix Play modes only). These four “bargraph” type indicators will update instantly when any of these four sliders are moved.
When a Program or Mix is selected, the display indicates the stored settings for these
QS7/QS8 Reference Manual 15
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 line of the display will show the parameter’s name and
current setting, which will have an underline below it. At this point, you can now use
the CONTROLLER [D] slider to adjust the parameter’s setting; or use the [
VALUE] and [VALUE ] buttons to raise or lower the parameter’s setting one step at
a time.
AUDITIONING MIX PLAY MODE
Mix Play Mode allows you to assign a Program to each of the 16 MIDI channels. This
makes it easy to create multitimbral setups for use with an external MIDI sequencer.
Additionally, a MIX can be used to “layer” sounds together, or “split” the keyboard in a
number of ways, or any combination of these. There are many different ways to
program a Mix. For more about Mix Play Mode, refer to Chapter 5. For more about
connecting the QS to a MIDI sequencer, see Chapter 3.
¿ Press the [MIX] button.
The display will change to Mix Play Mode.
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¡ Select a Mix from 00–99 using one of these methods:
• Use the [00] – [120] buttons to select a Mix Group, then use the [0] – [9]
buttons to select a Mix within the Group.
• Use the [s VALUE] and [VALUE t] buttons to step forwards and backwards
through all the Mixes one at a time.
When in Mix Play Mode, the [100], [110] and [120] buttons will not function, Mixes
only go from 00 to 99.
SELECTING MIX BANKS
The QS provides five internal Banks containing 100 Mixes in each. The currently
selected Bank will be shown in the display just to the left of the currently selected
Mix’s name.
Current Bank
Ø
MIX PRESET1 ºº
Piano&Pad ‹
• Use the [ BANK] and [BANK ] buttons to select a Bank (User, Preset 1 – 3,
GenMIDI).
User and Preset Banks are described in detail in Chapter 4.
16 QS7/QS8 Reference Manual
Your First Session: Chapter 2
CHOOSING PROGRAMS IN A MIX
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 select Programs for a Mix (i.e. you don’t
have to press the [EDIT SELECT] button). Instead, you simply use a two step
process:
A) Use the [ PAGE] and [PAGE ] buttons to select one of the 16 channels in the
Mix.
B) Use a combination of the [ BANK] and [BANK ] buttons, the [00] – [120]
buttons and the [0] – [9] buttons to choose a Program for the selected channel.
Here’s the process broken down into simpler steps:
¿ Press [MIX] and select Mix 00 from the GenMIDI Bank using one of the methods
described on page 16.
MIX GenMIDI ºº
GM Multi ´´´´
¡ Press [PAGE ].
The display will look like this:
Channel Bank Program Number
Ø Ø Ø
CHå: GenMIDI ºº
GrandPiano ´´´´
≠
Program Name
The [ PAGE] and [PAGE ] buttons are used to select one of the 16 channels
in the Mix.
The actual channel number (shown in the display at half-size) will be whatever
channel was last selected. In the illustration above, channel 1 is shown. If the
channel number in your display is not “å” (1), press both [ PAGE] and
[PAGE ] buttons simultaneously to select channel 1.
¬ Use the [ BANK] and [BANK ] buttons to select a Program Bank.
√ Use the [00] – [120] buttons to select a Program Group.
Example: Press [00] for pianos, [20] for organs, etc.
ƒ Use the [0] – [9] buttons to select a Program.
≈ Press [PAGE ] to select to the next channel up.
If channel 1 had been selected, pressing [PAGE ] will select channel 2.
∆ Repeat steps ¬ – ≈ as needed to select Programs for the remaining channels.
Changes you make to a Mix are temporary and will be lost if another Mix is selected.
J
QS7/QS8 Reference Manual 17
To make changes permanent, you must store the Mix into the User bank (see next
page).
Chapter 2: Your First Session
STORING AN EDITED MIX
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 selected. All you have to do is
select a Program location (00 – 127) within the User Bank to store the edited Mix into.
However, if an SRAM Sound Card is inserted into the Sound Card Slot on the rear
panel of the QS, you may select any of the available Banks on the Sound Card to
save the edited Mix into.
¿ Press [STORE].
This selects Store Mode. The display will look like this:
The Mix Number will be the identical to the last Mix number selected.
¡ Optional: If a Sound Card is inserted, Use the [s VALUE] button to select a Bank
on the Sound Card.
SaveMix? (STORE)
to USER 12
≠ ≠
(Mix Bank) (Mix Number)
¬ Use the [0] – [9] and [00] – [120] buttons to select a Mix location (00 – 99) within
the selected Bank.
The selected Bank and Mix number location will appear in the display.
√ Press [STORE] to save the Mix into the selected location.
The Mix has now been stored, and the display will revert back to whatever was
shown before [STORE] was pressed the first time.
ENABLING GENERAL MIDI MODE
If you are using a General MIDI sequencer, and/or playing a sequence that is
programmed to take advantage of General MIDI, turn the “General MIDI” function in
the QS on.
¿ Press [EDIT SELECT], then press [GLOBAL].
The display will now be in Global Edit Mode.
¡ Press [PAGE ] 6 times to advance to page 7.
This selects the General MIDI parameter in the display.
¬ Press the [s VALUE] button.
This turns on General MIDI mode, and automatically puts you into Mix Play Mode
with Mix 00 of Preset Bank 4 selected. This display should look like this:
MIX GenMIDI ºº
GM Multi ´´´´
For more information about General MIDI, refer to the MIDI Supplement in Appendix
B.
USING THE PCMCIA EXPANSION CARD SLOTS
18 QS7/QS8 Reference Manual
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 can be stored to by the user, and it
comes with additional Programs and Mixes pre-stored.
• QCards: These read-only memory cards provide actual samples, plus the
Programs and Mixes that use them in a single card bank. Available QCards
include a Stereo Grand Piano card, a Pop Rock card that includes high-quality
guitar, drum, bass, and keyboard sounds, a World/Ethnic card and a
Rap/Techno/Dance card.
• Flash RAM cards: If you want to burn your own custom sample cards, Flash
RAM cards are available in 2 MB, 4 MB, and 8MB sizes. Alesis Sound Bridge
software (see next section) will translate from Sample Cell format to Alesis QS
Composite Synthesis format, and then you can write your own custom Programs
and Mixes that use these samples.
To use a sound card with the QS:
¿ Hold the card with the front label facing up and insert the exposed contact end
gently into either of the QS’s PCMCIA EXPANSION CARD slots, [A] or [B].
¡ Push the card in until you the slot’s eject button extends outward, and the card
will not go any further.
¬ To remove the card, press the eject button adjacent to the card slot and gently
slide the card out of the slot.
The QS’s two PCMCIA EXPANSION CARD slots can accommodate any combination
of these three card types. You can combine QCards and Flash RAM cards that store
up to 8 MB of samples each, giving you a total of 16 Mb of sound ROM expansion
and effectively doubling the internal 16 MB of sound ROM for a total of 32MB!!
When storing Mix and Program Banks to external cards, the maximum number of
accessible card banks is 11. This is because the QS’s grand total of banks possible is
16, and 5 of them are already built into the QS. The 11 card banks can be split
among the two PCMCIA EXPANSION CARD slots. Under normal situations, this will
not be a limitation (remember, each bank has 128 Programs and 100 Mixes; 11
banks gives you 1408 additional Programs and 1100 additional Mixes).
In other words, if you have two SRAM cards (256k each, capable of storing up to 4
banks), you will have 4 banks available on each card for a total of 8 banks; well below
the maximum. However, since it is possible to purchase third-party 512k PCMCIA
cards and burn these yourself using Sound Bridge software, it is possible to
physically insert two 8 bank cards which combine for a total of 16 banks. In this
situation, only the first 11 banks will be accessible beginning with slot [A]; i.e. you’ll be
able to access all 8 banks from the card in slot [A] and the first 3 banks from the card
in slot [B].
QS7/QS8 Reference Manual 19
Chapter 2: Your First Session
If an internal Program uses one or more Sounds that reside on a sound card, the
J
Sound stored on card [B], or vice-versa.
J
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 inserted
into slot [A] for that sound to be used when this Program is recalled. Although the
card can physically be used in either slot, once a Program is stored using a Sound on
a card it expects to find that card in the identical slot it was in when the Program was
stored. The same is true when a Program residing on the card in slot [A] uses a
If an internal Mix uses one or more Programs 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 Mix was stored. The same is true when a Mix residing on the card in slot
[A]uses a Program stored on card [B], or vice-versa.
A WORD ABOUT THE QS CD-ROM
Included with the QS is a CD-ROM containing various useful software programs to
use with your QS. These include various Alesis and third-party programs, QS sounds
and samples, sequences stored in the MIDI Song File (SMF) format, plus
demonstration software we thought you would find interesting. Most of these
programs are provided in both Macintosh™ and IBM® PC formats.
SOUND BRIDGE™
Among the files contained on the CD-ROM is a software program called Sound
Bridge™. Sound Bridge is a sound development utility which compiles custom
samples from a variety of sources into the QS Synthesis Voice format, and
downloads the compiled data to an Alesis PCMCIA Flash RAM Sound Card via MIDI
Sysex to a QS, QuadraSynth Plus Piano or S4 Plus. Sound Bridge allows individuals
and sound developers to make their own Sound Cards, using whatever samples they
want. Sound Bridge makes this possible without having a PCMCIA card burner
attached to your computer. All you need is a QS-series synth, QuadraSynth Plus
Piano or S4 Plus.
Sound Bridge creates a QS Voice (multi-sample) by loading Digidesign Sample Cell I
or Sample Cell™ II format Instrument files. Using this format, Sound Bridge is able to
determine key group and velocity group split points, root notes, sample playback
rates, tunings, start points, loop points, and loop tunings. Sound Bridge can also
create QS Voices without Sample Cell Instruments by loading single AIFF, Sound
Designer, or Sound Designer™ II files.
Sound Bridge does NOT require Sample Cell hardware. The Sample Cell Instrument
file, or sample file, may be loaded directly into Sound Bridge from any disk (i.e. CDROM, floppy disk, hard disk, etc.). For example, a user may load data from a Sample
Cell CD-ROM, and send this data to the QuadraSynth PCMCIA Card, without ever
using Sample Cell!
The Sound Bridge folder on the CD-ROM contains the Sound Bridge application, and
an electronic manual which will give you all the information you need to know to run
Sound Bridge.
20 QS7/QS8 Reference Manual
CONNECTIONS
BASIC MIDI HOOKUP
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:
• MIDI IN This port is for receiving MIDI information (notes, program
changes, etc.) from a source such as another QS or MIDI
keyboard, controller, or computer.
• MIDI OUT This port is for transmitting MIDI information to another MIDI
keyboard, sound module, or computer.
• MIDI THRU This port is for passing on (echoing) MIDI information received
by the MIDI IN port. In simple MIDI setups, the THRU port is
used to connect additional devices that will all be “listening” to
the same source.
Connections: Chapter 3
CHAPTER 3
To play the QS from a MIDI control device (keyboard, drum pad, guitar or bass
controller, sequencer, etc.), connect the control device’s MIDI OUT to the QS’s [MIDI
IN]. The illustration below depicts a master QS connected to a slave QS. When both
are set to a common MIDI channel, you can hear both when playing the master QS’s
keyboard.
The QS’s [MIDI OUT] connector sends MIDI data from the QS’s keyboard to other
MIDI devices, but can also send System Exclusive data (see the MIDI supplement) to
a storage device for later recall.
If you are using the QS in the middle of the MIDI chain (example: as the second unit
of a three device chain), connect the QS’ [MIDI THRU] to the third device’s MIDI IN
connector in order to route the first device’s MIDI out information to the third device.
QS7/QS8 Reference Manual 21
Chapter 3: Connections
USING AN EXTERNAL SEQUENCER
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 individual Programs play
sequenced data on specific channels. Example: If the sequencer transmits a piano
part over channel 1, a bass part over channel 2, and a drum part over channel 10, you
could set up a QS Mix so that a piano sound plays only the MIDI data assigned to
channel 1, a bass sound plays only the MIDI data assigned to channel 2, and drums
play only the MIDI data assigned to channel 10. The QS can store up to 100 User
Mixes.
Connect the sequencer’s MIDI Out to the QS’s [MIDI IN], and the QS’s [MIDI OUT] to
the sequencer’s MIDI In. This allows the QS to send data to the sequencer for
recording, and play back data from the sequencer.
ABOUT THE KEYBOARD MODE
In a Mix, the QS’s keyboard may be set up in several ways using the Keyboard Mode
parameter found on Page 6 of Global Edit Mode. You need to determine which way is
best for your application. The Keyboard Mode parameter determines how the
keyboard will function with regard to MIDI:
• The keyboard sends on only one MIDI channel and the sequencer is used to set
the MIDI channel of each track (Keyboard Mode = OUT 1 – OUT 16).
• Or, the keyboard is split or layered, sending on many MIDI channels at once, and
the sequencer records each channel onto a different track (NORMAL).
• Or, the keyboard only sends on one MIDI channel, but you change the channel
on the QS for each separate track on the sequencer (CH SOLO).
In OUT 1 – OUT 16 mode, you will not hear the QS unless your sequencer echoes
the MIDI data back to the QS’s MIDI IN. This is a way of verifying that the sequencer
is set to receive properly. Depending on the capabilities of your sequencer, it may
“auto-channelize” the echoed MIDI back to the QS on a different MIDI channel
(usually, the MIDI channel that the selected record track is assigned to). In NORMAL
or CH SOLO mode, the QS sounds are internally played from the QS keyboard, so
any echo features of the sequencer should be turned off.
When using the QS with a MIDI sequencer, the usual choice for the Keyboard Mode
is “OUT 1.” This is equivalent to turning the QS’s local control off and transmitting on
channel 1. For more information, see page 41.
USING A COMPUTER
22 QS7/QS8 Reference Manual
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
directly next to the [SERIAL PORT] connector.
Set the [SERIAL PORT]switch to... If using a...
PC
MAC
If you already have a MIDI interface for your computer, then you will want to use the
QS’s MIDI connectors to connect the QS to your computer interface’s MIDI IN and
OUT connectors using the method described in the previous section. Note: If you are
already using the QS’s [SERIAL PORT] to connect to your computer, it is not
necessary to connect the MIDI ports to the computer as well.
IBM® PC or compatible
Macintosh™
IBM® PCS AND COMPATIBLES
This connection will require a special cable with a DIN8 connector on one end and
either a DB9 or DB25 connector on the other end, depending on the type of
connector you are using on the PC. You can purchase this cable through Alesis
Product Support (DIN8-to-DB9 cable: part number 15-00-0009; DIN8-to-DB25 cable:
part number 15-00-0025). Some PCs will have both connectors available, so you’ll
have to identify which connector is currently not in use.
Connect the DIN8 end of the cable to the QS’s [SERIAL PORT] connector and the
other end to the serial port of your computer. If your computer has more than one
serial port, refer to the setup of your MIDI software to determine which port it is using.
Alesis provides a MIDI serial driver that works with Windows 3.1, Windows NT and
Windows 95. This can be found on the QS CD-ROM disk that came with your QS
package (located in the \ALESIS\ASDWIN\ directory). If you don’t have a CD-ROM
drive connected to your computer, you can call Alesis Product Support and order the
Windows MIDI driver on a 3-1/2 inch floppy disk. This driver is used to send and
receive midi data your QS6 and the computer via a serial port connection. Once the
MIDI driver has been successfully installed, you need to indicate to the driver which
connector port the QS is using.
WINDOWS 3.1: From your Windows 3.1 Control Panel, open the “Drivers” applet.
Add an Unlisted or Updated driver and select or browse to the appropriate path for
Windows to find the “ASDWIN” OEM setup info. Follow the instructions given by
windows to install the driver.
SETUP FOR WINDOWS 95: Open Control Panels. Select “Add New Hardware”.
Select “NO” to NOT have windows auto-detect hardware. Select “Sound, Video,
Game controllers” as hardware type. When prompted for device, select “Have Disk”.
Navigate to the OEM setup in the “ASDWIN” directory. Follow the Win95 instructions
from there.
Please refer to the “READ_ME” file which accompanies the Alesis MIDI driver.
MACINTOSH
QS7/QS8 Reference Manual 23
™
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 either the MODEM or the PRINTER port, or
both. If you have a printer connected, you will want to use the MODEM port;
conversely, if you have a modem connected but do not have a printer, you will want
to connect to the PRINTER port. If, however, both a printer and modem are
connected, you will need to either temporarily disconnect one of them (preferably the
modem; especially if the printer uses AppleTalk, since AppleTalk must be disabled to
use the PRINTER port for MIDI) or purchase a multiple serial port box that will allow
you to switch between the modem and the QS.
MASTER CONTROLLER FOR LIVE USE
Most live applications use the QS to generate sounds, with (possibly) the MIDI output
driving other MIDI devices, such as an S4 Plus rack unit, QuadraVerb 2, and other
keyboards and sound modules, etc.
To drive MIDI controlled devices from the QS, patch the QS’s [MIDI OUT] to the MIDI
device’s MIDI IN If there are more than one MIDI device, patch the first device’s MIDI
THRU to the second device’s MIDI IN, the second device’s MIDI THRU to the third
device’s MIDI IN, etc.
Caution: Do not attempt to connect more than three or four units together using the
J
“Thru” connectors as this may impede the MIDI data flow to the connected devices.
Instead, insert a MIDI patch-bay to the QS’s [MIDI OUT] so that all devices receive its
MIDI information simultaneously.
In Program Mode, the QS sends and receives MIDI information on only one MIDI
channel at a time. In Mix Mode, however, the QS can transmit on as many as 16
MIDI channels, each with its own keyboard range (for more information on Program
Mode and Mix Mode, see Chapter 4).
When using the QS as a master keyboard to play other MIDI devices, be sure the
Keyboard Mode is set to “NORMAL.” The Keyboard Mode parameter is found on
Page 6 of Global Edit Mode (for more information, see Chapter 8). It is also possible
for the QS to transmit volume and pan settings via MIDI (as controllers 7 and 10,
respectively). This occurs whenever a new Program is selected, or when a new Mix is
selected. In the case of a Mix, the volume and pan settings may be transmitted for
each Channel (up to 16) used in the selected Mix.
PEDAL AND FOOTSWITCH HOOKUP
The QS keyboard has two pedal jacks, [PEDAL 1] and [PEDAL 2], that accept a
Roland model EV-5 (or equivalent type) volume control pedal, or a standard switch
pedal. Normally, [PEDAL 1] acts as a volume pedal for the entire instrument, but both
pedals can be assigned to modulation functions within a program. Example: The
pedal could control Vibrato or Lezlie Speed.
The [SUSTAIN] footswitch jack accepts a momentary footswitch unit, included with
the unit. This provides the same function as the sustain (or damper) pedal on a
standard keyboard. You can use either a normally closed or normally open
momentary contact footswitch. Plug it into the rear panel [SUSTAIN] footswitch jack
24 QS7/QS8 Reference Manual
before powering up the QS; on power up, it will automatically sense the footswitch
polarity and calibrate itself accordingly.
If your footswitch seems to respond backwards (notes sustain unless the footswitch is
J
pressed), turn off the QS, make sure the footswitch plug is fully inserted into the
footswitch jack, then turn the power back on. Also, make sure the footswitch is not
held down when powering up the QS.
DIGITAL AUDIO/OPTICAL HOOKUP
The QS can output digital audio directly into an Alesis ADAT or ADAT-compatible
multitrack digital recorder via fiber optic cable.
The digital connector follows a proprietary Alesis format that carries all four audio
outputs of the QS (Main and Aux, Left and Right) on a single fiber optic cable. Either
pair of outputs can be converted into standard AES/EBU or S/PDIF stereo digital
audio format by using the Alesis AI-1 interface. Fiber optic cables of various lengths
are available from your Alesis dealer. However, the shorter the cable, the better. The
model OC cable is 5 meters long and is the maximum length recommended.
To hook up the optical cable between the QS and an ADAT or AI-1:
¿ Remove the two pieces of clear plastic, tubular sleeving (if present) that protect
the tips of the optical cable plug.
Connections: Chapter 3
¡ Insert one cable end into the QS [DIGITAL OUT] and the other end into the
ADAT or AI-1 DIGITAL IN.
To test the cable and QS digital output, plug one cable end into the QS. The other
end should emit a soft red light (it is not dangerous to look directly at this light).
RECORDING DIGITAL AUDIO
Once the fiber optic connection is made between the QS and ADAT or an AI-1, the
QS will output audio on the first four channels of the digital bus (the bus is capable of
handling eight channels of digital audio). The MAIN [LEFT] and [RIGHT] outputs are
routed to channels 1 and 2, while the AUX [LEFT] and [RIGHT] outputs are routed to
channels 3 and 4. Note that the [VOLUME] slider controls the level of all analog and
digital output channels simultaneously. Set the volume to maximum for most
applications.
When recording to ADAT (or some other digital audio recorder), it will be slaving to
the digital clock accompanying the digital audio emanating from the QS. This clock
can be set to either 48kHz or 44.1kHz, as determined by the Clock function (found in
Global Edit Mode). The Clock function has four settings: Int 48kHz, Int 44.1k, Ext
48kHz and Ext 44.1k. The default setting is Int 48kHz. which is suitable when the
digital recorder is using the 48kHz sample rate. However, if the recorder is using the
44.1kHz sample rate, the Clock function should be set to Int 44.1k. This ensures that
the QS will be in tune with previously recorded material. See page 119 in Chapter 8
for more information on the Clock parameter.
48 KHZ IN
If your ADAT system has an Alesis BRC Remote Controller, the QS’s digital clock
must be synchronized to the clock coming from the BRC. This requires that a
connection be made providing the clock signal to the QS and that the QS’s Clock
function be set to either one of its two external settings (Ext 48kHz or Ext 44.1k).
QS7/QS8 Reference Manual 25
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 type of connection, the ADAT tracks will remain in tune with the QS
even when the BRC’s pitch value is adjusted.
Note: When using only one or more ADATs without the BRC, it is not necessary to
connect the 48 kHz Clock.
26 QS7/QS8 Reference Manual
OVERVIEW
BASIC ARCHITECTURE
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 Wave Percussion
Several functions (filter, amplitude envelope, pitch envelope, LFO, multiple
modulation sources, signal processors, etc.) can be used to process a sample. A
Sound is the combination of a sample with its associated processing.
A Program consists of up to four sounds. These sounds can be layered, split over
specific keyboard ranges, or selectively overlapped. The QS has a User Bank of 128
Programs that you can modify, plus 4 Preset Banks of 512 Preset Programs that are
permanently installed in the QS at the factory (although the Preset Programs can be
edited, they must be stored into the User bank to permanently retain your changes).
Each Program is linked to its own Effects Patch.
Overview: Chapter 4
CHAPTER 4
Preset Banks 1-3 and the User bank are organized into 13 Sound Groups of 10
Sounds each, and are spread out among the top-right row of buttons on the front
panel (programs 00-09 are pianos, 50-59 are basses, and so on). The GenMIDI
bank, however, does not follow this arrangement; it follows the program list of the
General MIDI standard.
A Mix consists of up to 16 Programs, each assigned to a specific MIDI channel and
one Effect Patch. The QS has 100 Mixes in the User Bank, plus 4 Preset Banks of
400 Preset Mixes. This is extremely useful for multitimbral setups where the QS plays
back different sounds on different MIDI channels. Because of its 64 voices and builtin effects, the QS is often the only sound generator needed.
QS POLYPHONY
The QS provides 64-voice polyphony (i.e., how many notes can play at once). If a
program uses one sound, up to 64 notes can play at once. Layering two sounds
allows for 32-note polyphony and layering four sounds, 16-note polyphony.
Layering is a powerful technique that allows you to build up complex timbres. This is
crucial because acoustic instruments have extremely complex, evolving sounds and
by comparison, many synths sound static. Being able to layer up to four sounds
allows for creating large ensembles (e.g., brass section consisting of alto & tenor sax,
trumpet, and trombone) or extremely realistic versions of single instruments. When
creating layered Programs, keep polyphony in mind. If all Programs in a Mix use all
four available sounds, the QS will quickly run out of voices.
QS7/QS8 Reference Manual 27
Chapter 4: Overview
MODES
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] alternates between Mix Edit Mode, Program Edit Mode and Effects Edit
Mode. Once [EDIT SELECT] has been pressed (the upper-left corner of the display
reads “ED:”), pressing [ BANK] accesses Compare Mode (if the Program/Mix has
been edited, and pressing [BANK ] accesses Global Edit Mode. Pressing [STORE]
accesses Store Mode. Here are descriptions of these modes:
PROGRAM PLAY MODE
Program Play Mode lets you play the QS’s various Programs one at a time. The QS
contains 512 Preset and 128 User Programs (i.e., the sounds of various instruments,
effects, ensembles, etc.) that show off just how cool this instrument really is. Initially,
the 4 Preset Banks and the User Bank contain data loaded in at the factory. The User
Programs can be edited or replaced with your own Programs. However, you cannot
replace the Preset Programs, because these are stored in ROM (permanent
memory). In Program Play Mode, the QS responds to or generates messages on a
single MIDI channel.
MIX PLAY MODE
Mix Play Mode lets you audition the QS’s various Mixes, and use it as a MIDI master
controller. The QS contains 400 Preset Mixes and 100 User Mixes. A Mix can
combine up to 16 different Programs, and the keyboard can generate up to 16
channels of MIDI data at once. Therefore, much thicker and richly textured sounds
can be created. In Mix Play Mode, the QS can be used in a wide range of
applications. It can be used for live performance, in which sounds are layered or
assigned to sections of the keyboard. It can also be used as a multitimbral sound
source for desktop music and home studio applications. A Mix can use the Effects
Patch associated with one of its Programs. Although there may be 16 Programs in a
Mix, there can only be one Effects Patch per Mix. In Mix Mode, the QS can respond
to messages on up to 16 MIDI channels simultaneously; different channels are
available depending on which Mix is selected.
PROGRAM EDIT MODE
In Program Edit Mode, you can change the various settings which determine the
sound of an individual Program, or create an entirely new Program from scratch.
Each Program is made up of four Sound layers, which you can edit individually, or
simultaneously. In Program Edit mode you can:
• select which sample waveform from the 16 megabytes of onboard sample ROM
will be used, in each of the 4 sounds;
• change the tone, level, attack and decay characteristics, modulation inputs, and
pitch of each layer;
• set modulation routings whereby any parameter can be controlled via MIDI;
• set the effect level for each Sound layer, and set which of the four effect sends
each Sound layer will use for signal processing (such as reverb, delay, and
chorus—or any combination of these).
MIX EDIT MODE
28 QS7/QS8 Reference Manual
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 Mix.
Note that you can select which Programs will be played by the different MIDI
channels and by the keyboard in multiple layers or splits without entering Mix mode.
EFFECTS EDIT MODE
Effects Edit Mode is used for setting up the Digital Signal Processing effects. Each
Effect Patch has 4 effect bus inputs, and an internal configuration of multiple effects
such as reverb, delay, and pitch-related effects (chorus, flange, etc.). You can
determine what kinds of effects are used on each bus (called a “Configuration”),
change each effect’s parameters (such as reverb decay time or chorus speed), set
modulation routings (such as having the modulation wheel change the decay time),
and set the effects mix (how much reverb, delay and chorus on the output of each
effect bus).
GLOBAL EDIT MODE
Use Global Edit Mode to set various parameters which effect the entire instrument,
such as overall master tuning, display contrast, MIDI controller settings, keyboard
sensitivity, and how the unit will respond to or generate messages in Mix Mode.
STORE MODE
Store Mode is used for storing changes of Programs, Mixes and/or Effects into the
User Bank or onto a QuadraCard PCMCIA memory card accessory. It is also used for
transmitting the QS’s parameters over MIDI for data storage purposes, copying
sounds or effects from one Program to another, and for transferring entire Banks to or
from a Sound Card.
COMPARE MODE
Once a Program has been edited in Program Edit Mode, or a Mix has been edited in
Mix Edit Mode, the symbol “*” will appear in the display to the left of the
Mix’s/Program’s name while in either Mix Play Mode or Program Play Mode. If
[COMPARE] is pressed while in an Edit Mode, the letters “ED:” will change to “Cm:” in
the upper-left corner of the display, and you will temporarily be hearing (and seeing)
the original version of the Mix/Program. If you are editing a Mix and press
[COMPARE], the original unedited Mix is temporarily recalled. Likewise, if you are
editing a Program or its Effects Patch and press [COMPARE], the original Program
will be temporarily recalled. Pressing [COMPARE] again switches back to the edited
version, and the letters “Cm:” will revert back to “ED:” in the display.
QS7/QS8 Reference Manual 29
Chapter 4: Overview
THE USER INTERFACE: DISPLAY, FUNCTIONS, PAGES, AND
PARAMETERS
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.
ABOUT THE DISPLAY
The display has two modes: Play Mode and Edit Mode. When either [MIX] or
[PROGRAM] is pressed, their respective Play Mode is selected and the display will
look something like this:
EDIT MODE PAGE_____________________________ _______
MODE BANK NUMBER________ ______________ __________
PROG PRESET1 ºº
TrueStereoÍÎCh01
_______________________ ____ ___________
NAME ABCD1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
________________________________________
PARAMETER
• Mode. The upper-left corner of the display will indicate whether you are in
Program Play Mode (PROG) or Mix Play Mode (MIX). In the example above,
Program Play Mode is selected. If the selected Program or Mix has been edited,
a “*” symbol will appear to the right of the Mode. In the example above, the
Program has not been edited
• Bank. The upper-middle section of the display will indicate which Bank is
currently selected (PRESET1 – PRESET3, GenMIDI, or USER`; if a card is inserted,
CARD1 - CARD8). In the example above, Preset 1 Bank is selected.
• Number. The upper-right section of the display will indicate which Program or
Mix number is currently selected (ºº – ¡™¶ in Program Mode, ºº – ªª in Mix Mode).
In the example above, Program 00 is selected.
• Name. The bottom-left section of the display will indicate the name of the
Program or Mix which is currently selected. In the example above, TrueStereo is
selected.
9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
• Controllers A–D. In Program Play Mode and Mix Play Mode, the current
positions of the Controller A–D parameters will appear between the
Mix’s/Program’s name and the Channel(s) indicator, represented by four vertical
bars. The Controllers A–D can be manipulated using the four CONTROLLER
sliders: [A], [B], [C] and [D]. In some Programs and Mixes, not all four
CONTROLLER sliders will be enabled. When you move a CONTROLLER slider
that is enabled, you will not only hear its effect on the current Program or Mix, but
will also see the display update to show its position as it changes.
• Channel (1–16). In Program Play Mode, the QS will transmit and receive on a
single MIDI channel, which will be indicated in the lower-right section of the
display. In Mix Play Mode, the QS can transmit and receive on up to 16 MIDI
channels. The “active” channels will be indicated by the presence of a “ ⁄” symbol.
When a channel is played (by either the QS’s keyboard or from messages
received via MIDI), a “‰” symbol will appear. In the example above, MIDI
channel 1 is selected.
30 QS7/QS8 Reference Manual
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 SOUND1 πå
SOUND ENABLE:ON
_______________________ ____ ___________
NAME ABCD1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
________________________________________
PARAMETER
9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
• Edit Mode. The upper-left section of the display will indicate the Edit Mode which
is currently selected (ED: MIX = Mix Edit Mode, ED:PRG = Program Edit Mode,
ED:GLOBAL = Global Edit Mode). The Edit Mode is selected using the [EDIT
SELECT] button. In the example above, Program Edit Mode is selected.
• Editing Status. The upper-middle section of the display indicates what you are
editing. This information will change depending on the Edit Mode you have
selected. Example: If you are in Mix Edit Mode, you can choose to edit any of the
16 Channels by pressing one of the [0] – [9] or [00] – [50] buttons; the display will
indicate the channel like this: ED:MIX CHAN 01. If you are in Program Edit Mode,
you can choose which of the Program’s 4 sounds you wish to edit by pressing
one of the [00] – [30] buttons; the display will indicate the channel like this:
ED:PRG SOUND1. In the example above, Sound 1 is selected for editing.
• Page. In many cases when a Function is selected for editing, there will be more
than one parameter associated with it. Each parameter is divided into “pages”.
The upper-right corner of the display will indicate the currently selected page
number (πå – π∫). The number of pages available depends on the Function you
have selected to edit. In the example above, page 1 is currently selected.
• Parameter. The lower section will display the parameter which is currently
selected and its setting. Once you have selected an Edit Mode, you may select
an editing Function by pressing one of the [0] – [9] or [00] – [120] buttons,
depending on which Edit Mode you are in. The editing Function is written in blue
type above or below the number keys. For example, the [60] button accesses
the LEVEL functions in Mix Edit Mode, the MOD functions in Effects Edit Mode,
and the PITCH functions in Program Edit Mode. Each Function has one or more
parameters in its Function Group. Once a Function is selected, the last
parameter in that Function’s Group will appear in the lower section of the display.
You can step through all the parameter’s in a Function’s Group by using the [
PAGE] and [PAGE ] buttons or make coarse adjustments quickly by moving the
CONTROLLER [D] slider. In the example above, the Sound Enable parameter is
selected, and is turned on.
QS7/QS8 Reference Manual 31
Chapter 4: Overview
PAGE BUTTONS
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 the 16
possible Channels for viewing and editing. For more information on MIDI and its
uses, see Chapters 8 and 9, and Appendix B.
In any of the Edit Modes when more than one display page is available, the [
PAGE] and [PAGE ] buttons are used to move forwards and backwards through
these pages. The currently selected page number will appear in the upper-right
corner of the display.
EDITING VALUES
Once an Edit Mode is selected and a parameter is displayed, that parameter’s setting
can be adjusted by either pressing the [s VALUE] and [VALUE t] buttons, or by
moving the CONTROLLER [D] slider (also labeled [EDIT VALUE]). The
CONTROLLER [D] slider is useful when making broad adjustments to a parameter,
such as when moving a parameter from its minimum setting to its maximum, while
the [s VALUE] and [VALUE t] buttons are best suited for when you wish to perform
fine adjustments, such as stepping through a parameters value one at a time.
You will find that using a combination of these two controls will make editing fast and
easy.
RESETTING A PARAMETER VALUE
It’s often convenient while editing to return a parameter to its default setting (usually,
but not always, 0). This normally involves moving the Edit Value Slider or repeatedly
pressing the [s VALUE] and [VALUE t] buttons, but here’s a quicker way:
¿ Select the parameter you wish to reset using the methods described earlier.
¡ Simultaneously press both the [s VALUE] and [VALUE t] buttons.
PARAMETER EDITING OVERVIEW
All parameter editing involves the same general procedure, with minor variations:
¿ Select an Edit Mode with the [EDIT SELECT] button.
Example: If you pressed [PROGRAM], the [EDIT SELECT] button switches
between two Edit Modes—one for editing the Program’s Sound layers(Program
Edit Mode), and the other for editing the Effects (Effects Edit Mode). If you
pressed [MIX], the [EDIT SELECT] button switches between three Edit Modes—
one for editing the Mix’s parameters (Mix Edit Mode), one for editing the
Programs themselves (Program Edit Mode), and the last for editing the Effects
(Effects Edit Mode).
¡ Select a function (level, pitch, etc.). by pressing one of the [0] – [9] or [00] –
[120] buttons, depending on which Edit Mode you are in.
¬ If a function has multiple pages, use the [ PAGE] and [PAGE ] buttons to
select the appropriate page.
32 QS7/QS8 Reference Manual
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 lowernumbered page. Press both [ PAGE] and [PAGE ] simultaneously to get
back to the first page of the selected function.
√ Change the parameter value.
You can edit the value either by moving the [CONTROLLER D] slider (for large
value changes) or pressing the [s VALUE] and [VALUE t] buttons (for smaller
changes).
SELECTING FUNCTIONS AND PARAMETERS
When editing a Mix, a Program or a Program’s Effects, the 23 buttons located on the
right side of the front panel provide direct selection of edit Functions, the 4 Sounds
within a Program (in Program Edit Mode) and the 16 Channels within a Mix (in Mix
Edit Mode). This means you can quickly get to the Function/Sound/Channel you want
to edit. The Functions available for direct selection are printed on the front panel
adjacent to each button. Many Functions provide more than one parameter, and so
have multiple pages available. Use the [ PAGE] and [PAGE ] buttons to move
forwards and backwards through the available pages. The number of available pages
will change depending on which Function you have selected. The Direct Select
Functions are shown in the table below.
Button Program Edit
(Sound)
0 MOD 1 DRUM 1 SELECT
1 MOD 2 DRUM 2 SELECT
2 MOD 3 DRUM 3 SELECT
3 MOD 4 DRUM 4 SELECT
4 MOD 5 DRUM 5 SELECT
5 MOD 6 DRUM 6 SELECT
6 PITCH LFO DRUM 7 SELECT
7 FILTER LFO DRUM 8 SELECT
8 AMP LFO DRUM 9 SELECT
9 TRACKING
GENERATOR
00 SELECT SOUND1SELECT SOUND
10 SELECT SOUND2SELECT SOUND
20 SELECT SOUND3SELECT SOUND
Program Edit
(Drum)
DRUM 10 SELECT
1
2
3
Mix Edit Effects Edit
CHANNEL 1
CHANNEL 2
CHANNEL 3
CHANNEL 4
CHANNEL 5
CHANNEL 6
CHANNEL 7
CHANNEL 8
CHANNEL 9
CHANNEL 10
SELECT
CHANNEL 11
SELECT
CHANNEL 12
SELECT
CHANNEL 13
- - - - -
- - - - -
- - - - -
- - - - -
- - - - -
- - - - -
- - - - -
- - - - -
- - - - -
- - - - -
SELECT SEND
1
SELECT SEND
2
SELECT SEND
3
QS7/QS8 Reference Manual 33
Chapter 4: Overview
30 SELECT SOUND4SELECT SOUND
4
40 VOICE VOICE SELECT
50 LEVEL LEVEL SELECT
60 PITCH PITCH LEVEL MOD
70 FILTER FILTER PITCH LEZLIE
80 AMP/RANGE AMP/RANGE EFFECT PITCH
90 PITCH
ENVELOPE
100 FILTER
ENVELOPE
110 AMP ENVELOPE DECAY RANGE OVERDRIVE
120 NAME NAME NAME MIX
- - - - - KEYBOARD/MID
- - - - - CONTROLLERS REVERB
SELECT
CHANNEL 14
CHANNEL 15
CHANNEL 16
I
SELECT SEND
4
CONFIGURATIO
N
EQ
DELAY
34 QS7/QS8 Reference Manual
COMPARING EDITED AND STORED VERSIONS
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 will be replaced and your edits lost.
Because the original Program/Mix remains undisturbed, you can compare the edited
version to the original by using the Compare function. You can only select Compare
mode when either Mix Edit, Program Edit or Effects Edit is selected, and the “*”
symbol appears in the display next to the Mix/Program’s name whil in either Mix Play
Mode or Program Play Mode.
Indicates Program or Mix has been edited
Ø
PROG*PRESET1 ºº
GrandPianoÍÎCh01
¿ While in an Edit Mode (the letters “ED:” should appear in the upper-left section of
the display), press [COMPARE].
The letters “ED:” in the display will change into “Cm:”.
Overview: Chapter 4
Indicates Compare Mode is selected
Ø
Cm:PRG SOUND1 πå
SOUND ENABLE:ON
¡ Press [COMPARE] again to exit Compare mode and return to the edited version.
The letters “Cm:” will revert back to “ED:”. Pressing [MIX], [PROGRAM],
[GLOBAL], or [STORE] will also exit Compare mode. However, to return to
Compare mode after pressing one of these buttons, you must first press [EDIT]
and then press [COMPARE].
While Compare mode is selected, you can move around to view the various functions
J
and parameters, but you will not be able to edit anything. This is because you are
seeing what is in memory, not what is in the edit buffer.
PRESET MEMORY AND USER MEMORY
The QS has three types of memory banks for Mixes and Programs: Preset, User and
Card. The Preset banks, of which there are four, are stored in ROM (Read Only
Memory), and therefore cannot be altered. However, the User bank, of which there is
1, is stored in RAM (Random Access Memory). Card banks can be either ROM or
RAM. Anytime you want to keep an edited version of a Mix or Program, you will store
it into the User bank or onto a RAM Card. If you want to permanently change a Mix or
Program that is in the Preset bank, you can store the edited version into the User
bank (in either the same number location or a different number location). However,
this requires that you “store over” an existing Program or Mix, losing whatever was
previously in that location. If you don’t want to lose any of the sounds in the User
bank, you should back-up the entire bank to either an external SRAM or FlashRAM
PCMCIA card, or (via MIDI System Exclusive) into a data storage device or a MIDI
sequencer. See Chapter 9 for more information on external storage operations.
STORING
QS7/QS8 Reference Manual 35
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 page of Store mode (for more information about the other pages of Store
mode, see Chapter 9). If you press [STORE], the display will look something like this:
Each edit mode type requires its own store operation. For example, if while making a
new Mix you also make changes within one of the Programs (such as lowering the
filter level), you must use the Store command separately (from Mix Edit, and
Program Edit or Effect Edit) in order to save your work. Note: When using the Store
command from Effect Edit Mode, the associated Program is stored. This is because
Effects are stored within their respective Programs.
If you select a different Mix while in Mix Edit mode, or a different Program in Program
Edit mode, you will lose all changes you have made, unless you perform a store first.
You can only store Mixes and Programs into their respective User banks. The Preset
J
banks are permanently stored in ROM and cannot be saved over.
SavePrg? (STORE)
to USER 127
J
STORE A PROGRAM OR MIX
¿ While in either Program Mode or Mix mode, after making your edits press the
[STORE] button.
¡ Optional: Select the memory Bank in which you want to store the Program or Mix
into using the [s VALUE] and [VALUE t] buttons.
If no RAM Card is inserted, you will only be able to select the User Bank.
¬ Use the [0] – [9] and [00] – [120] to select the Program/Mix location (00 – 127) in
which you want to store the Program or Mix into.
√ Press [STORE] again to complete the operation.
Or, Press any other button to cancel out of the Store operation without storing.
Storing a Mix only stores the Mix parameters, not the individual Programs or Effect
Patch used in the Mix. If you have edited any of the Programs in the Mix or the
Effects Patch, you must store them separately.
36 QS7/QS8 Reference Manual
Overview: Chapter 4
COPYING SOUNDS BETWEEN PROGRAMS
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 [PROGRAM] to select Program Play Mode, then use the [s VALUE] and
[VALUE t] buttons to select the Program Number that uses the Sound you want
to copy. If necessary, use the [ BANK] and [BANK ] buttons to select a
different Bank.
¡ Press [STORE].
¬ Press [PAGE ] once to advance to Page 2.
The upper section of the display will read “COPY SOUND 1”.
√ Use the [s VALUE] and [t VALUE] buttons to select which Sound (1–4) you wish
to copy from the currently select Program.
ƒ Press [PAGE ] once to advance the cursor to the Program number value in the
lower section of the display.
≈ Use the [s VALUE] and [VALUE t] buttons or move the CONTROLLER [D] slider
to select the Program Number in the User Bank you wish to copy the Sound to
(000–127). Or, you may copy into any of the four Sounds of the source Program
(Sound 1-4).
∆ Press [STORE] to complete the copy function.
COPYING EFFECTS BETWEEN PROGRAMS
Follow the steps below to copy the Effects from one Program to another Program in
the User Bank.
¿ Press [PROGRAM] to select Program Play Mode, then use the [s VALUE] and
[VALUE t] buttons to select the Program Number that uses the Effects you want
to copy. If necessary, use the [ BANK] and [BANK ] buttons to select a
different Bank.
¡ Press [STORE].
¬ Press [PAGE ] once to advance to Page 2.
The upper section of the display will read “COPY SOUND 1”.
√ Press the [s VALUE] button four times until the display reads “COPY EFFECT”.
This selects the Effects of the currently selected Program as the source of what
is to be copied.
ƒ Press [PAGE ] once to advance the cursor to the Program number value in the
lower section of the display.
≈ Use the [s VALUE] and [VALUE t] buttons or move the CONTROLLER [D] slider
to select the Program Number in the User Bank you wish to copy the Effects to
(000–127).
∆ Press [STORE] to complete the copy function.
QS7/QS8 Reference Manual 37
Chapter 4: Overview
TO AUDITION PROGRAMS BEFORE STORING
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 edit buffers. These buffers are
retained when moving between Program Mode and Mix Mode, making it easy to
search for a suitable location to store your newly created Program. Example: While in
Program Edit mode, go to Mix Mode and scroll through the Program list on one of the
Channels; while editing a Program from Mix Mode, go to Program Mode to scroll
through the Program list.
The way to tell the difference between a program edited in Program Mode and one
edited from Mix Mode is by looking at the display: in Program Edit Mode, “ED:PRG”
appears in the display, while in Mix Edit Mode, “ED:MIX” appears.
You will lose your changes if you remain in the same mode and recall a different
J
Mix/Program by pressing the [0] – [9] or [00] – [120] buttons.
To audition Programs before overwriting them with STORE
…when editing a Program in Program Mode:
¿ While in Program Edit mode, press [MIX].
This selects Mix Play Mode, retaining your edits to the Program in an edit buffer.
¡ Use the [ BANK] and [BANK ] buttons select Preset Bank 1; then press [90]
and [9] to select Mix 99.
¬ Press both [ PAGE] and [PAGE ] buttons simultaneously to select Channel
1.
√ Use the [ BANK] and [BANK ] buttons select the User Bank.
ƒ Use the [0] – [9] and [00] – [120] buttons to go through the Programs in the User
Bank until you find one you wish to overwrite with the new edited Program. Take
a note of the number.
≈ Press [PROGRAM] to enter Program Play Mode.
This recalls the edit buffer in Program Mode, which is your edited Program.
∆ Press [STORE].
The upper section of the display will read “SavePrg? (STORE) to USERxxx” where
XXX is a User Program number from 000 – 127.
« Press [PAGE ] to advance the cursor to the Program Number field in the
display.
» Use the [s VALUE] and [VALUE t] buttons or move the CONTROLLER [D] slider
to select the Program Number you noted in step 5.
… Press [STORE] again.
The Program is now stored.
38 QS7/QS8 Reference Manual
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 the [ BANK] and [BANK ] buttons to select a Card Bank.
¬ Use the [s VALUE] and [VALUE t] buttons or move the CONTROLLER [D] slider to
scroll through the Programs until you find one you wish to overwrite with the new
edited Program. Take note of the number.
√ Press [MIX].
This recalls the edit buffer in Mix Mode, which contains your edited Program.
ƒ Press [EDIT SELECT] twice, until “EDITING: PROGRAM” appears under the
MIX number in the display.
≈ Press [STORE].
The top line of the display will read “SavePrg? (STORE) to USERxxx” where XXX is
a User Program number from 000—127.
∆ Optional: If the location you noted was on a RAM card, use [BANK ] to select
the Card Bank.
« Press [PAGE ] to advance the cursor to the Program Number field in the
display.
» Use the [s VALUE] and [VALUE t] buttons or move the CONTROLLER [D] slider
to select the Program Number you noted in step 5.
« Press [STORE] again.
The Program is now stored.
At this point your edited Program is stored, however the Mix your were auditioning
before storing the Program still has the old Program number assigned (if the edited
Program was saved to a different Program number location). Therefore, you need to
store the Mix as well.
» Press [MIX].
This selects Mix Play Mode.
… Press [STORE] twice.
The Mix is now stored.
QS7/QS8 Reference Manual 39
EDITING MIXES
WHAT IS A MIX?
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 (via 16 MIDI channels) or a combination of both.
With Mix Mode, you can do the following:
• Combine (“stack” or “layer”) different Programs so they can be played
simultaneously from the keyboard. For example, stack a piano on top of a brass
sound and a string sound , adjusting the volume of each for a desirable mix.
(Note that the stacking of Programs in Mix Play Mode is in addition to any
sounds that may be stacked in the four sound layers of each Program.)
• Split the keyboard into different zones--for example, the classic bass guitar on the
left-hand side of the keyboard, and synth or piano on the right. You can split the
keyboard into as many as 16 zones, which may overlap.
• Transmit on as many as 16 different MIDI channels simultaneously.
• Receive up to 16 MIDI channels from an external sequencer, with each channel
representing a different instrument--piano on Ch. 1, bass on Ch. 2, drums on Ch.
10, trumpet on Ch. 16. Mix Play Mode is the multitimbral mode of the QS.
• Set the level, panning, transpositions and effect send of each MIDI channel.
Editing Mixes: Chapter 5
CHAPTER 5
PROGRAM ASSIGN FOR EACH MIDI CHANNEL
Once a Mix is recalled, you will likely want to choose different Programs than the
ones the Mix has stored with it. This does not require that you be in Mix Edit Mode.
Assigning Programs to the 16 channels of a Mix is done by first using the [▲ PAGE]
and [PAGE▲] buttons (which are also labeled [PROGRAM CHANNEL SELECT]) to
select a channel and then using the [0] – [9] and [00] – [120] buttons to select a
Program. If desired, you can use the [▲ BANK] and [BANK▲] buttons to select a
Program from any of the internal or card banks.
MIX EDIT MODE
Editing a Mix begins with using the [▲ PAGE] and [PAGE] buttons to select the
MIDI channel you want, and selecting a Program number for each of the channels
you want to use (as described above). Beyond Program selection, you may control
many other aspects of a Mix by accessing Mix Edit Mode. This is done by pressing
the [EDIT SELECT] button while Mix Play Mode; “ED:MIX ” should appear in the
upper left section of the display:
EDIT MODE PAGE_____________________________ _______
MODE BANK NUMBER________ ______________ __________
ED:MIX CHAN 01„
PROG ENABLE: O N
_______________________ ____ ___________
NAME ABCD1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
________________________________________
PARAMETER
9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
QS7/QS8 Reference Manual 39
Chapter 5: Editing Mixes
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▲] buttons to locate a specific parameter. The Mix Edit
functions and Channels are written in blue above or below each numbered button,
on the line labeled MIX.
Each channel of a Mix may be enabled or disabled, without changing any of its
parameter settings. When a channel is disabled, its marker ( ) will not appear in
the bottom right corner of the display when Mix Play Mode is selected. You can set
levels, effect levels and bus assignments, pitch transposition, keyboard ranges (if
making a split or layer), and MIDI parameters for each individual channel. A Mix
also uses the Effect Patch associated with one of its 16 Programs.
Here is a simplified diagram of the signal path in Mix mode.
MIDI
Input
Keyboard
Mode =
NORMAL
Pedals
MIDI In
Keyboard
Channel 1
Range
Program
Sound 1
Sound 2
Sound 3
Sound 4
Pitch
Pan Output
Effects
Effects
Level
Buss
MIDI
Out
Sends
1—4
Effects
Processor
(reverb, delay,
chorus, etc.)
MIDI
Output
Main L
Main R
Aux L
Aux R
Channel 2
Pedals
Channel 3
Channel 16
UNDERSTANDING THE EDIT BUFFERS
In Mix mode, there are 16 edit buffers (one for each channel), plus another buffer for
the Mix parameters (Level, Pitch, Range, etc.), and yet another buffer for the Effects
Processor. When you select a Mix from memory, it is copied into the Mix Edit buffer,
the 16 Programs of that Mix are copied into the 16 edit buffers, and the Effect from
one of the 16 Programs is copied into the Effects buffer. If you make changes to the
Mix, they are only temporarily kept in the edit buffer until a new Mix is selected
from memory. Therefore, you MUST store your edited Mix if you want to keep it.
If in the course of making a Mix, you enter Program Edit mode (by pressing [EDIT
SELECT]) and edit one or more Programs in the Mix, the edits you make are entered
into a separate buffer for each Program in the Mix. Note, however, that you DO have
to store each edited Program into the User bank (in the same or different Program
number location) before selecting a different Mix, or your changes will be lost. The
same goes for editing the Effects, which will be stored along with its associated
40 QS7/QS8 Reference Manual
Program into the User Bank. If you select another Mix before storing, your changes
will be lost.
LEVEL SETTING FOR EACH PROGRAM
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
Function’s group include: Volume, Pan, Output, Effects Send Level, Effects Bus and
Program Enable.
Enable (On or Off) Page 1
This determines whether the selected channel is enabled or disabled. When disabled,
no sound will be heard. The Channel indicator in the display for a disabled channel
will not appear.
Even if a channel is enabled, it will not play unless the proper settings in the RANGE
✪
(LOW/HIGH) and MIDI/KEYBOARD functions are made (see pages 38 & 40).
Volume (00 to 99) Page 2
This sets the overall volume for a channel. Higher numbers give higher levels.
Editing Mixes: Chapter 5
TIP:
Pan (<3 to 3>, or PROG ) Page 3
This determines the pan position of the selected channel. When set to PROG, the Pan
setting will be that stored with the Program assigned to the selected channel.
However, you can override this setting by selecting a different value, thereby
assigning the channel’s panning between the left and right outputs.
Output (L/R, Aux, Off, or PROG) Page 4
This determines the audio output assignment for the selected channel. When set to
PROG, the channel will use the Output assignment of the Program. However, you
can override this assignment by setting this parameter to something different. To
send the sound’s output to the Main outputs, select Main. To send the sound’s
output to the Aux outputs, select Aux. When set to OFF, the channel will not be sent
to the outputs (but can still feed an effect bus).
To send a sound to an individual output, use Output in conjunction with Pan.
Example: Panning a sound full left and selecting the Aux outputs means that the
sound will appear at only the left Aux output.
Effect Level (00 to 99, or PROG) Page 5
This determines the amount of signal from the selected channel that will be sent to
the effects, using one of the four effects buses as determined by the Effect Bus
parameter (see below). When set to PROG, the effect level will be that stored by the
channel’s Program.
Effect Bus (1, 2, 3, 4, or PROG) Page 6
This determines which effect bus the selected channel will be routed to. When set to
PROG, the effect bus assignment will be that stored by the channel’s Program. 1, 2, 3
or 4 overrides the Program’s bus assignment, sending all sound layers of the
Program to the chosen bus.
QS7/QS8 Reference Manual 41
Chapter 5: Editing Mixes
42 QS7/QS8 Reference Manual
PITCH
EFFECT
Editing Mixes: Chapter 5
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 octaves).
Semitone (-12 to +12 semitones) Page 2
This transposes the Program’s pitch in semitone steps, from -12 (transposed down
one octave) to +12 (transposed up one octave).
The Effect function (press [80]) is where you select what Effect Patch will be used by
the Mix. In Mix Mode, you can have only one Effect Patch per Mix, which will be the
Effects Patch associated with one of the Programs used in the Mix.
FX Program Change (On or Off) Page 1
This determines whether the Effects settings will change along with its Program, if a
MIDI program change is received on the Effect Channel (see next section). If ON, and
a MIDI program change is received, a new Program will be recalled along with its
associated Effect Patch. This, however, can change the way the other Programs in the
Mix sound, since they all share the same Effects Patch. If you want to recall Programs
via MIDI program changes, but also want to continue using the same Effects Patch,
leave this parameter turned OFF.
FX MIDI Channel (1 to 16) Page 2
The Effect Channel determines which channel’s Program’s Effect Patch will be used
for the entire Mix. In other words, when the Effect Channel is set to 3, the Mix will
use the Effect Patch used by the Program assigned to channel 3.
KEYBOARD/MIDI
The Keyboard/MIDI Function (press [90]) allows you to turn on and off the MIDI
and Keyboard switches for the selected MIDI channel.
MIDI In (On or Off) Page 1
This determines whether the selected channel will respond to MIDI messages.
MIDI Out (On or Off) Page 2
This determines whether or not the selected channel will transmit MIDI messages.
Keyboard (On or Off) Page 3
This determines whether or not the selected channel will respond to the keyboard,
pitch-bend and mod wheels, foot pedals and sustain pedal of the QS itself.
QS7/QS8 Reference Manual 43
Chapter 5: Editing Mixes
CONTROLLERS
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 for each Channel in the Mix. These, however, are
dependent on how each Channel has its MIDI parameters set (see page 38).
Pitch-bend and Modulation Wheels (On or Off) Page 1
This determines whether or not the selected channel will transmit and receive pitchbend and modulation (controller 1) MIDI information.
Aftertouch (On or Off) Page 2
This determines whether or not the selected channel will transmit and receive
aftertouch MIDI information.
Sustain Pedals (On or Off) Page 3
This determines whether or not the selected channel will transmit and receive sustain
pedal (controller 64) MIDI information.
Controllers (On or Off) Page 4
This determines whether or not the selected channel will transmit and receive MIDI
controller information which the Controllers A–D and Pedals 1 & 2 are assigned to
(these are assigned to MIDI controllers in Global Mode, Page 3 and 5).
TRANSMITTING MIDI VOLUME AND PANNING
Each Channel in a Mix can transmit its volume and panning settings via MIDI, if the
“MIDI Program Select” parameter is set to ON (Global Edit Mode, Page 14). Volume
level is sent as MIDI controller #7, and panning is sent as controller #10. If the “MIDI
Program Select” Global parameter is set to ON:
• whenever a Mix is recalled (via the front panel or via MIDI), volume and
panning information will be transmitted;
• whenever a Channel’s “Level” parameter is edited, volume information will be
transmitted as controller #7 on that Channel;
• whenever a Channel’s “Pan” parameter is edited, panning information will be
transmitted as controller #10 on that Channel (except when set to “PROG”).
Note: Panning information will not be transmitted if the Channel’s “Pan“ parameter
is set to PROG (using the selected Program’s stored Pan setting).
44 QS7/QS8 Reference Manual
Editing Mixes: Chapter 5
(
)
g
j
q
SETTING THE RANGE AND MIDI SWITCHES
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).
When you start to setup a MIX, it may be confusing if many of the channels have
their Keyboard parameter turned off. In order to hear anything on a particular
channel, enable Keyboard control and set the Range so that the low note and high
note values are set beyond where you want to play. Look at the lower right section
of the display. A small block ( )will appear next to any active MIDI channels as you
play notes or send notes to the QS from a sequencer on those channels.
Lower Limit (MIDI note 000 to 127/ C-2 to G8) Page 1
Specifies the lowest note of the sound’s keyboard range. You can set the lower limit
by holding the [110] button and tapping the key on the keyboard you want to set as
the lowest note in the range.
High Limit (MIDI note 000 to 127/ C-2 to G8) Page 2
Specifies the highest note of the sound’s keyboard range. You can set the high limit
by holding the [110] button and tapping the key on the keyboard you want to set as
the highest note in the range.
If the low limit is set above the high limit, you will be able to play this program layer at the
✪
lower and upper ends of the keyboard, but not in the middle between the two limit settings.
C-2 C-1 C0 C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7 C8 G8
0 1224364860728496108120127
NAMING A MIX
The Name function (press [120]) allows you to change the name of the Mix. The Mix
name can be up to 10 characters long. Use the [▲ PAGE] and [PAGE▲] buttons to
position the cursor and the CONTROLLER [D] slider to select the character. Here is a
chart of available characters:
! " #$%&’
456789: ; <=>?@ABCDEFG
HI JKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ[
¥] ^_` abcdef
p
rstuvwxyz{| } →←
A-1
21
QS8 Keyboard Range
Program Sound Range
*+, -. / 0123
hi
C7
108
kl mno
QS7/QS8 Reference Manual 45
Chapter 5: Editing Mixes
POLYPHONY IN MIX PLAY MODE
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...). This is extreme, of course, but should tell you what you can
expect when you really pile on the layers from the keyboard.
USING THE QS AS A MASTER KEYBOARD
Mix Play Mode gives the QS the capabilities of a MIDI master keyboard. You can
layer the QS’s internal sounds with an external synthesizer's sounds without using
up internal polyphony by adjusting the proper parameters in the Mix Edit mode.
Example: You can have 2 layers (or a split) played directly from the QS,
simultaneously playing on external synthesizers using a MIDI channel which has its
internal QS’s Program Enable parameter turned OFF.
SETTING THE MIDI OUT CHANNELS FOR A MIX IN
GLOBAL MODE
The QS offers a wide variety of ways to set the MIDI output. It is very easy in
Program Play Mode; you just use the [▲ PAGE] and [PAGE▲] buttons to set the
MIDI OUT channel for the whole instrument. But when using the QS in Mix Play
Mode, you may want to transmit on several MIDI channels at once, and to
temporarily isolate certain channels within a Mix. This is done with the Keyboard
Mode function.
➀ Press [EDIT SELECT] and then [BANK
Note the word "Global" in blue under the BANK key.
➁ Press [PAGE
The display should look like this:
] five times to get to Page 6.
▲
ED:GLOBAL „œ
KBD MODE: N ORMAL
▲
].
➂ Use the [▲ VALUE] and [VALUE ▼] buttons or the CONTROLLER [D] slider to
set the Keyboard Mode.
The options are: NORMAL, CH SOLO and OUT 1 — OUT 16.
NORMAL. In this mode, the MIDI channels sent out will correspond to whatever
layers or splits the Mix is set up for. For example, in a Mix bank, there may be
several Mixes in which the keyboard is split in two or more ways from left to right;
each of these “zones” is linked to a different set of channels. As you play through
each zone, it can be set to send MIDI messages corresponding to that key range and
trigger the corresponding channels. Note that certain controllers such as pitch bend
and aftertouch will send on all channels at once. The MIDI Monitor indicators in the
display will show which channels are enabled; but if the QS is sending a MIDI OUT
message on a channel without its internal sound being enabled, it will not show on
the MIDI Monitor.
46 QS7/QS8 Reference Manual
Editing Mixes: Chapter 5
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 the keyboard that is active on MIDI
CH 1, and “CH ” appears in the upper left corner of the display, you’ll hear it. All
other ranges or layers will not respond to the keyboard (they will continue to
respond to incoming MIDI messages on their respective channels, however).
Use the [▲ PAGE] and [PAGE▲] buttons to hear each channel in turn.
OUT 1 — OUT 16. The QS will generate MIDI messages from the keyboard,
regardless of the Range settings for that channel in the Mix, but it will not play the
internal sound. Use this mode if you're using a MIDI sequencer with an ECHO
feature--the sound will be activated by messages appearing at the MIDI IN connector
after it’s made the “round trip” through the sequencer. This is the QS’s equivalent to
LOCAL OFF.
USING KEYBOARD MODE WITH THE SERIAL JACK
The Serial jack follows the MIDI ins and outs in the Keyboard Mode settings above. If
you are connected to a computer using the Serial jack, be sure to check the setting of
the Keyboard Mode. In most cases, a setting of "OUT 1" should be used with a MIDI
sequencer. See page 117 for more information about the Serial jack.
QS7/QS8 Reference Manual 47
CHAPTER 6
EDITING PROGRAMS
OVERVIEW
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 manual can offer a complete course in
programming (at least for a price that customers would be willing to pay!).
If you’re new to synthesizer programming, the best way to learn is to adjust different
parameters as you play to discover how different parameter values affect the sound.
Also, become familiar with the signal and modulation flow within the QS (as shown in
the various block diagrams included in this manual) so that you can understand the
many ways in which you can process a signal as it works its way from oscillator to
output.
THE “NORMALIZED” SYNTH VOICE
Editing Programs: Chapter 6
The first synthesizers were comprised of various hardware modules, some of which
generated signals, and some of which processed those signals. These were
designed to be general-purpose devices since nobody was quite sure how they would
be applied; some engineers used them as signal processors, while keyboard players
treated them as musical instruments. Therefore, patch cords connected the inputs
and outputs of the various signal generating and processing modules (which is why
particular synth sounds were called patches). Changing a patch involved manually
repositioning patch cords and adjusting knobs and switches; recreating a patch
required writing down all the patch settings on paper so they could be duplicated
later. Even then, due to the imprecision of analog electronics, the patch might not
sound exactly the same.
Over the years, certain combinations of modules seemed to work better than others,
and since patch cords were troublesome to deal with, eventually these modules were
wired together in a “normalized” configuration. Synthesizers such as the MiniMoog™,
Prophet-5™, and others eliminated the need for patch cords by containing a
normalized collection of sound modules (including oscillators, filter, envelopes, LFOs,
etc.).
The QS offers the best of both worlds. The most commonly-used, normalized
configurations are built-in to every program for ease of programming. In addition, the
QS Modulation Matrix gives back much of the flexibility of a modular synthesizer,
allowing you to map various modulation sources to multiple destinations for special
needs. If you’re a beginner, all of the normalized pathways are easy to find; as you
gain experience you can explore more advanced features.
QS7/QS8 Reference Manual 47
Chapter 6: Editing Programs
HOW THE QS GENERATES SOUND
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. Although the user interface maintains the
metaphor of “modules,” in fact all sounds are simply a set of numbers reflecting how
you’ve programmed the various sound parameters. For example, when you change
the filter cutoff frequency, you’re not actually messing with a filter; you’re telling the
computer to simulate the effect of messing with a filter.
Each “module” is represented by parameters that appear on one or more display
pages. The [s VALUE]/[VALUE t] buttons and the CONTROLLER [D] slider let you
change these parameters. All “patching” is done via software, so the only patch cords
you need are those that go to your mixer or amplifier.
You can take a “snapshot” of the QS’s parameters and save this in memory as a
program. The QS comes with 512 factory preset programs, and 128 user-editable
programs.
PROGRAM SOUND LAYERS
The simplest method of programming is to take one voice, process it through the filter
and amp sections, and (if desired) add some effect to it. However, more elaborate
Programs usually consist of 2 to 4 layers, with each layer making its own distinct
contribution to the sound, for example:
• An organ program with Program Sound 1 set to a sustained organ waveform, and
Program Sound 2 set to a percussion waveform with a fast decay.
• A piano program with one layer tuned normally, and a second layer tuned an
octave higher.
• A synthesizer program with one layer set to a sharp attack waveform, a second
layer set to an acoustic waveform, and a third layer with a slow-attack string
waveform.
This may remind you of Mix Play Mode, where playing the keyboard can sound up to
16 different Programs at once. There are many similarities. In Mix Play Mode, you
can make the same kind of layered Mix as you can with the four sounds of a
Program. But there are differences:
Use Program Layers:
• If you want multiple sounds to respond to a single MIDI channel. For example, if
you need to play a layered synthesizer sound that was assembled in Mix Play
Mode instead of Program Play Mode, you must send 3 Note On messages from
your sequencer (one for each channel) for every note; a layered program would
need only one Note On message.
• When layers of a Program are designed to be used together, and the individual
layers by themselves wouldn't be used alone (for example, the percussion layer
of the organ sound).
Use Mix Play Mode:
48 QS7/QS8 Reference Manual
• 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 bass patch, it makes sense to use Mix Play Mode.
• When you want different sounds to respond to different MIDI channels.
QS SIGNAL FLOW
THE FOUR SOUNDS OF A PROGRAM
Each Program is made up of at least one to four sounds. A sound is made up of
several components including a voice (the original sound material) which passes
through a low-pass filter and an amplifier. The voice, filter and amp modules each
have direct modifiers (Pitch LFO, Filter LFO, Amp Envelope) which affect how each
will function in the Program. You can layer these sounds together, or divide them into
regions of the keyboard, or a combination of these things.
The following diagram illustrates the signal flow within each QS Program.
Editing Programs: Chapter 6
When editing a Program, use the [00] - [30] buttons to select the sound layer you
want to edit.
Let’s look at each module’s function in detail.
QS7/QS8 Reference Manual 49
Chapter 6: Editing Programs
VOICE
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, keyboard, pressure, pedal,
LFO, and other control sources (described later).
Note that the waveforms in the QS are different from those found in samplers or
many sample-playback units. Because the QS has its own filter module and
amplitude module for each voice, the pure waveforms are relatively bright--as bright
as the original instrument can be--and have a constant sustaining amplitude, like an
organ. So if you listen to a piano voice without setting the filter or amp to the correct
settings, it won't decay after it is hit, as you might expect. This gives you the freedom
to create the timbre and dynamics you want, instead of being chained to the
parameters of the original sample.
LOWPASS FILTER
A lowpass filter varies a signal’s harmonic content by progressively increasing
attenuation above a specified cutoff frequency. The higher frequencies are filtered,
while the lower frequencies are allowed to “pass-thru.” When the cutoff frequency is
set high, the sound becomes brighter; when set low, the sound becomes bassier
since fewer harmonics are present.
Static (non-changing) filter settings can be useful, but varying the filter cutoff
dynamically over time often produces more interesting effects. Modulating with
velocity produces brighter sounds with louder dynamics, which produces a more
accurate acoustic instrument simulation. Modulating with an envelope can create a
pre-defined change in harmonic structure, such as having a brighter attack and
bassier decay.
AMP
50 QS7/QS8 Reference Manual
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
will get through, no matter how the amp is set. Similarly, setting the amp for a short
decay won’t let you hear any filtering set for a longer decay. This is because the
volume will reach zero before the filter decay finishes.
ABOUT MODULATION
Modulation modifies some aspect of a sound over time. Since oscillators make static
sounds (unlike acoustic instruments, whose timbre and dynamics change—often
radically—over the duration of a note), modulation is the key to making rich and
expressive sounds. The vibrato of a flute, the expression pedal of an organ, a wahwah pedal on a guitar--all of these are examples of modulation. You're probably
familiar with the mod wheel of a synthesizer, which typically adds vibrato to a
Program as it is raised. But in synthesizer programming, modulation is used to
control even the basic characteristics of a voice: its attack, decay, and release times,
for example. Every box in the signal diagram on page 49 pointing towards the Voice,
Filter, or Amp boxes is a modulation source. The amount of modulation, the time it
takes place, and what controls (such as key velocity, footpedals, aftertouch, mod
wheel etc.) affect it are important parameters in every Program. The QS provides the
modulation flexibility of patch cord-based instruments, but with the convenience and
ease of use of digital technology.
Editing Programs: Chapter 6
With some parameters, the modulation amount can be positive or negative. A positive
control signal increases the value of the parameter being controlled. A negative
control signal decreases the value of the parameter being controlled. Setting
modulation to 00 turns off the modulation source. Example: Keyboard velocity can
either make a sound brighter the harder you play, or make it less bright, or have no
effect on the Filter at all. You have the freedom to set modulation any way you want,
even in ways that are the opposite of what they would be on an acoustic instrument.
If a “baseline” setting exists for a parameter, modulation amounts add or subtract
values from the existing setting. However, modulation cannot force a value beyond its
maximum range. For example, if the Amp is already at its minimum value (lowest
level), you could apply positive modulation to raise the level. But applying negative
modulation will not affect the Amp level, since it's already at its lowest value and
cannot go any lower.
The QS lets you assign several modulation sources to one modulation “target”
parameter, which allows for interaction between two modulation signals. Example: If
the Amp parameter responds to both the envelope generator and a pedal, the
parameter will follow the general envelope shape but will also be influenced by the
pedal.
QS7/QS8 Reference Manual 51
Chapter 6: Editing Programs
LFO (LOW FREQUENCY OSCILLATOR)
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 the LFO to the pitch, for example,
would create vibrato). The LFO creates a cyclic (periodic) modulation; this amount
can be constant and/or varied with a variety of modulation sources (mod wheel is one
of the most popular). Each LFO has a waveform shape and speed, along with other
controls.
ENVELOPES
Envelope generators provide a modulation signal that varies over time, from the time
you strike the key until after you let go. There are three independent envelope
generators (for pitch, filter, and amp) in each Program Sound. An envelope generator
has different effects on different modules. Example: The Amp Envelope creates level
changes. Amplitude that decays over time creates percussive effects (plucked
strings, drums, etc.). Amplitude that increases over time gives the effect of brass,
woodwind, and some bowed instruments.
Each envelope generator has the standard attack, decay, sustain, and release
parameters found on most synthesizers, along with delay, sustain decay, and
different triggering options.
ABOUT SIGNAL PROCESSING
The QS features a signal processing section based on the Alesis QuadraVerb 2. It is
a complete digital signal processing unit with four input buses, simultaneous multiple
effects, and flexible signal routing.
Effects parameters are edited separately from either the Program or the Mix, using
Effects Edit Mode (more in Chapter 6). In Program Edit Mode, each of the four
sounds in the Program has its own Effect Level control and can be assigned to any
one of the four effect buses. Effects settings, Effect Level and Bus information are
saved with the Program when you store it back into memory.
52 QS7/QS8 Reference Manual
DRUM MODE
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”) as the voice of a Program
sound, an entire arrangement of preset, pre-mapped drum sounds will be assigned
across the keyboard. If you select a single drum (such as “Timpani”) as the voice,
that single drum sound will sound across the keyboard range, with a different pitch on
each note (the original sample pitch will appear on C3).
However, Drum Mode changes the nature of the VOICE function, allowing you to
make up your own drum kit from a selection of over 80 different samples: 7 kicks, 8
snares, 4 hi-hats, 14 toms, 5 cymbals, 31 percussion, 17 percussion effects and 3
synth waves. Plus, there are 44 rhythm beats to choose from (pre-sequenced drum
grooves). You can map any of these samples to any note on the keyboard that does
not already have a drum assigned to it in that layer. When a sound is in Drum Mode,
you can assign 10 different drum sounds to 10 different keys in that layer. If all four
sounds in a Program are placed in Drum Mode, you could assemble 40 drum sounds.
In Drum mode, individual drums cannot be “stretched” across the entire range of the
keyboard -- each occupies a maximum of three keys.
Editing Programs: Chapter 6
Each of the 10 drum sounds has its own set of parameters in each of the functions in
the display (Pitch, Filter, Range, Effects Level, etc.). You can use the [0] – [9] buttons
to select which one of the 10 drum sounds to edit in each Function Group ([40] –
[120] buttons).
Here is a block diagram of a sound in Drum Mode.
When Drum Mode is enabled, the sound will have fewer parameters for editing.
Consequently, not all Function buttons will respond when pressed as when Drum
Mode is turned off. Specifically, the LFOs and all Envelopes (with the exception of the
Amp Envelope) are unavailable. In addition, the parameters in most other functions
will differ.
QS7/QS8 Reference Manual 53
Chapter 6: Editing Programs
PROGRAM EDIT FUNCTIONS
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 “ED:PRG” will appear in the
display’s edit status section (upper-left corner):
ED:PRG SOUND1 πå
SOUND ENABLE:ON
A Program may also be edited from within a Mix. This requires that you press the
[EDIT SELECT] button twice from Mix Play Mode (each time you press [EDIT
SELECT] in Mix Mode, the display cycles between Mix Edit, Program Edit and Effects
Edit Modes). When editing a Program in Mix Mode, the letters “ED:MX CH” will
appear in the display’s edit status section (upper-left corner), with the channel
number that is being edited immediately following:
ED:MX CHå SND1πå
SOUND ENABLE:ON
TIP:
sound 1.
VOICE
The Voice function (press [40]) is the most fundamental part of Program editing. It is
where you choose the particular sample that forms the basis of a sound. To avoid
scrolling through long lists of samples (remember, there are 8 megabytes of sounds
in here!), sounds are divided into groups. After selecting the group, you then select
the sound within the group.
Sound Enable Page 1
This is the master on/off switch for the selected sound (1–4) of the current Program.
To avoid using up polyphony unnecessarily, set Sound Enable to OFF for any
sounds that will not be used in a Program. Turning sounds off is also a convenient
way to isolate a particular sound you are editing. When the sound being edited is
disabled, the upper display will show the word “sound” in lowercase letters. When the
sound being edited is enabled, the word “SOUND” will appear in uppercase letters.
When editing a Program from Mix Mode, the words will letters will appear as “SND”
when a sound is enabled, and “snd” when disabled.
A quick way to turn a sound on and off from anywhere within Program Edit Mode is to
hold the corresponding Sound button [00]–[30] and press [t VALUE] to disable or
[VALUE s] to enable. Example: Holding [00] and pressing [t VALUE] will disable
Sound Type Page 2
This determines whether a Sound layer is going to be in Keyboard Mode or Drum
Mode. Drum Mode allows you to assign individual drum sounds to individual keys. To
Program a sound in Drum Mode, refer to the next section “Programming Drum
Sounds” on page 78.
54 QS7/QS8 Reference Manual
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 samples than others.
Below and on the following page, you’ll find a chart listing the various samples in their
respective groups.
Group Voice
Piano
Chromatic
Organ
Guitar
Bass
String
Brass
Wdwind
Synth
GrndPianoL, GrndPianoR, DarkPno1 L, DarkPno1 R, DarkPno2 L, DarkPno2 R, DarkPno3 L,
DarkPno3 R, BritePno1L, BritePno1R, BritePno2L, BritePno2R, BritePno3L, BritePno3R,
4::VibesWave, NoHammer R, SoftPianoL, SoftPianoR, VeloPianoL, VeloPianoR, TapPiano L,
TapPiano R, E Spinet 1, E Spinet 2, Toy Pno L, Toy Pno R, KeyTrack1, KeyTrack2, Stretch L,
Stretch R, PianoWaveL, PianoWaveR, BriteRoads, Dark Roads, Soft Roads, VeloRoads1,
VeloRoads2, VeloRoads3, Wurly, VeloWurly1, VeloWurly2, FM Piano, FM Tines, Soft Tines,
VelAtkTine, Vel FM Pno, BrtRdsWave, DrkRdsWave, SftRdsWave, Wurly Wave
Clavinet, VelAtkClav, ClavntWave, Harpsicord, VAtkHarpsi, HarpsiWave, Glock, Xylophone,
Marimba Hd, Marimba Sf, MarimbaVel, Vibraphone, VibesWave, Ice Block, Brake Drum,
TubulrWave, TubWv/Null, FMTblrBell, FMTublrSft, FMTublrVel, FMTub/Null
Rock Organ, Perc Organ, FullDrwbr1, FullDrwbr2, 3 Drawbars, 4 Drawbars, UpprDrwbrs,
16'Drawbar, 5 1/3' bar, 8' Drawbar, 4' Drawbar, 2 2/3' bar, 2' Drawbar, 1 3/5' bar, 1 1/3' bar, 1'
Drawbar, Percus 2nd, Percus 3rd, Percus Wav, HollowWave, 60's Combo, RotarySpkr,
ChurchOrgn, Principale, Positive
SteelStrng, NylonGuitr, Nylon/Harm, Nylon/Harp, JazzGuitar, SingleCoil, Sngle/Mute,
DoubleCoil, DCoil/Harm, DCoil/Jazz, D/S Coil, MicroGuitr, PwrH/MGtr1, PwrH/MGtr2,
MuteGuitar, Mute Velo, Metal Mute, MGtr/MtlMt, MtlMut/Hrm, Fuzz Wave, ClsHarmncs,
ElecHarmnc, Pwr Harm 1, Pwr Harm 2, Pwr Harm 3, PwrHrmVel1, PwrHrmVel2, PwrHrmVel3
StudioBass, Studio&Hrm, Studio/Hrm, Slp/Studio, Slap Bass, Slap&Harm, Slap/Harm,
Slap/Pop, Pop/Slap, Bass Pop, Pop/Harm, Harm/Pop, JazzFingrd, Fingr&Harm, JazzPicked,
Pickd&Harm, Jazz Velo, Muted Bass, Stik Bass, Stik&Harm, Stik/Harm, Harm/Stik, Fretless,
Frtls&Harm, AcousBass1, AcoBs1&Hrm, AcousBass2, AcoBs2&Hrm, VelAcoBass, 3VelBass1, 3-VelBass2, 3-VelBass3, 3-VelBass4, BassHarmnc
StringEnsm, TapeStrngs, SoloString, SoloViolin, Solo Viola, Solo Cello, Contrabass, Pizz
Sectn, Pizz Split, Pizz/Strng, Strng/Pizz, StringAttk, Harp, Hi Bow, Low Bow
Pop Brass, ClasclBras, AttakBrass, Trumpet, HarmonMute, Trombone, FrenchHorn, Bari
Horn, Tuba
Bassoon, Oboe, EnglishHrn, Clarinet, Bari Sax, BrthyTenor, Alto Sax, SopranoSax, Velo Sax,
Flute, Flute Wave, Shakuhachi, PanPipe Hd, PanPipe Md, PanPipe Sf, PanPipeVel, Pan
Wave, BottleBlow, BottleWave
J Pad, M Pad, X Pad, Velo Pad 1, Velo Pad 2, Velo Pad 3, AcidSweep1, AcidSweep2,
AcidSweep3, AcidSweep4, AcidSweep5, VeloAcid 1, VeloAcid 2, VeloAcid 3, VeloAcid 4,
Chirp Rez1, Chirp Rez2, Chirp RezV, Quack Rez1, Quack Rez2, Quack Rez3, Quack Rez4,
QuackRezV1, QuackRezV2, QuackRezV3, Uni Rez 1, Uni Rez 2, Uni Rez 3, Uni Rez V,
AnalogSqr1, AnalogSqr2, AnalogSqrV, SyncLead 1, SyncLead 2, SyncLead V, Seq Bass,
Seq BassV1, Seq BassV2, FatSynBass, TranceBas1, TranceBas2, VeloTrance, FunkSynBs1,
FunkSynBs2, FunkSynBs3, FunkSynBsV, FilterBass, FM Bass, FM/FiltVel, Soft Chirp, Soft
Rez
QS7/QS8 Reference Manual 55
Chapter 6: Editing Programs
Wave
Noise
Voice
Ethnic
Drums
Percus
SndFX
Rhythm
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, VeloSquare, Mini Tri, Tri Filter,
Velo Tri, Rectanglar, Hard Sync, HSync/Rect, BrightSync, Rez Sync, Ring Mod, RingMod V1,
RingMod V2, OctaveLock, Diet Saw, Band Saw, Notch Saw, HiPassSaw1, HiPassSaw2,
HiPassSaw3, HiPassSaw4, HiPassVel1, HiPassVel2, HiPassVel3, HiPassVel4, HiPassVel5,
HiPassVel6, Cognitive, Additive 1, Additive 2, VeloAdditv, Digital 1, Digital 2, Digital 3, Digital
4, Science 1, Science 2, Science 3, Science 4, VelScience, Metal Wave, Inharmonc1,
Inharmonc2
WhiteNoise, Spectral, Crickets, Rain Noise, FiltrNoise, ShapeNoise, VeloNoise1, VeloNoise2,
VeloNoise3, NoiseLoop1, NoiseLoop2, NoiseLoop3, NoiseLoop4, NoiseLoop5
VocalAhhs, Soft Ahhs, Ahhs Wave, VocalOohs, Soft Oohs, Oohs/Ahhs, Ahhs/Oohs, Whistle,
Phonic
Sitar, Sitar Wave, Shamisen, Koto, DulcimerHd, DulcimerMd, DulcimerSf, DulcimrVel,
DulcmrWave, MandlnTrem, Accordian, Harmonica, Banjo, Kalimba, Steel Drum, Tuned Pipe
Stndrd Kit, Rock Kit 1, Rock Kit 2, Dance Kit, Brush Kit, ElctricKit, Tek Kit, Rap Kit, Street Kit,
MetalliKit, HvyMtliKit, VeloMtlKit, Trip Kit 1, Trip Kit 2, Trip Kit 3, Wild Kit, Octave Kit,
OrchstraKt, Raga Kit, FloppyKick, PillowKick, MasterKick, Metal Kick, Smoke Kick,
GrooveKik1, GrooveKik2, Sharp Kick, Tek Kick, AnalogKick, Rap Kick, FatWoodSnr, HR
Snare, Master Snr, PiccoloSnr, Electrnic1, Electrnic2, Rap Snare1, Rap Snare2, Tek Snare,
Brush Snr, Crosstick, Hi Tom, Mid Tom, Low Tom, Cannon Tom, Hex Tom, Rap Tom, Closed
Hat, HalfOpnHat, Open Hat, Foot Hat, TekHatClsd, TekHatOpen, RapHatClsd, RapHatOpen,
CricketCHH, CricketTIK, CricktsOHH, FltrNoisCH, FltrNoisOH, Ride Cym, Ride Bell, Crash
Cym, Null/Crash, Splash Cym, China Cym, Rap Cymbal, RapCymWave, StndrdKtDM,
RockKit1DM, RockKit2DM, DanceKitDM, BrushKitDM, ElctrcKtDM, Tek Kit DM, Rap Kit DM,
StreetKtDM, TripKit1DM, TripKit2DM, TripKit3DM, OctavKitDM, OrchstraDM
Agogo, Bongo, Cabasa, Castanet, Chimes 1, Chimes 2, Chimes 3, Clap Rap, Clap Tek, Clave
1, Clave 2, Conga Hit1, Conga Hit2, CongaSlap1, CongaSlap2, Rap Conga, Rap Rim,
Cowbell, RapCowbell, Cuica, Djembe Hi, Djembe Low, Drumstix, FingerSnap, GuiroLong1,
GuiroLong2, GuiroShort, Maracas, SmbaWhstl1, SmbaWhstl2, ShortWhstl, Shaker Hi, Shaker
Low, Sleighbel1, Sleighbel2, Tabla Ga, Tabla Ka, Tabla Ka 2, Tabla Na, Tabla Te, Tabla Te 2,
Tabla Tin, Taiko Drum, Taiko Rim, Talk Down, Talk Up, Tambourine, Timbale, Timpani,
Null/Timp, Triangle 1, Triangle 2, TrianglSf1, TrianglSf2, Udu Hi, Udu Mid, Udu Low, Udu
Slap, Vibrasmak1, Vibrasmak2, Wood Block
Rain 1, Rain 2, Bird Tweet, Bird Loop, Telephone, Jungle 1, Jungle 2, Jungle 3, Jungle 4,
GoatsNails, ScrtchPul1, ScrtchPul2, ScrtchPsh1, ScrtchPsh2, ScratchLp1, ScratchLp2,
ScrtchPLp1, ScrtchPLp2, ScrtchPLp3, ScrtchPLp4, Orch Hit, Null/Orch, Dance Hit,
Null/Dance, Rez Zip, RezAttack1, RezAttack2, RezAttkVel, Zap Attk 1, Zap Attk 2, Zap Attk 3,
Fret Noise, Sci Loop 1, Sci Loop 2, Sci Loop 3, Bit Field1, Bit Field2, Bit Field3, Bit Field4, Bit
Field5, Bit Field6, WavLoop1.0, WavLoop1.1, WavLoop1.2, WavLoop1.3, WavLoop1.4,
WavLoop1.5, WavLoop1.6, WavLoop1.7, WavLoop1.8, WavLoop2.0, WavLoop2.1,
WavLoop2.2, WavLoop2.3, WavLoop2.4, WavLoop2.5, WavLoop2.6, WavLoop2.7,
WavLoop2.8, WavLoop3.0, WavLoop3.1, WavLoop3.2, WavLoop3.3, WavLoop3.4,
WavLoop3.5, WavLoop4.0, WavLoop4.1, WavLoop4.2, WavLoop4.3, WavLoop4.4,
WavLoop4.5, D-Scrape, D-ScrapeLp
Psi Beat 1, Psi Beat 2, Psi Beat 3, Psi Beat 4, Psi Beat 5, Psi Beat 6, Psi Beat 7, Psi Beat 8,
Psi Beat 9, Psi Beat10, Psi Beat11, Psi Beat12, Kick Loop1, Kick Loop2, Kick Loop3, Kick
Loop4, Kick Loop5, Kick Loop6, Kick Loop7, Kick Loop8, Kick Loop9, KickLoop10,
KickLoop11, Snare Lp 1, Snare Lp 2, Snare Lp 3, Snare Lp 4, Snare Lp 5, Snare Lp 6, Snare
Lp 7, Snare Lp 8, Snare Lp 9, SnareBeat1, SnareBeat2, SnareBeat3, SnareBeat4,
SnareBeat5, Back Beat1, Back Beat2, Back Beat3, Back Beat4, Hat1 Clsd1, Hat1 Clsd2, Hat1
Foot, Hat1 Open1, Hat1 Open2, Hat2 Clsd1, Hat2 Clsd2, Hat2 Foot, Hat2 Open1, Hat2
Open2, Hat3 Clsd1, Hat3 Clsd2, Hat3 Open1, Hat3 Open2, Hat Beat 1, Hat Beat 2, Hat Beat
3, Hat Beat 4, Hat Beat 5, Hat Beat 6, Hat Beat 7, Hat Beat 8, Hat Beat 9, Hat Beat10, Agogo
Loop, Bongo Loop, CabasaLoop, CastanetLp, CongaLoop1, Shaker Lp1, Shaker Lp2,
SleighLoop, Tabla Ga Lp, Tabla Ka Lp, Tabla Na Lp, Tabla Te Lp, TablaTin Lp, Taiko Loop,
PercBeat1, PercBeat2, PercBeat3, PercBeat4, VoiceLoop1, VoiceLoop2, PhonicLoop,
SpinalLoop, Tr Loop 1, Tri Loop 2, Orch Loop
56 QS7/QS8 Reference Manual
Editing Programs: Chapter 6
LEVEL
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 volume for a sound. Higher numbers give higher levels.
Pan (<3 to 3>) Page 2
There are 7 available pan locations in the stereo (two-channel) field: Far left (-3), mid
left, near left, center (0), near right, mid right, and far right (+3). The pan value is
maintained, even if the Output value is changed (see below).
Output (Main, Aux, or Off) Page 3
The Output parameter has three settings: Main, Aux, or Off. To send the sound’s
output to the Main outputs, select Main. To send the sound’s output to the Aux
outputs, select Aux. To turn off the sound’s output, set this parameter to Off.
(Note, however, that the sound may still feed an Effect Send).
TIP:
To send a sound to an individual output, use Output in conjunction with Pan.
Example: Panning a sound full left and selecting the Aux outputs means that the
sound will appear at only the left Aux output.
Effect Level (00 to 99) Page 4
The QS isn’t just a synthesizer; it also has a built-in effects system and mixer, with
four effect buses and sends. This section lets you feed the sound to one of the effect
buses for processing (see Chapter 7 for more information on editing Effects). The
Effect Level parameter determines how much of the sound feeds the chosen effect
bus (see below). Higher values mean that the sound will be more effected.
Effect Bus (1 to 4) Page 5
Selects which of the four buses the sound will feed, thereby determining which
effect(s) will process the sound. Each Program has its own unique arrangement of
effects. Example: In Program #12, bus 1 may be a Chorus/Delay/Reverb, while in
Program #27, bus 1 may just be a Flanger.
QS7/QS8 Reference Manual 57
Chapter 6: Editing Programs
PITCH
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, from -99 (transposed down 99/100 of a semitone) to
+99 (transposed up 99/100 of a semitone).
Detune Type (Normal or Equal) Page 3
With Normal selected, the percentage of detuning remains the same over the entire
range of the keyboard, so the effects of detuning sound the same no matter which
key you play. With Equal selected, the absolute amount of detuning remains the
same over the entire keyboard, so any detuning seems less pronounced as you play
higher up on the keyboard.
Pitch Wheel Range (0 to 12 semitones) Page 4
Determines the maximum amount of pitch bend when the [PITCH] wheel is full
forward. Example: When set to 12, the pitch wheel will bend ±1 octave (12
semitones).
Aftertouch Depth (-99 to +99) Page 5
At +00, aftertouch has no effect on pitch. Applying aftertouch (by pressing harder on
the keyboard, or via MIDI messages) with this parameter set to a positive value
raises the pitch; conversely, applying aftertouch through a negative value lowers the
pitch. The higher the number (either positive or negative), the greater the amount of
pitch change for a given amount of aftertouch.
Pitch LFO Depth (-99 to +99) Page 6
At +00, the pitch LFO has no effect. Higher positive values increase the amount of
Pitch LFO modulation. Negative values give the same apparent effect, but with
reversed LFO phase (i.e., if the pitch would normally be increasing with depth set to a
positive number, the pitch would instead be decreasing at that same moment had the
depth been set to a negative number). Pitch LFO parameters (such as speed and
wave shape) are programmed within the Pitch LFO Function (see page 72).
Pitch Envelope Depth (-99 to +99) Page 7
At +00, the Pitch Envelope has no effect. Positive values raise the pitch from the
baseline according to the envelope shape, while negative values similarly lower the
pitch (see illustration below). The higher the number (negative or positive), the
greater the effect. Pitch Envelope parameters (such as attack and decay time) are
programmed within the Pitch Envelope Function (see page 61).
58 QS7/QS8 Reference Manual
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 greater the interval (the pitch difference between the two notes),
the longer the glide. For example, a glide between two notes a whole step apart
would take much less time than a glide between two notes an octave apart. The
1 Speed curve maintains a constant glide rate regardless of the pitch difference
between notes.
About portamento: When you play a key and then a second key, normally the
sound jumps instantly from one pitch to another. Portamento provides a sweeping
glide from one note to another over a variable amount of time. A good example of this
type of sound is a steel guitar, where a note slides from one pitch to another.
Portamento Rate (0 to 99) Page 9
Sets the glide duration. Higher numbers give longer glide times. The Rate value is
affected by the Portamento value (see above).
TIP:
Keyboard Mode (Mono, Poly, 1-Pitch or 1-PMono) Page 10
In Mono mode, you can play only one note at a time—just like vintage monophonic
synthesizers or wind instruments. Poly mode allows you to play polyphonically. Note
that portamento behavior is more predictable in mono mode.
With a feedback guitar patch that uses one sound for the guitar and one sound for the
feedback, setting the feedback sound to Mono Keyboard Mode insures that your
feedback “whistle” will be monophonic, which more accurately mimics what happens
when you play lead guitar.
Use 1-PITCH mode when you want a program sound layer to play a single pitch
polyphonically throughout the entire keyboard range. In 1-PITCH mode, the QS will
play the sample used for note C3 for all notes in the range. 1-PITCH mode is often
used for layering a noise or drum sound behind another sound that is pitched, for
example, to fatten up a bass guitar sound with a hint of kick drum, or to have the
same cymbal hit every time any note is played. Alternatively, 1-PMONO mode is a
monophonic version of 1-PITCH.
Sometimes when playing a monophonic instrument, you will not want the envelopes
to retrigger when playing legato, as this would sound realistic. Imagine a flute-player
beginning each note in a phrase with a sharp, breathy attack. In reality, the player
would only attack the first note in the phrase this way. Therefore, if the Keyboard
Mode is set to “Mono”, the three envelopes (Pitch Envelope, Filter Envelope and Amp
Envelope) will only retrigger when playing legato if the envelope’s Trigger Mode is
set to either “Reset” or “Reset-Freerun”.
QS7/QS8 Reference Manual 59
Chapter 6: Editing Programs
FILTER
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.
Signals with complex harmonic structures are most affected by the filter. Examples: A
TIP:
sine wave has virtually no harmonics so you will not hear any significant changes as
long as the filter cutoff is higher than the note pitch. If the filter cutoff is lower than the
note pitch, you will either not hear the note, or it will be very soft. A harmonically-rich
sample (such as brass or white noise) will be greatly affected by the filter.
If the Filter Frequency is set to maximum, in most cases all other variables in the
Filter function will have no effect. Most other filter functions raise the filter frequency,
and it can't be greater than 99. So if you want to use filter effects, proper setting of
this initial cutoff frequency is crucial. This is the “baseline” from which all other filter
parameters will raise or lower (open or close) the filter.
If the Filter Frequency is set to 00, and no other parameters are set to raise it
dynamically, no sound will pass through the filter at all--there will be silence. If the
Amp settings are wide open and you can't hear anything, check the Filter Frequency
setting.
Since the waveforms in ROM are recorded at the brightest possible setting, in many
cases dynamic filtering is crucial to making a program sound natural.
Filter Track (On or Off) Page 2
When off, the filter cutoff remains constant across the keyboard. Higher notes will be
more affected than lower notes, since the filter cutoff is comparatively lower for higher
notes than lower ones.
When on, the filter frequency tracks the keyboard pitch. Therefore, if using the filter
creates a particular harmonic structure when you play one key, playing a different key
will shift the filter frequency to maintain the same harmonic structure.
Velocity (-99 to +99) Page 3
At +00, velocity has no effect on the filter cutoff. With positive values, playing harder
increases the filter cutoff. More positive values drive the cutoff frequency higher for a
given amount of velocity. More negative values drive the cutoff frequency lower for a
given amount of velocity.
Many acoustic instruments, such as acoustic guitars, sound brighter when you play
TIP:
60 QS7/QS8 Reference Manual
them more forcefully. Adding a little positive velocity control over the filter can
simulate more realistic acoustic sounds.
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 wheel up lowers the filter cutoff frequency and
moving it down raises the filter cutoff frequency .
Aftertouch Depth (-99 to +99) Page 5
At +00, aftertouch has no effect on the filter cutoff frequency. Applying aftertouch with
this parameter set to a positive value raises the filter cutoff frequency; conversely,
applying aftertouch with a negative value lowers the filter cutoff frequency. The higher
the number (either positive or negative), the greater the effect for a given amount of
aftertouch.
Many acoustic instruments sound brighter as you play them more forcefully; in
particular, brass gets brighter as you blow harder. Using aftertouch to increase a
sound’s brightness can give more control and realism with acoustic instruments.
Filter LFO Depth (-99 to +99) Page 6
TIP:
At +00, the filter LFO has no effect. Higher positive values increase the amount of
filter LFO modulation. Negative values give the same apparent effect, but with
reversed LFO phase (i.e., if the filter cutoff frequency would normally be increasing
with depth set to a positive number, the cutoff would instead be decreasing at that
same moment had the depth been set to a negative number). Filter LFO parameters
(such as speed and wave shape) are programmed from within the FLFO Function
(see page 74).
Filter LFO is good for giving wah-wah effects at slower LFO speeds, and for adding
“shimmering” with higher LFO speeds.
Filter Envelope Depth (-99 to +99) Page 7
The Filter Envelope is one of the most important settings in making a program. Many
programs will use the Filter Envelope to determine the tonal character of the sound
over time (attack, decay, sustain, and release). At +00, the filter envelope has no
effect. Positive values raise the filter from the baseline cutoff frequency according to
the envelope shape, and negative values similarly lower the cutoff frequency. The
higher the number (negative or positive), the greater the effect. Filter Envelope
parameters (such as attack and decay time) are programmed within the Filter
Envelope Function (see page 64).
QS7/QS8 Reference Manual 61
Chapter 6: Editing Programs
AMP/RANGE
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 in velocity; the velocity values increase as you play harder. Many of the
Velocity Curves make up sets to be used by 2, 3 or 4 sounds in order to facilitate
velocity crossfading, whereby a different sound is played depending on how hard or
soft the keyboard is played.
As explained earlier, many of the samples to choose from when assigning voices are
already velocity switching. These samples usually have the word “Velo” or the letter
“V” in their names, indicating that there is actually more than one sample per note
which can be selected by how hard or soft each note is played. However, the velocity
point at which these sounds change is fixed and cannot be altered. If you want to
create your own velocity crossfading Program, assign the single-sample versions of
the same samples (“MarimbaVel” is made up of “Marimba Hd” and “Marimba Sf”) to
two or more sounds, then use the appropriate velocity curves for each sound (in a
three-way velocity split, sound 1 would use curve “1 of 3,” sound 2 would use curve
“2 of 3” while sound 3 would use “3 of 3”).
Aftertouch Depth (-99 to +99) Page 2
At +00, aftertouch has no effect on the amplitude. Applying aftertouch with this
parameter set to a positive value raises the amplitude; conversely, applying
aftertouch with a negative value will make the sound softer the harder you press. The
higher the number (either positive or negative), the greater the effect for a given
amount of aftertouch.
Use aftertouch to “swell” the amplitude of brass and horn parts.
TIP:
62 QS7/QS8 Reference Manual
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 instead be decreasing at that same moment
had the depth been set to a negative number). Amp LFO parameters (such as speed
and wave shape) are programmed within the Amp LFO Function (see page 75).
TIP:
Amp LFO set to a triangle wave gives tremolo effects.
Lower Limit (MIDI note 000 to 127/ C-2 to G8)
Page 4
Each sound can be restricted 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).
The Lower Limit specifies the lowest note of the sound’s keyboard range. You can set
the lower limit by holding [80] and tapping the key on the keyboard you want to set as
the lowest note in the range.
High Limit (MIDI note 000 to 127/ C-2 to G8) Page 5
Specifies the highest note of the sound’s keyboard range. You can set the high limit
by holding [80] and tapping the key on the keyboard you want to set as the highest
note in the range.
Q S 8 K e y b o a r d R a n g e
P r o g r a m S o u n d R a n g e
By setting the lower limit above the high limit, you can create a “hole in the middle”
TIP:
in Mix Edit Mode to cap-off the lower and high limits.
QS7/QS8 Reference Manual 63
effect. This makes the sound appear to have two zones. All notes from the bottom of
the keyboard to the high limit note will play, and all notes from the lower limit to the
top of the keyboard will play, but the notes between the high limit and the lower limit
will not play. This can be further enhanced in Mix Mode by using the Range function
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 days, different brands of synthesizers offered different voice allocation
schemes. One brand used a method called “rotate mode” in which each time a note
was struck, a new voice was used. Another brand used a different method called
“reassign mode” whereby if a note is played and then played again, the same voice is
used both times. In other words, a new voice is used each time a new note of a
different pitch is played.
The Sound Overlap value lets you choose a comfortable setting between rotate mode
and reassign mode. When the value equals 99, you are always in rotate mode, using
up polyphony; if the value is 00, you are always in reassign mode, conserving voices.
Set the value anywhere between 00 and 99 and you will get a combination of both,
with partiality toward whichever mode the value is closest to.
A piano sound requires some Sound Overlap, but not a lot; it isn’t natural to hear too
many voices on the same note. On the other hand, having only one voice per pitch
isn’t natural either; let’s say you played a loud note with the sustain pedal held,
followed by a soft note--the second note would abruptly cut-off the first. On a real
piano, the string would still be resonating from the first (loud) note when the second
(soft) note was played; thus the two notes would overlap.
J
It is important to note that Sound Overlap can have a negative effect on polyphony.
If you have Sound Overlap set to 99, hold the sustain pedal and play a series of
notes, you will run through all 64 voices in no time. By adjusting the Sound Overlap to
a lower value, you decrease the number of voices used by each new note, and
thereby ensure there are voices available to play other sounds, if necessary.
64 QS7/QS8 Reference Manual
J
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 some instruments to go sharp on
the initial attack, especially when played hard.
The following Pitch Envelope variables will have an effect only if the PITCH
ENVELOPE DEPTH (on Page 7 of the PITCH function) is set to a value other than 0,
or, if Pitch Envelope is a source in the MOD function.
Attack (00 to 99) Page 1
This is the amount of time the envelope will take until it reaches its maximum output
level. Setting the Attack to 0 will make the pitch go to maximum immediately on
hitting the key (if the Delay is also set to 0 in Pitch Envelope, Page 5 -- see next
page); a setting of 99 will result in a much slower attack, taking many seconds before
the envelope gets to maximum.
Decay & Sustain (00 to 99) Pages 2 & 3
As soon as the attack portion of the envelope finishes (when the level reaches
maximum), the envelope will decay (decrease in level). The level it reaches is set by
the Sustain control; how long it takes to get there is set by the Decay control. In the
special case where the Sustain level is all the way up (99), then there is no decrease
and the Decay time segment is bypassed. Whatever level the sustain is set to is the
level that the decay section of the envelope will head for. Depending on the setting of
the Sustain Decay control (see below), the envelope will either hold at the sustain
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 peak level to a level of 98,
before the Sustain Release portion of the envelope begins.
Release (00 to 99, Hold) Page 4
Eventually, you will let go of the note that you’ve been holding (either by releasing the
note on the keyboard, or releasing the sustain pedal if it was pressed). It is at this point
that the Release portion of the envelope takes effect. The Release is the time that the
envelope takes to get from its current level back down to nothing. Setting the Release
time to 99 will take the envelope a very long time to reach zero level.
The Pitch Envelope is unique from the other two envelopes in that its Release time
can be set above 99. When this is done, the value in the display will read “Hold”. This
indicates that the Pitch Envelope will remain where it is even after the note is
released. This is important when you want the pitch effect to continue even after
releasing the key. Example: If the Pitch Envelope is bending a note up, and you don’t
want the pitch to fall when you release the key, set the Release parameter to “Hold”.
QS7/QS8 Reference Manual 65
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 and see that the time between playing the note
and hearing the effect of the Pitch Envelope gets progressively longer as the Delay
control is turned up.
If the Delay is set above 99, the display will read “Hold”. This indicates that the Delay
stage of the envelope will wait indefinitely until the key is released before continuing
on to the remaining envelope stages (Attack, Decay, etc.). This requires that the Pitch
Envelope’s Trigger parameter (see next page) is set to “Freerun”. However, when
the Delay is set to “Hold”, “Freerun” mode is forced on regardless of the Trigger
parameter’s setting.
Sustain Decay (00 to 99) Page 6
This is the amount of time that the envelope will take during the sustain stage to bring
the level down to 0. If this is set to 99, the envelope will remain at the Sustain level
until the note is released. When set to 0, the envelope’s level will immediately jump
down to 0 upon reaching the sustain stage.
Trigger (Normal, Freerun, Reset, Reset-Freerun) Page 7
The Trigger mode determines how the envelope will function. You may select either
Freerun or Reset, or both (Reset-Freerun) or neither (Normal). When set to Normal,
the envelope will always start at its current level (i.e., if another note had been played
which triggered the envelope’s cycle, playing another note in the middle would not
interrupt the cycle). Also in Normal mode, the envelope will immediately advance to
its release stage upon releasing the note. When set to Freerun, the envelope will
complete its entire cycle, even if the note is released in the middle. When set to
Reset, the envelope starts at the beginning whenever a new note is played. When set
to Reset-Freerun, the envelope will start at the beginning whenever a new note is
played and will complete its entire cycle, even if the note is released in the middle.
If a sound layer’s Keyboard Mode parameter (found in the Pitch Function, Page 10) is
set to “Mono”, the Pitch Envelope will only retrigger when playing legato if the Trigger
Mode is set to either “Reset” or “Reset-Freerun”.
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, this does not effect the attack time, but only the
decay, sustain decay and release segments. This feature will result in only a subtle
change. The envelope’s timing doubles or halves over a range of two octaves.
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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 and Attack are set to 0 and either the Decay is 0 or
the Sustain is 99, the envelope will immediately jump to the sustain decay 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 attack segment
when the note is released, it will be skipped and the envelope will jump immediately
to the release segment. If a long delay is set, and the envelope has not reached the
attack segment before the note is released, the envelope will remain at 0. However, if
Freerun is turned on, the envelope will continue through the delay, attack, decay and
sustain segments and remain at the sustain decay segment. This is exactly the same
as holding down the note on the keyboard. When the Sustain Pedal parameter is
turned off, the Sustain Pedal will have no effect on the envelope.
Level (00 to 99) Page 10
This is the overall output level of the envelope. If this is set to 00, the Pitch Envelope
will have no output and will have no effect, while at 99 it will have a maximum effect
on whatever it is being routed to.
TIP:
When selecting Pitch Envelope Level as a modulation destination, set the Pitch
Envelope level to 00 if the Modulation Level is above 0 (or, set the Pitch Envelope
level to 99 if the Modulation Amount is below 0).
Velocity Modulation (00 to 99) Page 11
This determines how keyboard dynamics will affect the envelope level. When set to
99, note velocity controls the envelope’s output; notes played hard will deliver a
higher envelope output than notes played soft. When set to 0, note velocity will have
no effect on the envelope’s output level.
QS7/QS8 Reference Manual 67
Chapter 6: Editing Programs
FILTER ENVELOPE
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.
The following Filter Envelope variables will have effect only if the FILTER
J
ENVELOPE DEPTH (on Page 7 of the FILTER function) is set to a value other than
0, or, Filter Envelope is a source in the MOD function.
Also note that the Filter Envelope may have no effect if some other modulation
source, or the basic setting of the filter, has already pushed the filter cutoff frequency
to its maximum.
Attack (00 to 99) Page 1
This is the amount of time the envelope will take until it reaches its maximum output
level. Setting the Attack to 0 will give a sharp edge to the sound (if the Delay is also
set to 0 in Filter Envelope Page 5 -- see next page); a setting of 99 will result in a
much slower attack, taking many seconds before the envelope gets to maximum.
Decay & Sustain (00 to 99) Pages 2 & 3
As soon as the attack portion of the envelope finishes (when the level reaches
maximum), the envelope will decay (decrease in level). The level it reaches is set by
the Sustain control; how long it takes to get there is set by the Decay control. In the
special case where the Sustain level is all the way up (99), then there is no decrease
and the Decay time segment is bypassed. Whatever level the sustain is set to is the
level that the decay section of the envelope will head for. Depending on the setting of
the Sustain Decay control (see below), the envelope will either hold at the sustain
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 peak level to a level of 98,
before the Sustain Release portion of the envelope begins.
Release (00 to 99) Page 4
Eventually, you will let go of the note that you’ve been holding (either by releasing the
note on the keyboard, or releasing the sustain pedal if it was pressed). It is at this
point that the Release portion of the envelope takes effect. The Release is the time
that the envelope takes to get from the sustain level back down to nothing. Setting
the Release time to 0 is good for playing those short funky riffs that you hear on a
clavinet. Setting the Release time to 99 will take the envelope a very long time to
reach zero level.
68 QS7/QS8 Reference Manual
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 that the time between playing the note
and hearing the effect of the Filter Envelope gets progressively longer as the Delay
control is turned up.
If the Delay is set above 99, the display will read “Hold”. This indicates that the Delay
stage of the envelope will wait indefinitely until the key is released before continuing
on to the remaining envelope stages (Attack, Decay, etc.). This requires that the Filter
Envelope’s Trigger parameter (see next page) is set to “Freerun”. However, when
the Delay is set to “Hold”, “Freerun” mode is forced on regardless of the Trigger
parameter’s setting.
Sustain Decay (00 to 99) Page 6
This is the amount of time that the envelope will take during the sustain stage to bring
the level down to 0. If this is set to 99, the envelope will remain at the Sustain level
until the note is released. This is the normal setting for organ-type sounds. When set
to 0, the envelope’s level will immediately jump down to 0 upon reaching the sustain
stage.
Trigger (Normal, Freerun, Reset, Reset-Freerun) Page 7
The Trigger mode determines how the envelope will function. You may select either
Freerun or Reset, or both (Reset-Freerun) or neither (Normal). When set to Normal,
the envelope will always start at its current level (i.e., if another note had been played
which triggered the envelope’s cycle, playing another note in the middle would not
interrupt the cycle). Also in Normal mode, the envelope will immediately advance to
its release stage upon releasing the note. When set to Freerun, the envelope will
complete its entire cycle, even if the note is released in the middle. When set to
Reset, the envelope starts at the beginning whenever a new note is played. When set
to Reset-Freerun, the envelope will start at the beginning whenever a new note is
played and will complete its entire cycle, even if the note is released in the middle.
If a sound layer’s Keyboard Mode parameter (found in the Pitch Function, Page 10) is
set to “Mono”, the Filter Envelope will only retrigger when playing legato if the Trigger
Mode is set to either “Reset” or “Reset-Freerun”.
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, this does not effect the attack time, but only the
decay, sustain, sustain decay and release segments. This feature will result in only a
subtle change. The envelope’s timing doubles or halves over a range of two octaves.
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
QS7/QS8 Reference Manual 69
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 attack segment when
the note is released, it will be skipped and the envelope will jump immediately to the
sustain decay segment. If a long delay is set, and the envelope has not reached the
attack segment before the note is released, the envelope will remain at 0. However, if
Freerun is turned on, the envelope will continue through the delay, attack, decay and
sustain segments and remain at the sustain decay segment. This is exactly the same
as holding down the note on the keyboard. When the Sustain Pedal parameter is
turned off, the Sustain Pedal will have no effect on the envelope.
Level (00 to 99) Page 10
This is the overall output level of the envelope. If this is set to 00, the Filter Envelope
will have no output and will have no effect, while at 99 it will have a maximum effect
on whatever it is being routed to.
When selecting Filter Envelope Level as a modulation destination, set the Filter
TIP:
Envelope level to 00 if the Modulation Level is above 0 (or, set the Filter Envelope
level to 99 if the Modulation Amount is below 0).
Velocity Modulation (00 to 99) Page 11
This determines how keyboard dynamics will affect the envelope level. When set to
99, note velocity controls the envelope’s output; notes played hard will deliver a
higher envelope output than notes played soft. When set to 0, note velocity will have
no effect on the envelope’s output level.
AMP ENVELOPE
The Amp Envelope function (press [110]) is crucial for all sounds because it sets the
basic characteristics of the note--whether it attacks quickly or slowly, sustains or
decays. Some Programs may leave the Amp Envelope in a sustaining mode, and
provide attack and decay using the Filter Envelope; the effect is slightly different.
Unlike the Pitch and Filter Envelopes, the Amp Envelope is always fully active (there
is no parameter in the Amp/Range function adjusting how much envelope is applied
to the Amp).
Attack (00 to 99) Page 1
This is the amount of time the envelope will take until it reaches its maximum output
level. Setting the Attack to 0 will give a sharp edge to the sound (if the Delay is also
set to 0 in Amp Envelope Page 5 -- see below); a setting of 99 will result in a much
slower attack, taking many seconds before the envelope gets to maximum.
Decay & Sustain (00 to 99) Pages 2 & 3
As soon as the attack portion of the envelope finishes (when the level reaches
maximum), the envelope will decay (decrease in level). The level it reaches is set by
the Sustain control; how long it takes to get there is set by the Decay control. In the
special case where the Sustain level is all the way up (99), then there is no decrease
and the Decay time segment is bypassed. Whatever level the sustain is set to is the
level that the decay section of the envelope will head for. Depending on the setting of
the Sustain Decay control (see below), the envelope will either hold at the sustain
70 QS7/QS8 Reference Manual
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 peak level to a level of 98,
before the Sustain Release portion of the envelope begins.
Release (00 to 99) Page 4
Eventually, you will let go of the note that you’ve been holding (either by releasing the
note on the keyboard, or releasing the sustain pedal if it was pressed). It is at this
point that the Release portion of the envelope takes effect. The Release is the time
that the envelope takes to get from the sustain level back down to nothing. Setting
the Release time to 0 is good for playing those short funky riffs that you hear on a
clavinet. Setting the Release time to 99 will take the envelope a very long time to
reach zero level.
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 that the time between playing the note
and hearing the effect of the Amp Envelope gets progressively longer as the Delay
control is turned up.
If the Delay is set above 99, the display will read “Hold”. This indicates that the Delay
stage of the envelope will wait indefinitely until the key is released before continuing
on to the remaining envelope stages (Attack, Decay, etc.). This requires that the Amp
Envelope’s Trigger parameter (see next page) is set to “Freerun”. However, when
the Delay is set to “Hold”, “Freerun” mode is forced on regardless of the Trigger
parameter’s setting.
Sustain Decay (00 to 99) Page 6
This is the amount of time that the envelope will take during the sustain stage to bring
the level down to 0. If this is set to 99, the envelope will remain at the Sustain level
until the note is released. When set to 0, the envelope’s level will immediately jump
down to 0 upon reaching the sustain stage.
Trigger (Normal, Freerun, Reset, Reset-Freerun) Page 7
The Trigger mode determines how the envelope will function. You may select either
Freerun or Reset, or both (Reset-Freerun) or neither (Normal). When set to Normal,
the envelope will always start at its current level (i.e., if another note had been played
which triggered the envelope’s cycle, playing another note in the middle would not
interrupt the cycle). Also in Normal mode, the envelope will immediately advance to
its release stage upon releasing the note. When set to Freerun, the envelope will
complete its entire cycle, even if the note is released in the middle. When set to
Reset, the envelope starts at the beginning whenever a new note is played. When set
to Reset-Freerun, the envelope will start at the beginning whenever a new note is
played and will complete its entire cycle, even if the note is released in the middle.
If a sound layer’s Keyboard Mode parameter (found in the Pitch Function, Page 10,)
is set to “Mono”, the Amp Envelope will only retrigger when playing legato if the
Trigger Mode is set to either “Reset” or “Reset-Freerun”.
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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, this does not effect the attack time, but only the
decay, sustain, sustain decay and release segments. This feature will result in only a
subtle change. The envelope’s timing doubles or halves over a range of two octaves.
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 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 attack segment when
the note is released, it will be skipped and the envelope will jump immediately to the
sustain decay segment. If a long delay is set, and the envelope has not reached the
attack segment before the note is released, the envelope will remain at 0. However, if
Freerun is turned on, the envelope will continue through the delay, attack, decay and
sustain segments and remain at the sustain decay segment. This is exactly the same
as holding down the note on the keyboard. When the Sustain Pedal parameter is
turned off, the Sustain Pedal will have no effect on the envelope.
TIP:
Level (00 to 99) Page 10
This is the overall output level of the envelope. If this is set to 00, the Amp Envelope
will have no output and will have no effect, while at 99 it will have a maximum effect
on whatever it is being routed to.
When selecting Amp Envelope Level as a modulation destination, set the Amp
Envelope level to 00 if the Modulation Level is above 0 (or, set the Amp Envelope
level to 99 if the Modulation Amount is below 0).
NAME
The Name Function (press [120]) allows you to change the Program’s name. The
Program name can be up to 10 characters long. Use the [ PAGE] and [PAGE ]
buttons to position the cursor. The [s VALUE]/[VALUE t] buttons and the
CONTROLLER [D] slider let you change the character. Here is a chart of available
characters:
! " # $ % & ’ ( ) * + , - . / 0 1 2 3
4 5 6 7 8 9 : ; < = > ? @ A B C D E F G
H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z [
¥ ] ^ _ ` a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o
p q r s t u v w x y z { | } Æ ¨
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MOD 1 – MOD 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 destinations as desired.
The QS arranges its modulation source outputs and modulation destination inputs
into a “matrix” so that any selected source can connect to any of several destinations.
There are six general purpose matrix modulators, which allows you to control up to
six parameters with any of several control sources.
Use the MOD functions to setup your own customized control of a program, such as:
• Using the PEDAL 1 input or the Controller A Slider to control volume, brightness
(filter cutoff), effect level, LFO speed, etc.
• Using velocity to increase or decrease the attack speed of an envelope, so
playing softly makes the sound fade in, while playing hard causes an immediate
attack.
• Using release velocity to increase/decrease the release time of an envelope, so
quick releases of the keys cut off the end of the sound, while slow key releases
allow the sound to fade away gradually.
The MOD functions give you the freedom to go beyond the standard modulation
sources built-in to other functions.
Selecting the Modulator (1 to 6)
Use the [0] – [5] buttons to select one of the six modulators (modulator 1 is [0],
modulator 2 is [1], modulator 3 is [2], etc.). All modulators work in the same way, so
only the pages of one will be described here.
Modulation Source Page 1
Select from the following modulation sources:
• Note # provides a modulation signal that corresponds to the note played on the
keyboard (higher keys give higher values). Example: Use this modulation source
to obtain a different chorus sound in the upper and lower keyboard ranges.
• Velocity relates to how fast a key goes from the key up (note off) to the key
down (note on) position, and therefore represents the dynamics of your playing.
• Release velocity relates to how fast a key goes from the key down (note on) to
the key up (note off) position. Example: Use this to affect the rate of a sound’s
release based on how fast you remove your fingers from the keys.
• Aftertouch Pressing on the keys after they’re down generates this control
signal. Aftertouch is also called channel pressure, and represents an average of
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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 generators can respond to poly pressure signals entering via
the MIDI In. Example: Assign poly pressure to the sound’s amplitude in a string
ensemble patch. You can then increase the level of selected notes of a held
chord to “pull” some notes out of the chord.
• Modulation Wheel The rightmost wheel, Modulation, is traditionally assigned to
LFO amount (level) so that rotating the wheel away from you introduces vibrato.
However it is also well-suited to controlling timbre, vibrato speed, and many other
parameters.
• Pitch Wheel The two wheels to the left of the keyboard are modulation sources
(see below). The leftmost wheel, Pitch, always controls the oscillator pitch but
can be tied to other parameters as well.
• MIDI Volume MIDI can produce a variety of controller messages (see the MIDI
supplement in the back of this manual). Of these, controller #7, which controls
channel volume, is one of the most frequently used. Example: Assign the filter
cutoff as the destination, and you can have the signal become less bright as it
becomes lower in volume.
• Sustain Pedal The sustain switch plugged into the sustain pedal jack provides
this modulation signal.
• Pedal 1 The pedal plugged into the Pedal 1 jack provides this modulation signal.
The default setting assigns Pedal 1 to MIDI Controller 7 to act as a volume pedal.
• Pedal 2 The pedal plugged into the Pedal 2 jack provides this modulation signal.
Pedal 2 can be assigned to any MIDI controller from Global Edit Mode, page 12.
• Pitch LFO This is the same modulation signal provided by the Pitch LFO. The
Frequency LFO and Amplitude LFO can also be selected as modulation
sources.
• Pitch Envelope This is the same modulation signal provided by the Pitch
Envelope. The Frequency Envelope and Amplitude Envelope can also be
selected as modulation sources.
• Random This provides a different modulation value every time you hit a key.
Example: With vintage analog synth patches, use pitch as the destination and
apply a very slight amount of random modulation. Each note will have a slightly
different pitch, which simulates the natural tuning instability of analog circuits.
• Trigrate This is a Trigger Rate Follower, which monitors how fast notes are
being played on the keyboard. For example, if routed to the Effect send of a
Program, you could automatically have more effect when playing slowly, and less
effect when playing quickly.
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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 directly.
• Tracking Generator This accepts the output of a signal processed by the
Tracking Generator module (see page 81).
• Stepped Tracking Generator This accepts the output of a signal processed by
the Tracking Generator module in stepped mode (see page 81).
Modulation Destination Page 2
Select from the following modulation destinations. You can find out more about these
parameters and how they affect the sound in their respective sections (to learn how
Pitch Envelope Attack affects the sound, see page 74 on Pitch Envelopes).
• Pitch • Filter Cutoff • Amplitude
• Effect Send • Pitch LFO Speed • Pitch LFO Amp
• Pitch LFO Delay • Pitch Envelope Delay • Pitch Envelope Attack
• Pitch Envelope Decay • Pitch Envelope Sustain Decay • Pitch Envelope Release
• Pitch Envelope Amp • Filter LFO Speed • Filter LFO Amp
• Filter LFO Delay • Filter Envelope Delay • Filter Envelope Attack
• Filter Envelope Decay • Filter Envelope Sustain Decay • Filter Envelope Release
• Filter Envelope Amp • Amp LFO Speed • Amp LFO Amp
• Amp LFO Delay • Amp Envelope Delay • Amp Envelope Attack
• Amp Envelope Decay • Amp Envelope Sustain Decay • Amp Envelope Release
• Amp Envelope Amp • Portamento Rate
Modulation Level (-99 to +99) Page 3
At +00, the modulation source has no effect on the destination. Higher positive values
increase the amount of modulation. Negative values also increase the amount of
modulation, but with negative phase (i.e., if the modulation would normally be
increasing with depth set to a positive number, the modulation would instead be
decreasing at that same moment had the depth been set to a negative number).
Gate Mode (Off or On) Page 4
The Gate Mode function is available only on modulation routings 1 through 4. When
Gate Mode is on, the Modulator will only be routed while notes are being played. In
other words, you can gate the effect of the Modulator so that it stops when you are
not playing any notes. This can be used on sounds with medium to long release
times, where an interesting effect (like tremolo) is intended to be active while holding
notes down, but deactivated as the sound is fading away after being released.
Quantize Mode (Off or On)
The Quantize Mode function is only available in modulation routings 4 through 6.
When Quantize Mode is on, the modulation effect will be stepped. When off, the
effect will be smooth, or linear. Example: If you were to route the Modulation Wheel to
Pitch with an amplitude of +99, moving the Mod Wheel while the Quantize parameter
was off would cause the pitch of a held note to slide up, much the same way it does
when the Pitch Bend Wheel is used. However, moving the Mod Wheel while the
Quantize parameter was on would cause the pitch of a held note to rise in half-step
increments.
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Chapter 6: Editing Programs
SINE TRIANGLE SQUARE UP SA W
DOWN SA W RANDOM+- NOISE RANDOM+
PITCH LFO
The Pitch LFO function (press [7]) is most often used to apply vibrato to a sound.
The following Pitch LFO variables will make a difference in the sound only if the
J
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 choices) Page 1
The waveform determines the shape of the LFO. Select either Sine, Triangle, Square,
Up Saw, Down Saw, Random+-, Noise or Random+. Note that the two Sawtooth
waves and the Random+ wave are unipolar and the rest are bipolar:
Speed (00 to 99) Page 2
Controls the speed or rate of the LFO. For fast modulation, increase this value. For
slower modulation, decrease this value.
Delay (00 to 99) Page 3
This is the amount of time that is to occur before the LFO fades in. Sometimes, it is
desirable to have modulation come in a moment or two after a note has been played,
rather than starting instantly. The higher the value, the slower the LFO fades in.
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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 whether or not they should be in sync, and whether or
not they can be retriggered independent from one another.
Mono. All voices’ LFOs are in sync with each other. If you hold a chord and then play
new notes on top of the chord, all voices’ LFOs will be moving in the same direction
and at the same speed. Because of this, modulating the LFO Speed using a voicespecific source (such as velocity or one of the envelopes, for example) will have no
effect (you will be allowed to do this, but you won’t hear any difference). This is
because these modulation sources are meant for polyphonic purposes. These include:
Note Number, Velocity, Release Velocity, Pitch/Filter/Amp LFO, Pitch/Filter/Amp
Envelope, Random, Trig Rate and Tracking Generator. However, modulation sources
which are not voice-specific will still have an effect while the LFO Trigger is set to
MONO. These include: Aftertouch, Mod Wheel, Pitch Wheel, MIDI Volume, Sustain
Pedal, Pedal 1, Pedal 2, and Controllers A–D.
Poly. Each voice’s LFO is independent. If you hold a chord, some voices’ LFOs will
be moving in one direction while others move in the other direction. If the LFO Speed
is being modulated (by one of the envelopes, for example), the LFO’s of each voice
may be running at different speeds.
Key Mono. This is identical to MONO, but whenever a new note is played, the LFO is
retriggered, instead of continuing from wherever it may be in its cycle.
Key Poly. This is almost identical to POLY, but whenever a new note is played, the
LFO is retriggered, instead of continuing from wherever it may be in its cycle.
Level (00 to 99) Page 5
This is the base output level of the Pitch LFO. If you want to have a constant value of
vibrato, 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 set to 10, there will always be some
vibrato, and raising the Mod Wheel will add more vibrato. On the other hand, if the
Mod Wheel parameter is set to -10, raising the Mod Wheel to the top will cancel out
all vibrato.
Mod Wheel Depth (-99 to 99) Page 6
This is the modulation amount of the Mod Wheel over the Pitch 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 Pitch LFO as the Mod Wheel is raised. Since the output level of the Pitch LFO
cannot be less than zero, a negative setting of the Mod Wheel parameter will have no
effect unless either the Aftertouch or the Level is set to raise the Pitch LFO output. If
both the Level and Aftertouch are set to 00, and the Mod Wheel parameter is set to
-99, the Mod Wheel will have no effect on the vibrato from the Pitch LFO.
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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.
FILTER LFO
The Filter LFO function (press [7]) is most often used to apply tremolo-like or "wah-wah"
effects to a sound.
The following Filter LFO variables will affect the sound only if the FILTER LFO
J
DEPTH (on Page 6 of the FILTER function) is set to a value other than 0 , or, if Filter
LFO is a source in the MOD function.
Also note that the Filter LFO may have no effect if some other modulation source or
setting has already pushed the filter cutoff frequency to its maximum.
Wave (8 choices) Page 1
The waveform determines the shape of the LFO. Select either Sine, Triangle, Square,
Up Sawtooth, Down Sawtooth, Random+-, Noise or Random+. For a graphic
representation of these waveforms, see the diagram in the Wave section of the Pitch
LFO description on page 76.
Speed (00 to 99) Page 2
Controls the speed or rate of the LFO. For fast modulation, increase this value. For
slower modulation, decrease this value.
Delay (00 to 99) Page 3
This is the amount of time that is to occur before the LFO fades in. Sometimes, it is
desirable to have modulation come in a moment or two after a note has been played,
rather than starting instantly. The higher the value, the slower the LFO fades in.
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. A description
of these settings is found in the Trigger section of the Pitch LFO description on page
77.
Level (00 to 99) Page 5
This is the base output level of the Filter LFO. If you want to have a constant value of
tremolo to the filter, 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 set to 10, there will
always be some filter tremolo, and raising the Mod Wheel will add more tremolo. On
the other hand, if the Mod Wheel parameter is set to -10, raising the Mod Wheel to
the top will cancel out all tremolo.
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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 the Mod Wheel is raised. Since the output level of
the Filter LFO cannot be less than zero, a negative setting of the Mod Wheel
parameter will have no effect unless either the Aftertouch or the Level is set to raise
the Filter LFO output. If both the Level and Aftertouch are set to 00, and the Mod
Wheel parameter is set to -99, the Mod Wheel will have no effect on the tremolo from
the Filter LFO.
Aftertouch Depth (-99 to 99) Page 7
This is the modulation amount of Aftertouch over the Filter LFO’s Level. A positive
value raises the level as more Aftertouch is applied. A negative value will lower the
amount of Filter LFO level as more Aftertouch is applied.
AMP LFO
The Amp LFO function (press [8]) is usually used to add tremolo to a sound.
J
The Amp LFO variables will have an effect only if the AMP LFO DEPTH (in the AMP
function, page 3) is set to a value other than 0 , or, if Amp LFO is a source in the
MOD function.
Wave (8 choices) Page 1
The waveform determines the shape of the LFO. Select either Sine, Triangle, Square,
Up Sawtooth, Down Sawtooth, Random+-, Noise or Random+. See the diagram in
the Wave section of the Pitch LFO description on page 76.
Speed (00 to 99) Page 2
Controls the speed or rate of the LFO. For fast modulation, increase this value. For
slower modulation, decrease this value.
Delay (00 to 99) Page 3
This is the amount of time that is to occur before the LFO fades in. Sometimes, it is
desirable to have modulation come in a moment or two after a note has been played,
rather than starting instantly. The higher the value, the slower the LFO fades in.
Trigger (Mono, Poly, Key Mono, 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. A description of these
settings is found in the Trigger section of the Pitch LFO description on page 77.
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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 set to 10, there will always be some
tremolo, and raising the Mod Wheel will add more tremolo. On the other hand, if the
Mod Wheel parameter is set to -10, raising the Mod Wheel to the top will cancel out
all tremolo.
Mod Wheel Depth (-99 to 99) Page 6
This is the modulation amount of the Mod Wheel over the Amp 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 Amp LFO as the Mod Wheel is raised. Since the output level of the Amp LFO
cannot be less than zero. A negative setting of the Mod Wheel parameter will have no
effect unless either the Aftertouch or the Level is set to raise the Amp LFO output. If
both the Level and Aftertouch are set to 00, and the Mod Wheel parameter is set to
-99, the Mod Wheel will have no effect on the tremolo from the Amp LFO.
Aftertouch Depth (-99 to 99) Page 7
This is the modulation amount of Aftertouch over the Amp LFO’s Level. A positive
value raises the level as more Aftertouch is applied. A negative value will lower the
amount of Amp LFO level as more Aftertouch is applied.
TRACKING GENERATOR
The Tracking Generator function (press [9]) is used to scale a modulation source. For
example, normally you could modulate the Amp (volume) of a sound using velocity;
the harder you play, the louder the sound gets. The amount of change in volume is
equal to the change in velocity; this is called linear control. If instead, however, you
set the Tracking Generator’s input to “velocity”, and then routed the Tracking
Generator to the Amp (using the Mod function), you can make your own customized
"map" of the control velocity has over the sound’s level.
The Tracking Generator divides the range of the input into 11 points (0–10), each of
which can be set between 0 and 100. If you boost the value of one of the lower
points, you make the input more sensitive in its lower register. By creating a nonlinear curve using the velocity example above, you can scale the velocity’s control
over the sound’s volume just the way you want.
When selecting the Tracking Generator as a modulation source in the Mod Function,
these two choices will be available. When “TRACKGEN” is selected as the
modulation source, the Tracking Generator functions normally, scaling its input as
determined by its parameter settings.
When “STEPTRACK” is selected as a modulation source, the Tracking Generator’s
output will be stepped, or interpolated. This means that instead of scaling the input
linearly from point to point, the input is kept at each point’s value setting until it goes
beyond the following point’s value setting, at which point it jumps to that setting. This
feature is very useful in creating “mini-sequences” if the modulation destination is set
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Editing Programs: Chapter 6
to “Pitch” and the Tracking Generator’s input is an LFO using an “Up Sawtooth” as its
waveform.
The Tracking Generator can be used to turn a variable control, such as the Mod
TIP:
Wheel, while switching on a second function only at the top of the wheel.
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 other than 0 come out of the Tracking
generator. You can patch the Mod Wheel somewhere else in addition to the Tracking
Generator, giving you gradual control of one function with the full range of the Mod
However, the Tracking Generator interpolates between steps; this is sort of like
playing “connect the dots.” In other words, the Tracking Generator does not step
directly from one point to the next, but ramps from point to point.
Tracking Input Page 1
Select the input of the Tracking Generator from the following sources:
• Note Number • Velocity • Release Velocity • Aftertouch
• Poly Pressure • Mod Wheel • Pitch Wheel • MIDI Volume
• Sustain Pedal • Pedal 1 • Pedal 2 • Pitch LFO
• Filter LFO • Amp LFO • Pitch Envelope • Filter Envelope
• Amp Envelope • Random • Trig Rate • Controllers A–D
For detailed descriptions of each of these sources, see the section “Modulation
Source” in the Mod section on pages 73–75.
Tracking Points 0 – 10 (00–100) Pages 2–12
The remaining pages of the TRACK function control the levels of points 0–10.
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Chapter 6: Editing Programs
PROGRAMMING DRUM SOUNDS
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 Misc.). For an explanation of the basics of Drum
Mode, see page 53.
VOICE
The Voice function (press [40]) is where you choose the particular sample for the
selected drum (1–10). Similar to the normal Assign Voice function, sounds are
divided into groups. After selecting the group (on page 3), you then select the sample
within the group (on page 4). Here is a chart listing the various drum samples in their
respective groups.
Group Voice
Kick
Snare
Toms
Cymbal
Percus
Snd FX
FloppyKik1, FloppyKik2, FloppyKikV, MasterKik1, MasterKik2, MasterKikV, MetalKick1,
MetalKick2, MetalKickV, GrooveKik1, GrooveKik2, GrooveKikV, Sharp Kick, Tek Kick 1, Tek
Kick 2, Tek Kick V, AnalogKik1, AnalogKik2, AnalogKik3, AnalogKikV, Rap Kick
Fat Wood 1, Fat Wood 2, Fat Wood V, HR Snare 1, HR Snare 2, HR Snare V, MasterSnr1,
MasterSnr2, MasterSnrV, Piccolo 1, Piccolo 2, Piccolo V, Electronc1, Electronc2,
ElectroncV, Rap Snare1, Rap Snare2, Tek Snare1, Tek Snare2, Tek SnareV, Brush Hit1,
Brush Hit2, Brush HitV, Crosstick1, Crosstick2, CrosstickV
HiRackTom1, HiRackTom2, HiRackTomV, MdRackTom1, MdRackTom2, MdRackTomV,
LoRackTom1, LoRackTom2, LoRackTomV, HiFlrTom 1, HiFlrTom 2, HiFlrTom V, MidFlrTom
1, MidFlrTom 2, MidFlrTom V, LowFlrTom1, LowFlrTom2, LowFlrTomV, CanonTomH1,
CanonTomH2, CanonTomHV, CanonTomM2, CanonTomMV, CanonTomL1, CanonTomL2,
CanonTomLV, Hex Tom Hi, Hex Tom Md, Hex Tom Lo, RapTomHi, RapTomMid,
RapTomLow
ClosedHat1, ClosedHat2, ClosedHatV, Tight Hat, Loose Hat, Slosh Hat, Foot Hat 1, Foot
Hat 2, Velo Hat 1, Velo Hat 2, Velo Hat 3, TekHatClsd, TekHatOpen, RapHatClsd,
RapHatHalf, RapHatOpen, CricktHat1, CricktHat2, FilterHat1, FilterHat2, FilterHat3, Ride
Cym, Ride Cym 2, RideCym V1, RideCym V2, RideBell 1, RideBell 2, RideBell V, Crash
Cym1, Crash Cym2, SplashCym1, SplashCym2, SplashCym3, China Cym1, China Cym2,
RapCymbal1, RapCymbal2, RapCymWave, Open Hat 1 , Open Hat 2 , Open Hat 3 , Open
Hat V , RideCym V3
Agogo Hi, Agogo Low, Bongo Hi, Bongo Low, Brake Drum, Cabasa, Castanet, Chimes 1,
Chimes 2, Clap Rap, Clap Tek, Clave, Conga Hi, Conga Low, Conga Slap, RapCongaHi,
RapCongaMd, RapCongaLo, Rap Rim, Rap Tone, Cowbell, RapCowbell, Cuica, Djembe Hi,
Djembe Low, Drumstix, FingerSnap, Guiro Long, Guiro Med, GuiroShort, Ice Block, Kalimba
Hi, KalimbaLow, Maracas, SambaWhstl, SambaShort, Shaker1 Hi, Shaker1Low, Shaker2
Hi, Shaker2Low, Sleighbl 1, Sleighbl 2, SteelDrmHi, SteelDrmLo, TablaGa Hi, TablaGaLow,
Tabla Ka, TablaNa Hi, TablaNaLow, Tabla Te, TablaTinHi, TablaTinLo, Taiko Hi, Taiko Low,
Taiko Rim, Talk Up Hi, Talk Up Lo, TalkDownHi, TalkDownLo, Tambourin1, Tambourin2,
Timbale Hi, TimbaleLow, Timpani Hi, TimpaniMid, TimpaniLow, Triangle, TriangleSf, Udu Hi,
Udu Mid, Udu Low, Udu Slap, Vibrasmack, WoodBlokHi, WoodBlokLo
Bird Tweet, Bird Chirp, Bird Loop, Fret Noise, Fret Wipe, Orch Hit, Dance Hit, Jungle 1,
Jungle 2, Applause, GoatsNails, Brook, Hi Bow, Low Bow, ShapeNzHi, ShapeNzMid,
ShapeNzLow, ScrtchPull, ScrtchPush, ScrtchLoop, ScrtchPlLp, ScrtcPshLp, RezAttkHi,
RezAttkMid, RezAttkLow, RezZipHi, RezZipMid, RezZipLow, Zap 1 Hi, Zap 1 Mid, Zap 1
Low, Zap 2 Hi, Zap 2 Mid, Zap 2 Low, Zap 3 Hi, Zap 3 Mid, Zap 3 Low, FltrNzLoop,
Romscrape, Rain, Telephone, Sci Loop 1, Sci Loop 2, Sci Loop 3, Bit Field1, Bit Field2, Bit
Field3, Bit Field4, Bit Field5, Bit Field6, WavLoop1.0, WavLoop1.1, WavLoop1.2,
WavLoop1.3, WavLoop1.4, WavLoop1.5, WavLoop1.6, WavLoop1.7, WavLoop1.8,
WavLoop2.0, WavLoop2.1, WavLoop2.2, WavLoop2.3, WavLoop2.4, WavLoop2.5,
WavLoop2.6, WavLoop2.7, WavLoop2.8, WavLoop3.0, WavLoop3.1, WavLoop3.2,
WavLoop3.3, WavLoop3.4, WavLoop3.5, WavLoop4.0, WavLoop4.1, WavLoop4.2,
WavLoop4.3, WavLoop4.4, WavLoop4.5, D-Scrape, D-ScrapeLp
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Wave
Rhythm
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 MuteGtr, LowMuteGtr,
HiElecHarm, LoElecHarm, ClsclHarm, HiBassHarm, MidBassHrm, LowBassHrm, HiSlpBass,
LoSlpBass, Hi BassPop, LowBassPop, Muted Bass, Stik Bass, StudioBass, JazzFingrd,
JazzPic, Fretless, AcousBass, 60's Combo, Hi Piano, Mid Piano, Low Piano, High Sync, Low
Sync, Hi Synth, LowSynth, Ahhs High, Ahhs Mid, Ahhs Low, Oohs High, Oohs Mid, Oohs
Low, TunePipeHi, TunePipeMd, TunePipeLo
Psi Beat 1, Psi Beat 2, Psi Beat 3, Psi Beat 4, Psi Beat 5, Psi Beat 6, Psi Beat 7, Psi Beat 8,
Psi Beat 9, Psi Beat10, Psi Beat11, Psi Beat12, Kick Loop1, Kick Loop2, Kick Loop3, Kick
Loop4, Kick Loop5, Kick Loop6, Kick Loop7, Kick Loop8, Kick Loop9, KickLoop10,
KickLoop11, Snare Lp 1, Snare Lp 2, Snare Lp 3, Snare Lp 4, Snare Lp 5, Snare Lp 6,
Snare Lp 7, Snare Lp 8, Snare Lp 9, SnareBeat1, SnareBeat2, SnareBeat3, SnareBeat4,
SnareBeat5, Back Beat1, Back Beat2, Back Beat3, Back Beat4, Hat1 Clsd1, Hat1 Clsd2,
Hat1 Foot, Hat1 Open1, Hat1 Open2, Hat2 Clsd1, Hat2 Clsd2, Hat2 Foot, Hat2 Open1, Hat2
Open2, Hat3 Clsd1, Hat3 Clsd2, Hat3 Open1, Hat3 Open2, Hat Beat 1, Hat Beat 2, Hat Beat
3, Hat Beat 4, Hat Beat 5, Hat Beat 6, Hat Beat 7, Hat Beat 8, Hat Beat 9, Hat Beat10,
Agogo, Bongo Loop, CabasaLoop, CastanetLp, CongaLoop1, Shaker Lp1, Shaker Lp2,
SleighLoop, Tabla Ga Lp, Tabla Ka Lp, Tabla Na Lp, Tabla Te Lp, TablaTin Lp, Taiko Loop,
PercBeat1, PercBeat2, PercBeat3, PercBeat4, VoiceLoop1, VoiceLoop2, Phonic Loop,
SpinalLoop, Tri Loop, Tri Loop 2, Orch Loop
LEVEL
Each of the 10 drums in a sound can have its own level, pan position, and output
assignment. The Level function (press [50]) provides these controls. Use page 1 to
adjust the selected drum’s level (00 to 99), page 2 to adjust pan position (<3 to >3),
page 3 to select the Output assignment (Main, Aux or Off). Page 4 lets you adjust the
Effect Send level (00 to 99), and page 5 lets you select the Effects Bus (1, 2, 3 or 4).
TIP:
To send a drum to an individual output, use Output in conjunction with Pan. Example:
Panning a drum full left and selecting the Aux outputs means that the drum will
appear at only the left Aux output.
PITCH
The Pitch function (press [60]) lets you transpose the selected drum up or down one
octave in micro-step (1/4th of a half step) increments, and lets you modulate the
drum’s pitch with velocity.
Tune (-12.00 to +12.00) Page 1
Determines the tuning of the selected drum (±12.00).
Velocity>Pitch (0 to 7) Page 2
Selects how much velocity will affect the selected drum’s tuning (0-7). When this
value is set to 7, the drum will be played sharp when the associated note is played
hard; when played soft, the drum’s tuning will be unaltered.
FILTER
Velocity>Filter (0 to 3) Page 1
The Filter function (press [70]) lets you control the “brightness” of the selected drum
by modulating the filter frequency with velocity. When set to 3, playing the associated
note will result in a brighter sound (more high frequencies), while playing softer will
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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.
AMP/RANGE
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 of your playing the
keyboard. A LINEAR curve is the norm, whereby the increase in level is equal to the
increase in velocity; the velocity values increase as you play harder. Many of the
Velocity Curves make up sets to be used by 2, 3 or 4 drums in order to facilitate
velocity crossfading, whereby a different drum is played depending on how hard or
soft the keyboard is played. However, each drum must be in a different sound layer of
the Program in order to be stacked on the same note.
If you want to create your own velocity crossfading Program, assign the related
versions of the same drum samples (“Conga High” and “Conga Lo”) the same key in
different Program Sound layers, then use the appropriate velocity curves for each
drum (in a three-way velocity split, drum 1 would use curve “1 of 3,” drum 2 would
use curve “2 of 3” while drum 3 would use “3 of 3”). For more details about the 13
velocity curves, see the illustration on page 62.
J
Note # (000 to 127/C-2 to G8) Page 2
Each drum can be assigned to a single note which will trigger the drum sound when
played. You can also set the note assignment by holding [80] and tapping the key on
the keyboard you want to set as the note for the drum.
Only one drum can be assigned to a single note within a single Program sound. If
more than one drum in a sound is assigned to the same note, only the higher number
drum will sound.
Note # Range (0 to +3) Page 3
Each drum can be assigned a range of notes (up to 3) above the root note which will
trigger the drum sound when played. This parameter specifies the note range of the
selected drum (0 to +3).
AMP ENVELOPE
Decay (0 to 99, Gate00 to Gate99) Page 1
Page 1 in the Amp Envelope (press [110]) Function lets you adjust the Decay time of
the selected drum (00 to 99, Gate00 to Gate99). If this is set to 0, only the very
beginning of the drum sample is played; setting this to 99 will cause the entire drum
sample to play. When set above 99, the Decay uses a gated mode. The Decay can
still be set between 0 and 99, but in 5-step increments (e.g., Gate00 = Decay setting
of 0 with gating, Gate05 = Decay setting of 5 with gating, etc.). Gating means that the
drum sound will continue to be played as long as the key is held. This is useful for
longer sounds, like cymbals, when you wish to hear a short crash by playing a short
note but can still hear a longer crash by keeping the note held down.
84 QS7/QS8 Reference Manual
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 recently been played). This creates a more realistic
sound, since an actual Hi Hat is only capable of making one sound at a time.
In the Amp Envelope function, Page 2 is used to assign the selected drum to one of
the three Mute Groups. In our example above, both Hi Hat drums would be assigned
to the same Mute Group. The additional Mute Groups can be used by other sounds
that you wish to cut-off each other, but do not want to interfere with the Hi Hat
sounds.
COPYING SOUNDS
While editing a Program, it is helpful to be able to copy a sound to another sound in
either the same Program or a different Program, especially if you are building a split
or layered Program. This can be done very easily from within the Store function. To
copy a Sound to another sound in the same Program, or to the same sound in a
different Program:
Editing Programs: Chapter 6
¿ From Program Edit mode, press [STORE].
¡ Press [PAGE ] twice to select Page 2 of the Store function.
¬ Use the [s VALUE] and [VALUE t] buttons to select which sound (1–4) in the
currently selected Program to copy from.
√ Press [PAGE ] to advance the cursor to the lower line of the display.
ƒ Use the [s VALUE] and [VALUE t] buttons to select which sound (1–4) in the
currently selected Program to copy to; or to select which Program (00–127) to
copy to.
≈ Press [STORE] to copy the sound.
COPYING EFFECTS
While editing a Program, it is helpful to be able to copy the Effects Patch from a
different Program. This can be done very easily from within the Store function.
Be sure to save your changes to the edited Program before going to a new Program.
J
Otherwise, all your changes will be lost.
To copy the Effects Patch from a Program to another Program:
¿ Recall the Program which contains the Effects Patch you wish to copy.
¡ Press [STORE].
¬ Press [PAGE ] twice to select Page 2 of the Store function.
QS7/QS8 Reference Manual 85
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 Program location, the selected sound will be copied into
the same sound location in the selected Program. If you select to copy sound 2 to
Program 45, the sound will be copied into sound 2 of Program 45.
∆ Press [STORE] to copy the sound.
INITIALIZING PROGRAMS
If you want to start programming from “scratch”, you can easily reset all parameters
to their default settings by re-initializing the software. Make sure your mod wheel is all
the way down before re-initializing, otherwise the "zero" position of the mod wheel will
be incorrect.
To re-initialize the QS:
¿ Turn the power off.
¡ While holding down both Buttons [0] and [3], turn on the power.
The QS will come on showing Program 01 of Preset Bank 1, with the “*” flag showing
in the display and no Program Name. This is the Program Mode edit buffer, set to the
default settings. Re-initializing will also reset all Global parameters to their default
settings, and will initialize all edit buffers so that all Mix and Program parameters are
reset to their default settings. However, none of the Programs or Mixes are changed
when re-initializing the unit. You can proceed to edit, then [STORE] at any Program
location you like.
86 QS7/QS8 Reference Manual
CHAPTER 7
EDITING EFFECTS
ABOUT SIGNAL PROCESSING
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-fader sends found on a mixing console. In a Program, each of the four Sounds
can be assigned to one of the four effect sends. In a Mix, each Program can use its
own effects level and bus routing or you may override these by assigning the entire
Program (all 4 of its sounds) to one of the four effect sends and all at the same level.
Once you assign a Sound (in Program Edit Mode) or a Program (in Mix Edit Mode) to
an effect send, you can adjust the Sound’s/Program’s Effect Send Level.
To route a Sound/Program only to an effect send, and not the Main or Aux outputs,
TIP:
assign the Output parameter of the Sound/Program to “OFF,” assign its Effect Bus to
one of the four effect sends, and adjust its Effects Level.
Editing Effects: Chapter 7
The Effect Patch’s Configuration determines the arrangement of effect functions of
each effect send. Imagine a Configuration as an arrangement of multiple effects
processors patched together at the end of each effect send.
Example: In one configuration, effect send 3 has its own separate reverb, while in
another configuration it has its own delay and a level control feeding a reverb shared
with send 1. When you’re programming effects, you will need to refer to the charts on
pages 88–93 for the effect configuration you’re using, so you will know how the paths
from different effect functions interact.
The Effect functions consist of: Pitch, Delay, Reverb and in some cases Misc. (which
provides access to special effects such as EQ and Overdrive). Each function has
several types to choose from. For example, the Pitch effect can be either a chorus, a
flange, a resonator, etc. The Reverb can be a large hall, plate, gated, etc. The effect
types available for each effect function depends on the Configuration you are using.
The parameters available for an effect function depend on the selected effect type.
Some effect types have very few parameters, while others have many. For example,
the stereo delay effect has about twice as many parameters as the mono delay effect
(since the stereo delay has two adjustments– left and right – for several parameters).
Consequently, the more parameters an effect has, additional pages become available
for that function. Each effect has stereo outputs, which may be routed to the MAIN
[LEFT] and [RIGHT] outputs using the Mix function (this is not the same as a Mix, but
rather a function that mixes the effects’ outputs together).
QS7/QS8 Reference Manual 87
Chapter 7: Editing Effects
SELECTING AN EFFECTS PATCH IN MIX MODE
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 Patch, you must be in Mix Edit Mode, by pressing the
[EDIT SELECT] button once so that the top line of the display reads: “ED:MIX”.
Use the [80] button to select the Effect function, then press [PAGE ] to select page
2. The display should look like this:
ED:MIX πß
FX MIDI CHAN: 01
This parameter lets you select which Channel (1–16) of the Mix whose Effects Patch
you wish to use. If you set the Effect Channel to 1, the Mix will use the Effects Patch
used by the Program on Channel 1. The Effect Channel is also used to determine
what MIDI channel the Effects Patch will be set to for receiving MIDI controller
information for the Modulators (see the Mod section later in this chapter for more on
real-time MIDI control of effect parameters).
Press [ PAGE] to go back to page 1. The lower line of the display will look like this:
FX PRG CHNGE:0N
This parameter turns on and off the FX Program Change function. The FX Program
Change parameter determines whether or not a MIDI Program Change message
received on the Effects Channel should only recall a new Program (“Off”) or if the
Effects of the newly selected Program should be recalled as well (“On”). This can be
set on or off. Usually you would want this off, so that the Effects in a Mix do not
change even though you may select different Programs for the Effects Channel.
SETTING EFFECTS SEND LEVELS
The effect send levels and effect bus assignments are saved as part of a Program
(from Program Edit Mode), or as part of each Channel in a Mix (from Mix Edit Mode).
Keep in mind that these are separate from any changes that will be made to the
Effects Patch itself. If you are in Mix Mode and change the settings in both Mix Edit
and Effects Edit modes, you will have to STORE not only the Program that is on the
Effect Channel (thus storing its Effects Patch) but the selected Mix as well, in order to
have your changes remembered and heard the same way in the future. The actual
arrangement of depth of reverb, delay time, etc., is saved as part of the Effects Patch
when a Program is stored. It is possible for different Mixes to share the same Effects
Patch. So keep in mind that when you edit an Effects Patch, it may affect the sound
of any other Mixes that also use it.
CLIP
If the input to the effects becomes overloaded, the “!” symbol will temporarily appear
in the upper display (between the Bank name and the Mix/Program number) when in
either Mix Play or Program Play Modes. If this should occur, try reducing the Input
Levels for each of the effects devices in the current configuration, and (if necessary)
reduce the Effects Levels in the Mix and/or Program.
EDITING EFFECTS
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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 EFFECTSπå
CONFIG: 1 REVERB
In Program Mode, each time the [EDIT SELECT] button is pressed the display will
alternate between Program Edit and Effects Edit Modes.
You can enter Effects Edit Mode from Mix Mode by pressing the [EDIT SELECT]
button three times, or until the display looks something like this:
ED:MIX EFFECTSπå
CONFIG: 1 REVERB
In Mix Mode, each time the [EDIT SELECT] button is pressed the display will cycle
between Mix Edit, Program Edit and Effects Edit Modes.
NAVIGATING
The basic method of navigating through the displays in Effects Edit mode is similar to
that in Program Edit Mode and Mix Edit Mode.
• The [40] – [120] buttons are used to select an effect function (Configuration, EQ,
Mod, Lezlie, Pitch, Delay, Reverb, Overdrive and Mix).
• If a function has more than one page, the display will indicate the current page
number in the upper right corner. Use the [ PAGE] and [PAGE ] buttons to
scroll through a function’s pages.
• Use the [00] – [30] buttons to select which of the four effect sends you want to
edit (press [00] for send 1, [10] for send 2, etc.).
The important thing to understand is the hierarchy of the displays. Think of it as a
three dimensional game of Chess, where you can move among three different axes.
Each function has 1 or more pages. But, the number of pages a function has
available will differ when another effect send is selected (using the [00] – [30]
buttons). For example, if you are using Configuration #1 and trying to edit the Reverb
parameters, you would need to have effect send 1 selected, because that’s where the
Reverb is located. So, you not only have to be aware of how to select a function and
a page, but how to select the effect send as well.
Not all effects are available in each Configuration. For example, if you were to select
the Pitch function on effect send 4 in Configuration #1, the display would read, “(NOT
IN CONFIG).” This is because a Pitch module is available on sends 1, 2 and 3 in
Configuration #1, but not on send 4—as you can see in the chart on page 92.
QS7/QS8 Reference Manual 89
Chapter 7: Editing Effects
STORING EFFECT PATCHES IN PROGRAM MODE
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 Mix mode, a “*” will appear next to the Program’s name only when
assigning Program’s to the Mix’s channels and the Effect Channel is selected). The
“*” indicates that the current Effect Patch in the edit buffer is different from what is
stored in memory for the selected Program.
While in Effects Edit mode, press [STORE] at any time to go to Store mode. Store
mode has several pages, but the main storing function is found in the first page.
SAVE? USER 000
(Press STORE)
To store the edited Program along with its Effect Patch into the same location it was
recalled from, simply press [STORE] again, and it will be stored. To store the edited
Program into a different location, use the [00] – [120] and [0] – [9] buttons to select a
Program number (000 – 127) in the User Bank. If a RAM Sound Card is inserted, use
the [s VALUE] and [VALUE t] buttons to select a different Bank. When you’re ready,
press [STORE] to save your Program.
STORING EFFECT PATCHES IN MIX MODE
When in Mix Play Mode or Mix Edit Mode, the Effect Program number shown in the
display is the Program number selected as the Effect Channel. Storing the Mix will
save this number, but will not store any changes you may have made to the Effect
Patch itself.
• If [STORE] is pressed twice while editing a Program that is on the Effect
Channel, both the Program and its Effects will be stored.
• If [STORE] is pressed twice while editing a Program that is on a Channel other
than the Effect Channel, the edited Program will be stored without altering its
previous Effects settings.
• If [STORE] is pressed twice while editing a Mix (Mix Edit Mode), only the Mix
parameters will be stored, not the individual Programs or the Effects Patch.
COPYING EFFECT PATCHES
When you want a Program to use the Effects from a different Program, you must
copy that other Program’s Effects into the Program you are working on. This is done
within Store Mode using the “Copy Effect” function. First, select the Program which
contains the Effects you wish to copy. And, of course, you can only copy Effects to
Programs that are in the User Bank or on a RAM Sound Card Bank.
For more about copying effects, see page 36.
90 QS7/QS8 Reference Manual
CONFIGURATIONS
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 of multiple effect blocks,
distributed across the four effect sends. Some effect sends may have three different
effects (pitch, delay and reverb) on them. Configurations also determine where the
signal to a block comes from, and where the output of each block goes to -- the main
outputs, the next effect in line, or even to an effect block belonging to another effect
send. The Configuration diagrams on the next six pages provide a crucial “road map”
you’ll need to guide you through the many paths that are possible in each
configuration. Refer to them as you program the effect.
The five Effect Configurations are:
• Configuration #1: 1 Reverb
• Configuration #2: 2 Reverbs
• Configuration #3: Lezlie and Reverb
• Configuration #4: Reverb and EQ
• Configuration #5: Overdrive and Lezlie
Editing Effects: Chapter 7
The Configuration function is used to select the Configuration for the Effects Patch
you are editing. While in Effects Edit Mode, press the [40] button to select the
Configuration function. The display should look like this (from Mix Edit Mode):
ED:MIX EFFECTSπå
CONFIG: 1 REVERB
Use the [s VALUE] and [VALUE t] buttons or the [EDIT VALUE] slider to select the
Configuration. As you scroll through the various Configurations, each one’s name will
appear in the lower right section of the display.
The following is a run-down of the various Configurations:
QS7/QS8 Reference Manual 91
Chapter 7: Editing Effects
CONFIGURATION #1: 1 REVERB
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 flange Ping-pong delay
Stereo flange
Pitch detune
Resonator
Pitch 3 Delay 3 Reverb 3
Resonator Mono delay Balance and level to Reverb 1
Delay 4 Reverb 4
Mono delay Send/delay mix and level to
Reverb 1
92 QS7/QS8 Reference Manual
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 blocks and
controls. The diagram is similar to a block diagram for a mixer, with signal moving
generally from the left to the right. The number next to each function name
represents one of the four effect sends. For example, Delay 2 refers to the Delay
effect on effect send 2.
This Configuration #1 provides three Pitch effects, four Delay effects and one Reverb
effect. The Pitch effects are found on effect sends 1, 2 and 3, but while the Pitch
effects on sends 1 and 2 are stereo and their types are selectable (Mono Chorus,
Mono Flange or Resonator), the Pitch effect on send 3 is mono and can only be used
as a Resonator. Effect send 4 has no Pitch effect.
Each of the four sends has its own Delay effect, but while the Delay effects on sends
1 and 2 are stereo, the Delay effects on sends 3 and 4 are mono.
Each effect send can be routed through the Reverb. Since there is only one Reverb
effect, it is found in the first effect send (see next section on Reverb). Reverb
parameters that set the sound of the reverb itself (such as high and low decay, reverb
type, predelay, etc.) are found only when “SND1” is displayed. However, each of the
4 effect sends has controls for how much dry signal and how much effected signal
are sent to the Reverb effect.
Example: The Reverb 2 block allows you to send signal to the reverb from four
different points in the second effects chain: a) the send input itself, b) the output of
Pitch 2, c) the input of Delay 2, or d) the output of Delay 2. You can even send a
combination of these to the reverb. But to change any other reverb parameters, you
must return to editing Reverb 1.
Each Pitch, Delay and Reverb module has its own independent Mix output level (i.e.,
how much of their output is routed directly to the Main Left and Right outputs). The
Mix function is where you determine how the effects will actually be heard.
Mix 1, for example, is where you can control the outputs of Pitch 1, Delay 1, and
Reverb 1 to the main outputs. The Mix parameter controls how much an effect block
feeds directly to the main outputs, but doesn't control how much it feeds to any other
blocks that may follow it. For example, when Pitch 1’s Mix control is set to 0, it is still
available as an input to Delay 1 and Reverb 1.
Think of the Mix function in the QS’s effects section as being similar to the effect
return control on a mixing console. For example, if Effect Send 1’s Mix Reverb
Output parameter is set to 0, you won't be able to hear reverb regardless of how
much input you feed it from any of the effect buses.
QS7/QS8 Reference Manual 93
Chapter 7: Editing Effects
CONFIGURATION #2: 2 REVERBS
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 in many ways. In this Configuration,
there is only one Delay effect, two Pitch effects and two Reverb effects. Effect send 1
is routed through the mono Delay, then a stereo Pitch effect, and finally a stereo
Reverb effect. Send 2 has no effects of its own, but can be routed to the same
Reverb effect as send 1. Send 3 is routed through a mono Pitch effect, and then a
stereo Reverb effect. Send 4 has no effects of its own, but can be routed to the same
Reverb effect as send 3.
Effect send 1’s Delay, Pitch, and Reverb can feed the Mix output directly. Unlike the
first configuration, however, Pitch 3 can be routed to the Mix only after passing
through Reverb 3.
94 QS7/QS8 Reference Manual
CONFIGURATION #3: LEZLIE AND REVERB
Editing Effects: Chapter 7
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 Reverb 3
Resonator Mono delay Balance and level to Reverb 1
Delay 4 Reverb 4
Mono delay Mix and level to Reverb 1
This Configuration is similar to Configuration 1, except it provides a stereo “Lezlie”
effect on send 1, which emulates a rotating speaker effect commonly heard with
organ sounds. This is followed by a Delay effect before going to the single stereo
Reverb effect. Sends 2 and 3 have Pitch modules preceding Delay modules, which
are then routed to Reverb 1. Send 4 has only a Mono Delay effect, which may also
be routed to Reverb 1.
QS7/QS8 Reference Manual 95
Chapter 7: Editing Effects
CONFIGURATION #4: REVERB 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
J
Pitch 2 Delay 2 Reverb 2
Mono chorus Mono delay Balance and level
Stereo chorus Stereo delay to Reverb 1
Mono flange Ping-Pong delay
Stereo flange
Pitch detune
Resonator
In this Configuration, note that Sends 1 and 2 are identical to that of Configuration #1.
However, Sends 3 and 4 have been removed. In their place, we have added a
shelving EQ module to the main outputs. This means you have bass and treble boost
controls for all sounds coming out of the main outputs (not just the sounds routed to
the Effects Sends).
If you are using Configuration #4, routing any of the Program’s Sounds to Sends 3 or
4 will have no effect. In other words, it’s as if you routed channels of your mixing
console to effects sends that aren't connected to anything.
96 QS7/QS8 Reference Manual
Editing Effects: Chapter 7
CONFIGURATION #5: OVERDRIVE AND LEZLIE
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 the Overdrive effect which provides classic
distortion. The Overdrive output then feeds the Pitch effect. The Pitch effect has a
second input which can come from either Sends 1, 2, 3 or 4. These two inputs can be
mixed together.
The Delay effect has two inputs which can be mixed together. The first input comes
from the Pitch effect’s output. The second input can come from either Sends 1, 2, 3
or 4, or the Overdrive effect’s output, or Pitch effects input.
The Reverb effect has two inputs which can be mixed together. The first input can
come from the Pitch effect’s output or the Delay effect’s output. The second input can
come from either Sends 1, 2, 3 or 4, or the Overdrive effect’s output, or the Delay
effect’s input.
The Lezlie effect has two inputs which can be mixed together. The first input can
come from the Delay effect’s output or the Reverb effect’s output. The second input
can come from either Sends 1, 2, 3 or 4, or the Overdrive effect’s output, or the Pitch
effect’s input or output, or the Delay effect’s input, or the Reverb effect’s input.
The outputs of all these effects are routed back to the Outputs, and sent through the
shelving EQ effect.
QS7/QS8 Reference Manual 97
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 Boost (0dB
to +9dB).
Lo EQ Frequency (30Hz to 180Hz) Page 1
This allows you to adjust the cutoff frequency of the Lo EQ. It can be set between
30Hz and 180Hz. If the Lo EQ Gain parameter is set above 0dB, all frequencies
below and including the one selected by the Lo EQ Frequency parameter will be
affected.
Lo EQ Gain (0dB to +12dB) Page 2
This controls how much boost will be applied to frequencies below and including the
one selected by the Lo EQ Frequency. It can be set between 0dB and +12dB.
Hi EQ Frequency (3kHz to 10kHz) Page 3
This allows you to adjust the cutoff frequency of the Hi EQ. It can be set between
3kHz and 10kHz. If the Hi EQ Gain parameter is set above 0dB, all frequencies
above and including the one selected by the Hi EQ Frequency parameter will be
affected.
MOD
Hi EQ Gain (0dB to +9dB) Page 4
This controls how much boost will be applied to frequencies above and including the
one selected by the Hi EQ Frequency. It can be set between 0dB and +9dB.
The Mod Function lets you control various effects parameters from the various controls
on the QS (keyboard, after-touch, pitch-bender, etc.) or from the MIDI input. This is
extremely useful when dynamic or real-time control is required in a live playing
situation. It is possible to control up to 2 parameters simultaneously. The Modulation
assignments are saved with the Effects Patch.
Don’t confuse this Mod Function with the Mod Function used by the Programs; they
are independent destinations, though they can come from the same source.
Note: Modulating any effect parameter (with the exception of chorus speed) while
audio is passing through it can result in audio artifacts or noises due to discontinuities
in the modulation source.
SELECTING THE MODULATOR
The are two Modulators. You can select between these by using the [ PAGE] and
[PAGE ] buttons. Page 1 through 3 display the parameters of Modulator #1, while
pages 4 through 6 display the parameters for Modulator #2.
98 QS7/QS8 Reference Manual
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