Alesis QuadraSynth Plus Piano
Charles Owen
The reviews I've read all sound good, but there's not one in the
area I can go look at right now. And, I want really clean sound
and am tired of hiss and distortion. Is the QS really as clean
and clear as they say? (Can't always tell in a music store, either).
How about the keys? It's "semi-weighted" which I take to mean
the weight of the plastic nowadays.
Thanks,
--
Charles B. Owen
Steven M. Boker
>I would like some opinions on the Alesis QuadraSynth Plus Piano.
>
I've had mine about a month now. Its a pretty good solution to the
general problem of a "synth for all seasons on a budget". I like
the sound of the unit, in that its pretty much in your face digital
synth. But I've got a moog for when I want the analog sound, so...
It is clean and quiet. Running it through a Mackie 1604, its at
least as quiet as the Mackie. The GM sounds aren't the best I've
heard, but the other 384 sounds are quite good. :^)
I've gotten familiar enough with the unit now that I'm beginning
to tweak the sounds out to where I like them.
The keyboard is passable. Its taking a bit of time to get used to
their idea of velocity curves, but now that I've been on it for
a while, its beginning to grow on me. The biggest negative about
the keyboard is the aftertouch curve. That needs some work. Its
useable but too light for my grand piano finger muscles. The keyboard
isn't a piano feel in any way shape or form. Its a synth keyboard
feel. But it is quick and responsive, so thats good. In all,
I'd give it a B+ or maybe an A- as a synth keyboard.
Bang for the buck is excellent though. I don't regret the purchase
at all.
There's one bug I've found. If you globally detune the keyboard flat
(say to match a piano or some prerecorded tracks) the GM drums change
their assignments by one note for all notes above C3. Weird bug,
annoying, but not life threatening... :^)
Steve
--
Steven M. Boker 804-982-5062 (voice/fax) 804-295-0009 (home)
bo...@virginia.edu http://kiptron.psyc.virginia.edu/steve_boker/
Dept. of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22903
Todd Bradley
: I've had mine about a month now. Its a pretty good solution to the
: general problem of a "synth for all seasons on a budget".
Speaking of which, does anybody have a PC-based librarian/
editor for this keyboard? I have had mine several months
and haven't been paying too much attention to the matter,
assuming someone would come out with one. But now I'd
like to have a sound editor and librarian for it. Do any
of the general PC-based MIDI librarians support it?
Todd.
--
Todd Bradley -- A7 Audio Research Lab -- to...@rmii.com
Supreme Ruler of the Galaxy and Administrator of boulder.general
David Weaver
Bradley) wrote:
>
> Speaking of which, does anybody have a PC-based librarian/
> editor for this keyboard?
I can't remember the URL for the page, but do a search for Quadrasynth in
Excite or WebCrawler. Some guy put up a QS home page with some patches
and a shareware Windows Edlib.
Jeffrey Bergman
>Steven M. Boker (sm...@delton.psyc.virginia.edu) wrote:
>: I've had mine about a month now. Its a pretty good solution to the
>: general problem of a "synth for all seasons on a budget".
>
I am thinking of buying an used S4 or a new S4+piano. What are the major
differences between the two units (is it just the piano and more memory for
waves and patches). Are there anything about these two units that are bad?
Is it a pain to program the machine without a librain or programmer
program. I've read that you can layer 4 voices to a patch does that mean
the 64 voice polyphony is then cut to 16.
Jeff
Hans Mikelson
> Speaking of which, does anybody have a PC-based librarian/
> editor for this keyboard? I have had mine several months
> and haven't been paying too much attention to the matter,
> assuming someone would come out with one. But now I'd
> like to have a sound editor and librarian for it. Do any
> of the general PC-based MIDI librarians support it?
The name of the program file is qe11.zip. I had to delete vbrun300.dll
from my windows\system directory to get it to install properly. You may
also have to transfer some files manually to windows\system. This editor
is for the original Quadrasynth and Windows 3.1. I don't know if it works
on the +piano or windows 95. I went to the Quadrasynth web page and it
said it was currently under revision and there was nothing else there. I
found qe11.zip from the Yahoo search engine on a site in the Netherlands.
--
Hans Mikelson
Nsoniq
>... I went to the Quadrasynth web page and it
>said it was currently under revision and there was nothing else there. I
>found qe11.zip from the Yahoo search engine on a site in the Netherlands.
There is a new QuadraSynth page, you may want to check out :
http://www.clever.net/midiworld/quadrasynth/qsynth.htm
You'll find info about all the QS models, QS, QS+, QS6, QS8, etc.
The QuadraSynth Mailing list address is there too, if you want to join.
Les
--
Visit the new QuadraSynth Page at:
http://www.clever.net/midiworld/quadrasynth/qsynth.htm
Nsoniq
>I am thinking of buying an used S4 or a new S4+piano. What are the major
>differences between the two units (is it just the piano and more memory
for
>waves and patches). Are there anything about these two units that are
bad?
> Is it a pain to program the machine without a librain or programmer
>program. I've read that you can layer 4 voices to a patch does that mean
>the 64 voice polyphony is then cut to 16.
You can find all the info you need on the QuadraSynth web page :
http:/www.clever.net/midiworld/quadrasynth/qsynth.htm
Read the FAQ, and the instrument specs and descriptions.
I would suggest buy the s4 Plus (it's not Plus Piano, that's the keyboard
version) The Plus is an improved S4 module, it has more patches, more
sample ROM, they fixed the MIDI bugs, and added a GM bank. With
the free SoundBridge software you can transfer your own samples to an
optional RAM card, so you'll never run out of new sounds.
Nsoniq
>Speaking of which, does anybody have a PC-based librarian/
>editor for this keyboard?
There is only one PC Editor/Librarian that supports the QuadraSynth Plus,
UNISYN from Mark of the Unicorn. It's a universal Ed/Lib for Windows,
costs around $200. For the original (non Plus) QS you can download a
free Editor (it doesn't do Library), the file name is QE11.zip. The author
is working on the next version, that will support QS Plus, and hopefully
Win95. Release date sometime in may (?).
Nsoniq
Stewart T. Ewing
will bring out the best in brand-slamming on this forum. If you really must get some opinions,
the way to do it is to watch the forum for musicians that post often who don't appear to be a
jerk. This is a tricky thing, because many are. I'll offer up my opinion here (likely to be
slaughtered), but opinions on any new kid on the block such as Alesis are usually quite unfair.
And participants in these conversations are usually very territorial (devoted to his/her
favorite brand). Anyway, here goes...
The piano plus in my opinion has one of the best grand piano samples I've seen anywhere in the
industry. I would easily compare it to the best samples Kurzweil could offer. I would rate it
quite superior to Roland JV-1080, Ensoniq TS-10, Korg 01/FD, the original Alesis QuadraSynth,
and anything Proteus has got. I know because I listened quite carefully to all of them in one
sitting, in one closed studio, with a Young Chang 6 ft grand nearby just to keep me honest. I
started with the original QuadraSynth, and loved it, but found the piano samples to not be as
convincing as I would like. A simple upgrade ($300) to the QS Piano Plus made all the
difference in the world AND gave me 24 MB of memory to fill with factory and 3rd party
(Invision) sounds, and import my own .WAV and samplecell samples as well (not quite as handy as
a sampler, but none the less helpful in creating new sounds.
As far as "hiss and distortion", there is none (except for that which you intentionally
introduce into your patch using the on-board effects processors).
If you are a pianoist with an ear for adding other instruments to your arrangements, the 64
voice polyphony is like night and day. 32 voices (as found in most keyboard) sound kind of thin
after hearing the QuadraSynth fully maxed out.
As for analog samples (where you will hear the most gripes) I feel the QS excels quite well,
though I do not use them a great deal. One item seems to have been left out (intentionally to
keep prices down according to Alesis), resonant filters. Alesis recommends instead using an
outboard Rezy filter if you wish to liven up your patches in this way. Peavy makes one,
Novation makes a rack-mount version of the Bass station that allows patching into filters, etc.
Drums and percussion - as good as any drum machine Alesis makes. The QSPP comes with a bunch of
drum loops you can use to get started with.
Ease of use - nothing better.
If you want details regarding a specific aspect of the QS PP, please feel free to Email me
direct. It will avoid another bout of flame wars.
Stewart Ewing
tmc...@nat.is.net
Charles Owen <co...@cs.dartmouth.edu> wrote:
>I would like some opinions on the Alesis QuadraSynth Plus Piano.
Stewart T. Ewing
but semi-weighted will feel good because it will feel light. Don't interpret this as cheap. I
have felt cheap semi weighted keyboards, and the QSPP is not one. I think you will be quite
satisfied with the touch. You really don't want fully weighted anyway. If you are playing a
B-3 sound with a weighted it'll be a real drag.
Stewart T. Ewing
>Steven M. Boker (sm...@delton.psyc.virginia.edu) wrote:
>: I've had mine about a month now. Its a pretty good solution to the
>: general problem of a "synth for all seasons on a budget".
>
>and haven't been paying too much attention to the matter,
>assuming someone would come out with one. But now I'd
>like to have a sound editor and librarian for it. Do any
>of the general PC-based MIDI librarians support it?
>
>--
>Todd Bradley -- A7 Audio Research Lab -- to...@rmii.com
>Supreme Ruler of the Galaxy and Administrator of boulder.general
You'll find one (QE11.ZIP) at http://www.clever.net/midiworld/quadrasynth/qsynth.htm
Stewart Ewing
tmc...@nat.is.net
Todd Bradley
> >Speaking of which, does anybody have a PC-based librarian/
> >editor for this keyboard?
>
Thanks for playing, but QE11 only support the QuadraSynth,
not the QuadraSynth Plus Piano. At least according to the
author...
Todd.
Irwin Shur
>
> to...@rainbow.rmii.com (Todd Bradley) wrote:
> >Steven M. Boker (sm...@delton.psyc.virginia.edu) wrote:
> >: I've had mine about a month now. Its a pretty good solution to the
> >: general problem of a "synth for all seasons on a budget".
> >
> >and haven't been paying too much attention to the matter,
> >assuming someone would come out with one. But now I'd
> >like to have a sound editor and librarian for it. Do any
> >of the general PC-based MIDI librarians support it?
> >
> >Todd.
> >--
> >Todd Bradley -- A7 Audio Research Lab -- to...@rmii.com
> >Supreme Ruler of the Galaxy and Administrator of boulder.general
>
> tmc...@nat.is.net
Doesn't the above program only cover the old QS rather than the QSPP?
--
Irwin Shur
irwin...@cho.ge.com
-------------------------------
Any opinions in this note may or may not be mine, but they’re
definitely not my employer’s.
"One man’s theology is another man’s belly laugh."--Lazarus Long
Wynne Hexamer
>The name of the program file is qe11.zip. I had to delete vbrun300.dll
>from my windows\system directory to get it to install properly. You may
>also have to transfer some files manually to windows\system.
I have been unable to get this program to run properly... it give me
the error (among others) 'Custom Constrol Bigauge Not Found' and then
generates an exception in Windows 95. Am I misssing a DLL or
something (I'm not familiar with Visual Basic) or is this just a piece
of shit software I should discard?
-W (h...@io.com)
Wynne Hexamer
QE11 generates multiple errors upon loading (not fatal) and then
crashes with the exception 'Custom Control Bigauge Not Found'.
I'm not familiar with Visual Basic... am I missing a DLL or does it
just not run in Windows 95, or is it a piece of shit which should be
discarded?
I have tried emailing the author(s) so any suggestions would be
appreciated.
-W (h...@io.com)
Gerritse
> Stewart T. Ewing wrote:
> >
> > to...@rainbow.rmii.com (Todd Bradley) wrote:
> > >Steven M. Boker (sm...@delton.psyc.virginia.edu) wrote:
> > >: I've had mine about a month now. Its a pretty good solution to the
> > >: general problem of a "synth for all seasons on a budget".
> > >
> > >Speaking of which, does anybody have a PC-based librarian/
> > >editor for this keyboard? I have had mine several months
> > >and haven't been paying too much attention to the matter,
> > >assuming someone would come out with one. But now I'd
> > >like to have a sound editor and librarian for it. Do any
> > >of the general PC-based MIDI librarians support it?
> > >
> > >Todd.
> > >--
> > >Todd Bradley -- A7 Audio Research Lab -- to...@rmii.com
> > >Supreme Ruler of the Galaxy and Administrator of boulder.general
> >
> > tmc...@nat.is.net
>
> Doesn't the above program only cover the old QS rather than the QSPP?
> --
> Irwin Shur
> irwin...@cho.ge.com
> -------------------------------
> Any opinions in this note may or may not be mine, but they’re
> definitely not my employer’s.
>
> "One man’s theology is another man’s belly laugh."--Lazarus Long
Well, the program doesn't work with a qspp......yet! The new version will be on
several sites in April.
At least that's what P. Swennenhuis (the author) told me!
Bye Bye Rogier
By the way does anyone play WORMS ??