ALESIS QSR (1997)

QS 7-8 synthesizers rackmount version ofmainly based on a sampled wavetable.

The QSR is a box full of bread and butter sounds with professional touches and special performance tricks.

RACKMOUNT single rack unit. Main panel features a large LCD screen, 8 buttons and a rotary data wheel.

Back panel terminal connectors:
- main out
- aux out
- Mid interface
- digital Adat output
- serial connector for communication with PC (at 38.4 Kbd) or Macintosh (at 1 MHz). Now both obsolete and quite totally useless.

Power supply is external with 9 V AC/AC voltage and pinouts.

VOICE CPU hd6415108F system manages 64 voices polyphony based on QS Composite Synthesis subtractive synthesis. A basic program is composed by 4 PCM each with individual settings:
- volume gain
- pitch tuning
- stereo panning
- polymode or mono with portamento
- zone assign
- effect amount.

WAVETABLE is a 16 MB ROM at 48 kHz categorized into 16 groups + 1 extra GM bank especially designed for Midi files SMF play.
SAMPLE IMPORT the module imports 16 bits samples (WAV or AIFF also old SDII Digidesign Sound Design format is supported) using the Soundbridge which is a free bundled software that burns special 2/4/8 Mb flash cards.

piano	chromatic	wave	noise
ethnic	percussive	drums	organ
sound fx	percussion	wind	synth
bass	guitar	brass	string

PERFORMANCE QS mix mode manages 16 parts individual parameters:
- 13 assignable velocity curves
- Midi channel
- volume
- pitch/octave shift
- stereo panning
- effect level
- wheel modulation effect
- sustain effect
- keyboard zone.
THE TRACKING GENERATOR
allows to track some note steps for some short loop sequences.

FILTER each player part features 1 lowpass filter with no resonance.
Specail Filter track parameter increases or decreases filter cutroff effect through octaves.
TIP: The effect Q-resonance emphasis emulates a kind of resonance.

 

ENVELOPE there are 3 EGs:
- EG1 amplitude: 4 stages ADSR+ 1 extra segments on initial delay time and sustain decay time
- EG2 filter: 4 stages ADSR + 1 extra segments on initial delay time and sustain decay time
- EG3 pitch: 4 stages ADSR + 1 extra segments on initial delay time and sustain decay time
The special trigger mode determines if the EG should be reset from beginning or continue according to 4 different modes: normal, freerun, reset and reset-freerun.

LFO a single delayed digital modulator for each layer (shapes: 8 shapes : sine, triangle, square up, saw up, saw down, noise and 2 random models).
There are 3 modulation destinations:
- LFO to amplitude
- LFO to filter
- LFO to pitch.

 

EFFECT based on Quadraverb II DSP featuring 4 real-time stereo effects including: reverb, chorus, pitch shifter, flanger, delay, overdrive and leslie.
TECH: Effects parameters can be controlledd by Midi CC#.

MIDI Internal parameters are easy to modulate with the internal Matrix and each part can assigned to Midi CC#. Full sysex support for both editing and librarian storing purposes.

MEMORY:
- 512 preset slots
- 128 Mix Mode (400 Preset, 100 User).
RAM can be expanded using S-RAM memory cards, now quite difficult to find out on the market.
Battery replacement: soldered lithium battery Br-2325 model.

 

 

MODIFICATION QSR can be mangled with CIRCUIT BENDING PROCESS for glitched and lo-fi random sounds. The lack of space generally involves an external case or extra rackmount unit.

Circuit bent unit with extra rack control unit - picture from EBAY auction

 

RELATED MODELS

	QS6 - 8 MB rom 64 voices - 61 keys - VIDEO updated to: QS6.1 : 16 Mb ROM + enhancements QS6.2 : 16 Mb Rom new converters
	QS7 - 16 MB rom 64 voices - 76 keys VIDEO updated to: QS7.1 : enhancements
	QS8 - 16 MB rom 64 voices - 88 keys VIDEO updated to: QS8.2 : new 24 bits converters

 

AUDIO DEMO

factory demo factory demo2 factory demo3 factory demo4 factory demo5 GS GM: bianca GS GM: monkey island reggae GS GM: ultima VII fellowship theme piano: concert Chopin EP: rhodes EP: tines DX7 Organ: hammond Organ: hammond 2 Choir: strange Bass: reverse Bass: tb303 Bell: castle master Synth: layer Synth: newww Pad: metal Pad: ambient Pad: digital 1 Pad: digital 2 Pad: digital 3 Pad: soft Pad: strings Sequence: techno jungle Sequence: new wave Sequence: ambient Sequence: pad Sequence: 33 Percussion: shot Percussion: weird Percussion: noise Drum: tr808 Drum: tr909 FX: modular FX: space wind FX: flanger FX: LFO

 

VIDEO CLIP SELECTION Studio Soundcheck DEMO Synth circuit bent