Posted by Jan on August 15, 2002 at 04:12:16:
In Reply to: Is it even possible? posted by Eric on August 13, 2002 at 14:10:53:
Anything with computers is possible. Otherwise we'd all still be typing on PCs with a max of 640K RAM, 5 MB hard disks and 360K floppies -- and looking at LoRez CGA or HiRez Hercules Monochrome monitors.
Back to Alesis. There is a history (especially with foundling and foundering companies) to have third party manufacturers build boxes for them while they add a stencil and pay a royalty on each unit.
If you open your QSx(.x) you'll find an awful lot of space reserved for air. If memory serves, the synth itself is not much more that 5" X 10" on a single board. That should be easy to swap out with a complete new unit (provided there's an interface written to properly map the buttons to the silk-srcreend legend).
That's provided a complete upgrade has to be performed. I would think that there's enough flexability in the ROM/OS that by updating the firmware, more memory can be addressed by the QS.
However, like desktop computers, Alesis make money on selling units, not by providing updates to existing systems. Most manufacturers would provide updates to ROMs and O/S if there is a serious bug in the existing version.
QCards were a fine attempt at creating flexiblity, and were (I think) way forward looking when they first came out. 8Meg or RAM was also a HUGE deal when they first came out.
I'd love to see updates for the QS synths, First by offering a truly flexible sound generation option that's able to address way more memory. I think its quite doable, but I don't think it's going to come from Alesis. I also think a small mom & pop operation will fear resistance from Alesis, and that the returns aren't going to be worth the investment in engineering time, manufacturing, packaging and distribution.
Upgrades could work (well) if Alesis were to sell off the rights to the QS product line to a third party ... but then what happend to Sequential when they were absorbed by Yamaha?
I'd also like to see a reintroduction of a 76 key QS, preferably with a weighted action.
: The question is, is it even a possibility? Anyone with a strong technoligical background?
: The QS only looks for 2 slots, so you'd have to be able to daisy chain them in such a way that the QS sees it as 1 card.
: As far as the new samples on the cards, the first sample on each card is probably listed as "sample #1", so if 1 card has 100 samples, the second card in the chain would have to be "sample #101". That wouls mean you'd have to re-write the qcard somehow, or the dvice would have to have software that did so. OTHER POTENTIAL PROBLEMS: Does the QS have a limit to the number of samples it sees in an expansion slot? Is there an actual 8mb size limit per slot. Has anyone ever tried using a 16mb flash card and seeing if the QS can see past the 8mb barrier?
: The QS can see 8 banks in 1 slot, but it might not be able to see more than 1 bank and samples simultaneously. The qcards have samples and 1 bank of programs, but some also have a bank of mixes, so there might be a way to fool the QS...you never know.
: Many synths have had 3rd party companies develope expansions, that take synths beyond their factory capacities. Yamaha made their EX5 to hold 8mb of flash memory, someone else discovered it could handle 16mb. Yamaha never released a program allowing FS1R users to change the formant algorithms, but someone else made the program on their own.
: If Alesis isn't willing, someone else could, but they would need a reason to do it. And, something like this might require an OS update for the QS...would Alesis be willing to cooperate with a 3rd party?