Re: Can Alesis match Yamaha or Roland?


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Posted by sam on July 25, 1998 at 23:28:56:

In Reply to: Can Alesis match Yamaha or Roland? posted by Glenn on July 23, 1998 at 00:50:42:

Really all the synths by these guys in the $1500+ price range are excellent, very capable machines. If you pick the one you enjoy playing most, you won't go wrong. No matter what you get, if you really start putting songs together with your "all in one" box you will eventually need to expand your toolset with something with a different set of strengths and limitations.

The Yamaha has fine sounds and with sampling you won't outgrow it as long as you put a bit of time into it. The goodness of sample based instruments is ultimately limited by the volume of samples you have access to.

I'd be happy with an expanded XP-60 for a long while but I don't think it's the fine instrument that the QS-8 is.

At the end of the day, the QS8 is a great controller, a superb set of keys, a great piano sound, and a wide collection of other sounds that are consistently solid though rarely spectacular. It's a joy to play and a fine instrument for composing on. The QS has a limited set of strengths, but they are really important ones.

Maybe here's another way to address the "first synth" question. Imagine you had to pick TWO synths that togother should be able to do almost everything you need and they better sound pretty musical doing it. I would pick one sample based synth and one oscillator based synth. Now how are you going to work? Sequence at the computer, perform with the whole rig. How are you going to enjoy playing this setup and how are you going to save compositions (if that is your goal).

In my setup I use a QS8, Nord Modular, and Seer Reality softsynth. I could use more samples for the QS and Reality (particulary in the drum department) but I want for nothing from my sound sources.

Have fun man, you will have a great time with your first synth!

-sam



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