Re: New QS-8 ownner; I'm a guitar player and will need help!


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Posted by Dr.Tom on September 26, 1998 at 10:13:53:

In Reply to: Re: New QS-8 ownner; I'm a guitar player and will need help! posted by Markus Nentwig on September 25, 1998 at 14:17:42:

: Hi Tom,

: Before anything else, you'll have to hook up your QS to a PC with a MIDI-cable. Most sound-cards (soundblaster...) have
: one, 'MPU-401'
: When you have set it up (this is most definitely not a trivial task, see past articles in the forum, many already archived), you
: have connected the QS to the PC, meaning that your playing on the synth can be recorded on the PC and that song-files on the
: PC ('MIDI-Files') can be played back.
: Usually, you play them back on a so-called 'sequencer' on your PC. Have a look at the CD delivered with your synth, there's
: 'CUBASIS' on it, for free.
: You can turn on and off each instrument / track independently there.
: Since every type of synth has different sounds, a standard named 'General Midi' was created, which allows to play back
: ANY GM ('General-Midi')-File on ANY GM-compatible synth with acceptable (?) results.
: By the way, since your soundcard will be (at least 99%) GM-compatible, you can play back GM-files on your sound-card
: also, results depending on the quality of the card. ("That's a guitar-sound? NO! That's PATHETIC!" ... But you wanted to
: play the guitar by hand anyway, didn't you?). So you don't really need a QS if you have a good sound-card (but the sound of
: the QS is the equivalent of a *very* good sound-card, especially the drums)

: You have to turn your QS to GM mode. You do so in the GLOBAL menu - see manual - but remember to switch it back since
: your QS will behave slightly different while in GM mode.

: Now you need some sound-files to play-back.

: A good place is 'Jim's Midi Links', which links to many, many pages containing MIDI-files.
: The URL is http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/6356/frame.html

: Since the GM-files are recorded by amateurs, nine out of ten are not too great. But there's some really good files out there
: who must have been recorded by professionals. Johnny B. Goode (Chuck Berry), for example, is one, or 'Timewarp' from the
: 'Rocky Horror Picture Show'. If you're interested in Rock'n'roll piano, those two are a valuable source of information.

: You can also write MIDI-files (not only GM) to your synth and store them on a memory-card.
: This may be useful for those who need playback and won't haul their PC around.
: But for home and studio work an external sequencer is preferable.

Markus, thank you very much for all your help, Regards, Tom.


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