Re: QS7 Sound Frustration


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Posted by Daniel Gardner on February 27, 1999 at 18:42:38:

In Reply to: QS7 Sound Frustration posted by Rick on February 27, 1999 at 14:36:27:

Rick,

Patience, exploring, and programming!!!

I started a similar adventure last summer; classical training, QS7 and a 70's rock cover band. After about two weeks I too was looking for additional equipment. Fortunately, I didn't have the money to buy something else, because the QS7 is a solid rocking unit. But, be prepared. A bass only has four strings and a fret. A synth can replace most instruments in an orchestra and will completely consume your time for a couple of years learning all the possible programming options. It ain't easy.

Yes, many of the QS patches will not sound good with a rock band. With time you'll find a handful of patches that do work well, and then you'll start looking at QCards or building your own.

1. I've got two amp set-ups. All my sounds with the exception of organ are run through a Carvin PA. Good sound. I'm running my organ patches through the AUX ports and a PRO-T 3 leslie simulator. Turn off all effects on organ patches before doing this though. I've found a couple of organ patches (Keiths C3 and AmericaOrg) that sound great with this set-up. This gets me about 75% towards a true B3 sound. I'm still exploring ways to get the last 25%. (You can also find some patch downloads on this website for this purpose)

2. About 80% of your songs can be played with a good Rhodes sound. These sounds really dominate the electric guitars. I use the 'Suitcase' patch mostly. Try playing with the mod wheel and slider for some nice echo and vibrato effects.

3. I've found the piano patches sound best with the mod wheel at a middle setting. It's a little brighter sound which helps it rise above the guitars.

4. We're currently working up Pink Floyd's Shine-On. Create a mix with the StarDustMW patch on the lower half of the keyboard for the lowend string background and use the ShineOn patch in the upper range for the intro. I started playing this last night and my guitarist experienced instant musical ecstacy.

5. String sounds on the QS are also solid. We've worked up the Moody Blues 'Nights in White Satin' and I use the RichString patch on the lower half of the keyboard and the Tron Flutes on the upper half. It's a very very nice sound especially with the acoustic guitars.

6. Hmm, what else. I spent about 40 hours figuring out a good patch for the Who's Don't Get Fooled Again. Was it worth the effort? Well, it sounds good and I learned a whole lot about synth programming and what synth sounds are dominant. (Pads help a lot)

7. Try playing Led Zeppelin's No Quarter with the No Quarter patch. Absolutely perfect sound through the PA.

Anyway, I've finally figured that my issues with the QS7 were primarily user related. My biggest challenge now is how to play all of the different parts the band demands with only two hands and two feet. I've started exploring the sequencing capability on the synth and have gotten very creative with splitting the keyboard. I'm even thinking about getting a QS8 for the keyboard action in addition to the QS7.

Oh, one more thing. Spend some time cruisin the net and downloading MIDI files and patches that people have created. There are some good (and mediocre) songs that can be downloaded and played through serial port and Cubasis software. This will also give you an idea of the power of your synth.

Good Luck,

Dan


: Hello All,

: I recently took on the "job" of playing keyboards for my cover band (I was previously a bassist - I've been playing piano for a long time, though.). I decided, after some investigation, to get an Alesis QS7 due to it's sound quality / price ratio - plus, I can hook it up to my computer, etc....

: Anyway, I've always felt great about the sounds as they come out of the headphones I use at home. I have found, though, that many of the sounds are very tinny and thin when coming through a PA (it's a good PA...). When playing with the band, these patches sound like an empty high pitched overtone, that can even be piercing at times. I've tried playing with the EQ settings on the PA, as well as plugging directly into a bass amp with pretty much the same results. I notice this on the Piano sounds, the horn sounds, and some of the organs (ABCDrawbar, for example). The Blues Organ and some other patches are great, though, so it's not a problem with the entire synth.

: 1) would I be able to solve this through editing the sounds, or is it beyond help?
: 2) Do Q-Cards have the same problems?
: 3) Would running the QS7 through some type of EQ device / pedal help?

: 4) anyone out there who uses the QS7 in a cover band who could offer advice, favorite sounds, etc??

: thanks a lot !!!

: --Rick
: lmnop1@mindspring.com




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