Posted by Judson Taylor on April 17, 1998 at 16:09:05:
Please bear with me on this: I am not that well-versed in Alesis synths.
I have a Korg 01/WproX I use at home to compose, practice and sequence. I don't have a computer yet, so I just use the Korg onboard sequencer. My "road" synth is a Korg X2 which I'd like to sell because it has a lousy feel and only 32 voices. If I sell it, I would be interested in considering the Alesis QS8 because of its price, weighted action, basic sounds and length (it would fit in my SKB 76-key case!).
One thing that concerns me is the lack of a sequencer or disk drive. I admit I don't use them often on my X2, but once in awhile I find I have to play a church youth gig without the drummer and bass player and it's nice to jam along to a sequence. (Someone told me to check out the Ensoniq ZR-76 because it has a built-in drum machine, 16-track recorder and even an idea pad that always records your noodles...then someone else said FORGET IT, because Ensoniq sequencers were notoriously unreliable; any opinions on that?) So now I read about the Alesis Nanotracker, which pretty much looks like it could function as my road sequencer. But could it? I need more information.
Can I use it as a "beat box" and play along? What are these RAM cards the Nanotracker uses instead of floppy disks? Are they rewriteable? How much are they?
How much does the Nanotracker cost? Is it stupid to buy a QS8 and a Nanotracker to do what I want? Basically I want to write songs on the road or at home with it, and have the option of using sequences to play along with without hauling a computer around to gigs. Help! Thanks!