Alesis QSR

64-voice Synth Module

 

 

Reviews : Keyboard

With S+S instruments giving way to the new wave of physical modelling synths, does Alesis' new 'QS-in-a-box' still have what it takes to turn heads? PAUL WARD tunes in, turns on and finds out...

When analogue synthesis was overtaken by the wonders of the digital age, folks could hardly give away their old analogue gear. These days we could be heading for a very similar situation with the sample-based synths of recent years and the new kids on the block, physical modelling synths. But many companies obviously still feel that S+S has something to offer -- cue Alesis and their new QSR 64-voice expandable synth module.

To all intents and purposes, the sound engine of the QSR is identical to the QS8 keyboard synth, and I'd strongly suggest that you take a look back at Martin Russ' review of the QS8 in November 1996's SOS for a more thorough view of its sound architecture.

 

PLENTY ROUND THE BACK

The QSR is small and light, roughly the size of the good old Quadraverb, and is finished in a tidy, if conservative, fashion. The rear panel holds items of special interest in the form of a 48kHz sample clock input and an optical interface to provide full integration into an existing ADAT-equipped studio -- impressive! Also included is the QS8's serial port connector. This allows you to plug the QSR directly into a IBM- or MacOS-compatible PC, removing the need for a separate MIDI interface; the baud rate and computer type are selected from one of the QSR's global parameter pages. Power arrives from an external 'line-lump' 9V AC power supply -- no sir, I don't like it... Two pairs of stereo audio outputs are provided, and these are especially welcome given the QSR's 64-voice polyphony.

"In full multitimbral flight, the QSR is a joy to the ears."

In contrast to its rear panel, the QSR's front panel is quite spartan. Over to the left are the headphone output and volume control, and the large backlit LCD. Next along is the 'alpha'-type value wheel, used for scrolling through Programs and Mixes, and for entering parameter values. There's a group of eight squidgy rubber buttons for navigation around the QSR's internals, and for stepping between MIDI channels and Program/Mix banks. To the left of the power switch are two Type-1 PCMCIA RAM/ROM card expansion slots.

The QSR has a number of operating modes. When it's in Mix or Program play mode, the value wheel scrolls through Programs or Mixes. In its unexpanded form, the QSR has access to four banks, totalling 512 Programs and 400 Mixes. A program plays on a single MIDI channel; a Mix consists of up to 16 Programs, each of which may respond on any MIDI channel, for multitimbral use or Program stacking. General MIDI compatibility mode is available from the global parameter pages. The Program and Mix play modes are accessed by dedicated buttons, making the selection of program material relatively quick and easy.

 

PAIN AND PLEASURE

Conversely, navigation around the QSR's editing modes can be painful at times. A simple effect such as Overdrive, for example, has its parameters split across four pages, and flipping between them all soon becomes a chore.

A QSR Program consists of between one and four Sounds arranged as Layers. Each Sound is assigned a sample from the 649 available in the 16Mb internal ROM (or from an optional PCMCIA card) before being passed through the filter, the amp and the effects processing on its way to the outside world. The range of amp and filter processing is fairly restricted, so samples have to be darned good in the first place. Happily, this is very much the case, with an abundance of high-quality material to keep even the most discerning programmer happy. All the usual meat-'n'-two-veg sounds are well represented, with a good smattering of more off-the-wall samples, including a range of wave and drum loops to get your groove-buds going. You can make up drum Programs with up to 40 different drum and percussion samples from the QSR's sample armoury: in fact, drum sounds are particularly well represented here, and also contain many of the best from the Roland CR/TR machines we know and love.

"From a company probably best known for their range of effects processors, an impressive array of effects is to be expected. The QSR does not disappoint."

Lost from the QS8 are the four parameter slider controls, but the QSR implements four 'global' controllers, which are specified by the user. This provides a simple way to make use of the modulation options defined in the preset Programs with whatever physical controllers you have at your disposal. Modulation destinations include many of the effects processors, as well as those directed at control of pitch, filter and amp.

 

TRUE GRIT?

From a company probably best known for their range of effects processors, an impressive array of effects is to be expected. The QSR does not disappoint, with a diversity and quality of sound treatment that wouldn't be out of place on a machine in a much higher price bracket. If anything lets the side down slightly it has to be the overdrive, which I found fizzy and unconvincing. On guitar and drum loops it was possible to add some grit and dirt, but I found myself filtering the top out of the overall sound to warm things up.

In full multitimbral flight, the QSR is a joy to the ears. Most of the Program material is solid, useable stuff, certainly well up to the standard of most other S+S synths of recent years -- given the unit's QS pedigree, this should come as no surprise. The GM sound-set is equally impressive, with one or two minor exceptions, such as 'Applause'. The lack of a resonant filter is felt in one or two areas, most notably the basses, although Alesis have partly made up for this by including a selection of resonant samples.

 

CONCLUSION

It's hard to get over-excited about an S+S synth these days, even one with the 64-voice polyphony of the QSR, but this machine deserves a second look from anyone wanting a reliable source of instant sounds. The quality of the results is hard to fault, and the PCMCIA card slots give the QSR access to a healthy library of extra sounds, as well as the ability to download custom samples to a PCMCIA RAM card from a computer using the bundled Sound Bridge software. If you're a player first and a programmer second, then the QSR could have been made for you -- it's a solid workhorse of a synth.

Published in SOS June 1997