Alesis Q Cards

[Dave Bryce]

18 hours ago, Bob B said:

 Is it the Vintage Keyboards card that has the mellotron sound(s) on it? I really want to find a mellotron sound for my QS-7.

It’s been a while…but if memory serves, yes.

 

dB

[My Keys And Me Are Vintage]

Mr. Bryce - you mentioned a mythological Guitar Qcard? Is there a ritual needed to be performed to acquire such an interesting image? 😁

 

I am an original owner of a QS8 in 1998. Never considered QCards back then because they were way too much money. I think as much $ as an effects box I also wanted. The built-in sounds were so good and there were so many of them, why spend more on cards? Fast forward, thru COVID boredom and dusting off old gear, my QS8 is my new baby again this summer. All because I found this forum and it got my QCard curiosity fired up big time. 

 

The vintage synth sounds I have been trying out in VSTs led me back to the QS8 and the idea of hearing what the Vintage Synth Qcard is all about. Six months later, I am able to reliably load a Pretec 8MB flash card with any of the original QCard images. Yeah, the Vintage Synth QCard really is that fun! Worth the project time. The Jazz Piano card breathes new life into that old girl. Now to find more blank cards to avoid the 35 min image load time. 

 

There were some very good programs in the factory presets I never realized back then, as I was at the time "maturing" from synth playing to more piano playing so I stuck with the piano patches, mostly. During a good buzz, I would cycle thru the synth and rhythm programs. And the QS8 still plays and feels good. 

 

 

[Dave Bryce]

41 minutes ago, My Keys And Me Are Vintage said:

Mr. Bryce - you mentioned a mythological Guitar Qcard? Is there a ritual needed to be performed to acquire such an interesting image? 😁

 

Ahhh, the never released Guitar and Bass card.  One of my faves. 😎

 

I’m not sure if anyone has an image of that.  I still have my copy (on a flash card), but if there’s a way to get the image off the card I am unaware of it. 

 

Also, were such an image available, i imagine releasing it could potentially be problematic from a legal standpoint.

 

dB

[felis]

A little over 20 years ago, I had a big synth day.  I bought an Andromeda, an Access Virus C, a Waldorf Q, and a QS6.2 at the same time. 

The A6, C, and Q are gone.  The QS was stored in the basement with little to no use. 

I pulled it down and took it out of the box today, because I was thinking of letting it go, and thought I should check that it still works.

 

It fired up fine, but I guess it needs a battery because while the display works OK, the user bank display is scrambled.

I saved a sound to the user bank and it displayed fine.  Maybe there's a little charge left in it.

 

Anyways - the big surprise.  In the box were 5 Q cards, and I don't remember getting them.  Classical, Vintage, Latin, Sanctuary, and Euro Dance.

I started playing around with it a bit and remembered it has after touch and release velocity.  While some of the sounds are kind of cheesy,

some of them still sound really good to me.

 

Long story short - I'm going to keep it. 

For the little they go for nowadays, it would be pretty impossible to get some other hardware keyboard with those features.

While it's only got 4 sliders, it also has velocity, AT, RV, midi in/out/thru, and a couple pedal inputs.

Always good to have a spare, and most manufacturers aren't making too much stuff like that anymore.

[NewImprov]

Oddly enough, I have a QS6 of some sort that is being stored at my studio, a friend of a band member asked to store his gear here a few years ago, then kind of disappeared. He gave me permission to use/play any of his stuff, maybe I should pull it out and see what it can do?

[felis]

3 hours ago, NewImprov said:

Oddly enough, I have a QS6 of some sort that is being stored at my studio, a friend of a band member asked to store his gear here a few years ago, then kind of disappeared. He gave me permission to use/play any of his stuff, maybe I should pull it out and see what it can do?

 

It probably would depend on what you're expecting from it. 

Despite the miniscule memory, some of the sounds are pretty good, but huge advancements have been made since then for storage and sample sizes.

 

If you're looking for a competent keyboard in the hardware area, I'd say it's worth a look. 

I've read a lot of negative comments about the feel of the keys action, but I get along just fine with it.  

The main draws for me are that it can send release velocity and that it has after touch.

[Fleer]

Time to unbox my QuadraSynth…

[stoken6]

9 hours ago, felis said:

For the little they go for nowadays, it would be pretty impossible to get some other hardware keyboard with those features.

While it's only got 4 sliders, it also has velocity, AT, RV, midi in/out/thru, and a couple pedal inputs.

Yes it makes a great controller. I've still got mine - although I hardly use it I can't bring myself to give it away. There will be a gig one day which is only reachable with a 20 minute walk or something, and it will save the day.

 

Cheers, Mike.

[AUSSIEKEYS]

 

21 hours ago, Fleer said:

Time to unbox my QuadraSynth…

 

Big fan of Alesis stuff and will be pulling out all my Alesis stuff soon as our house move and renovation will be finished Xmas eve (i hope) meaning ill be able to setup a bigger studio separating all my synth restoration stuff from playing stuff. Maybe time to let finish off my vintage synth repairs and let my collections go 

 

I will finally have access to my Quadrasynth plus, 2 x S4 modules, Nano Synth and a QS6.1 etc.

 

Gigged with the original Quadrasynth then migrated to the Quadrasynth Plus. Cant wait to compare the Plus more closely to my QS6.1 which i picked up years later after the Qudarasynth was mothballed.

 

I always loved the Quadrasynth zoning. I always thought it was ahead of everyone elses zoning capabilities. Simple quick and enough capabilities.

 

I also liked its sounds a lot. So much so later I would use the Nano Synth as a very portable but non zoning module above my PX330. Later adding the QS6.1 as a zoning master above the PX330.

 

I recently got a Numa Cocal 2x for lightweight gigging and i think i may add the minuscule Nano Synth to it as the Numa Compact has 2 external zones although i think they only do a 2 way split hardly what i call zoning. Nevertheless it may be enough.

 

I still think the Alesis sounds hold up well for gigging. I wish they continued making synths with their fantastic zoning capabilities of the original Quadrasynth. The Qs6.1 zoning was good but i think the Quadrasynth was quicker to dial up although i could be wrong hence my anticipation of putting them side by side. The S4 modules are great but have limitation of no 10 pad buttons for typing the program in and have a proprietary power pac that is bulkyish and not easily replaceable. 

 

Basically the Quadrasynth replaced my Kurzweil K1000 a nice synth but way to heavy and its zoning was only linear ( a 3 way split). With the Quadrasynth I had finally found the ultimate synth at the time. Lighter and a zoning dream.

 

Id still be using it today except my health deteriated and the quadrasynth was too heavy and bulky. I looked at the QS7 as it was sleek but still too heavy for me. Im stuck with getting lighter and lighter keyboards negating a lot of choices

 

But basically i think the Quadrasynth was the turning point in finding a keyboard i had been hoping for since i started gigging in the late 70s. I still consider it my bench mark gigging synth.

 

 

[Dave Bryce]

I still have a QSPP, my beloved QS8 with a heavier action keybed (FATAR sent us one to try out and I loved it, so I kept it), a QSR, a NanoBass, two Andromedae - one Red, one Blue….and all the QCards.

 

dB

[David Emm]

Here's an idea for a MPN fund raiser: a card game based on the sound data of old keyboards and lost technological sheep, like the Technics WSA-1 physical modeling keyboard. Its more esoteric than anything but barbed wire collecting. Its guaranteed to draw looks of pity or mild disgust from people who don't get it. "Mom, Grandpa's talking about that Con Brio thing again! Make him stop!"

 

Would I love to sample a loaded QS for a few days? Damned straight. I'd love to layer that with newer sounds or massage it with modern effects. I went all-in when I bought a Korg 01Wfd, so I encountered some major magic in the secondary banks of sets created by third-party folks. I don't drool over old synths much, but their data, like Alesis data card gems? Oh yeah!

[Dave Bryce]

I have one other unreleased QCard. 😎

It is a series of industrial and nature samples that were sort of a predecessor to Tracktion’s BioTek.  We made it with Arne Schultz, who did a lot of sounds for Yamaha as well.  Brother Taiho Yamada (currently Director of Marketing for Sequential) had a major hand in this project.

Besides all the individual sounds that we sculpted into instruments, we also made a bunch of loops that were all sorts of fun to play with.

 

I used it a while back on this cover of The Light Dies Down On Broadway.  It’s all the percussion loops you hear in the tune.

 

dB

[AUSSIEKEYS]

11 hours ago, David Emm said:

 like the Technics WSA-1 physical modeling keyboard. Its more esoteric than anything but barbed wire collecting. 

 

Hey ive actually got a WSA-1 in my barb wire collection. Interesting piece.

[Synthaholic]

On 11/14/2023 at 6:18 PM, felis said:

Long story short - I'm going to keep it. 

For the little they go for nowadays, it would be pretty impossible to get some other hardware keyboard with those features.

While it's only got 4 sliders, it also has velocity, AT, RV, midi in/out/thru, and a couple pedal inputs.

Always good to have a spare, and most manufacturers aren't making too much stuff like that anymore.

It also makes a very nice controller keyboard. The 4 sliders are user-configurable, and it has a nice action and very good Aftertouch. The True Stereo piano patch still holds up well, so many years later.

[Synthaholic]

 

On 11/15/2023 at 8:57 PM, AUSSIEKEYS said:

I still think the Alesis sounds hold up well for gigging.

It really does. Especially for sequenced parts. Sounds sit very well together.

 

On 11/15/2023 at 8:57 PM, AUSSIEKEYS said:

 

 

Big fan of Alesis stuff and will be pulling out all my Alesis stuff soon as our house move and renovation will be finished Xmas eve (i hope) meaning ill be able to setup a bigger studio separating all my synth restoration stuff from playing stuff. Maybe time to let finish off my vintage synth repairs and let my collections go 

 

I will finally have access to my Quadrasynth plus, 2 x S4 modules, Nano Synth and a QS6.1 etc.

 

Gigged with the original Quadrasynth then migrated to the Quadrasynth Plus. Cant wait to compare the Plus more closely to my QS6.1 which i picked up years later after the Qudarasynth was mothballed.

 

I always loved the Quadrasynth zoning. I always thought it was ahead of everyone elses zoning capabilities. Simple quick and enough capabilities.

 

I also liked its sounds a lot. So much so later I would use the Nano Synth as a very portable but non zoning module above my PX330. Later adding the QS6.1 as a zoning master above the PX330.

 

I recently got a Numa Cocal 2x for lightweight gigging and i think i may add the minuscule Nano Synth to it as the Numa Compact has 2 external zones although i think they only do a 2 way split hardly what i call zoning. Nevertheless it may be enough.

 

I still think the Alesis sounds hold up well for gigging. I wish they continued making synths with their fantastic zoning capabilities of the original Quadrasynth. The Qs6.1 zoning was good but i think the Quadrasynth was quicker to dial up although i could be wrong hence my anticipation of putting them side by side. The S4 modules are great but have limitation of no 10 pad buttons for typing the program in and have a proprietary power pac that is bulkyish and not easily replaceable. 

 

Basically the Quadrasynth replaced my Kurzweil K1000 a nice synth but way to heavy and its zoning was only linear ( a 3 way split). With the Quadrasynth I had finally found the ultimate synth at the time. Lighter and a zoning dream.

 

Id still be using it today except my health deteriated and the quadrasynth was too heavy and bulky. I looked at the QS7 as it was sleek but still too heavy for me. Im stuck with getting lighter and lighter keyboards negating a lot of choices

 

But basically i think the Quadrasynth was the turning point in finding a keyboard i had been hoping for since i started gigging in the late 70s. I still consider it my bench mark gigging synth.

 

 

 

 

I too own a lot of Alesis gear:

 

3 Quadrasynth Plus Piano

3 QS7.1

2 S4Plus

2 Quadraverb GT

Fusion 6HD

DM Pro

QSR

3630 Compressor

MicroLimiter

 

In the past year I got rid of two QS+Piano, so I'm making progress.

 

I also have these, including my well-used Grand Piano card.

 

 

[AUSSIEKEYS]

3 hours ago, Synthaholic said:

 

I too own a lot of Alesis gear:

 

3 Quadrasynth Plus Piano

3 QS7.1

2 S4Plus

2 Quadraverb GT

Fusion 6HD

DM Pro

QSR

3630 Compressor

MicroLimiter

 

 

 

 

Very nice.

 

Always wanted a Fusion. I remember seeing a used one i thought about buying but it was interstate 12 hours away so let it go as i knew about their foibles and would liked to have seen it in person.

 

Ironicaly not long after i moved to the same city it was available in. DoHH

 

In Australia theres not a lot of opportunities to chase specific old keyboards.  It's sorta buy if one comes up at the time may be ages between seeing another. We dont have numerous of any used keyboards to choose from like in US 

[Fleer]

I still got a new Fusion I haven’t even launched yet. About time I do. 

[AUSSIEKEYS]

1 hour ago, Fleer said:

I still got a new Fusion I haven’t even launched yet. About time I do. 

 

Wow thats amazing

[felis]

I really wanted to like the Fusion I had, but didn't like the looks or the sound.

It had decent programming options, but it was always putting lipstick on a pig IMO.

Unfinished features too.

[felis]

OK - that was a bit harsh.  The VA and FM were decent.  The physical modeling was so-so.  But I didn't care for the main sample playback sounds.

There were problems with the hard disc recorder and sequencer. The fx were kind of crappy, and I think the looks/design was horrid.

 

I did get a decent price on it, and it came with a set of desktop monitors that I'm still using today, so it wasn't all bad.

Honestly though, I didn't give it much thought when it was gone.

 

Biggest problem IMO was that it was rushed out (unfinished) to compete with the Korg (Oasys?) that came out with similar features at a much higher price.

 

 

[Synthaholic]

On 11/20/2023 at 7:34 AM, felis said:

I really wanted to like the Fusion I had, but didn't like the looks or the sound.

It had decent programming options, but it was always putting lipstick on a pig IMO.

Unfinished features too.

Use a program like Translator or Fusion Creator and it becomes a very useful keyboard, beyond the stock programming. There's still a cult following, and different forums devoted to it. I think the 6HD has a wonderful synth action with a responsive Aftertouch. It's kind of deep, as in front to back. As a second synth on my Apex, it obscures the bottom keyboard's controls. I'm trying an 'L' configuration with it now.

[Bosendorphen]

On 11/15/2023 at 3:29 AM, stoken6 said:

Yes it makes a great controller. I've still got mine - although I hardly use it I can't bring myself to give it away. There will be a gig one day which is only reachable with a 20 minute walk or something, and it will save the day.

 

Cheers, Mike.

Funny, I hadn't used my QS7 for a nunber of years and pulled it back into service as my only keyboard for our last gig. Worked great and sounded great. Very versatile and I used the mod wheel and sliders to bring layered sounds and effects in and out and it was all I needed for the 2 sets.

On 11/19/2023 at 6:36 PM, Synthaholic said:

It also makes a very nice controller keyboard. The 4 sliders are user-configurable, and it has a nice action and very good Aftertouch. The True Stereo piano patch still holds up well, so many years later.

Yeah for 8 MB, that piano sample is amazing.

[My Keys And Me Are Vintage]

It was a blast for me to re-discover my QS8 this past year and all the things it could do I never attempted years ago. Back then (1996-ish) we all wanted that realistic piano sound all the vendors were trying to cram into 256KBs. Alesis did good, and the keyboard rocked. Didn’t appreciate the aftertouch back then either. Only played the non-piano sounds occasionally for a quick break from the piano sounds, or when the kids wanted to make cool sounds. I had no concept of what I was missing. 

 

Those QCards had me obsessed the past year. First to find all of the original card image files, then to find suitable PCMCIA cards for those images. And the search  + trial and error to get a Windows laptop that supported the cards with PCMCIA slots and Win98 apps. The cloned vintage synth card finally in hand, I spent weeks playing around with it. Timeless, really. Great pro-quality samples in those cards. Got a QSR and S4+ Plus rack to test with, too. 

 

I just picked up a Studiologic Numa X GT, loving that keyboard and its MIDI controller features a lot. Now I want a Nanosynth to keep tucked behind the keyboard so I can access all those great QS sounds still. 

[Synthaholic]

On 12/5/2023 at 4:13 PM, My Keys And Me Are Vintage said:

Those QCards had me obsessed the past year. First to find all of the original card image files, then to find suitable PCMCIA cards for those images.

Did you use SoundBridge?

[My Keys And Me Are Vintage]

Oh man, so much time to get that stuff straight. I did the SoundBridge option "Send Image file to Synthesizer", over a DB9 serial cable to the Alesis. I found an old XP laptop on eBAY with a DB9 serial port (and a PCMCIA card slot), to run the old software. Put an 8MB Pretec AMD C/D Flash card in Slot A of the QS and it takes about 20 min.  It can be done over MIDI via USB adapter to the laptop, but it will take twice as long. 

 

Since the Pretec cards are so $$ and not for sale every often, I needed a faster way to try out the different QCard images on the one card I had. So I worked on the PCMCIA slot of the laptop. I used old software that is now public domain, Memory Card Explorer by Elan Digital Systems (now out of business), to make Qcards. MCE v3-21 Jan 2005, Full Version. Takes about two minutes to drop an image on the card directly. Then insert it into a QS slot. 

 

I would be surprised if even 10% of QS owners ever heard the sounds on any of the QCards. Even fewer have loaded the extra banks bundled with the Qcards, which contain more good stuff. 

[Fleer]

I would love to have them, but what a chore…

[tonyd520]

Hi...just purchased a Vintage Q card for my QRS module and I'm having trouble loading. I get to "Load user from

Card A Bank 1" and I get an error message saying "No program data at this bank". Am I doing something wrong? Do I need another card to load additional banks? Any help would be greatly appreciated...Thanks.

 

[Threadslayer]

Back when I had my QS7.1 there was a guy who sold Q card patch collections for CHEEP. There were hundreds of patches, but it turned out that most of them were minor variations of standard ones and didn't really end up being all that useful. Anyone remember these? I can't remember the name of the "company" who was selling them.

[My Keys And Me Are Vintage]

TonyD520 - the QCard contains samples and programs using those samples. I don’t think you can copy the program bank off the card to the User bank. But since the QCard must be inserted to access the QCard samples, do you need a copy of those programs separate from the Qcard? You cannot use those programs once the QCard is removed since the programs can’t find the samples. So just access the programs right from the QCard. 

 

I think what the QS is expecting is an SRAM card in the slot, where you can store many, many program banks. Those SRAM banks can be pushed back and forth from the SRAM card to the QS User bank. What can be done is to put the QCard extra banks on an SRAM card (sysex files that were bundled with QCards) and then you have more programs to play with using the QCard (which has to be in the other QS slot, of course). 

[Dave Bryce]

17 hours ago, tonyd520 said:

Hi...just purchased a Vintage Q card for my QSR module and I'm having trouble loading. I get to "Load user from

Card A Bank 1" and I get an error message saying "No program data at this bank". Am I doing something wrong? Do I need another card to load additional banks?

 

You shoudn’t need to load the card to listen to it.  Just plug it in and change banks.  

 

You should see the card’s program bank show up right after the USER bank, if memory serves.

 

dB