On Alesis Qs - thanks to all (& 1or2 more Qs)

[coyote]

Thanks for your input everyone!

 

Spent more time w/ the QS8 in the store yesterday. I've found a few grand piano patches that I like, and the Clav patches are good (though not spectacular - but I could live w/ them) enough to allow me to get rid of my Nanopiano. And some of the effects are pretty good. Which brings me to my questions (perhaps the esteemed Mr. Bryce could address these specifically?)....

 

The Rhodes sounds are indeed usable & recognizable. But I cannot get what I consider a good tremolo effect, and none of the salespeople could either - none of them even knew how to modify the effects at all, nor does the manual tell. How (please be specific) do I:

a) start w/ an accurate barebones (effectless) Rhodes patch, and

b) modify the patch to place tremolo speed on one of the controls and tremolo depth on another - with tone also assigned to one of the sliders? I'd prefer using all sliders for these, but would be OK w/ using the mod wheel for tremolo depth. And I'd want the tremolo depth control to be able to go to zero.

c) I'm also concerned about the stereo/mono thing. The tremolo spread/pan would need to be adjustable so that, if I can only use one mono channel in a live playing situation, the tremolo is perceived as a fluctuation in volume - and not an on/off thing. How, specifically, do I do these things?

BTW, my sole criteria is: Can it give me a good live sound?? If I can get what I want from the tremolo I'll buy the thing....

 

Thanks again for all your help.

[Dave Bryce]

Originally posted by coyote:

The Rhodes sounds are indeed usable & recognizable. But I cannot get what I consider a good tremolo effect, and none of the salespeople could either - none of them even knew how to modify the effects at all, nor does the manual tell.

 

Sure it does. There's a whole chapter on the effects.

 

To access them, press the edit select button twice. Then, look at the buttons 40-120...you'll notice that they acces the effects menus. I'll bet you'll be able to tweak them from there.

 

How (please be specific) do I:

a) start w/ an accurate barebones (effectless) Rhodes patch, and

b) modify the patch to place tremolo speed on one of the controls and tremolo depth on another - with tone also assigned to one of the sliders?

 

Wow - that'd take quite a bit of typing for me to explain - you're basically asking me how the synth works here. The down 'n dirty version is that in effects edit mode, button 120 (labelled MIX in effects edit mode) accesses the effects mix parameters, and button 60 (labelled MOD in effects edit mode) lets you access which parameters are assigned to sliders. You can have two mod sources/destinations per program in effects edit mode. As far as TONE goes, there isn't a TONE parameter. You can assign FILTER CUTOFF to a slider, though. In addition, tremolo isn't done in the effects section, as a rule - it's done by modulating the amp LFO, and a touch to the pitch LFO. See below.

 

I'd prefer using all sliders for these, but would be OK w/ using the mod wheel for tremolo depth. And I'd want the tremolo depth control to be able to go to zero.

 

Try the Rays Roadz program - the mod wheel controls trem depth in that program, and in most (if not all) of the other Rhodes programs. Pick the one that you like, and copy the parameters from the ALFO menu in PROGRAM EDIT mode - that's usually where the tremolo control lives. Sometimes it gets an additional kick form the PLFO, and/or the mod matrix.

 

See what I mean about this question basically asking how the synth works in general?

 

c) I'm also concerned about the stereo/mono thing. The tremolo spread/pan would need to be adjustable so that, if I can only use one mono channel in a live playing situation, the tremolo is perceived as a fluctuation in volume - and not an on/off thing. How, specifically, do I do these things?

 

Since it is controlled by the amp LFO, this shouldn't be a problem - it's actually harder to get a stereo spread out of it than to do it in mono.

 

BTW, my sole criteria is: Can it give me a good live sound?? If I can get what I want from the tremolo I'll buy the thing....

 

Like I said - try the mod wheel on any of the Rhodes programs (programs 5 and 6 in Preset banks 1, 2, and 3). They all have trem on the mod wheel in varying degrees - enough to indicate what the synth does. I like the Rays Roads best, myself.

 

Lemme know how it goes, okay?

 

dB

 

Thanks again for all your help.[/b]

[coyote]

And THIS is exactly why the Yamaha P80 remains such a strong possibility for me. Having to understand the whole operation of the synth just to apply a cyclic volume shift during a performance could dampen my enthusiasm a bit. Somehow the concept of LFO modulation of a sampled sound is offputting (though I understand it), as is applying filter cutoff (eeek!). No tone controls?? Even my JP8000 has 'em.... The 'tremolo' on Rays Roadz sounded (to me anyway) kinda squirrely, like it has a chorus effect in it also. That may be the extra kick you refer to.

 

Nonetheless, I am excited about the extra versatility available in the QS-8 and will take a printout of your instructions w/ me to the store, and try to make this thing happen! I truly appreciate your help, Dave.

 

PS the Alesis manual I saw contained only effect on/off settings. Perhaps the sales guy showed me the wrong manual.

 

 

Originally posted by Dave Bryce:

Wow - that'd take quite a bit of typing for me to explain - you're basically asking me how the synth works here.

[synthetic]

The full Alesis QS8 manual is on their web site, there's definitely more info than turning effects on and off. Their manuals are generally good.

 

I just had a quick look at some QS8 programs, and they seem to use the Amplitude LFO for tremolo, maybe a bit of Filter LFO as well. You can get to the ALFO parameters by pressing EDIT then 8.

 

Finally, be sure to check out the Vintage Keys QCard. There are some nice velocity cross-switched samples, like Program 8 - a four-way cross-switch that's my favorite Rhodes patch. -jl

[coyote]

Hi,

 

Got a little better AND a bit worse. Using the info you provided I was indeed able to come up w/ a usable tremolo. However the manual was not available at the store, and I was unable to assign the amp LFO parameters to the sliders! I get a hint of what should be happening but couldn't manifest it in reality http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/smile.gif And I find that, at around D5 on at least 4 of the Rhodes patches (including Ray's Roadz), the notes in triads get this bizarre underlying dissonance. I wanted to try the Vintage Keys card to see if this is a patch issue or a general QS8 issue, but there were none available. So the quest continues - good thing I'm not in a huge hurry. Thanks again for your help.

 

Originally posted by Dave Bryce:

Lemme know how it goes, okay?

[Dave Bryce]

Originally posted by coyote:

Hi,

 

Got a little better AND a bit worse. Using the info you provided I was indeed able to come up w/ a usable tremolo. However the manual was not available at the store, and I was unable to assign the amp LFO parameters to the sliders!

 

The Mod Matrix. (Buttons 0-5 in program edit mode).

 

Find an unused mod point (there are six), then assign source -> ALFO speed. amp, whichever...destination -> Slider X...amount to taste.

 

If you really wanna get tricky, you can use the tracking generator and scale the curve of the response so it's not linear. This is kind of an advanced concept, though, and difficult to explain in a few lines...

 

dB