QS6 - 61 key model

The QS6 is a powerful multitimbral synthesizer from the effects-box geniuses at Alesis. There's 64 voices of polyphony and 16 parts multitimbrality and tons of memory and expand-ability packed into to this big, blue, beautifully laid out performance synthesizer. Based on the original QuadraSynth series, The QS6 has 8 MegaBytes of samples and uses digital additive/subtractive sample playback synthesis to create high quality stereo grand pianos, organs, strings, drums/percussion, brass, woodwinds, new and classic synth textures, General MIDI, and rhythmic/sonic loops. Most of them sound pretty darn great too! However Alesis had not yet fully anticipated the dance craze and so this is not one of those "physical-modeling" synths that began appearing at the same time. And sadly, in addition to the north-bound Pitch/Mod wheels, there are only just two real-time assignable control sliders for live tweaking, which is not a lot at all.

As a master synth, the QS excels in it's price range, except for that tiny LCD display which makes navigating through the pages and pages of program settings pretty tedious. The QS6 implements the powerful QS Modulation Matrix, allowing users to assign virtually any controller source to any modulation parameter. There's an onboard multi-effects processor (based on the QuadraVerb 2) with four totally discrete effects busses that include reverb, delay, rotary speaker simulation, distortion, chorus and much more. With a direct Mac or PC hook-up, loading patches and editing via software is a snap! QS synths shipped with Alesis' Sound Bridge software for Mac/PC which lets you write AIFF and WAV samples, Standard MIDI Files and Program data to PCMCIA Flash or SRAM cards. It can play Standard MIDI file sequences from the expansion cards without the use of an external sequencer. For an all around versatile modern synthesizer that isn't focused just on dance or trance, be sure to consider the QS6.

More demanding players may want to check out the more professional QS7 (76 semi weighted keys), QS8 (88 weighted keys with piano style hammer action) and QSR (rack-mount) versions. They also featured double the sample-ROM and many other upgrades! By 1999, all the Quadrasynths were being replaced by the QS6.1, 7.1 and 8.1 versions.

Defective Nation

January 26, 2013 @ 8:35 pm

With only a small amount of effort you can coax some amazing sounds from these synths that are still relevant today. Try layering a few detuned patches, there's plenty of polyphony so you can make some really complex fat sounds.

If you don't need another keyboard but fancy having access to the sounds take a look at the NanoSynth which goes for next to nothing on eBay.

Walt from NC

January 22, 2013 @ 11:42 am

I use a QS6 as a favorite for live performances only. I enjoy the smaller keyboard and the nostalgia of it's synth engine being the basis for the other QS synths (for the most part). While the piano sounds are well documented as very weak, the strings, pads, bass and brass are excellent and can cut through/hang to this day. Very fat sounds in those areas IMO. This synth sits along with my Yamaha digital piano and Akai Miniak with blended KB300 + KB/A 300 amps.....a ton of live, cutting, pro sound on the cheap.

Harri

August 31, 2012 @ 11:04 pm

Look, I had one of these way back in the mid 90's. The keybed was the only one which supported aftertouch at that time at under 10k FIM price range, and damn the key touch was awesome too.

The sound was almost exactly the same as with the legendary Quadrasynths, with the exception of the really nice piano sample, the programming was awful. If you want great 90's sound with an awesome keybed, you'll want one of these. I personally moved on to Roland and am still missing the alesis from time to time. :)

musicman_1968@yahoo

July 15, 2012 @ 8:12 pm

great sounds 64 voice poly is awesome!! paid 150.00 for mine mint condition,with manuels and 1 q-card pianos~ wish the q-cards werent so pricey 80 bucks on e-bay yikes,plenty of power and sounds on board with out any q-cards!8mb if you add a q-card bumps it up to 16mb~4 On-board effects,that sound great,i am gonna have alot of fun with this,best purchase ever made--512 preset 128 user programs, 400 preset and 100 user mixes- the user mixes is awesome,slighty hard to program and create mixes horns and pads and synths sound amazing!! pianos sound wonderfull,compact and very powerfull. get one!!

Sean

May 3, 2012 @ 9:28 pm

I feel like a dummy, but after posting I did get the idea of trying to do exactly that - do one more re-initialization and try to play without any visuals on the LCD. I found some sounds and it plays - sounds AMAZING - the kind fat sounds I love from the vintage era! While it was powered on, I did some more wire-wiggling to see if I could find the root problem. While handling the LCD screen and PCB, some of my fingers bridged some circuits on the back of the PCB and a few pixels displayed.. Now I worry is it the LCD, or the component sending info to the LCD? Ribbon cable checks out fine.

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