User manual ALESIS QS6

[. . . ] ALESIS QS6 Reference Manual Introduction Thank you for purchasing the Alesis QS6 64 Voice Expandable Synthesizer. To take full advantage of the QS6's functions, and to enjoy long and trouble-free use, please read this user's manual carefully. How To Use This Manual This manual is divided into the following sections describing the various modes of the QS6. To get the most out of your QS6, read the entire manual once, then use the table of contents and index to reference specific functions while using the instrument. Deals with the necessary preparation before playing, including connections to external devices. [. . . ] Setting the Release time to 99 will take the envelope a very long time to reach zero level. The Pitch Envelope is unique from the other two envelopes in that its Release time can be set above 99. When this is done, the value in the display will read "Hold". This indicates that the Pitch Envelope will remain where it is even after the note is released. This is important when you want the pitch effect to continue even after releasing the key. Example: If the Pitch Envelope is bending a note up, and you don't want the pitch to fall when you release the key, set the Release parameter to "Hold". QS6 Reference Manual 65 Chapter 6: Editing Programs Delay (00 to 99, Hold) Page 5 This is the amount of time that the envelope will wait before doing anything; very useful if you want to affect one element of a sound sometime after the sound starts. When the Delay is set to 0, the envelope attacks right away, without any delay. Play some notes while turning up the delay and see that the time between playing the note and hearing the effect of the Pitch Envelope gets progressively longer as the Delay control is turned up. This indicates that the Delay stage of the envelope will wait indefinitely until the key is released before continuing on to the remaining envelope stages (Attack, Decay, etc. ). This requires that the Pitch Envelope's Trigger parameter (see next page) is set to "Freerun". However, when the Delay is set to "Hold", "Freerun" mode is forced on regardless of the Trigger parameter's setting. Sustain Decay (00 to 99) Page 6 This is the amount of time that the envelope will take during the sustain stage to bring the level down to 0. If this is set to 99, the envelope will remain at the Sustain level until the note is released. When set to 0, the envelope's level will immediately jump down to 0 upon reaching the sustain stage. Trigger (Normal, Freerun, Reset, Reset-Freerun) Page 7 The Trigger mode determines how the envelope will function. You may select either Freerun or Reset, or both (Reset-Freerun) or neither (Normal). When set to Normal, the envelope will always start at its current level (i. e. , if another note had been played which triggered the envelope's cycle, playing another note in the middle would not interrupt the cycle). Also in Normal mode, the envelope will immediately advance to its release stage upon releasing the note. When set to Freerun, the envelope will complete its entire cycle, even if the note is released in the middle. When set to Reset, the envelope starts at the beginning whenever a new note is played. When set to Reset-Freerun, the envelope will start at the beginning whenever a new note is played and will complete its entire cycle, even if the note is released in the middle. If a sound layer's Keyboard Mode parameter (found in the Pitch Function, Page 10) is set to "Mono", the Pitch Envelope will only retrigger when playing legato if the Trigger Mode is set to either "Reset" or "Reset-Freerun". Time Tracking (On or Off) Page 8 This determines whether or not keyboard position will affect the cycle speed of the envelope. When turned on, playing toward the higher end of the keyboard will result in a faster envelope cycle; playing toward the lower end of the keyboard will result in a slower envelope cycle. However, this does not effect the attack time, but only the decay, sustain decay and release segments. [. . . ] Many devices subdivide this clock signal internally for higher resolution (e. g. , 96 pulses per quarter note). Unlike a Start command, which re-starts a sequencer or drum machine from the beginning of a song each time it occurs, sending a continue message after stop will re-start units from where they were stopped. GENERAL MIDI General MIDI is an extension of the MIDI standard designed to meet the demands of the ever-growing multimedia industry, and to make simple the act of playing commercially produced MIDI sequences. The QS6 is a perfect General MIDI companion, since its Mix Mode uses 16 channels. Although many channels are commonly used for specific types of instruments (Example: Channel 1 is usually piano, channel 2 is usually bass, etc. ), channel 10 is always used for drums. [. . . ]