User manual ALESIS QSR

[. . . ] ALESIS QSR Reference Manual Introduction Thank you for purchasing the Alesis QSR 64 Voice Expandable Synthesizer Module. To take full advantage of the QSR'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 QSR. To get the most out of your QSR, 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. [. . . ] It's typically used in special-effect synthesizer programs, but it may also be used more subtly in an acoustic program to simulate the characteristic of some instruments to go sharp on the initial attack, especially when played hard. The following Pitch Envelope variables will have an effect only if the PITCH ENVELOPE DEPTH (on Page 7 of the PITCH function) is set to a value other than 0, or, if Pitch Envelope is a source in the MOD function. Attack (00 to 99) Page 1 This is the amount of time the envelope will take until it reaches its maximum output level. Setting the Attack to 0 will make the pitch go to maximum immediately on hitting the key (if the Delay is also set to 0 in Pitch Envelope, Page 5 -- see next page); a setting of 99 will result in a much slower attack, taking many seconds before the envelope gets to maximum. Decay & Sustain (00 to 99) Pages 2 & 3 As soon as the attack portion of the envelope finishes (when the level reaches maximum), the envelope will decay (decrease in level). The level it reaches is set by the Sustain control; how long it takes to get there is set by the Decay control. In the special case where the Sustain level is all the way up (99), then there is no decrease and the Decay time segment is bypassed. Whatever level the sustain is set to is the level that the decay section of the envelope will head for. Depending on the setting of the Sustain Decay control (see below), the envelope will either hold at the sustain level until you release the note on the keyboard, or decay to 0 at the Sustain Decay rate (which is on page 2 of the envelope). You can create a long "plateau" at the start of a note by setting the Sustain to 98 and the Decay to 99. This will cause the envelope to take the maximum amount of time to get from peak level to a level of 98, before the Sustain Release portion of the envelope begins. Release (00 to 99, Hold) Page 4 Eventually, you will let go of the note that you've been holding (either by releasing the note on the keyboard, or releasing the sustain pedal if it was pressed). It is at this point that the Release portion of the envelope takes effect. The Release is the time that the envelope takes to get from its current level back down to nothing. 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". QSR Reference Manual 19 Editing Programs: Chapter 6 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. [. . . ] 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 QSR 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. [. . . ]