User manual ALESIS QSRPROGRAMCHART

[. . . ] This section provides a brief tour of the QSRPROGRAMCHARTPROGRAMCHART, shows you how to audition the various sounds of the QSRPROGRAMCHARTPROGRAMCHART, and points out the various performance features. Details rear panel connections (like MIDI, footpedals and the serial interface), proper hook-up procedures, plus application examples. Covers the structure of sound sources within the QSRPROGRAMCHARTPROGRAMCHART, how to read and navigate through the LCD display pages, how to edit parameters, and how to store edited Programs and Mixes. Describes all global functions, such as Master Tuning and Program Change Mode. [. . . ] Example: If you hold the sustain pedal down and play the same note over and over, Sound Overlap determines how many voices are available for that note, and thus how many voices will overlap (play simultaneously). In the old days, different brands of synthesizers offered different voice allocation schemes. One brand used a method called "rotate mode" in which each time a note was struck, a new voice was used. Another brand used a different method called "reassign mode" whereby if a note is played and then played again, the same voice is used both times. In other words, a new voice is used each time a new note of a different pitch is played. The Sound Overlap value lets you choose a comfortable setting between rotate mode and reassign mode. When the value equals 99, you are always in rotate mode, using up polyphony; if the value is 00, you are always in reassign mode, conserving voices. Set the value anywhere between 00 and 99 and you will get a combination of both, with partiality toward whichever mode the value is closest to. A piano sound requires some Sound Overlap, but not a lot; it isn't natural to hear too many voices on the same note. On the other hand, having only one voice per pitch isn't natural either; let's say you played a loud note with the sustain pedal held, followed by a soft note--the second note would abruptly cut-off the first. On a real piano, the string would still be resonating from the first (loud) note when the second (soft) note was played; thus the two notes would overlap. It is important to note that Sound Overlap can have a negative effect on polyphony. 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. [. . . ] Example: Sending a QSRPROGRAMCHARTPROGRAMCHART message to an Alesis D4 Drum Module won't do anything, but the message will be understood by other QSRPROGRAMCHARTPROGRAMCHART. This data often contains information about individual instrument programs. A master tempo source (such as a sequencer) emits 24 timing messages (clocks) per quarter note. Each device synchronized to the sequencer advances by 1/24th of a quarter note when it receives the clock message, thus keeping units in sync after they've both started at the same time. [. . . ]