Still have a QS8 after all these long years! Alesis is one of those companies I always have a soft spot for... They were just a little bit ahead of their time...
Just bought one in great condition and am excited to dig in the next few days. Though I have a Roland RD-700SX, I love and prefer my Roland RD-300 SX. I’m presently hooking the QS8 up in a fashion that I can use the Roland as the controller or the Alesis. I also have three different Ensoniqs (TS-12, KT-88 and MR-76). I enjoy layering multiple keyboards together while writing. Was just trying to find some tutorials while I set it up, though I read the manual. I’m pumped. All the best.
Back in the day, I used to own a QS7. More keys and 4 assignable sliders instead of 1 beside the volume slider. Its non-rompler purely synth sounds were AMAZING. I think one of the sound designers for this was Glenn D'Arcy, who later also designed the Alesis Fusion and nowadays has the overlook design for the ASM Hydrasynth, which I also have and adore.
i worked at the dealer, we also had yamaha and others and i chose a qs6, later upgrading to a 7. i also chose a yamaha djx. they pair well, especially with the sanctuary and classical cards added. basically many yamaha-ish or roland-y modules should pair well.
I recorded a lot of songs with that synth. I bought it new in 1996. Got busy by the mid 2000s and stored it. I recently dug it out while building up a rig and was going to sell it until I played it again. Worth keeping and using and will be used next to my new Hydrasynth. They are cheap locally I've seen a couple for sale including an 8.1 for under $200. Fatar keybed is great on it.
I bought a QS6 a year and half ago and honestly...it has some seriously awesome patches and the mod wheel is highly useful. Not every sound is a winner but a lot of them are bizarre. Paid $100 U.S. and worth every penny!
I had a QS7 for a bit (drove 2 hours to pick on up for a great deal). Later found Q cards (Sanctuary and Classical Strings) for a bit cheaper than they went for online. I never did dig into the editing. But had fun playing church organ patches 2012-2014. Later sold it for $165.00 to someone who was taking it to their church in the Philippines. I was glad to get rid of it.
@@LukeRaith I didn’t dig in very much. Never understood the menu system. Always wished I’d have a synth with a piano patch that didn’t have quite so obvious split points across keys. Synth patches were great sounding, as were some of those pipe/church organ samples on the Sanctuary card.
I've got a QS7.1 and I'll never part with it. I love the tank-like construction and the solid feeling semi-weighted key bed and aftertouch. They don't make them like this anymore.
I was wandering Craigslist a while back and found a QS8.1 for all of $50. I contacted the seller to make sure it wasn't a typo, and she was like, no that's right. Keyboard's broken and I've already got a better keyboard. I couldn't drive out fast enough to scarf it up. Turned out to be a dead-simple fix (the power supply board and the main board had come disconnected from each other). Good GRIEF this thing sounds GREAT and for a non-keyboardist the action is just fine. I've something of an Alesis addiction now; got the 8.1 , a Nanosynth (QS engine in 1/3 of a rack unit!), a Micron (superbly over-powered virtual analog), two SR-16 drum machines, and the made-infamous-by-Bad-Gear rack mount compressor. Oh, and a couple of RA-100 stereo amps, for my home studio, and for my digital guitar rig at church.
❤ it has a semiweighted kinda keybed stiff af same as wavestation had. perfect as a master Keyboard if nothing else. Lots of digital scifi goodness. Good for cinematic industrial stuff
The 6.1, 7, 7.1, 8, and 8.1 also have the 8mb piano. Only the 6 doesn't. The 6.2 and 8.2 are actually a bit of a downgrade because they are more plasticy and lose one of the expansion slots. I believe the DAC and/or DSP got upgraded in those so there's that, though.
Looks and sounds like a cool keyboard from yesteryear to tinker on - perhaps somewhat like the Ensoniq VFX. PCM ROM based with a deep synth engine and lots of adjustable parameters.
I had one of these not long after it first came out. I remember really liking a lot of the sounds, but found the interface a real pain to use/learn after coming from an ESQ-1. I maybe would have kept it around if it hadn't felt so difficult to program.
I loved my ESQ-1 hated to let it go, but I needed 88 Keys. I actually purchased an Alesis QS8.1 next, which was OK at the time. I recently located a Kontakt ESQ-1 VST Library and I'm going to give it a go. Agreed on Swamp-Level Home Keyboards. Junk. I'm on a Roland FP-E50 these days, and I'm in the process of getting a 61 Key MIDI Controller. Enjoy your channel, good stuff!
True, that was also my first impression. Except that the K1 is very lofi, and the K4 has astronomically less Rom Space, but offers a more charming digital sounding nature, which also may not be to everyones taste (I like it)
@@patrikknoerr9777 yeah, I had Kawai PH50 (featured on this great channel too) bought new back then in 1993 - turned out, it was a consumer grade playback only 8-Bit Kawai K1, fed with the "B-Side" PCM samples. I called it John Carpenter synth for it had beautiful sci-fi horror movie sounds.
Your'e right. The PH50 is a disgrace as a keyboard, but great as a toy for exactly that. Funny thing, I pondered what the QS6 could actually be useful, and the idea of using it for horror sounds for a cheap VHS movie was exactly the one thing I came up with :)@@gameon2000
![BLACK BAG - Official Trailer [HD] - Only in Theaters March 14](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Du0Xp8WX_7I/mqdefault.jpg)
Still have a QS8 after all these long years! Alesis is one of those companies I always have a soft spot for... They were just a little bit ahead of their time...
I agree - but then they released a monstrosity like the "Melody61". uuuurghh!!! ruclips.net/video/pH90QmzpFGA/видео.html
Just bought one in great condition and am excited to dig in the next few days.
Though I have a Roland RD-700SX, I love and prefer my Roland RD-300 SX.
I’m presently hooking the QS8 up in a fashion that I can use the Roland as the controller or the Alesis.
I also have three different Ensoniqs (TS-12, KT-88 and MR-76).
I enjoy layering multiple keyboards together while writing.
Was just trying to find some tutorials while I set it up, though I read the manual. I’m pumped.
All the best.
Teach me how to transpose on alesis Qs 8
I just bought this synth last year and no regrets at all.
Back in the day, I used to own a QS7. More keys and 4 assignable sliders instead of 1 beside the volume slider. Its non-rompler purely synth sounds were AMAZING. I think one of the sound designers for this was Glenn D'Arcy, who later also designed the Alesis Fusion and nowadays has the overlook design for the ASM Hydrasynth, which I also have and adore.
I'm looking forward to reviewing a HydraSynth!
i worked at the dealer, we also had yamaha and others and i chose a qs6, later upgrading to a 7. i also chose a yamaha djx. they pair well, especially with the sanctuary and classical cards added. basically many yamaha-ish or roland-y modules should pair well.
Still love my qsr had it since 97
I got a QS6, probably the oldest synth I own. Don't play it too often, but it does what I want when I do.
I like that nuts-lookin' smiley emoticon
Sir your channel is CRIMINALLY underrated. You should have 250-500k views.
Wow that's really nice of you to say. Feel free to share it around! Without the income from running this channel I'd be screwed
I recorded a lot of songs with that synth. I bought it new in 1996. Got busy by the mid 2000s and stored it. I recently dug it out while building up a rig and was going to sell it until I played it again. Worth keeping and using and will be used next to my new Hydrasynth. They are cheap locally I've seen a couple for sale including an 8.1 for under $200. Fatar keybed is great on it.
Yes they have a very good price to quality ratio :)
I have the QS8 with the weighted keys and the Emerson sounds and that weighs a ton… but the sound is magnificent
Great vid👍☢️
Cool, thanks!
Alot of the sounds from the Dragon Ball Z American Soundtrack came from this if I'm not mistaken. Awesome sounds!
Definitely not all, but many, correct!
qs6 was god tier, i always wanted a 6.2 myself
The 6.1 is actually better than the 6.2.....the 6.2 has more plastic and loses one of the expansion slots.
@@MrAdamGC I have had both and I don't notice any quality differences really. Maybe plastic ends but that's really getting picky.
I bought a QS6 a year and half ago and honestly...it has some seriously awesome patches and the mod wheel is highly useful. Not every sound is a winner but a lot of them are bizarre. Paid $100 U.S. and worth every penny!
I had a QS7 for a bit (drove 2 hours to pick on up for a great deal). Later found Q cards (Sanctuary and Classical Strings) for a bit cheaper than they went for online. I never did dig into the editing. But had fun playing church organ patches 2012-2014. Later sold it for $165.00 to someone who was taking it to their church in the Philippines. I was glad to get rid of it.
You've gotta go with what makes you smile :)
I'm curious, why were you glad to get rid?
@@LukeRaith I didn’t dig in very much. Never understood the menu system. Always wished I’d have a synth with a piano patch that didn’t have quite so obvious split points across keys. Synth patches were great sounding, as were some of those pipe/church organ samples on the Sanctuary card.
I've got a QS7.1 and I'll never part with it. I love the tank-like construction and the solid feeling semi-weighted key bed and aftertouch. They don't make them like this anymore.
I was wandering Craigslist a while back and found a QS8.1 for all of $50. I contacted the seller to make sure it wasn't a typo, and she was like, no that's right. Keyboard's broken and I've already got a better keyboard. I couldn't drive out fast enough to scarf it up. Turned out to be a dead-simple fix (the power supply board and the main board had come disconnected from each other). Good GRIEF this thing sounds GREAT and for a non-keyboardist the action is just fine. I've something of an Alesis addiction now; got the 8.1 , a Nanosynth (QS engine in 1/3 of a rack unit!), a Micron (superbly over-powered virtual analog), two SR-16 drum machines, and the made-infamous-by-Bad-Gear rack mount compressor. Oh, and a couple of RA-100 stereo amps, for my home studio, and for my digital guitar rig at church.
Yeah this was back when Alesis was truly great. Their last few releases have been a total embarrassment :(
80s and 90s synths has so much more going for them that the sterile sounds of today's synths
Yep, and they pushed the user a bit harder to be creative rather than just scroll through presets for the right sound.
❤ it has a semiweighted kinda keybed stiff af same as wavestation had. perfect as a master Keyboard if nothing else. Lots of digital scifi goodness. Good for cinematic industrial stuff
Totally agree!
Get QS 6.2 it has a huge 8mb piano. A monster by 1996 standards. As comparison the whole Yamaha XG standard kit sounds was only 4mb
Yes XG sounds very tired compared to this
The 6.1, 7, 7.1, 8, and 8.1 also have the 8mb piano. Only the 6 doesn't. The 6.2 and 8.2 are actually a bit of a downgrade because they are more plasticy and lose one of the expansion slots. I believe the DAC and/or DSP got upgraded in those so there's that, though.
Looks and sounds like a cool keyboard from yesteryear to tinker on - perhaps somewhat like the Ensoniq VFX. PCM ROM based with a deep synth engine and lots of adjustable parameters.
Yep, and a bit of thought and passion has gone into the presets which is great to see
I don't think Alesis will be doing synths again. I'm sure InMusic will leave all that stuff in their other brands like Akai and Moog.
Yeah it's a shame that a company with such a significant legacy has gone el-cheapo.
I had one of these not long after it first came out. I remember really liking a lot of the sounds, but found the interface a real pain to use/learn after coming from an ESQ-1. I maybe would have kept it around if it hadn't felt so difficult to program.
Yep, UI is a huge factor for me too.
I need those weird glitch sounds on my QSR!
Since Alesis bought Ensoniq, maybe the QS6 was the result?
Could be. It's a shame that Alesis have entered the swamp-level home keyboard market. Very undignified :/
I've seen current eDrum Sets by Alesis that are actually not bad. @@gearfacts
I loved my ESQ-1 hated to let it go, but I needed 88 Keys. I actually purchased an Alesis QS8.1 next, which was OK at the time. I recently located a Kontakt ESQ-1 VST Library and I'm going to give it a go. Agreed on Swamp-Level Home Keyboards. Junk. I'm on a Roland FP-E50 these days, and I'm in the process of getting a 61 Key MIDI Controller. Enjoy your channel, good stuff!
will an "off the shelf" pcmcia card work, if so how to go about adding samples to it?
Yep I think PCMCIA is industry standard, so it should work
I have one. My kids get a kick out of the vocal keys. You didn't show the keyboard split feature, btw.
Yeah I know. I always forget something then go "ohhhhh noooooooooo..."
All I hear is Dragon Ball Z sounds, amazing!
Yep, that’s the vibe it’s putting out!
Do u have the SYSEX files for the program preset banks on the QS6?
I was able to recover the user bank but cannot find the other program presets.
I don’t sorry
Pure ear candy!
Absolutely - so good to find something original and exciting :)
this thing weighs more than my motif 7, and that is a tank that I dont wanna be moving around! 😂
Yes, definitely not to be cheerfully taken out for an open mic night!
I want it
❤ very Kawai K1 K4 like. But the best sounds you showed were extra from that pcmcia card. The are not standard
True, I didn't really put things in order (onboard, PCMCIA)
@@gearfacts don't sweat it, you're doing a marvellous job! Keep on going mate! 😎👍
True, that was also my first impression. Except that the K1 is very lofi, and the K4 has astronomically less Rom Space, but offers a more charming digital sounding nature, which also may not be to everyones taste (I like it)
@@patrikknoerr9777 yeah, I had Kawai PH50 (featured on this great channel too) bought new back then in 1993 - turned out, it was a consumer grade playback only 8-Bit Kawai K1, fed with the "B-Side" PCM samples. I called it John Carpenter synth for it had beautiful sci-fi horror movie sounds.
Your'e right. The PH50 is a disgrace as a keyboard, but great as a toy for exactly that. Funny thing, I pondered what the QS6 could actually be useful, and the idea of using it for horror sounds for a cheap VHS movie was exactly the one thing I came up with :)@@gameon2000
It could definitely do with a good cleaning. 😉
As could most of my gear :)
😂 got me one myself for 100 bucks. Mint condition
Deal :) :) :)
awesome sounds. but, the weight. for a 61 key keyboard, that sounds a bit much, but all and all a great keyboard otherwise
Agreed! It’s CRAZY heavy
DBZ
You might want to turn ON your keyboard velocity in the global settings then delete this video and make a new one…
No, I’m not really interested on doing that.
ufo