Alesis QS4

That is what they should call it: Ease of use. This is one of the most user friendly digital modules ever built. A BIG LCD-screen that tells you exatly where you are in the system and what is going on. Great "Quad-knobs" to edit analogue-style. Beginners can copy parameters from existing patches and just modify them to their likeing. I have no real opinion about the manual since I am a f**k-the-manual person. I am trying to come up with something that is complicated to operate but i'm sorry. It is a true friend.

Well it is a 64 note poly. / 16 part monster. The keyboard version has larger than most 76 key (I think?) keyboard. The action is in the synth category, not realy "grand"-feal. But as a synth it is more than OK. The effects section is a 4-bus Quadraverb thingy. just as easy to program as the rest of the machine. It also sounds very clean. The system expands by the use of PCMCIA-cards containing patches and samples. You can even sent it your own samples to a RAM card and get some wicked processing through the synthesiser. It is a true synthesiser, you know. Parameters can be tweaked in realtime like any analogue beauty. All of the usula MIDI stuff is here plus comprehensive sysex control. A unique feature for the S4 (and QS4) is the "Matrix modulation". Here you can link almost any parameter with any other. This is great for creating moveing textures and arpegios. What I would like to see is a sampling unit configured to suit the QS. As of now I don't know of one.

The good stuff: It sound analogue. The bad stuff: Some "real" sounds really suck. OK, here it is. Good sounds include synthy sounds (ana & digi), pads and strings, many plucked and "world" sounds are nice, the pianos (they are not varied but can sound great). The effects help many sounds fint new heights. Not so good sounds are saxes and trumpets (real bad), electric guitars. The drums are not bad but a little weedy at times and not so many (FX help). Expression is well implemented. You can use the Matrix to map controllers to virtually anything. There is no limit, realy.

Mine has been rock steady. The system is smart enaugh to remember your last work-in-progress if you loose power. The Keyboard is housed in a sturdy metal case that will take any abuse (almost). I don't know what to say it acts like the battery, "going and going...".

Alesis people are usually nice people. Here in Sweden they are allways nice. They sent us a whole circuit-board for the keyboard on our word. They had delivered a faulty one and it was needed for a gig. "-They are nice people."

I would not only buy it again. I would buy another if I had the budget. I got mine at a bargin price (I have a friend at the Swedish dealer) but it is well worth what they are asking now. All in all it is the best all-rounder on the market. I have used the module next to a JV-1080 and the alesis kicked butt. The downsides are the drums mostly. Buy a DM5 to go with it. The beauty of this kind of module is that when you have an idea you can get on with it, no fuss. Problem is, it is pointless to take it into a recording studio to "finish". Everything sounds produced allready.