Alesis QS7

I'm no whiz by any means and after reading the manual I was able to edit presets pretty well. I wouldn't say it's particularly intuitive, but you can find your way around pretty well. And the presets are organized logically.

The main reason I bought this so many years ago was because it seemed you got a lot for the money, and I still believe that to be true. I bought an expansion card early on and have mainly used it to organize my sounds in one place. The keyboard is standard, unweighted synth, so it's not great for piano. TONS of sounds. This was a great buy in '97 or whenever it was I got it.

Not the greatest-sounding keyboard but certainly acceptable. I've never been fond of the acoustic piano sounds. Some cool electric pianos (I tweaked the Wurlitzer sound to where it's very cool) and lots of organs, including "Purple B" which I love. A great, distorted harmonica. Nice "Deep Bass" sound. It's a mixed bag, but more than enough good sounds overall.

I've used this thing for the better part of 10 years and the only thing that's ever gone wrong is it suddenly went out of tune -- and that was after 10 years! And a quick reboot rectified that. Oh, I wound up wearing out the mod wheel and a quick, $30 fix took care of that.

Never dealt with the company.

Alesis built its reputation on value, and this is a perfect example. It was less than $1,500 when I got it when it first came to market and in retrospect it was worth every penny. Its chief competitors at the time were from Korg and Roland, and while those may have had an edge in sounds (and that's so subjective), this was significantly less expensive and easier to use. It's never failed me.

The presets on this synth are very good. Piano and organ sounds are quite realistic, as are the brass, strings, and others. Editing patches is not difficult. The manual is easy to read and understand.

The keyboard action is very nice. I've never had the luxury of owning an acoustic piano or a synth with weighted hammer-action keys, so I've always been accustomed to playing this type of keyboard. Personally, I love the keyboard action. This synth has an expansion slot for use with the Alesis Q-Cards. It also has MIDI in/out capability.

As I mentioned before, the sounds on this synth are very realistic. I especially like the piano and organ sounds. I play classic rock music, so I use the piano and hammond-like organs quite a bit. (OK, nothing compares to an actual Hammond, but Alesis did a respectable job with some of the sounds.) It is touch-sensitive, so it will react to your playing.

Reliability has been very good. When I first purchased my QS7 I did experience a problem within the first few months ... the LCD screen went bad (lines through it). I had it sent out for repair. It came back with the same problem. My local music store replaced the keyboard without question. I've had no problems with my keyboard since then. I would (and have) use this keyboard without a backup.

As I mentioned previously, I did have my original QS7 sent out for repair (LCD screen). I got it back with the same problem! I have communicated with Alesis via email with some questions and they were very prompt and courteous with a response.

If this unit were lost or stolen, I'd probably pick up a QS8 since Alesis does not produce the QS7 anymore (argh)! I've been playing for 26 years and I've had my experiences with several synths. The Alesis QS series has everything I need ... and more. I've been using this keyboard for the past 8 years ... and I'll continue to use it as long as it does what it's supposed to do! I use it in my home, out on gigs, and for recording. I love my QS7.

The presets are fair. I personally like the piano, string and guitars but that is just my personal taste. I don't like the display or making any edits other than with a patch editor and computer. The user's manual is good and easily understood.

The features are fair. Sounds are thin without using the built in effects. Keyboard feels cheap and bouncy.

Fair

I have experienced problems where the unit just stops making sound. Also, in mix mode, some of the patches don't play. This doesn't happen that frequently but enough to piss me off. To fix, I usually have to reinitalize the unit. Some times turning it off and on again does the fix.

Difficult to get through to them and not very helpful.

Bought it new from a music store. If I had buy again, I would buy something else. I have been playing for over 30 years. In addition to the QS7 I own a Yamaha S80, a Korg MS2000R and a VOCE V5. I would say my main criticism is with the cheap keyboard.

If an Alesis is new you need time to learn, but it is a very logic system. The manual tells you all you need to now. The information on the synth itself makes you search fast for presets or functions.

64 voice polyphone. The keyboard is the big improvement since the Quadrasynth, a standard one (Fatar?). The display isn't, smaller, less info.
4 basicsamples per program, set up and (a lot of) functions like late 70's synths. 16 programs per combi and there it is very usefull as a masterkeyboard. 2 slots for ROM or RAM cards, ROM cards good to add more specific sounds for one style to the allround pallet. Extra outputs to send - for example - organs to a lesley (-simulator, tip: Digitech RPM1)
No sequencer or arpeggio's. If playing with good sounds is what you want this synth is good. If house is... it isn't.

Kept the killersounds of the quadra, but put a lot of new presets in it. Piano and pianolike sounds are very good!!! Organs are oke, through a lesleysimulator very convincing. The typical synthsounds (strings, analog brasses/leads, FM and so) are good. Bass sounds oke, some very good. The saxes, horns, trumpets and sounds like that are not so well. After all a good, usefull set. The quality of sounds is as good as brandnew Korgs (in case of the piano's and pianolike sound even a lot better) and more vivacious then Yamaha's. (What quality people hear in Roland I never understood)

It is built al lot heavier then a quadra, seems much stronger. Never had any problems with it, but I think parts are easy to replace (Alesis still makes the replacement parts, unlike the quadra).

Dutch dealer is oke, like I experienced with the quadra.

If it was stolen?... Ik think I would go for for a QS7.1. Looked at the specs of the new QS8.2... Just one slot instead of 2 and I don't need a sequencer on a synth and 76 keys are perfect for me. There ain't gonna be a QS7.2!!! Why not?
Own the QS7 now for half a year and if the saxes, horns and trumpets were better I didn't need anything else then this and my quadra. For the money you get a good quality synth.

The sounds sound great. The manuel is clear on most subjects about the synth.

The polyphony has worked very well for me so far. The keyboard action is ok. You can buy expansion cards to give the synth more sounds. The midi capablities are good. It has a built in interface for to connect to a serial port, but you have to have an external interface for newer machines (such as the iMac) to hook it up to the computer. It has no on-board sequencer. It is easy to use.

Almost all of the instrument sounds are realistic. There are some loops and synth sounds that also sound great. It works well for about and kind of music, except there aren't that many sounds for Countrty music.

I can depend on it and would not use a backup on a gig.

I have never needed to get it repaired.

If my QS 7 was stolen, I would probably get another one. I think it is worth all that I paid for it. I have had it for a year and a half now.

Don't know the OS version; I'm a little daunted by the complexity of the menu driven editing on the board, and have promised myself to learn SoundDiver before Xmas. Mostly the patches are either good enough to get around with or don't interest me in improving them. I remember staying up all night to try to wring some goodness out of the presets on a Roland D5, but somehow I haven't been that motivated with this board. Lots of choice with just the presets, though.

Polyphony 64, never been a limit. The keyboard action: This is why I'm writing. I use this board to drive Emagic EXS-24 and EVP88 software and decided that maybe I should get a better board. I spent a couple of hours with Korg and Roland keys, all up and down the models and came away happier with the action on this keyboard. I guess it's a Fatar, and the combination of the 76 keys along with the controllers on this board make it pretty hard to replace. I have yet to play the S-80, which has interested me, but after playing some of the big boys I've gained more appreciation for this synth. The layout and editing are clunky; however I will take value over genius any time, and this board is hugely valuable for the money, if used as a controller that has a pretty good soundset available.

OK, guys, this is a bargain board; as such the sounds are quite good. I've had this board for a year and still enjoy the electric pianos, the piano on the Jazz Piano Q-Card (though it could use more sustain) the synths, pads, and some of the Organs. Much of the rest I will have to see about if I ever do orchestration. Again, though, the keyboard is quite expressive for a synth-weighted action. I use computers extensively at work and am concerned about blowing out tendons, so I really appreciate a light keyboard that still works very well for playing expressive piano. Though I've played acoustic piano for most of the several decades I've been playing, I've become quite used to playing on this action and getting nice dynamics from it. I have better sounds on the computer (252MB piano sample, EVP88, B4, others) but I am still happy to just power the QS up and play past bedtime. And you know what? All the dazzling presets on those more expensive boards and modules? Are they going to sit in a mix, or are they just to get that plastic out of your wallet. If you want great sounds, get a sampler. If you want a 76 key controller that is useful as a sound source, you cannot do better than this in my admittedly limited experience. This board can be had on ebay for the price of a new JV1010!

Ah. I got this board from Alesis after my Quadrasynth PlusPiano developed a terminal short in the mainboard that couldn't be fixed. I was a truly unhappy campasino about that, since I made a lengthy and keyboardless sojourn to arrive at the knowledge that the board was toast. It took me a while to calm down and just enjoy this unit, with the memory of the deafening screech the older board would emit without warning. It's been fine for the year I've had it and I've played it up to 50 hours a month. The spring on the pitch wheel just died. Happens. The rest seems quite solid.

I think I got them just before the company changed hands. They were distracted and would respond when I phoned and pushed. They gave me a nice price on a refurb unit to replace the dead Quadrasynth+P.

If it were lost, I might go to a controller and modules, or if I had $1500 standing still, I'd probably go for the Yamaha S80. However, I might very well buy another of these used off ebay, for the 76 keys, the controllers, and the general usefulness of the board.

easy to use, but sometimes the interface is ridiculously STUPID. wavestation can do much better with much less buttons.

polyphony standard 64. keyboard really sucks. too bouncy. stupid. good effects. cheap leslie simulation. midi implementation sucks.

PIANOS ARE BAD. stop listening to these first time synth owners. you call yamaha psr a synth? casio wk1630? bass are bad, strings are stupid, UNUSABLE. good sounds are guitar, some tines. disgusting synth leads REALLY ! good keyboard sensitivity.

plastic

NA

i wont buy it again. been a hobbyist for years. well its worth it, cheap and sucky. i own wavestation, sy77, xp80 etc...
u might be happier with a korg if 8part combi doesn't bother you

Quite easy to use, difficult effects section. Manufacturers should learn Korg's interface. Not very easy to use, because of the paging. Patch editors certainly a big help. Soundiver is good , but no qcard help, so use soundiver AND qs patch. manual seems straighforward.

64poly. keyboard - SUCKS. U get what you pay for. I compare the keyboard to my Yamaha SY77 and Wavestation. the only advantage is the number of keys. Sickening toyish keys. Effects are not easy to use, one factor due to its interface. Good limited expansion. Can import SampleCell files. with a format convertor, u can use Akai Samples, from a PC/Mac. Qcards are useful, but nothing like Roland's JV80 expansions. MIDI seems ok, in mixmode, I couldn't split the sounds at velocity ranges. only keyboard range. no sequencer here, only playback.

Good points: Guitar, Tines, Bells, Drums
Middle : THE OVERRATED PIANOS, bass, organs(really)
Weak: Winds, Strings, Synths
Pianos are very overrated, BAD 'tingling' thin sounds. will only sound good in a sequence mix. Might be good for latin. Organs seems fine. Effects are very good sounding. Good responsiveness.

Nice built quality.

If lost, and on tight budget, I would get another one. Its a value synth, You get what you pay for. I've been a hobbyist for years. I own FS1R, SY77, Wavestation, N5, 01/W, RD600, SP100, etc...
I really wish this thing had bigger LCD like S4 Module. SCSI would be perfect. More PCMCIA slots would be wonderful. And again, a good choice for tight budget.

Overall it's a fairly medium learning curve as it took me a bit more to figure out how to play with the filter/amp/mod source options than layering the different sounds in MIX mode. I really don't like the fact that the LCD is only 2 lines, I would much rather have a larger LCD screen and more knobs as editing things on the synth itself can get quite frustrating with multiple buttons standing for different things in different modes. The manual is pretty straightforward, no faults there.

Doesn't have a built in sequencer (understandable for the money) but it can sequence MIDI files that you can make on your computer's sequencer. Also has 2 card slots on which you can put in up to 8MB of memory per card although with the slow serial connection it'll take quite a while to upload them. Of course, you can always use the slots for QCards but I'd rather use my own sounds. Speaking of sounds, you can burn standard wav files and some other format sounds with the option of having a loop in a soundfile which is quiite useful. I'd definitely say a computer is needed if you want to sequence and upload sounds to the Flash cards. There's a lot you can do with the sounds it has in terms of programming and assigning different events to sliders if you don't mind the clumsy interface.

The built in effects are fairly weak. Reverb and chorus is your standard fare effects, there's no such thing as sharp modulation and filters on this synth so it's really not for you if you're looking for sharp, modulating synth sounds like on the Access Virus. The presets are quite decent, the piano patches are very good and there's quite a variety of sounds, including good strings and drones, if you play around with the presets. The strings and violins that come with the Orchestral QCard are one of the most realistic and best presets ever, especially the strings which I use quite a bit. There's not really a lot of good bass sounds here although it has some interesting loops (useless to me). The synth worked quite well when I tried to create a live performance patch for my industrial music by using various vocal/explosion/drone wav samples although it only had 8MB of memory on the Flash card. The loop point features really proved to be helpful for creating stuttering effects while the pitch wheel and the assigned sliders to control FX created a multitude of possibilities for triggering samples and playing synths. I was able to simulate something on par to what Front Line Assembly sounded like live!

This thing caused some major headaches when I used it with a computer. Sometimes it would randomly switch patches and play strange notes which was completely random and unexpected. Although this doesn't happen as often now, this was still rather mysterious. My modulation wheel also seems to have stopped working as numberous tries to get it to send MIDI messages have failed. It looks like I need to open it up and see if it's anything I can fix. Otherwise, the synth is quite sturdy.

I've had terrible customer support experience with this synth. I was stupid enough to buy one from a display at a local store (definitely should of bought online once I got to demo it!). At first, the serial MIDI cable option in the synth to select a PC as a computer was completely not there, I could only select between a MAC and a regular MIDI cable (not the optional serial cable it uses for MIDI). I took it back to the store and had to wait 2 weeks to fix it while they took it up to Portland. Once I got it back, the service paper stated that the "mainboard was replaced" and under "interface" they had erroneously written "USB interface." I actually thought they put in a USB interface instead of the serial interface for a second but it was just a bad case of human error. Then I realized that the free QCard box I got didn't have any QCard in it. Thankfully, I was able to get the QCard from the store but what I hadn't noticed is that there was no software that should of come with the synth. I didn't even bother with that because I was so tired of dealing with these problems. The only decent support that I received for this synth is in the QuadraSynth Forums where I found a solution to a very annoying problem in Cakewalk regarding panning in which your sounds suddenly become mono instead of stereo. Other than that, the trouble I had with this synth will teach me never to buy from local stores, only use them for demoing.

Overall, maybe if I didn't have such a bad service experience with it I would say it is not too bad. It certainly has many programmable options and the 8MB Flash card sampling option is definitely something attractive. However, I would definitely like something that is easier to program and interact with than the QS7's interface and it looks to be something that will always fill my needs in terms of string sounds, etc. I would definitely want something more aggressive with more filters and modulators later on and with a faster interface.

Hmm, the presents are, like all synthesizer presets, total crap. The piano is good, the synth sounds are meager, and the brass/strings are horrible. Also the Alesis drum sounds are very weak. The manual is well written and informative. Editing patches through the copy of unisyn that was included is excellent. Editing patches with out is a bit tedious.

The built in effects are great, in fact, I think the only reason I got this was the Alesis Reverb. As a midi controller it's first rate. I like the feel of the modwheel and sliders. The four assignable midi sliders are awesome.

The onboard waves aren't particularly useful. I burned my own flashRAM cards. I was planning on using this like a sampler, and frankly it just doesn't hold up. You have to burn the flashRAM all at once, and it takes a while. Once you get a bunch of good waves on it, you can make some cool dreamy morphing ambient patches, but that's really it. It has what I call the "Suck Filter". It literally makes everything it touches suck. No resonance. It never seems to go well with any of my other gear because it strips out all harmonic content. It muddles the basses and has this sound as dead as drumming on aluminum.

Built like a tank, never had a problem.

Never called.

Anybody want to buy a QS-7? It's just crap really. As a midi controller, which is all it is for me, it's good. As a synth, if you ever thing for a second you like the way it sound just tell yourself, it's only the effects processor... Seriously, just get a Midiverb. You have to process it so much to get it to work other gear. It needs enhancement and compression. After the filter, you have to add all the harmonic content back yourself. It's not punchy at all, just get something else. I wish I'd just gotten a Midiverb4 and a sampler.