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.

Pretty straight forward except for the freakin effects!!!!Nothing straight forward about that!

64 note polyphony is nice...Synth action is good...Built in effects sound good, but as stated above, good luck programming them! Two expansion slots that come in handy for adding more samples...quite a few Q-cards available...

The piano sounds are the best on this board...The strings? No, The organs? OK but they don't have balls if you know what i mean, synth sounds? ok but thin, the guitar sounds are really good, the drums? ok.

The led display is only partialy working...of course it's not under warrenty now....oh well. It is built rugged, but very very light. You have to wonder whats in the freakin thing!

So far whenever i've had a problem...the customer support has been...well...not very helpful!....Just uninformed...I use a mac for sequencing and any problems i've had were dealing with the QS7 communicating with my computer...Maybe the support team are all pc guys...i don't know...but i finally got my questions answered from someone in an Alesis discussion group.

If I lost it.....Yahoo!!!!!....I would not buy it again..I would go with a Yamaha, Korg, or Roland...something that has a solid reputation. It is a really uninspiring piece of metal and plastic, that seems to have been put together buy a bunch of un-musicians....

The Alesis QS7 has convenient front-panel patch selections, but it's editing "interface" through it's tiny display and confusing button assignments is frustrating. Much easier to configure through a software editor, though I don't tweak sounds much. The manual is not very comprehensive and often glosses over too many details. I've emailed Alesis support a number of times and received decent help.

As a pianist, I didn't purchase the QS7 because of it's key-feel. It feels very synth/organ like, which is acceptable for what it is. I like that it's 76 keys, making it great for sequencing and note entry for notation. It's two expansion slots help keep the unit up to date as new cards are introduced. There's a lot of bang-for-the-buck here, notably it's digital outputs, large bank of sounds, and fast response. It's 64voice-polyphony shines even in dense MIDI orchestrations. I've found it hard to "max-out".

The QS7 contains quality sounds offering a generous palette to work within most styles. Obviously it can't be all things to all people. As most reviewers stated, and they're right, the Strings are really bad - sharp attacks and somewhat gritty. It's almost impossible to have a String part "sneak-in" naturally or get a satisfactory legato out of it. As also stated, the piano patches are incredibly over-rated. What do people like about them? They're awful, unless you're looking for tinny, toyish, and unconvincing sounds. I use other gear for pianos, so it's not an issue. The electric pianos are great, as well as guitars and basses. Drums are usable and they work well, but not spectacular.

For orchestrations, I found the Brasses very usable, especially the Pump-Brass and Classical settings. Some solo Brasses and Saxes are sampled well. The Classical-card woodwinds are better than the onboard ones. Harps, FrenchHorns, and Brass and Wind ensembles are good and quite usable. This is so subjective depending on your style and craft. What I like most is that it doesn't try to copy other brands, it just has it's own sound.

Sometimes through an amp it's more noisy than other gear. Get "ground-loop" type buzzes pretty easily even when lifting all grounds. Background noise through it's analog outputs seems a little high. Not enough to be a problem, however.

Otherwise, it's has really nice lead and synth sounds/effects. Output is strong and clear.

It's been reliable. Occassionaly I notice extraneous MIDI data coming out of it, which requires I turn it off and on again to clear. Not sure if that's a bug, but it doesn't seems to harm anything. Never failed yet. Wouldn't need a backup on a gig as far as I can see. Sturdy construction.

I've only emailed them and they've responded fairly quick. They seem willing to help depending on who reponds and the answers are knowledgable.

I'd buy one again because of the price/feature ratio. It's well-made and I like the 76 keys. It's quality on-board sounds combined with the expansion cards provide a good value and supplys a nice palette that covers a lot of ground.

I'd give it a 9 except for; display is too small, analog output kinda noisy/buzzy, Strings are bad, editing is confusing. I didn't include the poor Piano patches in this because I don't depend on this board for them. However, I have no use for the "acoustic" pianos it provides, and would never recommend buying one as a piano replacement/substitute.

I've been playing for 30 years, I compose and arrange for media projects and find the QS7 useful for sequencing and project-studio work. At this price range it's a nice addition to any rig.

Most of presets sound nice, but I'm wondering who needs those auto rythms? I've used this snynth for 6 months and I never hadn't use them.

Patch editing is quite easy. At first you are confused with all those menus, but when you use it for a while it's not so hard after all.

Manual is very clear.

It has 64 notes polyphony. Keyboard feels little bit plastic and cheap. There's nice amount of effects like flanger, chorus, overdrive, reverb, delay and lezlie. Editing effects is very easy. You can add up to 2 ROM / Flash RAM optional cards (8Mb max/each).

QS7 has great MIDI capabtilities. Theres 4 assingable control sliders, aftertouch and velocity. Even modultaion wheel can be assinged. There's serial cable connect for MIDI and three MIDI sockets (In/Out/Thru).

There's no on-board sequencer in QS7, but it can read MIDI files from Flash RAM cards.

There's lots of great sounds in QS7. Most pianos sound very nice (particularly Dark Classical). Organs also are great. Only those auto rythms (as I said above) are useless and some brasses sound bad, but sounds are overall good.

QS7 works well for almost any kind of music. I have composed some ambient pieces with this.

On-board effects are great.

Velocity and aftertouch react well.

This is quite reliable. It has crashed only once and I don't know why. I would use this on a gig without backup.

Never needed.

This is worth that I have paid. I have been playing with this about 6 months now. I don't own any other gear yet. I wish it would has on-board sequencer. This really helps me make music.

This keyboard was difficult for me to figure out at first. However after I read the manual it was very easy to operate. The preset sounds were rather impressive. Editing the sounds took some fooling around on my part but this is true with any professional keyboard anyway. The manual is helpful. I couldn't have figured out all the features so quickly without it.

The 64 voice polyphony is great! I'm able to make complexed patches and sequences without running out of voices. I like the feel of the semi-weighted keys. The effects are great and easy to use once I got the hang of it. No on-board sequencer. I can't complain though because I got it for about 800 U.S. dollars brand new. There is one thing that takes away from it's features as far as midi and sequencing goes. In the mix mode you can only use one effects patch for all of the sounds. That really sucks because I like to use pianos and organ together since I do a lot of gospel music. If I add leslie to the organ sound then the piano has the same leslie sound too! Overall it's got great features for the price and I can't really ask for much more.

The sounds in this keyboard are definately impressive. I like the pianos and organs very much. The brasses need a little work in my opinion but it comes down to your own taste really. Also the all the sounds can be tweeked a little to make them suit your own taste. It works great for gospel. Although the presets are good once they are put in a mix they sound ten times better. Basses/Guitars are very good. The are strings are awful. It took me quite bit of editing to get the strings the way I wanted them. However I can't complain because that's why manufacturers make sounds changeable. The drums are pretty good but once in the mix they sound top notch. Overall most of the sounds are very good and the ones that aren't can be easily changed.

I've never had a problem with it yet and I've had it for a year now. I'd use it without a backup. I took it to church every Sunday and I've alway's been able to depend on it.

Never had the need to deal with them yet. (thank goodness)

If it were lost or stolen I'd probably buy another one. Because overall the sounds and features are great. Not just great for a keyboard of it's price but great for any keyboard. I do wish I had a Roland XP-80 but my Alesis will suffice for now. I use it with my Yamaha RM1x sequence remixer to make songs for concerts our church puts on and to do solos. Works well and I'm glad I bought it.

This keyboard is great for just plugging in, hooking it up to a PA or amp, and playing. However, the programming is less than intuitive. It makes me long for the days when I had my Korg 01/W.

As I alluded to before, great for bread-and-butter playing. It comes with some sequencing software, and has a serial hook-up to your computer, but it's not quite as convenient as having it all on board.

I think the piano sounds are great, the organ sounds are good. Some of the synth sounds are OK, but the brass sounds stink. The Rhythm/FX bank is largely bogus. I think I could get most of the sound I really like with the NanoPiano module.

It developed a problem with the pitch bend, where after moving the pitch bend lever it would continue to go wildly out of tune until you turned the keyboard off and on several times. I thought I would have to take it into the shop, but I wiggled the pitch bend back and forth about 10 times, and that fixed it somehow.

The software, instead of being able to use it right away, said "Call Alesis". I called, was put on hold for quite awhile, gave up and never used the software. What's that crap all about, anyway?

I'm planning to trade this in for a Korg Triton. This is a good keyboard, just not really inspirational, and like I said before, I think most of the sounds I use frequently would be in the NanoPiano module.

I have no problem figuring this manual out. It becomes quite clear once you read it a couple of times.
But like anything nowadays, it will take some exploration on your part. Get into the instrument! After al, you dd
spend your money on it.

I think the onboard piano sounds were a bit weak, although I do like
DarkClassic very much. I think the brass are actually very good.
I do not think you can compare them to the Roland style brasses at all.
I think Alesis was not trying to do a copy of manufacturer's patented
styles and came up with sounds that make the Alesis unique. I know
that some people have complained about various instrument sections like the strings
and the brasses. But if you dig deep into this instrument, you will
find that it actually does have very good string and brass samples.
The factory sounds do not do this unit any justice. I also like the onboard
organs and also the electric pianos. They are pretty good.
The Leads are not half bad either. I actually think the effects on this board
are pretty decent. I do not think this board really blows me away but it gives me great
sounds that I feel I can use in just about any mix.

Also, the Q-Cards sound very good. I especially like the Sanctuary card and the Jazz Piano
card. I think I wasted my money on the Vintage Keyboard card though.
I would not buy it again. The electric piano and the Wurlies do not sound as
good as I would like. I actually like the onboard ones better. Sorry.

But overall I am very pleased. I am looking forward to the day when I can afford to buy
more samples like from "www.ilio.com". I realize that this machine is limitless
since you can use your own samples.

no problem

no problem

Getting through the patches was simple enough, but sound editing took a little longer. The manual is definitely required, and isn't the worst I've seen. I figure if you sleep with it, it will tell you its secrets as you sleep. The display is small, but definitely workable. Very easy to hook up to a Mac as it has the serial port all set to go into your printer or modem jack.

I haven't maxed out the polyphony yet so it's definitely adequate for me. The effects are good and very flexible. I haven't tried using cards on it. I'm using it with Cubase and OMS and I couldn't imagine navigating through the MIDI setup any easier.

The pianos and organs are fu*king great!!! The grit on the organs and the lezlie effects are very strong. The drums have left a bit to be desired, at least for my taste they don't always sound full enough. And you might as well get rid of the rhythm loops, although I don't like them on any keyboard. The Basses are good, especially if you go in and tweak them a bit. The strings are also pretty good but again have required a bit of tweaking on my part. I'd say the strongest aspects from this synth are the pianos and organs and the sound editing flexibility. Especially the latter. The presets are good, but they can become absolutely brilliant with some adjustments. It seems to be made as a jack of all trades keyboard and not especially suited to one genre.

No problems yet, and I've had it about a year.

N/A. Haven't had to deal with anyone yet.

I definitely give it great marks. Especially as a starting synth. Great sounds and effects, with lots of flexibility. When I go to the local music shop and play with the other keyboards around this price I haven't found anything that compares with the sound quality. I'm starting to look at a couple of the synths in the Korg Trinity series for drums and more sounds.

The board is easy to use right out of the box but editing will take some time to understand and learn, just as it is with any digital synth. I vowed not to use PC based patch editors anymore while they are useful I believe you loose the feel of really ripping through edits and understanding the board. Also, PC editing just doesn't seem to give you the nice and easy responsivness to tweaking a sound. The user manual is sort of helpful, it's a decent supplement. The only way to figure a board out is to start moving parameters. My 9 rating is based largely on the presets and the number of them that are usefull, great rhoads, wurlitzers, organs, synth patches.

Polyphony is great (except I ran short on a realtime patch for a tower of power song by stacking numerous patches that all had four sounds each). The effects are numerous but still haven't really begun to understand all of my options. The manual could do a better job at explaining the effects, reverb with delay in etc. How about a multimedia CD rom with an effects workshop or something. For $1,000 board and the popularity of Alesis effects this could be thrown in with the board purchase. Midi seems solid, I'm using the Unisyn patch editor for the additional library sounds and its works great. I bought the sample card and vintage synth card and must say the vintage card really gave me more of that 80s thing. Sweeps, pulses, synth basses, strings, etc. Great card and great addition for $125.

Here's my quick review of the sound catagories. Pianos excellent, Bass okay, strings pretty good (need more analogue style strings), drums (haven't dug in yet enough to rate), synth excellent some really good portamento stuff and Emerson patches, organs excellent for a digital board great lezlie, grit, bite best I found when demoing Rolands, Korgs etc., guitars seem okay but haven't really used them alot 1 acoustic patch called 12 stings I use a lot in Doobie Brothers tunes, Brass decent/good I programmed some decent brass for Tower of Power, Lighthouse, Eydes of March etc. Could use a little bit more punch on the samples though, seems no synth does brass really good. The aftertouch and modulations are excellent. You can apply tons of modulation to any patch. I believe in one patch you can have like 20 modulation sources. A great touch are the 4 sliders for modulation sources from amp decay, filter level to effects like reverb or overdrive.

Seems very reliable and I (knock on wood) trust this board very much.

Undecided, they didn't get back on an e-mail regarding a question on my output levels.

This board is a great center piece for any recreational gigging keyboardist. It brings big pianos, organs, synths, midi to any rig.
Today I had the opportunity to play the Kurzweil ($3,500 dollar model, the Korg N5 and Roland something or other) they all were plugged into the same Mackie board and speakers. I bumped the volume up on each and found each of the best piano presets, in my opinion. Compared them all and the $3,500 Kurzweill was slighty sweeter than the Alesis, the Korg sounded like tin can acoustics and the Roland just didn't have the brightness. Roland folks and Korg folks will get very angry about my opinion but the truth is Alesis makes a board that is worthy of the phrase "bang for the buck".
Top this board off with a Roland JP800, Nord Lead etc. and you've got a killer outfit!!

The presets are beautiful- everything's great. Editing patches isn't something I've gotten into just yet- waiting to figure out exactly what I'm doing. Although the manual isn't great as a teaching tool in that dept., I don't think that's what the manual is intended for. The manual is good for what it's intended for, pretty much, but I haven't explored some of the higher end stuff, so I'm not completely sure... my only bone about this keyboard is that it's hard to get the sliders to exactly where you want them to be- it'd be easier to be able to move them either by ticks or by a computerized system. But hey, that's ok.

ahh, good polyphony. I've never run out. The action is decent, too. Effects: good. And I haven't gotten into the whole QCard thing, but that looks like it'll be useful. I love it. Works very well with MIDI, it seems.

It sounds great- it really does. Works great for all kinds of different music.

I haven't managed to break it yet- and I think I won't be able to manage it either. It feels like it's sturdy enough.

I didn't get the warranty card in within 2 weeks... that sucks.

It was definitely a good buy, I think. I've been playing for quite some time, but this was my first pro/semi-pro keyboard (the only other keyboards I've bought are the Yamaha PSR-6 and the PSR-85; not nearly in the same range). I think it's great as a first serious keyboard, and it's got stuff that looks like it'll be useful for some time.

(this is for the qs7.1) It was very easy from the start to take this board out of the box, plug it into the computer and start sequencing right away. The mix mode is very good, however, I don't like being able to use one effect for your whole mix. The sounds in the program mode are much better then in mix mode due to the effects. As far as the presets in general, they are beautiful. I think the piano is very true, as well as the strings. Guitars and Basses lacking, but the ones given are enough to fool with. I couldnt say much for the horns and winds on this board, I think they compare well to other keyboards out there. The DM5 drums don't sound quite as the same as the drum module, but its still a very realistic kit. Editing patches seems a bit complicated, I've owned this keyboard for over a month now, and have been through the manual over and over, but I still have trouble editing patches. Moreover, the manual doesn't help much. Its very dry and just explains features, rather then providing step-by-step techniques. In general, I don't feel this keyboard is as easy to use as everyone would think, there is much to learn. Yet, there is so many possibilites, if you just look into it a bit and work at it.

Not once have I ran out of voices, even with multi-layerd patches. 64 voices seems to be plenty! The preset effects on each patch are wonderful, as well as the four sliders to control effects real time. There is only 5 effect configurations, but there are plenty of combinations you can do to get the right sound you want. It takes a bit of getting used to, but eventually I was able to get the hang of working with them. The bigger screen really helps, compared to the older QS7 version, which makes it very easy on the eyes. During live performances, the transpose button that was added could really be useful. I haven't had a chance to check out the q-cards for this board yet, but I listened to the sample songs on the CD that came with the keyboard, and the q-cards sound very convincing (especially the classical and hip-hop cards). I didnt expect much from the feel of the keys as it is a snyth, and you cant expect to have a grand piano feel from a synth. The keys are very quick, and I love working with the aftertouch! No sequencer on this baby, maybe thats why the cost is so low, but who needs it, you can do all the work on the computer, and just burn the sequences to a card. Just as good!

As said before, Im really satisfied with the pianos here. There needs to be more bass sounds, an guitar too, but the ones they give you are excellent. The strings are beautiful, and well designed. I really would have a time telling the different between the real thing and the synth. There is some very cool synth sounds, and the four effect sliders and aftertouch allow you to really control them well. The keyboard has features that can adjust to your playing such as how you would like the keys weighted in order to fit your playing style. I think this board would work best with dance and electronic type music, but I can see it working to fit any style

This keyboard seems very reliable, its built nice, and hasnt given me any trouble yet.

Havent dealt with them yet, but I have with other alesis products and they were very helpful!

This is the perfect keyboard for anyone who is on a tight budget. If you are really having trouble deciding on which synth to buy, and just cant make a decision, go for this one. Its a joy to play, and provides lots of creative power. It works well with anything, and is a breeze to set up on the computer. Id recommend this synth to anyone!

This keyboard is fairly hard to use for the MIDI impaired like myself. The total lack of a larger window menu gives it a cheap appearance but the onboard buttons do help you navigate through it. In defence of this keyboard, it does have some very nice presets and different synth sounds for it's pricerange. The manual is absolutely awful. It is more of an "explain what the features are" then a "tell me what I do next" kind of thing. I really went into this one cold and had to figure out everything by trial and error without much success at all....The Unisyn patch editor is quite nice as is the Cubasis program that came with it. However, it's not much fun reading a 450 pg. PDF file....however, manuals need to be read to understand what you are doing. I tend to enjoy the plug and play approach far better and this keyboard needs a little more than just doing that.

The features and sounds have been highlighted in other posts and I'm sure many have gone into great detail about these.....I don't like that fact that it doesn't have a built in sequencer, or a midi thru....I DO like the fact that you can purchase ROM cards and burn your own samples onto them with the Alesis sound bridge software.

The sounds themselves are very nice, but nowhere near what I expected. I owned a DM-5 for a while and the drums were quite good on that unit. However, the drums that they put on this synth are a bit lacking in overall quality. The keyboard, and synth sounds are quite nice though.....The outboard effects are also of high quality but difficult to program....

I own several Alesis products and they seem to hold up well......Didn't have this one long enough to deal with it although.....

never had a problem but I have heard from others that the customer service folks are nice but do not have a lot of knowledge on how to troubleshoot.

Hmmmm.....this is a tough one. Based on the problems I had setting it up and trying to get some music out of it, I hated it!!!! However, undoubtably this is due to my limited MIDI knowledge.....However, if a decent manual was provided, I would have read through it to figure things out!!!! This is total nonsense on their part. I wouldn't by another one. The other Alesis product that I own (MIDIVERB 4, 3630 Compressor, & M-EQ 230) all have excellent manuals that are easy to read and quite comprehensive. I realize that this keyboard is made for a price and I commend them on their job, however, certain things are overlooked. I took this back to the dealer where I purchased it from and got a Korg Trinity.......all I can say is.....I am in AWE right now.....it is fabulous. Head over to the Korg section to read my review of this BEAST!!!!

I would much rather program synths using a computer editor than any front panel display. I'm glad Alesis simply decided to include a good editor rather than spend R&D time on small screen layouts.

I like the built in effects. In mix mode I simply pick an unused MIDI channel to audition various effects patches. This way I'm not stuck with the effects that are available in the sounds I'm using. I wish there was a clean way to turn channels on and off (like to bring strings into a piano patch). I have come up with roundabout ways to do this.

All of the instruments except the electric piano. It is weak compared to the MicroPiano and others. The acoustic piano is really good although I created a brighter version to suit my taste. My friend doesn't care much for the sax and oboe sounds but I found them quite good.

I had a bad experience shortly before a gig...all of a sudden it went dead and didn't come back to life until I opened it up, looked inside, and closed it up again. It may have been caused by an AC spike/brownout. I should know better to always use a power conditioner. Also once in a while I the LCD characters get garbled when working with the computer. Also there seems to be a bug in using a controller to control portamento rate (I can't remember how it was set up now).

I talked to the Florida rep who was friendly but not real knowledgable.

I would definitely buy another QS-7. Nothing touches it for the price. Also I like the fact that the pitch bend and mod wheel don't make the keyboard longer than it has to be. This is handy to keep the road case as short as possible (I make my own).

Patch editing is a bit of a pain due to the small window and un-intuitive labels. But once you've done it a few times, you start to get the hang of it and can actually begin making good patches.
It's not impossible, but it is a bit tricky to get into (plus the manual is no help - waaay too technical for most beginning synth people)

64 voice polyphony is GREAT! Let's you build really thick layers of sound ... all on one key, if you're crazy! The keyboard leaves a little to be desired for ... it feels a little flimsy, and makes some disturbing noises sometimes. I'm hoping it's just a problem with mine in particular, in which case i'll get it fixed under warranty ...
Expansions via PCMCIA slots, blah blah, you've all probably read the specs.
No onboard sequencer, but you can connect it to your computer via a Serial interface (no need for a midi card) which I think is nice.
Wish it had four buss multi-effects when in mix mode!! When playing in mix mode from your computer, you seem to be limited to one effect group ... sucks!

The presets sound pretty good. I like the acoustic guitar sounds, and i can really get into some of the softer string/synth sounds. It's got some good analog-ish sounds, too, although better sound control would have been nice (filter sweeps, EQ via sliders, etc.)
The effects are good in program mode, but not very good in mix mode. The velocity is a little unresponsive, but the aftertouch is nice as well as well-implemented.

Like I mentioned before, the keyboard feels weak and flimsy and I'm wondering how long it will last.
Gigs ... hmm. I play guitar at gigs.
Sorry!

Once you get ahold of Alesis, they seem to know what they are talking about. I called to upgrade the chip in my Quadraverb II and they were extremely helpful and friendly.

Yeah, I would get it again. Hard to find another keyboard for the same price that has anywhere near the same features. I've only had it for about five months and I still love it (except the damn keyboard)
It sounds great, especially running through a big monitor setup. feel the bass rumble!
I wish it had a sturdier keyboard, and a bigger LCD screen (more on par with the HUGE one on the Quadraverb 2). Also, the little plugs that go over the Digital I/O port should not be so damn easy to lose. They're so small and fall off too easily.
Overall a good value. Get this is you can't afford a Trinity.

This synth is easy to use, but editing sounds can be a pain, especially the effects section. While very powerful, the effects parameters are rather unintuitive. A bigger display would help a lot.

Polyphony is excellent at 64. The effects are the best in any keyboard, basically a little Qverb2 built in. Expansion is quite good, with 16 megs of add-ons possible. The possibility of making my own card via Soundbridge software is useful. MIDI capabilities are pretty advanced, makes a good master controller. It lacks an onboard sequencer, but it can play back MIDI files from RAM cards.

Most instruments are fairly realistic, though some are clearly fake, especially some acoustics. It would work well for rock and pop, somewhat less well for dance, and not very well for classical. Onboard effects are excellent, though somewhat overused in the preset programs. The feel of the keyboard is nice, and it is very expressive, but somewhat clicky.

I had this for a month, and so far, it has been absolutely 100% reliable. No problems whatsoever. Seems extremely sturdy.

I tried to get some missing pieces(it was a demo), and the customer service guys were less than useful. First of all I had to hold for 30 minutes before I could talk to someone who: 1. Did not know what he was talking about 2. Did not want to help me at all They get a big thumbs down on that one.

It sounds great, and has the basic features I was after. I wuld buy it again. I really like the 4 control sliders. The display is too small, programming is rather difficult, and the keyboard feels somewhat cheap. Still it's a great instrument for the money

This keyboard is one of the best I've owned,I love it! Programming is not too fun but it's worth the effort and the effects are great too! I don't look at manuals so I can't vouch for it,I prefer to learn the instrument by exploring and experimenting.

With 64 notes you can layer to your hearts content,I've done some huge orchestral patches and they sound very full. The 76 note keyboard is o.k.(not real bad but not real great)but I worry about long-term use affecting its reliability.Expansions? This is another sticky point to me,you can expand it but the pcmcia cards are expensive and once you pull them out you have to redo your patch(sucks!). The quadracards I've heard are very good. No on-board sequencer and multiple button pushes are needed to access the general midi function.

The sounds are very good and some are very realistic,I think the ones I've downloaded off of the net are better than those originally shipped but I'm picky. I use this for all types of music,to me a hula-hoop can be used to create music if you have the right attitude so don't take my word for this. Oh yeah, I'm on my third QS7,friends keep buying mine from my house after I set it up so I'm keeping the next one!

This could be a problem area but so far no problems and like I said in the last section,I've sold two others and they are being used a lot with no problems so maybe it's o.k..

These people are really great to deal with,I appreciate their help and their professionalism.

Yes,I'd buy it again. No, it's not worth what I paid...it's worth more! I love the sounds,the company,and the look. I don't hate anything. I chose this over the Korg Trinity(my opinion,don't beat me up over it) and the Roland XP stuff(I had a XP-50 and two JV-1080's). I wish this had a disk-drive and an on-board sequencer. If a person needs technology to help them make music then to me they haven't looked deeply enough, music is not a sound or an gadget but an insatiable drive that compels you to create with whatever medium available. Hula-hoop sonata anyone?