Alesis Vintage Synths Q-Card

Plug and play! Doesn't get any simpler. Editing is a pain but didn't try the software yet

I use it in my QSR with a Kurzweil Midiboard. Good polyphony. Midi seems good and I like the mix feature

Good samples of Emerson's GX-1 and for me that was worth every penny.

Seems very reliable and actually has become a favorite

No Clue

Yeah I'd buy another. I love it. Only short of a 10 for lack of programming ease. Might change my mind once I use the software though...

Very simple. Don't need a manual. Just put it into a slot.

No extra polyphony. Adds more basic samples, programs and combi's to your Quadra or QS synth.

Now this is a card that makes sence! A lot of extra basicsamples to create those typical 70's sounds. If you like Keith Emerson or Eric Norlander you will like this card very much. Espacially if you like to built you own programs like they did and still do. Some Polysix, Juno and FM-like presets are also there.

It seems strong. Slot of the QS-series seem better than the quadra, but in both cases never had any troubles.
Maybe a tip for Alesis: built the (2) slots in future models on a place where the carts can stay in it while transporting like Korg or Rolands.

Dutch dealer gave me all the time I needed to find out what carts I could use, including looking in the basicsamples.

If it was stolen I would buy it again. I created several programs with the basicsamples from this card. This card is worth every cent and a big improvement on your Alesis if you like these kind of sounds.

Just plug it into the back of your synth! You then get an extra bank of sounds (User, Preset 1, Preset 2, GM + V Synths)

You get 8mb of wave forms, they are all very useable. You even get loads of extra user sounds for the card. Most of which are very good.

This card is exellent. Loads of lush pads + synth strings. (Thats what I bought it for.) The lead sounds are good, but they didn't blow me away. The only bad point is the synth's lack of decent filters.

Never needed to contact them.

At #70 it's about the price of a sample CD, the Vintage Synths Q-Card is a much better use of your money though. If you want more pad sounds for your Alesis Q synth, then this is what you need!

Just put it in the expansion slot of the Q-series synths.

U get what u paid for, great vintage sounds !!
I like the pads & the leads, there are also some good drum kits.

I bought it few months ago, it's o.k.

They are not very helpful, I had problem to use my Q cards with my old S4 though I have the late O.S version; they could not answer my questions & never write back afterwards !!

I think the Alesis'synth are very good at synth sounds & this card can really expand their strong parts.

Straight forward, insert the card and plug it in. Additional banks can be loaded with a PC. The ability to plug and unplug cards easily is a big +. (as opposed to having to install an expansion board).

Card contains on bank of sounds (128 patches + 100 mixes), and tons of samples. Drum sounds are few but supplement the ones already in the QS well. Given that the name of the card is Vintage Synthesizers and Classic Beatboxes I expecting to have more drums sounds, but hey, I like them anyways.

I personally love the sounds. Not being completely familiar with analog synthesizers (just my old poly800 and occasional work with a dw-6000 in the mid80's when I jumped into the digital bandwagon and got a dx7), I can compare it to say, the oberheims, jupiters, moogs and the like, but a lot of the sounds are recognizable. I agree with the other reviewer that a lot of the sounds in the additional banks are better but again that is subjective. I felt it got repetive at times, it would be nice if they covered a bigger scope of sounds with the card bank. Too bad my qs only accepts one card at a time, it would be nice to be able to have a RAM card at the same time. I'm a big fan of 80's music (all that new age stuff), so this works to recreate the mood.

Haven't had it long enough, but they look sturdy enough and come in a nice plastic case (similar to a zip disk case). My qs is built like a tank but I've had some problems with the display.

My only dealing with alesis was OK, they replied to me by email within 2 days, which from what I heard thru other people it's pretty surprising.

Would definitely buy it again because this card brought new life to my qs6. I use my qs6 mostly for the synth type sounds, organs, and a few guitars (my kurzweil has much better piano and strings sounds). This card exceeded my expectations and I got what I wanted. I was looking in ebay for an old analog synth for theses types of sounds, and I got what I was looking for in this card. Opened up some new possibilities for my music. I jumped on the fact that I could get this for $ 100 new. The cross compatibility of the card with the other qs synths was also a plus since I'm looking to replace my qs6 with a qs7.1.

Given that this is a plug & play expansion card, this is somewhat of a moot point. However, I grant that unlike many other modules and synths which you have to open up (a minor but non-trivial annoyance), being able to "just plug it in" is a nice touch. The "manual" does what it has to do (list progs and samples).

This expansion card contains a slew of samples from a host of synths. The requisite Jupiter, Juno and other samples are there, though I wish Alesis would have given us more variety from each sampled keyboard (as it stands, there's only one Juno sample, which broke my heart!). Also, for those that were unsatisfied with the QS6's lack of beatbox-style drum sounds (I know I was), there are a bunch of kits on the card with wonderfully electronic sounding kits.

Obviously the highlight. I urge anyone that buys this card to try the additional banks that are bundled on the enclosed CD (back up your user banks!!!). Many of these programs are stunning, and one wonders why so many uninspired programs made the final cut onto ROM, when there were so many other awesome sounds to choose from (disclaimer: I am heavily biased towards pad sounds). Many phenomenal leads to be found, and of course, soft, warm pads. If you have a QS6, think "XPando Pad" and multiply by X. If that makes you happy, this is your card! Other than that, drums kits are awesome IMHO, and complement the QS6's rather insipid drum sample set.

No problems so far.

E-mail support is abysmal, but their phone support seems reasonable.

If it were lost or stolen, I'd certainly buy another one. I certainly got what I wanted out of it, though admitedly, I had to let it grow on me for a while before I could truly appreciate what it offered. To be honest, I'd originally bought it merely for the additional drum kits.