Suzuki QC-1

This thing is designed to be easy to use. Straight out of the box you can be strumming along to any chord sequence you can imagine. The manual is pretty clear, and takes you nicely through the various options. There is even an 'EZ' option to make it even easier. Though it is a bit lacking in the description of the MIDI implementation.

The built in sounds are fairly poor, but the market for this seems to be home users. You can expand it with various proprietary cartridges which have Beatles, Religious songs, etc.

However what really lacks is the MIDI implementation. Firstly the manual suggests never plugging in both MIDI sockets simultaneously. Fair enough, so you would be using it either as a sound source or a control surface. Forget the former, the MIDI sounds are worse than you will get on a fairly cheap PC souncard. And unfortunately Suzuki seem to have made a complete mess of the MIDI out. Most people (well, me anyway) will buy this expecting to use the strumplate to power a decent MIDI sound source set to their favourite guitar sound. Forget that as well. For whatever reason the strumplate transmits on 3 channels, and each channel (corresponding on the instrument to the three notes of the triad in positions do-me-so) actually transmits the SAME note, one per octave. So even in OMNI mode you can only strum octaves! Presumably internally the QC-1 transposes each channel according to the chord selected... but this doesn't help you when you have the MIDI out going to a sound source. Secondly the rhythm track is permanently running on channel 10 and you can't stop it. So if you do have your MIDI sound source in OMNI, you get a permanent rhythm track going, sounding guitar notes if that's what you are set to. So do NOT buy this as a MIDI controller.

Given its limitations as a MIDI controller, I must rate it on the onboard sounds and these are not good. There are 100 GM sounds which sound like a very cheap digital GM sound set. The strumplate is fun to use however, though not 100% relable in its responsiveness... you kind of learn to play with its limitations as you get used to it and you can probably produce some expressiveness on this intrument which no other is capable of.

Seems fine. Powers by battery and AC adaptor. I've seen them on Ebay with duff chord buttons but I don't know how common a problem this is... mine is hunky dory.

n/a

In summary: middling.

This would be great for:
1. playing along at a party or with kids, singing songs round the campfire
2. sonic doodling with chord sequences
I also own a Yamaha QY70 and this is actually much better for the latter (and has a FAR superior sound quality). And it is smaller to boot. But what I love about this is its sheer accessibility and instant sonic creativity.

This is useless as:
1. a MIDI controller
2. a MIDI sound source
I don't even know why Suzuki bothered with MIDI sockets for this instrument.

This is a great fun instrument for making music and you will enjoy it within its limitations. You can be making sing-along music with this instrument faster than any other musical instrument on the planet. However it is totally let-down by the MIDI implementation which in studio terms relegates it from a potential studio-essential to little more than a fun toy.

In summary I bought this instrument hoping to use it to power the guitar sounds from my Yamaha Motif in my studio. I will probbaly keep it but use it to sing songs with my kids

nothing is easier that this unit to play NOTHING
I rate it 11

A MIDI controller from the future. Think of a midi guitar 4 octaves wide.this is from MELODY MAKER"BLIMEY WHAT'S THAT THEN? IT LOOKS LIKE SOMETHING OUT OF "STARTREK".

If you're thinking of Spock's Vulcan Harp, you're close. The Suzuki Q-Chord is an electronic musical instrument for people who can't play instruments - its great for solo singers and for working out song ideas. Q-Chords have already been sold to Bjork, Jarvis Cocker, Add N to (X) and Echo and the Bunnymen among others.

HOW DOES IT WORK THEN?

The Digital songcard guitar is based on the Omnichord, as used by U2 producer Daniel Lanois, but is better specified and cheaper. You select a chord using the buttons on the left, and strum the touchplate on the right to play arpeggios of notes in the correct key. There are 10 drum rhythms, automatic bass and chord accompaniments, as well as 109 general MIDI-compatible strumplate voices, effects including vibrato, reverb and pitchbend, a built in speaker, battery or mains power, a headphone socket and MIDI sockets.


SO IT'S GOT GENERAL MIDI?

Yup, MIDI IN and OUT, which means that you can connect up to external modules for an even wider range of voices. You can even plug in a song and style cartridge to expand your repertoire."
You will play with this more than thought you would
I think future models should have arpegiated sequences maped to the stumulator

The sounds suck like a casio from the 80's
But hook it up to your MIDI gear and play in a new way.

The MIDI setup is crap.

This is made by an education music company to teach non musicans about music or to help people who can not play more demanding instruments.

When somebody leaves something from the outer space, you watch over it. But in a pinch grab another one off E-bay

This machine, which is called a Q-chord, could not be any easier to use. The few effects that it has (vibrato, reverb, and sustain)have dedicated buttons. The rhythm controls are all together, as are the controls for playing mode and voices. This machine is an upgrade from the omnichord which was essentially an electronic autoharp. This Q-chord is as easy to play as any autoharp, and that makes it rather simple. Most users will not even have to read the manual.

The manual does not mention the polyphony, but I believe that it is 24. This device does not have a real keyboard, it has a series of rubber buttons that specify which chords will sound. There are thirty-six buttons in all. This allows Q-chord to produce major, minor, and dominant seventh chords in all twelve keys. By pressing combinations of buttons it is also possible to play diminished, augmented, minor seventh, and major seventh chords in all twelve keys. There is a template that helps you use the bottom two rows of buttons as a keyboard, but this is only useful for producing starting pitches for singing. The three effects that were mentioned above are all turned on and off by the push of dedicated buttons. The machine has ten on-board accompaniment styles. Suzuki makes an expansion cartridge that adds an additional thirty styles. I wish that Suzuki made more expansion cartridges like this. The other cartridges that are available all contain complete songs. This device has MIDI in and out, something that the omnichord did not have. The Q-chord does not have an on-board sequencer, something that the omnichord did have. The Q-chord's primary feature is a four octave strum plate that plays either block or arpeggiated versions of whatever chord is selected. The arpeggios are limited to simple ascending or descending motion, you will not hear any angular patterns here. The strum plate can use any of the on-board MIDI one sounds. The strum plate can function by itself, imitating an electronic autoharp, or it can be played along with the accompaniment rhythms. This machine also has a transpose feature, and a pitch bend wheel. It also has a speaker and a bass port, but I find that it requires an external combo amp to be loud enough in a classroom setting.

The quality of the sounds is not great. It sounds very much like the lower priced instruments in the Casio CTK line. This is understandable when you look at the price tag. The accompaniment styles include intros, fills, endings, and tempo control. However, the styles do not include variations. This is also understandable considering the price of the unit. This machine is really designed as a tool for the accompaniment of group singing, and it does this very well. The sound of the accompaniment styles is fun and inviting for singers. The styles are not the most realistic on the market, but they are also not overbearing. With the expansion cartridge you have a total of forty styles. This does not seem like much, but I have always been able to find an appropriate style for whatever song I choose to sing with children. With an external amp this device can actually sound rather impressive.

I work as a public school music teacher, and I use this machine to accompany the singing that the children do with me. This is actually a very serious gig, children are a very unforgiving audience. I use this machine without backup and without worries. It is extremely reliable, more so than any accoustic string instrument with breakable strings. It also goes through batteries at a much slower rate than any portable keyboard that I have ever used. As long as I have spare batteries, I am all set.

I ordered this instrument directly from the company, before it was even available, and they were very pleasant over the phone. This is understandable, I was giving them money! I sent an e-mail to Suzuki about six months after I obtained the Q-chord to tell them how much I enjoyed using their product. Much to my surprise, they e-mailed me back to thank me for my support. I wonder if any other companies in the same business would do this. Suzuki deals primarily with music educators as opposed to studio musicians.

I would most definately buy another one of these if mine was taken from me. This machine is great fun to play, the strum plate is a blast for improvising! This is also a wonderful instrument for anyone who is physically challenged or lacking in fine motor control. When I bring this instrument into a class, the students actually cheer! None of my other instruments get this response and I use everything from electronic keyboards to electric guitars to bouzoukis! I love the attitude of fun that this instrument has. When Suzuki updates this machine, no device stays on the market for long in music technology, I hope that they add a sequencer. I would highly recommend this instrument to any educator who wishes to sing with children. It is like having an electronic keyboard that you can walk around the room with as you are playing! I would not recommend this device for any music production studio, but for music teaching I give it a ten.