ALESIS QuadraSynth Plus Reference Manual Important Safety Instructions WARNING - When using this electric product, basic precautions should always be followed, including the following: 1) Read all the instructions before using the product. 2) Do not use this product near water - for example, near a bathtub, washbowl, kitchen sink, in a wet basement, or near a swimming pool, or the like. 3) This product, either alone or in combination with an amplifier and headphones or speakers, may be capable of producing sound levels that could cause permanent hearing loss. Do not operate for a long period of time at a high volume level or at a level that is uncomfortable. If you experience any hearing loss or ringing in the ears, you should consult an audiologist. 4) This product should be located away from heat sources such as radiators, heat registers, or other products that produce heat. 5) The power-supply cord on this product should be unplugged from the outlet when left unused for a long period of time. 6) Care should be taken so that objects do not fall and liquids are not spilled into the enclosure through openings. 7) The product should be serviced by qualified service personnel when: a) The power supply cord has been damaged; or b) Objects have fallen, or liquid has been spilled onto the product; or c) The product has been exposed to rain; or d) The product does not appear to be operating normally or exhibits a marked change in performance; or e) The product has been dropped, or the enclosure damaged. 8) Do not attempt to service this product beyon d that described in the usermaintenance instructions. All other servicing should be referred to qualified service personnel. Grounding Instructions This product must be grounded. If it should malfunction or break down, grounding provides a path of least resistance for electric current to reduce the risk of electric shock. This product is equipped with a cord having an equipmentgrounding conductor and a grounding plug. The plug must be plugged into an appropriate outlet that is properly installed and grounded in accordance with all local rules and ordinances. DANGER - Improper connection of the equipment-grounding conductor can result in a risk of electric shock. Check with a qualified electrician or serviceman if you are in doubt as to whether the product is properly grounded. Do not modify the plug provided with the product - if it will not fit the outlet, have a proper outlet installed by a qualified electrician. Index CONTENTS 1: Setting Up 7 Unpacking and Inspection 7 AC Power 7 Line Conditioners and Protectors About Audio Cables 9 Basic Audio Hookup 9 A Word About Sound Bridge 10 Powering Up 11 Adjusting the Display Contrast 11 Playing the Demo Sequence 12 Enabling General MIDI Mode 12 Playing the QuadraSynth Plus 13 Program Mode and Mix Mode 13 Auditioning Internal Programs 14 Selecting Banks 14 Selecting the MIDI Channel 14 Realtime Performance Functions The Quad Knobs 15 Auditioning Mix Play Mode 16 Selecting Banks 16 Editing a Mix 17 Setting the Effects Level 18 8 2: Your First Session With The QuadraSynth Plus 11 15 3: Connections Basic MIDI Hookup 19 Example 1: Master Controller for Live Use Example 2: Using an External Sequencer 21 About the Keyboard Mode 22 Pedal and Footswitch Hookup 22 Digital Audio/Optical Hookup 23 Recording Digital Audio 23 48 kHz Clock In23 19 20 4: Overview Basic Architecture 25 QuadraSynth Plus Polyphony 25 Modes 26 Program Play Mode 26 Mix Play Mode 26 Program Edit Mode 26 Mix Edit Mode 27 Effects Edit Mode 27 Global Edit Mode 27 Store Mode 27 Compare Mode 27 The User Interface: Display, Functions, Pages, and Parameters About the Display 28 MIDI Buttons 29 Quad Knob Editing 29 25 28 QuadraSynth Plus Piano Reference Manual 5 Index Parameter Editing 29 Direct Function Selection 31 Editing Program Parameters 31 Edit 4 and Edit 1 Modes 32 Resetting a Parameter Value 32 Comparing Edited and Stored Versions Preset Memory and User Memory Storing 34 Store a Program34 Copying Effects Between Programs Store an Effect 35 Store a Mix 35 To Audition Programs Before Storing 33 33 35 36 5: Editing Mixes 39 What is a Mix? 39 Mix Edit Mode 39 Understanding the Edit Buffers 40 Program Assign for each MIDI Channel 41 Level Setting for Each Program 41 Pitch 42 Setting the Range and MIDI Switches 42 Transmitting MIDI Volume and Panning 43 Effects in Mix Play Mode 44 Effect Level 44 Effect 44 Naming a Mix 45 Polyphony in Mix Play Mode 45 Using the QuadraSynth Plus as a Master Keyboard Setting MIDI Out Channels for Mix in Global Mode 45 46 6: Editing Programs 47 Overview 47 The "Normalized" Synth Voice 47 How the QuadraSynth Generates Sound 48 Program Sound Layers 48 QuadraSynth Plus Signal Flow 49 The Four Sounds of a Program 49 Voice 50 Lowpass Filter 50 Amp 51 About Modulation 51 Envelopes 52 About Signal Processing52 Drum Mode 53 Program Edit Functions 54 Assign Voice 54 Level 56 Effect Level 56 Pitch 56 Filter 59 Amp 61 Range 62 QuadraSynth Plus Piano Reference Manual 6 Index Mod 64 Pitch LFO 67 Amp LFO 70 Pitch Envelope 71 Filter Envelope 74 Amp Envelope 76 Name 80 Misc. 81 Programming Drum Sounds Assign Voice 82 Level 82 Effects Level 83 Pitch 83 Filter 83 Amp 83 Range 84 Amp Envelope 84 Copying Sounds 85 Copying Effects 85 Initializing Programs 86 82 7: Editing Effects About Signal Processing87 Selecting an Effects Patch in Mix Mode 88 Setting Effects Send Levels 88 Editing Effects 89 Storing Effect Patches In Program Mode 90 Storing Effect Patches in Mix Mode 90 Copying Effect Patches 91 Configurations 91 Reverb 98 Delay 103 Pitch 104 Mod 108 Mix 109 Misc. 110 EQ 110 Overdrive 110 87 8: Global Settings Editing Global Parameters 113 LCD Contrast 113 General MIDI Mode 113 Enabling General MIDI Mode via MIDI 113 Master Pitch and Master Tuning114 Keyboard Sensitivity 114 Keyboard Curve 114 Keyboard Transpose 114 Keyboard Mode114 Controllers A ­ D 115 Reset Controllers A ­ D 115 Controllers A ­ D Mode 115 Pedal 1 and 2 Assignment 116 113 QuadraSynth Plus Piano Reference Manual 7 Index Using Pedals to Control Volume or Modulation 116 MIDI Program Select 116 Receiving and Transmitting Bank Change Message Edit Mode 118 48 KHz Clock Input 118 117 9: MIDI Transfer And Storage Operations Saving the User Bank to an External Card 119 Loading a Bank from an External Card 119 Storing an Individual Program or Mix to an External Card Loading an Individual Program or Mix from an External Card Card Storage RAMifications 121 Saving Programs via MIDI Sys Ex 121 119 120 120 Appendix A: Trouble-Shooting Trouble-Shooting Index 123 Re-initializing 123 Checking Software Version Maintenance/Service 124 Cleaning 124 Maintenance 124 Warranty Information 124 Obtaining Repair Service 124 123 124 Appendix B: MIDI Supplement MIDI Basics 127 MIDI Hardware127 MIDI Message Basics 128 Channel Messages: Mode Messages Channel Messages: Voice Messages System Common Messages 130 General MIDI 130 MIDI Implementation Chart 132 127 128 128 Appendix C: Parameters Index Program Parameters Mix Parameters 135 133 133 137 Appendix D: What's New in the 2.0 "Plus" Upgrade INDEX 159 QuadraSynth Plus Piano Reference Manual 8 Setting Up: Chapter 1 CHAPTER 1 SETTING UP Unpacking and Inspection Your QuadraSynth Plus was packed carefully at the factory. The shipping carton was designed to protect the unit during shipping. Please retain this container in the highly unlikely event that you need to return the QuadraSynth Plus for servicing. Upon receiving the QuadraSynth Plus, carefully examine the shipping carton and its contents for any sign of physical damage that may have occurred in transit. If you detect any damage, do not destroy any of the packing material or the carton, and immediately notify the carrier of a possible claim for damage. Damage claims must be made by you. Contact your Alesis dealer. The shipping carton should contain the following items: · QuadraSynth Plus with the same serial number as shown on shipping carton · Sustain pedal · AC Power Cable · Computer floppy disk containing Sound Bridge software and electronic manual · This instruction manual, plus lists of Mixes and Programs, and Quick Start guide · Alesis warranty card J It is important to register your purchase; if you have not already filled out your warranty card and mailed it back to Alesis, please take the time to do so now. AC Power Hookup The QuadraSynth Plus works with the voltage of the country it is shipped to (either 110 or 220V, 50 or 60 Hz), and comes with a line cord or power supply suitable for the destination to which the keyboard is shipped. With the QuadraSynth Plus off, plug the AC cord's female (jack) end into Quadra-Synth Plus's AC socket and the male (plug) end into a source of AC power. It's good practice to not turn the QuadraSynth Plus on until all other cables are hooked up. The IEC-spec AC cord included with the QuadraSynth Plus (do not substitute any other AC cord) is designed to connect to an outlet that includes three pins, with the third, round pin connected to ground. The ground connection is an important safety feature designed to keep the chassis of electronic devices such as the QuadraSynth Plus at ground potential. Unfortunately, the presence of a third pin does not always indicate that it is properly grounded. Use an AC line QuadraSynth Plus Piano Reference Manual 9 Setting Up: Chapter 1 tester to determine this. If the outlet is not grounded, consult with a licensed electrician. J Do not operate any electrical equipment with ungrounded outlets. Plugging the QuadraSynth Plus into an ungrounded outlet, or "lifting" the unit off ground with a three-to-two wire adapter, can create a hazardous condition. J Alesis cannot be responsible for problems caused by using the QuadraSynth Plus or any associated equipment with improper AC wiring. Line Conditioners and Protectors Although the QuadraSynth Plus is designed to tolerate typical voltage variations, in today's world the voltage coming from the AC line may contain spikes or transients that can possibly stress your gear and, over time, cause a failure. There are three main ways to protect against this, listed in ascending order of cost and complexity: · Line spike/surge protectors. Relatively inexpensive, these are designed to protect against strong surges and spikes, acting somewhat like fuses in that they need to be replaced if they've been hit by an extremely strong spike. · Line filters. These generally combine spike/surge protection with filters that remove some line noise (dimmer hash, transients from other appliances, etc.). · Uninterruptible power supply (UPS). This is the most sophisticated option. A UPS provides power even if the AC power line fails completely. Intended for computer applications, a UPS allows you to complete an orderly shutdown of a computer system in the event of a power outage, and the isolation it provides from the power line minimizes all forms of interference--spikes, noise, etc. QuadraSynth Plus Piano Reference Manual 10 Setting Up: Chapter 1 QuadraSynth Plus Piano Reference Manual 11 Setting Up: Chapter 1 About Audio Cables The connections between the QuadraSynth Plus and your studio are your music's lifeline, so use only high quality cables. These should be low-capacitance shielded cables with a stranded (not solid) internal conductor and a lowresistance shield. Although quality cables cost more, they do make a difference. Route cables to the QuadraSynth Plus correctly by observing the following precautions: · Do not bundle audio cables with AC power cords. · Avoid running audio cables near sources of electromagnetic interference such as transformers, monitors, computers, etc. · Do not place cables where they can be stepped on. Stepping on a cable may not cause immediate damage, but it can compress the insulation between the center conductor and shield (degrading performance) or reduce the cable's reliability. · Avoid twisting the cable or having it make sharp, right angle turns. · Never unplug a cable by pulling on the wire itself. Always unplug by firmly grasping the body of the plug and pulling directly outward. · Although Alesis does not endorse any specific product, chemicals such as Tweek and Cramolin, when applied to electrical connectors, are claimed to improve the electrical contact between connectors. Basic Audio Hookup J When connecting audio cables and/or turning power on and off, make sure that all devices in your system are turned off and the volume controls are turned down. Because the QuadraSynth Plus includes extensive signal processing as well as a full complement of sounds, you can make great sounds with nothing more than an amplifier or a set of headphones. The QuadraSynth Plus has two Main and two Aux audio outputs. These can provide an amplification system or mixer with several different audio hookup options: · Mono. Connect a mo ...