The Alesis QS6 restores our faith in synthesizers!

[@irife2771]

Still have a QS8 after all these long years! Alesis is one of those companies I always have a soft spot for... They were just a little bit ahead of their time...

[@gearfacts]

I agree - but then they released a monstrosity like the "Melody61". uuuurghh!!! kzbin.info/www/bejne/pnmcYYSjr9V5faM

[@shmagglehammer]

Just bought one in great condition and am excited to dig in the next few days. Though I have a Roland RD-700SX, I love and prefer my Roland RD-300 SX. I’m presently hooking the QS8 up in a fashion that I can use the Roland as the controller or the Alesis. I also have three different Ensoniqs (TS-12, KT-88 and MR-76). I enjoy layering multiple keyboards together while writing. Was just trying to find some tutorials while I set it up, though I read the manual. I’m pumped. All the best.

[@beneznanaafoakwah7015]

Teach me how to transpose on alesis Qs 8

[@Mskenergy]

I just bought this synth last year and no regrets at all.

[@thejollyjoker187]

Back in the day, I used to own a QS7. More keys and 4 assignable sliders instead of 1 beside the volume slider. Its non-rompler purely synth sounds were AMAZING. I think one of the sound designers for this was Glenn D'Arcy, who later also designed the Alesis Fusion and nowadays has the overlook design for the ASM Hydrasynth, which I also have and adore.

[@gearfacts]

I'm looking forward to reviewing a HydraSynth!

[@Narrowboat.and.offgrid.living]

80s and 90s synths has so much more going for them that the sterile sounds of today's synths

[@gearfacts]

Yep, and they pushed the user a bit harder to be creative rather than just scroll through presets for the right sound.

[@dawnr8511]

I got a QS6, probably the oldest synth I own. Don't play it too often, but it does what I want when I do.

[@gearfacts]

I like that nuts-lookin' smiley emoticon

[@iracordem]

i worked at the dealer, we also had yamaha and others and i chose a qs6, later upgrading to a 7. i also chose a yamaha djx. they pair well, especially with the sanctuary and classical cards added. basically many yamaha-ish or roland-y modules should pair well.

[@maestrolx]

Still love my qsr had it since 97

[@FreshTrooperXBL]

I had a QS7 for a bit (drove 2 hours to pick on up for a great deal). Later found Q cards (Sanctuary and Classical Strings) for a bit cheaper than they went for online. I never did dig into the editing. But had fun playing church organ patches 2012-2014. Later sold it for $165.00 to someone who was taking it to their church in the Philippines. I was glad to get rid of it.

[@gearfacts]

You've gotta go with what makes you smile :)

[@LukeRaith]

I'm curious, why were you glad to get rid?

[@FreshTrooperXBL]

@@LukeRaith I didn’t dig in very much. Never understood the menu system. Always wished I’d have a synth with a piano patch that didn’t have quite so obvious split points across keys. Synth patches were great sounding, as were some of those pipe/church organ samples on the Sanctuary card.

[@billkendall5532]

I recorded a lot of songs with that synth. I bought it new in 1996. Got busy by the mid 2000s and stored it. I recently dug it out while building up a rig and was going to sell it until I played it again. Worth keeping and using and will be used next to my new Hydrasynth. They are cheap locally I've seen a couple for sale including an 8.1 for under $200. Fatar keybed is great on it.

[@gearfacts]

Yes they have a very good price to quality ratio :)

[@cdwhiley]

Sir your channel is CRIMINALLY underrated. You should have 250-500k views.

[@gearfacts]

Wow that's really nice of you to say. Feel free to share it around! Without the income from running this channel I'd be screwed

[@nickfbatombrew1436]

I have the QS8 with the weighted keys and the Emerson sounds and that weighs a ton… but the sound is magnificent Great vid👍☢️

[@gearfacts]

Cool, thanks!

[@summerlaverdure]

qs6 was god tier, i always wanted a 6.2 myself

[@MrAdamGC]

The 6.1 is actually better than the 6.2.....the 6.2 has more plastic and loses one of the expansion slots.

[@irife2771]

@@MrAdamGC I have had both and I don't notice any quality differences really. Maybe plastic ends but that's really getting picky.

[@MrAdamGC]

I've got a QS7.1 and I'll never part with it. I love the tank-like construction and the solid feeling semi-weighted key bed and aftertouch. They don't make them like this anymore.

[@WilsonPhotography1]

I still have my QS8 and QSR

[@gameon2000]

❤ it has a semiweighted kinda keybed stiff af same as wavestation had. perfect as a master Keyboard if nothing else. Lots of digital scifi goodness. Good for cinematic industrial stuff

[@gearfacts]

Totally agree!

[@gameon2000]

Get QS 6.2 it has a huge 8mb piano. A monster by 1996 standards. As comparison the whole Yamaha XG standard kit sounds was only 4mb

[@gearfacts]

Yes XG sounds very tired compared to this

[@MrAdamGC]

The 6.1, 7, 7.1, 8, and 8.1 also have the 8mb piano. Only the 6 doesn't. The 6.2 and 8.2 are actually a bit of a downgrade because they are more plasticy and lose one of the expansion slots. I believe the DAC and/or DSP got upgraded in those so there's that, though.

[@patshowiedoit5340]

Alot of the sounds from the Dragon Ball Z American Soundtrack came from this if I'm not mistaken. Awesome sounds!

[@juliusdobos]

Definitely not all, but many, correct!

[@uuuuiuuuuu]

Bros I’m begging you please share the supplemental sysex pdf if you’ve got it. I contacted Alesis directly & they don’t have it anymore 😢

[@gearfacts]

Oh gosh I don't have it either sorry. Can't believe companies ever delete things like that :(

[@davidmartin123]

Looks and sounds like a cool keyboard from yesteryear to tinker on - perhaps somewhat like the Ensoniq VFX. PCM ROM based with a deep synth engine and lots of adjustable parameters.

[@gearfacts]

Yep, and a bit of thought and passion has gone into the presets which is great to see

[@thefool2007]

I bought a QS6 a year and half ago and honestly...it has some seriously awesome patches and the mod wheel is highly useful. Not every sound is a winner but a lot of them are bizarre. Paid $100 U.S. and worth every penny!

[@MrGrahawk]

I don't think Alesis will be doing synths again. I'm sure InMusic will leave all that stuff in their other brands like Akai and Moog.

[@gearfacts]

Yeah it's a shame that a company with such a significant legacy has gone el-cheapo.

[@philipsee8749]

I had one of these not long after it first came out. I remember really liking a lot of the sounds, but found the interface a real pain to use/learn after coming from an ESQ-1. I maybe would have kept it around if it hadn't felt so difficult to program.

[@gearfacts]

Yep, UI is a huge factor for me too.

[@ejayerik]

I have one. My kids get a kick out of the vocal keys. You didn't show the keyboard split feature, btw.

[@gearfacts]

Yeah I know. I always forget something then go "ohhhhh noooooooooo..."

[@dav1dbone]

will an "off the shelf" pcmcia card work, if so how to go about adding samples to it?

[@gearfacts]

Yep I think PCMCIA is industry standard, so it should work

[@mrz80]

I was wandering Craigslist a while back and found a QS8.1 for all of $50. I contacted the seller to make sure it wasn't a typo, and she was like, no that's right. Keyboard's broken and I've already got a better keyboard. I couldn't drive out fast enough to scarf it up. Turned out to be a dead-simple fix (the power supply board and the main board had come disconnected from each other). Good GRIEF this thing sounds GREAT and for a non-keyboardist the action is just fine. I've something of an Alesis addiction now; got the 8.1 , a Nanosynth (QS engine in 1/3 of a rack unit!), a Micron (superbly over-powered virtual analog), two SR-16 drum machines, and the made-infamous-by-Bad-Gear rack mount compressor. Oh, and a couple of RA-100 stereo amps, for my home studio, and for my digital guitar rig at church.

[@gearfacts]

Yeah this was back when Alesis was truly great. Their last few releases have been a total embarrassment :(

[@mrz80]

@@gearfacts I want to add some of QS8.1 sounds to my guitar synth setup at church, but lugging a 60 pound synth back and forth was a non- starter, so I got myself a QS6.1 for Christmas. :-D

[@this_connor_guy]

I need those weird glitch sounds on my QSR!

[@Frank-in-NY]

Since Alesis bought Ensoniq, maybe the QS6 was the result?

[@gearfacts]

Could be. It's a shame that Alesis have entered the swamp-level home keyboard market. Very undignified :/

[@patrikknoerr9777]

I've seen current eDrum Sets by Alesis that are actually not bad. @@gearfacts

[@Frank-in-NY]

I loved my ESQ-1 hated to let it go, but I needed 88 Keys. I actually purchased an Alesis QS8.1 next, which was OK at the time. I recently located a Kontakt ESQ-1 VST Library and I'm going to give it a go. Agreed on Swamp-Level Home Keyboards. Junk. I'm on a Roland FP-E50 these days, and I'm in the process of getting a 61 Key MIDI Controller. Enjoy your channel, good stuff!

[@JuLew3105]

All I hear is Dragon Ball Z sounds, amazing!

[@gearfacts]

Yep, that’s the vibe it’s putting out!

[@niveketihw1897]

Pure ear candy!

[@gearfacts]

Absolutely - so good to find something original and exciting :)

[@cholobeats]

Do u have the SYSEX files for the program preset banks on the QS6? I was able to recover the user bank but cannot find the other program presets.

[@gearfacts]

I don’t sorry

[@itsJoel59]

this thing weighs more than my motif 7, and that is a tank that I dont wanna be moving around! 😂

[@gearfacts]

Yes, definitely not to be cheerfully taken out for an open mic night!

[@gameon2000]

❤ very Kawai K1 K4 like. But the best sounds you showed were extra from that pcmcia card. The are not standard

[@gearfacts]

True, I didn't really put things in order (onboard, PCMCIA)

[@gameon2000]

@@gearfacts don't sweat it, you're doing a marvellous job! Keep on going mate! 😎👍

[@patrikknoerr9777]

True, that was also my first impression. Except that the K1 is very lofi, and the K4 has astronomically less Rom Space, but offers a more charming digital sounding nature, which also may not be to everyones taste (I like it)

[@gameon2000]

@@patrikknoerr9777 yeah, I had Kawai PH50 (featured on this great channel too) bought new back then in 1993 - turned out, it was a consumer grade playback only 8-Bit Kawai K1, fed with the "B-Side" PCM samples. I called it John Carpenter synth for it had beautiful sci-fi horror movie sounds.

[@patrikknoerr9777]

Your'e right. The PH50 is a disgrace as a keyboard, but great as a toy for exactly that. Funny thing, I pondered what the QS6 could actually be useful, and the idea of using it for horror sounds for a cheap VHS movie was exactly the one thing I came up with :)@@gameon2000

[@minecraftavatarofhunterbiden]

I want it

[@generalgrafx]

It could definitely do with a good cleaning. 😉

[@gearfacts]

As could most of my gear :)

[@bobcastro3220]

awesome sounds. but, the weight. for a 61 key keyboard, that sounds a bit much, but all and all a great keyboard otherwise

[@gearfacts]

Agreed! It’s CRAZY heavy

[@gameon2000]

😂 got me one myself for 100 bucks. Mint condition

[@gearfacts]

Deal :) :) :)

[@alphabeets]

You might want to turn ON your keyboard velocity in the global settings then delete this video and make a new one…

[@gearfacts]

No, I’m not really interested on doing that.

[@DomzTunes]

DBZ

[@jerzywiktor3249]

ufo