Compact, light, equipped with a high quality 16Mb sound library and a 76-keys light-weighted action keyboard, the QS7 features unexpected facilities as MIDI Master Controller.

In addition to this, digital outputs (Adat format), host computer port, sample/song management (using the bundled Alesis Sound Bridge software) and further details offer to this product a very large flexibility for any possible musical application.

Hardware details
Bundled Software
Technical Details

What is good about QS7 is the large sound palette, the MIDI/digital/host interface implementation, the great flexibility, the convenient carriage and the really affordable price.

More in details, these general concepts are based on the following features.

Large polyphony and multitimbral capability.
The QS7 is able to produce 64 notes simultaneously using up to 16 different sounds on 16 independent MIDI channels.

Accurate sound palette and huge program memory.
Based on the internal 16Mb Sample ROM library, sounds are organized in 640 Programs (512 preset + 128 user) and 500 Mix (400 preset + 100 user).
The sample library is, in the most part, highly accurate and include a large variety of sounds. Several multi-layer samples are also provided for advanced dynamic control, simplifying programming and optimizing polyphony at the same time. Also rhythmic loop are included in order to expand creativity.

Fast Programming.
The feeling is that QS7 was designed to be fast in fixing any creative idea. Based on a large number of keys, the interface allows to fastly recall functions in a very intuitive way despite the little display.
What is really pleasant on QS7 is to work in Mix mode combining program presets (mainly well designed) in order to approach fastly to the desired musical result.
Of course sounds can be programmed from scratch.
A limitation in this sense can be the fact that filters are not equipped with resonance, but for the typical resonance effect the QS7 offers a lot of filtered analog waveforms, also available as multi-layer samples in order to simulate cut-off dynamic controls.

Bundled Support Software CD.
Despite his unexpensive cost, the QS7 can offer very advanced features (in terms of sound programming, sample processing and song arrangement), thanks to the fact that these special functions can be managed through external softwares based on MacOS or Windows 95 platforms.
A special CD (included in the package) combines Alesis an third party softwares that are able to manage any possible programming need. For example:
- song programming is supported by Steinberg Cubasis (Mac/Win licensed);
- sound programming is supported by M.O.T.U. Unisyn (Mac/Win licensed);
- sample processing is supported by Sound Effect (Mac shareware);
- flash RAM programming (including samples, sounds and songs) is supported by Alesis SoundBridge (Mac/Win licensed).

Host Computer Port (serial interface).
What about QS7 connection with a computer? The Host port allows the user to connect the QS7 directly to a Macintosh or a PC (with an adaptor) serial port without the need to use any external MIDI interface.
Thanks to the fact that standard Apple serial cables can be used, the connection with any Macintosh computer it's really simple.
In other words, using a PowerBook and a QS7 togheter means to work with a portable professional studio for any musical needs (live applications, composing, sound/song programming and sample processing).

SampleCell, AIFF and SDII sample format compatibility.
Thanks to the SoundBridge software, WAV, AIFF and SDII (Digidesign Sound Designer 2) format can be used in order to download samples inside the QS7 optional Flash RAM cards (up to 8Mb of samples can be loaded inside a Flash RAM card).
Another important feature of SoundBridge is the full compatibility with Digidesign SampleCell.
Using a Mac with a SampleCell card is possible to create multisampling Instruments that can be easily managed by SoundBridge for a data transfer to the QS7 Flash RAM card.
Also SampleCell CD-ROM (from SpectraSonic, Ilio, EastWest, etc.) can be used in order to create instantly a QS7 additional sample library (and in this case there is no need of a SampleCell Card).
Using optional Flash RAM cards up to 16Mb of samples can be added to the QS7 internal library and this means that a total of 32Mb of samples can be managed in real time.

Data Card Management (Sounds and Songs).
Using optional Flash RAM or ROM cards, the QS7 can include on board additional Program/Mix memories, Samples, Multisampling Instruments (Digidesign SampleCell compatible) and Song sequences (0/1 format SMF files that can be played via the internal SMF Player) for any convenient use.

Advanced Sound Processing.
An Alesis Q2 effect unit is buit-in inside the QS7. This powerful fx processor allows to use up to 4 independent sends with routing and up to 8 simultaneous effects, depending fron the selected configuration.

GM (General MIDI) Compatibility.
In order to expand the range of possible musical usage, the QS7 is also GM compatible.
Depending from the user needs, GM can be useful for several purposes, mainly the possibility to evaluate SMF files without the need to own any specific instrument.

ADAT Optical Digital Outputs.
QS7 features also digital outputs in ADAT Optical format.
Up to 4 audio digital outputs lines (related to the 4 analog outputs) can be used simultaneously for digital recording using Adat format compatible units.
In this way the QS7 can be digitally connected to an ADAT MDM (i.e. ADAT XT), directly or thru a digital mixer.
For more complex recording systems, a Wordclock In is also available, virtually assuring full integration of QS7 with complex digital environments.

Master Keyboard MIDI facilities.
Coming to MIDI, features seem to be very powerful.
In Mix mode up to 16 independent MIDI channels directed to external sound generators can be controlled from the QS7's keyboard with or without the parallel use of the internal sounds.
The control can be organized in layers with note limits in order to create splits where required.
Additional MIDI real time controls can be assigned in any possible way thru wheels, cursors and pedals.
Also the MIDI channel transpose is available.
In this way the octave pitch of several MIDI instruments can be controlled directly by the QS7, allowing correct playability accordingly with the programmed keyboard split, without the need to modify the original sounds.