Alesis QS8.1 Keyboard (B-Stock)

Great Sounds Can Come Cheap and Easy
Alesis does things a bit differently from everyone else. Their products all have the air of "Why didn't anybody else think of this?" about them. And all of their gear has an unshakable streak of common sense and efficiency. So take a look at their flagship keyboard, the QS8.1: Easy to use, easy to program, chock-full of great sounds and features at a very reasonable price. Does that sound like exactly what you want? We think so, too.

The feature list is long - really long! - so we'll hit as many high points as we can.

Start with an 88-note hammer-action keyboard that is velocity, release-velocity, and aftertouch sensitive. Hook that up to 640 programs and 500 multitimbral programs that are held in 16MB of memory. If that isn't enough sound, you can pop in an Alesis Qcard, which adds another 16MB of memory and hundreds of programs. Qcards are available in nearly every musical genre. And if that still isn't enough, you can use your computer and Alesis Sound Bridge software to import, save, and play back AIFF, WAV, and other sample data. Process all that sound with a multi-effects set that is based on the top Alesis digital sound processing units.

Control all that sound with 4 sliders, plus pitchbend and mod wheels. On the rear panel, you'll find jacks for 2 optional foot pedals, assignable to almost everything in the synth, and a dedicated sustain pedal jack.

If General MIDI is your thing, then you're in luck, because the QS8.1 has an… read more enhanced GM mode. And get this: You can load up to 100 Standard Midi File sequences in the QS8.1 and play them back, all without an external sequencing device.

Connecting your QS8.1 couldn't be easier: Use the high-speed serial data port to go directly to your computer, or use the MIDI connectors. A great big feature is the Optical Digital Interface that gives you a purely digital output to go direct into an Alesis ADAT, digital 2-track (DAT), or any other unit that uses the optical protocol.

Features
*New! Dedicated "Transpose" and "Sequence Select" buttons, large, easy-to-read display, enhanced GM sound set.

*Hundreds of sounds and multitimbral mixes for your best compositions and performances.

*Includes Alesis' acclaimed stereo grand piano sounds.

*64 voice polyphony, 88-note fully-weighted keyboard, and multiple controller features for powerful live performances.

*Easy-to-understand interface for performing, programming, and editing.

*Expansion card slots for adding an additional 16MB of new sounds, and Sound Bridge software for adding your own custom samples.

*ADAT Optical Digital Interface and Serial Data port.

*Included CD-ROM gets you rolling with software for MIDI sequencing, notation, editor/librarians, sample manipulation, extra sounds for the QS Series, and more.

*Play back up to 100 Standard MIDI File sequences without any external sequencing device.

Additional Information from Alesis
America's Favorite Synth Family Keeps Getting Better!

The QS8.1 is one of the newest members of Alesis' award-winning QS Series of keyboards and synth modules. It offers an excellent selection of new features including a newly-designed backlit LCD display that's larger than that of the preceding keyboards, making it perfect for live performances. The QS8.1 also includes dedicated buttons for "Transpose" and "Sequence Select," allowing you to immediately access these functions without paging through menus. Plus, we've enhanced the General MIDI sound set so that composition and playback of compatible files are even better sounding than before, and the new Alesis Synthesizers CD-ROM software pack has been improved to offer more powerful tools for serious MIDI productions.

Hundreds of Sounds, Open-Ended Expansion: Up to 32MB Simultaneously
The QS8.1 offers an immense 16MB onboard sound library, comprising 640 programs and 500 multitimbral mixes. You'll find Alesis' highly-acclaimed stereo grand piano sounds, as well as dozens of organs, cutting-edge and vintage synth sounds, strings, brass, winds, guitars, drums, percussion, loops, and much more. In addition to its great onboard collection of sounds, the QS8.1 is compatible with Alesis' QCard ROM expansions, so you can add another 16MB of brand new samples and program/ mix information in nearly every musical genre by using the two rear panel card slots.

The QS8.1 is also compatible with our Sound Bridge software that lets you import, save, and playback AIFF, WAV, and other sample formats, allowing you to use your own samples or sounds from other sample libraries.

Powerful, Professional Performance Tools
The QS8.1 provides 4 edit/control sliders and 2 pedal inputs that are assignable to nearly any sound or effect modulation parameter. The QS8.1 also features an 88-key fully-weighted keyboard with a hammer action feel for incredibly realistic piano performances as well as velocity, release velocity, and aftertouch functions. Also, the QS8.1 includes a dedicated sustain pedal jack, pitch and mod wheels, and aftertouch for your most expressive performances.

Comprehensive MIDI Productions: Alesis Synthesizer CD-ROM
The Alesis Synthesizer CD-ROM which comes with each QS Series synth includes a slew of full-featured software-based MIDI production tools from innovative companies like Emagic, Opcode, and Alesis. Built for both Mac and Windows platforms, you'll get the Sound Bridge and FreeLoader applications, plus programs for sequencing and digital audio, editor/librarians, notation, extra samples, programs and mixes, sample sequences, demos, and more.

Innovative Interfaces, Onboard Multi-effects, and More
The QS8.1 offers a high-speed serial data port for direct computer interfacing in addition to their MIDI In, Out, and Thru connections, and the ADAT Optical output for direct digital audio connection to a wide variety of recorders, mixers, and other tools that use this standard multi-channel transfer protocol. The built-in multi-effects include great-sounding reverb, chorus, distortion, EQ, delay, rotary speaker simulation, and more. read less