Alesis QS7, QS8 manual Sound Overlap 00 to

Chapter 6: Editing Programs

	Sound Overlap (00 to 99)	Page 6
	This determines how many voices can overlap on the same pitch. Example: If you
	hold the sustain pedal down and play the same note over and over, Sound Overlap
	determines how many voices are available for that note, and thus how many voices
	will overlap (play simultaneously).
	In the old days, different brands of synthesizers offered different voice allocation
	schemes. One brand used a method called “rotate mode” in which each time a note
	was struck, a new voice was used. Another brand used a different method called
	“reassign mode” whereby if a note is played and then played again, the same voice is
	used both times. In other words, a new voice is used each time a new note of a
	different pitch is played.
	The Sound Overlap value lets you choose a comfortable setting between rotate mode
	and reassign mode. When the value equals 99, you are always in rotate mode, using
	up polyphony; if the value is 00, you are always in reassign mode, conserving voices.
	Set the value anywhere between 00 and 99 and you will get a combination of both,
	with partiality toward whichever mode the value is closest to.
	A piano sound requires some Sound Overlap, but not a lot; it isn’t natural to hear too
	many voices on the same note. On the other hand, having only one voice per pitch
	isn’t natural either; let’s say you played a loud note with the sustain pedal held,
	followed by a soft note--the second note would abruptly cut-off the first. On a real
	piano, the string would still be resonating from the first (loud) note when the second
	(soft) note was played; thus the two notes would overlap.
J	It is important to note that Sound Overlap can have a negative effect on polyphony.
	If you have Sound Overlap set to 99, hold the sustain pedal and play a series of
	notes, you will run through all 64 voices in no time. By adjusting the Sound Overlap to
	a lower value, you decrease the number of voices used by each new note, and
	thereby ensure there are voices available to play other sounds, if necessary.

64 QS7/QS8 Reference Manual