Alesis QSR 64 manual Connections, Basic Midi Hookup

Connections: Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

CONNECTIONS

BASIC MIDI HOOKUP

MIDI is an internationally-accepted protocol that allows musical-related data to be conveyed from one device to another. See the MIDI Supplement in Appendix B if you are not familiar with how MIDI works.

The QSR has three MIDI connectors which provide the following functions:

•	MIDI IN	This port is for receiving MIDI information (notes, program
		changes, etc.) from a source such as another QSR or MIDI
		keyboard, controller, or computer.
•	MIDI OUT	This port is for transmitting MIDI SYSEX information to another
		MIDI keyboard, sound module, or computer.
•	MIDI THRU	This port is for passing on (echoing) MIDI information received
		by the MIDI IN port. In simple MIDI setups, the THRU port is
		used to connect additional devices that will all be “listening” to
		the same source.

To play the QSR from a MIDI control device (keyboard, drum pad, guitar or bass controller, sequencer, etc.), connect the control device’s MIDI OUT to the QSR’s [MIDI IN]. The illustration below depicts a master QS8 connected to a slave QSR. When both are set to a common MIDI channel (see page 14), you can hear both when playing the master keyboard.

MIDI Out

MIDI In

If you are using the QSR in the middle of the MIDI chain (example: as the second unit of a three device chain), connect the QSR’s [MIDI THRU] to the third device’s MIDI IN connector in order to route the first device’s MIDI out information to the third device.

MIDI Out

MIDI In

MIDI Thru

MIDI In

The QSR’s [MIDI OUT] connector sends System Exclusive data (see the MIDI supplement) to a storage device for later recall, or to another QSR. When the [MIDI OUT] connector’s mode is switched to “Thru” (Global Edit mode, page 12), it can function as a second [MIDI THRU] connector and resend MIDI data received on the [MIDI IN] from the controller to other MIDI devices.

QSR Reference Manual