Alesis QuadraSynth Plus Modes

Overview: Chapter 4

QuadraSynth Plus Piano Reference Manual 38

Modes

The QuadraSynth Plus is always in one of two main modes: Program Mode or

Mix Mode. Pressing [PROGRAM] selects Program Play Mode, while pressing

[MIX] selects Mix Play Mode. While in Program Play Mode, you can press

[SELECT] to access Program Edit Mode and Effects Edit Mode. While in Mix

Play Mode, pressing [SELECT] alternates between Mix Edit Mode, Program Edit

Mode and Effects Edit Mode. Pressing [GLOBAL] accesses Global Edit Mode,

pressing [COMPARE] accesses Compare Mode, and pressing [STORE] accesses

Store Mode. Here are descriptions of these modes:

Program Play Mode lets you play the QuadraSynth Plus’s various

Programs one at a time. The QuadraSynth Plus contains 512 Preset and

128 User Programs (i.e., the sounds of various instruments, effects,

ensembles, etc.) that show off just how cool this instrument really is.

Initially, the 4 Preset Banks and the User Bank contain data loaded in at

the factory. The User Programs can be edited or replaced with your own

Programs. However, you cannot replace the Preset Programs, because

these are stored in ROM (permanent memory). In Program Play Mode,

the QuadraSynth Plus responds to or generates messages on a single

MIDI channel.

Mix Play Mode lets you audition the QuadraSynth Plus’s various Mixes,

and use it as a MIDI master controller. The QuadraSynth Plus contains

400 Preset Mixes and 100 User Mixes. A Mix can combine up to 16

different Programs, and the keyboard can generate up to 16 channels of

MIDI data at once. Therefore, much thicker and richly textured sounds

can be created. In Mix Play Mode, the QuadraSynth Plus can be used in a

wide range of applications. It can be used for live performance, in which

sounds are layered or assigned to sections of the keyboard. It can also be

used as a multitimbral sound source for desktop music and home studio

applications. A Mix can use the Effects Patch associated with one of its

Programs. Although there may be 16 Programs in a Mix, there can only

be one Effects Patch per Mix. In Mix Mode, the QuadraSynth Plus can

respond to messages on up to 16 MIDI channels simul-taneously;

different channels are available depending on which Mix is selected.

In Program Edit Mode, you can change the various settings which

determine the sound of an individual Program, or create an entirely new

Program from scratch. Each Program is made up of four Sound layers,

which you can edit individually, or simultaneously. In Program Edit

mode you can:

•select which sample waveform from the 24 megabytes of

onboard sample ROM will be used, in each of the 4 sounds;

•change the tone, level, attack and decay characteristics,

modulation inputs, and pitch of each layer;