ALESIS QS7 - Manual (Page 75)

Editing Programs: Chapter 6
M OD 1 – M OD 6
About General Purpose Modulation
Although there are several dedicated modulators in the QS (e.g., the pitch can always
be modulated by the pitch LFO and Pitch Envelope), sophisticated synthesizer
programming demands the ability to use as many modulation sources as possible to
modulate as many modulation destinations as desired.
The QS arranges its modulation source outputs and modulation destination inputs
into a “matrix” so that any selected source can connect to any of several destinations.
There are six general purpose matrix modulators, which allows you to control up to
six parameters with any of several control sources.
Use the MOD functions to setup your own customized control of a program, such as:
• Using the PEDAL 1 input or the Controller A Slider to control volume, brightness
(filter cutoff), effect level, LFO speed, etc.
• Using velocity to increase or decrease the attack speed of an envelope, so
playing softly makes the sound fade in, while playing hard causes an immediate
attack.
• Using release velocity to increase/decrease the release time of an envelope, so
quick releases of the keys cut off the end of the sound, while slow key releases
allow the sound to fade away gradually.
The MOD functions give you the freedom to go beyond the standard modulation
sources built-in to other functions.
Selecting the Modulator (1 to 6)
Use the [0] – [5] buttons to select one of the six modulators (modulator 1 is [0],
modulator 2 is [1], modulator 3 is [2], etc.). All modulators work in the same way, so
only the pages of one will be described here.
Modulation Source Page 1
Select from the following modulation sources:
• Note # provides a modulation signal that corresponds to the note played on the
keyboard (higher keys give higher values). Example: Use this modulation source
to obtain a different chorus sound in the upper and lower keyboard ranges.
• Velocity relates to how fast a key goes from the key up (note off) to the key
down (note on) position, and therefore represents the dynamics of your playing.
• Release velocity relates to how fast a key goes from the key down (note on) to
the key up (note off) position. Example: Use this to affect the rate of a sound’s
release based on how fast you remove your fingers from the keys.
• Aftertouch Pressing on the keys after they’re down generates this control
signal. Aftertouch is also called channel pressure, and represents an average of
QS7/QS8 Reference Manual 73