Back in 1996, this powerhouse kicked off Alesis's QS series, packing 8MB of high-quality samples into a 61-key beast that let players layer up to four per program for everything from lush pads to pounding rhythms, all without needing extra gear.
Its QS Composite synthesis blends sample playback with sweepable lowpass filters, three envelope generators, three LFOs, and a deep modulation matrix that puts real-time control at your fingertips via pitch/mod wheels, aftertouch, velocity, and two sliders for volume and parameters. The onboard QuadraVerb 2-inspired effects shine with four independent stereo busses handling reverb, delay, chorus, distortion, and more, routing flexibly across 16-part multitimbrality and 64-voice polyphony. Stereo 1/4" outs, headphone jack, MIDI I/O/thru, and a PCMCIA Type I slot for up to 8MB QCards or SRAM make it studio-ready, all in a sturdy blue chassis measuring about 36 inches wide and weighing 18 pounds with an internal power supply.
Players loved its versatile sounds—from grand pianos and brass to wild synth textures—and master keyboard chops for the era, though many griped about the small LCD making deep edits a chore without the optional software. It carved a niche as an affordable workhorse before upgrades like the QS6.1 doubled the ROM, proving Alesis knew how to build expandability into the DNA.
