Quasimidi

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Quasimidi ( spelling QUASIMIDI ) was a German manufacturer of synthesizers . Quasimidi was founded in 1987 by Friedhelm Haar and Jörg Reichstein in Kirchhain, Hesse . In 1998 the company headquarters was relocated to Rauschenberg ; Quasimidi has not been on the market since 2000.

Synthesizer Polymorph from Quasimidi

The early years (1987-1993)

In the first few years Quasimidi produced MIDI accessories and extensions. Here highlight especially are the extensions for the between 1987 and the early 90s most popular MIDI synthesizer module Roland MT-32 , the extensions for the Roland - keyboards of "E-Series" and the Master Keyboard - Controller "Turbo Volcon / D "( 1989 ).

Style Drive (1993)

The first “big” Quasimidi device was the Style Drive - a very versatile MIDI processor that is housed in a 19-inch housing with 1 height unit. In addition to playing standard MIDI files (SMF), which are loaded via the built-in floppy disk drive (720 kB), you can also create, play and save your own styles (ie “ sequences ”). This "universal automatic accompaniment " made the Style Drive primarily interesting for solo entertainers .

In addition to the Style Drive, there was also a remote control - the Style Drive Commander. Through this the possibilities of the Style Drive have been expanded considerably. This means that the Style Drive is still a fully practical device for today's demands. The combination of Style Drive and Commander is still in use today (2008) by a number of entertainers.

Quasar (1993)

The first synthesizer from Quasimidi was the Quasar, with which the company opened up to a larger circle of musicians in 1993. The Quasar, which at the time cost almost DM 2,000 in its basic version, was also housed in a 19-inch housing with 2 height units.

concept

At the time, the Quasar was designed as a kind of “universal synthesizer”, combining various types of synthetic sound generation, an effects section, an arpeggiator and an extensive MIDI implementation in a single device.

The Quasar was available - like all subsequent Quasimidi devices - either directly from the manufacturer or from one of the branches and specialist dealers from the DOEPFER network connected to the Kirchhain “motherhouse”, which unfortunately had a somewhat negative effect on widespread use - but it did made sure that the selling price could be kept largely low and was therefore quite “musician-friendly”.

Part of the success of the Quasar is certainly due to the fact that the device was able to come up with a very large supply of factory presets from a wide variety of music areas even in its basic configuration. The Quasar was also able to score points with its - by the standards of the time - extraordinarily simple operation, which did not allow more in-depth sound processing, but allowed elementary sound interventions in a very elegant way, which in turn was quite sufficient for most of the "Quasarians".

A shortcoming of the Quasar (and its "relatives" - Technox, Caruso and The Raven) can be seen in the fact that the achievable frequency range is quite limited: at approx. 12 kHz it is over! The reason for this is the fact that the components used to generate and influence the sound are exhausted to their limits - although the DA converter technology used could have reproduced higher quality signals. Higher quality sound quality (in relation to the achievable frequency range) would have resulted in a not inconsiderable additional expense for the signal processing components , which would have driven the manufacturing and sales price of the Quasar to different heights.

Equipment and operation

As one of the few devices of its time, the Quasar has several "endless knobs" (so-called alpha dials ), which enable quick access to the various sound parameters and the device settings. Both a backlit 2x40-character LC display and a 2-digit LED display for the display of the selected "Performance" program act as a display . Various buttons, some of which have LED status displays, round off the clearly designed control panel on the front of the device.

The "interfaces to the outside world" can be found on the back:

  • Stereo master outputs
  • 4 single outputs
  • 2 MIDI-In (merged), MIDI-Out and Thru
  • 1 programmable foot switch connection

Sound generation

Quasimidi named the type of sound generation used in the Quasar MASS (Multi Algorithm Sound Synthesis System) - probably to indicate that various sound synthesis techniques were used here. The sonic heart of the Quasar was a sound chip from the French manufacturer DREAM (today: Atmel ), which combines the following types of synthesis on one chip:

Most sounds are based on an 8 MB ROM ; In total, the Quasar has a sound supply of over 1000 sounds (single sounds) . These in turn provide the basis for 200 ROM-based performance sounds , another 100 performances can be saved as user-defined sound combinations in the Quasar internal RAM . A performance can be up to 4 different single sounds are made, the layered arbitrarily (gelayered) and / or each other can be displayed.

Overall, the Quasar is polyphonic with 24 voices (in single mode ) and 16-fold multi-timbral via MIDI .

Effects

The basis of the effects section of the Quasar is a digital signal processor (DSP) from Analog Devices (ADSP-2105) . This one chip is responsible for the two independently addressable effects sections - although Quasimidi speaks of [(...) two high-performance effects processors (...)] (PDF; 1.37 MB) in the original Quasar brochure from 1993 , so it is only a single "arithmetic servant" who has to do the entire effect work.

In addition to the "usual" effects such as u. a. Reverb , chorus , flanger and various delays (= echo effects), the Quasar also has " rotor cabinet " effects, which makes it ideal for creating appealing organ sounds.

Note: The programming of more or less realistic reverb effects is extremely complex. The development and implementation of the corresponding DSP routines can represent a not inconsiderable additional cost, especially for small companies. In order to keep the required effort within reasonable limits, the Quasar developers benefited from the fact that at that time a "non-European synthesizer forge" was using exactly the same DSP chip as Quasimidi for the implementation of the effects section of one of their devices. It followed: a little disassembly , a little "cosmetics" and: Voilà! The quasar had its "own" reverb ...

Extensions

Soon after its appearance in 1993, it became clear that the device had met with a great response, especially from techno musicians . On the one hand, this was due to its ease of use and, on the other hand, the excellent sound selection for this type of music. Although many sounds from the "dance musicians and solo entertainers" section were still to be found in the Quasar (such as accordions and various organs), the Quasar was able to use its rich selection of techno-compatible bass and drum systems. Sounds find many friends in this area. Now it was also shown that Quasimidi's concept of relying on expandability for the Quasar from the beginning could (and did) work. The developers had given the Quasar two expansion slots inside the device.

Techno Rave and Electronics Module (TRE Module) (1994)

The so-called TRE module appeared as the first expansion module in early 1994. This is a - quite clunky - 1 MB ROM module cast in synthetic resin, whose mostly purely synthetic sound material forms the basis for another 256 sounds (and 100 performances ) from the fields of techno , trance , house and electronics -Music educates.

RAM board (1994)

This expansion module requires version 2.0 of the Quasar operating system , which was delivered to the Quasar community at the beginning of 1994 in the form of 2 E-PROMs . With the RAM board, the Quasar can now also be fed with "foreign sound material". 768 kByte of non-volatile memory are available for this. The module built into the device is supplied with samples via "MIDI Sample Dump Standard " - that is, via SysEx data . This required the use of a "MIDIfected" computer with suitable sample processing software, which meant that the group of RAM board users at the time was quite limited - and this module was in a way condemned to a wallflower existence.

Hardcore module (1995)

The hardcore module, which was presented at the 1995 Frankfurt Music Fair, is still unique in the area of ​​“sound enhancements”. Like its "brother", the TRE module, the hardcore module also has 256 single sounds and 100 performances in its 1 MB ROM. The choice of sounds - primarily hard, often distorted synthetic sounds and metal sounds - is primarily aimed at musicians from the fields of gabber , hardcore , industrial and electronic body music .
Note: Some of the Quasimidi sound designers spent several nights forestrying their home kitchens in search of “sound usable”. A not insignificant part of the "metal sounds" to be found in the hardcore module consists of various pans, pots (with and without lids), "lids solo" - everything beaten with everything that can be used for this (hammer, wooden spoon, various knives, screwdrivers ...)

The Raven (1995)

Quasimidi Raven

The "Raven" was designed as a classic master keyboard for dance / techno-oriented musicians and, unlike the Cyber-6, contained a sound generator.

Cyber-6 (1995)

The Cyber-6 was designed as a classic master keyboard for dance / techno-oriented musicians and did not contain its own sound generation. It came in a sturdy metal case with classic-style side panels made of real wood and a high-quality keyboard. It had two motivators (Quasimidi's term for a generation of note sequences based on the arpeggiator, which, however, went beyond the conventional possibilities of an arpeggiator), an 8-track sequencer, rotary encoder for MIDI controller and two MIDI outputs. Despite the successful concept, the Cyber-6 was granted little success, to which a number of weaknesses in the implemented firmware contributed.

Sirius (1997)

The Sirius is a synthesizer, 11-band vocoder and sequencer at the same time. Furthermore, drum sounds, effects and an arpeggiator have been integrated. With 28 voices, the synthesizer offers 7-fold multitimbrality with 2 oscillators per voice, which use a pool of 128 waveforms. A special gimmick is an integrated random function for all parameters. The vocoder can also be used as a filter bank for the synth parts. The keyboard has four octaves. The user-friendliness of the user interface with its controls and buttons, some of which can be assigned multiple times, is particularly praised.

Rave-O-Lution 309

The Rave-O-Lution was a groove box with a sequencer and a variety of drum and bass sounds with the possibility of real-time manipulation. It was 5 times multitimbral with 5 separate parts for kick, snares, hi-hats, percussion and bass, the sound of which could be influenced in many ways. The concept was based on the TB303 and designed for techno. Compared to the first version, extensions were made later: 2 audio inputs and two additional audio outputs were added. There were also more drum and percussion samples as well as midi-synchronized LFOs. The synthesis engine had a second bass / lead synth.

Polymorph (1998)

Polymorph

The Polymorph was a rack synthesizer that was also based on the modeling of analog sounds and the successor to the Ravelution. It had 128 sounds and 64 setups, 16 parts and an elaborate filter section. Sounds could be morphed into one another on the basis of 3 oscillators. Individual ADSRs and filters per oscillator offered a fully optimizable synthesis. There was a sequencer with 16 steps, 8 variations, 4 voices. Parts and individual notes could be muted or changed in real time.

Web links

Summary

In 2001 the company went bankrupt.

Despite the short company history, the devices enjoyed great popularity among musicians (including Kraftwerk , Tangerine Dream , Klaus Schulze , Jean-Michel Jarre ) due to their innovative technologies and comparatively low price .

supporting documents

  1. ↑ QUASIMIDI: Quasar. WWWKD, 2015, accessed July 19, 2020 .
  2. ↑ Quasimidi Sirius | Vintage Synth Explorer. Retrieved July 19, 2020 .
  3. ↑ Quasimidi Rave-O-Lution 309 | Vintage Synth Explorer. Retrieved July 19, 2020 .
  4. ↑ Quasimidi PolyMorph | Vintage Synth Explorer. Retrieved July 19, 2020 .
  5. ↑ Jens Vetter: Green Box: Quasimidi Polymorph, VA Synthesizer. In: AMAZONA.de. July 18, 2015, accessed July 18, 2020 .
  6. ↑ Interview: Jörg Schaaf, from Quasimidi to Radikal Technologies. In: AMAZONA.de. April 12, 2015, accessed July 18, 2020 .