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Chapter 2: Playing the DG8
40 DG8 REFERENCE MANUAL
USING THE EXTERNAL CARD SOUNDS
You can take advantage of the DG8’s expandability by acquiring an Alesis QCard™
or other compatible PCMCIA Type I sound card. The Alesis QCard is a credit-card-
sized memory module that is pre-programmed with 128 additional sounds for
Alesis-compatible instruments. This PCMCIA Type I card is inserted into the DG8’s
EXPANSION CARD slot on the rear panel.
Each QCard contains a library of new sounds that complement and expand upon the
internal sounds in the DG8’s memory, complete with reverb, chorus and other
effects. But please note that when used with the DG8, some effects may act
unpredictably.
Card Programs in Single Mode
You can access sounds on the QCard just like the DG8’s internal Keyboard Programs:
1. Make sure that the DG8 is in Single mode by pressing the
SPLIT/OFF button
and/or the
LAYER/OFF button, if necessary.
2. Press the
CARD button just to the left of the display. The first sound in the
Card Bank loads into the DG8 and its name and label appear in the top line of
the display. Use the
▲ or ▼ arrows to advance or reverse through the 128
QCard Programs numbered
000 through 127.
3. Pressing any of the Keyboard Bank buttons exits the Card Bank.
Tip: If you press and hold either arrow button, the display will accelerate its
scrolling through the available programs. Also, pressing both arrows together
resets the Card Program to 000.
Card Programs in a Layer
You can layer a QCard Program with a DG8 Primary Sound. There are three ways of
using this feature: the QCard as the Layer sound, the QCard as the Primary Sound or
the QCard as both Primary and Layer.
QCard as Layer sound:
1. Make sure that the DG8 is not in a Split or Layer.
2. Select an internal Keyboard Program in the DG8 by pressing any of the
Keyboard Bank buttons. Use the
▲ and ▼ arrows, if necessary, to select the
desired Program in the Bank.
3. To add a QCard Program as the Layer sound, press and hold the
LAYER/OFF
button. While you are pressing LAYER/OFF, press CARD. The last Program used
from the card as a Layer sound is recalled so you can use the
▲ and ▼ arrows,
if necessary, to select the desired QCard Program.
4. You can also select a Card Program for the Layer sound as you are selecting a
Keyboard Bank: press and hold a Keyboard Bank button (to select the
Keyboard Bank for the Primary) and while you are still holding the Keyboard
Bank button down, press
CARD. (This speeds things up by bypassing the
LAYER/OFF button.)
5. To exit this mode, press the
LAYER/OFF button. The DG8 will turn off the Layer
and keep the Primary Sound you selected in Step 2.