Suzuki QC1 Q Chord Digital Sound Guitar, Purple

Product Information

The Omnichord, or OM-27 as it was known at the time, also featured those same 27 chord buttons and playable strum pad but added a preset rhythm section similar to what you'd find on a Casio keyboard. Users could select a preset rhythm pattern, volume, and tempo. There was only one sound built-in to the OM-27, which Suzuki simply called "harp". Anyone can create great sounds from the Q Chord, which in itself is an inspiration to use it more and more. This somewhat addictive aspect to the instrument can motivate the novice to learn more about the music they are creating. Multiple skill levels on the Q Chord will allow natural progression in this way. Many schools have now adopted the Q Chord as an accompaniment instrument for classroom sessions or for individual student tuition.

Jeff Obee in Electronic Musician Magazine wrote:MIDI OVERBOARD The Q Chord receives and transmits MIDI in Omni mode only. It transmits its various parts on 12 separate channels. For instance, the Melody Keyboard is on channel 1, Chord Plus on channels 3 and 4, and the Strumplate on channels 14, 15, and 16. Also, Manual Chord will trigger a constant chord without including any other accompaniments, and Bass Control will give you any appropriate patches and the bass line. Both of these new instruments also featured a greatly improved strumplate that was said to increase dynamic response and range considerably. It must have worked, as the design of the strumplate remained largely unchanged for the rest of the Omnichord's manufacturing run. Interestingly, the OM-84 featured a dual response strum-plate, so two separate sustain settings were possible. Its focus is on playing along with melodic fill, bass, chord, and drum auto-accompaniment. The Q-Chord sections control effects, Q-card, Strumplate voices, rhythm, and EZ play. Barring drums, every other accompaniment section may be individually turned off.Not everyone wants to be a world class musician, but many people would like to play an instrument well enough to enjoy what they are playing and hope that others are enjoying what they are listening to! The Q Chord does both! In recent years, the Omnichord has enjoyed a resurgence in popularity, thanks in part to the renewed interest in vintage electronic instruments and the rise of electronic and experimental music genres. Many contemporary musicians and producers have embraced the Omnichord's distinctive sound and versatility, incorporating it into their music in creative and innovative ways. The arguable main attraction of the Suzuki Q-Chord is the Strumplate; spanning four octaves that you play by using the tip of your fingers to stroke. You can also tap, though you’ll find the response somewhat poor. You can trigger chord tones using the Strumplate via one among ten different sounds on the front panel: Sound FX, Synth, Harp, Flute, Voice, Organ, Vibes, Strings, Piano, and Guitar. And, you'll find that there's unlimited creative potential for any level of musical talent as you become familiar with the countless other advanced features for varying your musical expression. There's a pitch-bend wheel, vibrato, reverb, and the option to use the chord buttons as a standard keyboard, to name just a few. And all in a self-contained, lightweight, portable instrument, with a built-in speaker and bass port that deliver impressive room-filling sound!

Jeff Obee is a San Francisco Bay Area-based composer and producer who plays the synthesizer and fretless bass. As I’ve mentioned above, the Q-chord is not really anything more than a home instrument; you won’t be able to use it for any truly professional purposes. VOICES - QChord has 100 General MIDI voices on board to choose from. You can assign these voices to melody keyboard or strumplate. (see a List of Voices.)One notable example is the American musician and producer Jim James, who has used the Omnichord extensively in his solo work and collaborations. James has praised the Omnichord for its otherworldly sound and its ability to create a sense of timelessness and transcendence in his music.

So impressive was the rebound of the Omnichord's popularity that Suzuki recently announced that they would be resurrecting the instrument for its 70th anniversary in 2023. Right now, all that is known is that the release is set for fall of 2023, but we're hoping that the new version includes updated sound engines and those full size MIDI ports that are so useful in the studio. All things considered – it’s probably better to play it when it’s lying flat, but that’s still a poor choice. ConclusionWhile you're unlikely to stumble upon one at your local music store, Suzuki's Omnichord has played a unique and innovative electronic musical instrument that has played an important role in the history of electronic music. The Q-Chord featured a purple color that you either love or hate, a cutaway by the chord buttons, a few new sonic features, but at its core it remained the same Omnichord using the same buttons and strumplate. Importantly, the Q-Chord added modern features like a better speaker and an expansion slot for storing songs. It also upped the ante in terms of sounds count—now the total number of sounds was up to 100. Unfortunately the Q-Chord didn't quite boost the sales like Suzuki had hoped and it eventually was discontinued. From a complete beginners point of view, a degree of enjoyment is normally only achieved after several months hard work in learning to play more conventional instruments. This is why so many keyboards and guitars end up under the bed, or stored away, never to be seen again! The Q Chord takes the drudgery out of repetitive practice and allows instant creative musical enjoyment! So, if you use it like a guitar, with the optional strap accessory or placed on your knee – you’ll be able to use your right pinkie to access the pitch wheel and strum. Also, the chord buttons are aligned perfectly with left-handed playing. The next generation of the Omnichord was the OM-100. This version changed the ergonomics of the design considerably, angling the strumplate to make it more comfortable for users to play. It also upped the number of sounds possible from just the harp sound on the earlier models to a choice of ten sounds (Guitar, Piano, Banjo, Jazz Organ, Flute, Organ, Chimes, Brass, Vibes & Synth). Having these sonic options clearly upped what was possible from the Omnichord.

Damon Albarn reveals that the beat from one of Gorillaz’ best-loved songs was an Omnichord loop preset Some of the main reasons why the Q Chord is so successful:It's Easy To Play:From "zero" to "musician" in 9 seconds flat! Even though the QChord looks like a toy, the sound quality and ease of use elevates it above other cheap instruments. In fact, being familiar with musical theory and chord progressions will allow players to get much more out of the QChord than those simply playing around with its sounds. The other advantage of the QChord is that because it is so easy to use it is very addictive to play and serves as a great stepping stone for anyone interested in learning a musical instrument. The QChord sounds fine on its own, but can also easily be connected to a speaker if you want to increase the volume. The Q Chord is quite simply a unique instrument that anyone can play, from novice to accomplished musician. By using the basic features, the player will always sound 'in tune' and the 'strum plate' has been designed to avoid any 'wrong notes'!The Q Chord (new generation Omnichord) is both unique and innovative, taking creative enjoyment to a level unattainable on more conventional instruments. Essentially a mass-market product, anyone can play the instrument, the first time they try... whatever their level of playing skill! runagate wrote:I'm just not sure what'd be easiest to set up, nor exactly what I should be filtering out