I've recently purchased an Alesis QS 6.1 and am having trouble getting it to communicate properly with Cakewalk Pro 8.

After setting the QS into General MIDI, and the Cakewalk input source to GM, the sounds just don't match up. In the "Track Properties" box, BANK and PATCH can be chosen from a list of the QS' sounds. After selecting (for example) "GrandPiano", the sound will be of another instrument (patch) entirely.

This problem persists when General MIDI has been turned off...

How do I configure the QS to send the right patch when selecting the patch from Cakewalk? Or do I need to configure Cakewalk another way?

There is an .ins file inside Cakewalk that had Alesis banks and sounds on a list, but the list of Alesis products doesn't include the QS6.1, only a QS6 - same thing or different? Is this an issue at all?

I would appreciate any help you might provide.

Thanks,
Jason Stanfield

First things first. I have a QS 6.1 and Cake Pro 7.0

The INS file you need to use is the one for the QS 7 or 8.

Try that and we'll take it from there.

Kind regards, Michael

I do have the ins definitions for the QS6.1, although I'm not sure where I found them. I think you may be able to download them from Cakewalk's website.

A few other things come to mind...Make sure that GM mode is "OFF" in order to make bank changes on each track. And make sure MIDI Program Select is set to "ON."

Don't know if that solves the problem, but the tech support people at 800-5-ALESIS may be able to help as well.