QSR Polyphony

Although the QSR is a 64-voice polyphonic synthesizer, you can easily reach the voice limit if your drum synthesizer Programs or Mixes include multiple sound layers.

The QSR provides 64-voice polyphony (how many notes can play at once). If a program uses one sound layer for each note, up to 64 notes can play at once. Layering two sounds allows for 32-note polyphony and layering four sounds, 16-note polyphony.

You can build up complex timbres using layering. This is crucial because acoustic instruments have extremely complex, evolving sounds and by comparison to the QSR, many synthesizers sound static. Being able to layer up to four sounds allows for creating large ensembles (e.g., brass section consisting of alto & tenor sax, trumpet, and trombone) or extremely realistic versions of single instruments (like drums and cymbals). The ability to also perform layering within Mixes makes the QSR even more flexible.

When creating layered Programs, keep polyphony in mind. If all Programs in a Mix use all four available sounds, the QSR will quickly run out of voices. This can also become an issue if you use a lot of stereo samples, velocity cross-fading, or Mix-level layering.