From a technical standpoint, the Suzuki QChord allows access to up to 84 different chord combinations. Users can also make use of 100 instrument voices and the instrument has a pitch bend wheel for added expression. Songs can be customized by making use of features such as sustain, volume levels, rhythms, and voices. 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.

As noted previously, most Q Chord sections can be turned off, but not drums-so MIDI data is constantly output on channel 10. Strangely, the Q Chord regularly sends MSB, LSB, and Pitch Bend value 64 (the middle, "neutral" position on a pitch wheel) messages on all accompaniment channels, even those that are supposed to be turned off. Presumably this data is intended to reset synth voices on all channels, but when a part is off, it ought to send no data. 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!

Qchord

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. 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. Obviously, you can mix up various combinations. Conversely, you can use a melody keyboard feature to perform individual notes using the chord buttons. You will identify the notes via a keyboard overlay on the bottom two rows. Because the Q Chord takes the hard work out of playing, it makes the art of making music more fun and therefore allows more creativity with regard to composing music. As a composition tool therefore, the Q Chord is unmatched with regard to its versatility and portability.

Just press a chord button, strum the "strings" on the unique "strumplate". Always in tune, you'll sound great using just the basic features, without ever making a mistake. The Instrument: Shortly thereafter, in 1989, the OM-250 came out, which introduced yet another important update—a MIDI out port so that the Omnichord's useful chord mode could be used for external gear. This was a huge bonus, as it allowed the Omnichord to interface with other electronic gear. Electronic producers slowly started gravitating towards using it in the studio for its unique take on composing. The QChord is part of the Omnichord series by Suzuki and was first released in 2000. Suzuki combined the technology of a basic keyboard along with an electric guitar for an instrument that is not only easy to play, but also very portable. *** In terms of design the QChord is divided into three separate sections. These consist of a “strum plate” that is touch sensitive along with a rhythm section and a section from the chord buttons. Players have the option to either use a combination of these sections or use them independently. This instrument also has a 2-digit LCD, 2-LED Light bar, and 12 LEDS.MIDI - MIDI in and out allows you to control other MIDI instruments with your QChord. It is fully computer compatible for composing your music.

EFFECTS - Customize the sound of your music by adding vibrato, reverb and fills. You can even adjust drums, bass, accompaniment and melody.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 an ideal accompaniment instrument, which therefore makes it popular with a wide variety of different outlets and groups, such as churches, Primary schools, Pre-schools/Kindergarten, Scouts, Girl Guides, caravan and camping etc. The very soothing melodic sounds of the Q Chord make it ideal for use in therapy groups and therapeutic applications. Many organisations are now using it for this. 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. All things considered – it’s probably better to play it when it’s lying flat, but that’s still a poor choice. Conclusion

Damon Albarn reveals that the beat from one of Gorillaz’ best-loved songs was an Omnichord loop preset CHORDS - QChord plays up to 84 perfectly constructed chord combinations at the touch of a button. If you can read English, you can play the QChord

The Strumplate

Just push the chord button you read from your QChord Songbook, and a dynamic rhythm section plays inspiring accompaniment in the musical style and tempo you select. Simultaneously, QChord's unique strumplate puts four octaves of the chord's notes at your fingertips, for strumming or tapping in 100 different selectable voices.