ALESIS AHP-1 Virtue Digital Piano User Guide

ALESIS AHP-1 Virtue Digital Piano

Introduction

Box Contents

Virtue Digital Piano
Piano Stand with Music Rest and 3 Pedals
Adjustable Piano Bench
Assembly Parts
Power Adapter
User Guide
Safety & Warranty Manual

Support

For the latest information about this product (system requirements, compatibility information, etc.) and product registration, visitalesis.com.
For additional product support, visitalesis.com/support.
Note: Please use a nonabrasive dry cloth when cleaning Virtue.

Setup

Piano Assembly

Follow these instructions to assemble the piano:

Assembly Parts

1. (12) TA4*12 screws

2. (12) M6*50 screws

3. (4) M6*20 screws

4. (8) Hammer nuts

5. (4) Corner brackets

6. (8) M6 screw plastic caps

Note: You will need a Phillips-head (+) screwdriver (not included) of the appropriate size for assembly.

1. Use the 12 TA4*12 screws to attach the 4 corner brackets to the left and right piano corner panels.
   

2. Press the 8 hammer nuts into the corresponding holes on the left and right corner panels and back panel.
   

3. Use the 4 M6*50 screws to connect  the left and right panels to the left and right ground feet.
   

4. Use the 4 M6*50 screws to connect the left and right panels and back panel together; then connect the M6 screw caps.
   

5. Use 4 of the M6*50 screws to connect the left and right panels to the pedal box; then connect the M6 screw caps.
   

6. Use 4 M6*20 screws to connect the piano body to the piano brackets
   

Bench Assembly

Connection Diagram

Items not listed under the Box Contents are sold separately.

Features

Top Panel

1. Master Volume : Adjust this knob to change the master volume level.

2. Tempo: Press these buttons to adjust the tempo up or down for an accompaniment style, song, or metronome. See the section Tempo for more details.

3. Accompaniment Volume : Press these buttons to change the accompaniment volume.

4. Intro/Ending : Press this button to play the intro/ending of the auto accompaniment. When in Song mode, press this button to set the beginning and ending position of a song section loop. See the section Intro/Ending for more details.

5. Sync : When this button is pressed with the Auto Chord or Full Range Chord features enabled, the auto accompaniment style will start immediately once a chord is played.
   When in Song mode, press this button to pause a song. See the section Sync for more details.

6. Fill In 1 : Press this button to trigger a fill when playing along with a style. When in Song mode, press this button to rewind through a song. See the section Fill In 1/Fill In 2 and Accompaniment Pattern Variations for more details.

7. Fill In 2 : Press this button to trigger a fill when playing along with a style. When in Song mode, press this button to fast forward through a song. See the section Fill In 1/Fill In 2 and Accompaniment Pattern Variations for more details.

8. Start/Stop : Press this button to play or stop song playback or accompaniment style playback.

9. Auto Chord : Press this button to start the auto chord accompaniment for the left-hand chord area. See the section Chord Accompaniment Features for more details.

10. Full Range Chord : Press this button to have the whole keyboard use an auto chord accompaniment. See the section Chord Accompaniment Features for more details.

11. Chord Off : Press this button to disable the auto chord or full range chord features.

12. Split: Press this button to turn the split function on/off. The split point for the keyboard can be set in the Function Menu. See the section Split for more details.

13. Touch : Press this button to set the touch sensitivity level. See the section Touch Sensitivity for more details.

14. Record : Press this button to enter Record mode. See the section Song Recording for more details.

15. Track 1 : Press this button to enable recording to track 1.

16. Track 2: Press this button to enable recording to track 2.

17. Track 3: Press this button to enable recording to track 3.
    

18. Metronome: Press this button to turn the metronome on/off. See the section Metronome for more details.

19. Transpose: Press this button to adjust the transpose setting. See the section Transpose for more details.

20. Function Menu: Press this button to enter/exit the Function Menu and adjust parameters. See the section Function Menu for more details.

21. Mixer: Press this button to adjust the mix of the sounds. See the section Mixer for more details.

22. Display: Shows all the parameters and values related to the currently selected operation and mode of the piano.

23. Piano Performance Mode: Press this button to quickly access an acoustic piano sound.

24. Style Mode: Press this button to enter Accompaniment Style mode.

25. Voice Mode: Press this button to enter Voice mode.

26. Song: Press this button to enter Song mode.

27. Lesson: Press this button to enter Lesson mode. See the section Lesson Mode for more details.

28. Octave -: Press this button to decrease the octave setting in Lesson mode.

29. Octave +: Press this button to increase the octave setting in Lesson mode.

30. Numbers / +/- Selectors: Press these buttons to select voices, accompaniment styles, songs, or to adjust menu parameters.

31. Layer: Press this button to turn Layer mode on/off.

32. Reverb: Press this button to turn the reverb effect on/off.

33. Chorus: Press this button to turn the chorus effect on/off.

34. Song /Volume : Press and release this button to switch to the previous MP3 song.
    Press and hold this button to decrease the MP3 playback volume.

35. Song /Volume : Press and release this button to switch to the next MP3 song. Press and hold this button to increase the MP3 playback volume.

36. Store: Hold this button and then press M1 or M2 to store the current user settings into memory. See the section Memory for more details.

37. M1: Press this button to recall the first user settings preset stored in the currently selected memory bank.

38. M2: Press this button to recall the second user settings preset stored in the currently selected memory bank.

39. Bank: Press this button repeatedly to change between the first and second memory banks.

40. Play/Pause: Press this button to play/pause the MP3 song.

41. Power Switch: Press this button to turn the piano’s power on or off.

Rear Panel

1. Power Input : Connect the included power adapter here.

2. USB Device Port : Connect a USB flash drive here to play MP3 songs. Up to a 32 GB USB flash drive can be used.
   Note: Do not disconnect the USB flash drive during MP3 playback. Doing this may cause damage to the USB flash drive or the piano.

3. Aux Output : Use a 1/4″ (6.35 mm) stereo cable to connect external audio equipment such as an amplifier, mixer, or recorder.

4. Sustain Input : Connect the included sustain pedal here.

5. MIDI In : Connect this to the MIDI output of an external MIDI device (MIDI sequencer, keyboard controller, pad controller, etc.) using a standard MIDI cable.

6. MIDI Out : Connect this to the MIDI input of an external MIDI device (MIDI sequencer, drum machine, sound module, etc.) using a standard MIDI cable.

7. USB MIDI Port : Allows for transfer of MIDI data to a computer.
   Note: Do not set the USB driver to be input and output simultaneously when  you are setting the software on the computer. Otherwise, the sound will be overlapped when playing the keys.

8. Phones (Bottom Panel) : Connect stereo headphones with a 1/4″ (6.35 mm) stereo phone plug. The piano’s internal speakers will be muted when headphones are connected.

Sustain Pedal

Virtue’s stand features three pedals that perform 3 different functions:
Soft Pedal : When this leftmost pedal is pressed, the played notes will give a soft note (pianissimo) effect.
Sostenuto Pedal : When this center pedal is pressed, it sustains only those notes that are being held down when the pedal is pressed, allowing future notes played to be unaffected.
Sustain Pedal : When this rightmost pedal is pressed, the played notes will give a sustain effect.

Display

1. Numerical display area
2. Character display area
3. Volume
4. Voice selection
5.  Accompaniment Style selection
6.  Song selection
7. Tempo
8. Reverb
9. Chorus
10. Layer mode
11. Split mode
12. Chord display area
13. Metronome
14. Fill In 1/Fill In 2
15. Record/Play
16. Touch
17. Memory Bank
18. Staff display area

Selecting Voices

Selecting and Playing a Voice

1. Press the Voice button.
2. To select a new voice, press the 0-9, + or – buttons. The name of the newly selected voice will be shown on the display screen after it is selected.
3. Play the keys to hear the new voice.
   Note: If Layer mode or Split mode is on, repeatedly press the Voice button to switch between the first and second voice or between the upper and lower voice.
   Tip: A full list of the 360 built-in voices is available in the Appendix section of this manual.

Layering Voices

Virtue features a Layer mode that enables two sounds to be layered together, creating a more complex and full sound. To layer two voice together:

1. Select the first voice.
2. Press the Layer button to turn Layer mode on.
3. Press the 0-9, + or – button, or a Voice Select button to select the second voice.
4. Play the keys to hear the two different voices layered together.
   To disable Layer mode, press the Layer button again.
   If Layer mode is enabled, you can repeatedly press the Voice button to switch between the first and second voice and select different voices.

Split

Split mode enables you to split the 88 keys into two zones so that you can play two different voices for each of your hands. For example, you may want the Piano voice for your right hand, and the Bass voice for your left-hand. When Split mode is enabled, the left-hand voice is referred to as the Lower voice. To turn the Split mode on or off, press the Split button.
To set the split point:

1. Press the Function Menu button repeatedly to cycle through to the Keyboard Split setting.
2. Press the -/+ buttons or a piano key to set the keyboard split point.
   Tip : Press the -/+ buttons at the same time to reset the split point to the default value, F#3.
   If Split mode is enabled, you can repeatedly press the Voice button to switch between the upper and lower voice and select different voices.
   Note: If you are using the Layer mode and Split mode at the same time, only the upper region will use the Layer Voice function.

Function Menu

1. Press the Function Menu button to enter view parameters.

2. Press the Function Menu button repeatedly to cycle through the parameter options.
   Press +/- to adjust the menu options for the selected option (Tune, Keyboard Split, Beat Type, Metronome Volume, Reverb Depth, Chorus Depth, MIDI Receiving Channel, MIDI Sending Channel).

3. Press the +/- buttons to reset the parameter to its default value.

Functions

Touch Sensitivity

This piano is equipped with touch response to control the level of the voice with your playing strength—just as on an acoustic piano. That means the harder you play the keys, the greater volume comes from the speakers. There are 3 types of touch settings (Off, 1–3). The default setting is 2.
Turning this function off results in a fixed touch response no matter how hard or how soft you play the keys. Press the Touch repeatedly to adjust this setting.

Transpose

The transpose function allows the overall pitch of Virtue to be transposed up or down by a maximum of one octave in semitone increments. Press the Transpose Up/Down to set the transpose value.
Tip : Press the Transpose Up/Down buttons at the same time to reset the transposition back to the default value of 0.

Tune

The overall tuning of Virtue can be shifted up or down by a maximum of 50 cents (50 cents = 1/2 semitone). To adjust the tuning, press the Function Menu button repeatedly until the Tune setting is selected, and then use the +/- buttons to set the tune value.

Metronome

The built-in Metronome function provides a steady beat to aid in practicing at a consistent  tempo
To set the metronome time signature, press the Function Menu button repeatedly until the Beat Type setting is selected, and then use the +/– buttons to set the new time signature.
To set the metronome volume, press the Function Menu button repeatedly until the Metronome Volume setting is selected, and then use the +/– buttons to set the volume.

Tempo

Each style, song, metronome, and duet of the piano has been programmed with a default tempo. However, this can be changed with the Tempo Up/Down buttons, adjustable from 30– 280 BPM.
Tip: Press the Tempo Up/Down buttons at the same time to restore the default optional tempo for the style or song.

Mixer

The volumes for the left-hand voice, right-hand voices, as well as each part of an accompaniment style or built-in song can be adjusted in the Mixer menu.

To adjust these volumes:

1. Press the Mixer button to enter the mixer menu.
2. Press the Mixer button repeatedly to choose the track that you want to adjust.
3. Press the -/+ buttons to adjust parameters.

Lesson Mode

The Lesson mode feature divides the 88 keys into two zones with the same pitch and voice. This enables both the student and teacher to easily watch and/or play together during instruction without having to move away from the piano and take turns or having to reach over each other to play the same pitch.
Note: In Lesson mode, the Layer and Split modes will be automatically disabled.
To enable or disable Lesson mode, press the Lesson button.
To select a voice for both zones in Lesson mode, press one of the Voice buttons.
To change the split point in Lesson mode, press the Function Menu button repeatedly to cycle through to the Keyboard Split setting, and then press the -/+ buttons or a key on the piano. To change the octave of both zones in Lesson mode, use the keys marked Octave + or Octave – to adjust the octave value. Press both buttons at the same time to restore the default octave setting to 0.

Effects

Virtue features adjustable effects that can be turned on and off by pressing the Reverb or Chorus button.
To adjust the Reverb or Chorus Depth, press the Function Menu button repeatedly to cycle through to the Reverb or Chorus Depth setting, and then use the + and – buttons to adjust the effect accordingly.

Accompaniment Styles

Selecting and Playing an Accompaniment Style

Virtue has 160 accompaniment styles that you can use for playing along or composing.
Tip: A complete list of the built-in accompaniment styles is available in the Appendix section of this manual.

To select an accompaniment style, press the Style button, and then use the 0-9, +, or –
buttons to select a song. Once you have selected a style, press the Start/Stop button to begin playback.
To adjust the volume of the accompaniment style, press the Accomp Volume Up/Down buttons.

Chord Accompaniment Features

In addition to the percussion sounds that play for each style, you can also enable chords to
play by using one of two different chord accompaniment features by pressing Auto Chord or
Full Range Chord. To disable the Auto Chord or Full Range Chord feature, press the Chord
Off button.

When the Auto Chord feature is enabled, Virtue will generate the accompaniment chords based on the left-hand area of the keyboard. You can use the abbreviated chord shapes shown below starting on any note to play major, minor, seventh, or minor seventh chords.

When the Full   Range Chord feature is enabled, the Virtue will generate the accompaniment chords based on any chords played across the full keyboard. You can use the abbreviated chord shapes shown below starting on any note to play major, minor, seventh, or minor seventh chords.

Start/Stop Style Playing

1. In Style mode, press the Start/Stop button and the Auto Bass Chord function will turn on. Play chords in the left-hand area, and the style will start playing.
2. Press the Start/Stop button again to stop playing the style and the auto bass chord.

Fill In 1/Fill In 2 and Accompaniment Pattern Variations
When the accompaniment style is playing you can play a fill-in pattern by pressing the Fill In 1 and Fill In 2 buttons.
If you press Fill In 1 , when the fill-in pattern is complete, the accompaniment feature will play the main pattern of the accompaniment style, and you will see NOR lit on the display screen.
If you press Fill In 2 , when the fill-in pattern is complete, the accompaniment feature will play a variation pattern of the accompaniment style, and you will see VAR lit on the display screen.
If you press and hold the Fill In 1 or Fill In 2 buttons, the fill-in pattern will play continuously.

Accompaniment Volume
This function is used to change the volume of all accompaniment tracks to balance the volume  between the accompaniment part and voice
Use the Accomp + or Accomp – key to set the accompaniment volume, adjustable from 0– 127. Press the Accomp + and Accomp – keys to the volume.

Sync

If you are using the Auto Chord feature or the Chord accompaniment feature is turned off, you can have the full accompaniment start when you play any key in the left-hand area of the keyboard. If you are using the Full Range Chord feature, you need to play a chord on any part of the keyboard to start the accompaniment. To enable/disable this feature, press the Sync button.

Intro/Ending
If you would like an introduction for the accompaniment style to play, press the Intro/Ending button with the Sync feature, and either the Auto Chord feature or the Full Range Chord feature enabled.
If you would like an ending for the accompaniment style to play, press the Intro/Ending  button while the style is playing, and the Auto Chord feature or Full Range Chord feature is enabled.

Songs

Song Recording

Virtue is equipped with a useful record feature that enables you to record and listen to your practice or performance sessions, as well as compose your own songs. Virtue has 3 user song slots, enabling you to record and save up to 3 of your own user songs.
Each of the user songs can have up to 3 tracks:

• Track 1 is used for recording an accompaniment track only.
• Track 2 and Track 3 can be used for recording melodies.
  In record mode, you can record only one melody track at a time. You can record the accompaniment track by itself, or at the same time as one of the melody tracks.
  To enter record mode, press the Record button once.
  After you enter the Record mode, you will see 001, 002, or 003 in the top left of the screen.
  This which will let you know which user song slot is currently selected. You can use the + or – buttons to change the user song slot.

Once you have selected a user song slot, press the Record button again to enter the Record Ready page. Once you have entered this page, the Record icon below will appear along with the 3 track icons.

Each track icon can have one of the following record statuses:

• If the track icon is flashing, this means the track is ready to record. If a recording already exists on this track, it will be overwritten.
• If the track icon is on, this means the track will playback while recording, however it will not be recorded to.
• If the track icon is off, this means the track will be muted during recording, and it will not be recorded to.

To select which tracks that you would like to record to, Press the Track 1, Track 2, or Track 3 buttons to change their status accordingly. After you have selected which tracks you would  like to record to, start playing the keyboard, or press the Start/Stop button to begin the recording.
Once you have finished recording, press the Record button to end the recording. The recording will start to play immediately after you have finished recording. To stop the playback, press the Start/Stop button.
If you would like to record to a different track of the song, press the record button twice to reenter the Record Ready page, and select the new track accordingly.

TIP : While you can exit and return to the record mode to change things like your Voice and Style settings, it is helpful to have these set before entering record mode.
TIP : If you plan on using the Auto Chord or Full Range Chord features in record mode, make sure that you enable it after entering record mode.
TIP : If the internal recording memory is full, the recording will stop and store the song. “Rackful” will be shown on the display.

Clearing Tracks and Songs
To clear a track, enter the Record Ready page, and then hold the record button. You will then see a “Delete?” message appear on the screen.

After this has appeared, use the Track 1 – Track 3 buttons to make the track icon appear for the track or tracks that you would like to delete, then press the + button to confirm deletion. Alternatively, press the – button to cancel this function.

To delete the full song, clear all 3 tracks at once using this feature.
To clear all 3 user song slots at once, hold the Record and Song buttons while powering on Virtue.

Song Playback

Playing a Built-In Song
Virtue has 80 built-in songs that you can listen to and play along with.
Tip: A complete list of the built-in songs is available in the appendix section of this manual.
To select a song, press the Song button, and then press the 0-9 , + , or – buttons.
To play the currently selected song, press the Play/Stop button.
To repeat a part of the current song, press the Loop button once to set the start of the loop, and then press the Loop button again to set the end of the loop. Press the Loop button one more time to exit the loop and continue the song.
To pause the current song, press the Pause button. To continue the song, press the Pause button again.
To rewind or fast forward through a song, press the Rewind or Fast Forward buttons respectively.

Playing a User Song:
To play a previously recorded user song, press the Song button, and then use the + and – buttons, or the 0-9 buttons to access the end of the list. You can access user song slot 1 in song slot 81, user song slot 2 in song slot 82, and user song slot 3 in song slot 83.

Deleting a Song

Deleting a Song

1. Hold the Record button for 2 seconds to enter into track delete mode. The display will show “Delete?”.
2. Press Track 1, Track 2, and/or Track 3 to select the track you want to delete.
3. Press the + button to confirm the track deletion or press the – button to cancel the delete operation.
   Alternatively, press and hold the Record and Song buttons while powering on the piano to erase all user recorded songs.

MP3 Player

Virtue features a built-in MP3 player that can play back your MP3 files from a USB Flash Drive connected to its rear panel. The maximum size USB flash drive supported by Virtue is 32GB.
To play or pause an MP3, press the Play/Pause button.
To switch to the previous or next MP3 on the flash drive, press the Song Up/Down buttons.
To adjust the volume of the MP3 player, press and hold the Volume Up/Down buttons.
Note: Do not disconnect the USB flash drive during MP3 playback. Doing this may cause damage to the USB flash drive or the piano.

MIDI
Virtue features traditional 5-pin MIDI IN and OUT ports, as well as a USB-MIDI connection so that
you can use it with educational or recording software on Mac or PC.
To set the MIDI receive and send channels, press the Function Menu button repeatedly until the
MIDI IN or MIDI OUT setting is selected, and then use the +/– buttons to select the MIDI channels.

Memory

The memory feature on Virtue enables you can to quickly store and recall four presets of your favorite settings.
The following parameters are stored in each preset:

• Voice Parameters: main voice, layer voice, split point voice, reverb, chorus, mixer.
• Accompaniment Parameters: style, tempo, auto/full range chord
• Function Parameters: touch
  These four different presets are divided into two banks, B1 and B2.
  To access presets 1 and 2, press the Bank button until B1 is lit on the display screen, and then press the M1 or M2 buttons. To store your current settings to preset 1 or 2, hold the Store button, and then press the M1 or M2 buttons while this bank is selected.
  To access presets 3 and 4, press the Bank button until B2 is lit on the display screen, and then press the M1 or M2 buttons. To store your current settings to preset 3 or 4, hold the Store button, and then press the M1 or M2 buttons while this bank is selected.

Restore Factory Settings

To restore Virtue to its factory default settings and delete all recorded song data, press and hold the + and – buttons together while powering on the piano.

Troubleshooting

Make sure the volume is set to an appropriate level. Check that headphones are not connected to the Phones jack.
Using a mobile phone produces noise in the piano sound.| Using a mobile phone in close proximity to the piano may produce interference. To prevent this, turn off the mobile phone or use it far away from the piano.
The wrong notes sound when the keys are played.| Make sure the Tune setting is set to 0. Press and hold the + and – buttons while powering on Virtue to revert the settings back to factory defaults.
After connecting with the computer, the piano is not recognized.| Make sure the USB cable is connected properly, or try to connect it to a different USB port on your computer.

Make sure the appropriate USB driver is selected for MIDI input. Depending on your computer, it may appear as USB Audio Device, USB Composite Device, etc.)

References

• Alesis
• alesis.com/support
• Manual-Hub.com – Free PDF manuals!

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