Alesis MELODY 61 / 61 MK 4 Manual

Introduction

Box Contents

• Melody 61 Portable Keyboard
• Power Adapter
• Music Rest
• Quickstart Guide
• Safety & Warranty Manual

Support

For the latest information about this product (system requirements, compatibility information, etc.) and product registration, visit alesis.com. For additional product support, visit alesis.com/support.

Setup

Music Rest:
Insert the music rest's tabs into the top of Melody 61 until they fit securely, as seen in the images below:

Connection Diagram

Items not listed in Introduction > Box Contents are sold separately.

Features

Top Panel

Rear Panel

16. USB Port
    Use a standard USB cable (not included) to connect this port to a computer to send and receive MIDI data or apply firmware updates.
17. Sustain Pedal Input
    Connect a standard 1/4" (6.35 mm) sustain pedal here (not included).
18. Aux
    Connect an auxiliary device (such as a smartphone or MP3 player) to this 1/8" (3.5 mm) stereo input.
19. Phones
    Connect headphones to this 1/8" stereo output.
    Note: If headphones are plugged into the Phones output, the speakers will be muted.
20. Power
    Use the included power adapter to connect this input to a power outlet.

Bottom Panel

1. Battery Compartment
   Install 6 "AA" batteries (not included) here to power Melody 61 if you are not using the power adapter.

Tip: To help save battery life, use the Eco Mode feature (autopower off) by holding the Function button and pressing the key labeled "Eco". Continue to hold the Function button and press "Eco" to toggle between off ("OFF"), 30 minutes ("030") and 60 minutes ("060").

Basic Operation

Metronome

The metronome feature provides a steady beat to aid in practicing at a consistent tempo.

To use the metronome:

1. Press the Metronome button to turn the metronome on. The time signature (beat) will be shown on the display screen (ex. "be0").
   
2. Turn the Encoder to select the time signature to be played (0, 2-9).
   
3. Press and hold the Metronome button and turn the Encoder to adjust the volume TURN level of the metronome.
   
   Note: The metronome cannot be used during Rhythm, Demo Song, or User Song playback.
4. To turn off the metronome, press the Metronome button again, or press the Start/Stop button.

Split Mode

Split Mode allows you to separate the 61 keys into two zones so that you can have 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 Split voice. The left-hand voice will be heard when playing the lowest 2 octaves of the keyboard.

To split the keyboard into 2 zones:

1. Press the Split button. "l1" will be shown on the screen.
   
2. Turn the Encoder to select the split voice (t00 - 299) to be played.
   
3. Press and hold the Split button and then turn the Encoder to adjust the volume level of the split voice.
   

To enable/disable Split Mode, press the Split button.

Note: Split Mode cannot be enabled at the same time as Layer Mode or Lesson Mode.

Layer Mode

Rhythm Mode

Melody 61 features 300 accompaniment rhythms that you can play along with and create your own songs.

To enable Rhythm Mode and select an accompaniment rhythm (r00-299), press Rhythm and then turn the Encoder. "rhY" will be shown on the screen.

To start or stop an accompaniment rhythm, press the Start/Stop button while in Rhythm Mode.

To have the rhythm play a short fill, press and hold the Function button and then press the key labeled "Fill".

To start the rhythm with an intro or end a currently playing rhythm ending, press and hold the Function button and then press the key labeled "Intro/End".

To start the rhythm with a fade-in or end a currently playing rhythm with a fade-out, press and hold the Function button and then press the key labeled "Fade".

The Rhythm Mode feature also features auto-chord accompaniment that can be triggered by playing keys in the lower range (the second lowest F# key or lower) of the keyboard. There are two different settings for this feature, Single Chord and Fingered Chord.

Single Chord:
When using the Single Chord feature you can use the abbreviated chord shapes shown below starting on any note to play major, minor, seventh, or minor seventh chords.

Fingered Chord:
When using the Fingered Chord feature you can use the full chord shapes shown below starting on any note to play major, minor, seventh, or minor seventh chords.

To add or remove auto-chord accompaniment for the rhythm, press and hold the Function button and then press the keys labeled "Single", "Fingered", or "Off" accordingly.

To configure whether the rhythm's playback should start when a key is played in the chord range, press and hold the Function button and then press the key labeled "Sync".

Demo Song Mode

To play a demo song:

1. Press the Song button. "Son" will be shown on the screen.
   
2. Turn the Encoder to select a demo song for playback (d00-d29).
   
3. Press the Start/Stop button to start the song.
4. Press and hold the Song button and then turn the Encoder to adjust the volume level of the demo song.
   
5. Press the Start/Stop button to again to stop the song.

Advanced Operation

Keybed Functions

You can change more advanced settings by pressing and holding the Function button and then press a key that corresponds to the graphic below to change your desired setting.

Transpose

This function allows the overall pitch of the piano to be transposed up or down by a maximum of six semitones.

To lower/raise the keybed transposition by a semitone (-6 to 0 to +6), press and hold the Function button and then press the key labeled "Transpose +" or "Transpose -" respectively. To reset the transposition to default (0), hold the Function button and then press both "Transpose +" and "Transpose – " buttons at the same time.

Sustain

To enable/disable the Sustain effect, press and hold the Function button and then press the key labeled "Sustain". The display screen will display "ON" or "OFF" accordingly.

Vibrato

To enable/disable the Vibrato effect, press and hold the Function button and then press the key labeled "Vibrato". The display screen will display "ON" or "OFF" accordingly.

MIDI Channel

To change the MIDI channel (1-16) of the keybed for the USB-MIDI output, press and hold the Function button and then press the key labeled "MIDI Channel +" or "MIDI Channel -", repeatedly if needed.

Local MIDI

To turn Local MIDI on/off, press and hold Function, and then press the key labeled "Local MIDI". The display screen will display "ON" or "OFF" accordingly.

When Local MIDI is on (default), sound will be generated and heard through the speaker, and MIDI messages will be sent to the USB-MIDI output when keys are played.

When Local MIDI is off, sound will not be generated, however MIDI messages will still be sent to the USBMIDI output when keys are played.

Click

To enable/disable the click sound that is heard when the Function key settings are changed, press and hold the Function button and then press the key labeled "Click". The display screen will display "ON" or "OFF" accordingly.

Note: The "click" sound will not play when pressing the Rhythm Intro/End or Fade keys, regardless of this setting.

Eco Mode

To adjust the Eco Mode feature (auto-power off), press and hold the Function button and then press the key labeled "Eco Mode" repeatedly to toggle between off ("OFF"), 30 minutes ("030") and 60 minutes ("060").

Factory Reset

To return the keyboard to factory default settings (including the default volume settings), press and hold the Function button and then press the key labeled "Factory Reset". When the keyboard is being reset, the display screen will flash "888" five times to show that the reset has happened.

Troubleshooting

Voices

Rhythms

Technical Specifications

Specifications are subject to change without notice.