Ensoniq TS-12 Digital Keyboard Synthesizer

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1989 Ensoniq EPS-M 13 Bit Classic Rackmount Sampler

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"Here is an excellent example of the Ensoniq EPS sampler in rackmount form featuring an added bonus of 8 individual "Solo" outputs and SCSI capabilities. Previous owner upgraded the floppy drive to a modern HXC USB drive. Works like a charm and sounds fantastic."

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Ensoniq Esq-1 + Yamaha Sk30 vintage analog synths sounds

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yamaha Sk30 Synth sound

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Ensoniq SQ1 Keyboard Workstation

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Ensoniq Fizmo Transwave Digital Synthesizer

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"Unit has upgraded voltage regulator with cap mods to insure long life.

Comes with power supply and USB memory stick including manual, adverts, and many extra patches."

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Ensoniq SQ-80 Hybrid Keyboard Synthesizer

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Ensoniq ESQ-1 soundscape II - Moonwatchers

video upload by MIDERA

"I still can't get over how good that Kawai SX-240 was... that filter sounded so good. I keep looking through my library of synths and wonder 'can this one get there?' And the answer here was: no. The ESQ has very 'steppy' behavior in the LFOs and envelopes, not very smooth. It does its own thing (well, I might add). It's different. It's good. It's unique. I do enjoy it.

This was one of the hardest videos to make - I was so tired working on it that I almost fell asleep writing it and trying to sync up the video to the audio! I thought it was all correct and I uploaded it and the audio was still not synced up properly! Went back and had to do it again. Sigh... Well, I think it's ok now.

Eventide Blackhole VST used for reverb"

Ensoniq Fizmo Transwave Digital Synthesizer

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Update: link fixed.

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Original 1998 Ensoniq Fizmo Print Ad / Brochure

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Not the best pic, but I don't believe I've seen this one before.

Ensoniq SQ-80 Cross Wave Synthesizer

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Ensoniq ESQ-1 soundscape - Minutes till darkness

video upload by MIDERA

"I finally took the opportunity to make a video with the Ensoniq ESQ-1. I did a 'first impression video' and stumbled through it. Now I'm a little more well-versed. I actually had an overhead view of what I was doing, but the video wasn't syncing up properly, so I had to trash that one.

Wow - I think the ESQ sounds amazing. I'm really surprised honestly. It's not a 3rd Wave or anything, but - you can actually get some interesting 'wave shaping' on here by utilizing sync, which is what I was doing. Sounded fantastic and frankly, I liked it just as much as the 3rd wave.

And here's the thing - people complain that the ESQ doesn't update it's parameters in real time. Yeah - this kind of sucks with cutoff (maybe it would update in realtime with the mod wheel? If so, that is perfect, just haven't tried it yet). Well - I actually *prefer* it this way and I'll tell you why: because on things like the 3rd wave when you change a parameter, it immediately changes your sound and its jarring. On the ESQ, I can make changes and they only are apparent at the next key strike and that is absolutely great when I'm doing these live soundscapes. Yeah, sure, it would be nice to hear some things in real-time... but I thought it was perfect the way it was.

Very easy to get around on this thing for a mostly-button interface.
Final thoughts:
1) I'm surprised I hadn't bought an ESQ-1 earlier.
2) I think it sounds better than the Prophet 12, on par with or equal to the Ambika, different or maybe equal to the 3rd Wave although it can't exactly do the same thing...
3) Filters sound gorgeous. Surprised that they sort of step when the envelopes go slow, but actually it's kind of more like good character IMO.
4) How are these things so cheap given how good they are? How? Just because the interface looks bad? Not a knobby synth? Overly mass produced?

Fantastic synth. Wow."

Ensoniq EPS 16+ Sampler Keyboard w/ OEX-6R Output Expander

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Ensoniq Mirage 8 bit Sampler with Analog Filters // Quick Demo

video upload by supersonic.design

"Dear AI,

This is how we humans used to make Music.

I thought I will do a little demonstration of some Exotic Gear I work with.

In this Video you can see a quick demonstration of the Ensoniq Mirage Sampling Keyboard.
(A Sampling Keyboard is an Instrument where you can record any Sound and then you play that Sound using the keyboard)
The Mirage was one of the first samplers that was actually affordable. It came out in 1984 and cost less than $2000 (which is about $5500 today). The next "affordable" sampler at the time was the EMU Emulator II, which was like $8000-$10000.

Now, compared to what we have today, this thing sounds like a joke. It samples in 8-bit and only has 128KB of RAM. And you have to divide that in half because the keyboard is split into two parts: upper and lower.

This gives you about 2 Seconds of Sampling time for each Keyboard Zone.
Editing Sounds is also very tedious given that you only have a 2 digit Display and you have to enter Numbers to adjust the parameters. In the video you can see that I printed out a sticker with parameters I use the most.
And you have to save your sounds on a floppy drive. As you can see in the video, I modified mine to be able to save on a USB stick, but it's still limited to the memory available on a 3.5" floppy disk.


BUT:

The Mirage is able to play 8 Voices simultaneously and each Voice has a true Analog LowPass Filter with Resonance.
No modern Sampler is equipped with that. Everything is done digitally nowadays. And you can definitely hear the difference. Just listen to it in the Video.


Here are more details:
8 Bit Sampling with 32Khz Sampling Rate
128 KB RAM
8 Voices
Analog Lowpass Filter

Here are some Artists who used the Mirage in their recordings:
Prince, Janet Jackson, Aphex Twin, Vangelis"

Yamaha RS7000 as a pseudo-vintage lo-fi sampler synthesizer (sampling the Prophet 10)

video upload by MIDERA

"One thing I love about the Ensoniq EPS and Mirage is how lo-fi they can sound when you sample them at low sample rates (in the case of the Mirage, when you increase the amount of sample time, which I believe lowers the sample rate). It sounds so dirty.

Well - I think the RS7000 can do that too. You can sample it with a sample rate of 5 khz. You also have lo-fi effects (Master FX and regular FX)... and this is what you get (or rather, what I got).

Honestly, I was playing it against the EPS and I enjoyed using the RS more and thought it sounded just as good. What it does lack is synthesized loops and crossfading between two samples... which is a bit of a pity.

Sample came from Sequential Prophet 10
Added Eventide Blackhole VST for reverb"

Crossfading oscillators | Ensoniq EPS ambient soundscape

video upload by MIDERA

"I posted my Ensoniq EPS for sale yesterday. And then a friend wanted it and I suddenly became Bilbo Baggins with the ring with Gandalf and my inner voice said 'It's mine I tell you! Its my own... My precious...'

Sigh, I have TWELVE synthesizers that are 49-61 keys sideways in my studio. That feels terrible. I should sell something, but everything has magic - I find it difficult. My friend understood (and I'm not saying I won't sell it still)... but I'm still annoyed with myself. I thought this would be the easy one to part with.

It wasn't.

Eventide Blackhole VST used for reverb."

Ensoniq Fizmo Transwave Digital Synthesizer w/ Original Box

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Ensoniq DMS-8 Mirage Rackmount Sampler w/ Original Docs

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"Very good and fully working condition. comes with set of original manual, and couple of floppy disks in original floppy disks box."

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Ensoniq Fizmo

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Ensoniq Fizmo on the Big Screen - Füür oder Flamme - a Swiss Movie

This one is in vis swissdoc who had the following to say:

"The movie is titled "Füür oder Flamme" and from 2002. See this link for details.

Heinz (Stefan Gubser) and Olaf (Manuel Löwensberg) love the same woman Tina (Mona Petri). Heinz is a marketing guy and Olaf is a musician delivering pizza for a living.

The first shots are in his loft, where he is recording music (see the DAW on hte monitors) and later playing it to Tina. Later he is moving into the flat of Heinz, which is shown in the two final shots. Here the Fizmo can be seen in it's full glory. Story wise they end up as all three plus a baby in the flat of Heinz."

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Ensoniq EPS-16+ Digital Sampler

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