My first RU-vid video, straight off my camcorder to see how it worked. There is a LOT of compression and a bunch of distortion, so now I know what kind of video equipment I need to get. Don't forget to activate the closed captions.
Since most of these patches are still available, I've listed the source for some of them here: 0:15 - 0:37 Mad Scientist Series #s 1, 2, & 3 0:38 Disruptor Banks bank 2, #25 0:50 Disruptor Banks bank 2, #28 1:10 Disruptor Banks bank 2, #31 1:29 Disruptor Banks Easter Eggs #004 1:45 Disruptor Banks bank 1, #07 2:17 Disruptor Banks bank 1, #15 2:26 Disruptor Banks bank 1, #02 with added reverb 4:21 Technosis Proselect vol.1B #70 4:44 Disruptor Banks bank 2, #09 5:16 Technosis Masterpatch B #73 5:33 Technosis Masterpatch B #71 5:54 Technosis Proselect vol.1B #65 6:29 Disruptor Banks bank 1, #27
Excellent! Escape From New York! Good work and some great sounds. I love my SQ80, I've wanted one for years and I finally got one for a staggering £100. Bargain of the year!
Now thats how a synthesizer demo should be executed. All the essential features presented and a nicely played tune at the end. Extra plus for making it a John Carpenter piece. I think i'll need to find a SQ80 for myself now, thank you very much. :-)
My keys are also yellow.It was given to me after my friend found it laying on a pile of palm tree cuttings. Technosis, your web site got me psyched to send in some custom patches! I didn't know there was an SQ world. Thee #1 internet experience on my list.
awesome demo of an awesome synth. I swear if I didn't know this synth was produced in 1988 I would have guessed it was used on the original sound track for Escape from New York.
Wow I thought this was going to be an early 80's horror film with that voice over! Seriously good demo of a very underrated synth. I love your take on EFNY. I too am a huge JC fan, especially his soundtracks Thankyou for doing this synth justice.
man... I can wait. the next video must be very good given the amount of time that is being put in to it... no pressure... I'll check back later to see if the video is ready...
Hey Kirk ;-) You really got a sense for beauty. The video is great, the synth perfectly positioned, great colors... Compliments... I got an SQ 80 myself when I was 16 - so 24 years ago. But it's still a fantastic machine. I love playing with it and did loads of compositions... ;-) Steve from Munich
I don't think people realize just how kick-ass of a synth this is/was. This is a pretty good demo that showcases it, though I would have liked to have heard some of it run through a reverb, something like a Lexicon PCM70.
That wouldn't be fair to other synths. As one example, it completely removes any advantage the Yamaha CS-80 had as used in the original Blade Runner soundtrack. Plus, that reverb effect at 2:25 is not even the best that this synth is capable of by itself.
909955847736 true, though maybe I wasn’t very clear. I would have (selfishly) liked to have heard it with reverb. Same with a CS-80, Prophet-5, Synclavier, etc. demo.
As a matter of coincidence, I've been discussing with Mark Wynkoop about how to do a RU-vid video of an SQ-80 doing the Blade Runner (original) opening theme on the SQ-80 through an Ensoniq DP/4 effects processor. It has even better specs than the Lexicon. I really hope someone else does it because I take too long to get around to doing cool things like this.
909955847736 there is a guy on RU-vid named mik300z that has done almost that. Running an ESQ-1 through the Ensoniq reverb while covering some Vangelis tracks with some impressive results.
After Ensoniq's success with the mirage, they came out with the predecessor to this one, the ESQ-1. This synthesizer was made when the industry was changing from analog to digital, it has digital waveforms through an analog filter. It has both digital AND analog amplifiers. It's kind of like a partially digital Memorymoog.
This comes from using SYNC - set OSC2 to SQUARE and as long as it is tuned between 0 and 1 octaves below OSC1's pitch (including modulators) you will get different pulse widths. It can be controlled by ANY of the modulators.
cool, as long as there will be a video at some point; also, there has been serval studies saying that lazy people live longer, so live long and prosper.
I'm just amazed at how well he programmed these sounds. I thought this was a sampler till I just read up on it on wikipedia. No disrespect by the computer voice comment, it's just the first thing that popped in my head when I heard you. LOL
Yes, I used LFO Noise to sound like S&H in this example, and just velocity in the 2nd video. If you modulate an SQ-80 LFO with itself, I think it basically chops off the bottom half and boosts the top half to clipping, it really sounds lopsided. I don't know how to quiet Ensoniq keys myself, but I think there should eventually be a Transoniq Hacker magazine posted at Rainer Buchty's website with an article on that.
Now is the time! Over the last year I picked up three extras cheap from eBay. Right now they are typically around $300.00. I expect that eventually they will be going for premium collector prices.
If you don't have one, get yourself a free owner's manual online. The SQ-80 works just like the older analog synths, but the manual really helps with descriptions of all the newer waveforms and how to use the sequencer.
909955847736 After-all, a wee Kirk, wuz da Irish version of Mother Church, which da Druidz sumhow got from da Greekz Mother Circe. ( Read on her, sumtimez, if u please. wink, wink )
Damn I got this synth from my dad... You gotta tell me how you got those sounds man! The manual is long gone, and so are the discs, did all those sounds come with it?
Nice demo! I would love to see a RU-vid video of something I got to do once, back when the SQ-80 was in production - while trying it out at the music store, I played around with grabbing big two-handed chords and fiddling with the polyphonic aftertouch, controlling the filter, or vibrato ... magical.
This video is REALLY good. Also you are humerous in the way you speak. WOA! Also, you are a GREAT programmer. If not, PLEASE TELL me those are presets.
Hard one. Both are really good. The Ion is going for 2 or 3 hundred more right now. Both have 8 voices with 3 oscillators per voice. I obviously really like the SQ-80's many quirks and secrets. I play bass and keys parts on gigs, sometimes more, so I also like the SQ-80's full sequencer and fifth octave. I think the SQ-80's many extra waveforms are what would finally make my decision. But that's just my point of view.
Big secret: The ESQ and SQ80 are FULLY CAPABLE of producing real PWM! It is an undocumented feature. In fact, you can have a modulatable PWM "oscillator" (i.e. non-fixed wave) and a wavetable OSC on the same patch.
You actually can modulate the pulse width using up to 2 of the assignable modulators. For an explanation how, see the earliest comments here and also my 2nd video. The lowest LFO frequency setting (0) is actually "off", so use the next higher frequency setting (1) like I did for that S&H sound here. And are you using the NOISE waveform? I assigned it twice for a wider effect.
Sounds like the same speed to me (LFO FREQ=01), but you have too much total modulation amount applied to the filter, adjust it until it sounds right. You also may need to adjust the filter cutoff frequency. Here, I used it to modulate the oscillator pitch.
Hi Kirk, ist it possible to share your sounds or even to buy them? Fantastic Demo. I receive this beautiful peace of synth history tomorrow and can't wait to play it...
I compared it to the video again and yes it's at the same speed yours was, so I guess that's as slow as it gets. Was kind of hoping to slow it down some more and getsomething like a randomly sequenced filter, not this wildly fluctuating thing.
One more question: I love your sounds. Is it possible to purchase them? I'd love to have them... Listen, Kirk, how do you get the data from your disks into your windows computer? My disk drive cannot even read the disks, since they're not DOS-formatted. I also use Sibelius and Finale (Score Software) and it would be great if I could find a way of getting the data into the computer. Then I could maybe find a way of converting the files. Maybe you have an answer? Greetings from Munich - Steve
holy moly! how did you get the PWM sound from a "fixed wave" synth? I wanna get one of these, but I can't live without PWM strings, and you seemed to make that happen w/the mod wheel. is it an LFO assign thing?
I'm wit u! I did an EDM version of STARMAN, by John Carpenter, on my Yamaha Motif. Also, did a Jungle tune, on my Ensoniq EPS-16+, uSIN da melody from Close Encounterz, wit an 808 bass kick sample, only. ( Datz fun stuff, man!!! ) Finally, returning 2 da Yamaha Motif, I EDMed da TERMINATOR theme. ( Jungle &/or Trance ) Da only movie theme I ever did on da SQ-80, wuz a song called COMPUTER BLUE, off of da PURPLE RAIN soundtrack. I didn't know about da drum soundz within da SQ-80, so I chained a Roland 626 Drum Machine via MIDI, & tracked da drumz 2 a couple of trackz, Da SQ-80 2 a couple of trackz ( Dis wuz back n 1989 & we had an 8 track reel 2 reel, 4 our use & pleasure. a coupla trackz 4 Left & Right/Stereo. ) My guitar 2 a track. Anutha guitar 2 anutha track, & vocalz 2 a track. ( There wuz a track left over.... HOW WASTEFUL!!!! ) I still have da resultz of all of dat, on cassette, azz well azz da SQ-80 sequence. LOL!!!
This is a great video and these are incredible synths! Did you use noise as the LFO waveform at a low frequency for the sample and hold? Also, I understand that the LFOs can self modulate - sounds interesting! I really like my VFX but when I play it disturbs others because the keys make a lot of noise when they are fully depressed. Do you know any way to reduce the noise of the keys (felt?)? Thanks!
909955847736 Huh. Well, thanks. I guess it must sound different in SQ8L? Oh well, I'm definitely gonna pick up an SQ80 when I have the chance. I just need to find out how much replacement switches for the keys cost.
+Sage Harpuia - It doesn't sound different - you just need the right patch. I made up some patches of ALL the included drum sounds (with variations) so you can have them there at your disposal in all their 8-bit glory. You can find the patch banks on Rekkerd. They sound pretty good. You just need to make up a patch using the Drum waves themselves inside SQ8L or use someone's patches, like mine, that have already done them for you. There is absolutely NO difference at all from the SQ8L and the actual synths themselves. Just a case of learning how to use it.
123ubuntu666 Well, there is a difference, just a minor one. If you go to the comparison mp3s on SQ8L's website, you can see. Also, would you mind linking me to those patches? I would be most grateful.
Great deal! I believe that most of them are going for over twice that price right now. If you don't have an owner's manual, download one for free. And you can still get lots of commercial and free patches online. This particular dinosaur is far from extinct.
tracer690 My keyz r yellow 2 & I bought it 4 about $400 off of E-Bay, around 2005, or 2006. 1 mo thang..... I KNOW HOW 2 USE MINE & DO SO!!! ( rasberry & LOL!!!!! @ u ) SERIOUSLY..... Dig n man! U'll b an xpert, n no time, BUTT if u just let it sit, da keyz will only git mo yellow! Itz really easy 2 use & FUNctional. My buddy owned 1, n 1989. ( It cost him about $3,000, back then! ) Da fact, dat I had a disk of sequencez dat I created, nfluenced me 2... A. Buy da SQ80, off of E-Bay 4 about $400. & B. B4 I bought da SQ80, I bought an Ensoniq EPS-16+, 4 about $3,000, n 1992! I did so, bcause I remembered da fun I had on da SQ80. U can hear songz I did on da EPS-16+, on my RU-vid channel. All BUTT 2, r cover songz #1. LITE OF DAWN & #2. WHERE DO WE GO... FROM HERE? #2, iz ntirely EPS-16+, while #1, iz an old skool EPS! B4 I purchased my Ensoniq Sampler, I went n2 a studio & tracked da song. Da owner used an Ensoniq EPS! I never finished da track, bcause his studio wuz robbed. ( SMH ) Dat xperience, further cemented my dcision 2 buy da Ensoniq EPS-16+, tho! Boy!!! Whut fun I've had wit Ensoniq gear! SINce Ensoniqz gone, I returned 2 my passion 4 Yamaha. My 1st synth, wuz a DX-27. My last hardware keyboard, wuz a Yamaha Motif. Adios.....
In fact this is true pulse width modulation. All of the waveshapes can be modulated using the sync function. More on that in my demo2 on the part about moving waveforms. Also, set these comments to "Newest first", then scroll all the way down to a thread started "8 years ago" by prinznevsky.
I'm not sure I understand the question. But if you are having questions, I strongly recommend signing up with the SQ-80 mailing list. It's actually more informative and helpful than I am: lists.buchty.net/listinfo/sq80
That sync sound, sounds very oberheim esque i guess due to the cem filters very understed synth defo have one over a korg dw anyday. in fact i did have one and stupidly sold it.
That helicopter sound uses "inharmonic loops" including STEAM, BREATH, and VOICE3 which have no direct equivalent in the ESQ-1. It's available on eBay in "The Disruptor Banks" patch set, but only on SQ-80 disk. I like to encourage ESQ-1 users to upgrade. There are mods available to virtually change ESQs into SQ-80s minus the disk drive. But it's way easier and maybe even cheaper to just get an SQ-80 on eBay.
I have an ESQ-1, it's not an SQ-80 but basically use the same engine. I have a few questions about some of your sounds - For the PWM effect how did you manage to modulate the pulse width when it's not really able to do that? Did you use oscillator sync or did you blend different pulse types together to simulate the PWM effect? About the S&H sound - I never get it to sound like this, I just can't get that LFO slow enough - is if a fault in the synth or am I doing something wrong?
With the 8-track MIDI sequencer you can independently control up to 8 different instruments externally, and those would not be limited by the SQ-80's 8-note polyphony. And that includes features such as sending polyphonic after-touch and program changing. So far the only external instrument I've controlled is another SQ-80.
Are you referring to "Escape From New York"? I know that John Carpenter was one of the more famous Ensoniq users, but I don't know what he used in that movie. I know he had used some Moogs and I saw a photo from somewhere around that time with him in front of an Arp Quadra, which was also my gigging instrument back then. Hopefully someone reading these comments will have more info on that movie's soundtrack.
By the way, I never thanked you for guiding me towards finding a free online owner's manual. I never even considered that to be possible. Haven't had much time to mess with it yet, I guess I just need to find the self-discipline.
I know that the vst sq8l upload files sysex tell me if anyone knew if there is the sound, because I found a patch similar to the one in vst parenchyma is "soft pad", but then I can not get to that result.
I would love to know how to reproduce the transient kick with sync ON you are demonstrating at about 1:10 ! Can you please share how you created that specific patch ? I cant seem to reproduce it. I am still relatively a new owner of an SQ80. Thanks for sharing this video !!!
That patch comes from "The SQ80 Disruptor Banks" patch set (bank 2, #31 - "KIK2.SN"). The description in the manual isn't very comprehensive, but you would be able to examine the patch in detail if you got the set on eBay. I could email you a free copy of the manual if you want to write me at kslinkard@q.com
