Ensoniq Was Ahead of Their Time 

I bought an Ensoniq ESQ1 and Mirage in 1986. I later upgraded to an SQ80 and EPS 16+ around 1993 and gigged with those though-out the 90s. Both have now died sadly and I miss the SQ80 more than any other synth that I've owned. The keyboard with its polyphonic aftertouch and the onboard multichannel sequencer were so ahead of their time. As was the fact that you could hold a sound, change preset and overlay the new preset without the held preset cutting out. You can layer up to 8 different sounds which is great for creating ambient soundscapes live. I still get annoyed when a modern synth can't do this 35 years later. It should be standard. Excellent midi spec too. Good call on this, it's reminded me of how good the Ensoniq creations were.. Never sell them, even if you go through a period of not using them you will go back to them.

I had an SQ-80 back in the 90s that was a joy to play and SO easy to write songs on, especially with the onboard sequencer. Nobody has created a better, intuitive real-time sequencer, even today. Sadly, I sold my SQ-80, many years ago. Now that I'm building a home studio, I just HAVE to get another Ensoniq. I ordered a TS-12 and it will be here, very soon. Can't wait to use that wonderful sequencer again. I'm a guitar player who loves to write on the keyboard. The TS-12 should really be a great tool for composing. Thanks for this post!

I produced for Silent Records in 1995 the ambient techno record "Sacred Dreams" by Alaura mostly on the VFXSD

I was the only musician in Sri Lanka to own an Ensonique ESQ1 since 19887and it went to Turkey, India, Maldives, Italy and Hong Kong with me. It had polyphonic After touch and MIDI multi mode. 😊

I owned an SQ-80, EPS-16+ & later the ASR-10. Wish I still had them. Wrote & sequenced 4 albums entirely in the EPS/ASR sequencers with tons of other gear MIDI'd up. Fun fact, a few of the Ensoniq founders came over from Commodore Computers. If you want to hear great use of the ESQ-1 in Synthpop check out the band Anything Box albums: Peace & Hope.

Great review! I've owned an SD-1 since the early '90s, and you're right: it was way ahead of it's time. Believe it or not I just recently got my first battery alert ever. It's being replaced now ( I just dropped it off) and the service guy is going to put the battery outside the synth.You mention there is way to upgrade the floppy disc transfer. Can you tell me how? I luckily bought boxes and boxes of double-sided double-density floppies before they went extinct, but I have hundreds of sequences and songs as well as a few hundred sounds that I thought would be trapped there on the discs unless I transferred everything by analog and midi one at a time. I'd appreciate your ideas.

I love my VFX SD. I just pulled it out of storage and recorded my original songs (sequences) into Reaper. It still sounds incredible.

It wasn’t until much later that I finally got an Ensoniq; the SQR rack mount 🙀 the colour of it! 🤓 the key version is way easier to program, but still surprising how much programming power is under the hood. 😻 I was fortunate to be a guest of the company years, great bunch of guys, had a real passion for making gear that pros would use. Paris was a huge drain for them but such a cool design. I even still have an Ensoniq MIDI BUG 🐞

I'm hoping Behringer will bless us with some kind of ensoniq clone

I have an ESQ1 and a VFX SD and EPS Classic and they are really nice and sound really good. These three models especially tend to have keyboard calibration issues and can start to malfuntion when using them, that issue can be usually fixed fairly easily, other than that they can do just about any type of sound and have a nice digital moody darkness to the sound I feel. They also look really cool, kinda minimal, love the VFD display. The programming layout is quite well designed considering its all single value editing at a time using the display and one slider. The FX machine is the DP4 there is also a DP2. The cheapest synths to buy for a while have been Ensoniqs and Casios, however the Ensoniqs are going up. The company has a really interesting history.

My first “real” synth was an Ensoniq SQ-80. Fantastic board! Still a centerpiece of my rig. Thanks for doing this video

I have two SD-1/32 keyboards that I used when performing with a 5 man (me and 4 others) vocal group. After a glitch and one song where the "clarinets" came in warbling and out of key (I'm sure I screwed up the pitch-wheel when I saved the sequence) I quickly pulled down the volume control and finished the song on my guitar. The lesson it taught me was that technology is grand ...sometimes approaching magic...but ... if something "burps", the show goes down the tubes. It was at that point that I bought a second sd-1 and always had two set up on every job. As an added bonus I could then hold a set's worth of songs without having to reload sequences. I had to change the battery in one of my units last year, inconvenience aside, no problem. This week, the other one needed a battery, had it changed, NG, still getting the battery voltage low warning. Have to dig deeper. One last item, Ensoniq said the battery's expected lifespan was about 5 years. I bought both these machines in the early '90s .... the batteries have lasted almost 30 years!

I have an MR-61 that I bought used but 2 of the middle keys are higher than the others, so my keyboard looks like it has "buck teeth". Is there an easy way to adjust these back to normal?

I’ve got an ESQ-1 and love it and use it a lot, especially for ambient / space music and synth/retrowave. Such a great synth with a beautiful sound! 😊🎶🎉

I couldn't afford a DX7 or an M1, I managed to scrape up enough to get a ESQ-1. What a terrific Synth. After many years of use I sold it to get a 88 Key Digital Piano. I miss it. I don't understand why Alesis doesn't build a Classic Ensoniq. I'd buy one in a heartbeat. I found a ESQ-1 VST that works with Kontakt Player, it's cheap I'm going to give it a go.

A Behringer version of an Ensoniq TS-10 would be fantastic! If I were Behringer, I'd definitely be working on that. I'd also add the option of making the filter in the new "BS-10" capable of full resonance, to the point of self-oscillation. That was one little detail that bothered some folks about the original TS-10, the lack of a resonant filter. One of the original Ensoniq designers simply didn't like the sound of resonant filters. In my opinion, he was designing synths for OTHER people to use, and many of those other people DID like resonant filters. He could have easily designed the synths with resonant filters, but simply avoided resonant filter sounds in the factory presets. That way, the world could experience his vision of synthesis, while still having the option to pursue other sounds with resonance. It reminds me of how Laurens Hammond (inventor of the Hammond organ) absolutely HATED the sound of Leslie speakers, and forbade his sales reps from playing "his" Hammonds through those "horrible" Leslie cabinets! We all know how THAT turned out. 😉 In the end, the public loved the combination, and the public got what it wanted! 😁 These days, it's nearly impossible to separate the sound of a Hammond B-3 organ from that of the Leslie 122 speaker cabinet. Many folks just assume every Hammond B-3 came from the factory with a matching Leslie speaker, but that was not the case. So Behringer, if you're reading this, please bring back the Ensoniq TS-10, but this time give the filters a full resonance option. Also, make sure you keep the polyphonic aftertouch synth keyboard! That part is crucial.

2:50 is this a preset sound or something you made or altered heavily? Thanks for the video!

Beautiful and informative Just to jump into this conversation I actually own a GEM Equinox, similar to ensoniq, its also a synth from a now defunct company, plus i did find a music store that repairs ensoniqs and gems in my hometown, which is great Also I actually removed my battery from the synth and my equinox is still running as strong as ever But yes, be it ensoniq or gem, at the end of the day, there will always be risks to buying second hand synths Also ensoniq got acquired by e-mu, who then went on to create the proteus which is still to this day one of the top 30 best synths of all time

The SQ-1 was the First workstation I had. It changed everything for me. Later, in the 2000’s I bought an SQ80, the a Mirage Module, and now I have a VFX-SD and an EPS-16+. I love early ensoniqs.

ESQ-1 was the first synth I got back in around 2014, didn't really know what I found at the time. Just did bare research and saw what I want for music is a "synthesizer" and this was the first one a local music shop showed me. It was excellent to use and I loved its sound. It's cart reader has died sadly and I never found out how to fix it, shame since the cart it came with had some nice sounds. Only solution I could think of is to borrow some one elses temporarily. Otherwise this took me down an ensoniq rabbit hole in the following years, now I also have an SD-1 and even the Fizmo.

Had a crashed ESQ-1 for many years. No keyboard so I turned it into a module. Had any problems with the filters yet? If I'm not totally incorrect I think the battery is one of the things that you can easely exchange yourself. But great sounds from that one for sure:) For those of you that wants the great ESQ-1/ESQ-80 sounds there is a free vst floating around the internet(32-bit only I believe) that actually sounds very close to the originals.

What are the repair prices? Can you find parts still? Or are they cloned? Which is fine

Love my Ensoniqs, particularly the ESQ. Has a special place in my heart. Todd: You can get a battery holder for it on eBay that you solder in where the regular battery goes. Holds a 123 size lithium battery. Or, get some thin wire to extend the holder over to the right side of the innards where there’s a “dead” area and mount the holder there with something strong. That’s the easiest spot to quickly switch out the battery after opening the top panel. You won’t have to unscrew the metal plate to get to the where the battery typically is. But if you move your synth around a lot, having it on the right side could easily dislodge the battery from the holder, especially if the synth gets knocked around (gigging). Under the metal plate, it would be held down (carefully trim the length of the holder’s pins little by little so it’ll be just the right height to be held down by the plate. Do that with the battery in the holder and BEFORE soldering anything).

You mention about upgrading from the disk drive on the SD-1 (I have 2 of them) and one thing I've learned after almost 30 years of ownership .... the disks themselves can go bad, and usually without warning .... do you have another video showing how to do that?

You scored big time getting both of those synths for 230-240!

Hey Todd, I've owned a TS12 since the early 90's. They do still have gritty aliasing like the VFX/SD1 and ESQ1. One patch that comes to mind , Fantasia, utilizes aliasing by cranking the pitch way up with an envelope to get it's bell sound.

I own 5 Ensoniq SD-1 32 voice synths. I kept finding them for cheap and so i kept buying them. It is my favorite synth because of the sequencer. It has the best 12 track sequencer ever put into a synth. Its the easiest to use and its tight. The sounds are quite dated but I use this board to compose quickly. The ideas flow fast because of that sequencer. You are right about the esq1 and esqm. The filters are huge and unique. A sleeper classic. I had the ts-10 and ts-12 and didn't like the sounds or sequencer as much as the sd-1. I had an asr-10 also with the same sequencer. It died but thats another classic ensonic sampler i will one day replace.. I did have the dp-4 and miss it. I will get another one again. The Paris recording system was another great product. I bought it when I couldnt afford pro tools or the otari at the time. I know Elton John recorded one of his albums using Paris. Last product I never was the enqoniq fizmo. I remember not being impressed when I heard it but apparently it was one of those under the hood synths where you had to tweak it to make the magic. Fizmos are now going for crazy money now.

Mid to late nineties I owned TS 10 and a ASR 10. One of the things to mention is this hardware was amazing. I mean if you had the gig and carry it around you may not like all this is heavy gear. But these keyboards were heavy and well made. I still remember the nice weight of my TS-10 and I and I felt for the most part it was a good thing at the time. My Roland was light as a feather. The editing screen on the TS10 was nice and large.

I also feel lucky for my Ensoniqs ! I got my SD1//32 for basically CAD125$, and my pristine ESQ-1 with a nice roadcase for CAD400$. The sequencer is also amazingly easy and fun to use.

7:22 Hey dude, you're already there. Floppy disks ARE digital format. Anyway, you got some really impressive sounds out of that ESQ-1, thanks for this video. One great thing about this 36 year old Ensoniq gear is that it's still available for anyone who wants it.

Totally with you on this one. Great company, great synths. I just wish I had more of them.

I replaced the old battery in mine with an AA battery holder with bog standard batteries in it, on long wires far away from the computer board. Works like a charm and I don't have to worry about leakage because the batteries are enclosed in said holders. Downside is that I have to replace the batteries every year or two but that's a small price to pay compared to what you pay for an OEM replacement.

I could care less how advenced technology gets, Even if it wakes up and becomes sentient and starts talking. I will still use things like floppy disks, cassette tapes, VHS tapes and classic synths instead of VSTs. Ensoniq is awesome👌.

Wonderful presentation! I played an Ensoniq SQ-1 at Bradley University and burned it up! Fantastic synths. Want a Fizmo.

Nice to see others who followed a similar path! Ensoniq was the best bang for the buck, and their instruments were so well laid out, it made sound creation and sequencing a breeze. Mirage, ESQ-1, SQ-80, EPS16+, MR76. The first two were stolen. Still have the latter 3. Wish they were still in biz with that same ol' skool mentality!!

I own an ESQ1, an original EPS, and my KS32 which basically is the top of the line SQ series with weighted keys. By far my favorite synth company for the sound but also the nostalgia. I grew up in the 80s and would dream of owning machines like these one day... The end game of the founders was originally to build a computer company but given the game crash of the early 80s no one wanted to invest. They had all come from Commodore and had helped to develop the sound chip found inside the VIC20 computer and later used for the Commodore 64 so they went the direction of synths instead.... And thank God they did!

I still use the SQ80 as my master board / sequencer and have the SD1 32 voice on the other side of the room as an alternate master / sequencer. I have usb floppy emulator drives and custom cartridges for both. The SQ80 cart holds something like 5000 patches and I think the SD1 cart holds 1000. I've tried to find other boards that would work as a master for me and I can't find anything that can do what the Ensoniqs do. I even tried a recent Kronos 2 and I hated it. I don't use and daw or computers in any way and these sequencers make it really easy for me to put together song ideas controlling all the other new and vintage gear in here. Plus they both sound great (as long as you get rid of those terrible stock preset sounds).

I still have my VFX-SD and I love it. The onboard sequencer is still one of the most intuitive and easy to use out there.

ESQ'1 was my first synthesizer! ... back in about 1987 ... Great Synth! ... very fond memories!

I loved ensoniq back in the day… my college had a VFX, I bought a TS-10 later but sold it… ended up buying a well used ASR-10 to make up for it and for the nostalgia recently

Did you use an editor for the MR61? I couldnt find one online

Good stuff bro. I've heard from other people that Ensonsiq was ahead of their time. I played with a couple of awesome keyboard players that really swore by them. I think Kanye uses one even today. At least I've heard that he kinda swears by his too.

I love my ASR-10 and produced more than 100 released tracks on it between 1996-2006

The SQ-80 was my first synth, and I worked with Ensoniq synths exclusively for years... SD-1, TS-12, KT-76 ... The Ensoniqs had a built-in sequencer, one of the first boards with sampled piano sounds, seamless patch switching, polyphonic aftertouch ... amazingly innovative company.

I have a whole bunch of ensoniqs now. I only had the ESQ1 for 35 years. I now have the ESQ1, SQ80, SD1, SQ1plus32, SQRplus32, TS10,TS12, ASR10,2x MR Rack and a ZR76.

Ensoniq was a great innovative company. I personally have an SQ-80, Fizmo, Mirage rack as well as a DP/2. Would love to own an ASR or even EPS rack someday.

8 bit and analog filter.....I like that!!! Had no knowledge of this company for some reason. Thanks for showing us about them Todd.

I bought an EPS in 1986 and an MR-76 in 1997. Wish I still had them. Those and my first synth, a Korg Polysix...

Yuuuup... kind of an Ensoniq fanboy here. Hahaha. I bought an SQ-1 instead of the Korg M1. I'd love to buy an SD-1 but... floppies. I wonder if you could somehow hack a usb drive in. My ASR-10 would take a SCSI hard drive! The TS-10s were weighted! Wanted one so bad! lol Also... that alt/option key on the SD-1 that made each sound different. You could make the sax sound growl etc..

Ah yes… Ensoniq! Love those keys!

My first Ensoniq was the VFX. Had it for years. I have a TS10, ASR10 rack and an ASRXPro w/the Perfect Piano card. The X is problematic, but the effects (DP)alone are worth it.

Completely agree. Ensoniq samplers are still deep, even compared to digital samplers. Really wild right?

Todd I thought you changed the battery? Last year?

I've got a fully working ts12. Saving it untill it's a collector's item. We need a group who's willing to sample every asrv10 sounds and convert it into a popular sample format. Alot of these automatic sample programs don't really capture the depth. We need solutions

I have an MR 61 and still use it everyday along modern softsynths and Korgs.

They have two versions of the effects unit you cited: the DP/2 and DP/4. Both are still outstanding units.

Ensonic was so unique I had a Fizmo transwave for a short while what an amazing synth.

If Ensoniq boards are good for Skinny Puppy, they good enough for me. John Carpenter used them too

Ensoniqs are cool. Timeless sounds.

I have an ESQ1 and an EPS16plus rackmount. They teach me things all the time. :)

John Carpenter's choice!

I have a SD-1, and I love it, will never part with it. I wish I could get some more pre-sets and expander cartridges though. I have a footswitch.

'Sold my SQ80 for £1150 in '89 as it was worth it! 'Still gots and EPS sampler rack with individual outs - mothballed!

They certainly were . Had an ESQ1 and then a SQ80 for years... great synths , lusted after a VFX and a TS10 but never got ahold of either . The ESQ1 is still the most “ industrial music “ looking synthesizer ever ... well next to the Polyvolks .

The SQ-80 and TS10 are still the heart of my system.

I love my Ensoniq MR76! The piano is excellent, the drum samples are amazing- only thing that’s bad is that it weighs about 80lbs! 😂

I agree! I’m going to buy the Zr-76

You are lucky! Nice boards to own!

DP/4 was freaking amazing, even 20 years ago.

Love the shirt!!!! Great vid!!!!

interesting that was!

Wow todd.. that esq-1 blew me away. I want.

I bought a parts SQ-80 to keep my beloved synth running. Money well spent.

That DP4 is used by Plastikman aka Richie Hawtin. Saw it in a documentary

In the USA it shouldn't be too hard to find them. Ensoniq sounds like Skinny Puppy to me 😊

Esq1 is my dream synth. Damn i want it so bad…

Ensoniq/ Emu is one of the greatest companies ever. Asr 10, Sp1200, and all the Romplers they created.. Watch out..!!

I have an esq1

So there’s a Ensoniq TS and Todd Smith has never touched one?? Blasphemy.

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