Ensoniq

ensoniq certainly is to this day the most emblematic audio brand for the "American sound". The company managed to create customer loyalty from many musicians and sound lovers through offering highly musical pieces of hardware for a very democratic price. The EPS 16+ has the look and sound of American synths. Ensoniq’s tour de force was to offer at the time a hardware that could produce a high-quality music project from start to finish for a rather modest price ($3000). Please remember that back then, entering the sampling universe was at least $6000 (akai s 1000), not to even mention e-mu’s $15,000 samplers or those made by Fairlight (at $75,000!). The EPS 16+ is the third sampler in the ensoniq product family (mirage, eps). IMHO, it’s also the best sampler in the whole brand, it has this little something the others don’t. I’d rate them as follows: EPS 16+,EPS,MIRAGE,ASRX,ASR10. So, what does the EPS 16+ have that the others lack? I’d go for its flaws… Yeah, no mistake here, that’s what I meant to say. The EPS offered a rather warm grain (13-bit), with no effects. Getting to 16-bit, ensoniq wanted to convert to the standard of the time, that is linear 16-bit. As a consequence, you get a more accurate and dynamic sound. Compared with its predecessors, its sound has a “fake”, metallic texture. Sound snappy and narrow. The ASR10 has a way wider ans generous sound, but this turns into a cons. The outcoming cound on an ASR10 is less punchy than on an EPS 16+. The EPS 16+’s lethal weapons are its effects, sequencer, dynamics. In the end, you almost have a complete recording studio in a single unit. The sounds are of a rare level detail, effects are highly subtle, not so numerous but very efficient. In the end, you get a rather bluffing sound. Some criticized ensoniq for that pronounced, sometimes effusive sound grain. You either like it – or don’t. For those who love precision mixing, the EPS 16+ was made for you! This is what makes the unit’s strength: its musicality, which owes all to the sound’s surgical accuracy. Listen carefully to hear how detailed the sound is. Beautiful, clean, a lot of contour (while I reproach the ASR10 and TS10 to sound more blurry, less punchy). The EPS 16+ has this little something that makes it so sonically attractive – a device that has plenty of tricks up its sleeves, with its ridiculous 2MB of RAM it’s still able to produce tracks that do work (load while playing, boost). I won’t mention the (rather important) soundbank which covers well-known 80s & 90s sounds. Pros : - very dynamic, punchy sound (10/10 for drums & percs) - high-quality (although not numerous) onboard effects - the sound’s precision and subtlety - ensoniq sequencer - legendary American sounds (synth & spirit) - stereo placement of the instruments - magical musicality Cons (quite subjective) : - snappy, harsh sound (can be harsh to the ear when played at high volume) - limited memory (not a problem with nowadays’ dtd) - sound grain (the ensoniq color may displease some users who prefer a neutral sound) All in all, you end up with the “perfect sampler” to compose and get what any musician is after: inspiration, thanks to highly musical sounds the ensoniq way. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2pVwcEhUu4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3znFKXzZPc&feature=youtu.be

I absolutely adore the sequencer. It the sequencer I use when writting songs. I can work on vs, chorus and bridge parts independantly and chain them together as a song. I love to do this with Chainer(as a sound module. The sampler is a solid deep however the lack of a res filter is a disappointment Price paid $1200 USD UTILIZATION The is a pro level sampler circa 1988. Its is very intuitive and quick to use. You will need to read the manual to get the most out this amazing machine. Its very easy to use however there is alot you can do with it and the sheer power of the synthesis engine is reveal in the manual. I just played with and when I wanted to learn how to program the filters - I would read that part of the manual. I think the Envelope are confusing but I grew up with analog synth with adsr envelopes which I like so I would change that and add a res filter. These are fragile and I have them all repaired. SOUNDS The EPS sample at 12 bits to my ear its warm and dirty.You can get some really crunchy lofi samples with abit of clipping. When you reduce the sample rate noise is introduced but this can be eq out later or use many tools to clean up tracks. Sometime the noise add to the track. I love this sampler's sound. I have a keyboard and soon a rack. OVERALL OPINION I love to program the drum part live using the EPS's sequencer. The quantizing really tightens up the groove. This inspires me to write new songs. I can work so fast with it. Its very easy to get into flow of ideas with it. I'm planning on adding the EMU Emulator X. I have a host of software- awave, translator, seamless looper and chainer with virtual synths and fx. Its so easy to build instruments with eps that can be sent to the Emulator X (which has the envelopes I like). It the hub of the studio. It goes from my brain to the EPS and from there my imagination and all the options listed above. Its a piece that I wish was recreated in software because these are fragile and I don't think will last forever. Originally posted on FutureProducers.com Posted by: bizarreboy ( 2-, 2006)

It has 333 notes for sequencing with keyboard tracking. Has a sequencer expander cartridge gives it like 1000+ something. There is also the o/s which expands it sequencing capabilities. for sampling VCA, VCF, LFO <--peep dis makes rooks cry, and lowpeezie VCF filter., 8 bits, nice o/s's, and the analog filters are sick its other features r subpar. Must load the o/s from the floppy DISK on startup. no sczi. DEFINITELY NOT a workstation. It is made for creating measures or bars, maybe a melody, saving it to disk . Price paid: $200 because of sample set UTILIZATION Hex editing to control this rude boy. Make sure you have the manual available online via google, make sure you have the reference card when sampling !! If you don't this machine will be extremely difficult to learn. SOUNDS The mirage was the first mass produced sampler, and supposedly sold the most according to this source http://jonathan.miller4.users.btopenworld.com/Articlespage/80sGear.pdf . It is 8 bit, but it has analog filters and envelopes. Drums sound nice and 80's very Janet Jackson definitely a 10. I have a lot of phil collin sounds of all types which sound sick. Some sample sets i have sound very analogish. If Only Tonight We Could Sleep < -- that phil collins track the sitar sample is done on the mirage There are also a lot of upgrades for this o/s . There are like 4 - 5 different o/s out. Some expand the sequencing capabilities dramatically, one is just the 3.2 update, one expands the sampling capabilities but totally limits the sequencing abilities, and another o/s totally integrates the ensoniq mirage as vst which allows you through midi to control sampling parameters. OVERALL OPINION I bought it second hand and this sampler was sold to the public in 1985. It is very durable it would be a nice unweighted midi kb with velocity sensitivty. This keyboard is made of metal. All of my keys work, just a little dirty from being in the case w/ the old foam. Replace your old foam its not good for the insides of the machine. For mine one of the sides is taped on. I will get that repaired not sure how much tho , probably to get a side repaird and clean all the contacts like $200 250 This is for los angeles. for drums 10 filters 10 other stuff makes it a 7 Originally posted on FutureProducers.com Posted by: rokuez ( 8-, 2005)

The texture you get from this guy is like if the MPC 3000 and the SP1200 had a baby... A sound that's sorta right in between the two machines that I so dearly love! After sampling, the keys make it super easy to find that sweet spot for where the sample sounds the best... not to mention that you can obviously play any sound melodically if you are a trained keyboardist. The effects are nutty if you can get a hold of those after market distortion discs! The resample feature makes the grittiest sounds ever! I kinda gotta have this in my studio because of it's own sound personality... like how? Oh, ya know, no big deal... it just sounds like the first couple Wu Tang albums ;)

The master arppegiator is awesome. An arppegiator that works as a pattern sequencer on individual 16 channels, the features are easy to reach and. With the beats groove mode, you can create really original track arppegios. The keyboard is pretty good. It's semi-hammerweighted, very expressive, better than the average synth keyboard. Price paid: $350 USD Sounds are good quality, the piano and strings are the best sounds of the Halo. Some wind sounds sound plastic, bassess are good. WIth the Z-plane filters you can create great user sounds. This synth travels at the speed of life. Screen is small but it doesn't need to show too much info, everything is easy to reach with the controllers provided. User friendly. You'll spend some time learning the arppegio features. EMU concepts are very different from the competence. That's why I found some problems when I bought it, but not because is a synth hard to use. Lightweight. A synth with plastic covers. I prefer this because is easier to carry. Harware seems robust, but the ROMs are not in the best place, they are vulnerable on its location. You have to put this synth in an appropiate position, or you can damage the installed ROMs. Buttons are too noisy when you press them, they seems won't last too much. Knobs seems good, they are well ubicated and separated. . For $380?? A revolutionary concept on arppegios and the programming software. I'll spend lots of hours to use it properly. Be sure to have at least one of this EMU series on your hardware gear. Originally posted on FutureProducers.com Posted by: balma ( 1-, 2004)

Features on this machine are good. Sampling is easy, and the sampler engine is wonderful. Resampling is another great feature included on the asr-x, which enables it to sample its own main output. The asr-x comes with 40 effects, all of which sound great. Each pad and track can have a reverb assigned to it, but without the x-8 output expansion, you only get one insert effects for all the pads, and tracks. However, this can be overcome by resampling the pad with after assigning an effect, it just takes some time. When thinking of bad features of the asr-x, the first, and pretty much only feature that comes to mind is the sequencer. It is just hard to work with sometimes, but with the newest os installed, it's not too much of a problem. In the back of the machine, you get a midi in, out, and thru; a footswitch input, and a main in(left and right), main out(left and right), and a headphones out. With the x-8 output expander, you get six more outs, bringing your total to eight. SCSI is not standard, so keep in mind if you are looking for an asr-x, its better to get one with the SCSI because it you buy it separate, it will probably cost you more than the actual asr-x. You will also want the SCSI for the fact that working with floppy disks is not a pleasant task. Price paid: $265 USD UTILIZATION Navigating the asr-x is hard to get used to, because of the screen, which is a two-line display. Once you get used to the organization of it though, you will fly through tasks, or not. Navigating is also hampered because of the encoders. The value and parameter knobs, which are your controls for moving around the asr-x, will make you want to kill yourself! They jump from place to place. I'm sure all asr-x's have this problem. Sampling and resampling is easy with the asr-x. Just setup the time you want to sample for, whether you want mono L or R, or stereo, whether you want to sample the input dry, or with effects, and then trigger the stop and start of the sample. Assigning effects is easy also. Overall, it's pretty easy to use, besides the fact of the encoders...but if you go slow and take your time with them, they will not jump that often. SOUNDS The sound quality of this machine is great in my opinion. Sampled drums hit hard and the 16-bit sampling sort of gives them that grimy feel. The pre-loaded rom sounds are nothing special, but then again this is mainly a sampler right? OVERALL OPINION The asr-x is built like a rock. It's heavy and solid, with a metal outer case. The only thing that I do not like the quality of is the encoders. I love the effects, the sound, and the sampling very much. However, I hate the encoders, and the fact that I do not have the SCSI, and I hate using floppies. The only reason I will be getting rid of it is the lack of SCSI, and upgrading it, to me is just not worth it because of how expensive the SCSI is now. If that were not the case, I would keep this machine forever. Originally posted on FutureProducers.com Posted by: rapmaster_e ( 6-, 2005)

Dear mlipeck, you can read the opinions of the versionclavier here: https://fr.audiofanzine.com/sampleur/ensoniq/asr-10/ and add the poiur SCSI hard drives and CD Rom, Zip, Syquest 45 MB and 105 (tested) more separate outputs (6) which have the same sin that the output mix. That's really all that changes. memory, polyphonic ... kif kif it. diodes of the screen are the point to be monitored, UTILIZATION The general configuration is it simple? Editing sounds and effects is it easy? Pb no particular connected Zip, SCSI hard drive, CD Rom ... Ordi (Falcon Atari and PC hard disk) Classic, nothing very original, we read the doc, we learn, it is used. as the display is not graphic, you must know the patterns and functions and after it is rather simple. There are double clicks and keystrokes! The effects are very good to me, no equivalent of synthesizers that I know, we drew the DP2 and DP4. There are two levels of envelope (low and high or vice versa) and may influence the effect of these envelopes through a gaggle of sources. Can modulate the modulators: LFO, envelopes, Lag ... Full technical manual SOUNDS - The A / D and D / A are transparent? I seem to be less high than medium Yamaha (TX16W) better defined as the EPS, there is no hole in the frequencies, Yet the bass is powerful and enssemble rather "warm". - Effects and filters are effective? filter is good but not resonnant.il a resonant filter on disk in the Waveboy Granulator, vocoder and all three peudo interresting. - The dynamics are respected? ... the dynamics and effects of the atomic bomb next to a lot of synths and samplers, I compared a lot a few years ago ... OVERALL OPINION - How long have you use it? since its release and after an EPS16 + Eps - What is so special that you like most and least? its grain and fish. - Have you tried many other models before buying it? EPS, TX16W Yamaha Roland S330, 760, Akai S1000, S950, - How would you rate the quality / price? given proper sound quality / low extension. - With experience, you do again this choice? ... Uh, 18000Frs at the time. the price of the occasion today: YES

The Ensoniq DP4 is a unique multi-effects processor, capable of processing up to four stereo effects at once. It's got all sorts of different effects in this digital unit. It's got four 1/4" inputs and outputs, as well as a few others for flexibility. It also has MIDI jacks in the back and a 1/4" connection on the front panel as well. It is rackable and will take up two spaces in a traditional type of rack casing. UTILIZATION It isn't difficult to access the basic functions of the Ensoniq DP4, but learning it in depth will definitely take some time. I've really only scratched the surface with the DP4, but have used it enough to get a good idea of what it's capable of doing and not doing. Getting basic sounds is easy, but it takes a bit of use to understand using multiple effects at once to have complete control over the unit. I've never seen a manual for the DP4, so I can't speak about it's make up. SOUND QUALITY The different effects that can be found on the Ensoniq DP4 range from reverbs to delays to modulation effects and beyond. I've mostly used the DP4 for it's reverbs and delays, as it's got the most of these, but all of the effects sound pretty good and are more than useful. It's a digital effects processor, so sometimes the effects can sound a bit 'digital' and stale, but most of the time I'm able to get a pretty warm sound out of this considering that it is digital. The DP4 is a great mixing tool for effects, especially if you want multiple effects at once. OVERALL OPINION Overall, the Ensoniq DP4 is pretty powerful effects processor. While I generally use analog hardware or plug-ins for effects like this, having the DP4 around is great because it borrows from the best of both worlds. There is a newer version of the Ensoniq DP4, known as the DP4+, which I haven't used. While it sounds better than most plug-ins, many of the effects are easily beat with hardware effects. However, if you're looking to get a palette of sounds within a single unit, the DP4 isn't a bad way to go. It isn't as cutting edge as it was when it came out, but the DP4 is still a useful studio effect.

There are a lot of features for the money. It came with 24 bit onboard effects processor, wav;aiff files import, 8outs, and 64mb of memory. This is only a few features that I was pleased with. Some features that need some work are the time stretch (forever and a day to finish), small lcd screen, and the sequencer. Price paid $600 UTILIZATION The ease of use is not hard. I figured out the basics using the "Getting Started" manual, which was simple to understand. The user interface, like I said before, could have been bigger. This would have allowed for less button pushing to scroll through options. I have never used this machine at a live gig. I have read that it is not to dependable live, because of the Os bugs, freezing up, so forth. I have not had a problem with it yet. SOUNDS The sound quality is great. There is a feature that allows to lower the bit of the sound from 16 to 8 bit. I don't know if it is a true bit degradation. I came across an effects called turntable that brings up the bottom end of my base kicks and makes them thump hard. I was very impressed with the effectsboard. Both hip hop and techno can be created from this machine. The onboard sounds are geared more towards electronic music, but it gave me a chance to practice manipulating sounds and so forth without permantly changing the rom sound. OVERALL OPINION It is my first sampler and so therefore I am going to love it. By itself it can be a bit frustrating because of the sh*tty sequencer. However, I use it my Roland XP80 or MPC 60 for sequencing and use the ASR-X Pro for sampling, resampling, flipping, reversing, and tweaking sampled sounds. It does it's job beautifully and I would definitely buy another one if mine were ever stolen or broke. Originally posted on FutureProducers.com Posted by: Unknown (January 2-, 2002)

Sequencing could be a little better. saving beats is a real pain in the butt. love the filters and envelopes. love the keys. the in board effects rule. you can do so much with your sound here. LFO's and everything. Price paid 800.00 UTILIZATION At first it took some time to get used to but as with all equipment it becomes wortth it. Quality was not so great, had to take it in. SOUNDS Great. this is one of my favorite sounding samplers of all time. OVERALL OPINION For me a 10. this is what i learned how to make beats with. Originally posted on FutureProducers.com Posted by: dacrunklobsta ( 7-, 2005)