Ensoniq

The Ensoniq Mirage was one of the pivotal instruments in the transition of digital sampling from high-cost professional systems to equipment accessible to working musicians and smaller studios. The Ensoniq Mirage DSK-8 keyboard combined eight-voice 8-bit sampling, a velocity-sensitive 61-note keyboard, analogue filtering, envelopes, modulation, MIDI, floppy disk storage and an onboard sequencer for an advertised price of $1,695. The 1985 Ensoniq Mirage DMS-8 transferred the same core sampling architecture into a 2U rack-mount format for MIDI-controlled studio use. As Ensoniq’s first commercial musical instrument, the Ensoniq Mirage established the company in the professional electronic instrument market and helped make sampling a practical part of mainstream music production.

The Ensoniq EPS-M is a MIDI system offering 13 built-in sounds, 20-note polyphony, and advanced looping and editing. With up to 16 tracks and MIDI auto-mix, it’s ideal for creating and editing music. It features ten line outputs and supports external storage up to 5 GB, making it a powerful, flexible tool for musicians seeking high-quality sounds and sequencing capabilities.

The Ensoniq VFX combined 21-note polyphony, a 61-note velocity and polyphonic aftertouch keyboard, Dynamic Component Synthesis, 109 basic waves, 17 Transwaves, six-Voice Programs, dual digital filters, extensive modulation and 24-bit onboard effects. The Ensoniq VFX-SD expanded the concept with additional drum waveforms, 24 programmable drum kits, four audio outputs, a 3.5-inch disk drive and a powerful 24-track sequencer. Together, the Ensoniq VFX and VFX-SD established Transwave synthesis as an important part of Ensoniq’s instrument architecture and combined programmable digital synthesis with unusually comprehensive performance and music-production facilities.

The Ensoniq EPS-16+ is a powerful digital sampling workstation featuring 16-bit sampling, 24-bit dynamic effects processing, and a built-in 16-track sequencer. With sampling rates up to 44.6 kHz, 20-voice polyphony, and advanced sound design capabilities, it offers exceptional control for music production and live performances.

The Ensoniq ASR-10R Advanced Sampling Recorder is a groundbreaking digital sampling rack unit that sets a new standard in workstation integration. With its revolutionary 24-bit dynamic effects processing and the ability to monitor, sample, and resample through onboard effects, the ASR-10R transforms sampling into an expressive and musical experience.

Ensoniq were a keyboard manufacturer back in the 1980s, but their legacy seems destined to be their first multi-effect processor, the Ensoniq DP/4. Using their experience from keyboards and samplers, Ensoniq developed their first effects processor in 1992 towards the end of their keyboard era, and to this day, the Ensoniq DP/4 is still being sought after.

Following on from the huge success Ensoniq enjoyed with the DP/4, the Ensoniq DP/4+ took a successful recipe and added subtle updates to the interface. The Ensoniq DP/4+ creates 24-bit digital effects using four independent processors and features four independent inputs and outputs with full internal mixing capabilities.

The Ensoniq DP/2 is equally at home in a professional recording studio, home studio, guitar rig, MIDI setup, or PA system. The Ensoniq DP/2 creates 24-bit digital effects using two independent processors and features two independent inputs and outputs with full internal mixing capabilities and discrete stereo processing.

The Ensoniq DP Pro released in 1997, was the final effects processor to come out of Ensoniq. It came after the success of the DP/4, DP/4+ and DP/2 processors. Unlike the DP/4 & DP/4+, the Ensoniq DP Pro was a stereo effects processor. Sadly, two channels of processing were not all it lost; it also lost the more intuitive interface of the DP/4 series of processors.