Ensoniq DP/PRO

Ease of use: Hard to define. The operating system isn't really set up like a lot of other multi effects. It's not immediately intuitive. Once you get your head around the basic ideas though it does get to be second nature. Also, it's a very powerful machine with a huge array of adjustments you can make BEYOND the normal adjustments you will be making to the effects themselves. Hang in there, though because you get great rewards for knowing how to get the most out of this box.

Out frickin StandinG! I had been searching for some good sounding 'verbs outside of the Lexicon, TC & Eventide triumviate. There are alternatives out there if you want your mixes to sound different from everybody else. Quantec, SONY DPS-V77, etc. This is definitely one of the alternatives. I'd say it sounds like a cross between a PCM-91 and a TC M3000 But a bit closer to the Lexicon. For the price you can pick these up for used they are quite the bargin. I'd say the closest competor would be a used Sony V77 but they typically go for a few hundred more and don't sound any better (The Sony sounds great, just not better)

Well, I have had mine over a year now in constant use with no problems. Good thing since Ensoniq is not around any more.

Uh, don't know that there is any support.

Verbs are great, the modulation effects are also top notch. It amazes me you can go out and buy this much power for under $500. I use this in a commercial studio. I have some singers who ask for it specifically now over the Eventide, Lexicon and TC stuff we also have. For me, its just another choice. When the Lexicons are sounding too in your face and the TC is sounding to "not there" this is usually the box I go to.

Takes a bit of time to program. But, each effect has tons of paramters that can be adjusted. There are neat features that cut down on the need to program (the tweak knobs, a choice of 4 or more preset variations for each effect), but this thing is deep and the manual sometimes doesn't describe what every paramter actually does.

If you are familiar with the dp-2 or dp-4, this unit has all different effects designed from the ground up. I use this with an fx send/return on my recording mixer. The Sound !!!! I can't believe the other posts here. This thing cost me about $350 on EBAY. The reverbs are better than the Lexicon MPX-1. (none of that metallic quality or swirly reverb tails) Right up there with the TC M2000. The Chorus and Flange effects are rich,rich, rich. And the dynamic effects like multi band comp are some of the best I've ever heard in a digital box. Set your levels correctly, kiddies, this thing is whisper quiet.

Well, Ensoniq has a well deserved bad reputation for poor quality control. I've had mine about 2 years. It froze up on me once and I had to reinitialize, loosing all my presets. Other than that, though I've had no problems.

Are you kidding? They marketed this as user expandable with digital i/o, then never released the board.

I play prog pop a la Peter Gabriel. Been recording for about 15 years. Lost or stolen? I'm not going to wait for it to be lost or stolen, I'm going to by me another one as soon as I see one on EBAY. This unit is a sonic masterpiece and the best kept secret in effects. No one is ever going to know you used a $300 EBAY prize (it did retail for around $1400)instead of a Lexicon PCM-90, when they hear your tracks. For $300 you can get a new consumer toy (lexicon mpx-100) or this baby used!

I am using ROM version 1.10 (the last one made, I believe). Overall, the DP-PRO is very difficult to program and time-consuming. The manual is super-thin and superficial... Which makes it difficult if you have a specific question.

I've noticed noise on some of the extreme settings of the "formant" effect. But overall, there are some really neat "lo-fi" sounds to be found here, if you're into that. Distortion, telephone presets, etc. In my opinion, the chorus-based effects seem to have a "dark," slightly muddy quality to them. But, overall, it's definitely better than most of the boxes I've heard in the below $1,000 range (except for the Lexicon MPX-1, of course).

I bought the DP/PRO used off eBay, and had to replace the software within a month. But after that, no problems yet (knock on wood.) The buttons on the front panel do not feel that sturdy. But this seems standard for most Ensoniq product.

Ensoniq is responsive. I was able to reach them by phone whenever I needed them.

If you're into "weird," lo-fi sounds, the DP/PRO is a good choice. Just watch your settings, or you could end up introducing unnecessary noise into your mix. I am kind of underwhelmed by the chorus/flange quality however.

You really need to read the manuel to know how to get around it. Manuel is pretty short, which is good, not too intimidating. Otherwise you need to sort of screw around with the parameters yourself. Even after 6 months, editing the patches is a bitch. I mess around with it probably 5 min. a week for the past 6 months. I like the presets and usually use them vs. creating my own. My unit has not been upgraded....as is out of the box. I'd like to explore the left and right processors since they can be used in unison. Meaning delay in left channel and chorus on right channel....your choice.

I'm using this with a Gibson 335 and Charvel Tele with Seymour Duncans....Tele pickup at bridge, Screaming Demons at Neck. Matchless 30 Watt head and Marshall cabinet. I also use a bunch of Boss and various vintage pedals.
It can be noisy. The higher the sample rate...the less noise though. It can be clean also...but not with the pedals I'm using.
Reverbs and Delay can be tinny. At the moment trying to get it to sound natural...but I also try to get super weird sounds at the same time.
As far as favorite artist, I'm really not shooting for that.
I don't use any of the guitar sounds. Chorus and Delay presets, I've been happy with. Pitch shifter...still learning.

Yes. I have no choice but to work without a backup. These things are expensive. I play it 2 times a week and it hasn't let me down in 6 months.

Haven't dealt with them.

I'm trying to put a traditional guitar, bass, drums, vocals band through a concept of making postfuture music. So far I like the price, sound, and possibilities with this unit. I believe the I can do a lot of the Radiohead Ok Computer stuff with this unit....but I'm not shooting for that. It this got stolen, I'd try the Sony. Other than that, this is a unique unit. I love the delays on this. I hate the nonsense it takes to edit this. Sometimes it's too complicated to figure what degree sample rate you want just for a slight change in sound. I don't like the time it takes to switch patches. In a live scenario, it's obvious. I compared it with the T.C. Electronics, Fireworks, Boss Guitar Multieffects, the Roland Multieffects(orange unit) all the lexicon, stuff, and the Sony $400 model. This gets in the way of just improvising. You have to treat this as an instrument in itself. But that's what comes with trying to write music as we do. It's good if you just want a little effects. It does the job superbly. If you're a guitar player, and don't need anything nutty, this sounds great!

Getting a good sound is almost effortless, at least as far as using presets. I think they make a good starting point for creating your own. Editing sounds is not exactly quick and easy, at least in the beginning. This is certainly not the most intuitive and simple to use device I've used, but being the type of person who almost never looks at manuals and figures it all out, it did eventually all start to make sense. It's now second nature.

I use it exclusively patched into my mixer; however, I frequently patch the returns into input channels to add more tonal flexibility; beyond the more obvious benefits, I'll sometimes create very extreme long/infinite feedback sounds with it that I'll gate in accordance with whatever piece of music I'm using it on.
The sounds/fx I look for with this can generally be divided into two, very different categories. One is 'realistic' sounding environments on the order of short ambiences, rooms, early reflections etc. It does not disappoint. The sound is convincingly good and creates exactly the kind of effects I'm looking for. Since the drums I work with are all sampled and heavily chopped, with almost all original reverb/ambience tails removed, I like to be able to add just enough ambience to keep them from sounding too dead, while not smearing them or adding too much distracting background presence. I also rely on these sounds to intensify the attack and perceived size of the drums, and again, the unit performs wonderfully.
The other way I use this (generally), is to create sounds that are exactly the opposite of 'realistic.' I tend to push equipment to extremes, looking for sounds that are different, weird, bizarre, sick, twisted, etc. With the basic presets offered, combined with the depth of parameter editing option, this unit does not disappoint. It is in fact, brilliant. There are so many options and possible variations.
Since this is a recent entry, I'll give the newish Aphex Twin track/video "Windowlicker" as an example. Anything you hear in that track can easily be done on this unit. Beyond that, just about any of the most twisted sounds that can be heard on current, more tech oriented Drum and Bass this box will achieve without difficulty.
MIDI implementation is superb; I don't think there's a single paramter that cannot be controlled. I use this a lot, and would go so far as to say that in a rudimentary fashion, this effects unit can be played almost like an instrument.

So far so good. No problems.

Never contacted them.

In the most general sense, everything I do is pretty 'electronic,' although at the same time, I incorporate a lot of organic, 'real' sounds. I do an enormous amount of sampling, but also rely quite heavily on synths; true analogue, additive, physical modeling; and on HD recording, especially for vocals (snippets or otherwise) and ambiences. Almost nothing I touch doesn't get filtered, twisted, warped, pitch shifted, ring modulated, fedback, modulated (etc, etc...) in some way. If I'd have to say there's one single method above all others that informs my work, it would have to be dub science, and consequently, units like this are essential. It's a tool that fosters creativity if you approach making music in a relatively unorthodox fashion.
If I lost this one, I'd be quite unhappy, as it seems that any comparable unit would be close to double what I paid for it; as much as the FireworX seems to be something that would fill the same need, that type of budget is beyond me.
If you're looking for a standard issue FX unit, this will probably work very nicely, although if you want it to be instantly simple, I'd say proceed with caution. If you're looking for something that lets you do pretty much anything any effects box could ever do, this is it, all that much more so since it wasn't over-priced to begin with, and now, since it will only ever be available as a used item.

The factory presets are usable. There are plenty of editing capabilities. The manuals are easy to understand but the overall operation of the unit is somewhat confusing. Firmware version was 1.10.

I'm using this unit for my home studio. It's not noisy at all. Reverbs are great! Chorus was good. Pitch shifting is weak.

Just got it so I wouldn't know.

I was supremely pissed to find out that the Digital I/O option will not be released as advertised. Ensoniq told me that the model has been discontinued. I'm screwed because I wanted to use this with the computer based digital audio workstation. I used to like this company but not anymore. It's a shame because I like this unit alot.

I play different styles from rock to jazz. I've been playing for 14 years. I have a complete project studio at home and no I would not buy another product from Ensoniq because they can't keep their promises! I compared it with the Lexicon MPX-1 and now know I should have bought that instead simply because it stocks Digital I/O.