Ensoniq DP-2

It is fairly easy to use. Manual is readily available online.

The various effects are very good. I love the tempo delay, choruses etc. My only beef is that it tends to be a bit noisy at times and for certain effects.

I was able to buy an ensoniq dp/2 on eBay for about 90 bucks. This is a steal, but the unit came with a dead battery which means that the user cannot store the settings. Of course, the seller did not tell...

The problem with these units is that they were made before flash storage became readily available. To store various settings, the dp/2 and dp/4 have a clock battery soldered onto the main board. This is possibly the worst design decisions in the history of electronics, and changing this battery is no picknic as it requires you to put a soldering iron to the main board.


I was able to do this after a little research online of other peoples account of having done this repair. The way to proceed is as follows:

First, get hold of a new Panasonic 2032 clock battery (which you can get anywhere), as well as a holder for this battery. I got mine from microbattery.com, item # BH-2032-CH224. This one fits perfectly on the board.


Second, remove the casing and pull the main board off of its four plastic holders. This is actually the most difficult part because the board could break if not careful.


Third, use a standard soldering iron to remove the old battery. Just apply the heat to the backside of the board and remove each pin one by one. There is not a lot of nearby connectors, so the chance of ruining the board is fairly small. The battery holder I got fits directly into the board. There should be enough led left in the wholes to insert the new holder. If holes are filled with led, just apply the soldering iron to the legs/ connectors of the holder. Make sure you get the polarity right, insert the battery, and you're done. The advantage now of course is that the next time the battery goes dead, you can just flip it out and put in a new one.

Non existent at this point as far as I know.

I use it in the fx loop of a B-52 AT100 amp. This is an excellent sounding guitar amp (if you replace the pre-amp tubes with some high quality ones). I play hard rock, bluesy stuff.

For the money I paid, the dp/2 is a bargain. These units were top of the line when they came out in 1995. It easily outperforms new fx processors in the cheapo range (three to four hundred bucks).

Easy to use once you read the manual (covers EVERYTHING).

Some of the algorithms have a lot of parameters as stated below but 10 of them are common parameters such as mix, volume and midi/foot switch implementation.

There are 65 algorithms and 2 processors (for 600 presets) that can be ran as separate units or as 1 big processor.

A big plus is that the DP/2 has a knob (in addition to the mix and volume parameter of the patch) to set the output level and 2 knobs to set input levels into each unit. It also features foot-switching jacks if you don?t want to use midi. Only some hot keys could make it better, so a nine.

I use mine as 2 separate units guitar style, so my setup is as follows.
Strat > Fuzz > Dp/2 Unit-A > Hiwatt Custom 50 > PS Systems Power Tool (attenuator with built-in 50 watt power amp) DP/2 Unit-B in the Power Tool effects loop.

The A-Unit is set up as (depending on the patch) An Octivia, Uni-Vibe or van der Pol Filter (think Boss Acoustic Simulator)

The B-Unit is either running a hall reverb or the EXCELLENT Leslie simulator.

All sounds are top-notch, very musical and very useful.

Units I have compared this to are (I have owned) Lexicon Vortex, Boss GT-6 and the Rocktron Replifex, (I have borrowed) Alesis Qudraverb GT and the Boss RV70.

The power supply is funky, only buy good clean units as it will probably be hard to replace, otherwise I say great reliability for a 8 year old unit, except that the battery is soldered to the circuit board, Find someone to install a battery socket for you and you?ll be good for another 8 years.

Can?t comment on support as Ensoniq has passed on. But it's well built and you just need to get the battery socket installed.

Great unit, all the sounds I use are just the Bees Knees. The Octivia is the BEST I?ve heard, the Uni-Vibe nails Trower and the Leslie simulator is only topped by the Hughes & Kettner Rotosphere. And you can pick these up all day long on ebay for $150.00

Here is a website with the manual for download:

synthman.com/emu/

scroll down a little and you'll see ENSONIQ Product manuals, DP-2 is the last one, link works I downloaded it 11-3-03.
Just got this processor today so its to soon to review it but I wanted the manual and thought it might help out a few others out there who get these second hand.

The unit comes with a lot of good presets, which makes it easy and quick to to get good sound out. In mine the battery is out, and I havn't gotten around to getting a new one, so its blank every time I turn it on. But even so, it doesn't take long to get a good set of effects running. Also the routing config is straight up available, since there is a 'config' button, along side the effect 'A' and effect 'B' button, which takes you straight into the config setup. No sneaky menus to delve into. The afore mentioned effect 'A' and 'B' buttons also make it quick and easy to access the parameters of each effect unit. The unit can be operated as a dual effects (two completely independent effects, routable so the stereo out of the two are mixed) or 2 unit effect. I havn't used the 2U part of it much, so I wouldn't know about how easy it is to get along with.

I use mine in a electronica setup, running samplers and synths through an analog mixer, and using the DP/2 as a send/return effect attachment. It has REALLY MARVELOUS sound! It's the best! I love it, very smoothsounding effects, not 'digitally' sounding, like some cheap digital effects. It's probably partly due to the converters, and partly due to the algorithms... Unfortunately the outputs can be a bit noisy, but its not unpleasant, harsh noise. Soft, but sometimes too much of it! It has balanced connections (according to the writting on the back side by the in/out jacks, but I have done some tests to try to reduce the noise, and I couldn't tell much difference between using balanced and unbalanced cables. Maybe the noise is from the D/A conversion, and not common mode...? I regret that it doesn't have digital connections, then I would get new external converters for it...

I never experienced it failing. Only problem is when the internal battery runs out, which makes all your programs disappear. I got mine second hand, and I think the battery had never been changed. It lasted 2 years in my time as its owner. But apart from that, its really stable

I never needed support.

My music is very electronic, but with real world samples also. The DP/2 is great for 'softening up' the sounds, so they don't sound too sterile, sort of like an analog mixer does. The effects sound great, for all purposes, and I use it a lot, even if I have never effects also.

This piece of machine is a nightmare for a beginner. Many of the presets have about 20 different parameters that can be edited. A tough one to grow in, for a beginner. A dream come true if you are seriously aspiring for a in deep grade editing exams. The reference manual is a must have for this machine. This means ofcourse that even the pro would reject this kind of a machine, if you have the money buy a Lexicon instead- like the pro's do. Time is precious,and why wouldent you spend your dosh on something you KNOW can deliever and forget about painful dialing in parameters ?

This unit strenght is its aformentioned complexity. If you are really into it, it can produce like no other effect i ever came in contact with.The dynamics are O.K. 600 presets is a case of ,at least, 2 weeks in intimate contact with new strange ground beyond the ultraworld. The simulations are topnotch! Guitar amps,studio tools,valve simulations - are all great. Its a two engine machine,and the two chained together is serious tripping potentiality anytime.Still, the Lexicon's are better preset machines in the reverbs.

I think I'm at least twice as old as those youngsters that should be playing,dialing,tweaking - with this thing. I'm doing a lot of ambient music with my home grown rig, and i am still changellengd by bad presets and i love to redo a lot....but ... take my word, dont even try without some graphic editor on you computer screen, you dont stand a chance in following the procedures on that tiny,nasty little screen. If you are searching for a machine that does magic with a touch of a preset, look elsehwere. But if you want unsurpassed DIFFERENT ambience AND the time to make it happend this is your candidate. It doesent help you in any way to get on with your musicmaking because the presets are just a slight hint of what youre into, and if you are the least curios, "BAMMO" you could sit for hours and hours.

The DP/2 is easy to get some good sounds from the presets. But if that's all you do, you're missing out on some of the coolest stuff in here. Editing is pretty logical, but the layers are deep and inter-related. The unit features 2 fully independent processors which can be run parallel or in series, or fed BACK into one another. There are a lot of options for how to use this. The manual is good, but could be dumbed-down in spots. It tends toward "technicalese," which is sometimes involved and detailed, but may skips over simple stuff. No upgrades. Mine has the final software revision, but I forget what exactly that is at the moment. Ensoniq folded, so there will be no further revisions anyway. I rate this lower for ease of use, only because it is so complex. The complexities are NOT simple. However, the DP/2 does sound great, and simple uses will yield great sounding results too.

I play professionally, so I have about 10 guitars and 5 amps now- Variations of the Fender/Gibson dynasties mainly. I run my guitars thru a DynaComp, a Jekyll & Hyde, and sometimes a Boss T-Wah and/or Harmonist. I run stereo out of the Harmonist into a Morley stereo volume pedal, into the DP/2 and then a Lexicon MPX-1. I use them for various delays (mostly), and other treats. The rack effects run into 2 lower wattage class-A tube amp combos (think AC-15) I control the rack gizmos with a fairly pedestrian Korg FC-6 MIDI controller. This is my BIG rig. For large venues I use higher wattage amps (think Fender Twin Reverb)

Sonically, the DP/2 kicks ass. The reverbs are good, but don't hold up to say, a Lexicon. Keep in mind this unit is a few years old. But the reverbs are dense and quite usable. The modulation effects are some of the best I've ever heard. The DP/2 has just about EVERY sonic tool you could think up- good amp & speaker sims, tremolo, leslies, filters, tuners, vocoder, dynamics processors, etc, etc, etc. I've used the amp & speaker sims, and fooled other pros. What amp did I use tonight? No amp, it was my DP/2!

The standard digital effects are great, but one particular prize is a built-in guitar tuner patch. I don't have a tuner on my pedalboard anymore. I rate sound quality only an 8, because the reverbs (while quite good) are not as detailed as Lexicon's. The modulation is AT LEAST as good as anything else I've ever heard in a digital rack processor, perhaps better.

Very reliable.
Never needed a backup, or had reason to think I would. However, the power-supply is a HUGE line-lump. It's a drag to have it bumping around in my rack. When the power supply goes bad, what will I replace it with?

Ensoniq's C/S always sucked, even when they WERE in business. Emu has taken them over, and has washed their hands of all things Ensoniq. There is no Ensoniq support for the DP/2.

I play mostly ambient pop & classic-ish rock with jazzy and bluesy overtones. The DP/2 is a great tool for spacing out my sounds. I've been playing since I was a wee lad, for about 20 years now. I also have a DP/4+ which has 2 more processors (but is essentially the same). I won't keep both for long, but would definitely keep ONE DP unit in my posession, and replace it if necessary.

I bought the DP/2 while looking for a DP/4+, to replace my COMPLETELY unreliable Lexicon Vortex. The DP's will do Vortex stuff, but they have to be programmed whereas the Vortex was plug & play. The only wish is that the DP's had a "ping-pong" delay algorithm. I use this a lot. I get around it by setting up 2 separate tempo-delays with different echo-beat values.

"If you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up."

It takes some time getting used to this unit. The use of memory is undoubtedly very efficient, but not very straightforward. Apart from understanding the basics of how things are stored, programming is straightforward and immediate. The manual really tries to get everything across, and is both informative and clear. My unit has software-version 1.00; I know there'es 1.03 software available to eliminate some minor bugs. If you are bothered by a potential bug, check the software-revision list on Ensoniq's homepage (http://www. ensoniq.com/)

i've owned an Alesis Quadraverb GT (which sounds great) and Boss SE-70 (which sounds ok but excells in the number of fx); furthermore, i was very comfortable with the sublime effects on my Korg Wavestation - you know how Korg fills up their equipment with terrific fx, don't you? Well, the DP/2 totally kicks the ass of anything i've heard and then some...
The reverbs are warm, detailed and subtle: glistening, warm and blooming (all are true stereo of course). Just dial up the Hall reverb and give it maximum decay (something like 240 seconds). Enter some careful notes at different volumes and wait for this drone to wrench tears from your eyes =) Check out the non-lineair reverbs for sheer tweaking potential, and feed some 808-snares to the plates. Ah, 1985.
The phaser puts anything you expose to it in orbit; try feeding one of the reverbs into it to create some serious tripping potential =) The flanger will tear your head of; the chorus will turn that meagre strings into the "classic analog strings" you never heard when you still owned analogues.
For the dirt-minded and minimalist techno affectionado, the arsenal of distortion-related stuff is a godsend: fuzzbox, REAL amp simulations, VCF+distortion, tunable speakers sims...you name it, you've got it. The first tests (808 kicks and snares, 909 kicks and open hat) will keep you entranced for hours. Send some analog basses to the classic bass presets and FEEL your $$$. i luv this thing!
Haven't tried the vocoder, but since it takes up two processors simultaneously, i'm not worried. Other exotica like Van Der Pol Filters (exciter), rumble filter (useful to elliminate turntable bass-feedback), and ducking/gate are as yet untried. I'm relishing the though of coming experiments with the EQ-Tremolo-DDL effect, for that classic stutter-effect on strings.
As for noise: there is some in the phasers/flangers, but nothing to worry about if you don't route your Emu E-64 through the optical outputs into your digital mixer feeding to your ADAT. If the last setup is your reality, well, =) The reverbs, delays and even the distortions are completely noiseless.

Just got it. It's build somewhat less sturdy than my Quadraverb GT; i would take it on a, uhm, gig without backup. But anything you drop onto the floor which costs a grand is justified to die on you.

Dunno - just got it.

i would buy it again, although it gulped up too much of my budget. i love its clarity and complexity of sound, i LUV the total independence of the two internal processors which enables me to get that deep dark stereo reverb on the kickdrum and a swirling cloud of harsh stereo delays on snares, simultaneously. i love the total freedom to have a stereo reverb followed by a phaser, a reverb followed by a chorus followed by a reverb, a gate followed by EQ, flanger and DDL etc. Two processors, with one processor even having some multi-fx like distortion-flanger-reverb.
I compared its specs with the Lexicon Reflex (which is said to have the best reverb of the affordable machines but is far less flexible - haven't heard it). I considered the Sony machines, the Roland RSS multifx and the most expensive Zoom's. I choose this first because it became availabe s/h first, and because i had the most complete info and specs on the DP series. I would consider the Lexicon Reflex for reverb and resonant fx, the Sony series for more experimental sounds and the Roland dsp's for the 3D RSS fx. I'm confident that the DP/2 can hold it's ground against any of these, with sheer quality and flexibility.
i wish it had more exotic filters (comb, formant, all-pass, ...) and truly new and experimental things - i'm still waiting for a dsp to have some physical remodelling process to recreate the effect of dirt and scratches on vinyl, for that phat edge =) just dreaming
This is ONE musical piece of gear. Buy it, you will enjoy it.

Normally, I can sit down with an fx processor without the manual, but not this time..I'll need to refer to it for quite awhile (all 300 pages of it). The factory presets though appear to be quite excellent, and there's 600 of them. Haven't had to create any sounds yet or tweak existing ones, contrary to my previous experience with other units..The manuals are very informative however I don't feel they're set up in the most effective order. There's loads of reference info though...This unit features a "compare" function as well as a "cancel/undo" function, which are very useful.

The effects seem excellent..It's nice and quiet as long as the input/ output levels are set correctly..There's all kinds of tweakability for each algorithm/effect..(in fact, many feature up to 30 parameters!) It's very versatile..It has all kinds of delay, reverb, chorus, flanger, etc. algorithms, as well as studio tools, i.e.. compression, de-essing, gates, etc., as well as guitar amp simulators, distortions, etc..I've found excellent clean guitar amp setups so far..haven't worked with the overdrive/ distortions yet..

No idea about reliability..Just got it 2 days ago

No idea about this yet either..Unfortunately, in Vermont we have no Ensoniq authorized service center..Have to go to NY or NH..I bought it from the Music Center of Kenosha, WI and they had the best price and had it to my door in 3 days!

I gave it a 10 rating based on its sound quality and versatility/flexibility. It seems like a great addition to my home studio. I wouldn't necessarily recommend it for a guitar rig, or live PA sitution as it's complicated to tweak, unless obviously this was all done ahead of time. I've used various alesis/yamaha/digitech/art/boss/lexicon(not high end)and this is miles above all, for not all that much more $. I wanted a TC m2000, Eventide, etc but those cost 2-3 times as much..This is a dual processor, that is capable of processing 2 totally different instruments simultaneously, or two separate algorithms simultaneously with excellent sound quality. I bought it based on some internet advise and Ensoniq's advertising campaign, and I'm very pleased.(don't usually buy things without hearing them) Its 600 presets and Very EXTENSIVE tweakibility will keep me busy for quite awhile.

a pain to get around initially, but once you learn the unit it is pretty simple...

this is where the unit shines.. The reverb, flange and delays are great, this is the first rack piece I have used (and that includes just about everything) that really gets a nice fat, warm subtle flange, love it. As for the delays, I needed to use an algorythm, EQ, DDL, LFO, that allowed me to EQ the signal coming into the delays, I wanted to roll off the topend a bit and boost the lowend, there is a Regeneration high frequency damping parameter that attenuates the topend on each successive repeat, but I found it better to use just a bit of that (like 50) and eq the signal on the frontend

hard to say. just got it

I had a bit of a problem understanding the MIDI implentation, there are two independant processors, you can assign each their own MIDI channel (cool, huh?) or if you use like I do, two processors in parallel, you can assign one MIDI channel to the entire unit in "config mode" So... I had to call them up, and the guy was real good, and walked me through it.

I have had a shitload of processors over the last 10-15 years and this is by far the best, I used to have to use two processors and run them in parallel with a line mixer, no more... A great piece... buy it again tomorrow.