Ensoniq ESQ1

It was the synth that I learned synth programming on. Figured out what an LFO did and such. Amazingly easy if you already know subtractive synthesis, and not bad to learn with if you don't.

This is where it shines. Where do you get all these features at that price? 8 note polyphony, 8 part multitimbral, three independant oscillators with tons of waveform choices, three independant LFO's with two modulation sources each, 4 pole filter with Curtis chips, 8 track pattern sequencer... all for about $200? Fantastic value for the money.

I love the sounds. Especially the electronic and industrial sounds that can be built. Now... without an external FX processor, they sound lifeless. A little reverb and you're in heaven. Wonderful strings, deep basses, fantastic weird noises. The square, sine, saw, and noise wavs are great for analog-ish stuff. The others are good for weird noises and textures. And it's so expressive. You can always put the filter cutoff right there on the mod wheel. Something about the response of the board... with a little reverb... it just sings. I had one patch on it that used to make an old girlfriend want to cry. That's expressive :-) 8 for sound, 10 for expressive = 9

I've heard about problems, but I've never had any. Supposedly they crash often, but I think that's mainly with the older OS versions because mine have never missed a note.

It's a 15 year old board. To heck with support. The internet support for it is great. You can download thousands of patches. I even found instructions on replacing the internal memory battery online.

Would I buy another? I am right now. I've been playing synths for about 7 years now and I've had two ESQ-1s. One when I first started with synths that I sold to get more recent gear and learn more. The second I sold because of a lack of studio space. It is a big puppy. Now I'm buying a third because there are things I just can't do on other boards. They're so inexpensive for so much power. One of my all time favorite synths.

First of all, yes I bought this for $5.00 Amercan $'s. It took me a litle bit but I found a manual online and it was a piece of cake after that.

Lots a crap to play with, I am still playing, thats a good thing.

It sounds awesome, well summed up in here already.

Haven't gone that far yet. But this thing looks like it has been through hell and back and besides the battery needing to be replaced, it works great.

Haven't dealt with them but I bought a battery from a place called EPR Electronics and they were cool as sh*t.

This is my first full synth, I also have a little Roland MC-303 but the Ensoniq is the real deal. The battery was low but I sucked it up and payed the $11 for a new one and soldered it in myself, it was very easy. I love this thing. I will leave you with this exerpt from the latest Keyboard Magazine, I think it says it all.

Some of the best products come from intriguing people. One guy who hasn?t received his due is Bob Yannes. Not only was Bob responsible for the Ensoniq Mirage sampler and ESQ-1 synthesizer, but he was also the man behind the Commodore VIC-20 and 64 computers.
We?re gathered today to praise his ESQ-1. This affordable eight-voice polyphonic synthesizer has a cool built-in sequencer that?s intuitive to operate and provides storage for 2,400 notes (10,000 with the memory expander) in 30 sequences, which can be strung together in ten songs of up to 99 sequences each. Sequence memory is battery-backed, too, so everything is ready to go whenever you turn the ESQ-1 on. ?I fought hard for that,? Bob says. ?When we made the SQ-80, which is basically an ESQ-1 with a disk drive, some engineers said, ?Why don?t we just put dynamic RAM in there and the users can store their sequences on disk?? I argued, ?They don?t want to have to remember to save data.? Then they?d say, ?We can prompt them to save their work,? and I?d answer, ?You can?t prompt people that there?s going to be a blackout in five minutes!??

Perhaps the ESQ-1?s biggest claim to fame is its implementation of dynamic voice allocation. In his September ?88 review of the ESQ-1, Jim Aikin reported that you can ?play eight notes on the left side of a split, lift your hands, and immediately play eight notes on the right. We didn?t notice any time lag as the voices were re-programmed to the new tone color ? an impressive achievement.?

?The real distinguishing factor about the ESQ-1 was that it had dynamic voice assignment with polytimbral operation,? Bob admits. ?Nothing else at the time could do that. I had an Oberheim Xpander, and you had to pre-assign its voices. The funny thing was, when we introduced the ESQ-1 at the January ?86 NAMM show, Tom Oberheim and people from other companies came by and asked, ?How do you do that? We?ve tried and all we get are pops, clicks, and noises when the voices are reassigned.? Our response was, ?Well, we?re really clever.? The truth is, although we added interpolation on the envelopes to fill in the spots between notes when the processor couldn?t keep up with the calculations, it just happened to work out that the Curtis chips we picked and the software that drove them didn?t have any problems with pops and clicks.?

Although the Mirage preceded the ESQ-1, Bob had planned to make the synthesizer years earlier when he designed the SID (Sound Interface Device) chip for the Commodore 64. ?Back in the ?70s,? he recalls, ?I was interested in Moogs, and my high school had an ARP 2600 that I used to play with all the time. I was completely enamored with the Oberheim polyphonic synths when they came out in 1974, but I didn?t have $4,000 or $8,000 to spend on something like that. That was the motivation for me to design the SID chip. I wanted to make something that modeled the traditional analog synthesizer on one chip. I had it all in the back of my mind that someday I would build this polyphonic synthesizer with a multitrack sequencer ? which ultimately became the ESQ-1.?

This is a fairly intuitive synth, and the manual is needed very little after looking through it once. The functions are laid out well, and there's not much searching or menu-traversing involved in programming.

I have never played a keyboard with a better weight and feel. It's not annoyingly heavy like piano action, and it's not like a cheap plastic toy. Solid. Smooth. No effects, but a decent sequencer for its age. It has average MIDI capabilities, nothing special. Three oscillators is nice when so many synths have only two, and the filters are great.

This is not a ROMpler - it's a synthesizer, and as such, I won't bother to comment on the "realism" of sounds. It is very expressive, and has a wide range of sounds, with something available for every situation. The programmability is incredibly smooth and easy, and the quality of sounds is superb.

This thing is now 15 years old and works very well. I'm not the original owner. It shows some wear, and has seen heavy use, but it's a tank.

N/A - though the manual is available online.

This is the god of the budget synths. Though it didn't score a 10 in any category, the fact that it was such a great deal gave it bonus points. This is the 'board I recommend most highly to someone interested in learning keys, but not sure whether they'll stick with it. Very usable in many situations, and if you decide you're not a keyboarder, you're not out much cash. If it was stolen, I'd probably buy the Ensoniq SQ-80 if I had the opportunity, but I sure as heck would replace it with the same thing.

Software version 2.1. Bought used in 1987. Easy to use, just plug & play; page-driven menu is logical and easy to follow.

I love the action--it's light, but solid. Sequencer is great, I use it as a quick way to get ideas down. 8 voice polyphony drops voices during more complicated sequences, so for those I use the MIDI.

Percussion sounds are hurting a little, but some others are great. It was the first keyboard with sampled sounds. No effects, but I prefer outboard effects anyway.

This was my main keyboard for ten years--gigs, studio work, teaching...hardly ever a problem! I am on my third sustain pedal, I had to reglue the top panel to attach the circuit boards. Little stuff like that; my only worry is that the labels for the back panel will wear off, and I won't remember where to plug anything in!!

Never dealt with them

Would I buy something else now? Probably, but this keyboard has proven to be worth far more than I paid. By today's standards, it's somewhat primitive, but I got everything out of it I needed. I bought an EMU Proteus-1, and use the two units together.

I thougt this one would be difficult to edit, but it's very logical indeed.The buttons are direct and there are no menu's except for 1 or 2 pages. My software version is OS 3.5 and it was built in late 1987.Don't have a manual but if you're familiar with synths already this isn't a problem.

8 voice poly which is enough for the sound it makes.I only have it for 2 weeks now but i notice that the ESQ1 has a character of its own.
The keyboard is nice and my sequencer is expanded but i only made some simple sequences till now.

Some people say that the waveforms are 12 bit, but i don't know exactly...The filter is what striked me the most,it seems that Ensoniq have used so-called Curtis-chips for the filters and they sound really analogue!(They are analogue you know!)
No FX on this one but it sounds really electronic [with some piano and organ sounds].

Have it just 2 weeks, so can't tell much about it.The battery was low so i called a music store and they would charge me $60 to replace it! So i took it to my dad who replaced the battery in 15 minutes!(You have to be handy with soldering!)

Dunno...

Old but full of character..you can't compare it with any other synth out there.Good for experimenting and electronic sounds.

I bought my ESQ-1 in 1986 after reading about "The poor man's Fairlight" in a magazine. In fact, the first thing I did with it was sequence Jan Hammer's "Miami Vice." (Well, you know, it was the 80s). The ESQ was really the first synth in its price class with a built in sequencer and until last year it was still the heart of my MIDI studio.

I've achieved a wide range of sounds with the ESQ from Oberheimish thick pads to the gritty digital bite of a PPG Wave. In fact, the chameleon like nature of the instrument sold me on it in the store. It sort of bridged the chasm of analog and digital.

The 8 voice multi-timbral polyphony by today's standards is thin and there are no built-in effects, but the on-board sequencer rocks! Simple, elegant, and straight forward.

The original 40 presets were a bit lame, but programming the ESQ is not difficult thanks in part to it's large LED display. If you can get a hold of one of the Eprom 80 sound cartridges, there are some good presets to work from. The velocity sensitivity is workable and there is no pressure sensitivity or aftertouch. Of course, 1986 pre-dates General Midi and patches won't respond to MIDI panning data.

In fifteen years of constant playing, I have not had one problem with the ESQ.

I have no experience with Ensoniq technical support. Again, never had a problem.

The ESQ was my first synth (but not my last), later I added a Mirage, Juno-6, TX-81Z, Bit-01, Proteus/1 and now a host of plug-in synths. Still the ESQ has remained my bread and butter MIDI controller.

Given the ESQ's age, I wondered if I could complete a high profile sound design job using nothing but the ESQ, my Power Mac G3 and some modern recording software.

The job was for a bank that wanted a 2 second musical tag to go with an animation. I work primarily as an animator, but offered to do the sound too since it was so integral to the project (and, well, since I could.) The client wanted something close to the Intel tag that's currently being used. Could the aging ESQ cut-it? You bet.

I created a few bell-ish patches then sequenced the parts using the ESQ sequencer. I then recorded each sound into Pro-Tools and generously applied reverb and eq using a Waves plug-in.

The end result sounds great, the client is happy, and in one day I made 3 times the original purchase price of the ESQ-1. Not too bad for an antique digital synth.

I'm using Cakewalk and Cubase 5.0.
The sound is incredible, Its no problems at all. It's actually more fun an inspiring to work with my music now, than ever...
And its really easy too. Although The manual was quite hard to understand, (I got helped by a friend) After a while Everything was easy..
(Tha manual I've got i hand made py a amature, but he has explained everything so easy for me...)
http://www.geocities.com/synthercisers/esq1.html

keybord is great, lots of woices....
velocity could be better, but that doesn't matter..

It's a great sampler...

erEterh..

just updated to 3.5.Ensoniq build them like a tank.I have a VFX,SQ-80,Mirage and 2 esq-ones.I bought the esq new in 1987.It was ourchased at the same time as my mirage.I used it as a controller keyboard in my setup for about 8 years.I don't even has a case for it yet.The piano sounds are a light thin.I use mirage for piano and electric piano.I use the esq for harmonica,organ,strings,and moog.Mine was smashed 2 yrs ago.A 100 pound speaker fell on it it knocking it off the stand and onto the concrete while playing a show outside.The last 5 keys were broken out of it and the front panel buttons were all knocked inside the case.It continued to play and I finished the show.The repair center epoxy'd the keys back together and I re-fastened the curciut board to the lid...still usung it today, and I play 3 out of every 4 weekends.

Some sounds are a little thin due it it being an 8 bit machine, but the on board sequencer is very easy to use to get your ideas down quickly.

horn sounds are good...strings have a fairly quick response.Thay sound nice when midi'd with a mirage piano. The organs are good but not quite as expessive as the VFX.Vibes and bottle sounds are good.

The most abused keyboard I've ever owned, but has never let me down to despite all the damage to it.I've done shows on large riverboats that use a generator for power.The power would be so unsteady that my other keyboards would refuse to operate and lock up. My esq would flicker its display and never miss a note.

I've heard rumors over the years (since 1985) that ensoniq was very lacking in customer service.I personally have had good response from the dealers,but they have even acknowledged a lack on ensoniq customer service.I guess if you buy one of these used keyboards now customer service doesn't matter because they are old enough that support is limited anyway.

I think ensoniq reliability is excellent.I'm sure that there is someone out there reading this that would disagree but based on my experience::I have owned a mirage and an esq-one since 1987.I later bought a used sq-80 and a VFX.I also use a yamaha tx81z and an alesis hr-16 drum machine.Through playing live on the road in the clubs virtually every weekend,and using the same gear during the week in the recording studio for my own personal pleasure,I rate ensoniq reliability excellent. I was very disappointed to learn that they have just about pulled out of the keyboard business.It's nice to hear a song on the radio that has sounds in it that I know came from ensoniq products.Lonnie Moore..Hit and Run classic rock band. Parkersburg, W.Va LMoore2000@citynet.net Lets talk ensoniq.

Software version 2.0. The presets are scaringly bad! Editing patches
is as easy as pressing a button(and moving a slider...). I dont have
the manual, I wish I did.

( voice polyphony. No effects. Mine has a sequencer memory expansion.
There is also a cartridge slot. You can very easilly build your own
cartridges, youll find the blueprints on the net, very nice! Otherwise
it saves and loads patches very nicely from a computer via sysex.
The keyboard is nice and velocity sensitive.

It actually sounds great! I was surprised, I really dont like ensoniq,
but I got a nice deal.

Well, the power supply rattles from time to time, one of the sides
is a bit loose, but otherwise it works fine. The battery might need
to be replaced, just draw your soldering iron out of the holster!

Never dealt with them.

At the same price, I would by it again! Probably at twice the price
too. Remember that I really dont like ensoniq, so this is really
remarkable! I thought I bought a toy, but got a great synthesizer,
surprice!

Software version: 3.5. The presets on this instrument are terrible, but the folks at Ensoniq were probably trying to make this thing sound like a DX-7 when it came out (1985). This isn't a problem, though, because the editing on this synth is about as easy as editing can get without a knob for each parameter. You only need to press 2 buttons to get to the parameter you wish to edit, and the display is neatly laid out and friendly. Not to mention that the LED screen is easily readable in any lighting condition. The manual is one of the most comprehensive and straight-forward manuals I've ever seen.

The ESQ-1 has 8 voice polyphony, with 3 oscillators assigned to each voice. Each oscillator has 32 waveforms, which are 8-bit, single-cycle, multi-samples of the standard analog waveforms and some real instruments (don't expect great realism out of this synth, though). Each voice also contains 1 VCF, 3 LFOs, 4 Envelope Generators, and 4 DCAs (3 for independent control of each OSC output, and 1 for the final mix/panning). Each page has two modulation options, which can be chosen from several possible sources (LFO 1-3, ENV 1-4, MIDI controllers, etc.). The internal program memory supports 40 programs, and is expandable with a cartridge to 120. The keyboard action is slightly weighted and feels better than most modern keyboards, but is only velocity sensitive (the ESQ-1 will receive both poly and channel aftertouch, but the keyboard doesn't send aftertouch). Its MIDI implementation is quite extensive, considering when it was made, supporting program changes/System Exclusive, and Multitimbral/Poly/Mono modes. The on board sequencer is quite powerful and was one of the first instruments to have a functional sequencer built in. The sequencer memory supports 2,400 notes and is upgradable to 20,000. No built-in effects are included.

The analog waveform samples are excellent, especially in the lower registers. Couple that with a 24dB resonant analog filter (Curtis filter, the same as those used in the Sequential Prophet VS), and you can get very convincing and versatile analog sounds out of this instrument (great basses, leads, pads, effects). It also includes sync and ring-modulation for some extra sound shaping capabilities. The portamento is quite good (both polyphonic and monophonic), but you can definitely tell that the waveforms are sampled if you do big sweeps with it. You can really get weird with the modulation possibilities as well, and come up with some wild effects. The sound in general is a bit grungy, using old sampling technology, which adds a little bit of extra life/uniqueness to this instrument. It's great for just about any kind of electronic music.

Ensoniq synths have not had a great reputation for road worthiness, but I've personally never had my ESQ-1 break down in all my years of using it.

Never had to call.

The versatility and overall sound quality of this synth makes it a winner in my opinion. This instrument was my first synthesizer back in the late 80s, and I just picked one up again last year (I'll never part with it again). I've owned a Korg DW-8000 and Wavestation, Kurzweil K2000 and a Roland Juno 60 (still in the setup), and the ESQ-1 has been the most flexible and programmable synth aside from the Kurzweil. It's been a useful tool in every genre of music I've been playing at gigs over the years (techno, funk, rock).