Ensoniq ESQ1

It's loaded with one of the last OS versions. The presets aren't so good - they rarely are on any synth in my experience, so I started to reprogram them the moment I got the machine. And so should you - it's a synth!

The ESQ1 is a joy to program, even without its lack of parameter knobs. The basic interface is a model of simplicity and clarity: each parameter module has its own direct-access push button which brings up all parameters for that module on the no-frills but highly readable display, which is surrounded by soft buttons which then select a parameter each.

This means that all parameters are available with two obvious key-presses. Changing a value is done with the single data sliders, and/or the plus/minus buttons.

After changing a parameter value the currently selected patch is copied to the edit buffer, where it will stay until you press write or select and change another patch. You can start editing a patch, then check out other patches while it remains in the edit buffer, only a touch of the compare button away. This is very handy to look for a patch to overwrite your edit with.

The manual is a fun read, effortlessly balancing explanations of substractive synthesis with the specific operation of the machine. It throws in some humour too!

It's eight voice polyphonic, with three digital oscillators per voice. Patches can be split and layered, with the split/layer being saved as part of a patch - a nice touch. Unfortunately, you can't detune the patches in a layer, for some added thickness, but you can just save a detuned version of a sound in another location to get around this. Using up another of the 40 patches just to get a detuned layer is obviously not that great.

Considering it's decidedly eighties, low class appearance, the keyboard is an unexpected beauty. Even though the keys are not weighted as such, there still is a certain weight to them, which suits my playing style perfectly. Live I mostly play fast organ runs, and stabs, and the occasional solo. It just feels right to the touch for anything I play on it, and for keyboard feel I wouldn't trade it for synths costing five times as much.

No built in effects. Get an Ensoniq DP/4 with it and you'll be flying!

Expansion options I know off are extra sequencer memory (which mine has, a total of 10000 notes I believe), and chunky ROM/RAM cartridges with extra patch memory - 40 each I think, but some other source claims 80 each; not sure.

It has full MIDI capabilities, and a full featured 8-track sequencer which can run both the ESQ1 itself and external gear. I haven't used the sequencer yet, but it has a reputation of being one of the best sequencers on any synth.

It reacts well to velocity, with three setting for its velocity response: soft, medium and hard, which is a great help. Unfortunately, there's no aftertouch on the keyboard, even though the ESQ1 responds to it over MIDI.

It can't do 'realistic' instruments, if that means 'acoustic instruments'. It can do surprisingly convincing Hammond tones, especially the more grungy variety - which I love. Basses are good, including electric bass types. It has plenty of variations on the theme of electric piano's, but I haven't managed to coax a really satifying one from it yet - my best EP try has been a fine Clavinet + wah type, mostly courtesy of the sweet filter.

One of the reasons I bought the ESQ1 is to try for electric piano's, and I must admit to being disappointed with them so far. However, I'm adding some effects to it soon (a Boss SE50 until I can afford a n Ensoniq DP/4 later on), and I believe the addition of a little reverb, compression and either tremolo or autopanning will do wonders for the EPs.

Considering the grunchy samples, the ESQ1's ability to sound like a pretty great analog synth is surprising. Especially in the lower two or three octaves, there are absolutely great drones, basses, low pads and generic swept filter analog sounds to be had. Most of its best sounds are courtesy of the analog Curtis filter chips, which are said to be the same as on the highly desirable Sequential Prophet VS, for about one fifth the price!

I'm working on a Minimoog type lead sound, and getting very close to a very satisfying one - the simple but highly effective glide parameter does wonders!

Other sonic highlights are some great, mostly female and ethereal sounding choirs, thick analog synth strings and Yamaha CS80 like sweeps and brassy strings - think Vangelis anno Bladerunner! Some of the darked pads remind me of the Oberheim Matrix-6, which is a great compliment!

I use it in a blues rock band, together with a Hammond clone with H&K Tube Rotosphere and a E-mu Vintage Keys (the old model) for Mellotron choir and flute sounds and some Art of Noise like Fairlight choir when the cheesy bug bites me; the E-mu runs through a Roland RV-100 spring reverb.

The ESQ1 is providing the strings, pads and swept filter sounds, and the Moog type lead sound. If I get the electric piano's right, I'll use it for those; the keyboard is perfect for them.

On first impression, it looks pretty cheap, with small plastic push buttons and a garrish color scheme. However, it's build like a tank, the buttons on mine are working perfectly and I've experienced no problems with it whatsoever. Considering it's already twenty years old, I'm sure I can depend on it.

Gigs with backups are for the rich and famous. Me, I'd just whip out the old Logan String Melody II which is molding away in my band's storage if the ESQ1'd fail. But I'm guessing it won't!

Ensoniq has been gulped up by E-mu, which itself was snatched by Creative Labs. Not planning on contacting them, so no opinion.

I paid 225 euro for mine, which included a sturdy case, a ROM-cartridge, the sequencer expansion and the original manual with some patch sheets! All in all, a fine deal, but they can be had for even less if you're patient, since few people seem to be aware of its great sonic strenghts.

I've been playing for more than twenty years, and have owned quite a lot of synths: Wavestation, K2000, Juno-6, Nord Modular, K5, K5000, SX240, Synthex, D5, Poly-800, Polysix, Matrix-6r, CS5, MS20, and a lot more.

I love the ESQ1 for its playability, ease of programming, the great display and filters, and the grungy, dark quality of its sounds. There's nothing to hate about it; if I could add some things I'd like to have dedicated knobs for some key parameters, and maybe a nice warm sounding chorus.

Of course, I might just get an external controller for it - its first class MIDI implementation shouldn't stand in the way, and add the Ensoniq DP/4.

Specification, sound and prise wise, I considered the Korg DW8000 as an alternative to the ESQ, and I intend to compare them as soon as I can find one of those cheap. Another neglected source of great sounds. I chose the ESQ1 because of the added oscillator power, the display, the keyboard, and the general Ensoniq'ness of it! =)

Software vers. 3.5.

After I got heavily into programming it, I was a bit surprised that the factory patches chose not to demonstrate the Osc sync and AM functions as they work very well for sync-type leads and FM simulations (if you are one of those sad people who thought DX7's sounded cool! :-) ).

Editing is such a snap thanks to the big screen with it's soft buttons for each parameter and the page buttons for each module. With all of that, there is not need for an editor.

Manual is very good and comprehensive - I have seen no other synth manuals that offer real-time listings (in seconds) for envelope release times. Lots of nice piccies for those of us musicians who don't like reading words!

8 voice polyphony I think. I like the keyboard action, it's secure. no built in effects as it was before that era really. (I prefer outboards anyway). Mine also has the sequencer expansion card, not that I use the sequencer much.

MIDI specs are good - interesting that it also provides the old-fashioned tape backup of patches as well as sys ex.

Right, here we go! This is a top class synth considering how much I didn't pay for it. With three Oscillators, you can really go nuts and with the authoritative saw and square waves, it does a more than passable impersonation of the ubiquitous Minimoog. Incidentally, I recently heard somewhere that the sawtooth wave in the ESQ 1 was actually generated analogue NOT digital ? Someone might like to verify that for me. Either way it kicks.

Between the analogue and digital waves, the osc sync and AM functions, and the SUPERB modulation routings available, it is capable of a great deal. Pads for example can move in somevery lush ways and I have sometimes been hard pressed in some of my older recordings to tell whether I was listening to a patch from my Prophet VS or the ESQ.

The ESQ was the natural step up for me from my Roland Alpha Juno 2 which - whilst that board still has a special place in my heart - has now left my band rig since the ESQ1 can do all that and more.

Interestingly, it's not the cleanest sounding synth, it has a slightly dirty edge to it which for some strange reason adds to it's charm. Besides, when it's dressed in a judicious amount of reverb, phasing or chorusing (which one should do with any synth anyway!) you forget about it.

I have had the ESQ for over ten years and it was widely used both in the studio and live until it one day started behaving very badly (around about the time I got married and had kids!! :-) ) and I couldn'y afford to get it fixed. However, I recently came across a most excellent ESQ support site on the net - www.pic101.com/ensoniq - who published a "how to" on replacing the capacitors on the power supply to remedy peculiar behaviour, As my ESQ was exhibiting all the listed symptoms, I set to it myself (the new capacitors came to grand total of $5 Aus!) and it now works a treat. I also realised how much I've missed the dear old thing! I'm now looking forward to taking it back out on the road.

Okay Ensoniq/EMU aren't really all that helpful anymore but there are many faithful owner/disciples on the net. I for one, am truly thankful to www.pic101.com for helping me ressurect mine.

If it were lost, stolen or otherwise, I would be rather upset. I *might* get over it, but for my whole playing life, it was the first synth I had with more than one oscillator and a resonant filter (for those who need that sort of thing!).

I play in a Prog Rock band and have had a varying set up consisting of two "mainstays" (an ASR 10 and the Prophet VS) and one or two extras for other fills, pads, leads, etc. Now that it's working again, I can happily gig with only three 'boards, the ESQ being the third.

At home, it communes with Rolands Juno 6, A-Juno 2, SH-3A and the magnificent VK 8M clonewheel module, Korg Poly 800ii, the VS, an original Rhodes 73 Mk II and an original EMS VCS 3, Alesis HR 16 and D4, Simmons SDS 5, EMU Proteus, and fellow Ensoniqs ASR 10 and SQR+32 (oh yes, and an old EPS which occasionally sees the light of day as a controller). They all get along very well together.

First imagine nice huge and new Behringer MIDI controler with assignable 32 pots. Then imagine complex synth which doesn't really
need such a controller. That's ESQ-1.
Anyway, total controller for ESQ-1 would have 80 or 100 pots or sliders. The actual layout of this synth is better and more convenient
than 100 pots, that's ingeniosity of it. I don't understand why it is not copied an all later synths? For all functions you need to push 2
buttons, but you don't think which two; you know it when you see the synth. Than you move slider. Operation can be done even live
while playing. Pure beauty.
Even though Im totally new to seqencers, I figured everything before I get manual. Manual is kinda fun to read, and it will further surprise
you with unexpected functions. My favorite quote is "...we leave other external MIDI-control banks (some dozens of them) for future
ways of MIDI of controllers...". On a consumer synth made in USA in 1986???!!!! Can you believe...
Manual is harder to navigate than ESQ-1 itself, but there's NO unanswered questions after you read it.

One simple feature - choosing another sound while first one is playing, is precious like gold, mostly because of the fact you see all sounds
to choose from (or - you see banks of 10 by 10 sounds, with their names...). Most modern romplers can hold one sound and than hit another,
but you have to scroll up and down - worthless for live session. And there's very few analogues or analog-digital hybrids which can play
more than one or two timbres at same time.
Although its intelligent voice mapping was unbelievable for 1986 (and still is in fact!), don't expect too much space for polyphonic
sequencer overdubs... BUT - internal polyphony still can be combined with other synths via MIDI. If you're tired of computer screen and
noise, just switch to ensoniq's internal sequencer.
All fine functions for filters and separate envelopes you miss on JX3P or Poly800 (to stay in a similar price range) are here... Not to
mention unparalleled routing and modulating madness!
Stereo panning (default for most preset sounds), which is substitute for real stereo (or chorus-made stereo) is annoying, but can be turned
off.

At first testing I was suspicious about the sound, being low-resolution. Then I listened it over good sound-card, and I was amazed. Even lame factory presets can show sound richness. There's special flavor to sound of ESQ-1... Sometimes it sounds sweet and "sticky". But
again, it is capable of really sick noises, which means it is versatile, exept for real inst. simulations.
For some time I was sorry for it's 3 oscillators not being analogue and clean-sounding. But then I realized couple of things: 1) It would
cost some $1000 more, both new and used. 2) It wouldn't be so flexible and sick-sounding (compare it to SCI Multi-Trak). 3) It would
loose it's character.
Good for leads (because of complex velocity-triggered envelopes and fat 3-osc sound), pads, noises, complex evolving non-patern-repeating sounds. Not so good for drums and stacked unison (monophonic) sounds.

"Built like a tank" applies here. I have two of early models (serial # around 3000 and 6000), both of them in full metal bodies. (In fact,
there was minor changer in front panel colour in metal model, from black to dark gray... Early wheels enclosure was plastic made) It is a
bit heavier than Rolands (junos, etc) due to metal bottom, opposed to roland's wood bottom.

Ensoniq is gone, but some parts and upgrades are still available..

You bet it helps make music with interface and sequencer like this one!
If you're into vintage synths, this is good choice for a workstation, still comparable to modern synths. Yes, it's sound capabilities and
diversity are underrated. Find one for cheap (even in Europe, where they are somewhat rare).
My only regrets are lack of chorus to make sound true-stereo, and lack of separate outs - that would make it just a little more expensive. I
would buy it again if lost - this is my favorite synth (I have juno106, alpha-juno, JX3P, yamaha SK20..). I would buy it again, in fact, I
bought second already!

I am both the first and third owner of my ESQ-1, which tells you that this machine is capable of inspiring unusual devotion. I bought it new in 1988, the final year in which it was produced. It is running OS v. 3.2 and has the expanded sequencer.

The ESQ-1 was one of the first affordable synthesizers to offer digitally sampled waveforms, and the presets tend to highlight this feature. This is unfortunate, because compared to the sample playback synths that came later (and even some contemporaneous ones like the Korg M1), the ESQ-1 offers poor simulations of acoustic instruments. However, its synthetic sounds are superb. Prests such as synthpad, synbaz, mini m and klunks are good examples of what this machine does well, and third party developers have created some truly superb emulations of Moog, Oberheim and Prophet synths. Sounds for the ESQ-1 are still available (either on disc or cartridge), but it's not really necessary to purchase other people's sounds because the ESQ-1 is refreshingly easy to program yourself.

The ease of use extends beyond the sound programming to the sequencer, which is far and away the most intuitive on-board sequencer I have ever encountered. Once you have grasped the key commands, recording eight part arrangements becomes almost second nature. The ESQ-1 also serves as a capable, if somewhat basic, midi controller.

Which brings me to the explanation of why I am both the first and third owner of this machine. In the decade after I acquired the ESQ-1 I gradually added other elements to my system: a Korg M3R, a Korg Wavestation SR, an Alesis QS-R and finally an 88 key controller and a computer running music software. The ESQ-1 seemed to have become redundant, so I sold it to a neighbour whose main interest was in guitars but who also thought he could use a keyboard. More than five years later I found that I missed the analog and other quirky sounds of the ESQ-1. I missed even more its programmability and its extraordinarily intuitive sequencer. After some effort I managed to track down my former neighbour, and I persuaded him to sell it back to me for the same price. It has now been retored to pride of place in my midi set-up. The computer that used to run the music software suffered a fatal crash, and now sits in a box in the basement.

The ESQ-1 is eight voice polyphonic and eight part multi-timbral. It has a very intelligent voice allocation system, which keeps unexpected cut-offs to a minimum. However, it cannot handle overly complicated arrangements. For that you need additional tone modules, or perhaps an ESQ-M. Given that the ESQ-1 does not produce satisfying percussion sounds or acoustic simulations, you will likely want to use in conjunction with other modules in any event.

You will also need an external effects processor. An inexpensive second-hand reverb unit will suffice (I use an Alesis Microverb III).

The keyboard has an excellent action and is touch sensitive. However, it has no aftertouch. Aftertouch is available on the SQ-80, which also offers a disc drive and additional waveforms but is much more difficult to find than the ESQ-1.

Sound and sequencer data may be backed up on cassette, which is not very satisfactory. I understand there is a way to back up data on a computer via midi, but I haven't explored this yet.

Others have written about the ESQ-1's voice architecture, and I will simply express my agreement with those who have praised its ability to generate excellent analog and digital synthetic sounds. It can also make some marvellous sound effects and strange noises. As a traditional synthesizer is has few equals. Do not attempt to use this machine for acoustic simulations!

The sounds can be a bit noisy (or "grungy", as some people describe them), but this can be a welcome contrast to the flawlessly sterile sounds that are found on modern sample playback synths.

My ESQ-1 has functioned flawlessly for more than 15 years with only one battery change. I have the later model with the plastic case. It still feels tremendously solid and well built.

Ensoniq has now been bought by E-MU. I don't think customer support is still available from the manufacturer, but there are good on-line resources and most vintage synth technicians are familiar with the ESQ-1. It's a bit of a classic.

If it were lost or stolen I would definitely replace it, but I would wait until I found one that had been well cared for. I would also make sure it had OS v. 3.0 or higher and the expanded sequencer (or I would add these myself - I think they're still available).

For a subtractive synth with the comlexity that the ESQ-1 has, it's remarkable how easy it is to edit. The screen has a series of soft buttons above and below it. Each soft button activates a parameter depending on what page you're on. You can use the data slider or up and down buttons to adjust the selected parameter. Each page has its own button. If you want to edit Osc 1, you press the Osc 1 button, then you press the soft button for what you want to change, then use the data slider. It's very intuitive. This is probably the easiest setup after one knob per function, like a Juno-106. I haven't used a computer editor, beause the UI is so easy. The manual is pretty good, too. The only problem is the envelopes are multi-stage, rather than conventional ADSR's, so you'll need to get your head around them.

Eight voices, each with three digital oscs (grungy samples) fed through their own VCA's, then to a common VCF (same as on the Prophet VS), and finally through a common VCA. Each voice has 3 LFO's and 4 envelopes. Keytracking, sync, portomento, and amplitude modulation are available. The oscs have standard saw/square/pulse/tri/sine analog style waves, as well as digital waves and <ahem> realistic samples. The VCF sounds classy, but will not self oscillate.

The keyboard action is good. Not as good as a Virus KB or a Supernova, but certainly good enough to act as a controller for other synths. The keyboard has velocity, but no aftertouch. Midi is good enough for my purposes.

It can take a RAM or ROM cartridge. I have an unlabeled ROM cart that came with the ESQ, which is filled with mediocre sounds that I can't overwrite. I haven't tried the sequencer out once.

In my view, this category is the most important. The ESQ-1 sounds good. For the $99 that my wife paid for mine, it's the best synth deal ever. It is in league with much more expensive synthesizers. It is very versatile, since it can sound like a true analog synth or more like a digital/analog hybrid (which it is), or even dupe some rompler sounds (it's piano sound isn't great, but it's passable with a healthy dose of reverb). Sync sounds are strong, and AM sounds are clangorous and weird, just how I like them. It can do great pads, Moogy leads, and bells, and its complexity allows for all manner of weird evolving textures! There is a tradeoff, though. The ESQ doesn't quite have the sheer power of a true analog synth, nor does it have the sheen and realism of a true rompler. That said, it is capable of some powerful and beautiful sounds.

I received it with the battery warning on. I desoldered the old one and solder in a new one without trouble. I programmed for about a month, and then the ESQ-1 crashed. I had to do a soft reset to get it working again. Unfortunately, a soft reset deletes all your saved pathes, so I'm back to the mostly lame presets. However, I think mine had a hard time in shipping (sustained a little damage to it's plastic endbell). Plus, it fell off it's keyboard stand once, breaking a few keys. I suppose that it's good that it works at all.

Ensoniq was bought by E-mu, and E-mu was bought by Creative Labs. The ESQ-1 is an orphan.

This synth is absolutely wonderful for the money. I can't imagine a better bang for the buck synth. It does a little bit of everything, and it sounds damn good doing it. The only issue for me is that it doesn't do much of anything better than the other gear I have. I like my Pulse and Bass Station better for basses and leads, I like my sampler better for realistic sounds, and I like my Virus better for pads (Virus and ESQ are about on par for digital sounds). I'm still trying to find a real niche for the ESQ-1 in my studio. It certainly is deeper than my other synths, so maybe as I become a better programmer, I will make it really soar!

At any rate, I will never sell it. It's worth almost nothing because ESQ-1's are cheap and mine is beaten up. It's worth much more to me than the $50 or so I could get for it. If it were stolen, I wouldn't replace it. It is a good synth, but it hasn't really found place in my heart. That said, if my entire studio were stolen, I would buy this first, because it is so versatile, has a sequencer, and sounds great.

I bought mine used (I'm 2nd owner) in 1989. Mine was built in 1987 and has software ver. 2.3. Editing and creating sounds from scratch are just too easy! You don't even really need the manual (but it helps to read it at least once) to create a sound you like. Great first synth especially to LEARN sythesis on. The sequencer is VERY easy to figure out. You really DON'T need the manual to figure the sequencer out. Navigating around the sound banks, again, too easy. There are 3 sound banks (Cart A & B, and Internal) and each has 4 pages. Each page has 10 sounds. Too easy!

No effects but I like outboards better anyway. Still, you can create a "reverb-type" effect with the envelopes--if you want. Only one set of stereo outputs, no headphone jack, and MIDI IN, OUT, and THRU. The sequencer had a memory expansion card available. Fortunately, the guy who owned it before me put one in and saved me the expense. Display screen is LARGE and easy to see on stage (with bad and distracting lighting). The volume slider (mine anyway) seems to be reasonably sensitive--which I really like because I DO have to vary the volume of the board from song to song sometimes during gigs. 3 oscillators, 4 amplifiers (for the oscillators & filter), a decent filter, 3 LFOs, 4 envelopes--AND a few goodies in the MODE screen. Not to mention the ability to layer sounds, split the keyboard between 2 sounds (you pick the key they split on), OR LAYER AND SPLIT the board! Proabably the coolest, most useful feature (for gigging musicians) is the ability to be playing one sound and to select the Bank and Page (and even the sound itself) of the next sound you need to play in the song and to NOT have the sound change AT ALL until you select the NEW sound AND strike a new key! You can even select the Bank, Page, AND Sound and still be holding down a chord in the "old" sound without there being any change in the Voice at all. As soon as you stike another key, THEN the new voice is heard!! ABSOLUTELY AWESOME FOR GIGGING!! Alot of newer boards won't do that. The KORG X2 that I use won't do that (and it's from the mid-90's!). Since we don't use MIDI or sequences in our band (yet!--we have a live drummer and we haven't tried it yet), some tunes we play would have me sounding pretty sad if I was not able to PREPARE for the next part of the song ahead of time like that. For the price they fetch these days, you won't find a better board!

This is where (I think) the ESQ-1 shines. With 3 oscillators, the boards can make some SUPER PHATTY sounds! If you are into vintage or analog sounds, it's right here! Contrary to the opinion of some, you can make some GREAT organ sounds (including a REALLY GOOD quality Hammond B-3). I don't know about the organ sounds available for sale...but I made one myself that is just great--with Leslie effect on the Mod wheel. This board is very versatile when it comes to sounds. I have a KORG X2 also. Those "newer" boards seem to skimp on the oscillators, etc. and try to make up for it with a ton of on-board effects. I prefer thick, rich sounds on the board with out-board effects (if effects are needed). In my experience, the Horns that I have had or made DO need some reverb to liven them up.

I have played it regularly for 17 years. I have recorded demo tapes/CDs and gigged and have had only minor problems. My sequencer will not play sound anymore (I have not investigated the problem yet to know why). I was having problems with my sound cart at band practice last week but it seems to be fine now (could be dirty connections). Had to replace the internal battery ONCE (4 years ago). The battery lasted 13 years! Soldering the battery in was, again...too easy! I use the board for GIGGING and not really sequencing so much so as far as I'm concerned the reliability is AWESOME!

Not available from the company. Creative Labs offers NO support for the Emu and Ensoniq products. ONLINE help from other users is good.
I have the Musician's Manual AND the Service Manual. If you want a copy of either (or both) email me and I will scan it into a file, Zip it, and email them to you. I am very busy gigging and teaching so allow a few weeks for me to respond to your request.

I have had many offers to buy my ESQ-1 and I just won't sell it. I would try to replace it if it were gone (especially because they're so cheap these days). The MIDI technology it has is out-dated and won't work with General MIDI settings, but otherwise, it's a GREAT board for the money.
If you would like to trade patches (or just get some from me), email me. Also, I have the original Musician's Manual AND the Service Manual for it. If you want copies, I will try to get them to you as my time allows (in Zip files, of course).

Extremely easy to use. Even though the ESQ-1 has only 1 data entry slider, the page-based editing and large VFD make editing a snap. I've owned two ESQ-1s and an ESQ-1m and never had (or needed) a manual.

Excellent keyboard action. One feature that I notice a lot of the other reviewers have missed is the multitimbral mode, where you can control up to 8 different sounds or external instruments. This makes the ESQ-1 a killer master keyboard for the studio. You can have a couple of internal sounds on different MIDI channels and then control your other devices from the ESQ-1. Just hit one of the 8 buttons surrounding the VFD to select the instrument you want to control. So easy...

The ESQ-1 has a strange and wonderful sound. It's apparent that the designers were shooting for some degree of realism with the piano, organ, and brass, but they missed the mark. The good news is that the sounds the thing does make have an unearthly quality that I always found appealing.

The software in my units used to crash occassionally, but they were pawn shop refugees so they probably hadn't been treated very well.

A great synth for beginners. Drop it off the back of a truck or spill a beer in it and it will still work. To hear the ESQ-1 in action, go over to www.x-eleven.org and check out the "audio" section. I used it on almost every single song.

I can't give it the full 10 because, well, i'm a fan of knobs. For a button-and-slider based unit, this keyboard is amazingly easy to use. Skipping through sounds is simple, and creating sounds is very intuitive, like an Alesis keyboard if you're familiar. The screen is very big and is LED so there's no need to fumble during a dark set.

No built in effects, but I run this keyboard through an Alesis Nanoverb for chorus, flange, and delay. The saw waves on this machine sound amazing with delay- THIS IS THE BOARD TO GET FOR NEUWAVE, SYNTHPOP, AND EBM/INDUSTRIAL. Does all the cool detuned saw sounds you expect from dark club music.

The board has MIDI in/out, as well as a sequencer that I don't much mess with. The expansion cards for sounds are easyish to find on eBay for cheap. I have 3 now- each card can hold 64 sounds.

This is a synth. An 80's synth. Don't buy it if you want a stereo grand piano. The ESQ-1 does cool, full synth waves, and with the SWEET velocity keys, you have at your fingertips all those cheesy synth lines from songs like "Jump", "Forever Young", etc. Plug a wah or distortion pedal into it and crank up the modulation wheel and you've got the sounds that anyone from Skinny Puppy and KMFDM to Crystal Method and BT use.

It also, for it's own part, does pretty ok sounds for jazz and fusion. Like most digital synths, it recreates the sound of a Fender Rhodes or an old Wurly pretty well. It has an AWESOME Hammond organ sound, modulation wheel leslie speaker emulation, etc. This really is an all-around board. The strigs are great on it, the horns are cheezy, but that's what 80's synth players want!

Very dependable. It has had a "dead battery" since I bought it and hasn't given me any trouble despite. Built VERY solid, even the later 80's plastic versions are rocks. Looks tough too, unlike the Poly 800's and Kawai K1's of the late 80's.

Never dealt with them.

I bought this board at Music Go Round for a paltry 70.00 US. I would have gladly paid 200 for it, as it gives me all the cool sounds that one would expect from a Nord Lead or MS2000 minus the advanced filtration. The LFO's etc are all analog so you get that cool "vintage yet modern" synth sound heard in any electronic music style. Throw a cheap-o guitar effects pedal on it (like a Zoom 505) and this board REALLY sounds cool, especially with delay or hte combination of distortion and wah. I have created sounds like Crystal Method's "Keep Hope Alive" from this synth, a sound TCM paid 1,000.00 to make on a Nord 2.

I own and have owned an Alesis QS8, a Korg Triton, a Casio CZ1, a DX7, an MS2000, and the Ensoniq ESQ1. I put this board 2nd in terms of all-around badass after the Alesis. It's simple, it won't look ugly if you scratch or dent it, and it sounds great.

On version 2.3. Haven't done much editing yet (haven't had it that long), but everything else seems pretty well laid out.

Some built-in effects would be nice, but hey. The sequencer is pretty good. Keyboard action is quite nice. Almost too easy, but not over the top

This thing can make some pretty spooky sounds. Very wide variety of things you can do with it. Don't rely on the factory presets, of course. There are scads of sound banks (free and pay) out there with some nice stuff.

This thing is built like a tank. Do not drop it on your toe. My battery needs replaced, but that is normal for these things. If you dump everything from a librarian every time its not a big deal.

Haven't dealt with them. Don't expect to.

For what I paid for it, its fanatastic. Fun, solid, good keyboard action, easy to bank things out with. If you can snag a good deal on Ebay, well worth it.

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).

I have no idea what the software version is, 3.5, I think! The presets on this sound fantastic-very "digital" and thick! Editing is somewhat cumbersome because of the menu-driven process (give me knobs and sliders!) but fast. I've edited maybe 1/4 of the presets, the rest were good enough to leave alone. Usually the editing consisted of shortening the decay. The manual is concise and very easy to follow.

I've never tested the polyphony, I usually don't play more than 5 notes at a time. It has unweighted keys, but the action feels great anyway. There is a cartridge slot to add new sounds. It has MIDI in/out (wish it had thru) and accepts velocity, modulation, and pitch bend information. There is an onboard sequencer (8 track) that is very flexible and easy to use!

None of the "real" instrument sounds (piano, strings, brass) sound real, but that's not what you use this for! Its synth sounds are unsurpassed. Its pads and leads are great. The organs on it are good too, come to think of it.

I would never gig without a backup, it's no fun to play just one keyboard. However, in this case, another keyboard which can play more realistic sounds is a must. I would depend on this for anything.

I've never dealt with them.

This synth is well over 10 years old, and is light years ahead of most of the crap out there today. I would buy it again in a second.