Product: Ensoniq SPM-1
Price Paid: US $300 used
Submitted
02/15/1997
at
04:46pm
by
Thomas Clement
Ease of Use
:
9
Dead-on easy to use as it's a simple push-button only piano module.
Features
:
2
A 2RU sample playback piano module. 10 note poly. Bitimbral. 12 internal presets. Stereo out. MIDI IN/Out
Expressiveness/Sounds
:
4
This is one of the very first piano modules and relies on a series of daily-bread presets using 12-bit sample technology.
You have three pianos (grand, pop, and honky tonk), two electric pianos (straight and chorused), two marimbas (hard and soft mallet), two clavinets (straight and chorused), and vibes (which sound strangely like the marimbas). You also have an upright bass and a fretted electric bass, both of which utilize an assignable split point.
You can only play two sounds at once via MIDI: a bass and one of the other tones, which isnt exactly generous from the company that championed dynamic multitimbralism. The sounds are serviceable.
Reliability
:
No Opinion
This was not one of Ensoniq's better efforts, but aside from a smidge of noise, you'll likely have no problems with it.
Overall Rating
:
2
If I don't sound too excited, it's because the SPM-1 wasn't thrilling when it debuet in 1986 and is far less so now. Think if it as the piano module for people who couldn't step up to the Roland MKS20 and you'll have it in historical perspecitve.
When first purchased, it wasn't a complete disappointment, but it's preset only, and those presets are merely OK.
Today, the asking price is probably near that of a used Emu Proformance, which, while lacking a decent lower octave, is much the better deal with far better sound based on 16 bit (and longer) samples.
If you have a chance to buy an SPM-1 sound un-heard and site unseen, pass.
