I got a SQ2 in 1991 as my first ‘workstation’. You could get some good distorted guitar tones using the effects and as you say the effects are pretty good. I always liked the piano on it too but the drums samples were quite limited but they could be pitch shifted so could be varied. What I did not like was the seemingly random crashes (eg ID=129) which meant you’d lost all your patches and sequencer data - still makes me shudder 29 years later! I eventually got fed with the SQ2’s bulk so got a SQR and ported my sounds across and still have it.
I never took much notice of Ensoniq gear as I just though the design and build quality was cheap. I've just got the Arturia version which can load all the Sysex sounds, and I LOVE IT! This video sounds amazing and is so informative. Teach me not to judge a synth by it's cover, lol! ;)
I had an sqr plus when it was first released and it was the one synth I wish I had kept. Getting the ks32 was one of the biggest no brainers in history, I has the most incredible Keybed and the Sq plus sound engine
I've been using the excellent SQ8L VST soft synth of the Ensoniq SQ80 lately, and I'd like to be able to find some additional sound banks to load into it. I remember Ensoniq since the Mirage. It was the first affordable sampler. In the mid 80s I used my Amiga 1000 computer as my sampling keyboard at home, and I bought a program that could load Mirage disks directly on my Amiga's floppy drive, and then play them back live with any MIDI keyboard. In the late 80s I wanted a 16 bit sampling keyboard, 61 keys vs the 49 I had, and other features I was lacking in my pair of CZ-1000's. I visited my area's top music stores and Ensoniq was still a top name at that time. I remember playing the EQ-80, but the new Ensoniq VFX was the main keyboard I was interested in at the time. That is....until the Korg M1 came out. I saw Rick Wakeman in his Yes spin off band using the VFX keyboard at shows I attended. I still believe I made the right choice in buying the M1, but ever since I've always wondered what I had missed had I bought the VFX instead? The Korg's greater strength was in it's real life instrument sounds if you wanted a piano, sax, drums and many other instruments. Both had great 16 bit string patches. Both were capable of good atmospheric patches. The VFX's patches offered some unique sounding atmospheric patches I have not heard out of other synths, probably the thing I'd use one for the most if I had one. In the early 90s, a local band I saw frequently used both an M1 & an Ensoniq SD-1. I hear the SD-1 is basically an updated model of the VFX. Is the SD-1 fully compatible with VFX sounds? In the online demos I hear, I tend to still hear a lot more atmospheric patches coming from the VFX, and the selection seems different in the SD-1, trying to compete a bit more with real instrument sounds like the M1 (but falling short in that area). In the past 2 or 3 years I've had a bit more interest in rediscovering those VFX sounds I never had. The M1 ones are great, but the VFX ones are just plain different, and different than all my other keyboards and VST's like the Roland D-50 for example, available as a VST too. The prices on used Ensoniq's like the VFX and SD-1 pre-covid in the past 2 or 3 years were really incredibly cheap. These were once expensive keyboards. I saw a VFX or two in my area just 2-3 years ago for only $200, seemingly working in the ads (probably working with some issues). I played an SD-1 at a Guitar Center, and I really loved the on-board sounds on it. They wanted only $300. Wouldn't have surprised me if they took $250 or less. Not exactly a hot item for them I don't think. I had just recently bought my Yamaha MODX6, which I really love. The prices of used Ensoniq's pre-Covid was great, but I keep reading about a lot of problems they typically suffer from. Not as well made as some other keyboards of that era. For the money, I'd love to have had those sounds in my setup. But buying one could be a lot of headaches keeping them running, and taking up more space in my house I really don't have. What soft synth alternatives has anyone tried? I'd love to see a full "modeled" VST synth of the VFX, and SD-1. We seem to already have the excellent SQ-80 VST, but I think I'd be a lot more interested in a VFX, or SD-1 (if it's compatible with VFX sounds). The built-in effects processor makes for some good patches when programmers have it built-in to make patches for it. The SQ-80 might be capable of similar sounds when used with an effects processor (hardware or software based), but hitting just the right combination would be tougher than getting presets already made including the best settings. Has anyone used "sample based" DSX VST of the Ensoniq VFX, included in UVI's Digital Sensation & Vintage Vault collections? How does it compare to a real VFX? Are there any other good sample collections of the VFX or SD-1 out there?
I had an sqr plus in the early 90s, I have a ks32 which has the sq sounds and fully weighted keyboards I picked up for buttons. The ks32 is built like a tank
@@xisotopex Yeah, I mentioned that one. I think the issue is it requires an old OS. But it's easy enough to either buy an old laptop to run it or multi-boot as I do between Win7 & Win10 on the same computer, so I can run stuff like that.
I have a VFX, iirc it can be turned into a VFX-SD. But at this point I’m thinking of just using it as a midi controller. Amazing machine but was a little glitchy sound wise, and I kind of felt limited by the lack of outputs. Programming the strange envelopes was certainly a lesson in abstract sound design though! I remember trying to create a lap steel chord slide sound, didn’t quite get there but it was damn beautiful.
Sq is virtually the same as vfx which can have 6 carriers, however the sq is only 3. Ensoniq has a signature sound which is different to the other keyboards. Killer for pads But the envelopes are the same, with 5 stages and level controls
Thank you for your great sound demos! I love Ensoniq. My first sampler was a Mirage and later I bought an EPS. After watching your "Ensoniq SQ1/SQ2/SQ1 plus/ KS32 sound card HQ Demo" video, I decided to buy an SQ-R+. Do you remember by any chance on which ROM card is located the preset "Angel" starting at 0:52 in this video? It's amazing! I love the SQ series for their glassy/crystal pads.
I just got an Ensonic SQ2 from a buddy of mine for free. I've never used a digital keyboard/ synth before, but I have plenty of experience with electronics/ robotics. I just wanted to throw this out here and see if someone could help me figure this out. So, when I jack into the headphones port, I don't get any sound. The display works, but the LEDs above each button don't light up when you press whichever button you want. I tried giving the kayboard a factory reset, but the display didn't show anythinf other than "Button #_" when I did what was necessary to reset the keyboard. I honestly have no clue what to do about it. I assume the LEDs are possibly blown or aren't drawing any power. Bad battery? I dunno.
To be honest I have no idea, is one of the buttons jammed. Usually if the battery is dead it will only load the rom and not user sounds. I would check out the Ensoniq forums on Facebook there are people who used to build them on there. Good luck
Got it topday, but I see other patches in mine and battery need to be changed. some body who has experiences in this matter. I replaced it from other synths. but from this one there seems to be less video's on this matter. I do not want to lose the sounds. and want to know if sysex works fine on it.
I have an SQ1 for many years, always found bad reviews on blogsites on it, while I found all the sounds so crisp and still full!!! Do you have the original fabric sounds as well on it? What is the name of the memory card? I am looking for some new sounds/patches!
First Ensoniq I owned was an sq and it was the one synth I wished I still had. I got the sysex from several places on the internet. The original sounds are very good and rich too, I can’t understand the bad stuff as the sound rom is essentially the same as the vfx it even has the trans waves?
Thanks for the great video. New SQ-1 owner here. I tried to look for these patches in the Facebook group you mention, but can't find them in the files section. Could you send them to me (or tell the name of the zip file)? :) Thanks
Does anyone know of a Non Facebook source of this sysex? I am not going to resubmit to Lord Zuck just to get a few banks of sysex that must exist somewhere else, even though I can't find it...
Awesome demo! The SQ1+ is my first synth and it started to grow stale to me, but I'd love to try some new sounds. From some of those in this video I can almost hear how they're made, but I'd love to just download them as a SYX. Any chance they're online somewhere?
Hi, I'm having trouble with a memory card I just bought for my sq1+. I plug it in and get a battery low identifier. Do I have to replace the battery to access the sounds?
@@jameshancox1 I was able to contact the original creator of the voice Crystal sounds and figure out what was wrong with my card. To anyone who's reading this that has one of these cards do not remove the battery or else all of your sounds will be deleted I made that mistake and had to reinitialize them into my synthesizer. I have a working vc1 card now and it's awesome thanks for the response
Hi Rob, I remember both of these instruments and owned a proteus 2 back in the day. I do not own either of these modules but do own a significant number of the original EMU library’s for my ESI 4000. I am attempting to put together some videos of the sample library’s as it essentially turns the sampler into the aforementioned modules. However some of the banks have 256 patches so I imagine it will take me some time. Please subscribe to my channel for the latest videos as I am currently focussing on the emu library’s
This is the only interesting review of this synth so far. The others feature the most boring music ever played with the most boring GM sounds. I used to have one before the keyboard went bad.
It seems to have slipped into the time void of cool forgotten synths. Fortunately I have been a synth head since the early 80s and had one of these back in the day.
The best review of this keyboard
Thank you, it is very misrepresented and is awesome
Your channel is just a marvellous treasure ! Thank you for your work. 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
Thank you so much
My church has had one of these since the mid 1990s. Still in use as often as we have a synth player on hand :D
I got a SQ2 in 1991 as my first ‘workstation’. You could get some good distorted guitar tones using the effects and as you say the effects are pretty good. I always liked the piano on it too but the drums samples were quite limited but they could be pitch shifted so could be varied. What I did not like was the seemingly random crashes (eg ID=129) which meant you’d lost all your patches and sequencer data - still makes me shudder 29 years later! I eventually got fed with the SQ2’s bulk so got a SQR and ported my sounds across and still have it.
The drum sounds were pretty limited on all of the workstations at that time. At least on the sq the effects could be split and were not global
Angel patch - wowzer:)
Such a rich sounding machine
I never took much notice of Ensoniq gear as I just though the design and build quality was cheap. I've just got the Arturia version which can load all the Sysex sounds, and I LOVE IT! This video sounds amazing and is so informative. Teach me not to judge a synth by it's cover, lol! ;)
Ensoniq were never cheap, they are for sure one of the diamonds in the rough and back in the day superior to Roland, Yamaha, Korg etc
It seems you never had a closer look at the asr10 or ts10. These were built like a Sherman tank
@@Johnsormani yes, my experience with Ensoniq is the same.
Big, heavy, military grade
I have an SQ1 Plus. I love my synth!!!
I had an sqr plus when it was first released and it was the one synth I wish I had kept.
Getting the ks32 was one of the biggest no brainers in history, I has the most incredible Keybed and the Sq plus sound engine
Heard some sounds used by one of my favourite bands back in the day.
Ensoniq were huge in the late 80s early 90 so wouldn’t surprise me
I love this thing. I feel like it is 1/2 the boards of canada sound... at least before they process everything
Boards is known too for using some analog physical model controll synthesizers like the AN1X
There is something about that Ensoniq sound, very distinctive also very rich
So many Simple Minds chord progressions ! :)
That is because Nick mcneil heavily influenced my style
@@jameshancox1amazing, Simple Minds are criminally underrated.
@@jameshancox1 Mick MacNeil?
@@fmtfniuprog8029 simple minds original keys player, legend
I've been using the excellent SQ8L VST soft synth of the Ensoniq SQ80 lately, and I'd like to be
able to find some additional sound banks to load into it.
I remember Ensoniq since the Mirage. It was the first affordable sampler. In the mid 80s I used my Amiga 1000 computer as my sampling keyboard at home, and I bought a program that could load Mirage disks directly on my Amiga's floppy drive, and then play them back live with any MIDI keyboard.
In the late 80s I wanted a 16 bit sampling keyboard, 61 keys vs the 49 I had, and other features I was lacking in my pair of CZ-1000's. I visited my area's top music stores and Ensoniq was still a top name at that time. I remember playing the EQ-80, but the new Ensoniq VFX was the main keyboard I was interested in at the time. That is....until the Korg M1 came out. I saw Rick Wakeman in his Yes spin off band using the VFX keyboard at shows I attended.
I still believe I made the right choice in buying the M1, but ever since I've always wondered what I had missed had I bought the VFX instead? The Korg's greater strength was in it's real life instrument sounds if you wanted a piano, sax, drums and many other instruments. Both had great 16 bit string patches. Both were capable of good atmospheric patches. The VFX's patches offered some unique sounding atmospheric patches I have not heard out of other synths, probably the thing I'd use one for the most if I had one.
In the early 90s, a local band I saw frequently used both an M1 & an Ensoniq SD-1. I hear the SD-1 is basically an updated model of the VFX. Is the SD-1 fully compatible with VFX sounds? In the online demos I hear, I tend to still hear a lot more atmospheric patches coming from the VFX, and the selection seems different in the SD-1, trying to compete a bit more with real instrument sounds like the M1 (but falling short in that area).
In the past 2 or 3 years I've had a bit more interest in rediscovering those VFX sounds I never had. The M1 ones are great, but the VFX ones are just plain different, and different than all my other keyboards and VST's like the Roland D-50 for example, available as a VST too.
The prices on used Ensoniq's like the VFX and SD-1 pre-covid in the past 2 or 3 years were really incredibly cheap. These were once expensive keyboards. I saw a VFX or two in my area just 2-3 years ago for only $200, seemingly working in the ads (probably working with some issues). I played an SD-1 at a Guitar Center, and I really loved the on-board sounds on it. They wanted only $300. Wouldn't have surprised me if they took $250 or less. Not exactly a hot item for them I don't think. I had just recently bought my Yamaha MODX6, which I really love.
The prices of used Ensoniq's pre-Covid was great, but I keep reading about a lot of problems they typically suffer from. Not as well made as some other keyboards of that era. For the money, I'd love to have had those sounds in my setup. But buying one could be a lot of headaches keeping them running, and taking up more space in my house I really don't have.
What soft synth alternatives has anyone tried? I'd love to see a full "modeled" VST synth of the VFX, and SD-1. We seem to already have the excellent SQ-80 VST, but I think I'd be a lot more interested in a VFX, or SD-1 (if it's compatible with VFX sounds). The built-in effects processor makes for some good patches when programmers have it built-in to make patches for it. The SQ-80 might be capable of similar sounds when used with an effects processor (hardware or software based), but hitting just the right combination would be tougher than getting presets already made including the best settings.
Has anyone used "sample based" DSX VST of the Ensoniq VFX, included in UVI's Digital Sensation & Vintage Vault collections? How does it compare to a real VFX? Are there any other good sample collections of the VFX or SD-1 out there?
I had an sqr plus in the early 90s, I have a ks32 which has the sq sounds and fully weighted keyboards I picked up for buttons.
The ks32 is built like a tank
there is a free sq80 vst that sounds pretty good. I really like it...its called the sq8l... is that what you were referring to?
@@xisotopex Yeah, I mentioned that one. I think the issue is it requires an old OS. But it's easy enough to either buy an old laptop to run it or multi-boot as I do between Win7 & Win10 on the same computer, so I can run stuff like that.
SQ-80 have nothing to do with these SQs... SQ-80 is basically an ESQ.
I have a VFX, iirc it can be turned into a VFX-SD. But at this point I’m thinking of just using it as a midi controller. Amazing machine but was a little glitchy sound wise, and I kind of felt limited by the lack of outputs. Programming the strange envelopes was certainly a lesson in abstract sound design though! I remember trying to create a lap steel chord slide sound, didn’t quite get there but it was damn beautiful.
Sq is virtually the same as vfx which can have 6 carriers, however the sq is only 3.
Ensoniq has a signature sound which is different to the other keyboards.
Killer for pads
But the envelopes are the same, with 5 stages and level controls
Nice video!
Glad you enjoyed it
aaaaaaaaaaaah i want this sysex man! lol!!!! you can share?
There is an sq group on Facebook, I have uploaded all of my sysex
Thank you for your great sound demos! I love Ensoniq. My first sampler was a Mirage and later I bought an EPS. After watching your "Ensoniq SQ1/SQ2/SQ1 plus/ KS32 sound card HQ Demo" video, I decided to buy an SQ-R+. Do you remember by any chance on which ROM card is located the preset "Angel" starting at 0:52 in this video? It's amazing! I love the SQ series for their glassy/crystal pads.
Send me your email and I’ll send sysex for all cards
@UCOGgT5ypgNMUexG2OYSWoNA email me
Do you have the sysex patches for these available? Thank you for the video and your time!
There is a Facebook group for Ensoniq that has all of the patches
Right on thank you 🤘
Theme for great cities
Tune
I just got an Ensonic SQ2 from a buddy of mine for free. I've never used a digital keyboard/ synth before, but I have plenty of experience with electronics/ robotics. I just wanted to throw this out here and see if someone could help me figure this out.
So, when I jack into the headphones port, I don't get any sound. The display works, but the LEDs above each button don't light up when you press whichever button you want. I tried giving the kayboard a factory reset, but the display didn't show anythinf other than "Button #_" when I did what was necessary to reset the keyboard. I honestly have no clue what to do about it. I assume the LEDs are possibly blown or aren't drawing any power. Bad battery? I dunno.
To be honest I have no idea, is one of the buttons jammed. Usually if the battery is dead it will only load the rom and not user sounds. I would check out the Ensoniq forums on Facebook there are people who used to build them on there.
Good luck
www.synthzone.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/14266/Ensoniq_SQ-1_Question
Got it topday, but I see other patches in mine and battery need to be changed. some body who has experiences in this matter. I replaced it from other synths. but from this one there seems to be less video's on this matter. I do not want to lose the sounds. and want to know if sysex works fine on it.
It can receive sysex, I think like early 90s late 80s synths the battery is soldered to the motherboard.
You need an adaptor soldered in
Check eBay
@@jameshancox1 thanks, I already spoke to my friend who manages to repair all my synths. so he will do the job
I have an SQ1 for many years, always found bad reviews on blogsites on it, while I found all the sounds so crisp and still full!!! Do you have the original fabric sounds as well on it? What is the name of the memory card? I am looking for some new sounds/patches!
First Ensoniq I owned was an sq and it was the one synth I wished I still had. I got the sysex from several places on the internet.
The original sounds are very good and rich too, I can’t understand the bad stuff as the sound rom is essentially the same as the vfx it even has the trans waves?
There is a files section in the Facebook SQ group
Thanks for the great video. New SQ-1 owner here. I tried to look for these patches in the Facebook group you mention, but can't find them in the files section. Could you send them to me (or tell the name of the zip file)? :) Thanks
Send me your email and I'll gladly send you the files
Im not hearing much bottom end in these sounds. But that 12db boost must be able to fix that :D
It’s probably the audio compression on you tube
Does anyone know of a Non Facebook source of this sysex? I am not going to resubmit to Lord Zuck just to get a few banks of sysex that must exist somewhere else, even though I can't find it...
Send me your email and I will send them
Awesome demo! The SQ1+ is my first synth and it started to grow stale to me, but I'd love to try some new sounds.
From some of those in this video I can almost hear how they're made, but I'd love to just download them as a SYX. Any chance they're online somewhere?
Hope you like them
Are you selling cards? I giged this thing all over KC. I need to play with seq. It can get ugly with the big boost.
There is a Facebook group with all of the files available for download including all of mine
Hi, I'm having trouble with a memory card I just bought for my sq1+. I plug it in and get a battery low identifier. Do I have to replace the battery to access the sounds?
Not entirely sure, I do think I remember the cards having baterys though, is it like a watch battery?
@@jameshancox1 I was able to contact the original creator of the voice Crystal sounds and figure out what was wrong with my card. To anyone who's reading this that has one of these cards do not remove the battery or else all of your sounds will be deleted I made that mistake and had to reinitialize them into my synthesizer. I have a working vc1 card now and it's awesome thanks for the response
If it’s a rom card you don’t have a battery inside. If it’s a ram card you can replace it from the top of the card.
So what about to play the emu proteus 2 orchestral and the proteus 3 world instruments please? :)
Hi Rob, I remember both of these instruments and owned a proteus 2 back in the day. I do not own either of these modules but do own a significant number of the original EMU library’s for my ESI 4000.
I am attempting to put together some videos of the sample library’s as it essentially turns the sampler into the aforementioned modules.
However some of the banks have 256 patches so I imagine it will take me some time.
Please subscribe to my channel for the latest videos as I am currently focussing on the emu library’s
@@jameshancox1 OK and keep on listened and we can always count on me my maestro and your the best. :)
Do they work in the ESQ1?
No Sorry, The ESQ1 is different and earlier. These work on the SQ1/SQ1+/SQR/SQR+ and KS32 only
@@jameshancox1 what about the sq2
@@tavil1296 yes, you can use these sounds on either the sq1,sq1 plus, SQr, SQr plus, sq2 or ks32
This is the only interesting review of this synth so far. The others feature the most boring music ever played with the most boring GM sounds. I used to have one before the keyboard went bad.
It seems to have slipped into the time void of cool forgotten synths. Fortunately I have been a synth head since the early 80s and had one of these back in the day.