A few weeks ago there was a request for an Ensoniq ?Mirage? I think for the museum. It's not a mirage, but I run a craigslist ad looking for broken synths to fix. For whatever strange reason like 80% of the emails I get are Ensoniqs. But besides that, someone has an EPS-1. I haven't sniffed out the asking price, but would this be something the museum would want? It is not general midi, but judging by youtube videos it sounds pretty okay. There are some PCBs on tendie to make multicarts for patches which could be cool. Sounds like it's something I could fix. They also said they had either a SQ2 or SQ-80 (can't remember which) but that one is working (no fun.) Not sure the multitimbrality of it. I assume one sound at a time, so could make sequences on the Atari ST using like a Mirage for sampled gritty drums and the EPS-1 for lead/bass? Then an A frame stand for the true 80s. Thoughts? - Ethan
I'd like to find an Ensoniq that used the old Smartmedia memory cards... especially if it can also format those cards. On Fri, Oct 21, 2022 at 11:35 AM Ethan O'Toole via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic@lists.vcfed.org> wrote:
A few weeks ago there was a request for an Ensoniq ?Mirage? I think for the museum.
It's not a mirage, but I run a craigslist ad looking for broken synths to fix. For whatever strange reason like 80% of the emails I get are Ensoniqs. But besides that, someone has an EPS-1. I haven't sniffed out the asking price, but would this be something the museum would want? It is not general midi, but judging by youtube videos it sounds pretty okay. There are some PCBs on tendie to make multicarts for patches which could be cool. Sounds like it's something I could fix. They also said they had either a SQ2 or SQ-80 (can't remember which) but that one is working (no fun.)
Not sure the multitimbrality of it. I assume one sound at a time, so could make sequences on the Atari ST using like a Mirage for sampled gritty drums and the EPS-1 for lead/bass? Then an A frame stand for the true 80s.
Thoughts?
- Ethan
I'd like to find an Ensoniq that used the old Smartmedia memory cards... especially if it can also format those cards.
I didn't know Ensoniq ever used those? I have a Roland JP-8080 which uses the rare 5V SmartMedia. Those cards go for $80 - $150 on eBay (well, that is the asking price.) The 3.3V ones are dirt cheap and large in storage capacity vs the 2MB/4MB 5V ones. I think you could do a resistor voltage divider on the VCC pin of the card and convert the machines to run on a 3.3v since there is a separate logic voltage pin on the card that according to datasheet could handle 5V -- but research it first. I got my 5V 2MB card by buying a Fuji camera from eBay that came with the card for ~$15. True story, the camera is at the NJ police department right now, it was stolen from the back of my friend's truck before the last swapmeet but then the police recovered all the stuff. The curse of the camera, all I wanted was the card but I can't get rid of the camera. The camera can use 3.3v cards too. The Roland SP-303 I think also uses SmartMedia, and maybe something from Boss? Boss is a sub-brand of Roland and Roland seemed to use Smartmedia the most. My first digital camera (Epson PhotoPC) had a 16MB smart media I think, but it was 3.3V. The Apple Quicktake 150 I believe uses the 5V ones that are hard to get -- that along with Roland are probably the entire market for the 5V SmartMedia cards. Most of the Ensoniq stuff I have had in my hands (Mirage, TS-12, ASR-10, SQ-2, others) were either ROM cart (SQ), floppy based (Mirage, TS-12, ASR-10), or SCSI (ASR-10.) The TS-12 has a SCSI option that is super rare, but someone re-makes it. That gives it the option to load data from an ASR-10, with some limitations. Not sure if others use Smartmedia cards, will research. The ASR-10 is the popular/expensive Ensoniq on the market since it was used in hiphop (Pharrel/N.E.R.D., Timbaland and Wutang Clan to name a few.) People used it similar to how the Akai MPC series machines are used. Record phrases from vinyl, cut up the sample and assign the chunks to different keys, then play them back out of sequence to make something new. - Ethan
The museum currently has an STe running music composition software to a nice sounding Yamaha CBX-T3 digitized instrument general midi generator. It was consumer oriented, more for accurate game sounds, not quite matching part of the exhibit's intention of showing professional music composition. An ESQ-M rack mount module was donated which we may use for additional sounds & demonstrating synthesizer subjects and as a nod to the people who started Ensoniq and made sound silicon coming from Commodore VIC and SID fame. I'm considering adding a music keyboard so that notes can get entered into the composition software. I'm inclined to make this an Ensonic keyboard due to local history. All the items mentioned are of interest for their keyboard as well as synth functions as you mention. Not quite sure where all this will lead. Eventually to a bigger treatment of computer music in the new museum I expect. On 10/21/2022 11:35 AM, Ethan O'Toole via vcf-midatlantic wrote:
A few weeks ago there was a request for an Ensoniq ?Mirage? I think for the museum.
It's not a mirage, but I run a craigslist ad looking for broken synths to fix. For whatever strange reason like 80% of the emails I get are Ensoniqs. But besides that, someone has an EPS-1. I haven't sniffed out the asking price, but would this be something the museum would want? It is not general midi, but judging by youtube videos it sounds pretty okay. There are some PCBs on tendie to make multicarts for patches which could be cool. Sounds like it's something I could fix. They also said they had either a SQ2 or SQ-80 (can't remember which) but that one is working (no fun.)
Not sure the multitimbrality of it. I assume one sound at a time, so could make sequences on the Atari ST using like a Mirage for sampled gritty drums and the EPS-1 for lead/bass? Then an A frame stand for the true 80s.
Thoughts?
- Ethan
I'm inclined to make this an Ensonic keyboard due to local history. All the items mentioned are of interest for their keyboard as well as synth functions as you mention. Not quite sure where all this will lead. Eventually to a bigger treatment of computer music in the new museum I expect.
Okay will see what kind of deal they will offer me, if a good one I will get it fix it and donate it. Said it makes no sound and gives a low battery alert. Part of that is common, I will figure it out. - Ethan
On 10/21/2022 11:35 AM, Ethan O'Toole via vcf-midatlantic wrote:
A few weeks ago there was a request for an Ensoniq ?Mirage? I think for the museum.
It's not a mirage, but I run a craigslist ad looking for broken synths to fix. For whatever strange reason like 80% of the emails I get are Ensoniqs. But besides that, someone has an EPS-1. I haven't sniffed out the asking price, but would this be something the museum would want? It is not general midi, but judging by youtube videos it sounds pretty okay. There are some PCBs on tendie to make multicarts for patches which could be cool. Sounds like it's something I could fix. They also said they had either a SQ2 or SQ-80 (can't remember which) but that one is working (no fun.)
Not sure the multitimbrality of it. I assume one sound at a time, so could make sequences on the Atari ST using like a Mirage for sampled gritty drums and the EPS-1 for lead/bass? Then an A frame stand for the true 80s.
So is a Yamaha KX-88 and TX-802 Synth vintage enough (1984) ?
Certainly vintage enough, I was going for pedigree with Ensoniq, ex Commodore guys. You offering those? DC On 10/21/2022 5:02 PM, Martin Flynn via vcf-midatlantic wrote:
On 10/21/2022 11:35 AM, Ethan O'Toole via vcf-midatlantic wrote:
A few weeks ago there was a request for an Ensoniq ?Mirage? I think for the museum.
It's not a mirage, but I run a craigslist ad looking for broken synths to fix. For whatever strange reason like 80% of the emails I get are Ensoniqs. But besides that, someone has an EPS-1. I haven't sniffed out the asking price, but would this be something the museum would want? It is not general midi, but judging by youtube videos it sounds pretty okay. There are some PCBs on tendie to make multicarts for patches which could be cool. Sounds like it's something I could fix. They also said they had either a SQ2 or SQ-80 (can't remember which) but that one is working (no fun.)
Not sure the multitimbrality of it. I assume one sound at a time, so could make sequences on the Atari ST using like a Mirage for sampled gritty drums and the EPS-1 for lead/bass? Then an A frame stand for the true 80s.
So is a Yamaha KX-88 and TX-802 Synth vintage enough (1984) ?
And since I have an Ensoniq module already, essentially that "box" is checked, would definitely consider the yamaha gear, very nice. DC On 10/21/2022 5:09 PM, Douglas Crawford wrote:
Certainly vintage enough, I was going for pedigree with Ensoniq, ex Commodore guys. You offering those? DC
On 10/21/2022 5:02 PM, Martin Flynn via vcf-midatlantic wrote:
On 10/21/2022 11:35 AM, Ethan O'Toole via vcf-midatlantic wrote:
A few weeks ago there was a request for an Ensoniq ?Mirage? I think for the museum.
It's not a mirage, but I run a craigslist ad looking for broken synths to fix. For whatever strange reason like 80% of the emails I get are Ensoniqs. But besides that, someone has an EPS-1. I haven't sniffed out the asking price, but would this be something the museum would want? It is not general midi, but judging by youtube videos it sounds pretty okay. There are some PCBs on tendie to make multicarts for patches which could be cool. Sounds like it's something I could fix. They also said they had either a SQ2 or SQ-80 (can't remember which) but that one is working (no fun.)
Not sure the multitimbrality of it. I assume one sound at a time, so could make sequences on the Atari ST using like a Mirage for sampled gritty drums and the EPS-1 for lead/bass? Then an A frame stand for the true 80s.
So is a Yamaha KX-88 and TX-802 Synth vintage enough (1984) ?
participants (4)
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Douglas Crawford -
Ethan O'Toole -
Jeff S -
Martin Flynn