Editing Ensoniq EPS (section)

{{more citations needed|date=August 2021}}
{{short description|Digital musical instrument}}
{{Infobox synthesizer |
image = Ensoniq EPS Photo.jpg |
image_caption = Ensoniq EPS|
synth_name = EPS|
synth_manufacturer = [[Ensoniq]]|
synthesis_type = 13-bit [[Sampler (musical instrument)|samples]]|
polyphony = 20 voices|
keyboard = 61-note with polyphonic <br />aftertouch|
left_control = pitch-bend and modulation wheels|
ext_control = [[MIDI]]|
processor_type = Motorola 68000
memory = 512k |
fx = none|
dates = 1988–1991|
price = £1695<ref name="Sixteen">{{cite magazine
| last        = Wrightson
| first       = Kendall
| date        = Jan 1991
| title       = Sweet Sixteen
| pages       = 48-50
| url         = https://www.muzines.co.uk/articles/sweet-sixteen/7356
| magazine    = Sound On Sound
| publisher   = SOS Publications Ltd.
| location    = United Kingdom
| access-date = 7 May 2024}}</ref>
|velocity = Yes
aftertouch = Yes
}}

The '''Ensoniq Performance Sampler''' ('''EPS''') was one of the first few affordable [[Sampler (musical instrument)|samplers]] on the market.  It was manufactured from 1988 to 1991 by [[Ensoniq]] in [[Malvern, Pennsylvania]], US. The EPS is a 13-bit sampler and replaced the [[Ensoniq Mirage|Mirage]] - widely regarded as the first truly affordable sampling keyboard.

The EPS has a straightforward interface that is easy to use, with configurable controls geared for live performance. Because it has two processors, it can load and play up to eight instruments simultaneously (with another eight on reserve). The display is a 22-character, single-line [[vacuum fluorescent display]]. It boots from an integrated [[floppy disk drive]] (sourced from [[Sony]] or [[Panasonic Corporation|Matsushita]]), or from a [[SCSI controller|SCSI drive]] connected to the expansion bay. The EPS has 256 Kwords of RAM on board. Ensoniq offered both a 2x (512 Kword) Memory Expander and a 4x (1 Mword) Memory Expander with SCSI interface. A company called Maartists offered both 4x and 8x memory expanders, allowing a total of 2 Mwords RAM. Extra [[RAM]] allows for longer and higher quality samples. The "2x" expander contains one 1x256Kbit and three 4x256Kbit chips, for a total of 13x256Kbits in addition to the onboard memory. The EPS is unusual in having a 13-bit sample memory word length, left-justified into the most significant bits of a 16-bit word.

The EPS uses double-sided, double-density 3.5" disks, formatted to 800k with ten 512-byte sectors per track. It can also read (but not write) Ensoniq Mirage sample disks.

The EPS uses [[MIDI]] and can be used as a controller of other instruments or connected to a computer.

The EPS was superseded by the [[Ensoniq EPS-16 Plus|EPS-16 Plus]] which upgraded the sample size to 16 bits and added a 24-bit effects system. Other improvements include [[Optical disc drive|CD-ROM]] support in the optional SCSI interface and FlashBank storage for the OS and favorite sounds.