Editing Ensoniq (section)

== Musical instruments and digital systems ==
[[File:Ensoniq Mirage DSK.jpg|thumb|Mirage DSK-1 ({{Circa|1985}})]]
[[File:Ensoniq ESQ-1.jpg|thumb|Ensoniq ESQ-1 (1987)]]

Ensoniq entered the instrument market with the [[Ensoniq Mirage|Mirage]] sampling keyboard in 1985. At the price of [[United States dollar|USD$]]1695 it cost significantly less than previous [[Sampler (musical instrument)|samplers]] such as the [[Fairlight CMI]] and the [[E-mu Emulator|E-MU Emulator]]. Starting with the [[Ensoniq ESQ-1|ESQ-1]], they began producing [[sample-based synthesis|sample-based synthesizers]]. Following the success of these products, Ensoniq established a subsidiary in [[Japan]] in 1987.

Ensoniq products were highly professional. Strong selling points were ease-of-use and their characteristic "fat", rich sound (generally thought of as being an "American" quality, as opposed to the "Japanese" sound which was more "digital" and somewhat "cold"). After the Mirage, all Ensoniq instruments featured integrated sequencers (even their late '80s and early '90s [[Sampler (musical instrument)|samplers]]) providing an all-in-one "digital studio production concept" instrument. These were often called "Music Workstations". Starting with the VFX synthesizer, high-quality effects units were included, in addition most synthesizer and all sampler models featured [[Data storage device|disk drives]] and/or [[Random-access memory|RAM]] cards for storage. The manuals and tutorial documents were clearly written and highly musician-oriented, allowing the users to quickly get satisfactory results from their machines. In 1988, the company enlisted the [[Dixie Dregs]] in a limited edition promotional CD ''[[Off the Record (Dixie Dregs album)|Off the Record]]'' which featured the band using the EPS sampler and SQ-80 cross wave synthesizer.

The company had much success with the SQ product line starting in the early 1990s. This was a lower-cost line that included the SQ-1 (61 keys), SQ-2 (76 keys) and SQ-R ([[rack-mounted]], with no keys or sequencer), as well as KS-32 with full 76-keys weighted piano-keyboard. Later versions were produced with 32 sound-generating voices.

[[File:Ensoniq VFX (angled).jpg|thumb|[[Ensoniq VFX|VFX]] (1989)]]
[[File:Ensoniq ASR-10 rear.jpg|thumb|[[Ensoniq ASR-10|ASR-10]] (1992)]]
The company's heyday was in the early 1990s when the VFX synthesizers offered innovative performance and sequencing features (and terrific acoustic sounds), along with the ASR series of 16-bit samplers which also integrated synthesis, effects, and sequencer into a single-unit digital studio. The TS synthesizers followed the legacy of the VFX line, improving several aspects such as the [[polyphony (instrument)|polyphony]], effects engine, sample-loading capabilities and even better synth and acoustic sounds. The DP series of effects rack-mount units offered parallel processing and [[reverberation|reverb]] presets on a par with Lexicon's offerings, but at affordable prices.

[[File:Ensoniq DP2 Multi Effects Processor.png|thumb|DP/2 (1995)]]
<!-- [[File:Ensoniq DP4 internals front.jpg|thumb|160px|DP/4 internal]] -->
Despite these strengths, early (1980s) Ensoniq instruments suffered from reliability and quality problems such as bad keyboards (Mirage DSK-8), under-developed power-supply units (early ESQ-1), or mechanical issues (EPS polypressure keyboard).  Through the early and mid-1990s, much effort was focused on improving the reliability of the products. The company did not manage to reinvent its workstation concept in order to survive the mid and late '90s.

=== Timeline of major products ===
[[File:Ensoniq Mirage DSK-8 (1985).jpg|thumb|[[Ensoniq Mirage|Mirage]] DSK-8 (1985)]]
[[File:Ensoniq esq m.jpg|thumb|ESQ-M (1986)]]
[[File:Ensoniq EPS Photo.jpg|thumb|[[Ensoniq EPS|EPS]] (1988)]]
[[File:Ensoniq EPS-16+ (angled).jpg|thumb|[[Ensoniq EPS|EPS-16+]] (1991)]]

* 1984 – [[Ensoniq Pro-Cussion]]
* 1984 – [[Ensoniq Mirage]]
* 1986 – [[Ensoniq ESQ-1]]
* 1986 – [[Ensoniq SDP-1 Sampled Digital Piano]]<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.muzines.co.uk/articles/ensoniq-sampled-piano/1645|title=Ensoniq Sampled Piano|magazine=Sound On Sound|date=September 1986|pages=8–9|issn=0951-6816|oclc=925234032}}</ref>
* 1988 – [[Ensoniq SQ-80]]
* 1988 – [[Ensoniq EPS]]
* 1989 – Ensoniq EPS-M<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.muzines.co.uk/articles/ensoniq-eps-m-sampler-module/61|title=Ensoniq EPS-M Sampler Module|magazine=Music Technology|date=May 1989|page=14|issn=0957-6606|oclc=483899345}}</ref>
* 1989 – [[Ensoniq VFX]]
* 1989 – [[Ensoniq VFX|Ensoniq VFX-SD]]
* 1990 – Ensoniq SQ-1<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.muzines.co.uk/articles/ensoniq-sq1/437|title=Ensoniq SQ1|magazine=Music Technology|date=October 1990|pages=64–69|issn=0957-6606|oclc=483899345}}</ref>
* 1990 – Ensoniq SQ-R
* 1990 – [[Ensoniq EPS 16 Plus]]
* 1990 – [[Ensoniq SD-1]]
* 1991 – Ensoniq SQ-R+
* 1991 – Ensoniq SQ-1+
* 1991 – Ensoniq SQ-2
* 1992 – Ensoniq SQ-1+ 32 voice
* 1992 – Ensoniq SQ-2 32 voice
* 1992 – Ensoniq SQ-R+ 32-voice
* 1992 – [[Ensoniq KS-32]]
[[File:Ensoniq_KS-32_(1992,_top-up).jpg|thumb|[[Ensoniq KS-32|KS-32]] (1992)]]
* 1992 – [[Ensoniq ASR-10]]
* 1992 – [[Ensoniq TS-10]] and TS-12
* 1993 – [[Ensoniq DP/4]]<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.muzines.co.uk/articles/parallel-lines/2896|title=Parallel Lines|magazine=Recording Musician|date=August 1992|pages=32–36|issn=0966-484X|oclc=264952514}}</ref>
* 1994 – Ensoniq KT-76 and Ensoniq KT-88
* 1995 – Ensoniq DP/2<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/1995_articles/dec95/ensoniqdp2.html|title=Ensoniq DP/2|work=Sound On Sound|date=December 1995|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150608013834/http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/1995_articles/dec95/ensoniqdp2.html|archive-date=8 June 2015}}</ref>
* 1995 – Ensoniq DP/4+
* 1996 – [[Ensoniq MR61]]
* 1997 – [[Ensoniq ASR X]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/1997_articles/sep97/ensoniqasrx.html|title=Ensoniq ASRX|work=Sound On Sound|date=September 1997|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150607053721/http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/1997_articles/sep97/ensoniqasrx.html|archive-date=7 June 2015}}</ref>
* 1997 – Ensoniq DP/Pro
* 1997 – [[Ensoniq E Prime]]
[[File:Ensoniq FiZmO.png|thumb|[[Ensoniq Fizmo|Fizmo]] (1998)]]
* 1998 – [[Ensoniq Fizmo]]
* 1998 – [[Ensoniq ZR-76]]
* 1998 – [[Ensoniq ASR X Pro]]
* 1998 – [[Ensoniq PARIS Digital Audio Workstation]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/jan98/articles/ensoniqparis.htm|title=Ensoniq Paris II|work=Sound On Sound|date=January 1998|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924124737/http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/jan98/articles/ensoniqparis.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=24 September 2015}}</ref>
* 2002 – [[Ensoniq Halo]] (E-mu product using Ensoniq brand)
{{clear}}