Editing Ensoniq (section)

== Sound cards and semiconductors ==
In 1986, after making an agreement with [[Apple Computer]], the same [[Ensoniq 5503 DOC|ES5503 DOC]] (Digital Oscillator Chip, marketed as "Q-Chip") used in the Mirage sampler (DSK-8, DSK-1, DMS-1), ESQ-1, ESQ-M and SQ-80 synthesizers, and SDP-1 piano module, was incorporated into the [[Apple IIGS|Apple II<small>GS</small>]] personal computer.

Later engines, with 16-bit sample playback and internal digital filters, were ES5504 DOC-II (used in the EPS sampler) and ES5505 OTIS (used in the EPS16+ sampler and the VFX line of synthesizers featuring 21 voices). Finally, [[Ensoniq ES-5506 OTTO|ES5506 OTTO]] drove all subsequent 32-voice machines (SD-1/32, TS10/12, ASR-10/88) and the dual-OTTO machines (KT, MR, ZR). The latest incarnation, ES5548 OTTO-48, was used in the final line of Ensoniq studio products (ASR-X, FIZMO).

Ensoniq also developed an effects DSP, ES5510 ESP, that was used in the machines from VFX on and the standalone FX units DP/2 and DP/4. OTTO-48 generation uses its greatly enhanced successor, ES5511 ESP V2. A combination of OTTO and ESP, ES5540 OTTOFX, was also developed and sold.

The Ensoniq ES5505 OTIS/OTISR2, and ES5510 ESP (Ensoniq Signal Processor) were also used in various [[arcade games]]. They were all manufactured on the [[CMOS]] process. OTTO was licensed to [[Advanced Gravis Computer Technology|Advanced Gravis]] for use in the [[Gravis Ultrasound]] card. In 1994, production began on [[Personal computer|PC]] sound cards for home computers. The design of the video-game console [[Atari Panther]] also included the OTIS chip, though the product never reached series production. A dedicated version of OTTO, ES5530/35 OPUS, was developed for AT-bus sound cards, featuring built-in joystick and CD-ROM interface.

Ensoniq's sound cards were popular and shipped with many [[IBM PC compatible]]s. Many games in the late [[MS-DOS]] era supported the Ensoniq Soundscape either directly or through [[General MIDI]]. In addition, Ensoniq devised an [[Industry Standard Architecture|ISA]] software audio emulation solution for their new [[Peripheral Component Interconnect|PCI]] sound cards that was compatible with most contemporary IBM PC games. It is speculated that this was an important factor in [[Creative Labs|Creative Lab's]] acquisition of Ensoniq, because Creative/E-MU was struggling with legacy compatibility at the time with their higher-performance PCI audio solutions.

=== Soundscape ===
[[File:Ensoniqsss-2000.jpg|thumb|[[Ensoniq Soundscape S-2000|Soundscape S-2000]]]]
[[File:EnsoniqESP.jpg|thumb|upright|ESP DB]]
* [[Ensoniq Soundscape S-2000]] The original Soundscape was Ensoniq's first direct foray into the PC [[sound card]] market. It was a full-length ISA digital audio and '[[Table-lookup synthesis|wavetable]]' [[sample-based synthesis]] audio card, equipped with a 2&nbsp;MB Ensoniq-built [[Read-only memory|ROM]]-based patch set.
* [[Ensoniq SoundscapeDB]] The SSDB was a '[[Table-lookup synthesis|wavetable]]' [[daughterboard]] ([[sample-based synthesis]] daughterboard) upgrade for PCs with a sound card bearing a [[Creative Wave Blaster|Wave Blaster]]-compatible connector. It was based upon the S-2000 chipset but was without the digital sound effects section or any [[Digital-to-analog converter|DAC]]. The SSDB would use the host sound card for final output.
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[[File:Esselitenoesp.jpg|thumb|[[Ensoniq Soundscape Elite|Soundscape Elite]]]]
* [[Ensoniq Soundscape Elite]] was Ensoniq's high-end ISA offering. It offered the highest MIDI quality of any PC sound card they ever made, including the newer AudioPCI. The Elite was based mostly around the S-2000, with some additional features that set it far apart from its progenitor.
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[[File:Soundscapeopus.jpg|thumb|[[Ensoniq Soundscape OPUS|Soundscape OPUS]]]]
* [[Ensoniq Soundscape OPUS]] This card was a [[Gateway, Inc.|Gateway 2000]] [[Original equipment manufacturer|OEM]], and possibly was used by other OEMs, but was never sold to Ensoniq's customers directly. It was a Soundscape-like board, using the Ensoniq 5530/5535 OPUS multimedia sound chip, a chip that was only used on these OEM boards and essentially comprises an OTTO with back-then usual additional interfacing (Joystick, CD-ROM).
* Ensoniq Soundscape VIVO90 was Ensoniq's generational step forward from the Ensoniq Soundscape S-2000-based boards. It was first produced in 1996. VIVO90 had similar specifications to the older boards, but was built to cost less to manufacture.
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=== AudioPCI ===
[[File:Ensoniq ES1370 1.jpg|thumb|upright|[[AudioPCI]]]]
* [[Ensoniq AudioPCI]] The AudioPCI was designed to be a low-cost, yet feature-rich audio solution, which could be integrated on computer motherboards as a value-added option. It consisted of little more than a small, host CPU driven audio chip (one of the following: S5016, ES1370, ES1371) and a companion [[Digital-to-analog converter|DAC]]. Despite its small size and low cost, AudioPCI still offers nearly all of the audio capabilities and functionality of the Soundscape ELITE card. The AudioPCI line used an [[Non-maskable interrupt|NMI]]-based emulation [[terminate-and-stay-resident]] (TSR) program Ensoniq developed to provide a reasonable level of legacy DOS compatibility without requiring any signals from the ISA bus, though the TSR could cause problems with games that relied on custom flavors of [[protected mode]].