2021/03 - Synth Controller for Ensoniq Mirage

1985 #Ensoniq released the #8-bit #Sampler "Mirage". Great features and sound but a nightmare to edit. In 2021 - just 36 years later - Stereoping offers a little #Midicontroller making things a little easier. For technical reasons, the Controller only works with #MASos - the "Mirage Advanced Sampling OS". It can not tune in absolute values as we are used to today. The Controller simulates button-presses on the frontpanel. When moving a knob it sends commands to the #Mirage like "press PARAM, press 3, press 6, press VALUE" to select Cutoff and show it's value on display. Moving the knob outside the 12 o'clock deadzone starts to send consecutive presses of INCREASE or DECREASE in 3 different speed grades to adjust the value itself. Sounds complicated but it works quite well.
This demo shows how to build a complete program with 11 samples and their upper and lower memory assignments in 5 minutes! Without Controller it would most probably take much longer (i must admit, i did not try it). The video uses a speedup to prevent sending spectators to sleep, hopefully. The background shows a real-world clock to proove it's not fake-demo.
From 3:27 the defined memory areas are filled with samples... choosing wavesample slot, adjusting external volume, starting sampling, adjusting sampling time for long samples etc.
From 6:57 the complete Program is used for a little Drum and Bass mockup - even with realtime adjusting of "AMP Release time" - kind of stutter effect :-)
Unless you own or know the Ensoniq Mirage, this video will be quite boring. Maybe you enjoy the background music, Tabla and Sitar are played by the Mirage.

[@sergiodallalana]

Bought it one week ago. Yes, programming is much faster, but even better is now playing the Mirage live :) the 3 speed grade knobs are so much fun!!! God bless you stereoping

[@stereoping]

Thank you very much for the kind feedback :-)

[@donaldfreeman3433]

The uptempo d’n’b groove at the end was wicked. Great work !

[@kevinsturges6957]

This is brilliant. Subscribed.

[@donaldfreeman3433]

Very cool track! Love the Ensoniq synths.

[@BoombapBodega]

The mirage sounds great!!!

[@videomove]

cooles demo, du bist der beste!

[@falangistavaleroso9689]

Congrats

[@Manjarow]

I need one !

[@iSirTaki]

Nicht schlecht. Lohnt sich das?, gibt es noch so viele Mirage User?

[@stereoping]

Die Edition wird sicher nicht der Megaseller aber es hat Spass gemacht die Edition zu entwickeln. und ich denke es gibt noch eine Menge Mirage Freunde. Der Sampler hat sich seinerzeit glaube ich recht gut verkauft.

[@h.s.7797]

How do you avoid the cycling flickering of the 7segment display?

[@stereoping]

it can not be avoided, it's the result of the Mirage's low CPU power. Using the Controller or pressing buttons manually does not make a difference here. It's the increasing number of simultaneous playing voices which make the flickering more and more obvious.

[@calyx93]

@@stereoping Yep - you learn to live with it. The display can really get bogged down, sometimes stopping altogether momentarily when very complex patching occurs - especially very short loops played at higher registers. Part of the charm.

[@Ancaja123]

Incredible! How does this connect to the mirage?

[@stereoping]

Thank you. The Controller's MIDI OUT is simply connected to Mirage's MIDI IN. The controller got it's own IN to connect to the DAW/Sequencer and forwards incoming mididata (Notes, Pitchbend etc.) to the Mirage. The data which will be merged by the Controller with the button press commands

[@RagedContinuum]

any chance for a software version?

[@stereoping]

no, sorry

[@tomboe8876]

wenn die mucke nicht so stressig wäre, könnte man sich besser auf die Effekte konzentrieren :)

[@user-eg4zk5ko3o]

Can we purchase one of these???

[@stereoping]

sure, just jump into my shop: stereoping-shop.com