ENSONIQ ESQ-1 Demo - first Impressions and overview of the 1986 digital wavetable synthesizer

[@MarioRossi-xo6im]

Hi! With this wonderful synthesizer, the Swedish super duo of Roxette, created the legendary song "The Look", N°1 in 32 countries in the world, (Record!!..) including USA, and ITALY!!! The sound of the song "The Look" is truly something exceptional, the atmosphere they have managed to create is truly Incredible, even listening to it today one is left speechless!!!

[@williambrown319]

Last year I got lucky, picked up one of these new in the box at the local thrift store/goodwill for 60 american. LOVE it.

[@MaikSchott]

Congrats!

[@ptkelly80]

Bloody hell....I paid $400 for mine... not new in the box. LOL

[@oiartsun]

I got to play with one as a teenager in the late 80s when a lodger at my house let me try it out a few times. It was the first time I really felt I was playing with a true synthesizer and not some rinkydink Casio toy that I had been exposed to as a child. I also played around with one I borrowed in my twenties, in the mid '90s, and finally took the opportunity to record some samples, but really I always felt I just scratched the surface. It is the synth on which I learned how much I love the sometimes beautifully haunting and sometime deliciously harsh sounds of multiple-operator FM-synthesis, which set me on the path towards delving deeper into synthesis.

[@MaikSchott]

Glad to hear that the ESQ1 has inspired more musician than I thought. I totally agree - I am also fascinated by the Individual characteristic of the sounds. It has very warm analoge elements combined with what you call harshness of the FM synthesis of a DX7 or Synclavier.

[@neonvoid]

8:10 love the filter. Just ordered an Ensoniq ESQ-M, the rack based version. Super excited. The fact that the same person designed this who put together the SID chip in the Commodore already sold this to me. :) Great video, thank you!

[@StarfieldBound]

Two thumbs up. One for playing lovely patches on one of my favorite synths (I need to get mine fixed), another thumbs up for the lunch break. Looked delicious!

[@MaikSchott]

Thanks a lot - the fish and potato mix was a killer 😁

[@BananasananaB]

The vacuum fluorescent display is the gem of that synth, synthesis aside.

[@richarddoherty5473]

This was my first synth that I bought in 1986 and I am about to buy a used one… thanks for the detailed review !

[@wholeheartedsongs]

now you bought one used how do you like it cause I'm considering the same thing? The 8 sequencer intrigues me.

[@richarddoherty5473]

@@wholeheartedsongs it is mostly better than I remembered. The digital stepping of parameters and their range is a bit limiting in sound design at times and lack of a headphone jack are my biggest complaints. I like how I can set up a sequence and each track has a separate midi channels out to a different synth.

[@mathumphreys]

Wow, you showed more in your first impressions and overview than most people show in an in depth review. You're such a great sound designer it would be so awesome if you revisited the ESQ1 again with some sound design type episodes (80s sounds maybe?). Anyway, great video!

[@MaikSchott]

Thank you 🙏✴️✴️

[@Rhabarbe]

Yeah. Finally a video where someone goes throught the waveforms. Great.

[@shawnaebbeson7882]

I have a number of Ensoniq synths in my studio, including the VFX, VFX-SD, a couple of SQ-R+/32, and a couple more. They are the next generation of these (not counting the SQ-80), but lack some of the warmth of the ESQ and SQ-80. I have considered getting an ESQ or SQ-80 for those bigger pad sounds. They sound very good. Thank you for your video, sir :)

[@MaikSchott]

You are welcome :)

[@jeffherald8542]

Thank you for this video. It's hard for a novice who has one of these to figure out how all of this works. Much appreciated.

[@MaikSchott]

Thank you!

[@Synthshop]

Nice to see you have a channel now. I have to order that new 80's patch set for the wavestate. The one I bought for the korg minilogue XD hit the mark. This one even seems better!

[@FLH3official]

Colle video, thank you. Ensoniq made quite good machines in theses times. It's unfortunate this company vanished. My very 1st sampler was an EPS, bought new, and now I've an EPSm in my "old samplers" rack.

[@MaikSchott]

They indeed made very unique synths! Had an ASR as well, the successor of your EPS I think. What a great maschine!

[@FLH3official]

@@MaikSchott I think the ASR was the successor of the sucessor, the successors of the EPS were the EPS 16 and EPS 16+ (yeah, 16 bits! What a progress, we were in the future! 😎 )

[@MaikSchott]

Yes you are right. Had erased the 16+ out of my mind 😁

[@FLH3official]

@@MaikSchott We became old... 👨🏻‍🦳

[@MaikSchott]

Let's leave it at #experienced! 😁

[@LFOVCF]

best demo ive seen

[@Synthshop]

Btw, I have an ESQr. Wish it had the built-in sequencer the keyboard does. Ensoniq did things so well back then. Top engineers who were musicians who spared no last detail. And the build quality of every ensoniq I've had or used was first rate. Sounded rich, detailed and crisp in solid 3D way like you expect from hardware, and the way their gear was mechanically designed FELT the same way. I cant think of one Ensoniq piece th as t had a flimsy plastic feel to it. But I can name dozens of Roland products that do, despite Roland having being excellent build quality like Ensoniq in the eighties. Ensoniq was always consistent and had few problems, which to my recollection and experience diligently fixed.

[@mindphaser23]

Fantastic and informative video! Thank you for this. Cheers!

[@MaikSchott]

Glad you liked it. Thanks!

[@CobraTheSpacePirate]

I had one as well as an SQ-80 (which I still have today!)

[@MaikSchott]

Definitely one of the most underrated synths of the 80s

[@norakat]

I always wanted this keyboard as a kid but couldn’t afford it. And even today has wonderfully low fi sounds. Arturia should model it. Thanks so much for making this review. Takes me back..

[@MaikSchott]

Thank you! I heard of an emulation of the SQ80 - but yes, there should be a company have it remodeled!

[@h.jansen7120]

Best ESQ Emu its der SQ8L VST von Siegfried Kullmann, klingt perfect nach 80er.

[@wholeheartedsongs]

appreciated this walkthrough. Can the sequencer contain individual tracks that are different lengths?

[@MaikSchott]

Uh, I honestly do not know that. I did not use the ESQ for a veeeery long time and never explored the sequencer into its whole deepness

[@eaglechildkeys]

Your playing is awesome. Really enjoying your videos Maik! :)))

[@MaikSchott]

Thank you very much✴️✴️

[@Lornnn]

that track is straight fire.

[@juno_musik6009]

Wirklich sehr gutes Vid vom esq. Bitte noch eins davon. 😅

[@MaikSchott]

Danke dir 🙏

[@smplewav]

Thanks for this demo. Love the song at 14:34! (remind me Propaganda)

[@MaikSchott]

Welcome Obersonic! Yah Propaganda could be a point - has a lot of 80's potential 😁

[@ericques9974]

I just changed the battery and all my sounds still say brass brass brass brass brass. Anyone know how to fix that please ?

[@marcelevertsproducties]

Nice to watch and listen to Maik!

[@MaikSchott]

Thanks a lot Marcel!

[@birdbrainsane]

This was an awesome overview and educational tutorial. Sadly I sold my ESQ1 in the 90s to go pure digital. I never thought to use the data slider to work filter and resonance while playing live :facepalm

[@MaikSchott]

Thanks a lot (also for the facepalm :) that is the thin line about selling and just taking the decision to never miss it again. I bought a Korg Prophecy a few years ago but then sold it. Now I miss it a bit.

[@lovemadeinjapan]

Wow, you know how to tango with this lady. Best demo on KZbin. How is the sequence made at 8:00. Does it have an arpegiator?

[@MaikSchott]

Thank you a lot! The ESQ-1 has a build in sequencer. With it I programmed that sequence.

[@DeepIodok]

esq-1 and sq-80 are so smart designed and fantstic sounding instruments! like every other ensoniq piece of gear though... and your wurli simulation around third minute is a Pure Bliss. thumbs thumbs thumbs

[@MaikSchott]

Thanks a lot for your comment. Glad to hear you liked it!

[@raulacevedo-esteves9493]

Thanks!

[@GlobalEnglishSupernaturals]

Sounds like beautiful space cat sound❣️ wish my cats would meow at me like that when nagging me to clean out there poo tray

[@ScottFichter]

14:48 dude you crack me up!

[@MaikSchott]

The microphone battle - yaah - I will never get used to that. I guess I have to buy one of these new sennheisers that hang above you.

[@ScottFichter]

@@MaikSchott Ha! What made me laugh was to see that I'm not the only one who gets frustrated with gear.

[@MaikSchott]

Totally! My most frustrating recent happening was when I forgot to record audio... after a 5 minute monologue with my camera 😬

[@mindphaser23]

OMG, I loved when things got real at this moment. I was literally laughing out loud.

[@crowsvendetta]

can you tell me what oscilators you used for your d'angelo wah sound? Its such a great patch

[@MaikSchott]

Uuh I must honestly say that I do not remember which Wave it was. I think it does not matter so much because I remember well that I use a lot of resonance and LFO on one DCO.

[@oliverbruder9207]

Cooles Teil Maik. Ich habe letztes Jahr auch einen ESQ-1 geerbt. Danke an Julio von John Diva

[@MaikSchott]

Hey Oliver - ja der Synth ist sehr inspirierend! Ich bekomme andauernd 80's Flashbacks, wenn ich die Sounds durchgehe 😁

[@DadoSimicStudiostriver]

is this synth good to be purchased in todays era for some hybrid synth tones similar to Korg DW8000? I cant find that second in my country for years, but recently i got offer to get ESQ1 for small cash so asking if you know maybe if i can get in that ballpark with creamy lead tones similar to those from DW8000? Kind regards.

[@MaikSchott]

Oh good question, sound is always very personal and subjective - you hear in my video some examples - it comes in some sounds a bit to close to those digital DX sounds but then warmer thanks to the analog filter. Was never my first choice for lead sounds but - when I would make a quick guess, I would say: if the Yamaha DX7 had an affair with the Korg M1, their child would be an ESQ-1!

[@DadoSimicStudiostriver]

@@MaikSchott Hm, but it seems much warmer then M1 and more lo fi to my ears from demos.

[@MaikSchott]

Exactly - because of the analog filter

[@Gazdatronik]

I've used both, the ESQ1 is the angry version of the DW8000, a similar archetecture, but in terms of smoothness the DW sounds like a legit analog most of the time, they tried hard to make the digital oscillators sound pretty, whereas you can do way more interesting percussive and bitcrushing and clashing sounds with the ESQ. The DW's ad2069 filters are more mooglike and the ESQ filters have the patented "Curtis Robot" sound.

[@kimdiez2681]

@@DadoSimicStudiostriver I have an ESQ-1 and it sounds HI FI to me loL !! But in all seriousness, In sure what you are referring to as "lo-fi" is not only because of an analog filter but, you do know that the samples are 8bit??

[@eyesintheskies]

Love this synth. Mines on the blink at the moment. Literally screen and parameters blinking up and down, hardly any sound. Anyone know anyone who fixes these beautiful beasts? (Uk)

[@MaikSchott]

Uuuh - wish I could give you an advice. I got an engineer here in Hamburg (D) who always fixes my synths.

[@Pan6888]

A classic and great synth its only disadvantage too few sounds per bank (not actually a disadvantage cause every synth of that era had very few sounds), is there a way to extract a patch that you like so you can make favourites banks ? I own one mint and want to avoid exchanging banks all the time. This video is one of the best around for this one cause it showcases many aspects of synthesis and capabilities.

[@MaikSchott]

Thanks a lot. I only know that you can of course put some banks on cartridges. You might be able to write banks via midi sysex

[@Pan6888]

@@MaikSchott Thanks Maik for the instant reply, my best bet then is to try and find a memory cartridge since whenever i try to send sx files to the esq this includes all 4X8 sounds, i was about to sell the synth for that stupid reason but now i watched your really nice and in depth video i will definitely keep that cause its pretty rare here where i live (based in Athens/Greece) just to imagine that i work with synths for more than 20 years and i never had the chance to find another one, i own the older metal version with OS 2.00 install which has not the ability to restore presets but maybe i havent looked more in detail in th manual jus to find out about transfering singe sounds and not whole banks, in general is a very easy synth to program cause there a re no menu diving at all like the infamous dx 7 which makes it in concept to be like an analog synth but with digtal oscilators and great sounding and smooth filters, also i really like sequencing whole songs in there syncing my Roland R5 another nice drum machine with 80s simmons samples that you can tune a lot with a lot of outs, directly to the sequencer like back in the pre software DAW days. Together sound record ready for my italo disco projects.

[@MaikSchott]

Yeah try that because it is also the most secure way. There might be some Progs like this app patch base that you can check out. I just read about it but did not try.

[@anonymous_friend]

@@Pan6888 Did you solve this? I just got one.

[@jacobdewolffmusicofficial2678]

Mega Sache.. Bin gespannt was mein erster synthie wird... kannst du was empfehlen welcher nicht soo teuer ist und der gut für Anfänger ist?

[@MaikSchott]

Wie hoch ist denn dein Budget?

[@jacobdewolffmusicofficial2678]

Maik Schott boah bin da eig offen geil wäre unter tausend das ich n Spar ziel hab

[@MaikSchott]

Wenn du etwas wirklich Altes haben möchtest, das aber wirklich ein reiner Synthie ist, kann ich dir den Juno 106 von Roland empfehlen. Der ist gut zum Einstieg in die analoge Klangwelt. Wenn du ein neues Gerät vorziehst, kann ich dir den Prologue 8 von Korg empfehlen. Der ist relativ übersichtlich und hat eine analoge Klangerzeugung plus einen digitalen Oszillator. Der Prologue ist sicher vielseitiger als der Juno

[@jacobdewolffmusicofficial2678]

Maik Schott okay und preislich weiter unten? Der geht ja schon ein bisschen in die Tausender..?!

[@MaikSchott]

@@jacobdewolffmusicofficial2678 check mal den Minilogue, der hat zwar kleinere Tasten, aber das ist dir evtl. nicht so wichtig.

[@thatawfulsound]

Really cool patches! Would there be a way to acquire these from you?

[@MaikSchott]

To be honest I never thought about that. It is a matter of effort.

[@thatawfulsound]

@@MaikSchott No worries. Mostly interested in the Wurlitzer-like patch. Any tips on how to program a sound like that?

[@MaikSchott]

Which one do mean exactly?

[@thatawfulsound]

@@MaikSchott Whoops. I meant the "wah" one that starts around 2:48

[@MaikSchott]

Ah I see. I think I played around with the resonance. Turned it up and let it sing

[@TheArpomni2]

What reverb you using please, sounds nice

[@MaikSchott]

I think I used the Valhalla Vintage Verb when I mixed the video . . . It got my favourite reverb in the last years.

[@TheArpomni2]

@@MaikSchott thank you for reply, always struggled with finding right reverbs, and find the good old spring reverbs always win with me, thanx again

[@italouruguayricano]

Can you do PWM with the ESQ1?

[@MaikSchott]

Nope - there is no pwm function. You can not really change the waves in the ESQ-1. In the TS-12 from Ensoniq you can change the start point of the Waveforms - even with the ModWheel.

[@9KznfiS87f7]

YES YOU CAN!! You can do it exactly as it's demonstrated on another video titled "Ensoniq SQ-80 demo 2 - Kirk Slinkard". There's a HUGE amount of moving wave capability in the ESQ-1, but it's not really covered in the owner's manual. Although the white noise generator is.

[@LD-eo8vc]

I really think it is very simmilar to KORG DW-8000 in sound and technical idea.

[@MaikSchott]

I owned a DW8000, too - but I found that they are quite different in sound. The ESQ-1 is more direct and agressive than the DW8000, which sounded always a bit soft, as far as I remember. (this is weird - I wrote an answer a few days ago to your comment, but I think it disappeared!)

[@Aliceinternetz]

it has multitembraility , it can emulate a mini very well with its 3 ocs and is a great poor mans OB 8 , you dont get that with todays analogue reproductions

[@chinossynthesizer705]

Your a analog freak still thinking about vintage stuff I do fm synthesis to fart on analog synths them old analog synths are expensive that y and overrated

[@FanTrombone]

still a monster synth.....

[@MaikSchott]

It really is. Still use it for productions

[@jm6734]

Dude! What is that fantastic drum machine? 😊👍🏼

[@MaikSchott]

Yes mate - Completely inspiring sounding classic!

[@jm6734]

@@MaikSchott Are these your own programmed drums? (or do I find these patches online.) My ESQ1 is not getting enough action over here 😅

[@MaikSchott]

I think I used some of my Eurorack Modules like the boom tschak and the bass drum module from MFB

[@jm6734]

@@MaikSchott alright, thanks. Like it!

[@cl9826]

So it is the "random" LFO actually random or can you hear it repeating the waveform?

[@MaikSchott]

When I can trust my ears it should be random

[@cl9826]

@@MaikSchott So it's not just the "noise" waveform from the OSC section repeating?

[@MaikSchott]

I did not dive so deep into the LFO section of the ESQ-1until now as it has not been so essential for my recordings etc.

[@Rhabarbe]

Raging Waters?

[@MaikSchott]

Totally - big inspiration

[@Rhabarbe]

Hi, ich bin Michael Mühlhaus und kenne DIch seit einer Ewigkeit aus der Ferne. Das erste Mal habe ich dich beim Landesrockwettbewerb NRW gesehen. Wir haben da auch gespielt. Platz 9. Später haben Barbara Morgstern und Sven Janetzko mir von Dir erzählt. (die kommen ja aus Hagen).

[@MaikSchott]

@Rhabarbe oh-das sind einige Jahrzehnte.

[@Handarimasta]

Cool vid.. but i think esq1 Is best labeled as hybrid digital waves Analog filter VCA synth. Def not a wavetable

[@MaikSchott]

Hi Juan, thanks for your Input. But I do not fully agree - the ESQ-1 is a wavetable synth in the aspect of getting the samples in the lookup table when you activate them (playing the keys). That is my understanding of a wavetable synth. Rompler with an analog filter could also be a simpler definition.

[@utubiot]

Hi Maik! first of all - I love this new series from you, keep on going! And I love to hear you playing live (looking forward to). I immediately bought an ESQ1, and I love its sounds! At medias res: Confusion with sample-based synthesis i guess - maybe here we mix up Wavetable and Waveshaping. Wavetable = Rompler; most people would define. As soon as it comes to a shaping/morphing/queueing of wavetables (Korg Wavestation etc) , we get to waveshaping!

[@MaikSchott]

Thanks a lot Binoy. Happy to hear that the Video is inspiring! And yah - it is sometimes confusing talking about wavetable and waveshaping - I think you have put the definition in the right words.

[@peterkadarmusic9728]

Excellent walk through and very good playing too!

[@MaikSchott]

Thanks a lot for your Feedback!

[@theouterplanet]

Get to the oscillator!!!

[@RorertoLombardo]

I bet a lot of Russians bought this keyboard!

[@twiff3rino28]

One of the more bizarre American synths. Same age as the Boeing 767-300 and Airbus A320 also. Gen Xers ruined innovation in aerospace.