ENSONIQ ESQ-1 - Synth Demo | Sounds, Patches & Presets

Ensoniq ESQ-1 synth demo featuring sounds, patches and presets. The ESQ-1 is a vintage digital / analog hybrid synth released by Ensoniq in 1985. This Ensoniq ESQ-1 synthesizer demo showcases various sounds including pads, basses, fx, bells, strings, drums and more.
Released in 1985, the Ensoniq ESQ-1 has 61 velocity-sensitive keys, 8 voices of polyphony, 9-part multi-timbrality, 24,000 note & 8-track sequencer, 3 oscillators, 3 LFOs, 4 envelope generators, low-pass resonant filter, MIDI and storage for 40 internal patches (expandable via cartridge).
The ESQ-1's 3x oscillators are digital and use a custom Ensoniq chip to generate 32 different waveforms. The low-pass filter uses a CEM 3379 chip however does not fully self-oscillate and is only 32-steps of resolution. The VCA is also fully analog. In addition, the Ensoniq ESQ-1 can respond to polyphonic aftertouch via MIDI.
The Ensoniq ESQ-1 also features amplitude modulation, oscillator sync, monohponic mode and portamento. Programming is done via the buttons and data slider on the front panel, however changes do not take effect until the subsequent key press. Sequences of up to 999 bars can be chained to songs for massive performances.
The Ensoniq ESQ-1 has a classic digital / analog hybrid sound from the mid 80s and is a workhorse synth that continues to be loved and appreciated to this day. It is very fully featured and despite the lack of knobs and sliders, is fairly quick to edit. If you are interested in early hybrid synth sounds from the 1980s, the Ensoniq ESQ-1 is a great choice.
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#ensoniq #esq1 #synth #synthesizer

[@Peter-W1]

Nice to se they still work , i was working as a Ensoniq "warranty" service engineer back in the late 80´s when they came out 😎

[@mathumphreys]

The build quality is generally awesome. Did you every have to service the delicate spring contacts used in the keybed. I just "serviced" mine as it had a velocity issue. I was pretty nervous as I don't think I can get replacement springs anymore.

[@SeverityOne]

My ESQm, which I acquired recently, works pretty well. It looks stunning, too. Contrary to myself, it doesn't look much older than it did in the 1980s...

[@therealniksongs]

@@mathumphreys The y generally used Fatar actions so you can probably still get parts.

[@Johnsormani]

@@therealniksongsI don’t think the early ensoniqs used fatar. They changed a lot during the early years. Fatar came when they offered weighted keybeds as I recall. And even if, fatar changed their manufacturing so often over the years that you have zero chance of finding compatible parts

[@Johnsormani]

My esq1 story. Back in the early 80s I was playing keys in a band and had a moog source, a juno 6 , and a dx7 when it came out. In 1985,I heard the Ensoniq mirage for the first time live and I was sold. I needed to have one, buT I saw issues with using samples live with my band. So when the esq1 hit the market in 1986, I immediately bought one and sold the juno 6 for little money( I hated that thing). It was my main synth from that time until the late 90s. It was such an underrated tool live. You could hold a chord and select a next patch in the mean time . Nobody else could do this. Or have fast access to 8 sounds that you had programmed in the sequencer. I still own that unit today and about 8 years ago I started to collect more Ensoniq synths and samplers. I now have 21 ( I think) from the esq1 to the halo and most boards in between. But still somehow the Esq is my home synth

[@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!!!

[@HereXEG]

Do you know what setting it was at to replicate their sound?

[@DankePlace]

you can see why these are so popular, and they can sound modern too.

[@synth4ever]

Yes, it has a distinct hybrid tone that is very retro-futuristic!

[@Observe-n-Learn]

Great demo, thanks. Ensoniq was so innovative. Wavesample playback through analog filters, a poor man's PPG for sure. The SQ-80 had poly aftertouch. We have come full circle with modern synths that have returned to this architecture. Very underrated and can be had for cheap.

[@synth4ever]

Thanks! Agreed, there is a lot under the hood here and the digital / analog hybrid nature is back once again. Great to see the tradition continue into modern times.

[@Johnsormani]

Well , poor is relative. These synth were enough money also back then ( ask me how I know 😅) . But a ppg, a jpm8 a memorymoog, and an ob8 we unobtanium, back then in the early 80s, ………. Until the dx7 hit the market and killed them all off

[@SolidtraxNL]

From the inventors of the C64 - also an amazing piece of kit 🙂- and gets even better, more modern and easy to use with a StereoPing controller. You made us realise that we should create some sounds for this synth as well some day. Thank you for sharing this with the world, much appreciated!

[@synth4ever]

Thank you for watching and the comment! Glad there is a Stereoping controller, that really opens it up!

[@therealniksongs]

That's right. The Ensoniq founders were all renegades from Commodore. Commodore had no interest in marketing musical instruments.

[@SolidtraxNL]

Glad they were renegades@@therealniksongs

[@claudioquintanilla1471]

yeahh!!! Bob Yannes developed the 6581 SIDChip on MosTechnology/Commodore. the mighty C64 long live forever!!!

[@MacBeatsByGoldClaggettt-wf6vu]

This sounds from this Synth are timeless awesome video thanks for sharing and a Happy New Years to all that’s reading this comment!

[@SidBarnhoorn]

Excellent! I love my ESQ-1! 😊🎶🎉

[@TheDjpredator]

I use to have one back in the 90s, heady keyboard but special sound, didn't use it a lot in my productions but enjoyed playing it, the keyboard is nice.

[@TheDaydreamSound]

Always good to see the ESQ-1 on display!

[@synth4ever]

Thanks, glad you enjoyed!

[@Josephhoward28]

Just listening to this for the first time tonight, REALLY enjoy the sounds this synth makes. I bought a dx7 a few years ago from a Mexican polka band for $120 only to sell it in 2020 while I lived at a monastery… really miss that one. But this may be a nice replacement as I rebuild my studio, this synth is definitely on my watch list Edit* I bought this synth and the Analog Audio patches, I will say certainly not disappointed. Needed a little servicing by replacing the battery, but that was a pretty easy fix.

[@Markfoster01]

what a fantastic instrument... got so much depth and character

[@synth4ever]

Indeed!

[@Shred_The_Weapon]

It’s great to know that the chime sound you triggered at 14:12 could be heard elsewhere than the Yamaha DX product line the same time that product line was being marketed.

[@synth4ever]

It's a lovely sound, those chimes sound great

[@DennisCaunce]

I loved my esq1. I also had a mirage rack mount sampler. Great combo.

[@HereXEG]

Tell me more about this cause it sounds like the duration I want to go in with mine.

[@Bananskuden]

Thanks for sharing. The ESQ-1 sounds a lot like the Prophet 12. Or rather, the Prophet 12 sounds a lot like this! - which shouldn't be too surprising considering their similar hybrid architecture.

[@synth4ever]

Yes indeed, they do share similarities in that regard... although the P12 can go much further. Still, it's great to enjoy the early incarnations. :)

[@Meteotrance]

Very versatile synth it can sound like a simili PPG wave to a DX7 or even an oberheim and a wavestation but have also a lofi quality that can make deep pad or bass.

[@MorbidManoeuvres]

this is a legendary, all time greatest synth of mine. and im selling one

[@DreamscapesMusicCinema]

Super cool 😎! Thanks so much for your awesome Demo of this wonderful Synthesizer. Mark Bensette Aux Bois 🇨🇦.

[@synth4ever]

Thanks, glad you liked it!

[@_P_M_]

It's a shame no one ever reverse-engineered the OS to turn the sequencer into an arp or give more immediate access to some of the parameters. ESQ-1 is the most 80's sounding synth I can think of. Every patch sounds like it belongs in a John Hughes film.

[@synth4ever]

perhaps a future project for someone to undertake... that would be fantastic, as well as real-time updates to parameters without requiring the next key press! ESQ-1 certainly sounds like it's from the 80s, no doubt.

[@Johnsormani]

Ask buchty. He is the one person on earth that knows everything and more about the esq1. I’m pretty sure it would be possible to make a mod matrix that would be usable but now way this would be programmable. It would need the sort of reverse engineering that encore did for moog the source or vecoven for jx10 . It’s just not feasible anymore today

[@totallyfrozen]

I had an ESQ-1 from ‘89 to 2012 (mine was manufactured in ‘86 or ‘87). I gigged with that synth and made a super convincing Hammond B3 patch for it. I put a Leslie effect on the wheel so that I could simulate the rotary speaker speeding up and slowing down. One night I was on stage at a bar and we played a song where I used that organ patch. Heads turned. One guy walked up to the stage and started staring at my hands. No doubt he was wondering, “how is he doing that?” It’s a big, heavy board. I had to sell it when I moved because I couldn’t drag it 4,000 miles across country with me. Man, I REALLY miss that board. I’ve searched high and low for another synth that is that rich, but I have found any like it. 3 wave form oscillators, numerous wave forms to choose from, 3 LFO’s, 3 DCA’s. Whew! What a rich board! BTW, I used one of the DCA’s to add an overdrive effect to my Hammond patch. So live, I could literally increase the value of a specific DCA by 2 clicks and make it sound OD’d like some of the 60’s and 70’s rock groups. The ESQ-1 lets you fool with parameters in real time so you can tweak sounds on stage without overwriting a patch. The damned board is just golden!

[@synth4ever]

Great history with your ESQ-1. Hopefully you can get another one someday.

[@chrisdigiuseppe7717]

I have the SQ-80. Such cool machines! Nothing sounds like them, even today.

[@synth4ever]

Indeed, exceptional designs from that era and still sound great today!

[@nickpelkey]

Picking one up tomorrow. May grab a parts unit while I'm at it.

[@HOLOCULT]

Sounds awesome! Reminds me of my dx11!

[@cortical1]

I love my ESQ-M. Won't ever part with it. Every time I use it again after a delay, it impresses me all over again.

[@synth4ever]

Wonderful to hear! Sometimes all it takes is some time away to appreciate our gear.

[@luisbarrera5740]

there's something special about 8 bit waves. Idk what it is. Just sounds nice to the ear. Really wish they would re-release this with a modern interface

[@mediacreationsusa]

Had an Sq80 - and I think I owned every synth since... I didn't buy the ASR 10 and maybe that was why they went out! - Long Live Ensoniq - I still have my Original EPS with like 10000 samples and a VFX-SD, which was my favorite ensoniq synth... it's an SD1 now I think :-) these all will become very valuable in about 20 years....

[@synth4ever]

Wow you've owned a lot! What was your favorite? Hopefully they continue working for another 20+ years

[@mediacreationsusa]

@@synth4ever that was just Ensoniq - I liked having an EPS 16 with the VFX-SD - you could really get anything you needed between them - but there are lots of great synths - I loved some of the roland synths - namely the JV series... they have a vintage synth module that really is darn close! Gun to my head fav synth by Ensoniq was the SD1, which was sort of the "best" version of what started with the ESQ-1 - the whole Transwave synth concept... the built in effects were great on those boards too... (starting with the VFX)

[@kgbinfo]

Some really great sounds here. I had one years ago. What killed it for me was only having a few useable settings for filter resonance. It gets ugly fast!

[@synth4ever]

It's unfortunate there's only 32-steps for the filter resonance, and also that it's not real-time... but it's still usable!

[@killswitchmediastudios]

Still have mine along with a TS10.

[@MegaFredriks]

Best synth ever 👌🏻

[@MoxieSynth-pu4py]

WOW Cool sounds!

[@synth4ever]

Thanks!

[@antoniorusso5149]

I just got a 3rd Wave hoping to catch some of the ESQ'1 magic. Well 3rd Wave is great but it doesn't sound this warm despite it having an analog SSM style filter. I had an ESQ'1 back in the early 90's. Wrote some amazing songs on it.

[@chinossynthesizer705]

You can try to sample the waveforms but this is hard to know.

[@moonandmelodies]

Great stuff , thank you !

[@synth4ever]

Thanks for watching!

[@WildChildMcCloud]

The Skinny Puppy synth!

[@LtdBoomer]

From a better time, when every new innovation was not within everyone's reach, whether due to lack of money or ignorance. A time when electronics pioneers were seen like gods. Today, everything is just gray in gray. A great instrument from a great, exciting time.

[@OscillatorCollective]

Probably the most robustly built synth I ever owned…sounded great too.

[@synth4ever]

Indeed, very solid build and craftmanship!

[@Johnsormani]

Well the powersupply design was not that great

[@Lenamusic]

Awesome Thank you

[@synth4ever]

Thank you Lena!

[@mart3600]

I had an ESQ1 in 1986 and I wish I had never sold it,the Arturia software version of the later model the SQ80 sounds nothing like

[@Johnsormani]

But is a nice piece of software because of the mod matrix

[@Buzzleclaire44]

4:52 --> remind me Radiohead Kid A intro

[@NitroYuri]

God, what memories, I bought an SQ-80 in 1988 and had it for about 5 years. Could you tell me the name of the preset that appears at minute 17:40? (which sounds like a jet taking off) I've been looking for it now that I have the Arturia emulation of that SQ-80.

[@synth4ever]

Hey there, that patch is on cartridge B1 and is called F-111. It's in the ESQ-1 screen (underlined on bottom right)!

[@NitroYuri]

@@synth4ever Great, I got it thanks!!!

[@xrostr2K09]

Superb.

[@synth4ever]

Thanks!

[@emanuelescigliano3586]

2:23 whats the name of this patch?

[@synth4ever]

It says on the screen "GLDBEL" - Glide Bell most likely.

[@martinbogado9243]

Thank you for sharing this. I've got two questions, are these the factory patches? and also, is there a VST you would recommend that has the Ensoniq ESQ-1 sounds?

[@synth4ever]

These are factory patches I believe. Not sure about VSTs.

[@tommyfeinstoff]

Is 18:30 a stock preset of the synth?

[@josemanuelapariciorodrigue3933]

Wonderfull!! Could you say me please, are the original factory sounds?

[@synth4ever]

Yes I believe these are the original presets that come with the synth and cartridges.

[@josemanuelapariciorodrigue3933]

@@synth4ever thank you!!

[@littlebritain64]

Has already been written that there is a freeware Vst version of the SQ-80?

[@senormidi2142]

Thank you so much for sharing this fantastic video. I wonder what name of the sound is in minute 2;03.

[@synth4ever]

GLDBEL on cardtridge A3

[@senormidi2142]

@@synth4ever Thank you so much!

[@HereXEG]

What version is this? Mine is 2.0. I have a Roland gp-16 digital rack unit for my guitar. Can I saftely run my esq1 through it? Great demo, can you show us how to write to the card?

[@synth4ever]

Hey there, not sure on version - I borrowed this synth from a friend to film the demo and don't have it anymore.

[@studiowerkvier6988]

the patch @2:20 is insane... did you make it or is it on a cartridge? thx

[@synth4ever]

Thanks, these are all presets on the synth, in this case Cartridge 3

[@christhedemocrat]

Which is better; the ESQ-1 or the Yamaha Sy77?

[@synth4ever]

Tough one but I'd go for the SY77 as it has FM + AWM. ESQ1 is a nice vintage hybrid though.

[@Johnsormani]

Totally different beasts

[@christhedemocrat]

@@Johnsormani I had the ensoniq sq1 but I sold it after a couple days I didn't really give it a chance I didn't even change the battery in it But my Yamaha SY77. I love. So deep a rich

[@ytpremium7649]

Kills the DX7

[@tommyfeinstoff]

Are all of these stock presets of the synth?

[@synth4ever]

Yes

[@mathumphreys]

I miss my ESQ-1 :(. I shouldn't have sold it.

[@unisonosc1617]

ugh same!

[@tomhikon]

@@unisonosc1617 I've bought/sold many synths, but the esq-1 is the only synth I sold that I ended up buying back. I missed it alot.

[@mathumphreys]

Well, here we are 8 months later and I've got an ESQ-1 again!! I'm so happy to have one again. This is a metal face in immaculate condition - I love it!!

[@chinossynthesizer705]

I miss my sq-80 but it broke I have to buy a new one.

[@liouxliouxisgod]

“Winner…takes nothing”