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

[@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?

[@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.

[@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

[@Markfoster01]

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

[@synth4ever]

Indeed!

[@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.

[@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.

[@SidBarnhoorn]

Excellent! I love my ESQ-1! 😊🎶🎉

[@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!

[@_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.

[@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!!!

[@TheDaydreamSound]

Always good to see the ESQ-1 on display!

[@synth4ever]

Thanks, glad you enjoyed!

[@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

[@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.

[@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.

[@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. :)

[@DreamscapesMusicCinema]

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

[@synth4ever]

Thanks, glad you liked it!

[@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!

[@Howardlandscapingllc]

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.

[@MorbidManoeuvres]

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

[@Lenamusic]

Awesome Thank you

[@synth4ever]

Thank you Lena!

[@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!

[@xerostar2K09]

Superb.

[@synth4ever]

Thanks!

[@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.

[@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.

[@timbuk1126]

The Skinny Puppy synth!

[@OscillatorCollective]

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

[@synth4ever]

Indeed, very solid build and craftmanship!

[@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.

[@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.

[@littlebritain64]

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

[@nickpelkey]

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

[@tommyfeinstoff]

Is 18:30 a stock preset of the synth?

[@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.

[@HOLOCULT]

Sounds awesome! Reminds me of my dx11!

[@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!!!

[@liouxliouxisgod]

“Winner…takes nothing”

[@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!

[@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!

[@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.

[@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)

[@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!!

[@emanuelescigliano3586]

2:23 whats the name of this patch?

[@synth4ever]

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

[@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

[@tommyfeinstoff]

Are all of these stock presets of the synth?

[@synth4ever]

Yes

[@MegaFredriks]

Best synth ever 👌🏻

[@ytpremium7649]

Kills the DX7

[@moonandmelodies]

Great stuff , thank you !

[@synth4ever]

Thanks for watching!

[@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.

[@MoxieSynth-pu4py]

WOW Cool sounds!

[@synth4ever]

Thanks!

[@SynthgodXXX]

Deep digital dimensions! Warm where it needs it but it can make some incredible digital soundscapes! Great demo!

[@synth4ever]

Thanks Rik! Agreed, it certainly excels at those hybrid digital sounds!