Hear some sounds: Ensoniq SQ-80

[@kassandjohnbolles3522]

This was my first synthesizer. My wife and I were working as a duo and I was getting tired of having only the acoustic guitar for accompaniment. At the time this was one of the few boards out there with a sampled piano sound and it did the job for us. I wrote many sequences on this board. I later augmented the setup with an Alesis HR-16 drum machine. We did tons of gigs with this board. I still have it in my attic.

[@RetrolinearAudio]

An attic might not be the best place to keep one of these!

[@kassandjohnbolles3522]

@@RetrolinearAudio You are so right! I'm going to bring it down today!

[@johnny.storm-wolf]

@@kassandjohnbolles3522 Sell it, wish i could have one of these :D

[@chinossynthesizer705]

@@kassandjohnbolles3522 i have one how do you connect it to amplifier or speakers or something

[@wiredbassclarinet]

@@chinossynthesizer705 you…plug it in (is that a joke or did you expect that it would have built in speakers?)

[@mass-1128]

Just got mine as a gift from a friend today. The synth belonged to my friend's dad who were the first guy to start a guitar workshop in South Africa and was great friends of Paul Reed Smith. Although he was a guitar guy, he loved this synth.

[@gatosoul]

Ensoniq sounds great!

[@Daring2Win]

Great demo. I bought one of these for $50 from my high school in the late 90s & I'm still kicking myself for trading it for a cheap Pyle (of trash) microphone & crappy practice amplifier. Ugh. I was a stupid kid.

[@Johnsormani]

Yes that was a: a great deal and b: plain stupid haha

[@therealniksongs]

I'm afraid we've all made mistakes like that. I got a Juno 106 real cheap from the guitar player in my band and later sold it for I don't even remember how much (how little) and have regretted it ever since. But--having a TS-12 makes it hurt a little less! ;-)

[@dussie920]

Beautiful sounds! I really like it. Soooo eighties and so relaxing when played slowly.

[@gloraditch6915]

My first synth. Hated selling it. What's more...it was the best Midi controller I ever had; simply used an 8 channel patch bay on Midi Out and I could select all my rack synths from one menu screen on the SQ80. Had great keybed, too.

[@འབྲུག-ན2ཅ]

This is an insane synth

[@george.s.8491]

Amazing the sounds you can get out that !

[@axs203]

Oh my this sounds great............you are playing some nice stuff as well........I want an SQ80 now!

[@wjniemi]

Great demo. I bet you'll be getting a lot of views with Arturia's emulation coming out. Thanks!

[@bobadingo]

I had a esq-1 and sq-80 even though the sq-80 was a step up from the esq-1 the sequencer was still very small and had to be careful with how many notes you laid down, the sequence of memory would disappear very quick and you wouldn't get much recording time but overall the sq80 was very easy to use and had some very unique sounds.. .

[@576557]

Really good sounds

[@YellowWalkman]

Still looks so cool.

[@therealniksongs]

Probably the best graphics of any Ensoniq. Love the gray (instead of just black which is so common) and the red stripe against the gray. And the certain buttons having their own color. Just looks great and so classy, too. Should have stayed with this look. Beautiful wood side panels would have been even better--but you can always add those, I guess, haha...

[@adamgray6862]

this is what Adamski used for his and Seal's hit Killer

[@martinkulik9466]

That's why I searched it

[@tonystevenson26]

Song reminds of a funkier just can't get enough, by Depeche. Very nice and nostalgic for me

[@Shred_The_Weapon]

From 3:33 to 3:51, it sounds like a hybrid of an analog preset on the Roland JX-8p and the CP70 emulation on another Roland model, the MKS-20.

[@klarenzjeong8031]

Hope it'd been on sale in Nakwon arcade in 2004 so that I could've got that as a sidekick of my XP-30

[@chinossynthesizer705]

Sounds pretty dam good

[@RikMaxSpeed]

Amazing! Interesting to hear the sound, superb demo of the sequencer, and fun to see the waiting times as it processes edits (quantising?) and saves!

[@Johannes_DC]

It is also available now as a VST from Arturia. Great sounding, with the inclussion of effects. I know it does not smell the same as a real one. But comes close,

[@thegamermasterprotgmp349]

nice performance!!!

[@adamgray6862]

this is what Adamski used for his and Seal's hit Killer

[@wifikraftofficial8645]

He used it serveral times in every songs he makes

[@bwc1976]

I hear a strong Jan Hammer soundtrack vibe coming through in this, are you a fan of his?

[@འབྲུག-ན2ཅ]

Great playing

[@radiadorproducciones]

Love my sq 80.............

[@azaz6872]

Can you tell me is this misty sound from the main melody in the link from Ensoniq?

[@alexbergmann2817]

that piano

[@zackmedic4999]

is that first piano patch a stock preset? it’s so pretty sounding.

[@djstroke4810]

Where is? attack release, decay, sustain, in this synth? help me please!

[@calvin808]

There are 4 Envelope Generators that have the stages Attack, Decay, Etc...front panel, right side.

[@finbarrmcgrath1686]

Very nice

[@Coronaboii88]

Just copped mine from Arturia. I’m in love maaan!! 😩😂

[@bengsynthmusic]

First piano sounds like Imagine.

[@macronencer]

4:30 Wow it has PolyAT as well? And such wonderful sounds. I previously knew very little about this machine... how much did it cost when it was released?

[@marklewis4024]

$1895 is what I paid for mine. I bought it new. It's still my main synth, I'd never sell it.

[@chinossynthesizer705]

@@marklewis4024 that's crazy

[@marklewis4024]

@@chinossynthesizer705 when they were new that was the price they sold for but I bought it in January/February 1989.

[@chinossynthesizer705]

@@marklewis4024 I bought one like 2 days ago it's my first synthesizer how do I connect it. it's gonna take me years to learn this synth to it's full capabilities. Also this synth is kinda rare and underrated

[@marklewis4024]

@@chinossynthesizer705 you can use headphones, the line outs need to be connected to a mixer or amplifier. It’s actually a very straightforward synth, I can try to help you. It can play up to 8-9 multiple sounds simultaneously amongst the 8 dynamically assigned voices. So you could use the internal sequencer or use it as a MIDI sound module.

[@Sancld]

I had one. One of My best machines I made a mistake to sell it😢 Wrong decision Now btw the machines £ have 2 SD1 32notes expanded Cz1 tx802 s760 waldorf microwave proteus 2000 spd8 roland phantom expander digitech dsp 128 alesis sr 16 and midiverb iii Etc.......❤

[@chinossynthesizer705]

Mines, too, the sq-80 was truly special. im sure behringer could remake them.

[@rochacol2473]

what are the differences between the sq80 and the esq1, because they both looks so similar

[@therealniksongs]

SQ 80 is like a "next generation" of the ESQ-1. It might have been more logical if they had called it the ESQ-2, but Ensoniq was never very consistent or logical with their product naming.

[@Sancld]

More waveforms and the floppy drive❤

[@mikenowacki9729]

What are the cartridges you have

[@RetrolinearAudio]

Sound Crystal 1, 3 also have one called "vahalla" . SQ80's sold and off to a new home!

[@elmariachi5133]

Turricaaaaaaaaaaaan! xD

[@Mute67]

Is it still for sale?

[@liselotbautistabrito7031]

Tengo uno de eso quiero venderlo

[@liselotbautistabrito7031]

Lo quieren es una reliquia

[@0MARKETY]

Mejor guardalo subirà de precio

[@titotroncoso6708]

Yo lo quiero de que pais eres ??

[@pablo9227]

Acabo de conseguir uno lo renové se mira casi nuevo!! Canal pablo9227

[@galwaytribesman9289]

Some of those factory presets are such rubbish

[@Rhythmattica]

3:10 The only time TRUMP was a winner!