How to use: Ensoniq EPS 16+ / Ten Things to Know

[@drnockaable]

This is the best EPS 16 + video out there. Its straight to the point and simple.

[@SpikesStudio3]

I have owned mine since 1992 and yet i will be enthralled to watch your presentaion, in the hope of discovering something that might have slipped me by. 👍

[@ThePlughugger]

I hope you'll find something of use in the video. It's a great sampler.

[@hebreww6053]

This is high demanding! Please make more videos and longer ones.

[@ThePlughugger]

Thanks for your encouragement. I'll try to make more of these.

[@arthurcrime]

I used to have one,, I added a scsi drive, I used it live for 3 or 4 years, I remember once our singer was dancing too close to the drive, it spun down in the middle of a song, and the EPS ground to a halt, I got quite a few angry stares. Excellent synth though.

[@ThePlughugger]

Was this long time ago? I would never dare to bring an Ensoniq on stage. Especially not the ASRs. They overheat too easily.

[@arthurcrime]

@@ThePlughugger late 80's, now I use nord wave 2.

[@ThePlughugger]

Yeah - the Nord Wave is way better suited for live work.

[@Einnor084]

Used my EPS-16 plus, often, onstage. Never any problem, xcept load time. Did FINALLY get a CD - Rom drive, & connected it to SCSI. Never found out, how 2 burn my own CD - Rom disk, from xisting floppy disk, 4 use during live performance. Anybody know how 2 git floppy disk soundz, on CD - Rom disk?

[@EannaButler]

I appreciate you Plughugger! And a Haiku while in the flow? That's epic!

[@ThePlughugger]

Using the EPS gives you time to ponder the deeper questions in life... :) Thanks! Glad you liked it!

[@mikejennings4549]

That was great. I've used this sampler quite a lot and I still learned new things.

[@icreatedthisaccounttocomme8485]

Thank you for making this video! My father loaned me his old one and I have been struggling to find any good information on it. I am glad that my struggle is over! Great stuff.

[@ThePlughugger]

Your father is a man with great taste! Have fun with playing around with the Ensoniq. You can really get some incredible sounds out of it. Just be patient. It's truly ancient tech :)

[@salmonella4u]

I still have my EPS classic version (not plus + version). I was in the market for a keyboard way back then. There was a representative from Ensoniq at a local music store, demonstrating the brand new models in their line up. It was the EPS and the VFX synth. He sold me on the "cutting edge" idea behind them. I put my order in for the EPS. It was $1800 (US). I got a lot of use out of it. Of course it had it's glitches, but I tolerated them. 15 years ago or so, I went to start it up one day and it wouldn't load the OS disk. I read that there was an inherent issue that caused this, such as debris in the system or something. I don't even remember now. I don't know who I would even take it to now to try to remedy the problem. Also, by now, I believe there is an internal battery, so by now, it's probably leaked and maybe caused a mess inside. I don't know. If anyone knows where I could send the unit to have it fixed so I can use it once again, it would be great. i still have the main library that it came with plus the whole Signature Series library (except for one, which was stolen). I still have my floppies that have recordings direct from the EPS. Then the next thing is, can this work with the Studio One DAW? Studio One is for 64 bit operation and there is an app that will let me use 32 bit peripherals, but what about the EPS, which is only 16 bit? Thoughts and advice, please?🤔😬

[@ThePlughugger]

I' not in the US so I can't help you with people who can service it for you, but since Ensoniq was an American brand I don't think it would be too hard to find people who can help you. Regarding the bits - you are talking about the grey original EPS, right? Not the 16+? If my memory service me right, the classic EPS was 12 bits. But those things doesn't matter when working with your DAW. If it sounds good, it is good :)

[@salmonella4u]

@@ThePlughugger I agree with, "If it sounds good, it is good". But apparently, Studio One won't even work with 32 bit apps without an off market app that allows it to happen on it, let alone a 16 or 12 bit. I have the first version EPS (grey). I thought at least that it was 16 bit. It wasn't that much different than the "Plus" issued EPS if I remember. I used to be able to find potential specialists who might be able to fix the remedy, but that was years ago now. By now, I'm sure that most technicians who service keyboards are perhaps too young to even know what the EPS was. lol.

[@JimmyHandtrixx]

you may need to have the Capacitors changed and battery if there is one...maybe some cables are just loose

[@garycoots5629]

I have the 16+ and the connectors get corroded easily. About every year, I open it up and unplug one connector at a time, cleaning each one with Deoxit. You might try this to bring the old EPS back to life! Good luck.

[@salmonella4u]

@@garycoots5629 I don't know if I want to tackle disassembling and getting inside the unit. I'm worried that I may not be able to reassemble it in the end. I wonder, that even though my 16 was always stored inside at room temperatures, usually in a closet, so I wonder if that still would need to be inspected. I am pretty sure, that if the old internal battery might leak, that it probably did. Also one time, back around 1993, of all things, my cat just happened to be just above where I had the keyboard. He was on the counter bar, just overlooking where the keyboard was sitting on it's stand. Low and behold, he puked right on the keyboard. Of all the bad timing and places, right there of course! Where else. So I tried to clean it off the unit and around one of the track buttons as best I could, but I never could get it all out. It affected the button and made it unusable. But I don't think it has to do with it not initializing.

[@Einnor084]

SD Card Reader....... Any particular brand? Who salez them? Can I copy data from floppy disk, 2 dis reader?!?

[@ThePlughugger]

I bought mine from SamplerZone. Expensive but they are experts with old samplers.

[@Einnor084]

@@ThePlughugger Thank you, 4 da nfo. I really appreciate you! I bought a CD Rom player, 4 use wit SCSI, but I never learned how to get soundz off of floppy disk, & burn them 2 CD Rom disk.

[@ThePlughugger]

@@Einnor084 Speak with SamplerZone. They know all that stuff.

[@Einnor084]

@@ThePlughugger I'M SUBSCRIBED!!! SMH bcause ur kind helpfulness. Not quite n tearz, BUTT I'ma subscribe!

[@Einnor084]

@@ThePlughugger I LIKED, too.