Ensoniq ESQ-1 - Citizendia


ESQ-1 by Ensoniq
Synthesis type:		Analog Subtractive
Polyphony:		8 voices
Timbrality:		8
Oscillators:		3 digital oscillators per voice
Filter:		1 resonant low-pass per voice
Attenuator:		4 VCA (3 DCA, 1 VCA) Envelope - Four levels, four rates
LFO:		3 (triangle, saw, square and noise)
Keyboard:		61 keys
Velocity sensitive:		{{{velocity}}}
Aftertouch:		{{{aftertouch}}}
External control:		MIDI
Memory:		40 patches internal 80 extra with an expansion card
Onboard effects:		None
Produced:		1986 - 1988

Ensoniq ESQ-1 is a hybrid digital-analog synthesizer released by Ensoniq in 1986. Ensoniq Corp was an American Electronics manufacturer best known throughout the mid 1980s and 1990s for its Musical instruments principally Basics of sound When any mechanical collision occurs such as a fork being dropped sound is produced An analog synthesizer is a Synthesizer that uses analog circuits and Analog computer techniques to generate sound electronically Subtractive synthesis is a method of subtracting Harmonic content from a sound via Sound synthesis, characterised by the application of an Audio filter Polyphony is the property of an Electronic musical instrument which describes how many notes it can sound at one time An electronic musical instrument may be multitimbral, which means it can produce two or more Timbres ' (also called sounds or patches) at the same time Oscillation is the repetitive variation typically in Time, of some measure about a central value (often a point of Equilibrium) or between two or more different states An audio filter is a type of filter used for processing Sound signals. A low-pass filter is a filter that passes low- Frequency signals but Attenuates (reduces the Amplitude of signals with frequencies An attenuator is an Electronic device that reduces the Amplitude or power of a signal without appreciably distorting its The term low-frequency oscillation (LFO is an audio signal usually below 20 Hz which creates a pulsating rhythm rather than an audible tone A musical keyboard is the set of adjacent depressible levers or keys on a Musical instrument, particularly the piano MIDI ( Musical Instrument Digital Interface, ˈmɪdi is an industry-standard protocol that enables Electronic musical instruments Computers Year 1986 ( MCMLXXXVI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar) Year 1988 ( MCMLXXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar) Hybrid computers are computers that comprise features of Analog computers and Digital Computers The digital component normally serves as the controller and Ensoniq Corp was an American Electronics manufacturer best known throughout the mid 1980s and 1990s for its Musical instruments principally Year 1986 ( MCMLXXXVI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar) The ESQ-1 featured 8 voices with 3 digital oscillators per voice. Each oscillator could be set to 1 of 32 different waveforms. Some of these were standard simple waveforms such as sawtooth and triangle, while others were samples such as piano and voice. Each oscillator also had an associated DCA (not VCA) to control its volume in 256 steps. In addition to that, an ESQ1's voice featured 3 LFOs, 4 envelope generators, a 4-pole resonant analog lowpass filter (VCF), and a final VCA with left/right panning. The term low-frequency oscillation (LFO is an audio signal usually below 20 Hz which creates a pulsating rhythm rather than an audible tone A low-pass filter is a filter that passes low- Frequency signals but Attenuates (reduces the Amplitude of signals with frequencies It also sported a 61-key velocity-sensitive keyboard, full MIDI implementation, memory for 40 patches, a memory cartridge slot, and an 8-track sequencer. MIDI ( Musical Instrument Digital Interface, ˈmɪdi is an industry-standard protocol that enables Electronic musical instruments Computers A rackmount version called the ESQ-M was also released circa 1987, with the exact same specification minus the sequencer. The ESQ-1 was produced until 1988. Year 1988 ( MCMLXXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar)

When the ESQ-1 was first produced it was marketed as an affordable workstation synthesizer and was a follow up to the earlier and relatively successful Ensoniq Mirage sampler. The Ensoniq Corporation's Mirage was an 8-bit sampler introduced in 1985 Following the trend of many synthesizers in the early to mid 1980s it could be classed as an analog-digital hybrid - the oscillators and modulation matrix are fully digital in nature whereas the filters were analog circuits. The 1980s was the decade spanning from January 1 1980 to December 31 1989. A digital system uses discrete (discontinuous values usually but not always Symbolized Numerically (hence called "digital" to represent information for Analogue electronics (or analog in American English) are those electronic systems with a continuously Variable signal This enabled the ESQ-1 to sound like an analog synthesizer while at the same time reaping the benefits usually associated with digitally controlled parts, such as patch memories and the extreme stability of the oscillators, therefore making the ESQ-1 impervious to the infamous tuning problems that could be experienced with true analog synthesizers.

The 32 waveforms enabled the ESQ-1 to cover quite a lot of ground sonically. waveformogg|right|a sine square and sawtooth wave at 440 hz]] Waveform means the shape and form of a signal such as a Wave moving in a solid liquid or gaseous It also had a wealth of modulation possibilities with its three LFOs and four envelope generators, which were not of the typical ADSR variety but featured a more versatile level/rate model instead: each envelope therefore contains eight controls -- four levels and four rates, allowing both positive and negative values. In Telecommunications, modulation is the process of varying a periodic Waveform, i ADSR envelope is a component of many Synthesizers samplers and other Electronic musical instruments. The fourth envelope is hard-wired to control the amplitudes of all oscillators the after they have been mixed together.

Another digital trait of the synthesizer was apparent at first glance -- it has no knobs whatsoever, and only two faders, one of which being the volume slider. Thus all of the programming was handled by many "soft" buttons and one data slider that controlled the selected parameter. In Mathematics, Statistics, and the mathematical Sciences a parameter ( G auxiliary measure) is a quantity that defines certain characteristics This approach to programming was very similar to that of the Yamaha DX7, at that time the most popular digital synthesizer of all, and is very different from having a dedicated control for each of the parameters. The Yamaha DX7 was a Synthesizer manufactured by the Yamaha Corporation from 1983 to 1986, based on FM synthesis developed by However, every internal module (all the envelopes, VCAs, filter, oscillators) have dedicated selection buttons, so you will never have to scroll through parameters to find what you want.

The ESQ-1 has a distinct sound, although the machine itself was overshadowed by other keyboards of the eighties, mainly other digitals like the Yamaha DX7, Roland D-50 and Korg M1 to name a few. The Yamaha DX7 was a Synthesizer manufactured by the Yamaha Corporation from 1983 to 1986, based on FM synthesis developed by Roland D50 is a polyphonic 61-key Synthesizer by Roland. It was released in 1987 to compete with the Yamaha DX7 The Korg M1 was the world's first widely-known Music workstation. The waveforms of sampled sounds do not produce realistic results by today's standards, but can be useful for creating patches containing hints of the instruments that they were intended to emulate. Also the inclusion of Amplitude Modulation and Oscillator Hard Sync strengthened its ability to emulate other analog synthesizers. Amplitude modulation ( AM) is a technique used in electronic communication most commonly for transmitting information via a Radio Carrier wave

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