Ensoniq SQ-80 CrossWave Synthesizer

[kdkmo]

I had one of these a long time ago and I loved it. It had it's limitations, only 8 voices at any one time but I liked the sounds it could produce and I had a lot of programs for it. I liked the sequencer and the feel of the keyboard. I had to hock mine unfortunately. Another thing it has that is particularly good in mono mode with portamento. I don't know if any modern synthesizers can do this.

[Dectheboner]

Hi did you some off these patches yourself

[AlienatedStud]

BEST. SYNTH. EVER. MADE.

[douro20]

@900Turbo1996

Definitely not. It's a wavetable synthesizer with 64 waveforms and sampled drums.

[midierror]

i want one of these babies. then i want to have its babies.

[JayJLucas]

I have one, willing to sell, Nothern Ontario Canada

[ScientistOfSound1]

Is this synth cheap?

[douro20]

@ScientistOfSound1

If you consider around $400-500 cheap, then yes.

[456and7strings]

Maybe this is just me, but at 1:50 I was expecting Ozzy to scream out some lyrics..........

[docfraktal]

At 0:36 it's a fantastic 80's sensation,i can't stop to listen it ...at 1:26 I have never heard a sound like that, fantastic warm and enchanting sound !! Very nice demo, i watch it ten times ! you're really lucky to have a synth like that !

[SLOVENEC1972]

I also have fond memories of playing and programming this synth at my local music shop back in 1988! It's got some awesome analog/digital hybrid sounds and it came out just before digital fx became the 'norm' in synths like the D50 and M1. It had only 8 noties of polyphony but those 8 notes still remained even with 3 oscillators (unlike the other rompler synthes at the time). This was a very easy synth to program and that large screen was great for those of us with bad eyesight! Poly aftertouch!

[KodyBoy555]

This fits for Steve the Buck's synthesizer.

[retrosound72]

@900Turbo1996 no but the filter

[zeppelo]

Amazing sounds! And nowaday people throw away their money in shitty pieces of plastic like Kronos!!!!!!

[fabiovsroque]

It's nice to listen a synth I DON'T wanna buy! Please tell me: do you people at Retrosound actually buy all these machines? I'd like to have a job like this. Great job reviewing all this machines. Thanks!

[Aetila]

The only difference between this and the VST version is the Prophet 5 chips and the massive analog/hybrid circuitry! lol

I've chased it for years until I could get one from US...this baby is just insane; the sound is so vet and living/analog; I'm just worried about it's age; I love it very much. Now if some company would re-engineer it with sliders...

[zenmachinefilms]

This is a great secret synth people have forgotten. It has a true analog filter that is pretty fat, and polyphonic aftertouch. Something you just don't see today.

Too bad the audio on this video is in practically mono. Ugh.

[g7thebeatmaker]

I'm going to play with the VSTi right now!

[lvrsnvy]

i love this synth...the sounds... the sequencer...ive gone thur alot of synth and finally i found the ONE..but sadly it keeps locking up on me and i have to restart it!!! can anybody help me with this problem?!plzzz write back-late

[U5096]

sounds typically late 80s, very cool

[rondroyd]

wat a machien [real rare too

[vstman]

So good sounds! My advice if you want to get them today without getting the keyboard is to download the SQ8L VST plugin.

[BackDraft909]

Ensoniq sounds are really amazing ! So 80's !

[Psychlist1972]

The main sound chip in this was designed by Bob Yannes as the successor to the SID chip he designed for the Commodore 64. No wonder it sounds awesome :)

[nc17atnce101]

I love the Vsti for this synth it's fun to listen to all of the 1000's and 1000's of presets

But the keyboard Ensoniq has an authentic eq than the Vsti.

[Desmaad]

Creative will be bringing the Ensoniq name back next year, but can they bring back the sound?

[cubdukat]

@Desmaad Really? What'll they be putting the name on? E-Mu more or less took over the spot Ensoniq had at the end, and Creative seems to be getting rid of them too as well.

[VacTrooper]

There are some REALLY nice sounds on this thing! I found one at my local music store, and have been toying with it for a while. I didn't get the chance to coax WONDERFUL sounds out of it, though. I LOVE the saws, squares, and also the chior/breathy/airy sounds also. HOLY CRAP! I think I might buy this synth after hearing this demo of it's potential. It's a bit dusty, but nothing some Good Gone, wet-wipes, and water wipe-downs won't take care of. Thanks for the video! You're good. :)

[retrosound72]

@VacTrooper

very cool!

thank you

[morristribe]

@VacTrooper 8-bit digital geez I thought at least 16 anyhow yes the filters from Curtis makes the sound smooth over anything and the bulb display brings it to us. You press a button and you hear a new sound; Meaning the board does make sound changes instant so just press them buttons and it is changed in real time. I have this board and a few ESQ-1 fullsized keys and one M racked which is bragging but the boards can be hoooked together in order to get more poly keys.

[zenmachinefilms]

I think people don't realize how powerful this synth is. It has digital oscillators and wavetables plus rom samples. None of this impresses people, sure. But it also has a true 4-pole analog filter, and a very good one. Plus, polyphonic aftertouch. And this is where the roots of a good synthesizer lie. Great sounds are achieved from the great filters, and the poly AT gives expression capability seen in synths such as the CS-80, SCI T-8 or Synclavier.

[opium47]

weis jmd wo man das ding noch herbekommt?

oder gibts gute vsts dafür? hab bisher nur einen freeware gefunden und der is nich für mac os =(

[retrosound72]

@opium47

SQ8L ist sehr gut

[opium47]

@retrosound72 leider bring ich den auf meinem system (mac os 10.6) nicht zu laufen. scheint da nur über umwege zu gehen

[equinoxe67yahoo]

my first little workstation!

;-)))))))))

[ec101dm]

1:26 love this sound ! ! ! !

[rubyconem]

Ich hatte mal nen ESQ-1, doch dieser hier scheint besser zu klingen.

[DemonWTF]

Cool video  :D

[forgottencinema]

What is the bit of music from 37 to 50 secs-Its awesome.

[Desmaad]

Can this thing load samples?

[retrosound72]

@Desmaad

no

[modmadmike2]

@Desmaad I see the word MIDI, so you can always hook a computer into it and play .mid files through it lol

[abuck05]

@modmadmike2 MIDI is just an electronic signal that sends basic parameter signals between instruments (ie: note on/off, changes in the filter parameters, etc). You may be mistaking .mid files for mpa or .wav files - The Ensoniq Mirage has a similar architechture to this synth and can load these sound files/play them back (albeit, without the SQ80's digital oscillators). Sorry for nerding it up, but I'm a rabid Ensoniq fan.

[pacific707]

@synthpathetic Hey, you're lucky to have one! Indeed, there is a lot to learn, but this instrument goes deep, waaaay deep! Don't be afraid to experiment. It's capable of amazing sounds - a lot of sounds that you can't hear anywhere else. Thank god that I cut my teeth on the ESQ-1, which introduced me to sequencing, back in the dark ages before software sequencing came along. But, it's not just the sequencing abilities...it has an amazing sound engine. I wish it were still in production.

[madmomentsgo]

nice sounds.

[KillKyleWeiss]

Once you get past the 20 layers of modifiers you'll be alright... heheh if the SQ80 doesn't get you into synths NOTHING will!  Hang in there.

[kurnilse]

Think it was used by The Roxette on their first album 'Look Sharp' and of course the DX-7

[CoffeeKills]

Does the seqencer have a realtime quantize settings?

[BrontoScorpioMusic]

Ich liebe es, wie der SQ-80 und der ESQ-1 förmlich atmen!

[09fod]

Ceephax has 1 !!!!!!

[tmacid]

@09fod True, you can see him using one at Bomb-O-Matic!

[ciolamorta]

This one is really Hammerish instead. Really, Jan Hammer's sound.

[lca97]

nice!!!!!!!!

[Tayl0NP]

Can anyone try to explain what the envelope diagram is supposed to represent? I just got this for a show a week ago and now that I try to really experiment with making my own patches, I'm finding the envelope section unpredictable. I'm really used to the idea of envelope parameters consisting of attack, sustain, decay, release etc. (What are the x and y axes supposed to be?) Any help is greatly appreciated. Also, I'm curious about the floppy drive; Can you store patches/sequences on disks too?

[retrosound72]

you can store patches, sequences and tracks on disk

[trylonperisphere]

Looks like L means level, T means time. The Env starts at 0. There's 2 Level points (eg Attack/Decay) before you reach the Sustain segment, and you can set the time it takes to reach each level. While the diagram shows L2 Decaying into the negative range, you don't have to do that.

Level 3 has no time parameter because that is where the Sustain segment starts, so it goes as long as you hold down the key.

Upon Release the envelope goes to 0 again and there's a 4th time parameter for that.

[Tayl0NP]

Oh thanks! I'll see if I can get some better results now!

[nophil]

36 to 50 luxuriant tropical vegetation, lots of leaves and vines and flowers in an alien spaceship lounge, warm and wet, your lasergun at hand, a la duke nukem or blakestone. so outwordly. I love this synth's sound. at times like a grainy fairlight, otherwise sounds kawaish. I get similar results out of my kawai k1m (8bit pcm + dc waves + am) filtered thru a vermona daf-1 (analog variable mode and slope resonant filter). its paraphonic only, too bad. so sweet you risk some serious diabetes, bro

[Andybaby]

My first synth. Still miss it *sniff*. Great FAST sequencer!

NOTE: I don't think you can get them repaired anymore!!

[irvinejump]

Depends on where you live. Here in Melbourne there are TWO repairers within a few miles of each other. I just need the cash to get mine fixed

[Posthuman2003]

great sounds, lovely textures

[ThatDonovanKid]

my grandmother gave me this synth and i have no clue how to work the sequencer or pretty much any of the buttons on the right side of the screen. can anyone point me in the right direction to learning more about it? i have the manual and voice library.

[909955847736]

I learned all about them by reading the manual.

[ThatDonovanKid]

me and my dad figuered it out. haha, thanks

[unique74muzik]

this was like 10 yrs ago when I bought it but yeah (to Cryofax) keep yours. There are certain tones u just cant find, i dont care how many programs they got out there. I am using both, combining the new technology with the old.

[unique74muzik]

I found mines for $150 at a pawn shop with the disk and manual! Lotta sounds, I usually like to freak the settings to my liking.

[Cryofax]

The funny thing is I've loved that synth so much I keep trying to come up with reasons to keep it. But the truth is with my high-end computer, a huge library of sampled sounds and powerful sequencing software I just don't need it. I have a Roland Midi-controller keyboard which does the job and takes less space. Still that synth was a workhorse and never failed me. I particularly loved the simple yet powerful sequencer.

[Cryofax]

Hmmm I have an SQ-80 with 2 expansion cartridges in great condition with a hard case. Any of you guys have a clue what I might sell it for?

[kekenalii]

4-6 hundred.

i want one, but i already have a esq-

[douglascain]

Beautiful! I want...

[soundmanhaven1]

First tme i heard one!!! and its good

[klangkombinat]

very nice collection of classic SQ80-Sounds,

esp some my klangkombinat sound bank, if i heard right :)

[retrosound72]

Genau. Ein paar Sounds von deiner sehr gut programmierten SQ80 Soundbank sind mit dabei.

[rvsmendes]

6 vozes, Wavetable...

[adam872]

Definitely sounds a lot like the old ESQ1 I have in storage. I think I'd prefer to play a VST version these days, but the sounds are still great.

[juno6]

The oscillators may sound similar, but the filter is really different (ESQ is so much better).

[davedagreat69]

Juno6 The SQ80 has exactly the same Curtis filters as the ESQ1. The synths are essentially the same and sounds from the ESQ1 can be used on the SQ80. The only differences between the two are the SQ80 has more waveforms (the original 32 of the ESQ1 plus 53 new ones), has a larger sequencer memory, has a disk drive, and has polyphonic aftertouch which is very a very rare attribute. I have both and they sound identical when playing ESQ1 sounds.

[davedagreat69]

Sorry Juno6 just realised you were referring to the VSTi compared to the ESQ1 not the SQ80 ;)

[juno6]

Yeah, I was referring to the VSTi vs ESQ/SQ80, don´t know why youtube put my answer out of context, because I was replaying a comment.

Anyway, the specially the resonance sounds completely different.

[diablo22900]

Seems everyone, including myself has an old Ensoniq or two in storage. lol

[Booger6995]

@diablo22900 Got one but in ain't stored. I actually use it from time to time. Great little board.

[Leaderspdx]

Are these patches all factory presets or are some of them your own creation?

[retrosound72]

third party and self made patches

[RetroSoundsDA]

i like the sound of this. it reminds me of an ESQ-1.

[retrosound72]

the sound of the esq-1 is similar but the sq-80 have more waveforms, the disc drive and some more functions

[faszika]

these sounds trigger so many memories its unbelievable =)

[retrosound72]

I hope only nice memories.

[faszika]

not concrete clear memories like "this happened when i heard this song" just the *feeling* of my childhood, you know what i mean?

[retrosound72]

yes, I have the feeling also often with certain sounds and music

[sanshuz]

euphoric recall.

[diablo22900]

Ahh yes, the 80s.

[RudyZombe]

Responder a este vídeo... Yes, I Know exactly what you mean.

[data977]

hi! ,

any of you you can recommend me a vst synth , knowing that i became a fan of this sounds (sq80) , i know theres the sq8l vsti , do you have an opinion about it? should i look for something else? im not a synth (neither vst) junkie , something that sound like this in vst would be enought for me..

thanks,

[Raycer14]

Thats really catchy!

[enthusia492]

wow... that first patch was absolutely epic!

[joejoebeats]

Can someone tell me were is the Percussion king V-829

The VOX Percussion touted as the "effect that makes a group big!" It had ten effects which included; Crash Cymbal, Brush Cymbal, Bass Drum, Snare Drum, Drum Roll, Bongo I, Bongo II, Block, Clave and Castanets. The two foot pedals were used to tap out the rhythm and alternatively rhythms could be tapped out using the finger buttons on the control panel.

[weatherkop]

thats a sexy bitch, those go for like 700$ on ebay

[Asraaf]

A wonderful machine! Thanks for showing us this dream machine!

[sinusgolf]

nice synth never saw this before

[retrosound72]

the SQ-80 is great for PPG synth like sounds, very underrated

[pantoum]

A friend of mine had one of these back in the 90's before everyone was using software. Back then I used to dream of having all these great synths in my studio. They are still great, but I would rather use a computer for space constraining reasons.

[THESonicMMM]

If you want a great sounding virtual SQ80, give me a holler.

[samonik11]

i do!

[DX5]

Sounds really great. Thanks for your demos. They can help me for upcoming purchases :)

This one sounds incredible warm.

[retrosound72]

Hi!

thank you :)

the SQ-80 is very nice and very underrated...

[RukiVverh12]

Awesome synth!

Can you still get this one in modern stores?

[retrosound72]

only second hand stores

the synth ist from the year 1987

[zaloo]

is it '87?

when did Ensonique go from ESQ-1 to SQ-80?

i thought i had an ESQ1 around 87-88-89ish...

i've been shopping for anothe ESQ.. wonder if i should

try for an SQ-80 instead..

[retrosound72]

yes

my SQ-80 is from 1987

[Shadow432643]

Great Retro !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[retrosound72]

thank you :)

[Shadow432643]

........... :)

[scott93257]

Simply fab upload bro....Thanks for the post...brings back some memories for sure...I had an SQ80 but it was stolen along with other items in my studio...I'd like to find the thieves and cut their hands off

[retrosound72]

thank you

[GNeuman]

Very nice indeed, I had an ESQ1, but I think your SQ80 is much more versatile...

Again, thanks for great demo!

Best wishes

Mike

[retrosound72]

thanks mike :)

I think the ESQ-1 and the SQ-80 are very underrated. Perfect synths for awesome synth textures and PPG like sounds.

greetings

[kn1ghtstemplar]

I want one!! And a mkII Mellotron. Well don`t laugh I might win the lottery.

[mrrotweiler2]

hehe my old band had the Ensoniq Mirage DSK and then the EPS :p

[mik300z]

Great demo as usual marco, thanks for sharing it. wonderful and unique sound, especially the bell and sawtooth waves. It looks and sounds almost identical to my ESQ1. BTW, the lead patch I based all my CS80 brass sounds on seems very familiar at the patch you play at 4:22

If anyone knows how to load patches from an Esq1 to the SQ80 please let me know!

[retrosound72]

thank you mick :)

[VenusHeadTrap]

Synthesized Music shall rule the world!

[retrosound72]

yes

thanks :)

[flyhye]

sweet sounds!

[retrosound72]

thank you

[TheTux]

Yep. Adamskiiiii!!! This and a 909 is all he needed.

This synth actually sounds pretty good listening to it today. I guess it had the mis-fortune to be released the same year as the Roland D50 so it got overlooked by many (and I guess it was all over the following year when Korg came out with the M1...) And the vacuum florescent display wasn't very popular either, though it was very clear to read on stage, which I guess was the reason for choosing it..?

[retrosound72]

yes the SQ-80 did not have it easily against Korg M1 and Roland D50

[kolakube123]

This is the only synth the late 80's and early 90's UK acid house star Adamski used for all his compositions including his first two albums.

The classic tune's NRG and 'Killer' (feat Seal) - thats all this one synth.

[retrosound72]

Hi!

thanks for the info

[kolakube123]

No bother. He simply used this and a roland 909 and that was it.

[skalkmusix]

Brilliant synth!!!!Very rich and powerfull

[Gregsynth]

I've NEVER seen this synth before.

Thanks!

[retrosound72]

the SQ-80 is the second synth from Ensoniq from the year 1987

the first: ESQ-1

[mattblackcat]

There is a SQ80 VST plug-in for those who want those sounds without the pain of finding a still working model - and it does quite a good job of recreating this overlooked synth.

[retrosound72]

yes the SQL plug in is a alternative

thanks

[Dropframe24]

I feel like i'm in a B horror movie out of the 80's.

awesome machine.

[retrosound72]

John Carpenter used the SQ-80 in his movie soundtracks

[faszika]

those strings are out of a dream

[retrosound72]

absolute.

thanks :)