Ensoniq Makes a comeback for 2011?

Posted by: analogcontrolfreak

Ensoniq Makes a comeback for 2011? - 01/25/11 06:09 PM

I just found out through Wikipedia, that Creative Labs, is planning to relaunch Ensoniq Corporation, this year. Has anyone else heard about this?

Paul
Posted by: Nigel

Re: Ensoniq Makes a comeback for 2011? - 01/27/11 02:35 AM

Wow ... no I didn't know that. I wonder what they plan to release. Knowing Creative Labs I am guessing it may just be PC audio hardware rather than keyboards. But it will be interesting to see.
Posted by: Anonymous

Re: Ensoniq Makes a comeback for 2011? - 01/27/11 10:13 AM

Unless the plan is to move back to Malvern, PA and hire the original staff of designers and support people, I for one am not that excited.
Posted by: analogcontrolfreak

Re: Ensoniq Makes a comeback for 2011? - 01/27/11 10:56 AM

Somehow I don't see that happening. Seems a shame that they went under.

PC based audio hardware is a possibility. Keyboards? I'm not holding my breath.
Posted by: BEBOP

Re: Ensoniq Makes a comeback for 2011? - 01/28/11 09:24 AM

I still have a couple Ensonique keyboards in my storage. One is a sampler, don't recall the other one
Posted by: Nigel

Re: Ensoniq Makes a comeback for 2011? - 01/29/11 01:00 AM

Originally Posted By: BEBOP
I still have a couple Ensonique keyboards in my storage. One is a sampler, don't recall the other one


Was the sampler the Mirage or the EPS-16? I loved their samplers they were awesome value for their time.
Posted by: analogcontrolfreak

Re: Ensoniq Makes a comeback for 2011? - 01/29/11 05:18 PM

I used to own a Mirage DSK, the second version. Not a bad sampler, but not to practical. I did not like the split keyboard, and that samples had to be sampled to the upper or lower halves of the keyboard. No across the keyboard, sampling. Plus the Hexadecimal two digit read out was not the best. Recording samples was okay, and looping was alright. I did do some cool stuff with it. Like sampling "feedback". It created a piano like sound. Which is weird, since feedback tends to be a nasty sound to begin with.

I had considered picking up a used EPS16+, but never got around to it. I always thought samplers were pretty cool. I did mess around with an ASR-88, but that was really expensive. I still see them on Ebay, that and the ASR-10. People still buy them. I still miss hardware digital samplers. Once they went virtual based, or integrated into music workstations. They just were not the same. I like the fact that, they work like the old style computers. When you had to load in programs.

I even have three books on sampling. "What's a Sampler?" A basic guide to the world of digital sampling. By Freff "The Sampling Book" by Steve DeFuria & Joe Scacciaferro, and "The Essential Guide to Practical Applications, Casio FZ-1 & FZ-10M also by Joe Scacciaferro, and Steve DeFuria.

Very well written books, but I never put them to any use.
Posted by: vangelis

Re: Ensoniq Makes a comeback for 2011? - 03/04/11 08:59 AM

Ensoniq had really good keyboards back in the 80's too bad they went under, I remember seeing Stevie B and many other bands with these keyboards smile
Posted by: richforman

Re: Ensoniq Makes a comeback for 2011? - 04/14/11 11:18 AM

I had an Ensoniq VFX-SD in my rig for years, thought it had some very well designed features and worked great as a sequencer work-station, the sequencer was so easy to work with (only things it was missing to my mind were groove quantize and a tempo map)...BUT for reliability it had to be the worst piece of gear I've ever had, so many crashes, freezes, stuck midi notes, I remember it caused me many an embarrassing moment at gigs. I still have it in a closet as about my 4th-string emergency backup keyboard but fortunately I've never had to go to it.

richforman
Posted by: Jerry T

Re: Ensoniq Makes a comeback for 2011? - 04/19/11 04:43 PM

can't really be 'Ensonic' without McMahan and Bonanno ...
Posted by: BEBOP

Re: Ensoniq Makes a comeback for 2011? - 06/21/11 01:45 PM

Mine is the EPS16 PLUS. I still have it and will soon be looking for a buyer as I am going to clean out this studio and close it down. the other was the SD1-32 and I did sell it. There may be others in here, can't remember now and not going to hunt:)
BEbop
Posted by: elwoodblues1969

Re: Ensoniq Makes a comeback for 2011? - 01/30/12 07:59 PM

Originally Posted By: Nigel
Knowing Creative Labs I am guessing it may just be PC audio hardware rather than keyboards. But it will be interesting to see.


I a bit confused here...when you say hardware,do you mean to say that you're speculating that Ensoniq might be making computers specifically for audio recording?
If so,what would be the point of Ensoniq making PC's,but not any virtual instrument software?

Realistically,it seems more likely that if Ensoniq returns with synthesizers under the Ensoniq name,it will only be as a VST program to be hosted by a DAW....or perhaps a reissue of vintage Ensoniq sounds as samples for use with Native Instruments Kontakt 4..or something along those lines.
Posted by: Nigel

Re: Ensoniq Makes a comeback for 2011? - 01/30/12 10:41 PM

This thread was started a year ago but this never happened. Ensoniq are still a thing of the past.
Posted by: elwoodblues1969

Re: Ensoniq Makes a comeback for 2011? - 01/31/12 07:36 AM

Yeah...that figures,as I didn't really put a lot of stock into the idea of Ensoniq reemerging.
Posted by: analogcontrolfreak

Re: Ensoniq Makes a comeback for 2011? - 02/02/12 03:40 PM

That's what i figured as well, Nigel! I figured, if I hadn't heard anything in a year, then nothing was going to happen!