rwn@iham1.UUCP (Bob Neumann) (11/28/84)
Does anyone have any information on the "Mirage" keyboard produced by the "Ensonique" corporation in Pennsylvania? I saw a two page add in the latest issue of Keyboard magazine and would like to know if anyone out there has heard the instrument, or has more info on how the instrument works. For those of you who are totally mystified by what I am talking about, the Ensonique Mirage is a keyboard instrument that claims to allow a user to digitallly sample his own sounds (concert grand, B3, breaking glass, etc), modify the sounds, and store them on a disk for later recall, similar to an EMULATOR II, Fairlight, Synclavier, etc. The difference is this instrument has a retail price of $1695.00, quite a bit of a difference from a Fairlight for $30,000. Among my questions: Is the sampling rate slower (than Fairlight, etc), and therefore dirty sounding with bad frequency response, etc. ? Does the "built in sequencer" have an external clock input or output? Does the keyboard have MIDI? How well does the "velocity sensitive" keyboard work? Sounds like a neat toy if it actually works. I always feel strange about "new electronic music instrument companies". Remember what happened with the VAKO Polyphonic Orchestron? Bob Neumann BTL-IH (312)-979-6533
keithd@cadovax.UUCP (Keith Doyle) (11/29/84)
>Does anyone have any information on the "Mirage" >keyboard produced by the "Ensonique" corporation >in Pennsylvania? I saw a two page add in the latest issue >of Keyboard magazine and would like to know if anyone out >there has heard the instrument, or has more info on how the >instrument works. > Bob Neumann Ditto, please fill me in too! Keith Doyle {ucbvax,ihnp4,decvax}!trwrb!cadovax!keithd "You'll PAY to know what you REALLY think!"
rwn@iham1.UUCP (Bob Neumann) (12/03/84)
Since posting my last article requesting information on the Ensonique Digital Sampling Keyboard, I have recieved mail from a number of people requesting that I post any information that I receive back to the net for general reading. I have received some information from Richard Zaffino which I will reprint here: "I haven't seen the ad you mentioned but I have a pseudo spec-sheet that Ensonique passed around at the Symposium on Small Computers in the Arts in Philadelphia last month. According to this sheet the keyboard has a maximum sampling rate of 30khz. They say that for user sampling there is a variable sample rate from 8-30Khz. But they also show spec's for sample duration/frequency response as: 2 seconds/15 KHz | 4 seconds/8 KHz |- per half keyboard 8 seconds/4 KHz | But, they don't specify the resolution of their DACs. They spec the sequencer as: - On-board - Records pitch, modulation, sustain pedal, velocity - Multi-overdub ability - Sync from outboard devices (drum machine, sequencer) - Save sequences on diskettes - Plays or records external MIDI equipment The keyboard supports MIDI but it's unclear just how thoroughly it does so. I spoke with the engineer who gave a talk at the symposium and found out that they don't support volume control or local off through MIDI. They did, however, buy a lot of other synthesizers and others and ran programs on them in order to see for thenselves just what MIDI subtleties existed on those instruments in an attempt to be as compatible as possible with them. Among their options are: - Formatted diskettes for user sound sampling and sound storage - Complete library of sounds - Foot switch - Sequencer expander That first one scares me. One is led to believe that the sound recording capability is built-in and included in the purchase price. But option one up there sounds like you have to buy their pre-formatted diskettes in order to record. I hope this information is useful to you. " Richard Zaffino Thanks for the information, Richard. If anyone has any further information or any personal experience with this instrument, feel free to post news or send me mail. Bob Neumann BTL IH 4J-409 (312) - 979-6533