Vintage Synth Explorer

Ensoniq • EPS-16+

The EPS-16+ was an innovative early sampler workstation designed for the 90's. Its sampler specs are impressive: 16-bit, variable sampling rates from 11.2kHz to 44.6kHz. With a slim 1Mb of memory this gives just about 11.5 seconds of sampling time in mono at 44.6kHz. Editing functions are quite nice: normalizing, sample splicing, merging, phase switching, auto-looping, auto-truncating, sample rate conversion and more.

On the synthesizer side it has two great filters with switchable hi, low and band pass, 6dB to 24dB cutoffs. BUT, they aren't resonant. The keyboard is velocity and pressure sensitive and it has full MIDI implementation. There is also a sophisticated 8-track sequencer that can really be fun in a live performance situation. A wildly flexible and variable LFO with seven shapes always adds a new twist to your samples! Topping it off is a full suite of on-board effects like reverb, delay, chorus, flange, phaser, Leslie sim, distortion and wah-wah and these effects can be re-sampled to become a part of the sample! It can even be played while it is loading samples!

In its time, the EPS-16+ was a revolutionary machine. It brought a lot of power and musicality to sampling. These days, the EPS-16+ is still useful. It brings back the early crunchy sampler sound but with a lot of features that make it really fun to play with. Even with its non-resonant filters you can still find yourself filtering a 'garage-beat' drum loop for hours while muting and un-muting other loops on the 8-track sequencer! The EPS-16+ was also made available in a rack-mount version. All EPS-16+ synths can be upgraded via non-volatile flash ROM (available on-line from Waveboy Industries and Chicken Systems, Inc.) to expand your EPS's memory, effects algorithms and creative potential! It has been used by Autechre, LFO, Massive Attack and Slam.

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Posting Rules: Please keep your comments relevant! Do not post requests for help, do not use for sales, do not post unless you have something interesting to say about this instrument, or we may delete your post.

 

Tripp

Posted 14 days ago

David!! I can make some copies bro. hit me up 269 589 7659 USA or Nikolaijg@hotmail.com i can also tell you how to get a lot of dd disks which is all it takes

Robert

Posted 25 days ago

I love this machine selling my spare Output exapnder(Oex-6) check it out!!

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Ensoniq-Oex-6 -Output-Expander_W0QQitemZ180419239498QQ cmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_ Pro_Audio_Samplers_Accessories_CV?hash=i tem2a01d31e4a

Time-+-=:=+-+Wave

Posted 47 days ago

Aliens are definitely affecting our continuously expanding supply of technology on this planet and the Ensoniq EPS 16+ presents irrefutable evidence of that. It's a monumental achievement and nothing less. The only problem is that it's just a tiny piece of a multi-(place monetary pre-fix here)ion (place currency denomination here) Government/Industry controlled-obsolescence program. But it's still fun to have around. Funny how it says Ensoniq is misspelled in this comment... No, for real though, the 16+ is cool. I recommend you be somewhat relevance-challenged to desire anything about the relatively lacking aspects of functionality and capability, but I don't mean to be too harsh because there are a few gems in this thing that cease to exist elsewhere in the known musical universe. Or so one might say if they really wanted to give away the real potential of this machine.

tim-o

Posted 192 days ago

hands down the best sampler keyboard made.

Savo Jr.

Posted 264 days ago

You can find info about those Waveboy effects from there:
http://www.chickensys.com/support/ sounds/waveboy
Effect with FM was REZ Filter.
BTW. Using REZ Filter to give resonance to EPS16+/ASR10 occupies its only effect processor so if you wanna use resonating filters you cant use lots of other effects.. Gladly REZ Filter has very good reverb + delays too -and with lots of parameters to tweak!

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