Vintage Synth Explorer

Ensoniq • Mirage (DSK8, DSK1)

The Mirage preceded the revolutionary EPS and EPS-16+ sampler workstations in the Ensoniq line-up. Historically, the Mirage was one of the earliest affordable sampler synths, originally listing under $1,700. There have been multiple versions of the Mirage too, the DSK8 and the most common and popular known as the Mirage DSK1. Its sampling specs are pretty old-school, a maximum sampling-rate of 32kHz and 8-bit resolution means your sounds will be somewhat lo-fi. The limited 8 notes of polyphony and incredibly tiny amount of storage (128 kb) almost make you want to hide the Mirage in your closet. Even the sample editing is done via hex-code which is not a simple to concept to master. Most users will just load-in sounds from the Mirage's extensive sample library. Get samples for your Mirage here!

However the Mirage has one leftover from older synthesizers that has kept it popular through the years. It has analog filters! Five-stage envelopes for the VCA and VCF, a nice LFO and a low-pass VCF filter with keyboard tracking. There's also a sequencer (333 notes max) that is limited to say the least but is better than nothing.

Most people searching for a classic sampler/synth would look towards the EPS and EPS-16+ from Ensoniq. After all, their specs, design and quality are superior. However, there is a certain amount of nostalgia concerned with the Mirage. It has been used by Skinny Puppy, Vangelis, Jimmy Edgar, and Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. Those of you who collect will love having a Mirage around, but for practical music production you would be better off getting an old Akai sampler.

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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.

 

pedro castro

Posted 25 days ago

tengo un mirage que compré de ocasion con algunos diskettes .mi gran problema es que no tiene manual de uso. necesito que un alma caritativa me lo envie a mi correo, preferiblemente en castellano aunque en inglés tambien me arreglo. soy pianista pero tengo muchas ganas de empezar con este "bicho". agradezco a quien me dé esta alegría. piedraca@gmail.com

Kazper

Posted 34 days ago

Great that you got it to boot, may need to sample something or load up some sound disks. It's a sampler and you need to get something in memory to playback something . :)

nofaceface

Posted 36 days ago

Newbie here:

I did the whole format and boot disk stuff, lights on LED work, etc. But no sound comes out of the machine when going from left mono to a small amp.

any ideas what i may be able to do? i just think i am doing something wrong

dutchweezy

Posted 65 days ago

Ohh the Mirage....My main squeeze since I used to rent it from the guitar shop back in 1990. Used it for Hip-Hop since back in the day and(insanely enough) still today. I compare it to the big machine in the movie War Games which they called the W.O.P.R. By the way if you just started using it and noticed the display is always flickering like it's broken, don't worry that is just the Mirage purrring like a wild 80's digital beast. I also like the sequencer: arm it, play it, hit the loop button! That's it! No bpm's or metronome to throw you off. It's all you baby! The sound is like warm velvety blankets while sitting by the fire on a cold winter night. Glitches and tricks must be learned through trial and error, and they are a plenty. Digital sunburst techno-colour spewing goodness!

gothicgrave

Posted 148 days ago

I bought a rack version of the Mirage and, in few days, the floppy began to fail, therefore, unable to boot this machine, it becomes a totally useless metal box. My advice: always try to find a sampler with EPROM unless you want it as an ornament. Each manufacturer has its own standard on floppy disk and storage and is near to impossible to repair it!!!

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