The ZR-76 is a 76-key, weighted action, stage and studio keyboard / workstation. The ZR-76 offers 64 voice polyphony and over 1200 digital ROM sounds, including the "Perfect Piano" by W. Coakley. There are also three expansion slots, an easy-to-use sequencer, interactive drum machine and a 24-bit effects processor. One of the best features is the sound finder: all you have to do is type the first few letters of the patch you want and the synth finds them for you, or you can browse through the sounds by categories. A big help when there are over 1200 sounds on-board.

While its sounds are very good, for ROM samples, it's the 16MB "Perfect Piano" expansion card that really stands out, providing one of the most realistic sounding pianos on the market, plus it gives you a couple of realistic electric pianos as well. This synth also has a ton of amazing retro-synth samples and some awesome guitar sounds. The available expansion cards (Urban Dance and World Beat, for example) are excellent as well. And the ZR even comes with a program that lets you edit and create your own sounds too.

The ZR-76 also features an idea/sketch pad performance recorder in which it remembers everything you have played, and it can play back what you just did or send it to your sequencer for editing or to add to an existing sequence. In addition, the exclusive Ensoniq Delta Quantize feature will adjust your performance to match your sequence tempo (in case your playing wasn't already perfect).

Yes, this is the synth featured in the HALO sound library, and it makes a worthy addition to any song writer's synth collection. It has been used by Baby Face and other rock, pop and R&B artists.

Ed

May 25, 2010 @ 10:58 pm

This keyboard had by far some of the best feeling keys i've ever used. THe pianos and e-pianos...amazing. the pads and strings...rich and warm. Organs very excellent. I just wish I hadn't sold mine. Heck, I would buy it again, but I already have two ensoniqs, the KS32 and the HALO.

Joe

January 20, 2010 @ 5:59 pm

The 16 meg piano competes well with the pianos in the shootout at PurgatoryCreek.com.
The Idea Pad is an excellent feature for composers. Its like having the sequencer running in record mode constantly.
I agree with the previous poster about the knobs. They take some getting used to. The Ensoniq ASR-X Pro's knobs are similar.
They are a good value in the used market.

deda

July 4, 2009 @ 10:18 pm

I am a newbie but I agree with Josh on the MR61 and MR76. I owned a MR76 for 9 years until I gave it to my granddaughter for Christmas 08. I loved that keyboard and had not 1 problem in all those years. The "Idea Pad" should be available on every keyboard made in the future as I see it as a must have for people like me. A songwriter but not a Keyboard player and a Synth noob. I replaced my MR76 with 2 ZR76's, one for me and one for my wife to be left downstairs so she won't be using mine and yes the addition of Perfect Piano did 'Sweeten The Pot" on an already Perfect instrument. Regards ,,deda,,

JOSH

November 22, 2008 @ 11:24 am

I don't yet see the MR61 or MR76 listed here. I use two MR61's, and enjoy the ease of use of their sequencers and on-board recording capabilities. Like the ZR76, the MR series also features the idea pad which is a great have. The MR's are very well constructed, and have been reliable machines in the past five years, or, since my first purchase in 2003.

Alessandro

September 21, 2008 @ 11:22 am

i owned one, marvelous sounds, cool feuture is that it records always what you play so sudden cool inspiration is captured. Sad thing is it has no resonance filter. Suffers from bad potentiometers that jumps.

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