Ensoniq SD1

Music production Synthesizer (1990)

The SD1 is a new upgraded version of previous Ensoniq VFX-SD with new new waveforms and more effects.

Overview

OVERVIEW Keyboard: 61 keys with velocity and aftertouch . Typical Ensoniq display with no graphics, only text for whole edit. Several buttons and two sliders for volume and data entry. On the left two wheels (assignable) mainly to pitch bending and modulation- also a 3.5" disk drive for data storage (both sounds and sequences).

RELATED MODELS:
-Ensoniq VFX first "version" of SD1
-Ensoniq Fizmo: most famous transwave synth ... and last!

Terminal connectors:

- Midi Interface (8-9-10)

- main signal out (2-3)

- headphones out (1)

- aux out (4-5)

- pedal CV control (6)

- pedalswitch input (7)

Sound

OSCILLATORS 21 voices polyphonic machine with 12 multitimbral parts. Later version SD1/32 raises polyphony to 32 voices.
A standard patch is composed by up to six Voices, each of which uses a digital oscillator playing one of 16-bit resolution 168 waves (it's a special rompler with 3.5MB of ROM). The wavetable is organized in various instruments family: String; Brass; Breath; Bass; Percussion; Tuned Percussion; Transwave; Multiwave; Inharmonic; Waveform; Drums; Multi-drums; Piano; Hip Percussion; Mixed Samples. The wavetable is pretty similar to previous VFX, but it adds severe new percussion, like the Tr808 set and a 1MB piano ROM.

TRANSWAVE VFX are very famous for this special waves that can be played from any starting point , moving through the wavetable as the note is held — the waveform is changing progressively between many small waveforms (100) and the result is that you can create complex texture and variations. The SD1 contains 17 transwave "waves" to play with.

LFO a single modulator LFO and spacial matrix modulation with up to 15 destinations.

FILTER two digital filters in series:
- Filter 1 can be used as a 2- or 3-pole lowpass filter
- Filter 2 as a 1- and 2-pole hipass or lowpass filter - in combination also as a bandpass. .. As you wish

ENVELOPE 3 EG ; first is hardwired to pitch modulation, the second to the filter and the third to amplitude.

Effect, sequencer and memory

EFFECTS 27 full-editable algorithms including reverbs, flanger delay and modulations. No distortion.

SEQUENCER 24-track sequencer - and Songs mode. Special Mixdown allows you to record dynamic volume and pan motion.

MEMORY Patches RAM: 60 + Patches ROM: 60

Multipatches RAM: 20 + Multipatches ROM: 20