KeyboardCheck

The big sampling surprise from Frankfurt gets the Curtis Schwartz seal of approval

sampling keyboard spectacular

Annabel Scott takes a look at what a reduction in price and an increase in facilities has done for the first budget sampling keyboard...

At last - the instrument with a name on everybody's lips receives an in-depth examination of its European version. Man-on-the-spot is Paul Wiffen.

Ensoniq Mirage Multi-Sampler

Manufacturers of keyboard samplers are now turning their attentions to the studio market by offering enhanced rack-mount versions of their products. Mark Jenkins waited anxiously at Heathrow for the first device to hit our shores - the budget-priced, 8-voice multi-sampler from Ensoniq. Read his report.

Simon Trask takes a look at the Mirage's rack-mounting counterpart, and finds it even better value than the keyboard version.

Tony Hastings begins a new series of valuable hints and tips aimed at helping owners of Ensoniq Mirage samplers get the best from their instruments.

Tony Hastings brings his enjoyable series of hints and tips to a close with a look at the Mirage's final four MASOS functions.

Mirage Visual Editor

Our resident Mirage expert Tony Hastings checks out this useful means of improving the sample manipulation facilities of the Mirage - in the form of a software package from Steinberg Research.

Back with another fascinating instalment of hints and tips, Tony Hastings offers further guidance to those Ensoniq Mirage owners wishing to develop their sampling skills.

The theme of this month's edition of Patchwork is decidedly traditional, as Casio's CZ101 joins the ubiquitous DX7 and D50 as the subjects for readers' programming dexterity.

Paul Wiffen takes an exclusive look a Ensoniq's latest offering in the field of sampling

Cross Wave Synthesizer

The onboard 8-track sequencer and sampled waveforms of the ESQ-1 make it a hard act for any manufacturer to follow. So what further features does Ensoniq's new SQ-80 synthesizer have that could possibly outshine its stablemate? Craig Anderton explores...

Cut Me Down

Cut Me Down cut up

Fairlight for a fair price?

Sample Replay Unit

In a musical climate dominated by preset sounds, why not produce a rack-mounting unit that simply replays other people's samples? Paul Wiffen analyses Oberheim's attempt at doing just that.

Sequential step up with a sampling keyboard

A review of the Desert Island sample library for the Ensoniq EPS joins a selection of readers own patches for the Korg M1, Ensoniq SQ80 and Yamaha TX81Z in this month's Patchwork.

There's an awful lot of hi-hi-history involved, y'know

Welcome to The Mix

Instead of following other keyboard manufacturers sheep-like into sampling machines, Oberheim have come up with a unique device which doesn't sample but replays disks from several other samplers. Paul Wiffen investigates.

Filtering, Enveloping And Keyboard Sensing.

In the penultimate part of his series, designed to help you get the best from your sampling machines, keyboard programmer Paul Wiffen returns to his analogue roots to modify some samples.

Usable Packages

The sun rises on computer music, or so says Tony Mills

Keyboardcheck

More money means Mirage-mangling, maybe? Tony Mills sizes up the latest sampling supersynth