As of July 2000 this page was ranked by links2go to be amongst the Top10 referenced Ensoniq sites. Thanks for all of you who put a link on this site. And Google lists it as #5 link for "Ensoniq". (Must be quite a number of people who linked my pages...)

In issue 8/2000 of the German KEYS Magazine our beloved Ensoniq synth was featured for which they interviewed me.

rainer@buchty.net

If you expect an answer please send plain text emails. HTML-formatted mails will be dumped automatically.

A picture says more than 1000 words. Click on it to download or here for the README.

(2007-11-18) V0.9b uploaded; improved voice management and synthesis, enhanced MIDI capabilities, Polypressure support, GUI rework

(2007-05-31) V0.84a uploaded; GUI rework, improved filter algorithms and additional sound engine enhancements

(2007-02-26) V0.831a uploaded; fixes rendering problems in Ableton Live

(2007-01-28) V0.83a uploaded; installer bugfix, SQ8L now requires no installer anymore -- just unpack it into a directory of your choice.

(2007-01-25) V0.82a uploaded; several bugfixes, especially problems with hosts using full-screen should now be fine. Minor code rewrite to further lower CPU demands.

(2006-12-04) V0.81a uploaded; fixes some aliasing problems the original SQ80 doesn't show. Due to some minor code rewrite it even takes less CPU power than V0.8a.

How does it sound?

• Click here. 11 Instances of the Plugins, each calculating a single sound. No effects, no EQ. (Song composed and arranged by Siegfried Kullmann.)
• Direct comparison between the original (A) and the plugin (B). Done by Chris Hülsbeck.
• SQ8L in the mix: 6 instances plus a drum loop; done by Subject of Ski Rize Studios
• Another nice demo featuring just SQ8L plus external effects, done by Sami Koskivaara.

Disclaimer: This software has not been written by me but by Siegfried Kullmann, so see the README for his contact address. If you encounter problems or glitches, find bugs etc., please contact him directly.

This website was set up to provide information for free. Because of this, not only me but numerous people contributed to this website either by offering information to publish (like hand-drawn schematics, or software) or donation of hardware to support reverse-engineering.

In accord with other major contributors to this website I hereby interdict any re-selling of information found on this site, especially as some sort of "collector CD" on eBay.

If you run across such a rip-off, drop me a note.

If I hadn't bought these parts from a former authorized Ensoniq repair center they would have been dumped and destroyed...

So if you are searching for replacement parts to repair your beloved machine, check out the Ensoniq Shoppe. What's not in here, I don't have -- sorry.

Please note that this is not my primary business (actually no business at all). Please allow a day or two for checking out shipping costs and coming back to you.

If you have a question about machines different from ESQ-1 (and no, the SQ-1 is not the same, not even the same family), ESQm, and SQ80, please go straight to SynthZone. I couldn't tell you anything else...

Please notice that the same site also offers the cancellation procedure in case you want to cancel your subscription.

http://itec.uka.de/~buchty/sq80/contest/

Please notice: By sending files for publishing on the aforementioned web site, you declare that you have the right to freely publish that work, no rights are harmed by publishing on the named site, and no royalties of any kind apply. You give me, Rainer Buchty, the revocable right to publish your work on the aforementioned web site.

• (defective) ESQ-1
• (defective) SQ80
• SQ80 single output expansion
• further ROM dumps
• your input & help

Also, I'll share my knowledge with you on these pages, so everybody of you who is electrically skilled (or has a friend who is) would be able to build cartridges and expansion modules instead of buying them for terrific prices. And if there's enough interest - hey, why not bring back some of these back into production?

For the lazy readers: This software is only running on Linux systems. It will neither work under DOS, MacOS nor will I provide a Windows version. (You still want a DOS/Windows port? Use the source, Luke!)

This software allows to read & write SQ80 disks on Linux systems aswell as sound bank conversion from .ESQ and .MDX files to the toolkit´s own bank dump format. V0.91 includes source code & documentation.

Since more and more people are asking for a non-Linux version, I've started to rewrite the SQ80 toolkit to make it easily portable. Also, it should be much more reliable - and finally, it doesn't need any assisting software package. However, this software is still in pre-release state which currently means that the sq80copy program is still under development. Also, the converters aren't included yet.

SQ80 Toolkit V1.0 pre-release

SQ80 Toolkit V0.91
fdutils (needed for SQ80 Toolkit V0.91)
 

The Collected Sounds Disks contain all the sound banks listed below.

SQ80 sound bank dumps  (for use with SQ80 Toolkit only!)

2K ESQ (54 Banks)
ESQ cartridge (2 Banks)
ESX cartridge (4 Banks)
ESX Double Brass cartridge (8 Banks)
MT32 Emulation (3 Banks)
PA cartridge (4 Banks)
Transoniq Hacker Patches (10 Banks)

The Cesium Sound patches have been removed due to copyright reasons. If you are interested in them please visit www.cesiumsound.com.

Disclaimer:
I got the above bank dumps from public FTP servers and by eMail, so I don't know whom the copyright of these banks belong to. It even may be that some of these still are sold - if this is the case please drop me a mail and I will remove the concerned sound bank(s) if desired by the rightholder.

SQ80 OS Dumps

Keyboard Controller (KPC) ROM V1.5

OS 1.8 ROM low
OS 1.8 ROM high

OS 1.7 ROM low
OS 1.7 ROM high

The 1.7 version is just there for completeness sake and historical reasons. In case you need to replace your OS ROMs for any reason, go for OS 1.8.

Create your own customized SQ80 OS V1.8 version

Thanks to Steve Gilmer for the 1.7 and KPC dumps!

SQ80 Waveforms

WaveROM #1
WaveROM #2
WaveROM #3
WaveROM #4

ESQ-1 OS Version 3.5

OS ROM low
OS ROM high

Create your own customized ESQ1 OS V3.5 version

ESQm OS Version 1.0

OS ROM

ESQ1 Waveforms

WaveROM #1
WaveROM #2

Other Ensoniq stuff

Please do not ask me questions about these machines. I haven't played neither hacked them yet - I just read out the ROMs for your pleasure...

(2003-08-04) Really, guys. I mean it. No questions about the "alien" machines. Feel free to ask me anything about the ESQ-1 and SQ80, but as of now I will dump any information request on machines different from ESQ-1 and SQ80 as I just don't have the time. Please understand.

VFX OS 2.10b (high)
VFX OS 2.10b (low)

EPS-16 OS (high)
EPS-16 OS (low)
JEDEC file for EPS-16 PAL
Logic Equations for EPS-16 PAL

AWP-5000 OS (high)
AWP-5000 OS (low)

Disclaimer:
The copyright of the above ROM dumps still belongs to the EMU-Ensoniq Corporation (read: Creative Labs) or whoever they might have sold the rights to.

Software not coming from me

• Stuck with your old Ensoniq sequences? Translate them into Standard MIDI Files using Margus Kliimask's converter software (external site).
• The SQ80 waves made computer loadable (AIFF) by //christian as gzipped tar (.tgz, 309kB) and ZIP (.zip, 455kB)
   
• ESQ138, a pretty helpful librarian by Steve Day (sad001@ccnet.com). If you need a program to handle MIDI SysEx dumps (.MDX, .ESQ) you should give this one a try. AFAIK this software is free.

Unfortunately, one of the most valuable magazines for our beloved synthesizers has not only gone out of business but also completely vanished from the net - I'm speaking of the Transoniq Hacker.

For this reason, the Transoniq Hacker Archive has been created. As time allows, more and more issues will be filed. Please be patient, scanning in the old issues takes time.

If you want to contribute either with paper or scanned issues, please let me now.

 

Ensoniq's original Schematics & Manuals

Here's the authentic stuff. Unfortunately, copies lose quality with every copy generation - and what I got looked like a 3rd generation copy. So don't expect something like readability, sometimes you just have to use imagination. I've scanned the schematics with an enlargement factor of 200% so hopefully they won't be completely unreadable.

ESQ-1 Schematics

Power Supply Unit (PSU)
Display/Panel

Digital Part (1/3)
Digital Part (2/3)
Digital Part (3/3)
Analog Part (1/3)
Analog Part (2/3)
Analog Part (3/3)

Scroll down for Tony Gonzalez' hand-drawn and documented schematics.

 
ESQ-1 Service Manual

Index (808kB)
General Part (2.2MB)
Metal ESQ1 (2.4MB)
Plastic ESQ1 (2.5MB)
ESQm (2.1MB)

Windows Users: WinZIP can handle .tar-files.

Thanks to Eddie K. Lee for scanning.

 
ESQ-1 Musician's Manual

Intro (89k)
Part 1 (1.35M)
Part 2 (1.44M)
Part 3 (239k)
Complete (3.1M)

Thanks to Thierry Pottier for scanning and Per Mattsson for creating the PDF archives.

 
ESQm Musician's Manual

Manual (4.9M)

Thanks to Mark Wynkoop for Scanning, OCRing and PDFing.
(Yes, I know. Verbing weirds language.)

 
SQ80 Musician's Manual

Manual (5.9M)

Thanks to Mark Wynkoop for Scanning, OCRing and PDFing.

 
SQ80 Schematics (updated, 2002-07-24)

Keyboard Processor Circuitry (KPC)
Keyboard (lower)
Keyboard (upper)

Power Supply Unit (PSU)

Display/Panel

Digital Part (left half)
Digital Part (right half)
Analog Part (left half)
Analog Part (right half)

Thanks to Jon Corley for sending me SQ80 (and many other) schematics for free.

 
SQ80 Service Manual

SQ80 Service Manual

Retyped and PDFed by me.

Disclaimer:
The copyright of the above schematics and manuals still belongs to the EMU-Ensoniq Corporation (read: Creative Labs) or whoever they might have sold the rights to.

Non-official Schematics and Manuals

ESQ1 Schematics (drawn by Tony Gonzalez)

PSU (1)
PSU (2)
Clock Generator
DOC Arbiter
Reset Generator
CPU
Address Generation
OS ROMs
OS and SeqRAM
Keyboard Controller
Cartridge Interface
Seq. Expansion Interface
Wave ROMs
DUART & MIDI
DOC
DOC trimming & analog voltages
Voice output/routing
CV Generation
CV Distribution
Analog inputs
Voice Processor (CEM3379)
Components for VP
Output stage & volume VCA

Awesome work, Tony!

Page 1
Page 2
Memory Map

Cartridge

SME-1

Technical Manuals

Inside SQ80 (PDF, 8MB)

Documented ROM Listing

available here (ZIP, 200kB)

Turn your ESQ-1 into a SQ80

• Adjusting the sound...
• Adding DOSRAM and SEQRAM
  (this is a must)
• Increasing Waveform Memory
• Adding a Floppy Controller

Documentation of ICs

WD1772(Floppy Controller)
WD177x data sheet (1.6MB)
SSM2300 (8x S&H Multiplexer)
MC2681 (DUART)
LM2925 (Voltage Regulator)
CEM3360 (Dual VCA)
CEM3379 (Analog Voice Processor)
TL4812 (Display Driver)
5503DOC (Soundengine)
ICS1261 (aka 5503 or DOC-I, original data sheet)
TL5810 (Display Driver)
R6500 (Auxiliary Processor)
6809E (Microprocessor)
AD7524 (D/A converter)

The R6500 is used on several machines in various configurations. It serves as display/panel processor on both, ESQ-1 and SQ80, and also as keyboard processor on ESQ-1.

Miscellaneous Information

Repair FAQ: Replacing the Battery (external site)
Repair FAQ: Upgrading the OS (external site)
Repair FAQ: Replacing the LM2925
Repair FAQ: Replacing the disk drive
FAQ: How to factory reset ESQ-1/SQ80
FAQ: Hidden Functions of ESQ-1 and SQ80
SMP08 - a pin-by-pin replacement for the SSM2300

SQ80 Expansion Project
Hidden Waveforms - an introduction

• Stuck with your old Ensoniq sequences? Translate them into Standard MIDI Files using Margus Kliimask's converter software.
• Check out Rick C's photo documentation on various ESQ1 repair projects.
• If you search for replacement batteries or disk drives visit the Route 66 Studios
• Glenn J. did some nice sounds for the SQ80. Check out his page.
• Even more sounds you can get from Cesium Sound.
• Other Ensoniq Resources from SynthZone.

• Alan D. Kok for providing an excellent 6809 page
• Thomas Tahsin-Bey for lending me his copy of Rodney Zak's "Programming the 6809"
• Henrik Gudath for sending me the DOC programming information (derived from the Apple IIGS hardware manual)
• Martin Käser for even more DOC information including the pinout.
• Jon Nicoll for providing the ESQ-1 ROM dumps and donating me two books about the 6809 and other ancient microprocessors and peripherals.
• Again Jon for providing dumps of various sound cartridges.
• Glenn P. Landry for the original ESQ-1 schematics.
• Jan Pniewski for selling me the SQ80 tech manual.
• Eric "Earache" Nofsinger for sending me 1600 sound programs.
• Geoffrey Mainwaring for sending me ESQ138.
• Dave O'Neill for the R6500 datasheet.
• Eddie K. Lee for scanning the ESQ-1 service manual.
• Clint Turner for providing SSM2300 and SMP08 datasheets
• Again Clint for the ESQ-1 wave ROMs
• Thierry Pottier for spending so much time scanning the ESQ-1 Musician's Manual
• Per Mattsson for creating PDFs out of Thierry's scans
• Jon Corley for donating me plenty of invaluable stuff
• Eberhard Pichowiak for the ESQm ROM dumps
• Again Eddie K. Lee for sending me a defective ESQ-1 display unit
• Paul Maddox for sending me a defective ESQ-1 main board
• //christian for doing the raw-to-AIFF conversion of the SQ80's waves
• Steve Gilmer for the SQ80 OS1.7 and KPC1.50 dumps
• Kirk Slinkard for scanning in Transoniq Hacker
• Michael Hyman for the original ICS1261 (5503 DOC) datasheet
• Paul Maddox for PDFing the ICS1261 datasheet
• Richard Choy for the battery replacement and OS upgrade howto
• Mark Moulding for scanning in and PDFing even more issues of the Transoniq Hacker

What I love to get is all type of (E)SQ related hardware to support my further work on these since Creative Labs/Emu/Ensoniq doesn't give us tech support on this "ancient" hardware anymore.