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...

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

Timeline

• (2008-06-19) V0.91b
  New & improved LFO and EG models, immediate parameter changes, minor bugfixes
• (2007-11-18) V0.9b
  Improved voice management and synthesis, enhanced MIDI capabilities, Polypressure support, GUI rework
• (2007-05-31) V0.84a
  GUI rework, improved filter algorithms and additional sound engine enhancements
• (2007-02-26) V0.831a
  Fixes rendering problems in Ableton Live
• (2007-01-28) V0.83a
  Installer bugfix, SQ8L now requires no installer anymore -- just unpack it into a directory of your choice.
• (2007-01-25) V0.82a
  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
  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? (Examples are versions prior to V0.84)

• 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 original (A) and 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.

But I don't run Windows!

• SQ8L and Linux
  SQ8L works under Linux (tested w/ Ubuntu 8.04 and Slackware 12.0). You would require the following packages installed on your machine:
  • Wine (1.0.x or up)
  • jack (0.109.2 or up)
  • dssi (0.9.1 or up)
  • dssi-vst (0.7 or up)
  
  Create an install directory where you plan to store all your VST files, e.g. /home/buchty/VST. Install SQ8L (and eventually other VSTi) into this directory, then perform the following steps:
  1. Configure Wine for jack output by running winecfg and selecting the JACK driver from the Audio section.
  2. Export the VST folder path, e.g. export VST_PATH=/home/buchty/VST/
  3. Register the VSTi with dssi by running ./dssi-vst-scanner from within your dssi-vst installation directory which is /usr/local/lib/dssi/dssi-vst/ on Ubuntu and other Debian-derived distros. If you're unsure where to to find the dssi-vst directory, try locate dssi-vst.
  4. Fire up the jack daemon by typing jackd -d alsa. You might want to enter this into your boot process, if not already done. (If you don't use the ALSA sound system or have more than one sound cards installed, refer to JACK manual.)
  5. Finally, start SQ8L by typing jack-dssi-host dssi-vst.so:SQ8L.dll or from within your preferred sequencer software, e.g. Rosegarden.
  
  Lazy typers might want to create individual start scripts for each VST and place them e.g. into /usr/local/bin/ or ~/bin. Don't forget proper access rights (chmod 755), otherwise they won't start...
  
  
• Mac OS X
  First of all, you may want to consider VSTi Host from defectiverecords.com/. Given the media echo it got on the web, it seems like a solid solution -- and with $35 also rather affordable. However, I don't have any experience on whether or how it interacts with SQ8L. For those who want to go the hard way: jack, dssi, and Wine are also available for Mac OS, but might require some more work to get them up and running. If anyone wants to take on this one and maybe even providing readily installable packages, let me know.
  
  For the moment, all I can do is providing the following pointers:
  • Jack OS X is available from here.
  • dssi and dssi-vst you can download here.
  • WINE is available from here. Please note that there's also a commercially available WINE port to Mac OS called CrossOver Mac which you may already have running on your system.
  As I don't own a Mac and have also no experience with Mac OS whatsoever, please understand that any question in this direction will be as helpful as a friendly shrug.

Please note: This software was not 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.

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.

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

Share the work you've created using these favorite machines of us! Curious how others use their ESQ1/SQ80? Check out

http://memi.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.

Please also notice that I may take some time to update that very contest page. It's not bad will or anything, just the fact, that I have a daytime job that occupies me way into the evenings ;)

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/MacOS 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.

A word of caution: This code is messy, ugly, outdated, and if I rewrote it today I would do it differently. But it still does the job (for me, that is), so why waste time with beautifying. If it doesn't compile on your machine, sorry, but I don't have the resources to provide compilation support.

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

ESQ1 OS3.5 update manual
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...

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:

Historical and other stuff

The following are various bits & pieces which might be of some nostalgic value. Please remember that some of those are highly outdated.

Authorized Ensoniq Repair Centers
Voice Cartridge #1 Manual

For the die-hard hackers

• Here's a piece of software I quickly hacked together to reverse-engineer the display/panel processor protocol. You would require a patched serial card (16MHz instead of 14.7456MHz / 2MHz instead of 1.8432MHz -- depends whether your card gets the clock via ISA or uses a crystal) to achieve the desired comm speed of 62k5 (8n1).

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 was created. As time allows, more and more issues will be filed. Please be patient, scanning in the old issues takes time.

This archive is run with the former publisher's permission and endorsement. If, however, you are an author of individual articles and do not like this article to be included here, let me know.

 

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
Official Manual

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)
6809E Programming Manual
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: No Sound Checklist
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/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
• Free banks for ESQ1/SQ80 and SQ8L on Mark Wynkoop's Score for Sale.
  Plus a really great advertising for SQ8L, I must say ;)
• 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.

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.