KVR Audio

AdmiralQuality · Post by **AdmiralQuality** » Fri Jun 01, 2007 10:19 am

rockstar_not wrote:Wasn't the SQ-80 the one with the really weird key-click thing? I had an ESQ-1, then sold it to help finance my VFX-SD purchase - which is still my midi controller board to this day. A friend had one of the Ensoniq boards in between the ESQ-1 and the VFX, and it had this really nasty key click sound/feel thing going on.

-Scott

Never played an SQ-80, sorry. I'd be surprised if it had a substantially different action than the ESQ-1 though as the ESQ-1 has about the best unweighted action I've ever played. It's still, to this day, an awesome controller (once you work the rust out).

rockstar_not · Post by **rockstar_not** » Fri Jun 01, 2007 10:26 am

Admiral, I know it was one of the intermediate synths that actually didn't catch on too well that had this terribly crappy feel and sound of the keys. It was Ensoniq's first poly aftertouch keyboard. I'll see if the synth museum has any articles on it. Nothing there. Perhaps some past SQ-80 owners will chime in here.

-Scott

AdmiralQuality · Post by **AdmiralQuality** » Fri Jun 01, 2007 10:29 am

The poly pressure is something I still long for... BADLY! Jealous

In fact, please do me a favour and verify that polypressure works on Poly-Ana (it should, I've just never had the hardware to test it).

You'll have to route it your self as none of the presets utilize it. Give me a shout if you need any help setting it up.

Shy · Post by **Shy** » Fri Jun 01, 2007 10:42 am

I haven't checked SQ8L updates in a while, and now I see there's much reworked filtering and general sound engine improvements. Sounds very nice. Looking forward to a "finished" pro version as well.

olepro · Post by **olepro** » Fri Jun 01, 2007 10:55 am

rockstar_not wrote:Admiral, I know it was one of the intermediate synths that actually didn't catch on too well that had this terribly crappy feel and sound of the keys. It was Ensoniq's first poly aftertouch keyboard. I'll see if the synth museum has any articles on it. Nothing there. Perhaps some past SQ-80 owners will chime in here.

-Scott

I've had a SQ80 eversince it was released. This is a wonderfull synth and SQ8L comes REALLY close soundwise, it's a dream come through.
It's right that the keyboard is clicking an awfull lot, but things can be done to improve it.
There is no contacts in the SQ80 keyboard. On every key there's a little metal plate thet activates a spoole there's a part of the electronic board underneath it. On that metal plate is placed a piece of foam thet is used for the key stop and aftertouch funktion. This metal plate is a little loose inside the plastic key and THAT is making the clicketyclack.
I filled the empty space behind the metal plate with silicone rubber on every key and that way the clicking went away and the keys got a little bit heavyer and actually made the key action better. The little foam things died later on and i replaced them with a long soft silicone tube in all the length of the keyboard and that works fine. Difficult to explain technically with my english skills !!

Ole

Rangtangtang · Post by **Rangtangtang** » Fri Jun 01, 2007 12:00 pm

Is very quiet in Tracktion and Iv tried to boost it whith stereo tools as a preamp.

bengeorge · Post by **bengeorge** » Mon Jun 04, 2007 5:07 pm

Any news on the expanded version of this VST?

It would be cool to add my own waveforms...

And, Chris Huelbeck, if you are reading this, what patches did you use for the A+B tests on the SQ8L page? They were great, link?

Thanks!

Pepsito · Post by **Pepsito** » Mon Jun 04, 2007 7:26 pm

Hope the "pro version" will have a normal settings-menu.

bengeorge wrote:And, Chris Huelbeck, if you are reading this, what patches did you use for the A+B tests on the SQ8L page? They were great, link?

Search in this thread - he has answered this question.

bambooman · Post by **bambooman** » Mon Jun 04, 2007 8:44 pm

the latest version (0.84a) seems to be buggy using FL studio, using the pc-keyboard to play doesn't work correct and other smaller bugs etc.
0.831a doesn't have any bigger issues here.

someone else having similar issues?!?

Pepsito · Post by **Pepsito** » Mon Jun 04, 2007 10:37 pm

bambooman wrote:the latest version (0.84a) seems to be buggy using FL studio, using the pc-keyboard to play doesn't work correct and other smaller bugs etc.
0.831a doesn't have any bigger issues here.

someone else having similar issues?!?

This is a typical thing in FL... if you select something in SQ-8L the focus is gone and any keyboard inputs will not be played anymore... you have to click on the channel to do this again.

bengeorge · Post by **bengeorge** » Mon Jun 04, 2007 10:52 pm

0.84a does not display correctly in energyXT1.4 and energyXT2. The window is smaller than the GUI, widgets are misplaced.

dirty oscillators · Post by **dirty oscillators** » Tue Jun 05, 2007 12:17 pm

damn this thing sounds great.

that's all i have to say.

tomg · Post by **tomg** » Tue Jun 05, 2007 3:37 pm

rockstar_not wrote:Admiral, I know it was one of the intermediate synths that actually didn't catch on too well that had this terribly crappy feel and sound of the keys. It was Ensoniq's first poly aftertouch keyboard. I'll see if the synth museum has any articles on it. Nothing there. Perhaps some past SQ-80 owners will chime in here.

-Scott

That is not true for me. I sold my ESQ as soon as I got my SQ80. It's got a much better keyboard and that's hard to do because the ESQ plays great. It's semi-weighted with poly aftertouch. You may have heard that it clicks and so it does but that's the way the poly aftertouch works. I think it's the best playing keyboard I have ever had, clicks and all.

shanecgriffo · Post by **shanecgriffo** » Thu Jun 21, 2007 10:57 pm

the latest version sounds considerably quieter.. (compared to the previous version i have which is .81) so while it might sound better, it doesnt really because we all know that louder sounds better!!

anyway it really is quite quiet.

c_huelsbeck · Post by **c_huelsbeck** » Thu Jun 21, 2007 11:29 pm

AdmiralQuality wrote:
rockstar_not wrote:Wasn't the SQ-80 the one with the really weird key-click thing? I had an ESQ-1, then sold it to help finance my VFX-SD purchase - which is still my midi controller board to this day. A friend had one of the Ensoniq boards in between the ESQ-1 and the VFX, and it had this really nasty key click sound/feel thing going on.

-Scott
Never played an SQ-80, sorry. I'd be surprised if it had a substantially different action than the ESQ-1 though as the ESQ-1 has about the best unweighted action I've ever played. It's still, to this day, an awesome controller (once you work the rust out).

I had an ESQ1 first and upgraded to the SQ80 later... the keyboard is very different, probably because of that poly-aftertouch feature. They must have used another manufacturer or something like that. In any case, the SQ80 keyboard is kinda crappy when you compare it with the ESQ1 or even with many other synths. Specifically it is very noisy - Clickedy-clack!

Chris

SQ80 emulating VSTi available