Arturia's SQ80 V vs the free SQ80L

[mholloway]

Well the 'free' on is 32 bit only, PC only, and hasn't been updated or supported for years and never will be updated or supported ever again.

SQ-80 V wins.

[wwjd]

I can give you 99 reasons the free one is better.

besides, 32bit plays just fine in 64bit in 2021. sounds great, tons of support for it. so its a crashy at times...

[mholloway]

I can give you 99 reasons the free one is better.

besides, 32bit plays just fine in 64bit in 2021. sounds great, tons of support for it. so its a crashy at times...

No, it doesn't.

Also, I'm mac only anyway, so this is all moot to me.

[wwjd]

it doesn't on mac. oh well

[ghostwhistler]

I can give you 99 reasons the free one is better.

besides, 32bit plays just fine in 64bit in 2021. sounds great, tons of support for it. so its a crashy at times...

Can you give a few?

And perhaps point me to a manual/tutorial?

[gentleclockdivider]

I can give you 99 reasons the free one is better.

besides, 32bit plays just fine in 64bit in 2021. sounds great, tons of support for it. so its a crashy at times...

Can you give a few?

And perhaps point me to a manual/tutorial?

It's a 3 osc synth , each osc having it's own (modulatable ) dca if required
Global dca 4 is hardwired to envelope 4
Osc 2 can be synced to osc 1 , osc 1-2 can ringmod each other .
Envelopes are of the level ,time type , 4 envelopes , 4 lfo's , route as you desire
Envelopes have additional exp curves , mod matrix etc..4 pole ladder type filter
No rocket science , an easy synth that sounds stellar

[ghostwhistler]

I can give you 99 reasons the free one is better.

besides, 32bit plays just fine in 64bit in 2021. sounds great, tons of support for it. so its a crashy at times...

Can you give a few?

And perhaps point me to a manual/tutorial?

It's a 3 osc synth , each osc having it's own (modulatable ) dca if required
Global dca 4 is hardwired to envelope 4
Osc 2 can be synced to osc 1 , osc 1-2 can ringmod each other .
Envelopes are of the level ,time type , 4 envelopes , 4 lfo's , route as you desire
Envelopes have additional exp curves , mod matrix etc..4 pole ladder type filter
No rocket science , an easy synth that sounds stellar

Ok, so how you create an envelope - or indeed do any of those things? Many of the parameters in the plug in aren't clear nor explained. The interface is not remotely intuitive nor clear. There is no ADSR control apparent, for example

It's a little frustrating asking for help just to be told it's easy.

[ghostwhistler]

double post

[Funkybot's Evil Twin]

I can give you 99 reasons the free one is better.

besides, 32bit plays just fine in 64bit in 2021. sounds great, tons of support for it. so its a crashy at times...

Can you give a few?

And perhaps point me to a manual/tutorial?

It's a 3 osc synth , each osc having it's own (modulatable ) dca if required
Global dca 4 is hardwired to envelope 4
Osc 2 can be synced to osc 1 , osc 1-2 can ringmod each other .
Envelopes are of the level ,time type , 4 envelopes , 4 lfo's , route as you desire
Envelopes have additional exp curves , mod matrix etc..4 pole ladder type filter
No rocket science , an easy synth that sounds stellar

Ok, so how you create an envelope - or indeed do any of those things? Many of the parameters in the plug in aren't clear nor explained. The interface is not remotely intuitive nor clear. There is no ADSR control apparent, for example

It's a little frustrating asking for help just to be told it's easy.

Go to the Synth page. It's all there.

[Teksonik]

I think he's talking about the SQ8L.

That brings up an important point. The SQ8L emulated the hardware workflow as well and that's a perfect example of why emulating everything is not always a good idea.

Patch programming on the Arturia synth is so much easier because as you say everything is on the Synthesis page. No page flipping like on the hardware.

[ghostwhistler]

I think he's talking about the SQ8L.

That brings up an important point. The SQ8L emulated the hardware workflow as well and that's a perfect example of why emulating everything is not always a good idea.

Patch programming on the Arturia synth is so much easier because as you say everything is on the Synthesis page. No page flipping like on the hardware.

Yes, the SQ8L, which is what the person I was responding to was referring to.

[Teksonik]

I think someone already provided this link but here's the SQ-80 manual.

http://www.buchty.net/ensoniq/files/manuals/SQ80.pdf

You'll just have to dig in and find the answers to the questions you have.

[wwjd]

I can give you 99 reasons the free one is better.

besides, 32bit plays just fine in 64bit in 2021. sounds great, tons of support for it. so its a crashy at times...

Can you give a few?

And perhaps point me to a manual/tutorial?

my joke was about the $99 cost verses free.

looks like many other have covered the HOW TO part and the MANUAL, but I can add what I learned just now, having never touched the programming of the SQ8L, and not being a fan of obscure layouts - as they were new back in the day.

---------------------------------------------------------------------
The screen has upper and lower sections, with parameters controlled by the knobs above and below.
Far right of that screen can show arrow up or down, and pressing a button AGAIN will show other options on screen. Or clicking those arrows.

Press MIX button, see on screen OSC 1-3 OUTPUT: turn 3 knobs above to the right to turn them on.

Press MIX again for WAVE, turn those 3 knobs above again for plethera of wave types
Press 1st red button OSC1-3 (which would be OSC1), and you can turn knobs to adjust octave, semi, and fine for detuning.

Press next Red button (OSC2) and adjust the same.
Press any OSC red button twice (or up/down arrows on right of screen) to see LEVEL and OUTPUT on/off

Press FILTER and adjust the FILT FREQ with the first top knob, and RES with the next knob.

At bottom I see ENV1-4 with levels and times, and LFO

That's as far as I want to go with this. It works, kinda easy once you mess with it and figure out HOW it works, just "nostalgically bad" to control a synth with just buttons.

If you are very new to synthesis, this is NOT the place to start.

And the manual was posted above if you want to learn and deep dive this SQ8L thing.

[ghostwhistler]

The free one is called SQ8L not SQ80L! There are lots of resources scattered over the net. Here is one: http://www.buchty.net/ensoniq/#sq8l
edit: you can find the hardware musician manual there. This is the direct link to it: http://www.buchty.net/ensoniq/files/manuals/SQ80.pdf

Both the free one and Arturia's one sound very nice. But I like the new one because it is with big interface and easier on the eyes. Anyway, I've just installed again the free one to be sure. It is a 32bit and works in Bitwig, so I gave it a go. Personally, I like the sound and it is on par with the SQ80 V. The interface is not that difficult at all. So, if you know how to program subtractive synths, you will know how to program the free one (or the new one). Anyway, there are many hidden tips in both synths you need to read and watch videos on YT to understand the ins and outs of it.


Anyway, if this is your first synth to learn, then I advise you to start with an easier one. If not, then maybe if you read the SQ80 V manual, you can apply it on the free one (if you don't want to buy the new one).

It isn't and that's not the issue. As I said, it's the particular workflow of this synth. I understand how amplitude envelopes work, but this interface isn't intuitive andmerely increasing the release value doesn't correspond with an increase in the presumed outcome. Thanks anyway

I'd also like to hear the reasons you (or whomever it was) have that this is superior to Arturia's model

[Teksonik]

and not being a fan of obscure layouts - as they were new back in the day.

Even back in the day shortly after purchasing my ESQ-1 I bought Dr. T's ESQ-apade software editor/librarian for the ESQ on the Atari ST platform.

Even way back then using the hardware to program patches was not the best option.