KVR Audio

Uncle E · Post by **Uncle E** » Tue Jun 16, 2026 8:33 pm

Dragging in a full bank should be fine.

Examigan · Post by **Examigan** » Tue Jun 16, 2026 9:42 pm

Teksonik wrote: Tue Jun 16, 2026 8:03 pm Has anyone noticed pops and clicks while playing some patches? For example the "Cor Anglais Mono" preset from the Andrew Longhurst bank.

Yep, I'm getting that here also, even if I select 2x oversampling and increased the buffer in the DAW.

beely · Post by **beely** » Tue Jun 16, 2026 10:09 pm

Teksonik wrote: Tue Jun 16, 2026 8:31 pm Thanks, I was looking for a click and import option. So that's good news and bad since I hate drag and drop with a passion that can not be expressed by any words in the English language.

That's pretty trivial to automate, at least on the Mac - I've no idea about Windows automation.
How many sysex files do you have to convert?

knob_monster · Post by **knob_monster** » Tue Jun 16, 2026 10:29 pm

autohotkey makes windows automation pretty easy for that. still sucks they don't just give us a normal import button though lol

TotcProductions · Post by **TotcProductions** » Tue Jun 16, 2026 11:52 pm

Teksonik wrote: Tue Jun 16, 2026 7:35 pm
IvyBirds wrote: Tue Jun 16, 2026 6:20 pm One of the most exciting things about this is that towards the bottom of the product page
That is good news indeed. If this means a VFX emulation of equal quality is on the way then that gives me a woody.

Anyway on to the synth itself....I like it a lot. The Arp/Seq is almost enough to make me purchase it right away.

I no longer own my ESQ-1 to make a 1:1 comparison but they nailed the sound well enough for me.

The main reason I sold the hardware was because of its brutish output. It got to be unpleasant to the ear after so many years of in the box high fidelity. Thankfully this emulation doesn't try to emulate that.

If I didn't already own the SQ80V this would be an instant purchase but I'll wait until I have some spare change to pick it up.

I agree the GUI could be better. There is always something "lo-fi" about CA interfaces. Not so much that it makes them unusable but they can be unpleasant to view and operate.

Marc: I picked up a copy just because you liked it.

Cuauhtli · Post by **Cuauhtli** » Wed Jun 17, 2026 12:37 am

CA did seem to imply there were more goodies on the way during the reveal/intro video. Whether they meant preset packs, waveforms, etc. or more Ensoniq emulations...

Teksonik · Post by **Teksonik** » Wed Jun 17, 2026 1:09 am

Uncle E wrote: Tue Jun 16, 2026 8:33 pm Dragging in a full bank should be fine.

Oh yeah dragging in a full bank works but that requires me to have a browser open (which I almost never do) or shrink down my DAW and open an explorer window just to drag.

I tried in four different DAWs and the .syx files didn't show even though their browsers were pointed to those folders. Not sure what's going on as like I said I don't ever have a browser open unless a plugin doesn't have right click import (hopefully with file path persistence) which would be my preferred method.

I just find drag and drop much more tedious for my workflow.

Examigan wrote: Tue Jun 16, 2026 9:42 pm
Teksonik wrote: Tue Jun 16, 2026 8:03 pm Has anyone noticed pops and clicks while playing some patches? For example the "Cor Anglais Mono" preset from the Andrew Longhurst bank.
Yep, I'm getting that here also, even if I select 2x oversampling and increased the buffer in the DAW.

Okay thanks for testing and confirming. Does it seem like a bug to you? If so I could submit a report but I've never had to contact CA support before so don't know how responsive they are.

beely wrote: Tue Jun 16, 2026 10:09 pm How many sysex files do you have to convert?

I have dozens collected from places like:

https://legacy-forum.arturia.com/index. ... c=109874.0

Sadly I never bothered to back up my collection from the hardware when I sold it on.

TotcProductions wrote: Tue Jun 16, 2026 11:52 pm Marc: I picked up a copy just because you liked it.

Oh oh...I'm in trouble if you don't like it.

I will end up buying it at some point. The more time I spent the more I grew to like it.

I did an A/B test with Arturia's SQ80V and on similar patches I prefer the sound of the Cherry Audio version. Seems to have more weight and character. That would seem to go with the opinion some have had over the years that Arturia's synths can sound a bit "sterile" or clinical at times.

Edit: I have opened a ticket with Cherry Audio on the subject of the pops and clicks with certain presets. I'll post here when (if) they respond.

stoopicus · Post by **stoopicus** » Wed Jun 17, 2026 2:15 am

Gonna buy it of course but I am kinda questioning the utility over SQ-80V

Phlangeez · Post by **Phlangeez** » Wed Jun 17, 2026 3:13 am

I just heard the best demo of ESQ-1 to my ears James Dyson's Sonic Odyssey soundpack Youtube video. Good texturally and harmonically. Nice digital grit, warbling filters. Interesting stuff. I will demo and buy it one of these days.

Dirtgrain · Post by **Dirtgrain** » Wed Jun 17, 2026 11:42 am

Okay bot.

Teksonik · Post by **Teksonik** » Wed Jun 17, 2026 12:27 pm

I just purchased the ESQ-1 for $57.82 from everyPlugin.com since I am a sucker for a great deal. Not sure how many copies are available. Delivery of the redemption code was instant and authorization worked perfectly.

everyPlugin.com wrote: Tue Jun 16, 2026 5:00 pm The Cherry Audio Ensoniq ESQ-1 is officially released Now.
Captures the iconic sounds of this classic 80’s synth.

I hate to cheap out on Cherry Audio but these days every penny counts to an old man.........

Echoes in the Attic · Post by **Echoes in the Attic** » Wed Jun 17, 2026 1:16 pm

Cherry are doing pick 3 for 99 right now, or pick 6 for 149: https://store.cherryaudio.com/
ESQ-1 can be included.

Echoes in the Attic · Post by **Echoes in the Attic** » Wed Jun 17, 2026 1:18 pm

In theory I guess the Arturia SQ-80 should have everything and more that this has right? But I guess there's always the Cherry vs arturia sound, which is weird that the difference should exist in a digital emulation, but probably does anyways.

sergiofrias · Post by **sergiofrias** » Wed Jun 17, 2026 1:41 pm

i think there's a small issue with atack time (DCA4)...ive compared with sq8l and cherry's esq-1 is slower.

IvyBirds · Post by **IvyBirds** » Wed Jun 17, 2026 3:48 pm

Echoes in the Attic wrote: Wed Jun 17, 2026 1:18 pm In theory I guess the Arturia SQ-80 should have everything and more that this has right? But I guess there's always the Cherry vs arturia sound, which is weird that the difference should exist in a digital emulation, but probably does anyways.

The Arturia plugin can load original SysEx patches and banks from the hardware ESQ-1 and SQ-80 and has all of the same waveforms as the ESQ-1

So in theory the Arturia version can do everything this can and more

Comparing the Arturia version to the Cherry Audio version on the same patches they sound slightly different. Does that matter? Probably nit. Which one sounds closest to the hardware? Don't know know and don't care really as both are more than close enough and quite good for what they are. If you don't like the sound of the hardware you won't like these.

Also I have no idea if the ESQ1 and the SQ80 hardware sounded exactly the same

In the end I purchased the Cherry Audio version even though I have the Arturia version because I want to support the project and the new licensing agreement between Creative and Cherry Audio and hope it will continue with other products. Especially the Proteus line from E-mu and the Ensoniq Fizmo

I also really like to support plugin versions of 1980s and 1990s Synths that are unapologetically and unashamedly digital in nature

▽ Coming Soon from Cherry Audio: Still the ① ▽