Cheap Ensonic Mirage? Worth snagging?

[erok123]

Rack mount model, has quite a few disks, $75. Worth getting to mess around with?

 

Thanks

[TropicThink]

I've never used one, but from what I hear they're really a total bitch to operate. If you're of the super patient kind it might be worth it - it does have its own sound, after all - but if you're not, then.... Hmmm.

 

For 75 bucks I'd probably give it a go, though. I mean, how could you lose?

[NuSkoolTone]

Unless you're using it for some grungy character type stuff, I'd stay away. Very small memory, cryptic interface.

[evilmarshmallow]

Unless you're using it for some grungy character type stuff, I'd stay away. Very small memory, cryptic interface.

 

+1

 

IMO the ONLY reason you'd go there is for the analog filter

[ElectricPuppy]

 

Unless you're using it for some grungy character type stuff, I'd stay away. Very small memory, cryptic interface.

 

 

+2. I'm not sure I'd even want one if it were free.

[Jabberwalky]

I owned one for years. I found it fun, useful and the analog filter was nice. I know I know it's soooooo cryptic. Enter parameter 36 for filter cutoff. Use up and down arrows to increase or decrease to taste. Took me a long time to get my head around that...

[Michael Blue]

I just sold mine and a QX7 for $350, shipped.

You could just try it out and flip it?

[mrcpro]

I mean, how could you lose?

 

You will lose something far more important than your $75 - your time. You will spend too much time trying to just get anything worthwhile out of a Mirage, and probably fail at it. It would be like tackling a DOS computer.

[wwwjd]

they are not that complicated. just SEEMS like it. not near as many parameters as modern stuff to be confused by. great analogish sounds, and you can double or triple the sample rate just by slowing down your sample going in, and adjusting filters correctly. not sure how long or how well an old disc drive will work, but mine is still fully operation

Here's the parameters. might be some others I forget:

[Michael Blue]

I wonder if the nay-sayers have ever had one.

Mirages were known for warm tone.

Even current drum sample libraries often include the EPS (the model after the Mirage) drums.

 

Love ignorant advice from people with no personal, first-hand experience.

[ElectricPuppy]

I wonder if the nay-sayers have ever had one. Mirages were known for warm tone. Even current drum sample libraries often include the EPS (the model after the Mirage) drums. Love ignorant advice from people with no personal, first-hand experience.

 

Feh.

 

I still wouldn't want one.

[nice keetee]

I learned how to use mine, now forget how to. It'll get used again, have lots of sounds on disks, good for layering.

[moogerfooger]

 

I wonder if the nay-sayers have ever had one. Mirages were known for warm tone. Even current drum sample libraries often include the EPS (the model after the Mirage) drums. Love ignorant advice from people with no personal, first-hand experience.

 

 

yea -- I still use my rack EPS 16+ all the time ---- I say go for it--

[indytoons]

You could blow $75 on a night out...I'd go for it at that price.

[Bobby D]

no matter what, it's still better than an Akai S612.

 

there is a SHELF full of S612s and disk drives that have been at a local pawn shop near me for over a decade sitting there

 

mirage isn't HORRIBLE.....for $75, it's worth it. i would rather have an EPS or EPS 16+ though, if i could have a choice...

[astraeus000]

watch for a cheap ASR-10. That machine is lovely.....

[The Pro]

I'd get it. Fun thing to have around especially if it has a disk library. In the 80's I did a lot of jingles with mine.

[KingVidiot]

My first experience with a sampler was a Mirage in 1986 (?). It sounded pretty good, especially for the time. Unfortunatley you have to understand hexadecimal to get the real goodies out of it (or constantly use the guy's chart shown above).

 

Look for the wave looping tool online (forgot the name). It makes looping infinitely easier.

 

I like my ts-10 which has some features of the Fizmo and the asr-10.

[Michael Blue]

The guy who bought mine just did a "Stereo mod" and some other stuff to it...Sounds like there's still some active support for them.

[NuSkoolTone]

 

I wonder if the nay-sayers have ever had one. Mirages were known for warm tone. Even current drum sample libraries often include the EPS (the model after the Mirage) drums. Love ignorant advice from people with no personal, first-hand experience.

 

 

As one of the "naysayers", I take offense here. Dude, what kind of a douchebag ARE you? I'm sorry I didn't explicitly state I OWNED one. In fact though I DID, and shortly got rid of it. To be more to the point on whether someone should get one, the answer is unless you want that grainy, grungy sound for something in particular the answer is NO. It's a useless piece of {censored} otherwise when viewed in a modern context IMO. Of course, YMMV.

[Michael Blue]

Sorry you're offended.

We're equally entitled to our OPINIONS.

At least I didn't call you names?! (Wow, how mature)

 

I had mine for 20+ years, I don't know if "quickly got rid of it" really qualifies you as an owner.

Doesn't sound like you delved into it at all.

[NuSkoolTone]

 

Sorry you're offended. We're equally entitled to our OPINIONS. At least I didn't call you names?! (Wow, how mature) I had mine for 20+ years, I don't know if "quickly got rid of it" really qualifies you as an owner. Doesn't sound like you delved into it at all.

 

 

And I didn't get on my high horse telling everyone they're clueless. So it's a wash as far as I'm concerned.

 

At the time I got it, I had already been using synths and sound design for quite some time. It didn't take long to go through the "features". All pretty standard stuff really. How much was there to delve into really? 100 Parameters? That's nothing compared to a modern synth!

 

At the time I wanted to use it as a regular sampler, and at that task I felt the sound quality wasn't there and the memory onboard was very limiting to do anything interesting. Looping was tedious and at the time I didn't have any computer tools to use suitable software and then bring it back into the mirage.

 

Looking at it now, you can get a better sampler with FREEWARE and using your soundcard with any keyboard with a midi out. Make it a laptop and now you're portable.

 

So really, unless you WANT what the mirage did to the sound for some sort of production value, it's hard to see why anyone would want one given what's currently available IMO. Not to mention, I got mine in the early to mid 90's and I paid $100 for it back THEN. Not much has changed since. Someone's gonna have to make hit records and say their "secret weapon" is the mirage for it to go up in price IMO.

 

Last thing I'll add is if you MUST have a mirage, try to get one with a boatload of sample disks. Their might even be a way to load them sysex from the computer (Though I forget now) because that could be a lot easier than messing with floppies. Either way load times can take awhile.

 

FWIW, I STILL have my ESQ-1 and will probably never part with it. I was an Ensoniq fan up to about when they came out with the SQ series. After that it was hit or miss. Almost went for a TS series synth but ended up with an 01/W. Doubt you'll find one for $75, but I'd echo the recommendation of the ASR-10.

[Michael Blue]

Whatever, dude. I never said it was the "end-all, be-all" and it's all just opinions anyways, YOU'RE the one with your panties in a bunch.

 

If nothing else, it'd be fun to tinker with, and for $75 he could triple his money right now on eBay. How you could recommend AGAINST that wobbles the mind.

[wwwjd]

if all you got out of it was GRAINY, you didn't know how to use it

[nice keetee]

if all you got out of it was GRAINY, you didn't know how to use it

 

I thought you typed GRANNY ...I keep my Mirage. especially $75, less than some stompboxes.