Ensoniq SQ2 Wavetable Based Synthesiser

The Ensoniq SQ2 is a 76-key synthesiser released in 1991.  It was the next evolution of the Ensoniq SQ range.  This range started with the SQ1 released in 1990, followed by the Ensoniq SQ1 Plus and then the final incarnation the Ensoniq SQ2.  The main difference between the Ensoniq SQ1 Plus and the Ensoniq SQ2 is the size of the key bed (61 keys on the SQ1 Plus and 76 on the SQ2).   Plus, the Ensoniq SQ2 has a slightly better key bed.  This is evident from the fact that the internal mother board of the keyboard as SQ1 plus and SQ2 written on it indicating that it can be installed in either instrument.

Ensoniq also released the Ensoniq SQR rack, Ensoniq SQR Plus rack and Ensoniq KS32 61 note piano like keyboard.  All of these used the same sound generation techniques as the Ensoniq SQ2 keyboard.  While I can't confirm, I believe sounds could be backed up to a memory card and transferred between the instruments.

The basics of this synthesiser are:

• 76 key bed (both velocity and pressure sensitive)

• 21 voice polyphony (dependant on the number of oscillators being used in the sound generation).

• 124 digital waveforms @ 16bit resolution

• Multimode digital filters

• Stereo effects

• 8 track sequencer

The key drawback of this instrument is, unlike the Ensoniq samplers, this instrument lacks a disk drive to allow patches to be loaded and backed up.

The sounds created by this synthesiser are generated from the 124 waves which are split into 12 groups.  These groups include Transwaves and multi samples which allow interesting sonic combinations to be created.

I acquired my Ensoniq SQ2 Wavetable Synthesiser in 2020.  It was an impulse buy from a friend of a friend.  The seller basically said I could have the synth for £75 on the agreement that I gave it a good home and would drive down to Leatherhead to pick it up the following Saturday as the seller was moving house and didn't want to pack it up.

I must be honest and say I was a little underwhelmed with the Ensoniq SQ2 when I got it back to the studio.  At the point of acquisition, I knew very little about the synthesisers back story. And as I was in the full throws of my divorce, I packaged the synth up and took it up to my storage unit.  And it has pretty much stayed there until recently.

The other thing you realise with these synths of the 1980's and 1990's is that while the panel might be plastic, the rear and key bed frame are metal plus they normally have a large chunk of iron inside in terms of the transformer.  These elements inherently make the keyboard heavier than they look.