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From: li63sgy@sdcc7.UUCP (glenn little)
Newsgroups: net.music.synth
Subject: Ensoniq Mirage
Message-ID: <1409@sdcc7.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 17-Apr-85 02:09:21 EST
Article-I.D.: sdcc7.1409
Posted: Wed Apr 17 02:09:21 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 18-Apr-85 08:10:41 EST
Organization: U.C. San Diego, Academic Computer Center
Lines: 34
Keywords: Mirage, Sampling Keyboard


	I noticed some discussion a while back about the Ensoniq
	Mirage.  I was extremely close to buying one, but after
	thinking about it a bit, and hearing the instrument itself,
	I am no longer so sure.  I have been hearing a lot of
	complaints from people who have dealt with the company.
	They complain about poor customer relations, and an
	unhelpful attitude.  I think there is a strong possibility
	that this is due to them being a new company swamped with
	orders, and trying to get their feet off the ground.

	But after hearing it, I am not so sure it is for me.  I
	admit, I did hear an Emulator II, and that may be biasing my
	opinion.  And I know that the E II costs 4 times as much.
	But the full bandwidth sampling time is 4 times more on the
	E II, and I understand that there will be no memory
	expansion (at least not for sample memory) for the Mirage.
	I think that the extra sampling time may be essential 
	for some sounds.  Has anybody heard a GOOD sample
	of a full throated choir... the kind used by Genesis and
	Strawbs with their Mellotrons?  (I don't mean the sound Tony
	Banks had on his Emulator I on Genesis' last tour... that
	didn't have that characteristic Mellotron Choir Body.)  I
	suspect that you would need very long samples, spaced very
	close to one another to get a good approximation to that
	sound.

	Any comments on any of this?  Experience with any of the
	sampling machines?  Know of any others coming out with a
	price tag somewhere below the Emulator II?

			I hope to hear from some of you.
				
				Glenn Little