Patches and discussion for Ensoniq VFX family

> There were many models ni the VFX family and yes the
> unit simply labeled VFX (not VFX-SD, SDII, SD-1) does
> not have a sequencer.  It was a performance board
> only. It diid have a template where you could store
> 2(?) user setups, each with 12 tracks that you assign
> sounds to.  

That's ONE "multi" (not two), yes it's 12 tracks, mostly meant to be
used with an external sequencer.  However, there are still 20 x
3-program presets for splits / layers.  Works well live, if you asked
me.

> When Ensoniq came out with the Mega-Piano waves, were they also
> available for the original VFX (such as the one we're discussing
> here), or was that an VFX-SD series only add-on?

It was a separate model, the VFX-SD-II, that had the mega piano
waves.  You may have been able to upgrade a VFX-SD with a motherboard
swap, I'm not certain.

The vanilla VFX was never able to be upgraded to anything; the keybed,
wheels, and case were the only things truly in common with the rest of
the series; to upgrade, one would have had to replace the power
supply, motherboard, and front panel to upgrade.

> Does anyone in the group still have a VFX synth (non
> sequencer version)?  I have 2 VFX-SD units and might
> consider working something out with someone for a
> trade?

I have one VFX and one VFX-SD.  I keep the VFX at church where I
play, the VFX at home for practice.  (Have a rack that I move back &
forth with a roland JV-1080 in it; I've said that before, sorry if I'm
boring somebody by repeating it...)

But I'm not interested in a trade, sorry.  That VFX was my first
synth, and I'm rather attached to it.

Someone else said:

> I think I read somewhere that the SD-1 was the premier synth that
> had the piano mega-waves, but I don't know if it was the only one
> and I don't know if the original VFX can use them.

VFX-SD-II had the Mega-piano waves.  The SD-1 MAY have improved the
piano sounds yet again, not certain on that.

> Yesturday I read on the board that the two(SD-1 and VFX) are not
> compatible,

They are sys-ex compatible.  That's usually my litmus test.  (The
TS-10 series is not sys-ex compatible, for example.)

Use the sys-ex from an SD-1 to try to access waves that don't exist on
a VFX, and you get some garbage sounds, yes.  I think you also have to
boot a 32-voice sd-1 in "21-voice mode" (however you'd do that) to be
compatible with sequences made on earlier models.  But I'd still say
they're compatible.

--> Steve
-- 
Steve Wahl    steve@...

It is difficult to get a man to understand something
when his salary depends upon his not understanding it.
    -Upton Sinclair