Ensoniq Mirage
The Ensoniq Mirage is a sampler keyboard from the mid-1980s. It was first used by Prince on Around The World In A Day, where it was used for string and choral sounds[1] . It was the first affordable sampler keyboard, in comparison to the more expensive Fairlight. It combined digital samples with analog subtractive synthesis (LFOs, envelopes and filters).
Prince used the keyboard again in 1986, and it appears on the Sign O The Times album, appearing on "Play In The Sunshine", "Starfish and Coffee" and "Adore"[2] . It also appears on the outtakes "Love and Sex", "When The Dawn Of The Morning Comes" and "Everybody Wants What They Don't Got" from the Sign O The Times Super Deluxe Edition[3] .
It was also used live by Boni Boyer on the Sign O The Times tour. Barking dog samples were triggered from a Mirage by Sheila E.[4]
References
- 1Brown, Jake (2010) Prince 'in the Studio' 1975 - 1995
- 2Tudahl, Duane (2021) Prince and the Parade and Sign O The Times Era Studio Sessions 1985 and 1986
- 3Tudahl, Duane (2019) Vault Tracks (Sign O The Times Super Deluxe Edition)
- 4Soundcheck (1987) Prince Sound and Lighting On Stage
Specifications
| Synthesis | Digital sample-based subtractive |
|---|---|
| Polyphony | 8 Voices |
| Oscillators | Digital PCM sampler |
| LFOs | One, triange wave |
| Filter | Low pass (Curtis 4-Pole resonant) |
| Envelope | Two, filter and amplitude - Attack, Peak, Decay, Sustain, Release stages |
| Keyboard | 61 keys with velocity |
| Controls | Pitch and modulation wheels |
| Memory | 16 internal patches, 128kb memory |
| Effects | None |
